TREND LUST: JELLY SHOES

Every now and then I have one of those moments where I seriously doubt my taste in fashion. I feel like everybody - even the most stylish people I know - has, at least once, had that fleeting sense of uncertainty when they look at themselves in the mirror. For me it's probably a throwback of self-consciousness from a childhood of wearing silver velvet tracksuits, or teenage years spent buried beneath black eyeshadow and two cans' worth of hairspray. Though I would say that on the whole I tend to feel pretty confident in my personal style nowadays, I occasionally stumble across something that makes me second-guess my fashion credentials. Like jelly shoes.

I have seen jelly shoes in nearly every high street store at the moment, both online and in person. Ranging from strappy sandals to chunky platform wedges, it looks as though my personal childhood beach staple has undergone a serious makeover. Gone are the too-tight, slightly toe-pinching little clogs in Polly Pocket pink; taking centre stage now are serious statement shoes in shades of holographic silver and neon, with thick transparent straps. I honestly didn't think I'd ever get to a point where I would revert back to wanting a pair of jelly shoes, and it does feel slightly strange to consider wearing them now. Still, I can't shake the nagging feeling that I think they look really cool, and that I need a pair, stat.

Take a look at my top picks and try and convince me that jelly shoes aren't pretty much the cutest shoes ever. They're soft, covered in glitter and they smell like Barbie dolls - what's not to love?

1. Rebel Vegan Jelly Wedge Sandal - FASHION-CONSCIENCE.COM, £26; 2. Hella Jelly Platforms Pink - UNIF, £45; 3. Flower Pot Gladiator Sandals - ASOS.COM, £14; 4. NYLA Noelani Jelly Flat - NORDSTROMRACK.COM, £9.03; 5. TOPSHOP Mud Festival Jelly Boots - TOPSHOP.COM, £12; 6. Juju Women's Babe Heeled Jelly Sandals in Pearl Aqua - £28, COGGLES.COM; 7. River Island Jelly Platform - NELLY.COM, £25. 8. Hella Jelly Platforms Rainbow - UNIF, £53.

I'm still marginally concerned as to my fashion sanity, but if UNIF are making pairs of jelly shoes, then I must be somewhat on track. What do you think of the current jelly shoe trend? Which pair is your favourite? I'm dying for a holographic rainbow pair...

XOXO

STREET SPARKLE | A CLOSER LOOK AT ASHISH A/W 14

I've always loved putting a twist on the classics. Feminine and masculine, glamour and grunge: it's been done time and time again, but for me, mixing and matching different looks never gets old. Fashion is at its most fun when two trends are combined, played with and translated into a whole new look. So when I saw the photographs from the Ashish A/W ready-to-wear collection, I fell in love. Ashish have modernised the upcoming sparkle trend, taking the new season's most coveted item, the shimmering evening dress, and making it instantly more wearable for a daytime look. Glittering gowns in hues of fuchsia and smoky grey were given an urban makeover, as silver-tiara wearing models paired the intricately woven and jewelled dresses with clunky white high-tops, rolled-up socks and baseball jackets.

All catwalk photos from Vogue.co.uk's Trends section. 

The overall effect is an instant 'yes' for me. The combination of the shining metallic materials with white platform sneakers evokes a kind of alien Baby Spice look, while the mix of baggy boyfriend baseball jackets and evening dresses is reminiscent of the kind of wacky rule-breaking in fashion you might see on the streets of the Harajuku district.

GET THE LOOK! If you like this look and want to try it for yourself, I've put together a few of my favourite dresses of the moment, all from high street stores. Depending on how much you want to shimmer, choose metallic sheens for a subtle gleam or deck yourself out in sequins for a more extreme sparkle statement! Team your sparkle with a pair of white high-tops or platforms, throw a sports jacket over the top, and you're ready to hit the street in style!

RIVER ISLAND

Left: pink lace overlay cap-sleeve dress, £30 (reduced from £55) 

Right: mint green embellished maxi dress with dip hem, £70

Images from RiverIsland.co.uk

TOPSHOP

Left: plunge V-neck sequin dress, £60

Right: glitter cape back bodycon dress by Rare, £38
Images from Topshop.co.uk

BOOHOO

Left: Boutique 'Zoe' padded shoulder sequin dress, £15 (reduced from £35)

Right: 'Jay' tonal Aztec heavily embellished shift dress - £35

I think that Ashish have dreamed up a really interesting way to rock the glitter trend this season. What do you think of this look? Will you be changing up your party dresses like this?

I'm just starting out with this blog so I'd really love it if you would let me know what you think in the comments below - and please leave your blog links so I can follow/ comment you back!

XOXO