Golden Square Shopping Centre

Shopping on the UK high street is not all it’s cracked up to be. If you're a northerner like me, you have to be prepared; layers, flat shoes, and a waterproof coat (obviously). So this summer, it’s been a pleasant surprise to find out more about my local shopping centres; where you can find all the latest trends, under one (rain proof) roof. This weekend I popped up the M62 to Warrington, to visit the Golden Square shopping centre. It only took 35 minutes from Stockport, and is only 22 minutes on a train from Manchester city centre, so a perfect alternative to the busy Market Street!

I was invited along to find my new season picks from the fabulous selection of stores, and to give you a run down of what I bought. To be honest, I was spoilt for choice as soon as I walked in. The light airy centre had HUGE stores, most of which were set over two floors, and also boasts a fantastic outside courtyard where the main eateries are based. 

From high fashion faves such as Topshop and H&M to bargain central Primark; Golden Square has everything you need for a great day shopping. As usual, Topshop was first on my agenda. They had a great selection of new AW17 pieces as well as some current summery bits. As I go away at the start of September, I was drawn to sunshine slogan tees and all things gingham! I tried on some fabulous cropped ‘menzi’ trousers with a paper bag waist (SO flattering) and paired them with my absolute fave  ‘Mon Cherie’ bright red t-shirt (yass!). The girls in store were so helpful, and one of them actually followed my blog, which made my year! In the end, I stuck with my ‘need’ list and got some Gucci loafer-esque beauts - still a massive trend this season.

Next up was H&M. Now this store was massive. Nearly as big as the Market Street store, but so much neater and everything was in order (H&M can sometimes be like finding a needle in a hay stack). They had all the pieces that I had spotted online, and I immediately got myself over to the changing room! Tailored shirts and collar details are another big AW17 trend. Perfect office wear, or team them with some denim to balance out the look. This layered corset shirt was a dream. Flattering, comfortable and a high fashion look for just £29.99! I then moved onto this baby blue pleated shirt. I had so many comments from you guys on my IG stories, but for some reason…I left without buying it! I did however get a beautiful khaki shirt (colour of the season) and a poppy print, ballon sleeve blouse. My thoughts were that I could wear them more often and they would be more versatile in the long run (Mrs sensible over here!).

I spent the next hour wandering through the centre, buying bath bombs from lush (couldn’t resist), browsing the books in Waterstones and finishing off my trip with a hot chocolate (it may be August but it was 12c outside!) in the Thornton’s Cafe = perfection. I had a great time at the Golden Square shopping centre; it’s modern, full of the best high street stores and best of all is local! Thank you to the team for having me, I can’t wait to come back!

If you would like to visit the centre for yourself, then there is no better time than September when they have an amazing fashion event coming up! If you want to find your new season style and how to look like you’ve stepped straight off the pages of a fashion magazine then you need to get yourself over to Golden Square’s Look Book Live. The two day event – Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September - will take the key trends for the season and, with the help of an expert stylist, bring them to life using the centre’s new interactive giant fashion magazine. The event will be held at Golden Square Shopping Centre on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September from 11am to 4pm For further information please visit www.gswarrington.co.uk

Basil And Bea

It's not often you find a shop that you wish you could live in (literally). But as soon as I stepped through the door of Basil & Bea, I knew I had stepped in to my interior #goals. From the all white, exposed brick wall, to the delicate glass globe lighting; the ultra cool minimal vibes shone through. Nestled in the beautiful Cheshire village of Hale, was this Aladdin's cave of high end, beautifully curated fashion and homeware. 

This little gem was courtesy of the store's owner, the lovely Hari. With a background in fashion and an incredible eye for interior design, she has put her heart and soul into creating a luxurious collection of clothing, accessories and homeware; with pieces that would be at home in larger high end designer department store, she has managed to bring a friendly, welcoming and villagey feel to the shop. You can tell Hari knows fashion. Every piece is not only current, but also classic. With designers such as Etre Cecile and Elizabeth and James, Hari has selected pieces that you can treasure forever.

It was a true joy to visit last week, and I genuinely couldn't stop taking photos. Every corner was pure delight! From the scrumptious pink chairs, to the art on the wall (painted by her dad!), Basil & Bea is definitely worth a visit. It was great to meet a girl boss like Hari, who was not only lovely, but also driven and passionate about all things fashion and design.

For more information, you can find out more about Basil & Bea here.

Candy Stripes

British summertime; ahh the magical, mysterious season that somehow seems to last exactly one week in June and then is gone forever. Okay, so maybe I'm being dramatic, but up North, especially in my beautiful city of Manchester, we tend to get the rough end of the deal. Being a fashion blogger in summer is basically being a European blogger in early Autumn. You need layers, waterproof shoes and the odd coat.

But, as luck would have it, last month had a summery day - my immediate reaction was to obviously shoot some summer looks (the fun world of a blogger!) so I whipped out my super summer Zara 'candy stripe' dress and got out my camera!

Ok; so gotta be honest, this is a tad 'out there' for me. But I've realised that my style has changed so much since I started blogging 3 years ago. Not only have I become older, I've also become more confident in my style. I see high fashion looks and want to create them. I did get funny looks when wearing this dress in my little peak district village, but you know what, I felt great! The flirty feminine silhouette made me feel like I should have been in St Tropez, sipping a cocktail on a yacht (I can dream...). It's floaty and this disguises every lump and bump going; perfect.

I kept the accessories simple and chic; with my absolute dream J.W Anderson pierce bag and some simple black mules. This bag was a big investment, but I know I will treasure is for years to come (watch it be on ebay in 3 months haha!). It immediately 'designers up' a look, and considering this dress was under £50, I think it works quite well! 

Bag: J.W Anderson // Dress: Zara (similar) // Shoes: New Look

Marketplace Bolton - Part Two

So after my amazing first visit to the wonderful Marketplace Bolton (my friends keep asking me about it, and are all dying to go!) - I spent the second weekend hunting out my top SS17 picks from the stores in the centre. As I mentioned, there is A LOT of choice. Zara, H&M, Warehouse, River Island and New Look just to name a few of my faves; so I knew I would have a hard choice to select just a few looks.

This week, I took my personal photographer (AKA Mus) so I managed to get a few shots of in and around the centre, and yes, more of that beautiful architecture! 

Outside the beautiful Marketplace's original door!

Dress - New Look 

Top - Dorothy Perkins @ Debenhams 

I started off in Debenhams, which I'd forgotten just how much choice you actually get in there! I went from this beautiful off the shoulder top from Dorothy Perkins, to shoes from Kurt Geiger and bags from Jasper Conran; all in one under one roof! They also had lots of fab offers, including 20% off selected bags, including the one on this blog (my absolute fave!). Although we're well into August, there is still lots of time to get some summer florals into your wardrobe. I'm not a massive fan of patterns, but this season, florals have been EVERYWHERE, so I finally gave in and chose this red number. Perfect with mom jeans or tucked in to a pair of skinnies, this top is perfect for summer evenings!

Taking a break in the airy hidden spaces in the centre.

Top - River Island 

Tope and Shoes - Next 

I also headed to Next, who I have had the pleasure of working with throughout my blogging career. I'd not been in for a while, so couldn't wait to get my hands on some new summer pieces. After long deliberation (serious first world problems here) I went with this beautiful eyelet detail blouse and some classic animal print flats. Both are perfect for right now, but can also transition in to late September, when we always get a little Indian summer!

Shoes - KG @ Debenhams 

Bracelet - Earnest Jones 

Bag - Julian MacDonald @ Debenhams 

Accessories were next on my list, and I found endless choices all over the centre. I decided to go for something that although is definitely on trend now, will also last you for years to come; this perfect Julian MacDonald black chain detailed bag - IN LOVE. It definitely has Chanel vibes, but this babe was under £50 - YES! I also popped in to Ernest Jones for some  jewellery inspiration. I could have been there for hours; the diamonds were to die for, Mus was getting worried! 

Being interview by Bolton FM!

The only place in the UK where 4 red phone boxes are all stood together - thanks Cathy for being the perfect tour guide!

As well as shopping, having a cheeky Nando's (in the poshest Nando's ever!) and learning about the fantastic events coming up at the centre; I was also interview by Bolton FM. This was very nerve-wracking, yet exciting and I felt honoured to be thought of as interview worthy! I genuinely had such a lovely few days with the lovely people at the centre, and felt like part of the family. In fact, Mus and I are heading back for the August Bank Holiday weekend for their food festival, which promises to be an incredible event! Thank you to everyone who made my time there warm and welcoming; see you all soon!

For more information about Marketplace Bolton, you can find all you need here!

Marketplace Bolton - Part One

Yesterday I was invited along to the 'Summer of Style' event at the Market Place shopping centre in Bolton. Although I'm a proud Northerner, and supporter of local, smaller shopping destinations, I have to admit, I'd never been to Bolton, despite it being just half an hour a way! After this weekend, I will definitely be back, as I found a modern, fashionable and best of all, super instagrammable shopping centre, which has something for everyone.

 Up North, we can get a bad rap when it comes to fashion, shopping and generally keeping up with our Southern friends; but after my little trip to the Market Place, I am pretty convinced we are hotter up North (not literally of course, raining and cold on this July Sunday) than ever before. 

The event itself, which runs this weekend and next weekend (5/6th August) is celebrating all things style, and the centre has some super fun things for all ages to get involved with. From a magic selfie mirror (which believe me, was ahhmazing) to glitter girls making all of your sparkly hair dreams come true, and all of which are FREE! I was there to offer some style advice and to find my top summer picks in the great selection of stores (Zara, Topshop, H&M to name a few!). I will be showing you my top 5 looks next week, so stay tuned!).

To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting a lot from a small centre in Bolton. I was already comparing it to my own home town (which doesn't even have a Zara, sacrilege I know!) but even after spending a whole day there, it didn't give me enough time to experience all that the centre had to offer. The centre itself is a mixture of old and new, with stunning modern architecture, mixed with bare brickwork from the original Victorian market place. It feels different and new, and best of all, it's spacious and light so you don't feel like you're in a cattle market like some places (not mentioning any names...). The biggest surprise for me, was the basement floor called 'The Vaults' where most of the food brands are based - as you can see from the pictures, each restaurant is set under it's own arch, in a beautiful, unique setting below the shops. Throughout the basement, there are hidden art works, wine bars and even mini golf along with the children's play centre. It's just incredible how much you can fit into one place!

After tearing myself away from what I call "the most instagrammable toilets in the North West" I made my way up to the top levels of the centre. The second floor comprises of a modern airy restaurant, Starbucks and more stores, with lots of room for more! At the very top of the market place is the 9 screen cinema, which yet again consisted of more stunning art work, interior design goals and even a couple of chandeliers - my idea of heaven. Returning down to the main event, I watched a bit of Face Yoga (actually really amazing!), stopped of for some of the best pick and mix I've ever seen and then listened to the 2 lovely older gentlemen belting out some tunes!

The centre was packed, and I had such a lovely day meeting the team responsible for putting on the event, and the very lovely Cathy who showed me around and made me feel so welcome. It was definitely a huge success, and I can't wait for next weekend, when I'm there again, so if you're local, pop down and we can go and get some sassy summer outfits together!

You can find out more about the event, including times and what's on, here - and with it just a 25 minute tram journey from the city centre, it's definitely worth a visit!