A Culchie Goes To: Amsterdam

Well well well it’s been a while. I’m not going to offer any excuses because frankly I have no excuse, I just haven’t felt like writing any blog posts. However, my latest trip to Amsterdam has encouraged me to return to the world of blogging. So here we go.

We arrived Sunday afternoon and quickly made our way to the hostel we were staying. A hostel! (Yes i know) I can already imagine your exclamations. However to my complete surprise the hostel was fabulous for the price we paid. We stayed in the stayokay hostel in Zeeburg, which is around 10 minutes away by tram to Amsterdam central and less than 15 minutes to Dam square. The hostel location was brilliant.

One of my biggest problems before going on my trip was packing! I really don’t seem to understand how to pack lightly. So for this trip I challenged myself and surprisingly I achieved it. I planned all my outfits in advance and this ensured I had less clothes to keep track of or cluttering up my suitcase.

Amsterdam was freezing but what’s beauty without a little pain! On our first day I wore a pair of navy culottes and a flower patterned silk shirt which added a bit of life to my otherwise plain outfit.

The next day I decided to defy the weather and wear a skirt and of course the weather was even worse than the previous day. At least I looked fab before I became drenched by the rain.The beret I wore pulled the whole outfit together and turned my minimalist outfit into modern Parisian chic. I’m not a huge fan of accessories but I’ve recently started loving hats and I’m looking forward to adding more to my collection.

For the last day, I decided to be a bit more prepared for the weather (well my version of being prepared for the weather). Plaid was very in this winter and I decided to have a go at the trend. I paired these plaid culottes with a white off the shoulder blouse. Sadly you can’t really see the beauty of the blouse because it’s was raining and although I don’t mind braving a bit of the cold, I wasn’t really interested in catching pneumonia.

 Even though the weather in Amsterdam was less than ideal. I wore two wrap dresses during my trip. Wrap dresses are one of my travelling essentials because they take up barely any space in your suitcase! Also you can easily dress them up by slipping on some heels and a pair diamond earrings or down by teaming them with your favorite chucks and a denim jacket. I wore mine with wool tights and fishnets when I was feeling a bit adventurous. I also added a bit of glam by wearing my trusty faux fur coat and a pair of knee high boots. I am truly of the belief that faux fur can turn even the most mud loving hillbilly into a city girl dashing out for cocktails with the girls. If you don’t have at least one faux fur coat, I suggest you go out and buy one (or many) while the winter sales are still going on as shops try to clear out the winter stock for spring.

Amsterdam is known for its beautiful canals and I wasn’t let down. The canals are the perfect background for selfies or group photos. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to do a canal cruise but at least that gives me an actual reason to return to Amsterdam besides just loving the city.

I also had the opportunity to go to the Ice Bar. When I say it’s cold believe me it’s cold! I could barely stay our full allocated time. One little tip try to take your selfies as quick as possible unless you want your fingers to fall off with frost bite! As part of the ticket you also get three drinks which helps a small bit to warm you up or make you a bit too drunk to not care that your eyelashes are turning into icicles.

While in Amsterdam also take the time to go to a market. Markets are the best places to see Dutch culture at its finest and get the best deals. I got some really nice souvenirs for half the price of what they were being sold in the city. Markets are also a good place to try some Dutch delicacies. I’m pretty sure I had the best waffle in the world while I was at a market and I’ll surely return for that reason alone.

Visiting the Anne Frank House was perhaps the most memorable part of the trip. As you walk through a reconstructed version of the house Anne Frank lived for two years while in hiding, her story will both inspire you and make your cry as you hear the hopes and dreams of a young girl whose life was shortened by a force that sought to oppress her just because of her faith. Whether your an atheist or a staunch believer, Black or white or any race, Anne Frank’s story will touch a part of you that you never knew existed or hoped to hide.

That's all for now, hopefully I'll be back soon! Don't forget to show some love on my Instagram @culchiecouture
Aisha xx

Outfit 1
Culottes - Penneys
Blouse - Zara

Outfit 2
Skirt - Topshop
Halter neck - H & M
Beret - H & M
Boots - Public Desire

Outfit 3 
Culottes - New Look
Blouse - Zara 
Coat - Zara 

Wrap Dresses - Penneys

Sweet Summer

Guess who's back! For good this time (I hope). The LC just completely took over my life and I had no time to blog but the LC is over and I'm ready to start blogging again. I won't try and make any promises I can't keep but I'll hopefully be posting at least once a week! 

This co-ordinate is from zaful. I've seen their adverts on Instagram and I said I'd give them a try. Their clothes seem to be good quality for their price. Their clothes are on the cheap side which is great if your looking for a new outfit but don't have much money to spend. So expect to see a lot more of them on my blog. Their only downfall is their delivery time, It took over two weeks for my clothes to come.

I love co-ords because you can mix and match them. Ensuring that you get more outfits for your buck! 

What's so bad about Nature?

As a teenager you probably spend all your summer indoors or on your phone but what's so bad about going outside? Is it the bugs,the fresh air or the people. I'm a person who enjoys the comfort of staying inside, there's food, there's wifi plus it's warm, what else could a girl want but sometimes I get an urge to release my deeply buried inner adventurer and I encourage you to the same.

Go outside! even if it's for at least 10 minutes. Or invite a friend and make a trip out if it. If your as lucky as I am to live within reasonable distance of forests and lush greenlands, use it. Take advantage of it and don't let it go to waste, you may not always be so lucky.

If you have an open mind you'll find yourself enjoying it more than you thought you would and you might just find yourself going again. 

Studies show that by going outside and embracing nature, our stress levels fall and our attention spans are improved. If this doesn't have you jumping to go outside, do it simply for the cute pictures you can upload to Instagram.

Cycle, walk or crawl! Use whatever method you prefer. It doesn't matter as long as it gets you off your phone and into nature! Plus a little shoutout to my best friend Lauren who was gracious enough to take these magnificent pictures of me!!

Thanks for reading, Aisha xx

Back To Black

The popular saying goes "Don't wear black in the sun" but I've never been a girl who follows the rules. Black is such a wonderful colour and I don't see why it should be blacklisted to only the colder months. I've never been a big fan of summer and maybe that's just my inner reclusive talking. I prefer staying in as the rain hits against my window and a hot cup of tea in my hand.

I'm a complainer and I'm not afraid to say it. Even though I love the winter months you'll still see me complaining about the weather and when summer comes you'll see me complaining even more about the heat. To tell the truth there's no pleasing me. Despite this flaw I try my best to keep my monologues to myself as I understand not everyone appreciates my realistic reviews of current phenomenons and my reactions towards those.

 

Well back to my outfit, everyone needs a simple black dress. Black dresses are just classic and this turtle neck adds a touch of class. I changed up my usual sandals by swapping the straps with a pair of shoelaces. This is a cheap way of getting in on that lace up trend without having to purchase a new pair of sandals. I'm sorry for the lack of accessories but I'm just not a jewellery kind a gal. 

Dress - T.K Maxx

Sandals - New Look

Till next time my lovelies x 

It's Actually Summer in Ireland?

Ireland has actually been experiencing summer this year but I don't want to hold my hopes too high just in case it starts raining tomorrow. This outfit it taking full advantage of the great weather without showing too much skin.

Everyone's in a rush during summer time to go chill at the beach or have a peruse around town so your wardrobe needs to be filled with comfortable and versatile clothing. Clothing that needs to be easy to take off and allows your skin to breathe.

I took advice from my previous post and paired these striped palazzo pants with a simple white off the shoulder crop top. It was simple and light exactly what summer embodies. 

If your a bit more conservative swap the crop top for a baggy t-shirt and just tuck it in. It will look even more carelessly fashionable, a look loved by Parisians.

Sorry this is late, I've been busy procrastinating study for two weeks but summer has arrived and I'll hopefully be able to post at least once a week. 

Pants - Penneys 

Sandals - New Look

Crop Top - Penneys 

Stripes In Spring

Stripes are apparently the latest come back trend but to be honest when did they go out of style. Stripes are timeless and style them correctly and they'll take pounds of your figure.

This season the bolder the stripes the better, there's horizontal, vertical and asymmetrical too. I know we all love our regular black and white but a little colour never hurt nobody.

Here are some of my favourite striped pieces this Spring.

Everyone needs a pair of statement pants so why not kill two birds with one stone and get your stripe fix aswell. Pair them with a black off the shoulder crop top, a black fedora and your ready to go. If your looking for a more off the duty look, style them with a plain oversized t-shirt and black Birkenstocks. 

No. 3 & 4 are very similar in style but I just couldn't decide which one I liked best. What I love both about these is that they have a very summery vibe. It's best to stick with black and white with pieces similar to this. Gladiator heels are perfect for those Coachella vibes and even if it's still raining where you live ( like here ) you'll look fabulous while marching through the mud!

The contrasting colours on this piece are very eye catching and this piece even incorporates the lace up trend that was loved last season. Since there's already a lot of colour on this, keep it minimalistic. This romper is lovely for a night out, style it with some white stilettos, and white fluffy clutch.

I hope I gave you enough advice on how to style stripes this season and dot forget to suscribe to get updates on when I post! 

Piece 1 - Topshop
Piece 2 - Missguided
Piece 3 - Missguided
Piece 4 - Missguided 

OOTD

OOTD by culchiecween featuring black booties

The Row turtleneck sweater
€1.235 - net-a-porter.com

Jakke faux fur vest
€77 - lambertsyard.com

Topshop high waisted legging
€36 - topshop.com

ASOS black booties
€31 - asos.com

Moschino shoulder bag
dress-on.it

Michael Kors gold hoop earrings
€30 - 6pm.com

Dorothy Perkins silver ring
€8,74 - dorothyperkins.com

It Can't Be Spring Yet?

It seems Ireland hasn't got the memo it's Spring time because it's still a bit chilly here. I decided to pair my new long gilet with my white wool halter neck. You can never go wrong with white on white!

Gilets are an absolute essential, they honestly never go out of style. You can get them in so many different styles and colours. Small knitted ones are cute for summer and spring or you can get a large black one that you can pair with everything for winter.

 Since I have a small hatred for jeans and I only wear them when I absolutely have to I paired this white combo with the comfortable black pants.As you can probably tell I was in a very minimalist mood but if you want to add some colour to this outfit. I'd suggest swapping the white turtle neck for red sweater or a long sleeved pastel t-shirt.

Gilet - Forever 21
Turtleneck - Penney's/Primark
Shoes - Penneys