When I was a teenager, I was often far more care-free with my style. I would just wear what I wanted, when I wanted with no real filter in my brain that considered any complications. If you look back on my Style Evolution post, you can see just how much my style changed during sixth form between the ages of seventeen and eighteen. I suddenly started dressing far more... conservatively, thinking I was being 'sophisticated' and Parisian, when in fact, I didn't really like how simple my style had become. During 2017, I really tried to inject that passion I used to have back into my style, and it's really started to weave it's way back in. I've started wearing far more colour again (2017 was all about red knitwear for me), getting back into slogan and printed t-shirts, and I've stopped caring so much about what others think of my sense of style.

One aspect of fashion that I've never really delved into was hats. I have always adored hats, in so many different styles, whether that be trilby's, berets, floppy wide brimmed retro types, you name it, but for some reason I was always so apprehensive about wearing them. I never felt like hats really suited me, until I rediscovered my black beret last year. I'd bought it when I was twelve in Paris, and I'd never really worn it. I think I used to have one in another colour too, but who knows - I certainly never wore that either! I started playing around with the beret, and before I knew it, I'd started playing around with a wide brimmed red hat that belonged to my sister (she is yet to be reunited with it, soz Ljuba...) and suddenly, I had no inhibitions - hats were my new favourite accessory! 

Coat - Zara / Jumper - Vintage La Redoute / Trousers - American Apparel (riding pants) / Shoes - Underground (creepers) / Hat - Barbour / Bag - Vintage

A style I have always been a fan of was the baker boy cap - it's so irresistibly cute to me, even when people try and say that wearing one makes you look like a train driver, I don't care. Baker boys swept the fashion industry in 2017, particularly in the blogger circuit, and I was desperate to find myself the right one. There were some great ones in Topshop and on Asos, but I was unwilling to spend more than a tenner on a cap made of polyester. I'd been rocking my mum's tartan baker boy from Barbour for a few weeks, and I was loving it, but I found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to style. I was almost ready to throw caution to the wind and spend £20 in Topshop, when a girl walked into the shop I was working in over Christmas wearing a beautifully over-sized cord baker-boy. The first thing I asked her at the till wasn't "Do you need this wrapped?" - nope, I was desperate, so I immediately asked her where her hat was from. The next day, lo and behold, I'd ordered the exact same one from eBay, and it arrived in under 24 hours. It has basically not left my head since. I'm besotted.

Sunglasses - Rayban (octagon)

One of my goals for 2018 is to go my own way a bit more with my style, and just let go. Choosing this baker boy cap was one of the best investments I have made so far already, and I am so excited to see what other hats I will delve into throughout the year. So here's a few looks shot by my fabulous friend Nina Masterton, I hope you enjoy!

Leather Jacket - All Saints (similar here) / Jumper - United Colours of Benetton (old) / Jeans - Mens Levi 501 (via Costco) / Boots - Whistles (old) / Scarf - Oliver Bonas / Hat - eBay

The perfect outfit for a casual day out when the weather's a little milder. Cashmere jumper, leather jacket, baggy jeans, biker boots, and a mohair scarf with a pop of colour. An outfit I have been wearing regularly, sometimes with a black pea coat (so sixties) and a pair of skinny mid-calf Chelsea boots. And the hat just adds that extra bit of 'Mod-London' vibes.

Vinyl Trench Coat - Topshop / T-shirt - Wrangler (outlet) / White Cords - Topshop / Trainers - Adidas Stan Smiths (outlet) / Belt - Salvatore Ferragamo / Hat - same as above

My ultimate "I should have been this age in the seventies" outfit. I'm still obsessed with this vinyl trench coat - it's fun, flattering and surprisingly warm. I'm also really into white on white outfits at the moment, so a white t-shirt (with added rainbow prints of-course) and a pair of white courderoys is definitely where it's at at the moment. I'm also unbelievably psyched about finally owning a pair of Stan Smiths - they complete any outfit, and I find that they are far more flattering than the Superstars I have owed in the past, and I am so excited to keep styling them during the year (oh, might I add that I found them in a McArthur Glen outlet in York for... £13. Yup. £13!)

Coat - Topshop (similar here) / Top - Topshop (similar here) / Jeans - Whistles / Ankle Boots - Office / Hat -same as above 

And finally, combining some of my favourite, stereotypically 'London' style pieces - a pair of cigarette jeans, ankle boots, and a coat that looks like it could have been owned by my Grandad. Duster coats always make me feel so much more lengthened, and at 5'2'', they're a great way of making people think that I am taller in my outfit pictures! Also who doesn't love a bit of heritage check?!

Ah, Wild Swans - with it's eclectic mix of chic up-and-coming Scandi designers, it's hard to believe that there are only two stores in London. Located on the quaint Devonshire Road in Chiswick (W4) and the bussling Upper Street in Islington (N1), Wild Swans is fast becoming one of my favourite boutique's to sift through in the city. 

Leather Jacket - All Saints (Wyatt, discontinued) (similar here) / Cardigan - Unknown / T-shirt - Stine Goya via Wild Swans (unfortunately no longer available on their website, link here)/ Jeans - Asos (old) / Converse - old / Hat - Barbour 

That said, Wild Swans isn't cheap. The brands that they stock aim to produce the highest quality Scandinavian designs, therefore, your wallet may feel a little bit tighter once you've entered the store. However, when sales start looming their little heads, it becomes easier and easier to divulge in their collections. Wild Swans is the perfect place to buy yourself (or a loved one) that something extra special as a treat. 

When browsing recently, I came upon this beautiful t-shirt in the sale section. I had been eyeing it up for weeks, but at a hefty £65, I had to stop myself. So when I saw that it had been marked down by 50%, I couldn't quite resist. It is so soft and feels delicate on the body, and the retro water-colour design against the faded peachy colour is really unique. The writing on the back just gives it that extra touch of high-end appeal, too.

Wild Swans, in my opinion, undoubtedly stocks some of the best quality and best designed t-shirts I have ever seen. Ranging from Ganni (the metaphorical Queen of printed t-shirts), to the retro, uber soft designs of Dreams & Dust, Wild Swans stocks a great variety of styles. Down below are some of my favourites at the moment:

1. Ganni 'Love Society' tee - £75, 100% Lyocell
​2. Ganni banana tee - £59, 100% cotton
​3. ​Dreams & Dust Raglan Tee - £59, Poly/Cotton
​4. Dreams & Dust Vintage Logo Tee - £59, 100% Organic Recycled Cotton
​5. Baum Und Pferdgarten Eira T-shirt - £39, 100% Cotton
​6. Stine Goya Keepsake Tee - £33 down from £65, 67% Lyocell/33% Cotton  

Other than their extensive collection of beautiful t-shirts, Wild Swans also stock an array of great quality, Scandi pieces. Here are my top ten of the moment that are worth the investment:

Visit the Wild Swans website at:
​wild-swans.com
​​& visit the stores at these two locations:

ISLINGTON                                                                                                            CHISWICK
152 Upper Street,                                                                                                        14 Devonshire Road,
​London N1 1RA                                                                                                          London W4 2HD