rose trees never grow in new york city

It is officially my last day at school tomorrow, finally. I have one more exam in the morning, then a whole TEN WEEKS (or thereabouts) off before I start Sixth Form in September. I feel like this summer could be the kind of momentous summer every coming-of-age teen has in books or cheesy 80s movies, as long as I get my head together and do as much as humanly possible with the sudden freedom I'll have. Then again, the idea of spending at least one day in bed just watching films is kind of tempting. I'm sure just one day won't affect me that much, right?
I've even gone to the extremes of buying a whole new journal just to document my daily goings on over the next few months. It is partially to encourage me to draw more (I need some serious art practice) but also because I'm kind of convinced that I'm not going to be this free again - I will have no school, no job, no taxes to pay, no places to be - no constraints whatsoever to stop me from doing literally whatever I want. That sounds pretty reckless and adventurous but in reality I'll probably spend a hell of a lot of time reading old books on my roof. Why not?

I haven't worn red in ages - after buying my yellow coat back in winter, my wardrobe has been mostly oranges, browns and yellows. I do think it is one of the best colours to wear though, and so couldn't resist this skirt from the Motel sale. I love how puffy it is - it looks almost as if it's got netting underneath it, even though it's only made from one layer of fabric. Obviously the floral pattern was perfect for me, as it allowed me to pattern clash to my heart's content.
I wore it with a shirt from Beyond Retro, gold sweater-vest from a carboot, belt from Blitz, socks from Topshop and shoes from Clothes Show.

I bought the belt on a whim two winters ago (when I had just recently started this blog!) but didn't really know what to wear it with. Nowadays I pretty much where it with anything, as I just love the way it clashes. I also loved the whole red-on-red aesthetic, it reminded me a little of my LFW outfit. The locket belonged to my cousin and now has a mini picture of David Bowie inside it (judge me).

I love the silhouette a puffy skirt gives you - it makes your outfit feel special and prom-like, even if you have only put it together quickly. They are also ideal to pair with a belt that really accentuates the high-waist, and brings to mind the shapes of old Miu Miu (S/S 2002) with full gypsy skirts and thick leather belts.

On a slightly separate topic - my school have cancelled our Prom! They told us we had to organise it, but now it turns out we just aren't going to have one at all. I think it's a little unfair, as all of the other years had theirs - but the prospect of summer is just looking too good for me to really worry about it too much.
Hope you have a good weekend!