Holly's wish list and a little pondering of the comments made by Vivienne Westwood about the Duchess of Cambridge

Following on from Natalie's wish list, it's now the turn of Holly. This is what she said when she got in touch:

 

"I love your idea so thought that I would send my list. It's not that long so I hope that's OK.

 

I'm 41 just, a mum of two based currently in Woking and I am a stylist for Stella & Dot. Firstly I would love a really good pair of dark denim jeans that hold me in and fit perfectly. I am not as slim as I strive to be and know that a great pair of jeans can really make a difference. The problem is I have yet to find the right ones for me.

I also love boots but have yet to get a pair of Uggs. I know there is a love hate thing going on with these but I am into comfort and one day I will push the boat out and indulge.  These look perfect."

 

 

When it comes to jeans, Holly didn't really mind whether they were bootcut or skinny. My advice to Holly (if she would like it) would be to take a look at the following brands. Hopefully you will all have something to add too!

 

Cos - they do in between sizes too and they have a decent rise on them. I particularly like these dark wash skinny jeans £59;

 

M&S five pocket jeggings - good price and a decent rise;

 

I have had success with the H&M straight regular jeans £29.99 in a dark denim blue. I like them for the fact that they have a regular waist and that they come in in between sizes. A straight jeans can also be a good half way house for ladies who like a skinny leg but who feel that a boot cut is balances their proportions better. The GAP real straight are a good option too.

 

Hobbs - great dark wash and cut to fit the more mature figure, I like the Aurelia Jeans (£85);

 

Oasis Scarlet - a bootcut jean which is fantastic for dealing with a gaping waist. One of their best sellers and designed for the over 40's.  GAP curvy are good for dealing with the gaping issue too, although sometimes their bootcut style is better.

 

Oasis also have the high waisted Cherry skinnies. Both the Scarlet and the Cherry retail at £48 but they are often in the sale.

 

Gap high waisted skinnies - good colour, nice rise and a good price - when they do them!

 

Not Your Daughter's Jeans - supportive tummy panel and good colour although some say that they don't last too well given the price;

 

J Brand - ditto;

 

Topshop indigo Kristen high waisted jeans which go up to a waist 34" so they're not just for skinny minnies!

 

Salsa jeans are available at House of Fraser. They are slightly more expensive than Hobbs but have amazing pull in, push up technology and they look fantastic on, especially on curvier figures. They do several different styles in different washes, so are worth a look.

 

I could go on forever but finally, the Benetton skinny ones that I tried last year were great. Lots of pull in technology too. At £37 they are a great price but the rise is fairly low on the skinny ones and you will probably need to go up a size.

 

However if anyone feels that the High Street doesn't cater for them and they want to make a one off, significant investment in the perfect pair of jeans, I would suggest heading to Donna Ida in London/the South East - the jean guru if ever there was one!

 

Thanks to Holly for putting her suggestions forward. Please keep them coming!

 

It's a veritable media circus in this house. Actually remove the word "media" and that would be about right. Having been on the radio at 7.50am, I was invited on again this evening, between 10.30pm and 11pm.  The inspiration for the story has come from the comments purportedly made by Vivienne Westwood about the Duchess of Cambridge's clothes and the fact that it would "be good for the environment and send out a very nice message" if she wore the same clothes over and over again.

 

I don't think that we were really meant to be focussing in on that in particular but in my pre-show call I ranted so "impressively" about the comments made by Viv (not you Mum, though you do share the same name but fortunately little else) that we may be discussing them after all.

 

Whilst Viv's viewpoint isn't without merit, telling someone who can't answer back to buy fewer clothes and re-cycle them, just because that's her current "thing", despite the fact she has spent the last few decades flogging as many of her designs as she can to as many people as she can at not insignificant prices, is a little dis-tasteful. And anyway, one of the biggest criticisms levelled against the Duchess of Cambridge is that she wears the same clothes too often.

 

On the other hand, maybe she should be applauded for commenting on the Duchess of Cambridge as opposed to anyone else - at least she got the coverage she wanted for a cause in which she believes. In any event I think I'll be too tired by then to string a sentence together anyway so it's probably all academic. It's all the half term activities you know - cooking, painting, going to the park, playing games (with a dice which equals a proper game as you have to give it your full attention) reading stories and baking. Holidays are tiring and I need a rest!