STYLE INSPO // MATTY HEALY

It's only when I come to write these posts that I realise how hard it is to organise my thoughts and write something that actually makes sense. 

I planned for today's Style Inspo instalment to be based on my 'guy look' and/or Tumblr influences, but mid-post I decided to scrap the idea because it's actually really hard to explain in blogpost form. In the frustration I came up with a much better idea [hopefully] and decided that today's Style Inspo will be based on possibly the coolest guy, ever...Matty Healy.

two fave pictures ever of Matty

There aren't any words to justify how much I love the 1975. 

It's hard to explain but their EP's and album are so generationally reflective. If you're 18-24, you'll understand what I mean; the themes such as relationships, drugs, sex, alcohol, self reflection and nostalgia are all so relatable. The lyrics are complex and intelligent, if you actually sit and read them they're incredibly deep. Soundwise, the 1975 have a really atmospheric vibe and it's totally unique. Their EP 'Sex' has includes my favourite song of theirs 'You', [I'm definitely a EP 'Sex' kinda girl rather than the album version], plus the EP's 'Music for Cars' has another of my favourite song of theirs 'Me'. 

Aesthetically, the band is a work of art. Everything is so unique to them, their style and creativity seems extremely natural, they're effortlessly cool.

Style wise, Matty Healy is my soul mate. 

The running joke of autumn/winter 2013 between me & my mates was that I dressed as the 'girl version' of Matty, which I'll quite happily take all day every day. Now I'm earning my own money and I can actually fuel my style, I think as the winter approaches you'll all see just where this statement came from in my outfit posts. I don't 'copy' Matty as such, I naturally prefer all black outfits and the classic simplicity of his style; but as far as style inspirations go, Matty is my icon both creatively and fashion-wise. 

In numerous interviews, Matty describes his style as "black & expensive". We all know black clothes make up 80% of my wardrobe & I'm happiest in all black everything, duh. He also mentioned [here] that "90's R&B/soul inspires me...but I dress more like an Englishman...I'm very 80s". Personally, I think Matty is quite indie but just title just doesn't do justice to how cool his style is, 'indie' has just become a throwaway term to describe the way an enormous bunch of people dress. BUT it is actually really hard to pinpoint Matty and his style, it's just very 'the 1975' and that's the best way to describe it. He dresses in a really classic way, however there is an element of street style within his look, but it's not as obvious as George [Daniels, the 1975 drummer ] who seems to channel the A$AP Rocky's vibe quite a bit. 

Outfits heavily based on all black, with an emphasis on layering and textures; if stripped back, the elements to Matty's style are really basic. Ripped skinny black jeans are a staple in his wardrobe, varying between oversized black tee's, shirts and loose knit jumpers; Matty isn't afraid to wear sheer and/or floral shirts, but it's still never looks out of place with his style. Boots are another fixed element in Matty's style, varying from Doc Martens to black loafers. Matty experiments within his own style perameters, if you're a fan you'll remember when he wore the floral shirts for the first time; but he manages to take something so in your face and make it his own.
Compared to Matty, I'm definitely leaning more towards 90s grunge than 80s influence, but there are so many overlaps within our styles and I find myself looking to him most out of everyone for new inspiration. I'm forever watching their videos and searching his tag on Tumblr to have a look at his style and how I could rework it for myself. 

THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO MATTY'S STYLE 

SKINNY JEANS - a good fitting pair of skinny jeans are an essential in any wardrobe. I think the trick is to try out lots of different places, cheap and expensive; then when you find that pair that make your legs look ace, stick with them. I love Topshop Jamie jeans. Black is a necessity. 

LEATHER JACKET- i'm not saying go out and by a £300 All Saints leather jacket, but finding a leather/pleather jacket that you can sling on with anything is everything. I have a faux leather jacket from H&M and it's brilliant, it goes with everything and anything. I like to buy mine a little oversized for that 'guy' look, so maybe even try out guys jackets while you're in the market? 

A JAZZY SHIRT - i'd love to wear all black day in day out, but sometimes you need something a little bit different to keep your style fresh. Maintaining black throughout all other elements of an outfit but choosing to add a little colour through a shirt or top is your best bet. As black works as a neutral pallet, it leaves you a lot of room to go to town on something jazzy. 

A DUSTER COAT - i'm obsessed with duster coats, long structured blazers and all that at the mo. They're a great way to add a little layering to an outfit and they look super effective with all black outfits as Matty shows in the pics above. 

A GOOD PAIR OF BOOTS - it takes a while, but it's essential. There should be a bank holiday dedicated to hunting down those boots that you'll wear until the heels are hanging off. It's all about finding the right shape for you, pointed toe, rounded toe, whether you want something Chelsea boot esc, something a little more sleek such as the Saint Laurent heeled boots or something a bit more grunge such as Doc Martens. 

BLACK/WHITE TEE'S - these should definitely be in your wardrobe already, but a good quality black and/or white t-shirt are super important. I'm loving the oversized T and jeans look at the moment [think Proudlock off MIC] but regardless, t-shirts are vital. 

ACCESSORIES - Matty's style can on the surface appear to be very repetitive, adding different accessories always gives the illusion of more effort/thought into an outfit. In my opinion, black bags are always a great thing to have laying around, I'm obsessed with backpacks at the moment. Plus, having some dainty jewellery to add to an oversized black tee and skinny jeans just adds a little something to the outfit without detracting it's classic nature. 

All in all, Matty Healy is without a doubt my no.1 style icon. He's so effortlessly cool and classic with his style which I think sometimes we all need to take a little inspiration from; stripping things back to basics and playing around with textures, layering and monochrome is sometimes more striking than layering prints and what not. 

I'm really excited for it to start getting cooler so I can show you guys what I mean by my style being similar to his, it's always autumn/winter that it's most evident. 

the smoke is in your eyes, you look so alive

I'll tell you this, I nearly shaved my head after these photos...MY HAIR IS DRIVING ME INSANE. Not long till payday and bu-bye messy mop, 'ello boy hair. 

Anyway, if there's one thing I've mastered in my 18 [nearly 19, eek] years of life, it's how to get away with wearing jeans to everything and anything. BUT for some mad reason, England is on a mad one with the sunny weather at the mo' and I've had to put down the mom jeans and opt for something that won't leave me a sweaty mess, mmm cute. 

Let's be honest, you're never going to see me in a frilly, floral summer dress; so in my opinion this is the next best thing. I'm a massive lover of guys wearing black skinny jeans, a white tee and leather jacket; Matty Healy I'm looking at you and as we all know, I base a lot of my looks on guys; so here's my adaptation of that. 

I've been eyeing this Topman oversized T for quite a while now, obviously, on guys its meant to have that street style look paired with jeans [think Proudlock off MIC] but on me it doubles up as the perfect t-shirt dress. I love the slouchy vibe, it looks ace with a plaid shirt tied around the waist, or teamed with Vans - it's just one of those pieces that looks really laid back on its own, or can be layered with lots of other pieces. 

A leather jacket obviously had to be teamed with this white number. 

Oh baby, baby, lets just look at these Zara boots shall we? They're just so cool. 

For a night-time outfit, I think this is quite laid back but the boots just bring a funky little vibe to it. Yes, I did just say funky...I am 18, I promise. They're perfect for a night out, not a far stray away from my heeled Chelsea boots [aka the boots that I've worn into the ground on every night out, house party etc you get my drift] but the cut outs just give 'em the 'double take' factor. Although these babies were insanely pricey and are real leather, I can't wait to get them all tatty 'cause at the mo, they just look too new. 

Oh & lets not forget the electric blue Zara bag shall we? Monochrome throughout, in my opinion this outfit needed a little pop of colour, it is summer after all and there's no better way to do it than with this bag. Plus, if you're heading to a house party it fits a heck of a lot in it, I'm talking alcohol, plasters for the inevitable injuries and snacks as my friend always reminds me is an important factor that shouldn't be forgotten.

All in all, this is the kind of outfit I'd wear on nights out at bars, it's laid back and my style to a tea but still a little edgier than what I'd wear during the day. 

LEATHER JACKET // H&M 

OVERSIZED WHITE T // TOPMAN

LEATHER BOOTS // ZARA 

ELECTRIC BLUE BAG // ZARA 

FASHION // TOPSHOP // i'm in a band, with a gang

Band T's are something I'm a little reluctant to wear.
I love bands, I grew up listening to Nirvana and Blink 182, All Time Low are probs one of, if not my favourite band ever, but I think especially with girls, there's this idea that when a girl is wearing a band t-shirt she doesn't actually like the band or know their songs, it's just to look cool. So up 'till now, I've held back on the T's because it's frustrating knowing I love the band so much, but people think I'm doing it to be that 'cool indie grunge girl'. Ya feel me?

Ever since I was little, I've loved ACDC. Dad introduced me & I remember being a bubba listening to the album Back in Black and just loving it. ACDC are just mine and Dad's thing, whether it's blasting Thunderstruck at the gym or doing our ace Angus Young impressions. I think Dad was always determined to make me into a little grunge rock chick. 

I'm very fussy when it comes to band T's. They have to look well loved and lived in, I love big baggy arm holes and that boyish look [duh], so I was super surprised to have all those boxes ticked by non other than Topshop. Ironically, girls are probs buying this T for all the reasons I mentioned above, especially considering its sold in the most mainstream shop ever, but I genuinely couldn't put this down. 

I love the baggy arm holes, I think you can get away with a little bit of side-boob, or skin, especially when the neck is high and you're wearing MOM jeans, not a lot else is on show. I'm obsessed with the picture of Angus Young on the front in his iconic schoolboy outfit. It's just all round cool, but for people that love the band, it's even cooler. 

Yup, I've caved and joined the Birkenstock craze & I have to admit, I love 'em. I don't think I'd fork out for a real pair but these Topshop twins are just as good. I'm loving sliders, skate shoes and Birks at the mo, so expect to see them in a lot of up-coming blog posts. 

If you read my latest haul post [HERE] you'll know that I've finally joined the MOM jean crew & it didn't take me long to blog about them did it? Overall, I just love this look together, it's super laid back and influenced by 90's grunge [aka the time I wish I was 18] - I think subtle things like belting the jeans to give the hint I actually have a waist under all the material help to stop me looking so swamped. 

All in all, I'm obsessed with this outfit. Another massive high 5 to Topshop, who just seem to be getting it bang on in my books at the mo. 

// THE BREAKDOWN // 

ACDC T - Topshop - £23.00 - size 10 

MOM Jeans - Primark - £13.00 - size 10

Fake Birkenstocks - Topshop - £26.00  

// ONLINE // 

TWITTER - @gblnihn 

INSTAGRAM - @gabilenihan

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HAUL // TOPSHOP X TOPMAN X PRIMARK

I'm 90% sure it's the same as looking for a fella; you know when you're on the hunt for someone you can never find anyone you want, but then as soon as you stop looking & you least expect it, BAM...they're right there in front of you?

Well, that whole situation happened with shopping. Whenever I went out with the mind set of buying things, there wasn't anything I wanted. [Even in every Urban Outfitters London has to offer!] But popping into London recently pre-night out, I somehow ended up with all of this...

TOPSHOP

Topshop has become the place I tend to go to for basics. I miss the grunge-phase Topshop went through, I know its spring/summer at the mo, but a couple of months back they were on a roll. Anyway, recently I've found some ace pieces.

MOTO DENIM DRESS // SALE £20.00 // size 10

 It's all my 90s grunge dreams rolled into one piece. If you want to hear me blab on about this dress & how I'd style it, check out THIS POST. 

PAISLEY SWING DRESS // £28.00 // SIZE 10

I never thought I'd say it, but pink has definitely been creeping into my wardrobe this spring/summer. I absolutely love this dress, so if you want more details on how I'd style it & me generally swooning over it, check out THIS POST. 

TOPSHOP BASIC CROPTOP // sale £5.00 // SIZE 10

TOPSHOP BASIC CROP TOP // sale £5.00 // SIZE 8

Yes, you're right, that is indeed the same top in lilac and pink. 

I love basics, so seen as I loved the pink version, it made sense to pick up the lilac version. 

I love how simple these crop tops are and they look great with MOM jeans [wait for it...they're coming later in the haul] but just in general they're great layering pieces and staples for a spring/summer wardrobe & at £5.00 lets not sniff shall we. 

PRIMARK

I haven't popped into a Primark in yonks & my little 10 minute spree reminded me why. IT'S SO STRESSFUL. I'm kind of over Primark, now I'm earning my own money I'm of the mind set I'd rather pay for something quality than the odd £4.00 t-shirt here and there that never lasts. 

FLUORESCENT YELLOW SHORTS // £4.00 // SIZE 10 

 It's a shame the photo isn't doing justice to just how 'glow in the dark' these shorts are. Initially I nabbed these with work-out clothes in mind, I love that colour teamed with my black sports bra I picked up in Nike Town a bit ago, but now I've got home and had a little play with them, you may well be seeing these as every day shorts. I'm adoring the sports-luxe trend and I have an ace outfit in mind for this [keep your eyes pealed for that] so, yeah, impulse buy or what?

GREY TOP // £4.00 // size 10

 I'm a little annoyed I didn't get this in more colours cause like the shorts, once I got it home I kinda fell in love & I think this is definitely something Urban Outfitters would sell, but for 3x the price. I love a sheer item here and there, great for layering and just uber cool in general [if done correctly]. I can't get enough of tops like this that have huge arm holes, flashing a bit of side bra but have high neck lines. 

MOM JEANS // £13.00 // SIZE 10

HALLELUJAH, late to the party but I finally have a pair of MOM jeans. 'Till now, I've looked like an actual mom in the 90s rather than a cool kid in these jeans, so thanks Primark.
I'm adoring really ugly acid wash at the mo and these just do it for me.
Jeans are always a staple piece of me, so these will no doubt be worn into the ground. I honestly couldn't believe these were £13, because in Topshop you would be paying 3x that. They're such a cool piece and I'm just generally chuffed that I can jump on the MOM jean bandwagon.

TOPMAN

It's the running joke that whenever I'm out shopping with a mate, they'll head straight into Topshop & I'll already be rampaging through Topman. We've discussed this before, but for anyone new, I just love mens fashion; I love the baggy, laid back, grunge look and mens clothes just look much cooler...in my opinion. 

MENS OVERSIZE T // £14.00 // SIZE XS 

Go with me on this, but for ages now I've been looking for that perfect white dress for summer but they're all ridiculously girly and floaty & lets be real, that's just not me. So I decided to take a spin on the typical summer dress and go for an over-sized T instead. I love how plain this is, but with a pair of Docs and messy hair, it'll just be super laid back and cool. 

SLEEVELESS DEMIN SHIRT // £28.00 // SIZE M

I don't think I've ever been so torn as when I held this in one hand and a plaid version in the other. Considering I have enough plaid to dress an army, I went for this. I'm at the ready for autumn/winter; with some skinny jeans, a plaid shirt & leather jacket, this sleeveless denim shirt is just the perfect layering piece. 

So, there's some serious damage done - BUT I'm super excited to style these in up & coming OOTDs! 

the one with the house party

It's that time of the year again, the time that in a moment of madness, I decide to hold another house party. 

If I've learnt anything from many-a-house party over the years, less is definitely more. The house-parties I go to seem to get wild very quickly, so in my opinion, I think it's best to ditch the heels and LBD and opt for something a tad less snazzy with a much cooler vibe. 

Oh look, it's a plaid shirt tied around my waist; what a surprise...not[!]

To me, this is the perfect house party look. It's something a little bit different from my day to day wardrobe [yes, that is a skirt you see] but at the heart it's still my style. VANS are my go-to party shoe, they're so comfy, so you can get white-girl-wasted and not worry about breaking your ankles + they work with almost every outfit. 

Black is always a colour I turn to, regardless of day or night, but the plaid shirt and flash of tummy break it up. 

Let's pray for my house!

Have a good weekend everyone 

xxx

THE BREAKDOWN

croptop // H&M // size S

skirt // H&M // size 10 

shoes // VANS // size 5

plaid shirt // URBAN OUTFITTERS // mens size M

UPDATE // the happiest [& most hectic] i've ever been

At the mo, life is hectic.
It's kind of crazy to think that we're almost half way through the year.

2014 has been a really strange year for me. It started with me feeling really lost, last autumn I'd applied to do Clinical Psychology at University, I'd fallen in love with the course and Loughborough University but at the start of this year reality settled in. I've never been academic, so the idea of doing a course at University just because it interested me rather than being something I needed for a future career just seemed stupid to me! BUT I was in a really shit place so I felt as if there was nothing else for me. April-May were really awful months for me, as some of you may know when I was younger I had an eating disorder and ever since I've suffered from depression [extremely light compared to a lot of other people] but in April time I had the lowest time of my entire life. I refused to get out of bed or go to Sixth Form, I turned my phone off and barely spoke to my friends - I was in a horrible place.

BUT everything is falling into place a couple of months later; I am the happiest I've been for a very long time. That's the thing, you may be in a really shit place, but things will get better, you just have to hold on. 

Ditching the idea of University, I decided on finding a job and as if fate was on my side, I'm now employed!!! In fact, I started my new contract this week, so it's rather hectic juggling my last 4 exams and full-time employment but it means that I can be financially independent and this is where life starts really. I am so lucky that I work with an amazing bunch of people, my boss is lovely and I get along with all the other girls so well, it's a real family-vibe. Working in retail means that there are some down sides, eg: being in work at 6:45AM for stock check, but there are so many positives. I feel as if I'm really thriving in the work place and it's such a weight off my shoulders knowing I don't have to ever do anything 'education'y' again. I

I've never been 100% certain what 'I want to do when I grow up' but I feel as if I'm slowly finding it. I definitely don't want to be a sales assistant for the rest of my life, but now I'm becoming more financially stable, visiting places I've always wanted to and experiencing different opportunities I feel like I'm getting that little bit closer to knowing what I want to do. My advice is, it's your life, so do what YOU want and be who YOU want to be, work hard and everything will fall into place. It won't happen over night and it may be a bumpy road, but you'll get there and it's the best feeling. I'm not anywhere near where I want to be but I know I'm finally on the right road and I've just got to keep going to see where it takes me.

ME-wise, I'm not only happy about what the future holds but I'm feeling happiest in ME as a person for first time...ever!! I've managed to loose some weight and tone up [a little bit] but I'm super happy with my body, cellulite, stretch marks, flabby-thighs and all! I've found a style that I feel super comfortable in and I think that radiates a new found confidence. I've evened out as a person a lot more, I used to be incredibly up-tight, as well as switching moods in seconds. I just think I'm becoming the person I'm going to be for the rest of my life and I quite like her, compared to the miserable up-tight bitch I've been for far too many years. I have the most incredible Dad, amazing friends and people in my life. I am single, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest - it's just another piece of the puzzle that'll fall into place at some point, I've never been bothered about having a boyfriend but what's meant to be will be! I just feel like I'm starting to appreciate the things we're all so lucky to have and usually take for granted, as BLINK-182 once said "all the small things" and that's all that matters in the end.

Let's be honest, on the Gabi-scale [it's an official thing yanno] I've been on a blogging-role. Ever since I started this new blog earlier on this year, I've felt like I've made a lot of progress blogging wise. Looking back at my old blog [thelifeofgabriella, now deleted *sobs*] GBLNIHN is a world away, I am much happier with my photos, content and layout...although I'll never be a 'clean-cut' blogger, I like my little quirks and odd spelling mistake, I feel this blog is more 'me' and really reflective of where I am in my life.

I am uber hectic at the moment [up until the 12th June] what with exams and work, but I promise once those are out the way there'll be plenty more blog posts on the way. I plan to continue posting Outfit of the Days, hauls etc but a lot more lifestyle as well - like this chatty post, or snaps of where I've been and what I've been up too. I take my camera everywhere with me nowadays so I hope you guys will like that.

In the grand scale of things, my blog is super teeny-tiny, but if you're reading this and you choose to follow me that means so much to me, like it always has and it always will. I have made so many friends through Tumblr, blogging, YouTube and I adore this not-so-little community.

I'm not really sure what the point of this post was, but I just wanted to write a little update to explain why I've been so distant-blogging wise and when I'll be back for good!
I hope you're all having an incredible week, that you have an amazing weekend.

Lots of love,
Gabs xxxx

BLEACH LONDON Split Fix Serum

BLEACH LONDON are the coolest of cool brands.

I got hooked at Swamp Spritz [post here] & now it's the turn of BLEACH's Split Fix Serum.

In all honesty, I expected the Swamp Spritz to be a one off wonder product. There's very few brands that consistently deliver, so I was a little hesitant to try another product incase it burst my BLEACH bubble. 

Naturally my hair is super curly and crazy-frizzy, Frizz-Ease 'till now has been my go-to frizz-taming product. So when I saw that BLEACH had a serum that 'tames and controls hair without weighing it down', there was no way I was going to walk away without it. 

Genuinely, I have never used a product that has left my hair feeling as ah-maz-ing as it does now. I used two pumps, concentrating it on the ends of my hair after washing, blow-drying and straightening I couldn't believe how silky smooth and frizz-free it left my hair. 

The BLEACH serum makes it look/feel as if I've never dyed or applied heat to my hair, my dead ends are reduced in appearance and all the frizz is banished. I know I sound like I'm trying to kiss-major-BLEACH-ass but I've never found a product that has given these kind of results to my hair. It's a light-weight product and it hasn't weighed down my hair in the slightest, I have a lot hair so that surprised me! Unlike Frizz-Ease it's not got a really oily consistency that lingers around leaving that horrible greasy feeling on both hands and hair. 

It not only makes styling 10x easier, but the general appearance of my hair is on another level. 

If you have dry, damaged, frizzy hair I cannot recommend this product enough. It gives your hair a whole new lease of life.

I could rave about BLEACH and their products all day, but this product in particular has really blown me away. If you want that messy-grunge-look, like I love, but with soft, healthy hair start with the Split Fix Serum and finish with the Swamp Spritz. 

Massive thumbs up to BLEACH LONDON for another incredible product.