Lifes small lessons and tips

I was interning this last month and I learnt a lot about the real world. I spent my uni years having a blast and just chiling, so living in the real world came as a shock to my system. I've never really had a proper job before (they just offered me a real job), so I've been learning loads. I thought I'd share my experiences and tips about the real world and how to get by in the grown up world:

1)Befriend the people at the local coffee shop, that makes going on the coffee run so much more fun. I love going to the coffee shop and chatting to the waitresses.

(Ok, so my boss isn't as cruel as Meryl Streep in 'The Devil Wears Prada')

2) You can hear a smile over the phone.

3) EAT!! This has been my mistake. I'm eating a little bowl of cereal for breakfast and a small sandwich for lunch: not clever. I have been close to burning out.

4) Money has a value - I've grown up spending a lot of money and just regarding dad's money as unlimited and just there for the taking. I've now learnt that money is not easily earned and so has real value. I've been pretty much burning money my whole life. I now understand the effort that goes into earning money, so I'll think twice about wasting it on things I don't need.


5) Boys aren't that clever. I've been asking the other, very cute, intern to lunch everyday and he always accepts, yet fails to realise my huge crush on him.

6) Looking good and presentable makes a great impression. Ok, so we all know that looks aren't everything, but first impressions do count. If you look presentable, people (especially your bosses) will look at you in a better light.

7) Cliques still exist in the real world! Personally I was shocked to see this in a work environment. People stick to their little gangs and don't let any other outsiders in. Luckily I haven't seen any hard core bitching yet.

8) Take a break from the office. I sit inside, behind a computer all day, so at lunch I always try to go for a walk and get some fresh air. Thats another reason for why I love going on the coffee run. It gives me a chance to stretch my legs.

9) Time management is the most important thing in the world. Seriously, it is. Once you've managed your time well, everything is so much easier.

What are you tips and experiences from the real world?

Sherin xx

Fashion in Politics: Jackie Kennedy

This series of posts could not be complete without Jackie Kennedy. She was stylish and elegant and always looked so well put together. She was the first real woman in politics who had style.

She had timeless style and pure class. She dressed really well and was presentable in accordance with the role as first lady, but she was also a trend setter and women everywhere copied her style. She was very bold for a woman in the 1960's. She wore trousers, when it was the norm for women to wear skirts and she wore them in a very feminine and graceful way.

She was best known for her sharp little suits and her matching pill box hats. Along side these she was also known for her mini dresses, flat shoes and large sunglasses. She was very elegant, as you can see in this picture of her in the white dress.

She was also known for wearing European couture dresses, which was unheard of for a first lady to do in the 1960's. She had immense harm and really was very beautiful. She was young, glamorous and very dignified, which was perfect for a first lady to be. She had gorgeous wide eyes and a lovely big smile.


She was also a huge fan of designers. She was great friends with Valentino and Gucci even named a bag after her in 1999, which was a huge success. She also loved Armani, Carolina Herrera, Chanel and Lacoste. This pink dress she's wearing is wool and is from Chanel.
She could afford such luxurious brands then because of her lifestyle. She came a very wealthy family and could easily live the lifestyle of constantly wearing Givenchy and Chanel.

She also started the trend of wearing pearl necklaces. She never wore excessive amounts of jewellery, and often just wore a delicate pearl necklace around her neck.

However, she also pulled off the casual look very well, and was often spotted in GAP clothes and t-shirts paired off with jeans, before jeans were fashionable. She was also seen in a lot of black turtlenecks and was very often in a black and white combination. her favourites to wear in her later life were white jeans and black turtlenecks along with her trademark large sunglasses.

She knew what worked for her and didn't follow the herd when it came to fashion. She was the first to wear trousers and she was well known for wearing sleeveless dresses, which is a trend followed by Michelle Obama.

Her style changed over the years, with her life experiences. Everytime there was a major change in her life, you could see a change in what she was wearing, in reflection to her life. I think this was very good. She knew exactly when to change her style according to what was going on in her life and her age. She didn't try to be young for too long. She knew how to age gracefully and she remained graceful throughout her life.

"What is sad for women of my generation is that they weren't supposed to work if they had families. What were they going to do when the children are grown - watch the raindrops coming down the window pane?" - Jackie Kennedy

Sherin xx

Style copycat: Sienna Miller

A while ago, Leia twittered this to me: '@HiFashionSherin I think this look is very you' about this picture:



I have to admit, I liked the look, so I decided to give it a shot. I already had the items in my closet, so there was no problem there.


Ok, so not exactly the same, but close enough. My shoes are from New Look, I found the leather jacket in my cupboard (no idea where its from) and the dress is from my favourite shop 'Safari' and the label is Pussycat London.

Sherin xx

The world's most comfortable shoes!

Because I'm officially an intern, I thought I'd look more professional and buy some more 'mature stuff'. So I sadly ditched my babies (converses) and opted for a more grown up look. Thats when I came across these babies:














Gorgeous aren't they?

I got them at an amazing price: £8!!! I got them from 'priceless shoes', which I think is part of Barratts shoes. For those of you outside the UK, Barratts is a shoe shop here.
I've never been a huge fan of Barratts shoes, but I'm officially converted.
And they are soooo comfortable. With heels and flats, I tend to wear them to people's houses first, so I know I won't have to walk a lot. Let's face it, nice shoes always hurt for the first few wears.

So I wore them to a friend's house and they felt great. It really was like slipping on a pair of Vans. And I wore them to work and they are amazingly comfortable. They are great to wear whether I'm running to get the boss coffee or just walking around. They also look great with all my outfits, from formal trousers to a cute dress.


So I went back into Barratts again a few days later and got these for £15. They are also really comfortable.












I've been lusting after a pair of pink flats since I saw Katy Perry wearing a pair in 'hot and cold'.

Sherin xx

Style Swap with E

I felt like we haven't done a style swap in age! They are definitely my favourite posts to do. It gives us an opportunity get to know all you lovely bloggers. This time we got to interview the gorgeous and extremely stylish E from District of Chic.

Where do you live?
Washington, DC

Why did you decide to start a blog?
For starters, I started getting into fashion blogs because I would get so excited to get a new fashion magazine, breeze through the photo editorials (because that’s all I really cared about), and toss it. Then I found all these great blogs and it was like opening a new spread every day. Eventually I thought, oh Hell, why I don’t I give this a shot…

Where are your favourite places to shop?
Yoox, Forever 21, H&M, Mango, Urban Outfitters, Topshop, occasionally shopbop, random websites that strike my fancy, various thrift stores

What is your favourite piece of clothing?
Wow, that is a loaded question… I’m pretty sure this changes daily, but as of right now, I would say my Topshop “space hooker heels" (as one of my guy friends has so eloquently dubbed them) seen here.

How would you define your personal style?
I guess I would say it’s reflective of my mood and constantly changing. Some days I want to be saucy, some days I want to be girly. Sometimes I see a look or an editorial and think: I want to be that girl.

What are your hobbies and how do you like to relax?
I horseback ride, which is very time consuming, so I would say that’s my main hobby. However, this blogging thing would be a close second! I really look forward to coming home and reading my favorite blogs every night – it’s very relaxing.

What is something unique to you?
I was actually born and raised in the DC area – it’s a very transient city, so I feel like precious few people that live here are actually from here.

What is your favourite city and why?
Paris Paris Paris! I’m in complete awe of that city and, in the whole year I lived there, that feeling never wore off. I hope to go back in the near future, but I don’t think I could stay there for any less than two weeks, so it will require planning. I also adore New Orleans – being there is like being in a time capsule and the people are so laid-back and easy going.
What are your plans for the future?
Crap, I feel like this question was easier to answer when I was in college. My only real plans right now are to keep traveling and hopefully revisit Europe in the (near-er) future. I would also like to start painting again, but I think that’s going to have to wait until we have a house and not a one bedroom apartment so I don’t gas my husband with turpentine fumes.

Thanks so much E. Don't forget to check out her blog here. She is extremely talented and has great style

Sherin xx

From Street Chic to Traditional Chic

The other day, I had two very different events to go to, and only half an hour to change in between them. The first was in the early afternoon and was a street party for the opening of a new bar. It was a lot of fun and I spent the afternoon in a casual summer outfit, while laying in the sun in the middle of a street. Now that's an afternoon well spent. I decided to wear a nice dress which I bought from a local shop and then add leggings and a pair of flats. Not my usual style (as Leia pointed out), but I liked it.

The second event was slightly harder to dress for. It was a more traditional do, which I always have trouble dressing for. I knew it'd be an evening of mingling with respectable old women (fun times) so I had to dress modestly. I opted to stick to a nice south asian outfit. I wanted to mix the traditional suit with more fashionable items, but no mixture I put together looked that good.

















What I enjoy the most about going traditional is the shoes I get to wear. And these shoes are really comfortable. I also loved the earrings I wore in the evening. I bought them from Spain and they always liven up an outfit. But I do need advice on how to dress modestly, and still have my own twist to the outfit. And ideas?

Sherin xx

This one's for the Girls:

Tasha from the Hot Spot has written an inspirational post. She wrote how women tend to be more catty towards each other, especially behind backs.

Image thanks to Tomi Tapio

She then went on to say that this needed to change and then complimented some of the female bloggers. Well I was one of them. Tasha wrote the most amazing things about me and a few other bloggers. Firstly, this made my day. I seriously was so happy reading the wonderful things she'd written about me. Then I got thinking, more of us should do this. More women should compliment each other and share what they love about one another. So I've decided to follow Tasha's footsteps and write about the bloggers who are simply inspirational and absolutely lovely. Narrowing it down to just a few was probably one of the hardest things. A lot of you ladies behind the blogs are really talented and have amazing blogs.

Tasha (Hot spot):

Tasha is an amazing person. She is really gorgeous and looks good in all her outfit posts. You can tell from her posts that she is just such a nice person and that she has some really good values. Her posts are very well written and you can see that she puts a lot of herself in what she writes. She really deserves to be very happy and have all her dreams come true.

Leia:

My friend and partner in crime for this blog. She's living on the other side of the world right now and I really miss her. If it wasn't for her, this blog probably would have fallen apart in the last few months. She really is an amazing girl and I can't imagine my last year of university without her. She is definitely one of the nicest person I've met and the worldcould do with more people like her.

La Petite Fashionista:

She was the first person to ever comment on our blog and that meant a lot to us. She has a really amazing blog and she is really creative with how she posts her ideas. She has some really great ideas and its always a pleasure reading her blog. She seems like such a fun, outgoing person and I'm sure shes brilliant to be around.

E (District of chic)

She has amazing style. She looks great in all her outfit posts and is just stunning. She always looks like she's having a blast in front of the camera and I love some of her poses. She has a fabulous blog and has some really great outfits. She's great inspiration!

Cafe Fashionista:

She has a lot of really great posts. She does a lot of research for her posts and the effort she puts in is clear. Her posts are creative and original. Both Leia and I are certain that if she lived any closer, we'd be great friends and would go on endless shopping trips together.

So have fun with your girl friends and let anyone who deserves it know just how they've touched your life.

Sherin xx

Fashion in Politics: Caroline Flint

When I started doing these 'Fashion in Politics' posts, it was an obsession of mine to have at least one politician from the UK. I was really dissapointed because the female politicians here tend to all the same haircut and wear the same clothes. That is, until I came across Caroline Flint.

These pictures above are from The Guardian, when she modelled for them earlier this year. She modelled high street brands, such as Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Karen Millen.

She is the ex minister of Europe (she resigned a few hours before I started writing this post) and is a true female role model. She resigned because she felt that women in Parliament were not being listen to and not taken seriously.

She has had a really rough upbringing and has come a long way in her life. She grew up in poverty and was a single mother in her 20's. She was also the first in her family to go into higher education, which is a huge achievement. She fought through all her barriers to become a very successful and strong woman.

My favourite bit of trivia about her is that she's part of a tap dancing troupe known as the Division Belles, with a few other female politicians.

She is known for her amazing cheekbones, black eyeliner and her gorgeous figure.She has beautiful curves and really knows how to dress to show them off.

I absolutely love her style. She has lovely legs and likes to show them off, and its clear that she has a great variety of shoes and boots. She doesn't wear the boring suit most female professionals wear. Instead, she sticks to dresses and skirts. She wears feminie clothes and still looks like a politician. She is routinely voted among the most fanciable MPs in Westminster.

She has come under a lot of scrutiny, especially from the tabloid newspapers. She wore a split skirt (in the above picture) to a meeting, which admittedly is a bit daring. But it doesn't look to inappropriate and I want one now, lol. Male writers tend to refer to her as someone who "sashays" and is inapproprialte as a politician.





I don't think any female politicians have come under such scrutiny as Caroline Flint has. Critics say she has a massive ego and is vain just because she likes to look good. While researching this article, I found lots of journalists from mainstream newspapers criticising her and writing awful things about her. In fact I've found this happens to a lot of the women I've been writing about in this series.
I think thats really unfair. Ms Flint has a great style and maintains a degree of feminity, which a lot of the British female politicians have forgotten. I would love to see more of her in future British politics.

Who else would you like to see in this list? I have Jackie Kennedy and some Spanish politicians planned. How about any male politicians?

Sherin xx

A dream come true

Near my house is my favourite shop. It's called Safari and they sell gorgeous dresses at amazing prices. I've bought loads of pretty dresses from there for £10 each. I go in there about once a week, and have befriended the owner, who is one of the nicest women ever! She's fairly young and is just so cool. About 2 months ago, I went in and saw the prettiest dress. Needless to say, it was instant love. And it was only £10. Unfortunately, it had no back and I knew I'd feel weird in it. Anyway, I went back every week and even the owner was feeling bad for me by the 5th week.

Anyway, I finally bought the dress. We were in the shop and I was chatting away with the owner and an another woman who was working there. I was persuaded to just try on the dress and even my mum was interested to see how it would look, as I'd been going on about it for weeks. So I tried it on. Not the easiest thing in the world to try on. I kind of got confused with how to tie the bit around the neck and couldn't reach that way. I came out of the dressing room, which is when both women working there started fixing me and untied the back, letting the front fall (in the middle of the shop) and re-tying it making the dress look as good as possible (I really felt like a doll).

When it was all done, the dress looked amazing and I couldn't say no to it any longer. The owner told me to wear a cami underneath and that would add a back. I've been staring at the dress non stop and am so happy I got it. Forget the 1 week rule, I just did the 6 week rule!

(Oh my gosh, how pale are my legs. I definitely need some sun on them)

(This is a picture of the belt below the bust)

All I need now is an occasion to wear it...

Sherin xx

From the Office to the Cricket

I've just graduated from university and got my first real adult job. Its a 2 week internship at an events company and my role is calling up clients all day (and getting the boss coffee), amongst other little tasks. It's really been a long 2 weeks, and I was suprised with how little time I had for fun stuff (I was left with 100+ posts to catch up on on blogloving after just a few days!) But when I started, I had no idea what to wear. I've had part time jobs before, but none where it was a real office or where I had to wear formal clothes.
I had hell deciding what to wear on my first day (although I'll admit it was so much harder to dress on Fridays where it's casual day). I decided when I was younger never to wear a proper suit to work, and to look fashionable at work. I never want to fall into that rut of looking boring. I settled on formal trousers and nice tops.

Here are a few examples of what I've been wearing. I've been keeping it professional, but not too much.















(Pic 1: Zara top, Jane Norman Trousers, Pic 2: New Look top, Dorothy Perkins trousers, and these shoes in both photos, Pic 3: Dress from a shop near my house and New Look shoes...and my favourite outfit of the internship)

I do want to thank Financial Services is not Fashion for her great style, which helped me get the look that I want. She has an amazing style and shows that you can look great as well as professional. Also thanks to College Fashion for the What to Wear to Work article.

I got an afternoon off work to go watch the Cricket at Lords. We've had these tickets for months, so it was not an option to miss the game because of work. I had to get changed in the rubbish toilets at work. Here's the outfit I changed into on my lunch break:















(Converses, H&M troushers and Hollister t-shirt)

I'll be honest, I froze. It was a cool afternoon, but because the weather had been so nice recently, I thought it'd clear up...it didn't. I was forced to wrap a flag around my leg...not a good look.
It felt good having an afternoon off and just relaxing. Thats what I love about cricket games...just sitting there in the non-existant sun watching a good sport being played.

What do you guys wear to work? I know I could do with a bit more inspiration. And I'm sure I'm not the only one in the blogging world who's watching the 20-20 Cricket tournament...

Sherin xx

Fashion in Politics: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

This fashion in Politics post was recommended by Harriet. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is the current President of Argentina since 2007 and in 2008, she was ranked 13th in the world 100 most influential women in Forbes Magazine.




















Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is really stunning. Her signature look is gorgeous suits and fab heels. If you look at her in that pinstriped suit above, you can see just how great she can look while maintaining a professional style. This is exactly the kind of look female politicians should go for. She has a look of femininity, while looking very professional and classy.
As you can tell, she loves wearing white. This is a great colour to wear for professional women. They look sophisticated and very elegant.

Apparently, she has very expensive taste in clothes, but then again why shouldn't she? Many female politicians are criticised for this reason if they are well dressed. When leaders look good, so do their countries.
She is also very intelligent, and is a trained human rights lawyer.


And she has the most gorgeous hair. I love it. It's cut really well and the dark brown colour is simply amazing.

Cristina is mainly seen in designer suits, spiky heels and heavy make up, which she manages to pull off. She really does add glamour to politics, especially because she has been known to wear bright colours. I love that pink ensemble she has on below. Her bright colours really do brighten up politics and she stands out at events.




















I would also like to say that there is much more to the women in this series than their styles and clothes. They are strong and powerful women, who have broken the glass ceiling for women everywhere. Yes, they look very good, but they are also good at what they do and prove that women can be strong and independent.

Sherin xx