Welcome back!

Hello blogosphere!

I'm sure you have all forgotten my very brief existence in the blogging community and my (at one point)  deeply loved and cherished blog flew off the radar and landed among fashion fads and discarded memontos of time gone by. Well, here I am, back with a motive and a very active key board. God how life has changed since I started True Love Always, subsequantly neglected true love always and now return, apology in hand.

I shall recap the last year and a half in the briefest way possible by saying: I went to university, I dropped out of university, I came home, got a full time job running a bar (so glamorous, not.) met my beautiful boyfriend, moved in with my boyfriend, leaving home again, and now I live in our gorgeous little home with James (said boyfriend) Billy, the Cat, and the spare room-turned-wardrobe. And that's describing the most life changing part of my life thus far in the most simple terms imaginable. I'm sure within this blog I will expand on some of these events, important as they are. It makes me sad that I neglected blogging during a time when I actually have so much to say. And all the missed oppertunities I had to blog about. I am so much happier in my life now and have been blessed with some wonderful memories which I would have loved to share here. So be prepared for some retrospective posts in the near future. One of which will include our Trip to New York. At Christmas time. Sorry, I just had to drop that one.

Followers of my blog will know my first post ever, was set in beautiful Paris. So guess what? That's where I'm starting this time. Got to be true to my blog. I also think its fitting to start my True Love always, mark two, where I began the first time. So here it is. PARIS.

James and I entered a competition with the wonderful company Jones and Jones. It was harmless fun at first; enter a picture of you and your beloved while wearing one of their dresses, gain likes, and win a trip to Paris on Valentines! I happened to have the dress and the boy, so why not right? Then things went a little crazy and 600 likes, and probably as many shares, later, and guess what? Paris here we come!

Heres are entry, and your first glimpse and Mr Love Always.
I'm sure he'l be appearing many more times!
Dress: Jones and Jones 'poppy' dress 

I worried I may be a little over dressed. But as one of my dear girlies so rightly said 'it is simply impossible to be over dressed in Paris'. With that philosophy in mind (and it being Valentines and all that) I wore my pretty pink Ted baker number. Tutu skirt and all.

My own little Marilyn moment 

To dress it down somewhat, I threw on trusty converse, a biker jacket and blue and white stripey crop. A bit of classic French fashion creeping in you see! Yes, everyone else in the city was wrapped head to two to battle the stupidly strong winds and I didn't have so much as a pair of tights, but who cares. It was Valentines day. In Paris. With the love of my life. To hell with practicalities like weather. I was going for it! (apologies for the ridiculously loved up sound of this last sentence. I do try to hide it. But it always creeps in. Sigh.)

We only went for the day, which meant a crazy adventure. Arriving at 9 on Valentines morning we set off for the most iconic landmark, La Tour Eiffel. I've been lucky enough to go to Paris twice before but never climbed this iron feat. James has never been so naturally hasn't either. I guess I didn't really need to state that, oh well. We climbed the thing. Oh. God. I am scared of heights. And lifts. What a Valentines treat I had in store! Saying that the views were spectactular and if possible Paris looks even more beautiful from the sky. It was so beautiful I can't quite explain. That was one thing off the bucket list.

Just hanging out above everyone else in the city!

We spent the day zipping around the city, visiting the beautiful landmarks, wondering the streets, flowers in hand. And then when the sun set, we went and saw everything again! I honestly don't think it could have got more romantic. This from the girls whose original V day plans included working the fully book bar and waiting on cute couples while desperately wanting to plant rings in chocolate brownies. How things changed. And all thanks to Jones and Jones! It was such a wonderful treat, complete with roses, salted caramel crepes, a ridiculous tutu skirt (that deserved an extra seat on the euro star due to its size and volume) and wine thrown in for good measure.

Seeing the sights

My deepest apologies to everyone out there who thought (given us being in early March) the Valentines posts had come to an end. I realise how sickening this may have sounded. But hopefully you can enjoy the fashion in the most stunning city if nothing else. And hopefully the name of the blog gave a little hint to some of the cringey cute contents. If it makes you feel any better I still pinch myself for being so gross.

Tokens of love

So there you have it. A day in our life (which I promise is not usually glamorous of even that exciting) and my return to blogging! Hand on my keyboard, no one will be waiting over a year and half for next post. Pinky Promise. I solomley swear.

Goodbye for now, have a wonderful day whatever you are doing. I'm off to paint the kitchen so that it is no longer a glaring shade of orange. I told you, glamorous ;) *mischief managed* teehee!

6

So, it's been a little while since I've posted! With the worry of exam results and then the excitment of University, life has become far more active these last weeks. But I'm back, Blogging about my one true love. London City.

Its safe to say that since I was a little girl I always felt at home in London. Everyone there is so different and diverse and the whole place is so busy and lively it makes you feel more alive. With a trip to London in the pipeline my outfit needed to be inspired by the great city. And here is that London look.

Overlooking the London eye, with a flag around my neck. Can this be more British? Well, of course it can with the addition of my brand spanking new bowler. How long I'v wanted one I can't even measure. And now I am a proud owner of this Topshop beauty.

Lunching in Covent Gardens. And lunching on a summer berry meringue. Although we're at next to two ladies adorned head to manicured toe in designer labels. Prada glasses and Dior earring envy aside, this is heaven. And I swear to God that even water tastes better in the city!

Notice the shoes in this image. Not the shoes I left the house in I can tell ya! I bought these babies in Kurt Geiger in Covent Gardens after lusting after them for years. Honestly can not wait to wear these over Christmas. Such an awesome alternative to heels. Its like Dorothy of Oz meets Tom Chambers. What more could you want?

Black, white and red. Sort of like a monochrome Union Jack. But with spots, stripes and stars. So I suppose theres some Americana in there too. Plus frilly socks. As my heart lies in the city, I decided to take along my heart accessories also. Plus these glasses are ridiculously cute so I will try and work them into every outfit possible. What do you think folks? Anyone else believe London is their home? Although, even I admit, with a Union Jack flag/ scarf around my neck, I am for now a tourist.
TrueLoveAlways <3

5

Oh, Alice. Such a style icon our wonderful, wonderland Alice is. And her madness led to this little outfit. I found the dress at an absolute bargain price in a little botique and was instantly inspired. The dress itself has a lovely vintage feel, which meant pearls were an obvious choice. With my new-to-me clutch bag I was encorouged to follow the pastel lead and delve in to pinks and creams. I love how all the pieces: the gloves, the bag, the belt and the shoes match just perfectly. I know a lot of people avoid looking all matchy-matchy, but for me, when pieces match so seamlessly, its a crime not to use them together. Its like the outfit is meant to be. Talking of 'meant to be', let me just take a minute to appriciate how bloody perfectly the hair bow matches this dress! I found it on the way to this lovely gazebo, in a charity sop I popped into. Blue and white polka dot bow to go with my Alice in wonderland look? Meant to be indeed! The fashion God's were clearly looking over me. The glasses were an after thought. Infact, I had them in a bag because of the fabulously blinding sunshine we've been having and used them as a mirror to apply my lippy. That's the only reason they came to be in this outfit to be honest. But what a happy accident that was. The mirrored, perfect disc like lenses suggest something a little bizarre. And lets face it, Alice hardly had her head screwed on! It added a bit of edge to the look and was more unpredictable. And when were fairytale characters ever predictable?

 Dress- M Butterfly. Court shoes- Kurt Geiger. Belt- Love Label. Bag- Paul's Boutique. Pearls- various charity shops. Gloves- Accessorize. Flower ring- Newlook. Glasses- Topshop. Hair bow- Charity shop.

Thankyou so much for visiting my blog,

-TrueLoveAlways <3

4

A PVC coat, with Pop art lining. This piece was completed a part of my A-level textiles course under the title of 'Art Movements'. I followed the route of Pop art and this was the final outcome. It was something I resented deeply throughout the making process. From working without a pattern, hand stitching PVC until my fingers were permanently marked with the imprint of a needle and trying to make the lining fit the jacket when it was one and half sizes smaller were all tasks that led me to sob into the sewing machine. And I'm only barely exaggerating here. But looking back on it now, I actually sort of like it. 

To complete the lining I combined pop art images on Photoshop and printed these onto transfer paper. Then I used the heat press to transfer the design onto the lining. I embroidered elements of the lining to make them stand out paid special attentsion to my favourite, most personal images. Like Johny Depp. And Ed Westwick. And Minnie Mouse. Below are close up images of the lining.

Even though I can now appreciate the coat and can stand to look at it, I'll reserve judgment until after I find out my grade. In just under a month time. Not that I'm counting down or anything.

Thnakyou for visiting my blog, I appriciate it so much.
-TrueLoveAlways <3

3

French Minnie. The concept is simple really. Minnie mouse was always my absolute favourite cartoon character. Except I called her Mice-Got-Bow, Mickey naturally was Mice-Not-Got-Bow. But that's irelevant. Seeing as she was my childhood best friend, it would be wrong to abandon her in my 18th year. The second element of this look comes from my recent trip to La Parii! Clearly french inspirations are still filtering through into my outfits. The result? French Minnie.

(Red beret- Charity shop. Collar necklace- Accsesorize. Tee- Freemans. Jacket- un-known french boutique. Belt- Love Label. Skirt- Ebay. Underskirt- Littlewoods. Shoes- Miss KG, Kurt Geiger.)

Just one final thing. These shoes? They are aptly named 'Minnie' and are just. To. Die. For!

-TrueLoveAlways

2

The Little Black Dress. Introduced to us by the fabulous Chanel and considered by many to be the essential item of any woman's wardrobe; the LBD never really did it for me. I never understood the allure and appeal of it, always thinking of it as 'safe' and 'just a dress'. However this thesis was torn apart this week when I discovered a truly wonderful dress which was both little and black. When wearing the body con number, with cut out sides, I felt sexy and feminine and classy. If a simple dress can make you feel so wonderful, perhaps there really is something to it. Is the hype right? Is the LBD really an essential I'd been neglecting for years? Feeling inspired, I started to consider just how many ways there are to wear the little black dress. The answer of course is more extensive than the age old question 'How do you eat yours' in reference to the cream egg. Here are just 5 of my ideas on how to get the most out of the LBD and transform it from 'just a dress' to something so much more...

Taking inspiration from the likes of Taylor Momsen (minus the needle thin thighs) I went for a biker/ goth look.  Its a no brainer really: Leather+LBD= style points. Although a leather vest and severe choker could be quite extreme, I think the simple colour palette and key pieces, keep the whole look wearable. The moment I bought the dress this hat seemed to gravitate towards it. I love a bowler and it works so effortlessly here. As far as I'm concerned you can add a bowler to anything and the look would only improve. Plus these tights? Iv always adored a pattern tight, and these lace pair are no exception. They just remind me of Bellatrix Le Strange! Who doesn't love a bit of dark arts...

A very different look coming through here. Feeling vintage and exploring my inner Audry, I found this stunning hat and took the outfit from there. When it came to the pearls I thought the more the merrier. A pile of pearls is a great way to make them edgy and stylish while giving a nod to the classic. There is something so chic about gloves, and elbow length silk ones are the epitome of this. I love the classic look with the modern twists. Seeing as Miss Hepburn so famously donned the Little black dress, making it her signature and upping its fame, it seemed only appropriate to dedicate this look to her. There was something so refreshing about dressing so classy; here's to Hepburn.

So this look uses the dress as a simple base to build something completely new. I had to include this jacket somewhere in this post. I love it. I'd been after an oversized denim jacket for a while when I found this in the mens section of a charity shop. Its an absolute bargain I will just wear again and again. I could gush about it all day long! Combined with a lumberjack shirt, brothel creepers and Duckie glasses, its a typical 'off duty' look for me- laid back, layered and a mishmash of pieces.

Dream a little dream with me. The look is just so pretty. The shirt is pretty, the scarf is pretty, the flowers are pretty. Its just Pretty! I had to combine the shirt with a hot air balloon necklace because the colours look like a little drop of sky. The flowers and feathers in my hair are a new love of mine. I've started hoarding all sorts of hair accessories and here is a combination of just a few. I've fallen for the idea of a flower crown and needed to include it in a post. The tones and textures involved in this looks are so ethereal and change the little black dress from sexy to, well, pretty.

My fifth and favourite look. If you read my last post you will know all about my love for this hat. And here it strikes again, this time with a fabulous robe. I found the robe in a charity and got stupidly excited by it. The print, the colour the size, the drape- all of it! Its wonderful. Although it can't be seen here, it sweeps the floor and my gladiator stacked sandles. To be honest I felt like something out of Poriot when wearing it. Combined with a collection of striking jewellery including a cross body necklace, the subject of new found necklace love, and a selection of cuffs the whole look reminds me of a global traveller. I don't know why I love this look so much, just the combination of chic pieces and lashings of jewels, something about it made me feel so unique. Its a powerful feeling, to love what you wear.

So there we have it lovelies. 5 very different looks inspired by the Little Black dress. Which is your favourite? And how would you wear yours? The options are endless and oppertunities to dress it up or down infinate. But with all the decisions the LBD forces you to make, we can rest assured there is only one way to eat that cream egg. Bite the top off. Eat the 'yolk', and then the chocolate. That at least is certain.

TrueLoveAlways <3

1

Welcome to my first blog post. Ever.

Rather than listing endless facts about my hobbies and interests, likes and dislikes and a boring statement saying what me blog is about, I'm just gonna jump straight in. So lets talk. Paris.

I'd been planning this trip for months, and therefore my wardrobe for that amount of time also. Having tried on just about every dress in my wardrobe I believed that dressing in Paris was a huge responsibility, bigger than it is every other day. So with Carrie Bradshaw's Parisian wardrobe in mind, I built my own Parisian, if not wardrobe, suitcase. In my mind I believed each outfit outlined the epitome of Paris style. I strongly felt the streets of Paris would be lined with glamorous ladies in Channel and Dior draped in chiffon and silks and tottering in designer shoes with beautiful head wear. In reality, the style was relatively simple. Lots of jeans, hoodies, trainers and backpacks. My imagination of the perfect Paris style had led me into the wildly overdressed but I still felt Parisian, and the way you feel is really what matters.

So here are my my Parisian looks, and just a small selection of the photos that were taken.

For my first night in Paris I wore my new favourite playsuit. I bought it in both colours because its just that lovely. On sale in River Island its sort of sporty in the most subtle way, flattering and ridiculously cute. To style the piece I continued the monochrome theme working black and white leather gloves, and a silly but heavenly feather fascinator. And I mean heavenly. As in it fell from the head of an angel into my local charity shop. My glittery clutch was a birthday gift from my dear mother- French Connection appropriately! It just adds that sparkle.

On my first full day in Paris, we visited the fabulous Notre Dame, a feat of architecture that is incredibly breath taking to see in real life, and took a much needed venture down the Avenue Des Champs-Elysees. I'd like to take just a moment to appreciate The Hat. When I packed it I honestly believed it would be classic Parisian style. I was wrong. But I still think it is fabulous! Perhaps its just typical 'Tess' style rather than French. After all it is my strong belief you are never fully dressed without a hat- I am definitely 'a hat person'.

I found this dress while in Paris, throwing my previously planned outfit into the bottom of the suitcase. Its stunning up close, it really is. It was in a little vintage shop near our hotel and is covered-COVERED in sequins. The over sized shirt style is casual though, making it an ideal piece. The jacket is also from Paris; something about cobalt blue leather called my name. And as you can see, the hat is still firmly in place.

And the hat strikes again! Here we visited the Jardins De Luxembourg and I wanted my outfit soft and girly to suit the surroundings. This little dress is from Asos a few months back. The fabric is ethereal and although it can't be seen here- Its backless! Maybe its just me, but I love back details on dresses. Its like 'oh that's a nice dress' *turn around* 'Oh WOW'. In my opinion, the back is an under appreciated part of the female body and can be so subtly sexy. My favourite part of the outfit though is the scarf, sorry, scarves. I began the day wearing one, but kept buying more that magically coordinated with the outfit and I ended up in 4. I loved them. Wearing them simultaneously made the simply scarfs into a statement piece which is never a bad thing.

My final night in Paris. We bought a picnic of sumptuous desserts and one salad and sat at the Louvre watching the sun set. Also in sight was the Eiffel tower and we waited for the light show to start. It was the perfect end to a perfect trip. So naturally, I wore a perfect dress. Its my pride and joy this dress. I bought it from Harrods spending months worth of wages on it, but with no regrets. Its been hung in my room so it is the first and last thing I see each day. Although its a complete ball gown I simply had to wear it. This was when I also though Paris would be rife with girls in gowns. But I still would wear it in a heartbeat again. I wore little black, bow shoes with the dress, keeping everything simple and also a pink beaded necklace. It was a princess moment. I wore mums cardi to stay warm as the sun went down. The dress summed up the night, and summed up our trip, and how I felt then, and now. Is it childish to prance around in a ridiculously over the top gown? Probably. But its also me, and its my French style, and I was happy.

So there you have it fellow bloggers, my first adventure abroad and the wardrobe that accompanied me, and my first blog post. Lets just end it with some trivia close to me heart. The Pont Des Arts bridge, shown in the second to last photo, is a bridge for lovers. Two lovers attach a padlock with their initials and throw the key into the Seine. Can you think of anything more romantic? Well just one thing. Its also the bridge where Big tells Carrie 'You're the One'.

-TrueLoveAlways