Forever loving forever 21

And so it's back to my traditional English blogging ways. I've still got another Stateside post to write (it's Hawaii and it's a good one) but I decided to take a break to show you all the beautiful new clothes I got while shopping on Santa Monica boulevard. I might've steered clear of places like Prada and Fendi but Forever 21 and H&M were much more credit-card-friendly. So I swiped the day away.

I fell so in love with this forever 21 dress, which was only $15.80 (about £9)! It came in two different colour palettes and I went with black and lilacs rather than brights because my period of denial is officially over - autumn is on the way! Even though it's still August, I was so cold today I regretted not wearing a coat! So I need to start building my Autumn wardrobe - I'm thinking lots of neutral colours like camel and brown and cool tones like pale blue and lilac. The scuba fabric of this dress is amazing but leaves very little room for manoeuvre. So I'm glad I've been on a post-holiday detox and lost 4lb since getting back (although I only actually put on 2lb while I was away which I seriously couldn't believe!). I love the V-neck because it's not too deep to be too revealing and the length is perfect too. I wore it with my black la moda sandals (seeing as my white la moda sandals are now no more) which were £24 and I finished the look with these pendant feather earrings which, as always, you can't see in the photos.

I'm also hoping to get a new job soon (nothing yet but I'm looking), a job that's a career-start rather than just a way to fund my shopping habit. So I figured I should start building a work wardrobe - although where I'd put a whole other genre of clothes I have no idea, seeing as my wardrobes are already bursting at the seams. I really love the fit of this pencil skirt which was $24.95 (about £15) from H&M and the stone colour means it'll go with pretty much anything, aswell as fitting my autumn colour scheme perfectly. I love the length and the small split up the back adds a nice detail. It's also great fun to look for a size 6 in clothes instead of a size 10, because of the difference in UK and US sizing. It's not so fun asking for a size 9 in shoes though rather than a 7 because it makes me feel like a clown. I wore it with this forever 21 top which was $15.80 (about £9) because the colour of the flowers match the skirt amazingly. I really love the warm autumn colours too and I upsized so it would be a baggy fit when tucked into a tight skirt. I only realised once I put the outfit on that I had no shoes that matched it. Black or white don't match because they look too harsh and brown clashed with the burnt orange of the top. Any other colours just clash too and I finally realised that the only thing that would work would be the perfect pair of nude shoes. I don't own the perfect pair but I wore this pair that I've had for about a thousand years just to give you an idea. They were from new look but I don't remember how much they were and they don't really fit properly. Needless to say I can't walk in them so it's a good job I just have to stand still for my blog photos.

This cute pair of skorts were also forever 21 and were only $4 in the sale, which is only £2.50!! The pleats make it look like a skirt but the skort style is perfect for a windy autumn day. It's really cute and girly and I love the tartan and the florals mixed together (you know how I love my clashing prints). I wore them with a black cami (£9.99 from new look) and my my1stwish.co.uk black mule shoes (£23.99). I also added my Topshop black bowler hat because I loved the outfit I put together with it before my birthday. I think I might become more of a hat person this autumn; I love the over-sized fedoras that river island have in stock right now, I've got my eye on a mink one with black trim.

Even though I'm choosing a new colour scheme for the season, old habits die hard - I'm still a pastel queen. So I just couldn't resist this H&M cami with pastel floral print and lace trim. Like the skirt, it was $24.95 (about £15) and fits really nicely. I wore it with these pastel blue Topshop shorts with scalloped edging that I've had for ages. They are a bit too big but they're alright with a cami tucked into them. I finished off with my white new look cleated sole heels (£39.99) and feather pendant earrings.

Also from H&M I got these gorgeous galaxy print shorts ($29.95 which is roughly £18) - the perfect blend of pink and blue. It's a bit of an edgy take on a floral print which I love and I dressed them quite casually. I wore them with this white top from primark with floral laser-cut detail and my white gladiators from Schuh.

I think out of everything I bought, this piece was my absolute favourite! It was only $22.80 (roughly £13) and its the perfect going out outfit. It's halfway between a playsuit and a dress; the long peplum making it look like a dress. I love the bandeau style and the deep purple mixed with the daisy print helps to take it into AW14 rather than leaving it stuck in spring. I styled it the way I did when I wore it to go out on Saturday night - with my trusty black boots and plenty of gold rings.