Friday, January 31, 2020

Fashionable Fridays: HighStreet Look from Mango

Estimates by McKinsey and Company valued the Fashion Industry to be worth a staggering $2.4 Trillion way back in 2017, and with estimated growth rates averaging from 3.5-4.5 % per annum, it has continued an upwards growth trend. The past few years has seen luxury fashion brands such as LVMH and Hermes, to name a few, see main gains in the fashion industry averaging up to more that $2 billion in annual profit each in 2017 alone.





I am back with the third post of the 'Fashionable Fridays' series that I started earlier this year. Though luxury brands have seen a major increase in profits, there are many options on the HighStreet available to get your fashion fix without digging too deep in your pockets. If you can afford luxury items, that's great but if you are on a budget, then read on and get some fashion styling tips.

In my previous posts, I styled an edgy look from Zara and another feminine yet modern look from H&M.  In today's post, I will look at HighStreet brand Mango. I decided to go for a chic look for going out at night. Given the cool weather in Dubai, and also how velvet is always in vogue during winters, I decided to go for this beautiful velvet front knot jumpsuit:


 


The neckline is admittedly a bit low, but the knot detail and velvet texture really stands out. I would advise wearing a camisole underneath to cover up the low neckline for modesty reasons. Adding a sparkly belt would really glam up the look. The picture below shows three belts but one should suffice for the jumpsuit look we are going for.





We now just need to add some more sparkle to the outfit to complete the night time look. I chose the following metallic mesh bag:




It was not easy finding closed silver metallic shoes on the Mango website so these open toe rhinestone strappy sandals are the next best thing:





Complete the look with these big hoop statement earrings:



The glamorous and chic look is complete. Since the weather is still chilly, you can add the following red leather jacket while outdoors to really put your most fashionable step forward:



Wear this look with a metallic red lipstick and you are sure to steal the spotlight in this chic ensemble. Do follow me on instagram (@amnamusings) for more fashion inspiration since I post outfits I wear myself as well, along with poetry. Hope to see you again next Friday with another fun and fashionable look from an affordable HighStreet store. Till then, take care!






Friday, January 17, 2020

Fashionable Fridays: Affordable Look from H&M

A persons appearance and sense of dressing contributes to their overall personality. The best features of a personality are intangible characteristics such as kindness, being humble, etc. which can not be showcased physically in products but only can only be measured by how you treat people and animals. That said, clothes and accessories do play a part in putting together the multidimensional aspects of a personality even though they are very secondary to what truly matters.


Please take a few minutes to read my previous post , where we explore what fashion means for different people. The main purpose of creating a regular 'Fashionable Fridays' post is also given, which is basically exposing people to the fact that fashion doesn't necessarily have to be expensive and limited to high end brands. Of course if you can afford luxury brands, that's great too. You can also mix and match high end products with high street affordable ones to create versatile and trendy looks. The possibilities are endless, regardless the size of your fashion budget.

The second high street brand I have chosen for my "Fashionable Fridays" post is H&M. This is a brand with a big international presence, and for my fellow Dubai and UAE peeps, we also have the Dubai Shopping Festival going on so a lot of things are on sale.

Now that winters are finally here, after a massive rare thunderstorm a few days ago, we can take out our winter gear and choose a cosy chic winters look. Winters are already a bit dreary so I deliberately decided to choose a bright look for this post. Balloon and puffy sleeves are still going strong, so this orange balloon sleeved cosy jumper seemed perfect. 





Skirts can be so feminine and add that extra flair. So I thought we should pair the sweater with this gorgeous two toned pleated skirt. 



Now since this is more of a casual chic look, the following trainers with knot-detail and chunky soles in crisp white would really look nice:


Accessories can really add the wow factor in a look. For this particular look, choose the big chunky pearl hair clip and also wear the dainty pearl earring hoops from this set.


The last thing to add would be this snake print shoulder bag to pull everything together.




Voila! You have a whole new casual chic look, perfect for brightening up any dreary and dull winters day. 

I hope you enjoyed this week's fashion inspiration from H&M. Do follow me on instagram (@amnamusings) for more outfit inspiration and for poetry as well. Like I said in my last post, its always fun to have a friend tell you about the good things they saw in a specific shop so you can benefit as well. Do think of these posts the same friendly way. Have a lovely weekend and I hope to see you again here next Friday with another affordable look from a high street brand inshAllah.




Friday, January 10, 2020

Fashionable Fridays: HighStreet Look from Zara

Fashion can hold different meanings for different people. For some it may be identified with uncomfortable clothes and painful high heels. For others it may signify glamour and a lifestyle of luxury. Then there are those who may feel that fashion is a restricted resource only for certain body types. Rather than debate on the validity of such perceptions, I would like to suggest that you try fashion as being something fun and as a mode of self expression. Also contrary to popular belief, fashion doesn't necessarily have to be uncomfortable and expensive.




If you have been following me, particularly on instagram (@amnamusings), you would be aware that I am a fashion enthusiast. I enjoy indulging in the latest trends and dabbling in different styles as a mode of self expression.

Fashion does not need to be associated with high end and expensive brands only, although if you can afford luxury brands, go for it. With that in mind, I thought I would share some affordable high street options on my blog every Friday, as a series of #FashionableFridays. I will choose one brand each Friday and choose an affordable trendy look from that. I know there are people who struggle with finding the right clothes so maybe this would provide some needed outfit inspiration for them. If nothing else, it would at least be a fun read to know the trends.

The first high street brand I have chosen is Zara, because it's everyones favorite store, or at least everyone I know. Zara does follow the fashion runways and comes up with relatively more affordable options in the latest trends.

Currently we also have the Dubai Shopping Festival going on here in Dubai so a lot of things are on sale. Puffy sleeves are still going strong, and denim is a unique fabric for a top so this top would definitely make a statement.




Faux leather pants are also quite the trend lately. The ones that I really liked and bought a few months back from Zara are sold out so these pants are the next best thing.




Since its winters, or at least cooler than usual in Dubai, I would suggest wearing boots with this look. I really like the look of these boots shown below:




Of course if you are some where cooler, like in the UK or Pakistan for example, it would make sense to wear a warm cosy coat over this ensemble. To be honest I don't particularly love the coats on the website right now, but if I had to choose, I would choose this coat because it has  faux fur texture that adds an extra dimension.





Finally add this pearly handbag which introduces a sharp contrast to the edgy pants and boots look and brings the whole look together.




I hope you enjoyed this outfit inspiration from the high street brand Zara. It kind of reminds me of that considerate friend who looks out for you and shares with you all the good stuff she saw in a store. I sincerely hope you perceive this that way also. Thank you so much for reading and hope to see you here again next Friday with another outfit inspiration from another high street brand. Take care!