Attire for LFW Day 1...

London Fashion Week has swiftly crept upon us & it's time to put your glad rags on and take a classic #ootd photo...

Hat - Topshop | Leather Jacket - Whistles | Jumper - Topshop | Trousers - Warehouse | 

Shoes - Mango | Necklace - & Other Stories | Bag - Mulberry

I tend to always pick up clothes that are pretty dark and most often or not, black. As far as I'm concerned until they invent a colour darker - I will continue to wear it. It has/will never go out of style and I can't seem to find anything that doesn't go with it . You may see this as a boring, safe option but I am a firm believer of black is best. Instagram helped reinforce this argument with a photo I spotted with this quote...

"Women who wear black live colourful lives."

If its been said on Instagram then it's definitely good enough for me. 

Anyway, after all that 'Team Black' talk... I thought I would contradict myself by adding a splash of colour to my outfit, just to mess with everyone's head. I love a good old printed/illustration which is probably why I quickly snapped up this green jumper.

What do you think? On a scale of one to black; how black are the items in your wardrobe?

OOTD

Coat - Marks and Spencer | Jumper - Zara | Trousers - H&M | 

Necklace - H&M | Handbag - Mulberry | Shoes - Zara 

After I stumbled across this gem of a wall in Rotterdam, I just couldn't help myself but take some photos in front of it and I thought I'd share them in a post. 

Also I thought this post would be a great time to mention my amazing shearling jacket that I surprisingly picked up from Marks and Spencer's Limited Edition collection which looks very similar to an Acne jacket I've been lusting over.

Has anyone else spotted this gem in Rotterdam? It's not far from Centraal Station if anyone is visiting soon.

The Netherlands

This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting The Netherlands for a long weekend. I flew into Amsterdam and spent my first day there, then visited Rotterdam on the Sunday and The Hague on Monday before returning home on Tuesday. When I'm exploring I like to keep a visual diary - here is a little peak at some of the photos I took ...

___________________

Amsterdam

Amsterdam by day

Koko Coffee & Design (e.g. my favourite past times rolled into one. Drink coffee and shop for beautifully designed clothes)

Amsterdam by night

___________________

Rotterdam

Rotterdam Bridge

Rotterdam Centraal Station

Markthal Rotterdam 

___________________

The Hague

de Bijenkorf The Hague

Bicycle parking @ Centraal Station

___________________

self-portrait

Ever since I first stumbled across the brand's Instagram page I have been lusting over every piece from self-portrait's seasonal collections. I finally plucked up the courage and purchased my first dress from the brand and there has been no going back since. I am that besotted I have actually gone to the extremities of dedicating a whole post to the dress I bought and their new Spring/Summer '15 collection (which I have defiantly been having a good old perv over!)

I actually wore my dress out for New Year's Eve when I was visiting Rome. It is a really dressy dress with gorgeous intricate detailing which I find really makes it unique compared to many other NYE dresses. I love the leather collar detail and the sheer panelling which gives it the sexy yet sophisticated look. I am far too awkward to pull off the 'sexy look' all by itself.

This black dress was perfect for a classic NYE outfit and I teamed it with a small black clutch, tights and black heeled boots for some added warmth to help me deal with the arctic weather conditions I was struck with in Rome.

Dress - self-portrait | Clutch - Whistles | Boots - Office

Another self-portrait dress definitely cannot be justified but has that ever stopped me before - no. So, in case I feel the need to purchase another one (obviously because I need one for each season) then here are my top three picks from their new Spring/Summer '15 collection which is available to pre-order now. Prepare to dribble...

                        

Lace Shirt Dress | Lili Dress | Patchwork Lace Dress

A little tip: it pays to follow brands on Instagram because I purchased my dress in a flash sale they were having and I found out via their IG account. 

What items are you lusting over? Do you know of any similar brands - I'd love to hear about them?

ROMA TAKE TWO

Compared to the last, this post is a little less meaty in terms of content. I've decided to label the post with the classic yet cheesy title of 'short but sweet.'

If you didn't grasp it from my last post, I would definitely advise visiting Rome. For example, how could you not want to wake up to this bliss view in the morning...

____

Coat - H&M | Scarf - Urban Outfitters | Leather Leggings - Uniqlo | Shoes - Nike Roshe Run 

| Hair Cuff - & Other Stories | Handbag - Mulberry | Sunglasses - Ray-Ban

Rome is a perfect location to snap some street style photographs. As you can see I clearly took full advantage of this. 

So, have any of you been to Rome? Comment below with your thoughts on the city. If not, have my past two posts convinced you to visit? Let me know.

ROMA

So, this is my first blog post on Melrose & Me and lucky for you I'm not going to make a big deal about it as I know I'm not the only one out there doing this 'blogging' thing and no my blog doesn't have a major USP -  it's just my own little space to jot things down about what's been happening in my life.

With my first and middle names being 'Melissa Rosa' I found the name Melrose come to mind quite quickly. This blog allows me to let my imagination run wild and speak out to the blogging world under the nickname "Melrose" - my second self/alter ego.  Then "Me" is purely the representation of the real me that is out there in the real world exploring what's out there.

I guess if you like the sound of my posts then *welcome* and please subscribe- it would be lovely to have you! However if you're not too keen don't worry, I'm pretty sure there are plenty more fish in the sea.

ROMA

This New Year I decided to take a little trip to Rome to celebrate the end of 2014 and to welcome the new year in a different way in some different surroundings. Well, last year I was in Sydney watching the fireworks over the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge so I guess anything was going to be a little bit of an anti-climax after that. Despite this, Rome was soo good and I had so much fun this NYE.

It's not the first time I've been to Italy and not the first time I've been to Rome but I definitely experienced new things and ate new amounts of pizza. There is a reason why Rome keeps drawing me back and hopefully if you get the chance to visit then I think you'll understand the pull. The gorgeous cobbled streets complimented by the insanely good  stench of fresh coffee is just something you can't say no to. Oh, and I guess the major landmarks like the Colosseum, St Peters Square and the Pantheon are alright as well.

Over the course of the five days I was in Rome I thought I was best to follow the saying "When in Rome... Do what the Romans do."  So, of course I had to consume my body weight in pizza, coffee, fresh cakes and wine. My excuse afterwards was the classic "they told me to." Aside from the eating and drinking I also explored the city by foot, visited some sights and watched the fireworks from the Spanish Steps on NYE. One of my favourite ways to embrace myself in a culture is to find myself a  little coffee shop down a side street of a quirky neighbourhood and watch the locals pass by. Yes, people watching is a hobby of mine.

Check out a few of my photos from my trip that weren't your typical touristy scenes.

Note: Another post about Rome will follow shortly keep your eyes peeled.