Channelling My Inner Grunge Girl with Simply Be

So, if you follow me on Instagram (@jayleeallsopp), you may have noticed that I’ve stepped up my fashion game these past few months. As my body/appearance confidence has grown, so has my taste in clothes.

I’ve always been an emo girl at heart, yes I had that big sweep-over fringe, Kerrang! covered walls and I even solidified my emo love by getting a Paramore tattoo. Call me sad but it’s a way of life.

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But recently, I’ve really been loving that grungey 90’s look. Partially because 90’s fashion has really made a comeback and partially because I’ve always secretly loved Gwen Stefani’s and Courtney Love’s style.

The thing that always stopped me dressing a little bit wilder was my lack of confidence but since becoming happier with myself and accepting that I’m never going to be a size 8, I’ve grown to love my body and dressing how the hell I like.

I knew that to spice up my wardobe, I needed to add some staple pieces that could be worn time and time again. Simply Be recently reached out to me and we agreed on a few pieces that could do just that.

The first piece I knew I just needed to have in my life was the Crystal Body*. It has the most beautiful detailing and I knew I could wear this over and over.

For this shoot, I paired it with my trusty Dogtooth trousers but I would wear it with a leather skirt, jeans, under a tied up shirt or even with a white band tee underneath.

It fits me PERFECTLY and that’s not even an exaggeration. I’m usually a D in bras but I decided to size down to a C, just to make sure it wasn’t too big and fit pretty snug. The bodysuit has those poppers in the crotch area making it easy to put on and adjust if needed.

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The mesh panelling down the sides and round the back of the bodysuit reveals a little bit of skin which I’m all for at the moment, it is nearly summer after all! Contrasting with the lace detailing, I think this is my dream bodysuit, practical, comfortable and a little bit sexy.

Grunge or not, there is an item of clothing every person needs in their wardrobe and that is a denim jacket. Whether it be fitted, oversized, fleece lined or even cropped, it’s an essential.

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The Bleachwash Oversized Denim Jacket* was a no brainer choice for me; it goes with everything!

Since receiving this, I haven’t taken it off. I wear it to work, at the weekends, over a going out outfit, with jeans, with dresses and even with my jammies (OK no I’m kidding there).

This beauty was something I was keen to add to my ever-growing collection of jackets. I have a ripped, fitted one but I thought it was about time to replace it as it was getting rather tatty.

In true grunge fashion, I’m thinking of adding a few little rips into the back of the jacket and maybe even adding a few iron on patches to it.

I chose a size 12 in the jacket because I’m usually between a 12 and a 14 but the 12 fits wonderfully, just being that tad bit oversized. In winter I’d be able to wear sweatshirts and jumpers under this with no problem of it being tight.

The last thing I just knew I needed was some big, chunky boots. The Black Crock Lace Up Boots* almost look like Doc Martens but they’re a fraction of the price, have zips and are a lot more comfortable for the first few wears.

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One thing I loved about these boots was the Croc print embossed in the faux leather material; it just adds that little bit more.

The THICK soles add a teeny bit of height, 2 inches to be exact, which makes them even comfier; you feel like you’re walking on clouds!

The ease of zips makes them so much quicker to put on too! Once you’ve adjusted the laces to how you like, you can just zip and unzip as you please.

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Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the products I received from Simply Be, the items came quickly and were in mint condition.

Everything fit true to size and there’s no worrying about not fitting boobs, belly or butt into things, they all get in there! I also have wide feet too which is always a pain when wanting new shoes but they fit in the boots with room to spare.

Thanks to Simply Be for sending over some of the coolest clothes I’ve had and a BIG BIG thank you to my bestie Jess (An Ounce Of Grace) for taking some of my favourite photos, EVER.

*These items were gifted to me in exchange for a blog post but that does no way influence my opinion of them. They were all genuinely fabulous!