What Laura Did: New Hair, New Clothes

I'm quite particular about a lot of things (food, clothes, brands of tea) but my hair is definitely the main thing. After a very traumatic incident with a hairdresser aged six (I asked for a Posh Spice bob, she gave me a David Beckham bowl cut), I'm extremely fussy about what I will have done to my hair and who I will let do that to it. I haven't had it shorter than my shoulders ever since, fearful that I'll end up looking like a lost little boy again!

But over the last few years, I've learned to mellow a bit. Until the age of 20, I'd never dyed my hair, not even a wash-out colour, but with some encouragement from my boyfriend, I went bright blonde. Over the last year, I've had it highlighted, bleached, dyed back to brown, ombred, chopped and changed several times. In October, I had it cut from my waist to just above my chest, and loved how grown-up I looked. Then, last week, I finally decided to dye over my fading ombre to my original glossy brown - a huge decision, my first ever home dye! And then yesterday, I threw caution to the wind and booked in for a chop and a brand new fringe.

I love it! It's the shortest I've gone in years and years, but it feels lovely. Just now it's a bit odd, as it's so groomed and straight from the salon, and I normally prefer a lived-in, more natural look, but I'm sure it will settle in a few days.

I also did a little bit of payday shopping yesterday - a little sneaky but I couldn't help it. I picked up this boucle and leather jacket from Primark - I've had my eye on it for months and months, but I couldn't justify £25 for it originally, and then I forgot about it, until today, when I saw it on a rail for just £3. Ridiculous. Of course it ended up in my basket. It's a great jacket, navy blue tweed woven with gold thread, in a biker shape with a wide leather collar - a perfect mix of the classic and the cool. I can definitely see myself getting a lot of wear out of this!

I also picked up these cute quilted leopard print pumps for a paltry £2. I like the toecap and the heart charm, pretty little details and leopard ballet flats always look so chic with jeans and a simple Breton stripe.

Finally, I went for something a little more dressy. I walked past this lilac blazer in H&M and completely fell in love with the ice-cream colour - so fresh and pretty! I tried it on and it fits like a dream - it's much more flattering undone. I like the ruffles around the hips to add shape, and the arm length was perfect. And it was just £7 in the sale! I can definitely see myself wearing this with jeans and pumps in the daytime, or thrown over tea dresses in the summertime. It looks very office-y and grown up in this photo, but I'll include it in an outfit post soon to show you its versatility.