Making a Statement

I hope you like a good backstory behind an outfit, because that's what you're about to get!

A little while ago, I was contacted by Happiness Boutique, who wanted to know if I'd like to review one of their necklaces. I knew straight away the sort of thing I wanted. I already have delicate pieces and heavier, statement ones, but for a while now I've been noticing a different kind of statement necklace about. Less chunky, more intricate, and absolutely gorgeous when worn with a little black dress with a plunging neckline. I've seen looks like this on TV/social media fairly recently, and they've stuck in my head. In fact, I wanted to wear something similar for my sister's hen party, but I didn't manage to find quite the right dress on time.

As far as the necklace goes, however, I found exactly what I was looking for on Happiness Boutique's website - this little stunner.

It arrived promptly, and I absolutely loved how beautifully and thoughtfully it was packaged.

They even included this little bookmark. I love this Anne Frank quote. Couldn't agree more.

One of the many things I love about blogging is discovering brands I've never heard of before. Sometimes you wonder "who the heck is this contacting me" and sometimes you find an absolute gem, and Happiness Boutique definitely falls into the latter category. The detail of this necklace is exquisite and in my opinion the quality far surpasses the £13.15 price tag. They have a huge selection, and I think it's fairly safe to say that I'll be visiting their site again next time I'm in the market for a nice piece of costume jewellery.

Now all I needed was the perfect dress to pair it with. After quite a bit of searching, I finally found it, and it's probably one of my favourite dresses I've ever owned.

Dress - Goldie, Shoes - Topshop, Necklace - Happiness Boutique, Bag - Zara

Now I'd love to tell you that I found this dress all by myself, but I didn't. And at the risk getting boring by going on about a favourite blogger (Rosie from The Londoner) yet again, I want to give credit where it's due. Have you ever checked out the shop section of Rosie's blog before? Well, if like me you're a fan of her style, you definitely should. There's a lot of gorgeous designer labels to drool over, not to mention dozens of more affordable pieces stocked by the likes of Asos, such as this dress. Asos is a real treasure trove, but it can be overwhelming to browse there due to the sheer quantities of their stock. Rosie's shop seems to take all the hard work out of finding the best pieces, and to let you into a little secret, this wasn't the only dress I bought! Maybe you'll see the other one in another post soon.

This one is fairly "dressy", but I'd definitely wear it for a party or even just a really nice restaurant. (Any excuse to get glammed up!) The fabric is heavy and substantial, which gives it a lovely, luxurious feel. Add the necklace and you've definitely got some wow-factor going on.

Then, of course, there's the fringing, which just makes you want to swish. 

And swish.

And swish a little bit more.

Yep, this outfit definitely makes me happy enough to make others happy!

Oh, and before I forget, you might be interested to know that Happiness Boutique offer free shipping worldwide, not to mention a Customer Reward Programme. You can find all the details via the link, but to summarise, you can collect points by making purchases, writing reviews and sharing photos on social media. Points can be saved up to receive free gifts. Yet more reason to be happy!

Do you prefer statement or delicate jewellery, or a mix of both? What's your favourite piece?

Kate x