HOW TO PULL OFF A VEST TOP, THE DO'S AND DONT'S





A few years ago I loved nothing more than a vest top. In fact, I wore a vest that much it became my nickname at work. I was known as 'The Vest'. But is wearing a vest acceptable? I remember overhearing someone say "You have to be incredibly cool or incredibly ripped to ever wear a vest top". Just to let you know I'm not the second and to be honest, I'm not even sure about the first! You'll have to make your mind up on that one. But is that the case?






I think pretty much anyone can make a vest top work and it's easy integrating one into your wardrobe. It's all about having the confidence to rock one. If you think you can, you have to abide by these rules. Never buy a vest top with a muscle fit, this is when the material at the back of the shoulders is incredibly narrow. This is the biggest no-go in my opinion and should be avoided at all costs! Another vest to stay well clear of is the Y shape. This is a similar design to the muscle fit vest and in my opinion never looks good. What I'm trying to say is, stay clear of any vests with narrow sections of material either on the shoulders or down the back.




The shape you want from a vest top is basically a sleeveless T-shirt. These vest tops in my opinion always look the best, either with a low-slung/cut underarm or an exposed lower U-shape side down to the torso. These have always being my preferred style of vests and in my opinion, look the coolest.


A lot of my older vest tops are from All Saints, they always aced the vest top! An off white colour, low cut neckline and classic print, you couldn't go wrong. However, All Saints this season don't have many to choose from. There's currently only two styles on their entire website! There's only maybe a handful of occasions you can wear a vest here in the U.K but on holiday I'd say they should be a suitcase essential.



I have found two sweet vest tops you can buy now and mixed them up with my some of my older trusty styles from the past. As I said in my T-shirt post finding the right neckline which suits you is crucial! A scoop neckline is always my go to and it's the same in vest tops. I also prefer a vest which has a low scoop underarm which reaches down to the mid torso.

I also found the next two vest tops on Asos, a brand I'm becoming more and more a fan of, I know! Nevertheless, the two vest tops I've chosen are pretty sound. The first being this classic striped vest perfect for the summer. As a horizontal black stripe always looks cool.






Shop the striped vest top here.

The second vest that caught my eye was this one, which has serious Kooples vibes, saying that, on the Asos website it's actually being worn by a model who starred in an old Kooples campaign! Even so, this vest top has a very similar look to one of their printed tee's. It's also an absolute bargain as again it's in the sale at only £9, well worth it!






The vest top has the slogan of 'Nowhere to run Nowhere to hide' which is pretty sweet. However, this vest top is a round neck which I've since cut into a scoop neck which suits me better.

Shop the 'Nowhere to run' vest top here.

Check my YouTube below to see more of the do's & dont's of vest tops.





A KILLER WESTERN STYLE SHIRT



Once again I'm featuring another killer Asos shirt on my blog. I spotted this sweet shirt last week and almost immediately added it into my shopping basket, I couldn't resist not buying it. I'm a massive fan of a western style shirt, and this one ticks all of the boxes! It's a super cool shirt, with a studded embellishment and revere collar, it's right up my street. I wore this shirt in Manchester last week and got a lot of compliments on it.




This shirt has some serious cowboy vibes which I love! The metal studs follow the pattern of the cut of the shirt, and also feature on the shirts reverse. The high-quality black press studs on the front, are a very nice touch. The shirt is made from 100% viscose meaning it's light and breathable to wear.





It has two open chest pockets with popper buttons, giving the impression of a closed pocket. I bought the shirt in a size small and it's the perfect fit. As you can see, I've styled this shirt up with some black skinny jeans and a pair of black Chelsea boots. Because, well, nothing's cooler than all in black right? 





This shirt has some really nice details and, in my opinion, looks way more expensive than it actually is. This shirt was only £30 when I bought it, and now it's even more of a steal at only £18! 

Shop the shirt here

Check out my YouTube video on my two new favourite sale shirts from Asos. Click below for a closer look and a more detailed description.






COFFEE, VINYL, PIE & MASH




Last week I visited Manchester for the day and here's where I hung out. Manchester a city where I really must spend more time. I say that to myself everytime I visit, but I really need to come back more often. After a two-hour train journey from Durham, I needed my coffee fix to set me up for the day. The previous night I'd done a little digging on Instagram for the places I wanted to go and made a rough plan. The first on my list was The Foundation Coffee House.



TFCH is a coffee shop/bar with the most stylish interior. Found bang in the middle of Manchester's Northern Quarter it's one of the coolest places to grab a tasty coffee. The Northern Quarter has the best of everything, vintage stores, record shops, independent restaurants and a selection of the killer bars on every street, all oozing that cool youthful look. Think of it like Manchester's equivalent to Brick Lane.




Independent coffee shops these days have some of the best-designed interiors around and this place is no different. It's monotone colour palette throughout gives this place a very cool vibe. The shop's single bulb lights, b&w tiling and polished concrete surfaces fit perfectly with the Northern Quarters aesthetic. At TFCS they pride themselves on their technical excellence and precision of handling the coffee from sourcing to your cup. They also offer a wide selection of healthy ethically sourced juice and food, the brownie I had with my espresso was top notch.

📍The Foundation Coffee House Sevendale House, Lever St, Manchester M1 1JB

As I mentioned your never too far away from a vinyl store in the Northern Quater and the two best Manchester has to offer are only a short walk apart from one another. The first being this little beauty, Vinyl Exchange. Opened in 1988 VE is now one of the biggest buyers and sellers of rare vinyl and records in the north-west. You can imagine the shop looking exactly the same back then as it is now, a dark basement full of the best vinyl around.





📍Vinyl Exchange 18 Oldham Street M1 1JN

Another must visit record shop has to be Piccadilly Records. Piccadilly Records opened in 1978 and over the years has won countless awards. Including The Best Independent Record Store & The World's Best Shop. You've got to admit if they're winning awards like that, it's definitely worth a peek. They stock everything from Indie Rock to Psych both on vinyl and CD, I imagine if you can't find what you're looking for in PR you won't be able to find it at all!





Piccadilly Records is also right opposite a sweet bar named Night And Day, well worth checking out, I mean what goes better than beer and record shopping?

📍53 Oldham St, Manchester M1 1JR

After all that vinyl shopping I met back up with my mate and we headed to get something for lunch. What more could two slightly drunken people want more than good ol northern pie and mash?



This pie shop wasn't your normal pie shop, It was way better than that! Pieminister was filled with the best pies imaginable. Everything from your classic beef and gravy to your more unusual fish pie with Hake Salmon and Prawns. The range of award winning pies was extensive, you could even choose sides! After a few pints, this place was literally heaven!





📍Pieminister 53 Church Street, Manchester M4 1PD

After our lunch, we hit a few more bars and looked around Manchester finally hitting Jimmy's bar. Jimmy's is an awesome bar full of that rock 'n' roll character. At this point in the day beer no longer sufficed, as the last drink we had in the previous bar was Absinthe! Walking into Jimmy's we were doused in red light as we entered the bar. The whole set up is very cool with the neon lights and artwork on the walls. The particular neon that caught my eye was the 'started a fire' sign which hangs behind the bar, it's a nod to the first album of the band One Night Only who's band members own Jimmy's. We took a seat downstairs on one of their large chesterfield sofa's as we kicked back and ordered two drinks, "anything with rum in".



Jimmy's bar is a pretty sweet place to kick back and enjoy some awesome drinks while listening to some killer tunes. Everyone inside was also super friendly, it's definitely a bar to be put at the top of your list if you ever find yourself in the Northern Quarter!




Jimmy's holds different nights every week everything from poetry reading to comedy and even the odd gig for good measure. I can't really remember leaving Jimmy's but I know I'd definitely be back. We then staggered toward the train station buying more 'refreshments' for our journey back home. I had an awesome day in Manchester and can't wait to go back soon. Hopefully, I won't leave it as long as the last time!

📍Jimmy's NQ 12 Newton St, Manchester M1 2AN