Mimi's Dream Outfit of the Month!

I'm really trying to reduce the amount of clothing in my wardrobe and only buy staples pieces when and if necessary. SO, I've decided to make monthly outfit collages! I thought it will be an easy/cool way of seeing what I would like to buy and help me envision how I would style certain.

I'm trying to dress more mature and with autumn beckoning (my fave season), it is time to tone down the colourful clothes and bring out those neutrals!

Here is my DREAM outfit of the month:

1. KHAKI DUSTER COAT // Duster coats have been the craze recently and will continue be throughout the autumn/winter season. It gives an androgynous look to any outfit and gives a casual outfit a touch of edge. I cannot wait to get my hands on one. As a 5ft8 female, I hope I find one long enough! The one I had my eye on for a little while is from Never Fully Dressed.
2. DANIEL WELLINGTON WATCH // I have been wanting one of these watches for as long as I can remember! They are so classic and timeless. Also extremely British! Unfortunately, I cannot afford one so I might just have to get a quirkier dupe from Urban Outfitters for the meantime. It will be mine soon though. Click here and check out the Daniel Wellington website and find your perfect DW watch!
3. DR MARTENS ADRIAN SHOES // The love I have for these shoes is indescribable! I recently got a job at Jack Wills and the style of clothing is extremely preppy and youthful. I've been trying to find a perfect pair of shoes that still has an element of my quirky style while in keeping with the preppy vibe. These were those. They are extremely expensive however as they retail at around £105. Definitely out of my price range at the moment but there are dupes! Zara are doing a similar one right now which retails at a comfortable £29.99! Might have to get those instead. Click here for the Dr Martens Adrian shoes!

If I had to style these three items, I would pair it with a 90s style crop top, a pair of high waisted black skinnies and a slouchy hobo bag!

Hope you all enjoyed this post! These are the three things are on my wishlist, what three things are on yours?

Mimi x



"I wear a lot of black"

HEY GUYS!

Long time, no see! I took some time out of blogging to focus on working and getting settled into my new home but now that is all of out the way, I decided to film a little video for you all!

As I said in my "Summer Edit" video, I wear a lot of black clothing so do not expect anything bright and colourful in this video (sorry!!)

Hope ya'll enjoy

Mimi x

Mimi's Summer Edit

With the summer sun gracing the British skies, I thought it was extremely convenient to show you all the things I am loving this season.

Check out the new video below which is showing you all the clothing items I've been going crazy for this summer.

I thought I should include a little something extra for the blogpost… you’re welcome!

I am an epic music lover. Recently, I’ve been into indie pop and neo-soul music. I have discovered the most amazing app on my iPad and it’s called IndieShuffle. I have discovered some amazing music through this app so if you an iPhone user or own an iPad, you should definitely check it out!

So here it is, the surprise! My summer tunes :D

M I M I ' S  S U M M E R  P L A Y L I S T

Moses Sumney – Plastic

This soulful song literally sends me to a place of peace and tranquillity. This was the soundtrack for my last video! Sumney’s voice is so raspy and effortless, it makes the song even more perfect. A stripped back song with just his voice, a guitar and a little bit of reverb, this song is just the epitome of soulful perfection.

Wildcat! Wildcat! – Garden Grays

For some reason, the opening of this song reminded me of The Boy is Mine by Brandy and Monica – one of the main reasons I was sucked in! Other than that, this song makes me feel so happy. I love listening to this whilst wandering through the busy streets of London. I forget about everything around me and feel an overwhelming sense of “chill”.

Foster the People - Best Friend

I LOVE THIS SONG! Whenever this comes on at work, it gives me hope that day can actually be great! It is such a feel good song. I have to admit, it has started an obsession with Foster the People.

 Little Daylight – Overdose

This is my JAM! I always bob my head whenever the shuffle on my phone brings it to my attention. The female vocal fits in so perfectly with this song. It makes me feel the same way Garden Grays does.

Carousel –Stay Awake

This is my “if only I was in love” song. This song is the cutest song EVER! I’m so grateful to IndieShuffle for introducing me to this awesome song. Just listen to the lyrics. For some reason, even though it is a love song, it isn’t cringey at all! Make relationships seem pretty cool, WHO KNEW!

Childish Gambino ft. Jhene Aiko – Pink Toes

I have an unhealthy obsession with Childish Gambino. This song never ceases to blow my mind. Perfect summer jam! I can imagine this blasting at a chilled BBQ with plenty of alcoholic beverages (hehe who doesn't love a cheeky cider). Just listen. You’ll be amazed!

Hope ya’ll enjoyed the post! Speak soon,

Mimi x

Get ready with Mimi

I love London. The architecture, the culture, the people… It never ceases to blow my mind. As someone that does not live in London, even though it is in my country, it feels like nice little getaway.

Recently, I paid a visit to one of my favourite places in London call Brick Lane. A quirky little area with amazing vintage items on sale all the time. I had coffee and carrot cake at one of my favourite vintage stores ever Blitz, had a photobooth sesh in the infamous store Rough Trade and took pictures in front of AMAZING graffiti.

I decided to film a little "Get Ready With Me" to give you a little snippet into my morning routine. It is not entirely detailed though and well filmed but that’s fine, right?

Hope you all enjoy!!

Mimi x

OOTD | When the circus came to town

So, finding something fashionable to blog about is becoming a little difficult these days so I've decided to post outfit of the days when creativity escapes me. At least a post is up, right?

This is an outfit I wore on a cheeky day out with my mother. My mum loves an effortless yet edgy look so I used that as inspiration for this outfit. I took simple pieces such as the halter neck style crop top and my New Balance trainers and paired them with some statement trousers from Zara. I chucked over a plain black kimono just to add to that effortless look and keep the simplicity.

Details:

Kimono - Select
Crop top - Miss Selfridge
Trousers - Zara
Trainers - New Balance
Bag - Monki

Mimi x

MindBodyMode meets: JOY MUMFORD

Guys, I have come to the conclusion that I am an epic “fangirl”. For those of you that do not know what a fangirl is, here is a quick definition from my never-failing companion, Urban Dictionary:

FANGIRL: A female who has overstepped the line between a healthy fandom and an indecent obsession.

Okay, maybe not to that extent but I am obsessed with my YouTube and blogging loves! I always crave the opportunity to meet them and I finally did!

So, I went to Nottingham for a few days and had the amazing opportunity to meet one of my favourite YouTubers, Joy Mumford. Joy is a 21 year old singer/songwriter from Nottingham with an amazing blog and YouTube channel. With her beautiful EP called “Cake and Tea”, Joy’s music brings so much joy and serenity to those listening. Her voice is pure and rich and her songwriting ability is to be praised – not many songwriters can suck you in and make you feel as if you can relate to them. With a songwriting ability and voice comparable to people like Lianne La Havas, Corinne Bailey and Gabrielle Aplin, Joy Mumford has managed to raise a fanbase which is well deserved.

Joy is one of the loveliest people I have met to date. She showed my friend and I around the quirky parts of Nottingham and we had a cheeky day filled with window shopping and lovely conversation. Obsessing over YouTube and blogs, I found that the YouTube community brings people together which is an amazing aspect of it. Hopefully, I can meet her again and show her around Norwich.

Check out her links to keep up to date with what she is getting up to.

Joy's links:

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealMissMumford

Blog - http://www.lullabiesandcandy.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JoyMumfordMusic?ref=br_tf

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/joooyyy

Download her EP "Cake and Tea" here - https://joymumfordmusic.bandcamp.com/
Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/joy-mumford
Instagram - http://instagram.com/joymumfs

Click her to watch my interview with Joy!

Until next time,

Mimi x

Get Spring/Summer Ready!

With spring coming to an end and summer quickly approaching, it is time for change. There are changes all around; a change of weather, a change of attitude, a change of mood and a change of fashion trends. It’s time to start thinking about what new things will come with this new season.

It is time to detach yourself from those suffocating layers of knitwear and let those legs free! It’s time to ditch the dull colours and muted prints and showcase the brightest of colours and boldest of patterns! It’s time to be daring and free.

My dear friend Amalie (check out her blog) and I put together a few of our favourite spring and summer looks for you! Hope you enjoy!

(Watch to the end - the bloopers are amazing!) 

Mimi x

We went to a vintage fair!

Every couple of months in the beautiful city of Norwich, Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair comes to town. Becca, Myles and I decided to take a trip down to this vintage fair to check it out and we were not disappointed. With a lovely variety of yummy cakes, scones and tea provided by Biddy’s Tea Room, an opportunity to get an old school makeover courtesy of Flamingo Amy Beauty and racks and racks of amazing items up for grabs, it was definitely an opportunity that was hard to ignore.

Vintage fashion has made a huge comeback in recent years. The idea of wearing worn clothing with a bit of character seems to appeal to most people. With celebrities like Kate Moss and Dita von Teese rocking the vintage look, it was bound to explode onto the scene. Vintage clothing plays a huge role in street style and has become more and more accessible. Shops like Beyond Retro, Revolva and Rokit have online stores allowing people purchase vintage clothing regardless of where they live! So it comes as no surprise as to why the trend is so popular.

Now I know for a fact that vintage clothing is not everyone’s cup of tea however there is something about it that just intrigues me. On most occasions, it is hard to find the same item twice so finding something that compliments your style is always a great thing. I also find that the quality of the vintage clothing I purchase is amazing for the price and something about owning items with a story behind them brings a little joy to my heart.

In order to show you what was purchased at this amazing fair, a haul video was filmed! Unfortunately, our beautiful lifestyle writer Becca did not buy anything at the fair so was not in the video. For all of you that are itching to see what Myles and I bought, check out the video below:

Mimi x

"Out with the old, in with the new"

Everyone gets to a stage in their lives where their days become boring, repetitive and monotonous. More often than not, people wait for a significant event to occur in order to make life more exciting. It is all well and good if this happens but in most cases, it doesn’t. It is often best to take the plunge and make the change yourself.

My friend/blogger Mariam and I have decided to embark on a journey together. I call it “The Journey to Prestigeville”.

Let me explain.

Recently, Mariam and I have been in a bit of a rut. We have been experiencing something along the lines of a midlife crisis. We have both been extremely uninspired and demotivated - Mariam has been unable to write her beloved poetry and I have not written a song or performed in ages. We have both been dealing with this issue in different ways - Mariam has chosen to vent her issues to me at 4am whilst I have decided to become a hermit and not leave my bedroom for 7 days straight (no lie).

We have decided to stop moping around and take charge our lives! We hope that by working on different aspects of our lives, it will help tweak our mindsets a little bit. One of the things we will be working on – my personal favourite – will be a total wardrobe revamp! So, for all of those considering having a total style makeover also, here are some tips:

FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO CHANGE // My main aim is to make sure I am not stuck on what to wear when I look at my wardrobe in the morning. I want to maximise the amount of outfit combinations I could have without adding a crazy amount of new clothes to my already crazy collection. Also, I tend to wear a lot of black and grey clothing so I want to become a little bit braver with colour and prints. Pinpoint your goals and work towards them.

KNOW YOUR LIMITS // As much as I want a change, I want to make sure that I am not forcing myself to wear anything I would not be happy flaunting. The main aim is to be happy and comfortable so be sure to work around your comfort zone

INSPIRATION // I love getting inspiration from a whole variety of places. One of my favourite sources of inspiration is music. I have always loved artists like Lianne La Havas, Corinne Bailey Rae, Solange, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys… I could go on for days. From these artists, I get a whole Afrocentric

vibe which I adore. I imagine outfits being very vintage, very print based, very summery and very on trend. I tend to also run to Tumblr for a lot of inspiration. I save a whole load of pictures and from there, I piece together what I love and what I can imagine myself wearing. Blogs help a lot as well – I love blogs such as London’s Closet, Lullabies and Candy, BeautyCrush, Shirley’s Wardrobe and In My Sunday Best.

Source: Tumblr.com

HAVE A CLEAR OUT // One thing I mentioned in a previous post about my unhealthy shopping addiction is that I want to stop spending an excessive amount of money on clothes. So one thing I plan on doing in order to “recycle money” is sell some of my unwanted clothes on eBay and then use that money to revamp my wardrobe. This is a good way to get some extra money for this project without cutting deeper into funds I do not have.

INVEST IN BASICS // There are things that every girl needs in their wardrobe! Keep an eye out for my post next week where I will show all the items I consider to be basics.

BE BRAVE AND HAVE FUN // Change is never a bad thing however people are still afraid of it. There is a fear of what other people will think and that, my friends, should be the least of your worries. If revamping your style is what will make you happy, DO IT! Ignore the haters.

DISCLAIMER: There is not an actual place called "Prestigeville". It is a metaphorical place at the end of a metaphorical journey. Click here to check out my friend Mariam’s post to understand what I mean by “The Journey to Prestigeville”!

Speak soon chums,

Mimi x

A student who LOVES glasses!

So, this is my first stab at the Fashion section…here I go!

I have bad eyesight, one of my eyes is worse than the other. It kicked in when I was about 13 years old maybe because I (for some very odd reason) liked to shine torches in my eyes. I was a very ODD child. Then, after having an eye exam I was told that I was going to need glasses, and you can imagine at this age I thought that the world was crashing down. I thought that having glasses would automatically put me in the category of ‘nerd/geek/weirdo’, but who knew it would turn into a fashion statement by the time I reached 17. Okay, that’s the end of reliving my childhood.

What inspired this post was that I noticed a lot of university students have prescriptions, yet they do not wear their glasses. One person who I spoke to said that they didn’t feel like they suited glasses, but neither did I when I had them…and now I can’t live without mine.

For many students, to buy the next pair of glasses that are in fashion at the time can be SUPER expensive, and we all know that once that student loan drops in it goes to rent, food and bills. So, I completely understand that buying new glasses isn’t always the best thing to do when faced with the looming overdraft. However, the thing about glasses are that they can frame your face in a way that no other accessory can, be it a chain or necklace. Coming to the conclusion of picking the right glasses at not so much of an expensive price is always the hardest thing to do. What I’m going to do is focus on the picking the right type of glasses first.

 Sometimes, you can make the wrong choice when it comes to picking the right type of glasses. So, here are my Dos and Don’ts when picking the right glasses for you:

1)  Don’t jump on the Trend Train 

Sometimes glasses on one person may not suit you, so don’t shed your entire loan on glasses that are fashionable but don’t suit you. Establish your style first!

2)   Shape of frame 

There are a tonne of frames that have different shapes. If you have quite a sharp profile and blocky head shape, go for a rounder frame to balance out your face. Vice versa if you have a rounder face, try a rectangular frame.

3)  THICK FRAMES 

Since the return of the Wayfarer, everyone tries to buy either Ray Bans or those with a similar thick rimmed frame. Problem with this is, you can end up looking like a cartoon character, so start off with a thinner frame and establish where you stand.

4)  Eyebrows 

I think this just may be me, but if your lens go above your eyebrows, then maybe you could try to get smaller frames. No one wants to miss out on their eyebrows.

You may all completely disagree with me but that’s not entirely a bad thing, GO FORTH FRIENDS AND EXPERIMENT IN THE GLASSES WORLD. It is Fashion of course.

Now on to my second part; like me, we all know that most students are incredibly poor, so here’s my little gift to you.  There is a website known as SpecSuperstore which I have been a customer of for two years. Their service is amazing, their range is magnificent and they really do know about style. With summer coming closer as well, there is always a want to buy new shades and frames, so here’s the nice bit. SpecSuperstore sells all of these glasses that you’d find on the high street for almost up to 70% off with their sales. Amazing right? Well there’s more; they also give us lowly students 10% discount because we go to university. What better incentive to go and buy new glasses from them? Some people may have reservations with buying glasses online, but there is no need with SpecSuperstore.

They personally create the glasses, like at the opticians up the road, with your prescription and give you a guarantee on most of the products they sell. Being the silly man that I am, I ordered the wrong size for my glasses and they were more than happy to change them. It took a little time, but of course it would. SpecSuperstore is a great place to shop for the new glasses/sunglasses, but be weary and keep my Dos and Don’ts in mind.

That’s all from me folks, happy glasses shopping. Here’s the link to the Website:

http://www.specsuperstore.com/

From your newly fashion-orientated broski,

Myles

"I have a shopping addiction."

FACT! I am so obsessed with indulging in an act that provides me so much pleasure and fulfilment with a sprinkle of guilt on the side. As a university student, I cannot afford to be a “shop-a-holic”! As soon as that student loan enters my ever-so-empty bank account, a sudden urge consumes me. The next thing you know, I am on my own on a bus to town with my mind focused solely on what Topshop may have to offer me this time. This, my friends, is what I call a problem.

As an independent woman, I decided to stage an intervention on myself!

This post marks the start of my new “Fashion on a Budget” series aimed to help university students stay fashionable and gorgeous on a tight budget. I am going to be the test dummy for this. I have (reluctantly) given myself a 5 month probation period which will hopefully eliminate this constant urge to shop. The rules of this 5 month probation period are as follows:

1. I must begin restoring clothes I do not wear through the act of “DIY”.
2. I must not allow my parents or any other generous human being purchase any clothing items for me.
3. I must be philanthropic and donate all the clothes I do not wear to charity.

I know what you must be thinking guys, how will I abstain from such an addictive activity? There is an exception! I am allowed to shop a maximum of three times during this probation period, one of which will be an online shop (I cannot live without ASOS). Do not fret chums, there are rules that I do have to adhere to:

• I am only allowed to shop when I am with Myles and/or Becca. This will ensure that my spending is being monitored. 
• I am only allowed to spend a total of £150 (not £150 per shopping trip, £150 collectively. Trust me, this will be hard for me)

In order to begin my process, I need to observe myself and try and pinpoint my personal style. This will help me understand what I do and do not need to spend money on and what I do and do not wear regularly. As I am person who does love to go above and beyond, I have captured the observations made and put them into a little video for you all (SURPRISE!!).

Hope you enjoy!

Love Mimi x

And While We Were Here...

As a Media student, one of the best parts of my degree is that I get to analyse all different types of media. This is a perk because it gives me the perfect excuse to laze around in an oversized t-shirt and shorts with my hair up in a bun and simply watch films and eat crap every single night.

Being a person who has to study films, it has almost become natural for me to analyse every single element of it. I notice all the flaws and the points of genius. I attempt to understand why each line is said, why a specific piece of music is being used, why it is set in that specific place and why each character is dressed the way they are.

Recently, I watched a film called And While We Were Here with the beautiful Kate Bosworth. It is essentially about a woman who goes by the name of Jane who travelled to Italy with her husband Leonard where she happens to meet a dashing young fellow named Cabel who brings fun and youthfulness back into her life. I must say that the film is pretty scandalous (SPOILER ALERT: Jane gets a bit comfy with little Caleb, *wink wink*).  Let me be honest with you all! This film is not one to scream and shout about HOWEVER one thing that is definitely worth mentioning is the FASHION.

I have always been a fan of European fashion. Every outfit worn by Kate Bosworth was the epitome of classic European chic.

 Set in the beautiful country that is Italy, the outfits Kate Bosworth wears compliment the very tranquil and serene atmosphere. Neutral colours, the contrast of tailored items and loose items, the blouses, the chinos – absolutely flawless.

One thing I cannot ignore is how BEAUTIFUL Kate Bosworth. Her perfectly symmetrical face and chiselled bone structure is one that is envied by many. Her makeup is so minimal that, to many, it would seem as if she is bare faced. A flawless base, nude lips, emphasis on the brows - effortless. She has her hair tied back in most scenes drawing attention to her amazing bone structure whilst creating such an elegant yet effortless look.

It was not only female fashion that caught my beady eye, the male fashion was just as intriguing.

In my opinion, whoever cast both Leonard (Jane’s husband) and Cabel’s (Jane’s new lover) characters is a clever human. Both male characters dressed completely differently! Their looks mirrored their character and provided us with a snippet into their personality.

Leonard (left) is usually suited and booted in this film. He always looks extremely polished with his perfect hair and sharp outfits. The tailored shorts and button up shirt is one of the classic combinations European men where on a casual day out. Caleb’s style (right) is the perfect depiction of the youthful, carefree fashion of today. A plain vest showing off his tattoos, messy hair and a simple necklace that probably has sentimental value – his look is the one sported by most young men these days. 

And While We Were Here wasn't the best of films however it did serve the purpose of making me question certain aspects of life and different interactions. Who knew that one moment could lead to a life being changed and an epiphany being reached? If you ever have an opportunity to do something daring or risky, CEASE THE DAY because it may be too late.

In the words of the great Beyonce, stay FLAWLESS!!

Love Mimi x

INTRODUCING: Mimi!

Welcome to MindBodyMode! A blog created by myself and my two beautiful chums, Myles and Becca. My name is Mimi and I represent the "Mode" from MindBodyMode! I will be writing about all things fashion. So for your regular fashion fix, I’m your girl! From me, you can expect a whole range of posts. From "How I Style" posts to the odd "DIY" post, I've got it covered!

As a writer for my university newspaper, I have been sent around campus on countless occasions on the hunt for people who I believe have great style to photograph them. Through this, I have discovered two things:

1.       I have an extreme fear of talking people I do not know.

2.       Personal style is a beautiful thing.

I believe that style is individual and is a reflection of the person in question. It allows people around you to get a sense of your personality and mood. This is why I will focus less on what I wear and more on what YOU wear! I do not ever want to be the one telling people what to wear instead I want to celebrate and appreciate everyone’s individuality. Let’s just say that, the fashion section of “MindBodyMode” will be very different to many of the fashion blogs floating around.

Although my main focus will be fashion, you see me pop on Myles’ music section and Becca’s lifestyle section once in a blue moon. I have a crazy obsession with music and, funnily enough, that influences a lot of my outfit choices. I bet I am not the only person on the face of this earth that who has put on Beyoncé’s Partition before a night out and ended up wearing one of the most daring outfits in my wardrobe.  Along with music, I will delve into the whole lifestyle side of things. I must admit, I’m not the best cook however I do know a thing or two about restaurants, fitness, and I give pretty good advice (if I do say so myself).

Well I hope you enjoyed this little introductory post. I look forward to the writing!

Lots of love,

Mimi x