Is it spring time yet? By the temperatures outside I would say that not yet. But looking at the calendar it sure seems like this year will be skipping spring altogether and move directly to summer. That’s fine with me since I’m a huge summer fan but those of you how are into layering and love transitional seasons might have a hard time accepting this. So I thought I’ll try to solve that problem with spring on a dress. I say this because this ASOS Salon dress it’s the definition of spring. Everything from fabric, colour, pattern and design scream spring.

Remember how in elementary school we had one class dedicated to each of the seasons? Back then, in my book, each lesson was illustrated with a fairy dress for that season. Well if those lessons still exist today this dress would be the perfect representation of spring.

I bought this dress about a year ago since I became infatuated with while browsing through ASOS.com website. After spending 5 minutes wondering if it’s really wise to buy I dress I was clearly not going to wear that often I gave up thought to myself it’s not going to be a rational decision. Simply put I love it so much that I didn’t care if I was not going to wear it for another few months. I did wear it to a friend’s wedding so no I don’t regret buying it. And, yes, I love the hint of drama suggested by that big bow!

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Photo credit: Natalia Photography

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I have a new approach to updating my wardrobe. I’ve outlined the principles in my head and I plan to stick to them. Whenever I’ll buy something new will have to be according to these principles. The goal? Spend less but get more in return. I encourage you to do the same, instead of buying piles of new items every month stop to think about what kind of basics you want in your wardrobe and then buy only those.

Step 1 is defining the style you like and then stick to that decision. In no time will become your personal brand. I want to look polished all the time, regardless if I’ m casual or more formal. To achieve this I’m replacing the casual jackets with blazers. Blazers are just so versatile, you can wear them with a t-shirt for a casual days or with a shirt for office days.

Step 2 is to set up a colour palette and then buy most of the pieces in those colours. I’m saying most and not all because strong colours are fun and we all want to be fun. My chosen colours are white, nudes, light pink, grey, navy and black.  Endless combination options, plus nothing looks more polished than an all white outfit.

Step 3 grooming makes all the difference. Instead of spending a lot of time daily on hair styling and makeup I’ll redirect my efforts towards procedure that will reduce the time required to get ready. Hair, skin care and a good mani/pedi make all the difference.

So far this strategy has been working great for me. It’s all about being smart and buying less.

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I always felt attracted to the city live. There is something about the energy and vibrancy of big cities that resonates deeply with me. Growing up in a small town I knew I’ll move away right after high school and was so looking forward to that day. And even after several years of living in different cities across Europe I don’t feel tired. While many chose to get away from the city bustle during weekends I never feel the urge to escape it.

My preferred ways to spend the weekends are either out for endless brunches, dinners, movies, concerts or coffee dates or by the beach. Even when I’m travelling I follow the same pattern. Instead of spending my time sight seeing I like to experience the place I’m in through the perspective of a local. I would much rather go to a local cafe outside the tourist route and observe the locals that taking a tour or waiting in line to get in at one of the tourist attractions.

Guess cities are just an endless source of inspiration for me. And that’s true especially when it comes to style. Barcelona is a city of contrast from this point of view. I already wrote about the local fashion scene in one of my previous posts so you must know by now that Barcelona is the LA of Europe. But there is a contrast between the relaxed and casual crowds you’ll see in neighbourhoods like Born or Barcelonetta and the urban and sophisticated ones you’ll see on the streets of Eixample. Thou I live in the very heart of Gottico I often find myself going out of the Boheme city centre to enjoy the urban vibes that Barcelona has to offer. Today’s outfit is what I tend to wear on days like that. It’s also what I feel most comfortable in without sacrificing style. And to be completely honest with you I purposely stay away for that denim uniform everyone seems to wear in the city.

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For the past 7 months since I made Barcelona my home I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible about the local fashion scene. I spend my time observing the locals and their preferred brands, trying to form an opinion about their fashion sense and style. For many Barcelona is the L.A. of Europe and that might be true. The city is bustling with creatives and with it’s laid back vibe, great weather and architecture this parallel comes as no surprise. But this also means pretty much everyone in Barcelona seems to love the casual style. A little too much if you ask me. I’m all for comfort but at the same time I love a polished outfit and sneakers + jeans doesn’t fit in my definition of polished.

I have discovered a different side of the city about a week ago I was invited to attend some of the fashion shows at Barcelona 080 , which is basically Barcelona’s fashion week. With designers like Justicia Ruano,Escorpion and Lola Casademunt it seems that many of the locals do love fashion and expect a lot more from their outfits than just being casual. Attending the shows only open my appetite for discovering more local brands and even more amazing designs.

These photos were not shot at the fashion week but nevertheless they do provide quite a good visual description of the story. They are a departure from a casual outfit by the palm trees and do show a different face of the fashion scene in Barcelona.

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A few weeks ago I received my very first negative comment on my Instagram account. Negative is a nice word I chose to describe an ugly phenomenon that is happening already for so long on the internet.Many pages flooded with advice on how to deal with negative comments on Youtube or Instagram, or the internet in general, has been written but while reading them you always tend to think that won’t happen to you. I can’t complain, my Instagram or blog community is so supportive, and this was just an isolated case, but when it does happen to you for the first time you stop for a moment and think about how you should react.

The fact that some don’t like fashion bloggers has been clear to me from the moment I’ve started this blog. I wrote about the topic already trying to understand why fashion blogging seems to have a bad reputation. What that comment read is irrelevant, but the being written in such an offensive way is what made it relevant. At first I though I should assume it as part of being a blogger. After all, all big bloggers out there had to go through this. A few days later I changed my mind. I was not going to accept this as normality, as being part of blogging. Offending somebody you don’t know on the internet or in real life is never acceptable. And while those words reflect more on who wrote them than on me I have decided to take a stand. So from now on, I won’t scroll past offensive comments anymore. From now on I will defend anyone from cyber bullying and point out that things can be expressed in a constructive way. I’m hoping you’ll choose to do the same and won’t tolerate offensive comments on your profile or anybody’s else for that matter.

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These amazing photos have been shot by Petra Aanderud back in December.

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Most days I consider myself a lucky gal to be living in Barcelona, but even more these past 2 weeks. Winter here is a bliss compared to all the other places I’ve been living in. Except for the 2 days in December when has been raining it’s been sunny and bright every single day. Even when it gets chilli staying inside is simply not an option when it’s so bright outside. Saying so long to short, gloomy and cold winter days.

Since I spent quite a few winters in Munich and Prague I know what a challenge can be to dress warm enough for the weather outside but still stay chic. That’s why I’m writing this post thinking about all of you who don’t want to give up on looking good but still want feel warm and comfortable. Each and everday I aim at looking good without spending too much time on getting ready to leave the house. Time is of utmost importance to all of us, so I like to be practical with my daily outfits. Maybe not something that you would expect to hear from a fashion blogger but it’s the truth. How do I achieve that? Like always the simplest solution is the best. I wear basic pieces, tone on tone, or full looks of the same colour. Lately, I’m obsessing over head to toe white or black outfits, but you know this already from my Instagram posts. I prefer to bring dimension to my outfits by combining different texture or fabrics or wearing a statement piece, like earrings or my pink coat.

So when it comes to staying chic this winter I can only advise you to invest in some basics like wool turtlenecks, denim, boots and a great coat. Don’t forget to bring the right attitude along as many times how you wear an outfit makes all the difference. You’ll get extra points if you take your cute puppy with.

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Now that 2016 is already past the world can breath again relieved. That also means it’s time to get back to work, no more excuses to sleep late, make everyday a cheat day, spend your full month’s income while shopping and to attend a different party each day of the week. Now that the holiday season is kind of over, I feel like I need some time off to recover. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

As this is the first post of 2017 I thought red is the best colour to kick off the new year for Lucy Van Dean. I’m not a big fan of resolutions so I didn’t make any plans, but I’m sure changes will come in the months ahead and that’s only normal as nothing really stays the same for a long time. Everything needs to evolve and my blog or life are no exceptions to that. I wouldn’t have it any other way, change keeps things moving forward and prevents boredness. The only constant is, in fact, the state of constant development, and that’s that most interesting part of life. Change is the place where new experiences are born and without things constantly evolving we would not be able to develop new feelings, experience new sensations, see old things in a new light or rediscover ourselves. So I wish you all a 2017 full of changes!

On a lighter note I leave you with these beautiful photos I shot in Barcelona during December with the talented Petra Aanderud. It’s amazing how mild the winter tends to be in Barcelona. It can still get chilly but at the same time, it can be pleasantly warm in the middle of the winter. So mild that everyone still goes around in their sneakers and sometimes a jacket will do it, no need for layers or winter coats.

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