recent purchases for a/w

top row - theinstyle.com by lauren pope grid co-ord top available here and now reduced from £18.99 to £12.99
topshop ultimate faux leather biker jacket available here for £58.00
topshop dogtooth leggings available here for £25.00
bottom row - h&m white rib knit jumper available here for £14.99
h&m imitation leather shorts available here for £12.99
h&m lips shoulder bag available here for £14.99

as the weather has definitely taken a turn for the worst recently and the lovely hot sunshine we had just a few weeks ago seems unlikely to be returning anytime soon, i've been looking forward and starting to buy clothes which are going to be more suitable for autumn/winter. i went into manchester last week and already most of the summer clothes have been either demoted to sale racks or stuffed at the back of the shops whilst the mannequins and 'new in' sections are full of transitional clothes that have got me feeling giddy about the colder months.

the inthestyle monochrome grid top was a bit of a spur of the moment purchase as i've recently been lusting after the lolita monochrome grid top from american apparel but felt that £34 was a bit too expensive for a bit of chiffon material. this top is the perfect dupe in my opinion but is actually a bit more wearable and suitable for colder weather as it doesn't have the open back that the lolita tops have. i'll be pairing this with high waisted jeans and riding pants all winter and even into the summer, plus it was on sale, what more could a girl want!

i've been really brave and dived into the world of leather jackets, yes unbelievably this is the first one i've ever owned! i've always felt they 'wouldn't suit me' and dismissed them a bit but my boyfriend persuaded me to try this faux leather beauty on in topshop recently and within seconds i was carrying it over to the till. the faux fur collar was the dealbreaker to be honest, it's the softest thing i've ever felt in my life and is going to be so snuggly in the colder months. if you're ever in topshop and see the jacket just have a sneaky feel and you'll see exactly what i mean! it also makes the coat a bit more girly which suited my style a lot more so if you too feel leather jackets aren't your thing, try something like this, you could be convinced!

i've also bravely gone for the bright lips bag as i've seen a few different versions on the highstreet and asos recently and thought it was perfect to break up my very dull wardrobe colour palette of black, black, white, more black and occasionally dark blue. it might be a bit 'love it or hate it' but i personally think it's really cute and a bit of a nod to Lulu Guiness' iconic lip clutches which are way out of my financial grasp.

the cream h&m jumper i bought just as a trusty winter staple, you can't go wrong with a h&m jumper and the dogtooth leggings caught my eye on a mannequin in topshop. i LOVE dogtooth and was already wanting the topshop dogtooth cigarette pants but didn't want to part with £42 for something i might not get my wear out of. these leggings are perfect to try out the trend and if i wear them as much as i think i will then i'll probably splash out on the cigarette trousers too.

the leather shorts were a bit of an risky buy, i'm unsure if i'm brave enough to pull these off but i think with opaque black tights and a striped top or soft knit in the day time or even a bit more dressed up for going out at night they'll look ok. They're pretty casual and i like the elasticated waist, it makes them more sports luxe than stripper. i've actually ordered them online and they haven't arrived yet so i'll let you know if i manage to be brave enough to wear them!

thanks for reading, i'm so pleased people seem to be actually reading my posts and it's not just me rambling on to myself!