Lifestyle Event: Christmas at Queensgate Shopping Centre, Peterborough

It appears that the Christmas festivities have well and truly begun and so I thought what better way than to kick off the season than with a Christmas challenge with Queensgate Shopping Centre* in Peterborough?

As you regular followers will already know, earlier this year we made the move from London to Stamford, Lincolnshire (about a 30 minute drive from Peterborough). So far, it's been great to explore our new surroundings and one of our closest shopping malls is now the Queensgate in Peterborough's city centre. So, to kick off the holiday season, Queensgate kindly provided me with a gift card to use across their many stores and a challenge to seek out the best trends for the Christmas season. Challenge accepted. 

Naturally, the autumn and winter months are when I (personally) believe my wardrobe to be at it's best. The colder weather and festivities mean that my essentials of faux leather, berets, metallics, velvet and sparkly pieces make for everyday wear. Essentially, it's the easiest time of year to go full goth. So, with my gift card in hand and my challenge set to be on the hunt for Metallic, Velvet and Glitter pieces, I spent the day with Queensgate to find some new accessories and winter favourites.

I'm not often very adventurous when it comes to buying clothes. I tend to stick to the same places and, besides shopping online, my usual haunts are usually Topshop, H&M, New Look and Primark (all of which the Queensgate has). But during my challenge, I also spotted a few other party dresses which I totally fell in love with. Oasis in particular had so many sparkly, velvet pieces which would make for a perfect Christmas party dress or even just to wear on an evening out with friends. I also spotted some great signature pieces in M&S such as sequin blazers and tartan skirts - all of which I love. 

So, what did I get with my gift card? Well, besides my usual essentials from Primark (usually tights and socks), I also picked myself up some statement headbands and a sparkly crop top - all of which I hope to get plenty of wear out of this Christmas. I've been growing my fringe out lately and headbands are a great way to disguise it. I also I think these bejewelled headbands are an excellent way to add a little sparkle to any outfit. Of course, it would have been rude not to make the most of Queensgate's new Disney pop-up store to check out their Christmas treats before heading home too. 

Well, that's it for another fashion instalment. A huge thanks to Queensgate Shopping Centre for inviting me to check out the latest trends for A/W across their many stores. But tell me, what are some of your favourite trends for the autumn and winter months? How do you like to add a little bit of glam to your everyday wardrobe? As always, I love reading your comments so please do share your thoughts with me below. 

Until next time, 

*Disclaimer - This is a collaborative post. As always, all opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the brand.