April's Amazing Fashion Wishlist - London Style

April's Fashion Wishlist has been altered slightly, as I spent this weekend down in London, pounding the paving slabs of Oxford Street and beyond in search of simple and elegant key pieces with which to update my flagging wardrobe. It's not been the easiest month to be out splashing the cash on clothes, shoes and accessories, as I have no less than seven - yes 7 - birthday's this month. That, for those who aren't so great at maths, amounts to seven birthday presents, seven birthday parties and seven birthday outfits!

Luckily for me (in some ways) six of my friends have double booked their party dates on two separate weekends - meaning that I will be driving to Cannock and then back to Coleshill one Saturday night, the following Friday I will be driving to Selly Oak and then back to Water Orton in the one night and then on the Saturday of that weekend I will be at a joint birthday party - so technically for those six birthdays I will only have to find three outfits. Which is a slight blessing.

So for most of the parties I am making do with what I already own, as I have a habit of hoarding party dresses and barely wearing them once in a year, before I go out and purchase more party outfits. This year, however, I have been sensible and have just bought things I actually needed (or wanted that much I'd have died walking away from them!).

For this month's Amazing Fashion Wishlist I thought I'd split it into two topics of fashion - daywear necessities I picked up in London, and party dresses I am intending to wear to my numerous parties. So, without any further adieu I shall get on with displaying my most recent set of purchases from that there London town.

Three-story Primark

One of my favourite things about London's shopping hub is the three-story Primark they have located at the far end of Oxford Street. After arriving in London and picking up lunch in Holborn on the Saturday, myself and my family headed straight to Primark and got stuck in.

The only item of clothing I actually ended buying form Primark was this white, lace tassel crop top (£8). It does look lovely on, and the tassels along the hem means that there isn't too much tummy on show which helps! While the weather isn't at it's brightest I'm just going to wear it with jeans or leggings - although I am now in constant fear of snagging it on something as there are so many tiny threads hanging off it! So no hugs for me in this top, me thinks!

I bought these wedge thong sandals from Primark too (£12). I have lots of pairs of brown or tan gladiator sandals and wedges, but only one pair of black summer shoes, and they don't go with anything I own now really. I don't normally like flower detailing on shoes, but the way these have been done looks really nice, and not too girly either - which is a pet hate of mine! They're suede so even though they rubbed to start with I'm hoping they will soften up soon enough. I also love the slight wedge to them, as I think it makes your feet look much nicer than in flat-soled shoes. But that's just me being extra weird!

On the accessories front Primark did well for quirky detailing. I bought this raffia style cross-body bag for a tiny £6. It's not the biggest bag in the world, and with my purse, keys and phone in there's barely room for a lip gloss, but it is really nice and practical for when you need your hands free (to shop or hold drinks etc!). Plus, it's got a really summery feel to it and it will go with loads of clothes I own.

I also bought this horse buckle waist

belt, which I just fell in love with. It was a minuscule £1.50, and it's going to look great wrapped round plenty of my summer dresses to give them that extra touch of vintage. I really struggle to find waist belts that fit me as I'm so tiny, but this one is perfect and I can't wait to wear it now.

Further more, I treated myself to some hold-up style tights which have been huge this year. I love patterned tights of all varieties, and these are my new crush. They just look so sexy with anything, and they make a real statement of any outfit. Plus, they are much easier to wear than real stockings! Primark make a decent pair for £3, which is drastically cheaper than River Island's £15 pair. They will all rip in the end, so why fork out a fortune for them? At £3 you could easily afford to stockpile them for the next few months.

I got a tad excited by Primark's jewellery as well - as usual! I bought this heavy duty chain for £3.50, which really does weigh a ton! I think it looks quite vintage and it's a simple accessory to add to most outfits to help style them up a bit more. I also bought a gold fig leaf necklace (£2.50) and a gold leaf ring (£2) which snakes up your finger, as I thought they would also help give a bit more of a vintage look to some of my outfits. I don't do dainty jewellery, so the chain on the necklace could do with being a bit bigger in my opinion - but they're all beautiful really!

H&M heaven

H&M is normally my safe haven for clothes, as I'm guaranteed to come away with something lovely for a tiny price. I can normally buy half the shop, but there just didn't seem to be all that much on offer in London sadly so I left with these cute camel pumps (£8) in the end. These will be great in the summer with jeans, dresses and skirts. The neutral colour means they can go with almost anything as well, which is a bonus!

New Look loving

I ended my shopping spree in New Look, where I picked up a fair few key pieces for my summer wardrobe. Firstly, this Spanish-style floral off-the-shoulder dress (£28) is to die for. They do it in white and red as well, but I stuck to black so that I could easily match it with my new Primark sandals. It has a great ruffled neckline, a nipped in waist band to add shape, and is the perfect leg-length for petites like myself. I am going to live in this dress this summer, it is bang on trend!

This blue ripped edge t-shirt (£8) is basically a simple version of my more elaborate Primark top, but I think with jeans or my high-waisted shorts it's going to look quite special. They do it in a variety of colours and it's a nice yet simple day top to throw on and look good in. With my Primark chain and my H&M shoes I think this is going to look great - much better than it does in this picture any way!

Finally, I managed to get my hands on some light blue, high-waisted jeans (£16). As a short arse I really struggle to find good quality fitted jeans, so I have resorted to buying kids jeans to make sure they fit properly! Laugh all you want but kids jeans don't have added VAT so who's really winning? Almost all of the jeans I have bought over the last couple of years have been New Look kidswear, and they do make some really lovely, well fitting designs. The high waist on these will help vamp up a few of my current outfits, and the light blue is really striking in the sunny weather. Plus, they're very light on, and are almost like a jegging rather than a jean - so they're extra comfortable too.

March's Marvelous Fashion Wishlist

This month it's all about off-the-shoulder numbers, deep plunge necklines and pleats.

Off the shoulder - with Spring in the air it's time to show a bit of shoulder

H&M have got it spot on with this mustard yellow floral creation (£34.99). Short, silky and with statement shoulder detailing, this will look great with sandals in the day, and colour-pop mustard yellow heels for the night. Do like they do and add a wide tan belt to complete the look.

If you're a bit weary about baring your pre-holiday tan legs this early on in the year, why not opt for an off the shoulder top instead. Most varieties will look great with maxi skirts or jeans, so there is no need to reach for the fake tan just yet.

This beautiful coral one shoulder top

from River Island (£39.99) is a tad on the pricey side, but the colour is going to be key to any Spring 2011 wardrobe. The chiffon material gives it a light, floaty feel and the layering gives a much more designer look. The only downside, for me at least, is that I'm not a big fan of corsages, and this one is nondetachable so that does spoil it a bit for me.

Deep-plunge necklines - strictly eveningwear, with a V so deep it leaves very little to the imagination!

This is a bold and brave look to pull off, but done right it can leave you looking breath-taking.

This look requires a specialist bra which won't show through, or for you to be the bravest of them all and go bra-less - there is NO space for bra straps on show here.

This Asos plunge neck top is highly risky, but very sexy with it's mesh underlay. Covered in tiny silver studs and with draped ruffled sleeves, this is a must-buy to tackle the deep plunge trend. And with the bonus that it is now only £10 (down from £28), I order you to get online and

buy it now, before it's too late.

After trawling the highstreet stores, I have found that Lipsy seems to be the undisputed Queen of plunge neck dresses, with a huge range of party frocks which far outdoes any other highstreet brand. This Jewelled plunge neck dress comes in a vast range of colours and prints and is my pick of the bunch. You won't need much more than a few sparkles, some big heels and a smile with this dress, so snap yours up quick while stocks last.

Pleats - on tops, dress, camis...you name it, it will look better pleated.

I am off for a major shopping trip to London in three weeks, and this Primark coral pleated skirt (£8) is top of my hit list. I have had my eye on this for weeks, but I have been waiting for the warmer weather to appear as this is clearly a bare-legs and sandals skirt - not a black tights and boots look! I am utterly in love with the colour, the shape and the length - although the navy blue version is also very cute. I'm planning to wear this with a plain racer back vest for a casual yet chic daytime look.

This beautiful pleated Topshop creation (£42) is also officially on my wishlist. Despite them labeling it coral, I think it's much more of a fiery red, and this is going to look great of an evening with some strapey heels. The sleeveless look is another key statement of Spring 2011, and the lace detailing on the upper part of the dress gives it a whole other dimension. This is a must ladies, but you will have to fight me for it!

Lust Item

I have hand picked one Lust Item for March and this, for me, is the one. This Forever 21 sky blue floral dress (£21.80) is my top buy for March, as it is simply gorgeous and can be worn so many different ways. Dress it down for the day with over the knee socks and brogues, or in the sunny weather with tan sandals and a rope belt, or even out of an evening with some sky-high wedges and a cute clutch bag. I love the colour, the floral print is in-keeping with the Spring 2011 trend and the ruffle detailing around the hem gives it a much more designer look.

OCD Fashion

I've come to realise that not only is fashion a massive part of my life, it's also a massive topic of discussion around the world. Having browsed the bloggersphere and seen the style and genre of most of the content out there, it is clear to see that most modern day twenty-somethings, such as myself, place a great deal of interest and commitment into discussing and sharing their thoughts and views on the ever-changing face of fashion.

Although I have never resigned myself to only writing about one topic here on Twenty-one and Invincible - and I will continue to write about my life in general and as a whole for the rest of my time as a blogger - I will readily admit that fashion does play a massive part in my day-to-day life. I must end up buying a couple of new items of clothing at least once a month; never pricey things unless it's a special occasion, but I do love nothing more than to shop and buy things which I feel good wearing. I take shopping trips to London with my Mam and sister every year, I nearly always ask for clothes for Christmas and birthdays and I never miss the January sales. Ever.

When I have a great outfit on, or a new pair of shoes, I can't help but feel a little bit special. Even if nobody notices it's new, or bothers to comment on what I'm wearing, I find that personally it gives me a buzz and helps me feel good in myself, helps me feel confident. Being brutally honest, and please don't think ill of me for this, but I actually have a clothes list in my room which I refer to on a daily basis to help me decide what to wear.

I know that's a totally OCD thing to admit to having or doing, but I have so many clothes and I want to wear them all at some point within the month. I like to know that I have a selection of daywear, nightwear and work wear on hand so that I never have to panic when getting ready, and have that "I've got a room full of clothes and nothing to wear" crisis that so many of my friends and family have on a regular occurrance.

My best friend Ray is the queen of hoarding, and has far too many clothes and very few complete outfits, meaning that she's usually struggling to find something to wear nearly every time we go out. I don't want that stress, and so I make it so I always have something to wear. I make sure I have tops to go with my jeans or my skirts, and shoes to go with my dresses. I don't feel right if an outfit's missing something, it ruins the whole look for me. And when I get bored of wearing an outfit, I take it off the list and use it as an excuse to buy something new to replace it!

I have 20 day outfits which can take me from Uni, to work, to the shops and more, and 13 evening outfits which range from a night at the pub or a dinner date, to party frocks and clubbing outfits. That's only 33 outfits in total, and I do believe that is what the guru Gok Wan calls a capsule wardrobe.

So after comprehending what a huge part in my life fashion plays, I've decided to complete a monthly Fashion Wishlist here on Twenty-one and Invincible, detailing my top buys for the month, and explaining how best to work them. Any fellow fashionistas please feel free to comment and inspire me...