Wrapping Around Autumn

AN OCTOBER MUST HAVE 

I don't know about you but when it gets to autumn I go a bit crazy at the whole shopping thing. To me autumn and winter means layering and you can't layer without lots of clothes so that is my poor excuse and I'm sticking with it.

  Anyway I had one bit of uniform left to get at work and as soon as I saw this I knew it was coming home with me. I don't wear shirts or blouses but for the longest time I've wanted a wrap white crisp shirt and well here I have it. It's quite a smart kinda top and I'm not a smart kinda gal so I paired it with some mom jeans and a cute bralette and off I went. My mom jeans are life at the moment so any excuse to wear them, I will which makes me fall in love with this top a tiny bit more and I'm not complaining.

  I've teamed this look with my red superstars, a lipsy scarf (old) and my urban outfitters back (also old) to make it even more on the casual side because that is what I do best. 

 

Need to get my lunges in

Hope you enjoyed this short but sweet post. Hope to see you soon.

Soph x 

Moving Away - One Year Later

A YEAR ON

A year ago last saturday I made the brave decision to more from my home in surrey to my home in Hertfordshire. My dad and the Foskett side of my family have always lived in Royston and I was even born in Cambridge but at a very young age I was taken to live in Surrey with my mum and that is where I spent the next 18 years of my life. 

   When I was 16 the most heartbreaking thing happened. My mum didn't want me anymore. I was kicked out and left to fend for myself and boy did I do that. I was a couple of months into my amazing college course that was really setting me off in the right direction and I was not ready to give up my dreams because one person decided they had had enough of me. I went from place to place in the two years before I moved and a lot of things happened in between that but one thing that always kept me strong was to prove her wrong.

I've had my blog for a while now and I've never mentioned my past and I would like to keep it that way but I think sometimes I need to tell people certain things so they understand why I am the way I am. My mum is someone who I find quite hard to talk about even when people think I'm over it but who really gets over something like that? And although she did an awful thing I am not going to sit here and belittle her, be rude towards her or even make it out like I hate her because that is not me and I really do believe that everything happens for a reason.

ANYWAY once I had finished college I was due to move to Cambridge but I held it back a bit. At the start of the year I got a job at legoland. I told myself I wouldn't leave Legoland till I got a job up in Cambridge and eventually I did. On the 24th September I had my induction at Topshop. On the 30th September I packed my KA up and moved home and on the 1st October just one day after moving I had my first shift as a sales adviser. The first couple of weeks really sucked for me because I'd met a boy at legoland and I was so obsessed with the thought of him that anything to do with not being in surrey made me angry and sad. He eventually broke it off with me but I still remain it was the right person but wrong time kind of situation and I really do wish him all the best. 

   
After he ended things with me a lot of doors opened up for little old Soph. I met my best friend.  I've made many a soppy paragraphs about this chick so I'll keep this short and sweet BUT all I can really say is thank you. From the moment we met I knew I wanted to be your friend because you are such a happy and positive person and that makes me want to be a happy and positive person too. We are so alike that I feel like I can be my full self around you and know that instead of judging my weird eating habits and my weird ability to hurt myself in any situation you will laugh with me. We have been on holiday, on trips to random little places, countless nights out where we mainly end up sitting in the toilets having a heart to heart, we have both sat and sang badly to hairspray with shitty foods and comfy clothes multiple times and we are each others right hand man when it comes to our blogs. Charlotte thank you for taking surrey out of the girl and making me feel like Cambridge is where I am meant to be. I adore you.

My year has had many many many ups and I can truly say this has been the best year of my life but everything that goes up has to come down and I've experienced that these past couple of months. I've met people and I've REALLY met people so losing some over others have hurt quite hard. BUT I've made some of the most incredible memories and I am so bloody grateful that in a place I thought would never become home has well.. become my home. 

I didn't imagine I would be spending the one year anniversary of me moving at a pumpkin patch with Charlotte but it's what happened and I wouldn't of changed it for the world. Instead of me crying over what could of been something really good with someone and over how stressful my job is at the moment I spent my day laughing and being the inner festive child I know I will always be. Basically what I am trying to say is that no matter how bad things look or how badly someone is dragging you down, cherish the tiny little things that make you happy because they will have the biggest impact. Never take anything for granted and never ever forget about all the people that make you laugh on the daily because even in the places where you least expect to find happiness you just might find yourself being the happiest you have ever been.

Thank you Cambridge for the multiple realisations, friendships, happy memories, loses and gains, the job opportunity, my family and most importantly the happiness.

Soph x    

Wanting What You Can't Have

EXPECTATIONS VS. REALITY 

I always want what I can't have like how I want to be a pop star who travels the world with my girlband who actually double up as my bestfriends and we dance&sing our way through life, I want to be living in LA taking photos of my outfits as a job, I want the world to be cancer free so no more people have to fall victim to the disease, I want to own 600 designer bags and have them all displayed nicely in my walk in wardrobe that is the same size as a three bedroom house.... I think you get the point that I want what I can't have. But more realistically and less materialistic I want the boy who doesn't want me, I want the job someone else has got and I want the appearance I don't have. 

I would never sit and normalise something like not being happy about what you don't have because that is 100% not the way to live your life and there are people so much worse off (such a horrible and sad thought) however I believe in everything happens for a reason and that good things do honestly come to those who wait. 

  I haven't been the Sophie I know for a few weeks now and I'm sure when she comes back she will be back with a bang but for now I'm taking my time at adjusting to certain emotions and situations that I didn't know I needed to feel but I have learnt from them and instead of dwelling on what could of been I'm getting excited for what is to come. Everyone can have those little moments of weakness and boy have I had them these past couple of weeks and especially these last couple of days but I think I've still got up everyday and tried my hardest at my job and my hardest to be as happy as I can. 

   It's super difficult to let someone go when it was the last thing you wanted to happen and it's super difficult to see everyone progress when you're stood still with no signs of moving forward. Whats not super difficult is letting people help you get through it. 

Never let someone else leaving make you think you are not good enough because you are and they are simply just missing out. You can't make everyone stay in your life but you can make people want to be in it and they are the people that you need to focus on because they are the people that will never let you down. So to the boys that broke my heart, to the colleagues who have the job that I want and to the girls with the face I'll never ever have... Thank you for teaching me that I need to work hard for what I want, I need to stop looking in the mirror and thinking what if and I need to stop crying over someone who I was too good for anyway. 

Smile and the world will smile with you. 

Soph x 

Dear Boys,

Dear Boys,

         I am not going to sit here and say girls are perfect. We can be moody and distant, we can be over emotional and extra soppy, We can do this really great thing at making it look like we don't care and we can do this really stupid thing of showing we care too much. Depending on the boy and the situation these things apply to most girls and if they don't then I don't know how you girls do it. I am also not going to sit here and say this is aimed at all boys but the majority of you could do with reading this.
  Too many times have I myself and other girls felt sad and unappreciated because of a boy. I have been made to feel like their is something wrong with my appearance, my personality and even my age. Other girls I know have been cheated on and made to believe it was their fault. We have been made to feel like we are only ever in the wrong and if something has gone wrong we should only blame ourselves.
  Boys will never understand what girls go through and how their emotions are on a constant loop. Each month we have to go through pain, we have to go through feeling insecure and paranoid about  silly stuff and so many other things. Periods are something that are neither enjoyable physically and mentally yet that is not an excuse for you boys to think it's a fair reason for you to blame why we are feeling vulnerable and unwanted on and most of the time it is still because you are being an arsehole.
   I do not have the authority to speak for every single female that walks the planet but I know from personal experience and sadly other girls in my life that boys, especially from my generation, do not know how to appreciate what is good until it is gone. Oh and trust me when we are gone it took us many sleepless nights to do it because we care and we secretly hold on because we think it is all going to work out in the end. We are not stupid or dumb for trusting in someone to change because you hope that maybe they like/love you enough to stop causing you pain and sometimes boys take note and do but sadly most of the time they don't.
  Why do you think it is okay to have little to no contact without warning and then not go on to think about the girl you have been dating/seeing/in a relationship with? Why is that okay to do to anyone? It's not. the truth may really hurt but lying and making someone rack their brains over what they have done wrong is more painful than being a man and coming clean about how you feel. Grow some balls.
   You say it's wrong timing and that We are great girls but really if you thought that you wouldn't of spent months building up a girls trust and confidence in you to then let her down 'gently'.


Girls do not settle for boys who make you doubt yourself or who make you feel like you're constantly in the wrong because there will be a man out there that wants you for you and nothing less.


Soph x

SWEATER WEATHER

THE FIRST AUTUMN OUTFIT 

I'm so obsessed with how this shoot came out so shout out to my other half Charlotte (her blog is IAMCHARLOTTEOLIVIA check it out) for being the pro photography that we all know she is deep down. 

  ANYWAY it's that annoying weather that means you walk out the house in the morning with 3 tops, 2 jumpers, a huge coat and 6 scarves (slight exaggeration there obviously hehe) and then end up ripping it all off half way through the day because it is too hattt SO layering is essential because you want to be warm enough on your morning walk to work but then not sweating buckets on the walk home. If I could layer all year I would and I do tend to try but now it's getting colder we can properly layer and that makes one happy Soph. 

  Black jeans are a must this time of year and to add to the cosy vibe I am wearing my trusty skinny Jamie jeans from Topshop. Black is so easy to layer with so they are always a go to which means I can have it all going on on the top half. 

  I'm wearing a very old topshop white basic crop top with my new SUPER SOFT sheep looking jumper from Primark. If you haven't already get your butt down to Primark because they have some absolute gems in there at the mo! Anyway the jumper was only a tenner and it's perfect to help me start building up my winter wardrobe and lets not forget to mention HOW FRICKEN SOFT IT IS. I got it in a few sizes up so that it was oversized and easy to layer over tops. 

Layered over the top of that is my fav faux leather jacket that I got last year from Topshop (surprise surprise) which is perfect for that cold morning to warm afternoon transition as it's not thin but it's not too thick for later on in the day. 

Then to finish the look I have my fav boots ever that are from public desire a few years ago. They are uncomfortable and I complained the whole time but boy are they worth it because you can not get a more autumnal shoe (you probably can but not one that I would wear). 

 

 

And there it is my first autumn outfit post for you all and I couldn't be more happy to say that. IT'S BASICALLY CHRISTMAS!! Have a very lovely day/night. Over and out. 

When someone is watching you have photos taken.

Soph x

How To Visual Merchandise-Topshop

HOW TO MERCHANDISE A WALL

When ever I tell someone I'm a Visual Merchandiser for Topshop and Topman I mainly get the nod of 'have no idea what that is but cool' which I don't blame anyone for because not even I knew really what that was till I started. It's a lot of tiring work, It's re-doing the same wall over and over again till its perfect and it's quite physically challenge at times (mostly because of the stairs in my store... THEY ARE A KILLER) but in the end it can be incredibly rewarding. I wanted to do a step by step blog post so people can really see how much effort goes into one tiny part of the store and a tiny part of my day and hope people will start to understand why at 7 o'clock I'm ready for bed. So here is how I merchandise a wall for Topshop. 

7 AM

This is where my day starts.. bright and early and with a coffee in my hand. Seeing as we are now going into A/W 17 our store is under huge 'construction' in a way. Over the past few weeks we've been on late's and early's to prepare us for our model store sign off. What is a model store sign off I hear you say? WELL as the season changes so do our stores.... MASSIVELY. We get given packs which include 'girls' which are our trends throughout the store, The store layout (this year we have basically had to move the whole store around and that being across two floors is not easy I'll tell you that), a creative pack for painting and mannequins and just overall pointers on how they want us to merchandise each area of the store. For the past couple of weeks I have been given the girl 'stylist' and she is all about the monochrome, clean, edgy but cool style. A lot of people think its the 'office style' section AND IT IS NOT so my mission for the past few weeks is to make it look as cool as I can which is hard considering I've only really had old stock but we are finally getting a lot of intake in for the trend and it is starting to really come together all in time for our sign off next tuesday *gulps*.

RACKING UP

The first thing I have to do in order to re-merch the wall is to obviously strip it which actually takes a bit of time especially with a very large wall which thankfully I didn't really have (still big nevertheless) and while I strip I have to pick one of each product so I have them ready to place my ones. All the ones go on to my trusty silver rail and then I try to create outfits ready to put into the wall and I'm good to go. Usually you can change the arm configuration on the wall but until sign off we have to keep it to how it is in the pack but it did take a while to perfect the layout of this trend so I was happy to not have to deal with that. I also did the floor fixture which you can't see in these pictures. 

PLACING YOUR ONES

So we finally get onto the exciting part.. placing. I start off with the floor fixtures because you need to make them stand out especially as stylist is right at the front of the store so it's even more essential to have something eye catching. In the pack they describe 'key outfits' which we have to try and achieve as best as possible and the day before my manager had racked up very kindly two key outfits for my trend which helped me out. I placed one on the floor fixture and one in the wall then it's all down to me. Topshop are going quite low density when it comes to merchandising so making it look sleek and clean is harder said then done when you have 1000 pieces of clothing on a wall that fits 200 at a push. 

We have started to get in more textures so balancing that across the wall is essential along with pattern. Monochrome sounds super easy to work with but it's actually more difficult than working with colour if I do say so myself but the final outcome is very satisfying to look at. Also with it being at the front of the store I feel so much pressure to make it look as cool and enticing as I can considering I have absolutely no colour to draw you in. You have to think about what things are next to each other and if someone would wear them together. Then you have to balance out trousers and skirts with tops, coats and jumpers making sure a jumper isn't next to another jumper or if there is a top to go with that skirt and blazer. So much to consider but the biggest rule of merchandising is to not over think. Place your ones and then start to fill and if you don't like it then you can move it about after. Obviously only do this if you are happy with the majority of the wall because it will just take 

you a million years to go back and do it all again. 

8 am-FILLING IN AND ADJUSTING 

It really starts to come together when you begin to fill in the wall and you can start to get a real idea of how it will end up looking like and this is where you can start to play around. You can see how much of one product you have and if it really does look right there. It's all about looking and adjusting what you have done to make it even more perfect. This is my favourite part of the whole process because it's very satisfying to see it all come together, see it all fill up and just to see the three large rails of clothes behind you turn into just one. The hard part comes next... 

FRAGMENTATION 

Once you have placed your wall and floor fixtures you have to then try and hide all of your frag and in our store WE HAVE A LOT. There are definitely trends that have so much frag your brain becomes frazzled after two minutes so luckily for me there wasn't that much however I have a smaller wall and a lot of product so that is where the issue comes in but alas I did it and only complained like 5 times. 

9am- OUT POSTING AND FINISHING OFF

I actually managed to forget to take photos of the final walls BUT I'll still run you through what happens at 9 when the store opens and you should be pretty much done with all the filling in. Most of the time I'm still feeding in frag but after that I have to do the accessorising or as we call it 'out posting'. The shelves and the racking on the wall needed a refresh and so that is what I did. I ended up changing one of the shoes on the shelf as the boots had sold out, took the shoes off the racking on the wall and replaced them with three prongs across and two down instead of the four across and two done which neatened it up, Put a fashion waist belt (have no idea what they are called) on the racking along with a new bag and finally put some prongs on the t-arms with bags on throughout the trend. We also went on to add an accessory tree on the table next to the floor fixture to add some nice silver freedom pieces on. 

So that is how I re-merch a wall and as you can see a lot of thinking, effort and time goes in to this but also I have time limits and guidelines to follow. After this I had to do a thousand other jobs (I know cry me a river) and when I got home I was ready for my loving bed. I'm actually really happy with how this came out because we have struggled for a couple of weeks with this trend and I feel like it really is getting there. I got some very positive feedback from it which makes all the hard work worth it even when the coffee hasn't kicked in and I'm ready to take a nap on the shop floor. 

So from me to you MY JOB IS SO COOL. Have a lovely day. 

Soph x