‘If Chanel gave women their freedom, it was Saint Laurent who empowered them’ – Pierre Berge

Yves Saint Laurent is 100% my favourite designer and so getting to see some classic YSL pieces was incredible. In my opinion without Saint Laurent we wouldn't dress how we do today. He rebelled against more 'traditional' design as each collection took on a new persona, urging us to focus on style not fashion and exercise freedom of expression with what we wear.

Seeing the clothes in person, the level of detail amazed me. Apparently it was not uncommon for Saint Laurent to ask a seamstress to totally unstitch a dress and start again-everything had to be absolutely perfect. And the level of perfection he strived for is evidence in the clothes with intricate beading and lace.

But for me I think my favourite pieces were the simpler ones. His Masculin-Feminin collection was revolutionary, altering how women dress ever since by merging gender styles. I loved the pinstriped pant suits, the jumpsuits and trench coats. Strong, simple pieces that still remain feminine and beautiful. With women like Cara Delevingne and Alexa Chung opting for Pant Suits rather than party dresses its clear that YSL's designs are eternal.

If you get the chance, I'd definitely recommend visiting the Bowes Museum to see the exhibition. It's so interesting hearing the background to the pieces and seeing the thought process and creation process Saint Laurent went through.  And obviously you get to lay eyes on some of the most beautiful clothes you've ever seen and be within breathing distance of dresses that probably (definitely) cost more than your house.

The Exhibition is open until October 25th, Find more info HERE

Vest top- Charity shop Cardi- Primark Jeans- Topshop Mom jeans Sandals- New Look Bag- Primark

Charity shop queen wins again with this pretty little top for only £1.99. I love the little details on this top like the little flowers on the front, the crocheted pattern on the front and especially the low back! Also the knitted material makes the piece so so comfy to wear but still looks super cute.

Today I was just going out for breakfast with a friend then coming back home to binge watch Orange Is The New Black so I kept it casual. I paired the top with my Topshop mom jeans for a more summery vibe than I would get with my black jeans and then this slouchy bat-wing cardi from Primark. This cardigan is so easy to throw on over anything as the shape is so effortless and floaty that it never overcrowds an outfit (does that make any sense? hopefully) And I topped it all off with my trusty sandals that I wear with pretty much everything and just a simple black bag.

My style has become so much more laid back recently, I seem to be opting more for my mom jeans than my skinny jeans, and I'm more drawn to floaty pieces at the moment. Maybe it's just my summer laziness creeping into my wardrobe? Maybe I've been listening to too much Stevie Nicks and can no longer wear anything that doesn't float when I spin around? or maybe it simply the fact that I've done nothing but watch TV and online shop for 3 days now so need to be comfy? Who knows.

I love this outfit so much as it's so simple and comfy but still looks nice. I think that's what I've been doing for lately- Comfy, effortless but still something a lil special. And that's exactly what this top is, so I've been reaching for it a lot recently.

Cute little top with an even littler price tag? PERFECT!

1) You will start and end the year in very different places

When I think back to this time last year I realise how much I've changed during my first year of college. I feel like I've become much more realistic and mature, but also stronger in myself. Within a year things change a lot- friendship groups, relationship statuses, future plans etc will often be totally different by the end of the year but I think that's good as it forces you to grow up really.

2) You gotta work!

I think before entering college a lot of people have a sort of romanticised view of it, expecting sixth form to be like skins; all parties and messing about but still managing to pass exams. NOPE it doesn't work like that! I quickly realised that it can be so hard to stay on top of the work load. I expected it to be easier as you're only doing 3/4 subjects rather than like 7, but there a lot of work for every subject (there are no easy a-levels, trust me) At the start of the year all teachers say "you need to revise your work while you do it, don't just leave it until the end" and we all rolled our eyes and ignored them, but actually it's really important to make sure you understand everything or revision is a total nightmare (oh god I sound like a teacher!)

3) Talking to new people might be the best thing ever

If you're going into the same college as all your friends it can be easy to feel like you don't need to talk to anyone new. But the people I've met this year have become some of my best friends! As I said before, your friendship group might totally change so talking to new people might be the best thing you've ever done and you might meet your new ultimate bestie. (obviously you might meet some reaaaaaaally horrible people, but it's the good ones that count!)

4) At the end of the day it's the next step

At one point in the year I was feeling super down about college and friends blah blah and my mum just kept reminding me "its the next step" and she was right. Once I started looking at universities and thinking more about careers and stuff I felt so much more determined and motivated to just get through the year and get the best grades I could. Really you're there to learn so focusing on that helped me get through other stuff and (fingers crossed) helped me get good grades.

What did you learn this year?

I actually found Michelle Phan's blog before I found her on YouTube (I don't know where I'd been  living!). Reading her posts on make-up and skincare started my whole love of beauty, and from there I found other bloggers. I branched out into reading fashion blogs. At the moment I'm absolutely loving Inthefrow - she's so knowledgeable about the pieces she showcases, and it really makes a difference to the quality of her blog.
 I'm a drama teacher, and I recently went to see a couple of the children I teach  performing at Newcastle Theatre Royale in a professional production. It was so inspiring and lovely to see them doing something they love and having such a wonderful experience (I cried and embarrassed them all!). I'm always inspired when I see how confident they can be and what they can achieve. Makes me feel silly for moaning about having to go to uni or do my grocery shopping!
I used to say Primark, but it's been pretty hit or miss lately. I've found some gorgeous accessories in there, but I'm loving Topshop lately as I've been getting more into my fashion pieces rather than living in leggings and hoodies.
I've been on the lookout for the perfect pair of trainers - I found a gorgeous baby blue faux croc effect pair in Topshop but they didn't have my size. Story of my life with my size 4 feet!
I'm going to be pretty free with my interpretation of the words "3 things" and choose 3 people - my sister, my mum and my dad! At least we'd have a massive laugh even if we were stranded. I'd get them to bring the sun-cream, emergency flares and  food!
I thought I had my life all planned out - I wanted to be a musical theatre actress - but after I got a nasty wake up call ("you're fat and you can't really dance, so I don't know why you're on this course") I've had to have a rethink. I want to keep teaching drama (it's honestly the best job in the world) and look into how the media affects the younger generation. And of course, I want to continue blogging! I'm hoping to venture into YouTube in the next couple of months.

Friends aren't the only important thing in the world. When I was in secondary school I didn't have any friends, and I tortured myself because of it. Now I realise it made me stronger because I got used to my own company and focused on my grades (which is the whole purpose of school anyway!).

Cardigan- New Look Crop Top- H&M Trousers- H&M (HERE) Sandals- New Look Bag- Spanish market

I finally got myself some cigarette trousers after wanting a pair ever since I fell deep deep in love with Audrey Hepburn's casual, yet still chic, roll-neck jumper/trousers combo in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

dreamy

Cigarette trousers are such a timeless piece. They were a staple piece for the classic 'it' girls like Brigette Bardot, Francoise Hardy, Jane Birkin and obviously Audrey (mega babes). I think they're so simple but add a totally different vibe to an outfit than black jeans would.

In this weird hot/cold weather, I styled mine with a basic striped crop top and a long floaty cardigan for warmth but also to add a more effortless feel to the look. I paired this with my fave heeled sandals and this bag I got from a market in Spain for a pop off colour.

Cigarette trousers are one of those perfect pieces that look dressy but are so so so comfortable. They hug in the right places and still give you a nice shape while feeling so slouchy and comfy unlike jeans which cut off your circulation (seriously, some jeans can actual cut off your circulation, for real...)

I can't wait to be able to style these with a jumper in winter to achieve my ultimate Audrey outfit goals, thinking about it has got me all heart-eyes ahh!