Salmon Fishing With ten30

I don't know the reasoning behind it, but lately I have found myself missing my bonnie Scotland more and more. It's probably due to the fact that I haven't been home for longer than three days in months, so I'm definitely feeling a sense of loss at the minute. Before I moved to England, I wouldn't exactly say that I was overtly patriotic to Scotland, but I did appreciate its beauty and how great it can be. Nowadays however, I find myself wearing a tartan scarf with outfits more often, and even searching the #Glasgow tag on Instagram just to see what people are doing in the city these days. 

So, it is a combination of homesickness, complete admiration for this brand and the fact that I like to support Scottish designers whenever possible, that I am writing this post.

If you haven't already heard of this brand, then now is your chance to sit up and take notice; created by Alan Moore, winner in the Stoli UK #ORGNL fashion category in 2013, the label prides itself on using quality Scottish fabrics and branding each garment with the "Made In Scotland" label. 

"Specialising in surface textured classic silhouettes, ten30 women’s wear incorporates the city’s unique ethos, with bold prints and intense embroidery making a poignant fashion statement.

Ready to wear collections are proudly 100% made in Scotland using some of the finest Scottish materials, from soft pure new wools to luxuriously rich natural leather.

All ten30 pieces are designed to be wearable, with different materials delivering an eclectic mix of themes and styles for stunning collections."

- www.ten30.co.uk

 Each collection is different from anything you'll have seen from other designers and radiates quality. What inspired me in particular to write this post however, was a piece from the menswear section. The Salmon Coat to be precise.

"The Scottish fishing industry is the life blood of the country. It’s in industry that has a history more colourful than that of Harris Tweed, and a pastime enjoyed by millions. Scotland boasts a wealth of iconic exports, Scottish salmon being one of the major players.

The Salmon coat is inspired by the fishermen, the old fishermen, who wore wool and tweed when out fishing. This coat is as functional as it is aesthetically pleasing; it has to keep people warm. Quilted lining provided extra warmth on the cold mornings out on the boat, and a secret whiskey pocket hides a dram to warm the insides. Waxed cotton lines the huge side pocket vents, providing strength to the pocket as well as a contrast in textures on the coat. A pewter orb button shows that this garment is 100% made in Scotland.

A quote, from Lord John Buchan perfectly sums up the aspirational idea of the coat:

“The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope” - www.ten30.co.uk

Although it is classed as menswear, I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to wear it myself. It is a classic, yet practical piece that is simply stunning to look at. The brand certainly exceeds expectations when it comes to their menswear looks, and then some. 

If you're interested in the coat for yourself, then you can contact ten30 for pricing and more information by visiting their website at www.ten30.co.uk/contact/

You can also check them out on Facebook, Vimeo and Twitter through the link above as well.

Mini Haul: Zara

Mini Haul:

Haven't done a post like this in a while, so I thought I'd share some of my recent purchases this week!

My sister and I decided to take a little trip into The Glasgow Fort (an outdoor shopping centre), initially just to buy some last minute things for the impending arrival of her new baby; As if this would ever just work out this way. I'm a shopaholic and I know it.

After trying on a variety of skinny jeans, leather leggings, jumpers, tshirts and a jumpsuit for good measure, I decided on the top two items. The jumper was in the sale and I just loved how casual and slouchy it felt with the jeans, so I had to get it. The jeans are insanely comfortable - no, really. The denim is really soft, moveable and looks even better now that i've added some rips and distressed marks around the knees. Well, you've got to add a little bit of DIY to make something your own, haven't you? The jeans were £25.99 and the jumper was only £9. I couldn't find the exact one online for the post, but the one featured in the image below is basically the same thing. 

Now, I did say that I tried on a jumpsuit for the sake of it and although I didn't go ahead and buy it, I took a photo just so that I could think about it some more later on. After much deliberation (who am I kidding? It only took me about 10 seconds), I decided to just go ahead and buy it online. It's £39.99, had an elasticated waist which can be positioned higher or lower on the body, depending on the kind of look you're going for. I have a thing for low cut neck lines at the minute, so that was another reason that I loved this little black number. I would say though, that if you spot this jumpsuit on the Zara website, it looks nowhere near as good as it does when you try it on. The image on the website does nothing for me and if I hadn't already seen it in store, I probably would have just scrolled past it and not given it a second thought!

Photo Credit: First image is a collection of images from www.zara.com - last image is my own.