what's NEXT: my very own pop up shop

Next has always been a brand I've felt good about, which is why I'm doing this. But lately, it's really capturing my imagination. (More about that in my next post. Ha! Get it? Next?)

Anyway, I love this concept: in conjunction with the NEW NEXT ADVERT (click here), we're doing this post. It has really brought out the girl playing with Barbie Dolls side of me. When the lovely Next people explained the idea, I was like, I'm in. And it was bizarrely the same day I saw Jackie wearing that gorgeous jumper tunic from Next. Serendipity.

This so captures my imagination, because it's all about looking at eleven photographs of models wearing clothes and accessories (all by Next: the same looks as in the new Paris commercial that launched) and then making a quick decision of four looks that are my style. I found it really easy to choose, I knew the looks that screamed ME, and sent it off within minutes.

And then, I panicked. One look was that style that always trips me up: the fifties flare skirt. The model had a tiny waist and was wearing ballerina pink and black.. let's face it, I am a straight up and down girl, with a sixties silhouette, not fifties. What was I thinking? So I changed for the third look: skinny jeans and a jumper. Classic with a slight rock chick twist. This is my final choice:



Now comes the hard part: which items should I choose to actually own (up to £100 total)? I've become slightly obsessed. Any suggestions? I can basically get anything but the Aviator jacket.

Getting dressed - fashion - style - is so like cooking for me. I'm in the mood for a combination of flavours, textures, and then it's a question of getting the balance right. It's impulsive, creative, a form of expression.. there's that moment when you imagine a finished result: a meal, a 'look'. The leap of faith when buying something online is imagining how that item - those shoes, that dress - will work on me. It's like reading a recipe, imagining how it will taste.

So I played a little photoshop game with one of the dresses I chose for my 'shop':




Because we're all posting at the same time, I'm curious about is who the other bloggers are, and which styles they chose (I know that Jazmine is doing it, and the beautiful Kristy, a lovely new blogger I met with a blog called Fashion Champagne). Haven't you seen things and thought 'that's not my style, but it's exactly my friend's?' It's a great little game, a psychological experiment.

Oh by the way: today just happens to be my birthday. And no, I'm not telling you how old I am. Just know this much: I'm older than you think, and I'm older than you are. xoxo