The Summer Series // Fashion Haul

Hi girls, I don't know about you but it's really starting to feel like Summer to me now! We had a couple of gorgeous sunny days earlier this week, I actually wore shorts and applied sun cream - I don't recall many days last Summer when I was able to do that and considering it's only the first week of June, hopefully things are looking good for the rest of the season!

I'm off on holiday on the 17th with my boyfriend, we're going to Gran Canaria for a week and I absolutely cannot wait, especially since I didn't go on holiday last year. I've also got a 5 day holiday next month with my dad, his girlfriend and my sister so I've been in desperate need of updating my wardrobe with Summer clothes and new bikinis, so I thought I would show you all the things I've been buying recently for my holidays in a series of posts that are imaginatively named 'The Summer Series', starting with the fashion bits and pieces I've acquired over the last month or so.

 

Playsuit - New Look £16.99

I better point out that I work at New Look as a sales assistant (or customer care expert as we're now known) and we are lucky enough to get a very generous 50% staff discount so I did get this playsuit for only £8.50! It looks quite red on the pictures but it's actually a gorgeous burnt orange colour and I think the elephant print is adorable. The drawstring waist makes it so flattering too as it emphasises curves, I think it will look gorgeous with a tan belt and some wedges.

 

 Maxi Dress - Primark £10.00
From the front this looks like a plain but pretty black maxi dress, but from the back it's a lot more than that. It's hard to tell from the pictures but the back of the dress has two large panels of cut out floral detail which just adds something different to the dress. This could be dressed up or down and I know I'll get a lot of wear out of it. A total bargain at £10.00 too!

 Dress - H&M £14.99
This isn't the kind of thing I usually buy, it's very girly and cutesy but I just loved it when I tried it on. The flying horse print is a bit quirky and the capped sleeves and loose material make it so comfortable and easy to wear. This will be a gorgeous day dress paired with some sandals or it could be dressed up with heels and a slick of bright lipstick for a day/night in a beer garden.

 Dress - H&M £19.99
I bought this dress quite a while ago now but I've been saving it for my holidays. I just think it's the most beautiful sun dress. Stunning mint green colour and the lace detail makes it so feminine and pretty. I'm normally an 8-10, but I actually bought this in a 6 and it fits perfectly. This is definitely one of my favourite purchases, I can't even explain how pretty it is - so pretty in fact that I went back and bought the cream version... And so did my sister...

 Dress - H&M £19.99
The only thing with these dresses is that the skirt is slightly see-through so a pair of nude knickers is a must!

Maxi Dress - New Look £19.99
I already had this dress in the beige and cream striped version from last year and it's still one of my favourite maxis for nights out so buying this stunning teal and turquoise version was a no-brainer for me. It has splits up the sides which make it a little more dressy than your average maxi dress and I just find the fit to be so flattering. It looks gorgeous with some chunky heels and a necklace (p.s. who can spot the beautiful Ian Somerhalder on my wall - my boyfriend bought this calendar for me for Christmas reluctantly ha, I LOVE a bit of the smolderhalder)

 Dip Hem Dress - New Look £22.99
It got a bit dark while I was taking the photos for this post so I had to use the flash for this dress ha! It's a lovely paisley print dip hem dress in a chiffon material (obv with a cami dress underneath to avoid unnecessary bum flashing). This was a total sell-out when we got it in a month or so ago so I'm not sure how easy it would be to get hold of now, maybe they will re-stock it since it was so popular!

Playsuit - New Look £16.99
I thought this Aztec print playsuit would be a great cover-up to wear around the pool during the day as it's elasticated and stretchy so it will be easy to whip on and off as well as being comfy and not too hot. The neon pink colour is on trend for the Summer season too so that's an added bonus!

Now for bikinis..

Bikini Top - H&M  £9.99 // Bikini Bottoms - H&M £7.99
This bikini is fairly simplistic with a triangle shaped top and a three-toned pink pattern.

Bikini Top - River Island £15.00 // Bikini Bottoms - River Island £10.00
River Island bikinis are a little bit more expensive but I always think the styles are so pretty. I have a gorgeous red one from last Summer that I'll be taking away with me too. This one has quite a sporty feel to it, with bronze zip detail and shimmery silver and coral colours. I love the shape of the top and the fact that it comes with detachable straps - I prefer a strapless bikini top on holiday to avoid unsightly tan lines but sometimes it's nice to have a bit more support.

 Triangle Bikini Top - H&M £3.99 // Strapless Bikini Top - H&M £3.99 // Bikini Bottoms - H&M £3.99
This bikini is so stunning and SO CHEAP that I had to buy both styles of the top - which is great as it means I kind of have two different bikinis to wear! I'm sure these bikinis must have been priced wrong as they were from the new Beyoncé swimwear range and were so much cheaper than all the other styles - yet I thought they were the nicest ones! They have a beautiful green and white tie-dye pattern and silver toggles. So pretty, I'm in love with this bikini.

Just realised how much H&M stuff I have bought! I never normally buy much from them but they've had some great Summer bargains recently! And obviously it's hard to resist New Look clothes when I get them half price ha.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my recent purchases and I hope you're all enjoying the warmer weather!

Holly xo