How to Wear a Denim Mini Skirt: Topshop's £20 Circle Skirt Dupe

Denim mini skirts of varying kinds have seen me through more summers (and winters, come to that) than I care to remember, from 2001's "rebellious" search for the shortest I could possibly dredge up to 2009's quest for the perfect rara. I thought I'd now consigned them to the realms of nostalgia... until I came across this dead ringer for American Apparel's circle skirt in Topshop. With a £20 gift card burning a hole in my pocket, and little prior hope of finding anything I wanted at such a price, there was more than a little excitement!

The bleached effect, skater cut and high-waist are oh-so-'90s, which, ironically, gives it a bang-up-to-date feel (and if you are going to go for it, you couldn't find a more flattering shape). It has a (*cringe*) elasticated waist, but once it's on, you'd never know - in fact, it's the most genius way of ensuring a perfect fit! So you can keep your "ironic" denim pencil skirts and A-line midis (well, until I find one under £20) - I'm all about embracing my inner child (yes, again).

Do It Like A Lady

Skirt: Topshop (Available Here), Collar and Hair Band: Both New Look, Jumper and Socks: Both Primark, Shoes: Office 

A feminine, vintage-inspired take on "double denim" for cooler days!

Varsity Blues

Skirt: As Above, Top, Shoes and Socks: All Primark

Playing on the sporty-meets-preppy cheerleader vibe...

Sport Luxe Sweetheart

Skirt: As Above, Top: New Look, Trainers: Primark

Both already featured favourites, the tough-vs-girly combination of the top's mesh and sweetheart neckline detail, and the trainers' studs and rhinestones, meshes perfectly with the personality of the skirt.

Pile-Up

Skirt, Trainers and Mesh-Sleeved Top: As Above, Cartoon Print Top: Primark

Skirt, Trainers and Mesh-Sleeved Top: As Above, Mint Knit: Tokyo Doll at New Look

Aaand the other great thing about long-sleeved crop tops... layerability! Perfect for giving a sporty edge, an extra layer of insulation (I know, the last thing we need in the UK at the moment, for once!) and/or a bit of coverage for the arm-shy.

Glo-Girl

Skirt and Trainers: As Above, Top and Bra: Both Primark, Beanie and Bracelet c/o New Look

In the interests of a full exploration of all facets of the skirt's character, I had to go a bit nu-rave '90s, with neon accents (and why not use colour pop lingerie as a fashion accessory?) balanced by a relaxed white tee (and, yes, those trainers again - sue me).

Are you doing denim this season?

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F&F White Cut-Out Dress: 3 Ways to Wear

If you're thinking of venturing into the realms of supermarket fashion (and, of course, entering How You're Wearing It while you're at it), there really couldn't be a better time - despite being personally gutted that I picked up this gorgeous LWD last week, when it was full-price, I'm pleased to be able to inform you that you can now buy it for £10 - run to the checkout now!! I'd been after a structured, ladylike white dress since the sun finally decided to come out of hibernation this year, so when F&F at Tesco offered me £25 to spend onsite, there was no contest (the vintage-a-like lantern silhouette, sassy-yet-sedate keyhole, runway-ready brocade, colour-pop belt... sigh). At the time, I was pretty smug about this price - seriously, the cut and fabric are so heavenly, you'd believe it cost hundreds... but the idea that I could have had both the white and yellow versions (see here), with change to spare, has me a little miffed, if I'm honest - hmph.

If you do fancy nabbing a ridiculous bargain, don't forget to tweet me a pic of how you're wearing it @Sam_Muses, not forgetting the hashtag #myFFstyle, or leave a link to your look on the competition page, for the chance to win your own £25 voucher (that's 2.5 dresses, remember!). To help get those creative juices flowing, I thought I'd show you how I've been wearing mine so far...

Dress (With Belt) c/o F&F at Tesco, Shoes: Boohoo

Close-up shot of the subtle-but-stunning all-over jacquard print

All White

Dress (With Belt) and Blazer: Both c/o F&F, Shoes: Boohoo, Sunglasses: Accessorize

Mellow Yellow

Dress: As Above, Shoes: Faith (Past Season), Cardigan: Primark (Past Season)

Monochrome

Dress: As Above, Blazer and Shoes: Both Primark, Hair Band: New Look, Belt: River Island (from skirt)

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How to Wear a Pinafore, Part 3: Do the Polka

So we've done the DIY shift-as-pinny and sweet-as-candy pastel pink - where will pinafore mania take us next? Well, if you're quick, to the Primark sale, where you can snap up this monochrome polka dot beauty (I think it was £7 at the last count). Just as perfectly formed as its "higher-end" counterparts, with a choice of strap-fastening lengths and everything, I'm pretty sure you couldn't do better on the high street.

As I mentioned in my last pinny-centric post, I've personally done black to death over the years, so this print's injection of fun was irresistible... its timeless feel and monochrome tones give it a vintage vibe which makes it easy to dress up with co-ordinating separates, whilst its simplicity and undeniable cuteness make dressing it down with contrasting textures like denim, pops of bright block colour and tongue-in-cheek accessories (feline flatforms, anyone?) equally simple. Maybe not quite as easy to wear as black, but infinitely more fun! Still unsure? Check out my dummies' guide to styling a pinafore at the end of this post.

Cookies 'n' Cream

Pinafore: Primark (Current), Shirt, Tights, Jacket and Bag: All Primark (Past Season), Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Classique

Pinafore: As Above, Top: Forever 21, Shoes: Primark, Sunglasses: Accessorize + DIY (See This Post)

Denim 'n' Mustard

Pinafore: As Above, Necklace and Shoes: Both Primark, Shirt: Tammy, Bag: Oasis

Neon Kitty

Pinafore: As Above, Top: Primark, Shoes: eBay (originally featured here)

Have you succumbed to the pull of the printed pinafore?

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