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When times are tough and wallets are empty, you've got to think of ways to save money on clothes. Here are a few tips to help you spend less, and maybe even make more, when it comes to shopping in London.

Read the full post at rulesoflondon.com.

The Story of An Original Leroy

“Brash, bold and unapologetic” - which is exactly what it is. Thanks to a cross between Instagram and The Laden Showroom, I discovered An Original Leroy and designer, Natasha Wright.

These clothes are loud, proud and stand out in a crowd. So when I spotted a girl across the beach wearing a similar one at Croatia’s Soundwave Festival, I had to ask where she got it.

Turns out it was Fabienne, presenter, DJ and stylist, who can often be found at launch parties and style events rocking a range of Leroy’s clothing.

Given that I’d just spoken to Natasha recently, crossed paths with her clothing, and her friend in another country, it was a fashion fate sign that a post was meant to be done.

What I came to find with this line is how each piece is a statement, that allows you to transform an outfit from day to night.

Go loud with a crop top and a matching skirt, or rock one top with a separate bottom and transform a plain outfit into a statement with a balance.

So where did the name come from? Natasha’s father, Leroy, was the inspiration with some valuable advice. He taught her to be fearless, stand out from the crowd and do whatever it was that she felt she was meant to do. From this life lesson, ‘An Original Leroy’ was born.

With a degree from Central Saint Martins, two independent labels and a mentor at the Learning College of Fashion I asked; if she were to give one tip her students, what would it be?

"Play to your strength: express and understand yourself well enough to know where your natural talents lie." A thought worth sharing since it applies to many situations, no matter what you’re wearing.

Use ‘GRACIE20′ to save a bit, because no one ever said you had to be rich to be fabulous.

#RulesOfLondon & #AnOriginalLeroy

Ask London: an interview with Nellie

I thought it’d be nice to hear someone else’s opinion about London Town for a change. An American who studied abroad and has come to visit since, here’s what Nellie has to say:

What made you choose London as your city to study abroad? I always wanted to study abroad in London. It’s accessible for Americans, but still incredibly rich in history. Also it’s incredibly fun. Each part of London is different so there’s something for everyone. It’s the most fun city in the world and it’s easy to get around.

What’s something you wish you’d known before moving to this new city? There’s no real bacon.

What are your three of your favorite places to eat in London? I made frozen peas in the kitchen when I was hungover… but in all seriousness most food in London that’s really good is made by non english people, i.e. Indian food. There’s a lot of good food in Camden, and Rules is a great old restaurant in London.

What were your three favourite places to go out in London? London is the best place to go out in the world. There’s the posh Mayfair clubs and Cirque le Soir is definitely something different. Also Camden and Brick Lane are great.

What do you miss most about London living the most? And what don’t you miss? I miss the people. Everyone is so much fun when you go out. I guess London is really expensive, and that’s the only thing I don’t miss.

What advice would you give to someone who’s new to the city? Do not fear the tube. It’s not that difficult. Also food goes bad almost immediately because they don’t put crazy preservatives in it.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned from studying abroad? Make friends. Act like it’s freshman year all over again (because for some of them it is) and introduce yourself to everyone, or join a sports team. Sports teams in London are like Greek life in America.

What was one of your biggest challenges when you lived in London? I think I let my guard down a little. I would walk home late at night all the time and that’s not a good idea in any city.

What would you have done differently if you had to do it all over again? I would’ve traveled a bit more. I made a lot of friends so I didn’t always want to give up weekends to travel, but I still went to Paris, Amsterdam and Rome. Traveling from London is easy so I should have done it a bit more.

If you were to study abroad again, where would you pick next? London.

What best part and most difficult part of coming back home? Best part of return to america: bacon. Most difficult part was to leave all the friends I had made and go back to harder classes in Miami.

When packing to go to London, if you had to pack 3 items you can’t live without, what would they be? Seasoning.

What are you up to now? I’m in law school in America. It’s tough because I would love to go back to London, but there isn’t a huge need for American lawyers in London.

How has studying abroad in London town contributed to bettering your education and career? And if so, how? I actually interviewed with someone who had gotten her masters at Queen Mary. I got offered the job.

Nellie is a dear friend of mine who I met our first year studying abroad. A big thanks to Nellie for letting me feature you on the blog!

Want to see where we went on our recent trip to Prague? Check out my previous post to make the most out of your trip to this pretty city.

#RulesOfLondon

A Guide To: Visas & UK Residency

A common question I’m asked is how one gets a visa to stay in the UK. If I’m completely honest, it’s more complicated than that couple on Facebook who keeps changing their relationship status. But with hard work and a lot of research, patience and paperwork - it’s possible.

That being said, here’s some information that’ll help you figure out what visa to get and how to go about getting it.

Tier 1 - Migrants with desirable professional skills: this visa has been discontinued unfortunately, so that’s that. But if you already have this type of visa, renewals and extensions are still allowed. Find more about it here.

Tier 2 - Skilled workers with an offer of employment: in order to apply for this type of visa a company has to sponsor you, i.e. offer you a job. The position you're applying for has to be skilled at NQF level 6 (graduate level) and you have to meet the minimum salary level for that specific position. Visit the UKCISA website to see all Tier 2 related information on eligibility for sponsors, position skill levels and wage levels.

Tier 3 - Temporary workers: this was meant for any kind of labour shortages in the UK, however this too as been discontinued. Find more about it here.

Tier 4 - Students: self explanatory, this one’s for anyone studying full-time. See my previous post on ‘you’ve studied abroad and now you want to transfer’ to get a better idea of how to prepare for this process. To see the full process of eligibility and applications, head over the UK gov’s website and read the details on how to apply for a Tier 4 visa.

Tier 5 - Youth mobility schemes/temporary workers: this scheme only applies to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Monaco, Taiwan and the USA. It’s for paid internships and people who want to live, work and travel in the UK for up to two years. Find more about it here or check Access Tier 5′s website, which has further details on eligibility.

Applying for residency: if you want to move to the UK and stay permanently, you have to work in the UK under a Tier 2 visa for 5 years. Only then can you apply for residency and get a British passport. This means, if you’re in the UK under any of the other visas - these years will not apply to your time towards residency.

The only exception to this rule is if you’ve lived in the UK for 10 years. Either of these situations only make you eligible to apply for residency - but to actually apply is a whole other process I’ve yet to figure out. However I’ve been told that DWI global is a great place to get help with this process.

If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend and you live with them for 2+ years, and you can prove it with documents such as bills and utilities, then you can apply for the ‘permission to remain leave on basis of relationship’. Or you could always get married, which I don’t recommend unless - well - you’re actually ready to get married.

Final & Financial Tips: I cannot stress enough, that at the end of the day this all comes down to money. If you plan on staying in the UK, if you want to transfer to finish your degree or if you want to switch visas - always keep money in your savings. This international sh*t isn’t cheap and when it comes down to it, if you want to move overseas you’re going to have to be willing, and ready, to pay for it.

If you’re applying for a student visa, then you’ll need a significant amount of savings (over £1,000) to cover all the application fees and flights. If you’re applying for a work visa, your work will probably cover application and visa fees, however they’re not entitled to cover your flights.

Most importantly, in order to apply for a new visa, or switch visas, you have to leave the UK to process the application, so you’ll always need to have savings in the bank for flights. In most cases, this means going back to your home country, but in some that just means leaving the UK and traveling somewhere to process the paperwork.

Please bear in mind that this post is just a basis to the research you’ll have to do in order to process your circumstantial visa paperwork. Almost every year the UK government alters rules, regulations, costs, eligibility requirements and processes; so your best bet is to figure out what visa you'll need first and then start researching from there.

So, if I haven’t already bored the eyeballs out of your sockets or made you want to cry while bashing your head into a wall, then I hope this has helped you more than it’s stressed you out.

The thing is, the entire UK visa process is stressful, even when you’ve got the money to do it - it’s not fun and it’s really tiring. But happiness and hard work go hand in hand, and if you want something bad enough - then it’s always worth the work.

So don’t give up and follow your heart - you never know where your dreams will take you, even if you thought you knew from the start. #RulesOfLondon

Need some advice on your visa process or have any other questions? Send them to [email protected] or check out Migreat, a free guidance tool which helps you every step of the way.

Did you know that all the UK coins together make up the £1 shield?! Neither did I - so I decided this needed to be shared with the Tumblr world.

A co-worker sent this to me and I was absolutely mind blown. Then another friend added that all the coins add up to 88 pence - which is a rip off if you ask me, I want my full £1!

Oh well, I guess that’s the way the currency cookie crumbles when you’re living in London Town. It’s always a bit more expensive than you thought, and you’re always left with a few pence less than you ought.

But you’ll always learn something from the money you spend - especially when that money is spent on exploring the city or seeing the world. #RulesOfLondon

Dinner in a Tree? Yes Please.

Over the hills and through the woods to a treehouse dinner we go. That’s right - when my friend told me about it, I didn’t ask questions because all I heard was ‘dinner in a tree’ and I knew that was somewhere I wanted to be.

The oxymoron of a London experience because it’s in the woods so for a second, you almost forget you’re in the city due to trees as far as the eye can see.

Hosted by Shuffle Festival and the Symbiosis Restaurant from July 24th - August 1st, grab a ticket and head over to channel your inner George of the jungle - just don’t wear heels or you will fumble on your way there.

The entire park has stations and activities throughout, with music, booths and fairy lights. At first you may feel like the cemetery is a little creepy, but it’s actually quite the opposite.

It's calming and pretty and makes you feel as though you’ve left the city and gone into a place of wilderness and fairies. And just as you start to wonder if you’re lost you see the bright light peeking through the forest.

Set in the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park in East London near Mile End, this experience was unlike any I’ve had in this city yet, which is quite the feat given that the cost was reasonably cheap. A three course meal in a treehouse for £15 is as good as it sounds - just don’t look down.

So if you can, catch the Shuffle Festival happening this weekend and if not, don’t worry it’ll be back. Because in this city, dinner is always a special treat - especially when it’s in a tree. #RulesOfLondon

Food market fun in the sun

The summer has arrived in London Town and everyone is really happy - and hungry - about it.

Year round there are always magical markets going on throughout the entire city, but the summer is when they really heat up. The best thing about food markets is the variety of food you’ll find - Turkish, Indian, African and more - all for a price that’ll make you drool.

It’s cheaper than going to a restaurant because it’s a bit more relaxed. No waiters, just sun, picnic benches and maybe some music and lots of fun.

Where you live will determine which markets you visit most. To name a few, there’s Brixton Night Market, Urban Food Fest & Summer Tales in Shoreditch, Soho Street Feast and many more.

Just check the market’s website before you go because opening times and schedules for each one will vary. Some are only open for a couple days, such as Taste of London in Regent’s Park on from June 17th - 21st. And some markets are open for months such as Street Feast in Lewisham which runs from May 1st to Sept. 26th on Friday and Saturdays.

Markets are easy to find but difficult to narrow down. The best place to start is by choosing an area you’d like to go. That’s usually the best place to start no matter what you’re trying to do in such a big city.

Once you’ve decided, start searching for markets in that area; whether it’s east, north, south or west - you’re bound to find a place that’s full of food to put your hunger to rest.

Just Fab, a double decker decked out as a restaurant is just an example of one of the many funky pop-ups you’ll find. The main rule of food markets is to always bring cash because that’s the only way to pay.

As Samuel Johnson said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

And this is most certainly true when it comes to food markets. #RulesOfLondon

London Rule #34: Not a day will go by that you don't miss someone.

Apologies for the depressing rule but it's pretty true. Whether it's friends at home or ones you've met along the way, Skype dates will become a legitimate kind of date even if you're already in a relationship with face time.

On top of moving away from home, London is a city where people come and go. You will meet people that are here for a year, a month, a week, or even a day. It's a city of change where not all choose to stay. Just keep reminding yourself that all these journeys we take in life - while it's cliche - it's all about the peeps you meet along the way.

So just enjoy the time you have with people while you have it. Take pictures and have lots of fun - there's so much to see when you're feeling free with friends in a fabulous city. #RulesOfLondon

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