i'll be there for you...

just watching Friends on TV for the millionth time. its a comforting experience, you know the jokes, the characters, nothing varies and its never challenging; the viewing equilvalent of cheesy mash. although a hurdle is always exciting, sometimes the familiar is required. fashion can be the same. GaGa pushes boundaries, but we're all quite keen on Jennifer Aniston, reliable for her glossy wardrobe of black, gold and nude.

my closet is literally like the united nations. every colour is in there, and alot of it is quite ugly. but tucked away at the back are the items reserved for the days when i've got 20 minutes to get to from mattress to work or i've drank so much the night before i can barely see. they all look ok together and are only mildly offensive as opposed to my usual get-up of down right RUDE. we've all got these pieces, and fall back on them to get us through when common sense is on holiday.

1. LEGGINGS.

amen to whoever invented these. thank you flashdance for bringing these into my life, but not such for convincing me i could do the splits. that poor boy...he called a priest in.
anyways, they go with everything, slim your bottom half down and can be dressed up or down. black for all occasions, patterned for the rum rave.

the best leggings i've found are at american apparel. at £22, the're more expensive than other high street alternatives, but they last a lifetime and don't do that annoying saggy knee/crotch combo we all love so much.

2. CHECKED SHIRT WITH JUMPER.

this is an instant style hit, turning a bedhead and frog eyes into ralph lauren's inspiration. it works for any situation, looks polished and is a treat with a blazer. to stop it looking overly RAH RAH! layer chunky chains over the knit, or add a motif jumper for a retro spin.

yum with leggings, adorable with jeans, this look is ageless.

l-r jumper, £35 Truffle Shuffle. shirt, £14.99 Uniqlo. v-neck knit, £29.50, Gap.

3. LBD.

do i really even need to explain? its friday night. you're in pyjamas, watching 'an audience with some talentless gorilla', and the phone rings. 'HI QUINN! BLAH BLAH COME OUT BLAH'.......why not?and waiting to rave with you is the LBD. its easy, effortless and you know you look damn fine in it. theres just one question...do you wash the britney hairdo or not?

figure fixing black dresses l-r  1, 2, 3,4.

1. hourglass shapes should go for a structured dress with a cinched-in waist to show off your inner Marilyn.

Topshop £40

2. pear shapes can combine a fitted top with a bell skirt to skim over the junk in your trunk.

River Island £39.99

3. apple shapes (i feel your pain fellow fruitbowlers), if you have beautiful legs, make them the feature with a loose silhouette concealing your problem area. team with big earrings to keep the focus on your best bits.

Warehouse £45

4. athletic. you lucky sods, i'm lime green jelo of your long lean limbs! you can wear whatever you want, but to inject some curves onto your boyish frame choose dresses with features, such as draping, on the hips and shoulders, adding volume.

Miss Selfridge, £39

4. FEATURE CARDIGAN.

this will be your best friend for the winter. stick it on with a vest and jeans, casual dress, top and leggings or tee and shorts if the weather holds out. if you choose wisely, a bold and distinctive print can take you through a few seasons wear, or you can archive it for the future, responding to compliments with the begrudged answer 'its actually vintage'...god i hate those girls.

classic statement knits to last a lifetime (or until you get bored)

top l-r

heart pocket cardi, £39, Very. horse print cardi, £34.99, River Island.

bottom l-r

lace shoulder cardi, £35, Oasis. rose print cardi, £44, Debenhams.

5. CONVERSE.

so comfy, wear to uni for easy chic, work for laidback cool and to the pub for an indie vibe. i like patterned, but faithful red, white and black are forever buys.

top to bottom

red converse, £42 Littlewoods, white converse, £34.99, Schuh. leoprd converse, £36.99, Office.

enjoy! x