The Style Pieces That Have Become A Part Of Me

Saying that certain style items have become part of my identity and who I am certainly makes me feel very dramatic but it's true. It's easy to dismiss style and beauty and deem them as frivolous and silly but I've realised especially this year just how important they can be to a person and that's not something that I think is silly at all. I'd been thinking about writing a post about the style pieces that I've had in my wardrobe for years [longer than 2 is my rule] and then it was a question about my tan satchel bag on Instagram that made me think about turning it into this. Once you've been wearing something for a long period of time then it does become part of who you are and here are the style pieces that have become part of my identity.

TAN SATCHEL BAG

Without a doubt the item that I've used the most in my wardrobe and my most loved by far. There isn't a week that goes by that I don't use this bag on multiple occasions and it's the best purchase that I ever made. I bought it during my first year of university so, in 2009 from a vintage store close to Brick Lane in London, it cost me £17 and I've been absolutely in love with it ever since. It's an accordion style and it makes it so easy to separate all my possessions and even though it's quite a small bag it still fits absolutely everything I need in with ease. I'm not sure what it is about this bag that makes it my most adored and prized possession, it's nothing fancy and it's coming apart at the seams now but it's been with me through so many things and never let me down. One day in the very distant future I will probably upgrade this bag to possibly a designer piece as I know it's a style that I wear so often so it would be a great investment. But I will always keep this bag and if I ever have children and I have a daughter I will pass it down to her as it's something that's been so good to me.

CLOTH/FAUX LEATHER TOTE BAG

Aside from my beloved satchel bag, my most used bag style is the tote or shopper. I'm pretty simple when it comes to style and don't like anything too faffy so a tote is perfect for me as it can fit in all my possessions, doesn't interfere with whatever I'm wearing and goes with pretty much anything. I go between a cloth tote bag and a faux leather option, a cloth one for day to day is perfect when I can't fit everything in my satchel and then for smarter occasions like a work meeting, I like to go for the faux leather. One tip I do have is to have a small pouch to go inside a larger bag as it makes it far easier to find all your essentials otherwise they can become a little cavernous.

LEATHER JACKET

I've always loved leather jackets, from around age 17 I've had various ones but it wasn't until my second year of university that I found the style that I loved which is a traditional biker style. It all started with one from Dorothy Perkins that had a shearling collar and that lasted me a good few years and then I replaced it with one from Topshop that I've had in my wardrobe ever since. To me, a leather jacket goes with absolutely everything and can be dressed up or down and they're absolutely perfect for UK summers where we never quite know what the weather is going to be like. Like I said, I picked my current go to up from Topshop around 5 or so years ago now and it's still going strong which for the price (£48) is quite surprising.

STRIPED TOP

Of course, how could I not write about my beloved striped tops in this post? Anyone who has anything to do this blog will more than likely be familiar with the fact that I'm completely obsessed with striped tops or any type of striped item in all honesty. I'm not sure where this love came from as for so long I just wore block colours as it was around the same time that I started to get quite a few tattoo's and I found that anything that was printed just made me look messy so simple block shades helped me still look somewhat out together. But there is something about stripes that I found are perfect paired with tattoos and it's nice to the ability to wear something a little more exciting without having to worry about anything clashing. I wear stripes multiple times a week and if I doubt I go for something of a striped nature and it works beautifully. My favourite piece, is, of course, the Breton and my collection is now quite substantial but of course, they're all different in their own way.

BROWN SANDALS

As soon as it's remotely warm enough to wear my peep toe brown sandals I do. In winter I live in trainers, boots and loafers but in the warmer months, you can always find me in this type of shoe. I'm not too much of a flip flop girl as I find them to look weird with my tattooed feet [I never knew getting tattooed would dictate my style choices as much as it does] so the peep toe life is for me. I've been through so many pairs of the same style and picked them up from different price points and wear them till they're quite literally falling off my feet. In combination with my little tan satchel, they're perfect.