Blogmas: Fashion Favourites 2020

FoxJuliedde Ağustos 11, 2021

Throughout 2020 I have been documenting every single piece of clothing I have purchased in my 'New In Fashion' posts. My aim was to spend less on clothes and in a way to shame myself into buying less but having looked back at my monthly posts, I have not been very successful.

We have spent most of the year in some form of lockdown and limiting the amount we do outside. Instead of my making the most of some of the cute summer dresses and tops I have purchased this year, my daily wardrobe has been dominated with jogging bottoms and workout clothes. Prior to this year I only owned one pair of jogging bottoms which I would reluctantly wear around the house, now you cannot get me out of them. It just shows how much 2020 has changed our outlook and in a way it has forced us to take a look at what is truly important and this year being comfortable is one of those things.

There is certainly a more notable casual vibe to my favourite fashion pieces from this year but it is juxtaposed against some of the least casual, more dressy pieces in my wardrobe and there is very little in between. Let's take a look at the pieces shall we.

Axel Arigato Sneakers

It took me such a long time to find a pair of white sneakers that I loved enough to commit myself to them and a pair that wasn't overly expensive. I have had my eye on a variety of sneakers over the years but in the end the pair I decided to buy were from Axel Arigato.

Taking an Asian influence, Axel Arigato are actually a Portuguese brand with no form training in designing footwear but somehow they have created a streetwear brand that focuses on sneakers. They create contemporary styles which are influenced by pop culture which makes them more trend lead than some of the more classic fashion houses, it has also made them more appealing on Instagram which is actually where I first saw the brand.

There were a few styles I liked from Axel Arigato but the pair I ended up buying were a pair of the Dunk Sneakers with a pink stripe along the side. Even when I had been looking at the McQueen sneakers, I had always been looking at the pair with pink at the back so these are as close as I was getting within my budget.

I managed to get these in the Summer sale on Harrods so they were just over £100 which was a £60 saving and I was so pleased. I have worn these so much throughout the second half of the year, especially with skirts and dresses just to make them that touch more casual. Sneakers are typically quite a casual look but as these are still bright white, there is something more elegant about them. These sneakers are incredibly well crafted and look so chic, I cannot wait to wear these shoes for years to come.

Zara Soft Knit Jumper

A good sweater can last you seasons and I have a feeling that this Zara Soft Knit Jumper is going to be in my life for a while. I only bought this in September but I wear it all the time and it has convinced me that I need this jumper in every single colour.

I am a massive jumper wearer and when I find a good one, that is it, you will see me in it for the entire season. I am a fan of cropped sweaters as I find they are the most flattering on my shape. I have been wearing this jumper with my high-waisted jeans, skirts and over the top of dresses. This jumper just goes with everything and it wasn't overly expensive, it was from Zara and cost £25.99 and my cost per wear is now very low.

This is a soft fabric so it feels lovely on your skin but it is also super warm which is exactly what I want. I am always cold so I love wearing this to my office as the office is always cold. I'm pretty sure everyone in my office must be fed up of seeing this jumper but I will continue to wear this for a long time.

Ted Baker Skirt

Ted Baker has not had the same allure as it has had in previous years. I used to buy a lot from the brand but I haven't bought much from the brand this year. There are still pieces I like but I feel like the floral print is a little bit much. Having said that my favourite piece I bought from the brand is covered in florals.

I actually first saw the Abilen Highland Pleated Skirt featured on Ted Baker's Instagram, it wasn't one of their models wearing it, it was a girl who had treated herself to this skirt for her Birthday and she looked amazing. I instantly fell in love with the skirt and kept a constant eye on it and eventually it went into the sale. I bought this in a size 1 with a discount and much like some of the other pieces in this post, I have got a surprising amount of use out of this skirt.

I feel like this skirt is versatile; it is so easy to dress up or down and I have been dressing it down to wear to work, or I was during the Summer. It is a little bit cold for this skirt now but during the Summer it was light and breezy which is exactly what you want.

When you really consider this skirt, it has a lot going on: there are pleats, lace panels and a floral print but paired with a plain top this feels a bit statement but not over the top. During the Summer I wore this with a plain black top and my Axel Arigato sneakers which was casual, comfortable but put together. I had been looking for a pleated skirt that I could wear both casually or to a more fancy occasion and this skirt is the perfect skirt for this.

Self-Portrait Dress

I don't know whether you do this but when I have an event coming up, in my mind I create the look that I want for that event. It is very rare that I actually get the look together, I usually have to settle with a cheaper alternative but this year I managed to treat myself to my dream dress.

During 2020 I was supposed to attend two weddings in 3 days but thanks to Covid they were cancelled however I had already bought my dress just in case. I had wanted the Self-Portrait Azalea Dress in light blue for years! I originally wanted it for my best friend's wedding back in 2018 but I couldn't afford it however thanks to the lockdown I wasn't spending so I was finally able to treat myself to this dress, plus I managed to find it with 25% off which is a rare discount for Self-Portrait.

You can get this dress in both a mini and midi length, I of course bought the mini size as I am a short arse and I absolutely love it. I bought a size 6 and it fits perfectly, I always struggle with dresses as I have quite a short body but this dress is perfect. I cannot wait to actually be able to wear this dress in the New Year as all of the events I was supposed to go to have obviously been cancelled but hopefully next year we will be back up and running. As you can tell this isn't a favourite because I have worn it, it is a favourite because it is something that I wanted for so long and I finally treated myself to it.

The Kooples Dress

Sticking with the dress theme, not only did I get my dream dress from Self-Portrait but I also bought my first dress from The Kooples. The Kooples is one of my favourite brands but it is so expensive! The dresses from The Kooples are almost £300 full price. Like everything I have ever purchased from The Kooples, I always wait for the sale and I managed to get this dress that I had been eyeing up for ages half price in the sale.

I always check out the new collections from The Kooples when they launch and when I saw this dress, I loved it but knew I couldn't afford it. I kept an eye on it and it eventually went into the sale and luckily they had my size in the Bath store. When I tried it on, I decided to just go for it and I have worn it quite a few times even though I haven't had loads of occasions to wear such a beautiful dress.

I wore this dress for my Brother's Birthday meal which was at the start of the year so I did wear this for an occasion but oddly I have also been wearing this to work. I have been wearing this with a jumper over the top as it does have quite a low neckline which is not work appropriate but the skirt length is ideal for work and with a pair of black tights it looks great and daytime appropriate. This dress has been a great addition to my wardrobe.

ASOS Joggers

I learnt a valuable lesson this year thanks to lockdown, my causal loungewear wardrobe was seriously lacking so I had to sort that out when lockdown began. I bought a series of causal clothes but there is a set from ASOS that I love and wear more than the rest. This set taught me that it is ok to be casual and comfortable when I am at home.

I bought this set because I saw it on Susie from Hello October's Instagram, it is rare that I think a jogger combo looks cute but I really liked the way this looked with the cropped sweatshirt and the wide leg joggers that are cuffed at the bottom. At £36 it seemed like a lot but I have worn the joggers so much that clearly it was worth the spend.

I do not wear the sweatshirt very often as I do think together it is a bit much on me but the joggers with a casual top are cute and so unbelievably comfortable. They have a fleecy lining so they are super warm and cosy which has been perfect for the colder months. When I had my week off in November, I think I wore these for the whole week. I always thought of joggers as being for chavs, now I realise they are just for smart people who want to be cosy. I would never wear these out of my house but inside my house, I barely take them off. Life changing!

Zara Shacket

When you buy something that looks completely different to anything else in your wardrobe it definitely feels like a risk and when I considered buying this shacket I knew the risk. It was £50 from Zara which seemed like a lot for an incredibly thin jacket but it has definitely been one of my best purchases this year!

Despite its flimsy construction, this shacket has been so easy to throw over the top of all outfits to add a bit of texture and a bit of warmth. It will be absolutely useless in the Winter but I guess there is the possibility of layering underneath it. I like the details of this jacket, that is one thing that Zara do well, they add small details and that is what makes each piece look more expensive than it is. I love the big pockets at the top, the lower pockets and the fraying sleeves and hem of the jacket. It is a relaxed fit and a relaxed style.

This shacket was my first venture into the trend which has definitely been picked up this A/W with a lot of fast fashion brands choosing to make them but with a more traditional lumberjack check print. I love that the one I have is a little bit different and I love the houndstooth pattern, I wasn't sure how I was going to get on with it but this sort of sparked an obsession with the print and now I have multiple skirts in this pattern. Even the IT coat of this season from New Look is houndstooth. This ended up being a great purchase even though I wasn't sure about it at first.

New Look Boots

These boots were a purchase from last year but for some reason I did not include them in last years Fashion Favourites post which shocks me because I know I got a lot of wear out of them but this year they barely left my feet, unless I had my sneakers on.

These boots just go with every look whether it is my black skinny jeans, a dress or a skirt, these boots are just so easy to throw on and add a bit of toughness to any look. I actually get a lot of compliments on these boots which is always nice but bit of a pain as they are from last year.

I remember when I ordered these boots and I had no idea whether I would actually wear them, they felt too far away from my relatively girly looks but I love the edge these boots give. Also they are great for Winter as you can wear a pair of fluffy socks under these boots. New Look always launch boots like these so they are always available but they do seem to sell out every year.

Instead of dressing up to go out with friends or for a trip to London, going to work has been my only chance to wear some of my favourite pieces this year. This whole period of not having a chance to dress up has made me excited to be able to go out again and piece together outfits like I would have before lockdown began.

These are my genuine favourites from the year so there is always going be a mix of high/low price points as I include the pieces that I have loved the most and worn the most. I don't always get that much wear out of some of the more expensive pieces I buy but that doesn't mean I don't love them. It also doesn't mean that because something is cheaper that you shouldn't love it as much as a more expensive piece, if you like something, you like it!

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