A Little Luxe by Artisan Jewels

I'm always on the look out for decent jewellery, especially as over the years I've culled my jewellery box and gotten rid of the plastic rings, dinky necklaces and random mis-matching bracelets to make room for more quality pieces. When I was younger I would collect a lot of colourful pieces of jewellery - some of it I'd get given, some I'd pick up from Green Street, junk sales, random friends and even some I'd attempt to make!

These days I prefer a more minimal look - quality statement pieces over heavy blingy sets. Probably the last heavy jewellery set I've bought and worn was my wedding set - although that at least was a nice quality set! But having said that, it's quite dressy and not one I'd wear often, especially with my hijab. I also often find that although there are nice designs out there in the shops and online companies, the quality isn't always there. I'm not a fan of cheap crystals (is it me, or does every shop all claim their crystals are from Swarovski?) or and I tend to go for understated pieces which reflect good quality - good settings, good quality stones and wearable designs.

I bought this necklace and bracelet set not too long ago, from a jewellery company called Artisan Jewels, who I came across at an Eid exhibition. What I liked about their pieces is that each piece can be worn alone or combined but doesn't look over the top or too blingy. I particularly liked this set because it felt quite solid and elegant, and I love it when white and gold is done well. The necklace and bracelet both have stones and mother of pearl enamel in them, which looks really pretty and not too flashy. I've worn it a few times already, although I will admit that they don't always stand out in photos! The two pieces were just under £50 for both, which I thought was a good deal, especially as I have seen a lot of jewellery companies which sell their pieces for a lot more.

I'm still on the look out for some nice bracelets and necklaces that I can wear with occasion wear, so will post any more companies I come across, but I thought this was a nice one which had decent items which don't break the bank!

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Change Beige & Black Kurta

So this is my first outfit of the day post this year! I’ve been hibernating at home in my pyjamas, which are lovely but not much to post about! But I did wear this outfit during the Christmas and New Years break, which was perfect for comfort as well as style!

This is a pretty kurta I received from my mother in law which came from Pakistan. It’s from a Pakistani label called Change Clothing Pk, which is not one I’ve heard of, but they have a good range of casual and formal wear which seem very wearable. I’ve seen a few similar kurta styles like this (I’m sure you all have!) in local shops, and most of them are pretty affordable, and have a lot of everyday designs as well as slightly more dressy ones. This is the outfit I wore, which is a beige and black cotton kurta with a gold and silver print all over.

I’m normally someone who either sticks to just gold or just silver accents when it comes to outfits, but on this kurta it actually looks quite nice to have both. The back of the kurta has a different print from the front, which is something I’ve seen on a lot of outfits, and gives a nice quirky feel.  One of the things I really liked was the cut of the kurta, which is in a wrap shape and has a V-shape cut at the hem.

This is me wearing the outfit – I paired it with a light beige pair of cotton trousers from Khaadi – they weren’t an exact match but it worked well enough, and I preferred these over black trousers. I wore these with flats that I managed to find in beige and black, that looks nice together – a little matchy-matchy but I like it here!

I love how comfy this outfit is to wear, and the fact that it looks stylish without needed to much. I’m pretty sure I could easily dress this outfit up a little more with jewellery and heels, as it looks quite on trend and the colours are quite flattering. I’m leaning towards simpler suits and easy to wear cuts these days, although I think this may also be because I tend to go to less dressier events and prefer to wear kurtas and simple outfits for dinners or just lounging at my mums.

I'll be posting more outfits I've been wearing soon, as well as some bargain finds I've seen online! I often get asked about where to buy casual wear, and I though this kurta was lovely. I've seen a lot of similar designs in local shops - probably where the business owners have bought a bulk from Pakistan and decided to re-sell it on, but there are some pretty ones out there!