What's Red, White and Leopard Print All Over? #21DaysOfStyle Begin...

I decided to take part in Forever 21's 21 Days of Style Instagram challenge this month, which runs for the first 3 weeks of November. As an Instagram (and relative blogging) newbie, it's the first time I've taken part in a challenge, but I've always loved the idea - being pushed out of your comfort zone, to reconsider how to work potential gems that have been lying dejected in the back of your wardrobe (or at the bottom of a shopping bag). I've already re-discovered my love for statement rings, and resurrected 2 tops which hadn't seen the light of day for 6 months plus, as well as finding the perfect use to put one of my newest accessories to... I thought I'd share my first 2 complete outfits in this post - I'll be updating later on, but follow me on Instagram (Sam_Muses) to see all the pics.

Day 1 - Knits
 

Faux Fur Collar: Primark (Current - £6)
Jumper: Bay (Past Season)
Skirt: Primark (Recent - see more of it in How To Wear The Mixi and How To Wear Animal Print)
Shoes: Marks & Spencer (Current - £15)

Maybe I should have saved this for "leopard" day, but I just couldn't wait! The fur collar is one of my latest buys - I'd been imagining it over a coat, but was inspired by a vintage-style fur collared dress to use it to add a bit of ladylike luxury to a demure daywear combo, and I absolutely love it over this scoop-neck knit! I think it will be great for adding a bit of an edge to a classic black shift dress too...

The shoes seem to have almost instantaneously sold out online, but you may be lucky enough to find a pair in your local M&S - the mid-heel makes for the perfect go-anywhere (without having to call a taxi) style. The colour is best for olive or (fake) tanned skin tones, and you'll likely need to take half a size larger than usual (so if you're a 7.5, you're in luck - click quick!!).

Day 3 - Reds
 

Top: Primark (Past Season)

Skirt: Jane Norman (Past Season)

Belt: Unbranded (Past Season)

Shoes: Peacocks (Past Season)

Still stuck in my mid-twentieth-century-inspired groove, I dug out the first peplum top I'd ever bought, back in the salad days of early SS12, to team with one of my favourite wiggle (or hobble, as it actually said on the label) skirts. I'd originally paired it with a pleated red swing-style midi (see my How to Wear... The Peplum post), and can't believe that may have been the first and only time I'd worn it up to now (the peplum addiction took hold quickly, and the consequently constant flow of new arrivals must have pushed it to the back of my mind, as well as my wardrobe).

I'm still having lots of "fun" figuring out how to make my new camera best behave itself - the first outfit was photographed using the mini flash included with the body, whilst my new bounce flash had arrived in time for the second set... I was quite pleased with these results, taken early-mid afternoon, but, in the absence of daylight, I'm finding it rather like an unfamiliar shower - impossible to find the middle ground between freezing/darkness and scalding/white-out - oh well, I will figure it out eventually... I hope!

As a side note, now that I can show a bit more detail in my images, I'd be interested to know what kind of size you prefer - larger, like these ones (or even larger still?), or slightly smaller so that you can see the whole image without scrolling, as in the previous post? I always imagined that being able to see an outfit head-to-toe, all at once would be best, but then realised that many other bloggers use larger photos which require scrolling, and in many cases I hadn't even noticed until I decided to research the matter!

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