Vibrant Christmas

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JJ SMITH

Oh Christmas, I am so glad to see you again...

We've got back to that magic time of the year, and as much as I am enjoying it, I am also getting *once again* very tired. And yes, I know, I am all about #FirstWorldProblems...

In words of my latest newsletter from Laduree: 'Magic is the Christmas word on everyone’s lips, but food is also on everyone’s mind!' That, and alcohol, of course. But we are not here to discuss how many glasses you are gonna end up indulging in the various celebrations the festivities await, but rather where to dress up and have lovely breakfast/tea to commemorate the holiday season. And I definitely found the right place for you. 

Few blocks off Victoria station is Ebury St, a path upon which that magic occurs, and that I would have never thought of crossing if it weren't because of IG. I am so glad my addiction got me to it!

This West London walkaway is perfect for an early morning/ afternoon stroll. Lots of little cafes and yummy restaurants, and by the end of it? Peggy Porschen Cakes. Oh, you fancy. 

You say pink, I say love. I say sweet, you say done. 

At this très chic bakery located in Belgravia you'll find creative cupcakes, fancy cakes and other sweet treats, plus tea and champagne. BOOM! The menu is vast and not that expensive considering where you are at, though you can really splurge if you want to...they've got a 400GBP gingerbread house that would be every little girl's dream. 

In any case, it's been a bit grey and cold in London lately, so once the weather was on my side, I decided to put a bit of colour into my day outfit. Red for Christmas and gingham cause I bloody love gingham. Tights? What the hell is that? Not on my vocabulary thank you. It even feels it's summer by the looks of this...

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE

Prada Flower Baroque Sunnies (circa 2013, sold out)
Believe-e Gingham Blouse
Mango Red Leather Skirt
Diane Von Furstenberg Nude Pumps (similar here)
Vintage Red Bag
Maria Pascual Jewellery
 

Furrylicious

Sometimes, all you need is a splash of colour, especially in a city like London.

The more time you spend in the city, the more you get soaked in it, loving every single bit of it. So much fun, however, is counterbalanced by the weather. You can go days without seeing the sun, and for that reason I think everybody could do with some colour to brighten up their day. Whether it is in the form of architecture, clothing or food...jazz things up, baby!

You know how much I love characterizing my outfits, so for this occasion I felt like impersonating Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. It is either that or Audrey Hepburn and her red lipstick. Who else would it be more fabulous and powerful than them? 

TCB x

Psss photography is by the megababe Roz Alcazar

“Colors are the smiles of nature”

— James Henry Leigh Hunt (1784-1859)

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most”

— John Ruskin (1819-1900)

WHAT I WORE:

Paper Dress Vintage 70s Vintage Fur
Giant Vintage Cobain Sunglasses
Bershka leather Skirt (old, similar here, here and here)
ASOS Fishnet Tights
 

Stars and Studs

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROSALIND ALCAZAR

Winter is finally upon us, but don't let it ruin your day! It doesn't matter whether it's sunny or cold outside, you should always enjoy what surrounds you. And that's exactly what I did on a cold morning around North London: explore Camden!

If there is something that characterises Camden, is their punk/goth/rocknrolla style that to me cries out loud: LET'S BE REBELS! And what is better than a leather jacket to portray that? 

I've been looking for the perfect leather jacket for months now and it wasn't until I visited Camden that I found one. Should have thought about it earlier, really! This place is known because of its leather goods... In fact, in my first visit London (about 15 years ago, with my parents), trendy mum and I went on a shopping spree and bought what is still today my favourite leather jacket. You can see it on my insta :)

There are plenty of high-end options for a leather jacket, but for this instance I wanted something more special. I wanted something a bit more grunge and with a story. After walking up and down the street, we found a leather wholesaler on the back of one of those souvenir shops that we all love so much. Just walking into this place I knew I was in for the win. I love the smell of pure leather and the guys there knew exactly what they were talking about. They even gave me tips on how to wear it! I couldn't really say no this time, so lucky winner one on the pictures came back with me home.

Shopping along Camden High St is a lot of fun (specially if you are after leather goods, piercings or phone cases), only if you've got the patience to take it all in. Everybody wants to sell you something, so it can be tiresome. But hey, it's part of the entertainment, right? Every salesman there is so friendly, after all. And if you stay with them for a while, you'll go home with great tales to tell.

Stay tuned for more,

TCB x

WHAT I WORE

Leather Jacket (bespoke, Camden shop)
Topshop Joni Jeans
Marques Almeida Buckle Denim Top (sold out, but very similar here)
Gucci Dyonisus Medium Size Bag
ZARA Patent Leather Ankle Boots (similar here)

Landan Fashan Eeeek

Photography by Olajide JJ Smith

Morning careless readers! Back to you with yet another fashion week story :) 

I've gotta admit, this travelling situation and non-stop working has been great but it is totally catching up with me! I was so tired over the weekend that I decided to go for a simple outfit (at least, to my eyes) for the Saturday shows at LFW. In my opinion, nothing beats a good pair of black jeans/ trousers (specially if they are Citizens of Humanity) combined with a good pair chelsea boots. I mean, how cute are those pearls? Totally GUCCI GUCCI GUCCI, but at a much cheap & cheerful price, ha. 

To clash a bit with the normcore style of this outfit, I played with colors and mixed & matched my blouse and top and add my recently acquired Dionysus bag to it (how pretty is it? I am IN LOVE). And YES, long sleeves are back in London people, summer is sadly over. 

As for the shows I've seen over the last couple of days, stay tuned because you'll see the reviews (and the pretty pictures) very shortly!

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE:

ZARA Blouse (AW16/17)
Mango Suede Jacket (sold out)
Citizens of Humanity Jeans
Uterque Chelsea Boots
Gucci Dionysus Bag
Maria Pascual Jewellery

Belle Époque

photography by rosalind alcazar

If you wanna feel like a princess, you definitely can. Specially if you are at Queen's Mary Garden in Regent's Park. I've realized I have a thing for parks, lately. I guess that's London over summer, right? 

Long evenings taking in the grandeur of these beautiful spots, while sipping a drink and enjoying a the good company of your friends. 

Regent's Park is one of those parks surprisingly go unnoticed to me, not because the place isn't big enough (blimey), but because it is a bit out of my way. However, each time I've been here it has been a delight.

Queen's Mary was a dreamy discovery. As if it came out of nowhere, this beautiful rose garden is full of roses of all color and shape. It's London's largest collection of roses, with approximately 12,000 planted here. I know, crazy. 

If you like fairy tales, this is your kinda place. Take a guest visiting the city, a friend, a date, ... And you'll be the star for finding this out.

Have a look, sit down, and if it is night time, enjoy the sunset. It's another great day out in the city.

Stay tuned, 

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE:

Taylor Morris ZERO Sunglasses
OASIS Collab with V&A Mesh Dress
Ouigal Mandy Sandals
Launer London Judi Bag

I eXceL in #MyCalvins

PHOTOGRAPY BY OLAJIDE JJ SMITH

Man, do I love the 90s or what! I'm hooked to the idea of bringing old-school trends back. And some brands are doing great at it. I mean, just look at this outfit!? 

These days I'm also feeling like a dangerous woman (yes, very Ariana Grande of me) so I'm embracing more daring outfits. Always in style though, PLEASE. 

Speaking of style. How cool is the street art on this shoot? You may be wondering where that wall is! It is part of XL Recordings, a record label located in a mew in West London. Since they started in the 90s, they have worked with big names such as Adele, Beck, Radiohead, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., FKA twigs and The XX, reason why you see this wall at their entrance. They must have done very well, hey!

Have a lovely weekend careless readers, 

TCB xx

P.S: JJ and I had a bit of a running story where I am posing like Kim Kardashian showing off her ass. Can you guess one which one is it? :P

WHAT I WORE:

Round Rayban Shades
Topshop CropTop
Calvin Klein for UO Midi Skirt
Stan Smith Adidas Sneakers

Candy Land

Candy Land, an unknown place for many and a delicacy for some.

Located on what I call the outskirts of London (that is anything beyond Zone 2 on the tube) is a beautiful workspace for artists and designers called SugarHouse Studios. It seemed to have an up an running café, a pizza service and a yard but, to date, is rather leftover and empty of Londoners.

The area is quite rough to my taste, despite having Stratford and the Olympic Park quite near. Nevertheless, what would seem an unreasonable trip for many was a perfect adventure for The Careless Blogger. The Spanish Mafia dressed up for the day and went exploring the area.

Why CandyLand? You may wonder. Unfortunately, there are no sweeties involved but spots called like it: PUDDING Mill Lane is the stop you'll need to get off to go to the studios or alternatively you could stop by MARShgate Lane on the bus. Not to mention the studio is called SUGARHouse? Put that on a pipe and smoke it.

As we weren't aware of what we would encounter we brought some sweeties ourselves. We enjoyed a very cold morning of girlie catch up and took some pics for you to see :)

#FUNFACT: the studio front facade was made from colourful tiles handmade on site! The colours are random, for each batch different amounts of pigment were added, decided by whoever was making tiles at the time. Similarly there weren't any rules or patterns followed for putting them up, just whatever looked good to whoever was doing it at the time. How awesome is that?

Below you can see the results!

P.S.: Yes, I support #freethenipple.

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE:

SheIn 90s Top
Topshop Mom Jeans
Gewel Boutique Sunglasses
Miista Eva Galactic Heels

Queen of Hearts

PHOTOGRAPHY BY jide JJ SMITH

I feel Londoners live by the weather conditions sometimes. I've had so many people telling me that's the first thing they check to plan their days (and outfits) in the city, it's not even a joke anymore! 

I, for starters, am one of these people, ha! You need to be prepared for at least two weather changes in a day in London, if not more. You can go from grey and cold to rainy to then beautiful sunshine in a matter of 30 minutes. Ridiculous? Most certainly. But let's not forget we live in an island, after all. 

After years of learning and consideration, my rule is to embrace whatever comes. Wear what you feel like and the rest you'll take as it comes. Not gonna lie to you guys: that rule of thumb may get you a bit cold sometimes. But hey, you look fabulous don't you? 

To battle any sort of weather in style there are 4 things that should always be in your wardrobe: 

1. A cashmere jumper (Boden has some amazing ones at the moment, and in so many colours!), which will make you feel soft an cozy even if you are outdoors
2. A pair of jeans, which will defeat any meteorological situation while being comfy
3. A pair of heels (or plenty if you must), which even though they aren't always your best friend (especially if you are wearing a beautiful new pair and it starts pouring rain), they will make you and your figure look fabulous. I'm tiny as well, so you'll see me on them 90% of the time. 
4. A leather jacket, which is probably a staple amongst any London gurl. There's a reason why they call it "Perfecto" jacket, right? 

TCB x

Crisp

photography by jide jj smith

BLIMEY it's cold in London these days! Never mind the pissing rain that gets me everytime cause I've learnt not to carry an umbrella (too big for my mini bags), but this cold...this cold gets to my bones.

OH WELL! What are we gonna do, stay home? Cause that's certainly not my style, my friends. If I were you I'd brave the weather and have a lovely day in South Kensington, the pretty neighborhood near my ends :)

If you are out and about in SW London, SouthKen is a must. And I will tell you why:

• There is a majestic feeling about this area; it just makes you feel good by just walking around it. Take in the landscape: white houses, beautiful greenery, royal parks and grand architectural buildings will make your time here worthwhile. 
• There is a huge variety of culture: the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the V&A are within meters of each other. I'd say the first two are more enjoyable if you are going with your boyfriend or if you are really into geeky/nerdy/historical stuff (which I am totally into), whereas the V&A usually is more girly. Nevertheless, I suggest you check them all out regardless of your gender as the structure of these buildings is mesmerizing. 
• There's so many sweet choices for a snack I literally struggle every time I go there: Tombo Café is perfect for matcha-lovers (you'll find literally ANYTHING you wished for); Hummingbird Bakery is great for delicious american-style cupcakes (we've been through this, right) and Maitre Choux is my favorite for Parisian eclairs in the city. 
• You can get lost through Kensington Gardens (20 minute walk from South Kensington Station), visit the latest crazy-as-f**** exhibit at The Serpentine Galleries, or get into some more British culture by visiting Kensington Palace or sipping tea at its Orangery. You'll be set back to Jane Eyre times. 
• According to the area you are in, there's lots of pubs and cocktail bars with a pristine setting, although I'd suggest you head towards Sloane Square or High Street Ken for it, as the options are better. The Windsor Castle is quite an isolated pub in Kensington but if old-school is your thing, you'll love it here. Otherwise, The Botanist in Chelsea is always a good bet.

All in all, you've got a whole day out in the city just planned right there, so wrap up and get yourself going! I probably wasn't wearing enough layers but hey, how cute is this look? As we say in Spain: "To be/look beautiful you must suffer".

TCB x

WHAT I WORE:
Ci Ci London Blouse
Boden Pink Coat
H&M Denim Flares (SOLD OUT, similar here)
ZARA Pumps (old)
Fendi sunglasses
House of Mackage Cross-body Leather Bag

SUPER MAGS

Photography by Charlie Sawyer

What a day yesterday was. London Fashion Week just started and my feet is already feeling it! I am having so much fun, though. Lots of catwalks and presentations (too many of the latter, in my opinion) that you can check on my Day 1 reviews and also lots of free sweets, popcorn and booze to indulge into. OBVS!

Walking down Lexington St towards the main stage (that is Brewer St Car Park) certainly makes you feel like a star followed being followed by paparazzis. To top up the day, I ended up party-hopping in Soho followed by a late dinner at Sexy Fish making new gal-pal friends. What else?

Let the fun times continue. I'll keep you posted!

TCB x

WHAT I WORE:
Total Look by ASOS
ZARA Suede Ankle Boots
Launer London Traviata Bag

The Year of the Monkey

Photography by Ivan Gener

新年快乐 !
Happy New Year (Again) Folks!

For those who might be wondering if I am going coo-coo…nope! It´s the Chinese New Year today and so it is time to celebrate, don’t you think?

I decided since it was the New Year I needed a change, so I cut my hair! It’s also a little bit more blondie, but oh well! I kinda like it.

The New Year celebrations in London will last for over a week after so you are in luck my friend. You wll be able to get lots of festivities in you calendar and see the amazing parade happening on Sunday. Yep, that´s Valentine’s Day too. It seems like they like to mix things up over here!

This year is the year of the Monkey. The Monkey is ninth of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac cycle, which means every 12 years there is a Monkey year. More over, it is a Fire Monkey Year. Apparently each year is associated with one animal sign AND one of the five elements: gold/metal, water, wood, fire or earth. These elements of your birth will determine your personality and destiny.

I am from the year of the Dragon (the best year, OBVS) and apparently it says I am enthusiastic, confident, intelligent, ambitious, hardworking and straightforward. What do you guys think? BLIMEY, I think that sounds quite spot on? There´s also a whole bunch of superstitions to follow in order to have a good year: lucky numbers, colours, flowers, directions, lunar months…I better start working on it!

In any case, if you get a chance this week to get yourself to Chinatown and enjoy the festive vibe…DO IT. The lanterns are up and it just looks too cute to be missed. I think I’ve mentioned it a thousand times before but I love asian food, and even more so if it is Chinese food. Any opportunity is good for me to go there. Despite being very chaotic, dirty and loud, you won’t find a more intriguing and exciting neighbourhood (except for Soho, probably) in the city which is also open pretty much 24/7.

TCB x

Funky Etiquette

2016. A brand new year and a brand new job!

For those who still don't know...I am a passionate about fashion (yes!) but my full time job is completely unrelated to it. 

I work as a consultant for a strategic consulting firm specialized in the Life Sciences industry. What are the odds, hey? But as a dedicated fashionista, I tried to jazz things up when it comes to business attire. There's no reason to dress up boringly just because you may work in a very proper sector. 

As I always say, a brand new job also requires a brand new wardrobe, or at least a renewal. So this was the perfect occasion to look for new business-chic suits. The result? Lots of patterns mixed up with what I call a tomboy look. 

Be inspired careless readers, 

TCB x

WHAT I WORE:
Mango Floral Print Blazer and Suit Trousers
Uniqlo Merino Wool Turtle Neck Sweater
Miista Riley Gold Brogues
Rayban Round Sunglasses
H&M Fedora Hat (sold out)