An outfit for a spring wedding....

It's been such a long time since I've blogged and I'm so sorry. The time that I usually devote to blogging is generally taken up these days with wiping away the brick dust that settles each evening. That and keeping tidy and organised the small downstairs space that we're living in at the moment.

Before I kick off with the wedding outfit, I wanted to thank all of you who entered the M&S competition. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to get back to all of you who sent through such lovely emails but I will try to do so over the next few weeks. The winner has now been notified so sorry if you weren't lucky this time :(

Baukjen woodley jumpsuit (£109) - I bought this a couple of weeks ago and tried on the morning of the wedding. I quite often leave important outfits to the last minute. I actually find it less stressful. Bizarre I know!

Don't you just love how your kids always have their phones glued to them and always have plenty of storage or capacity for what they need to do but as soon as a snap is required, oh dear, the storage suddenly seems to be full? Hence the rubbish photo with the shadow and not terribly flattering pose but hey ho, that's what this blog is all about! And really it's my fault for leaving my bag and phone somewhere else.

But anyway. I really enjoyed wearing this outfit for the day. True, my husband had to check with the eldest that the trousers were meant to be the length that they were but then I'm used to that kind of thing. It was soooo comfortable, I could layer a vest underneath it, it was long enough in the body plus I can wear it again to another wedding in May, a wedding party in June and an 80th birthday party in June - so I will get plenty of wear out of it, which isn't always the case with wedding outfits.

These Topshop metallic slingback shoes (£48) are the closest to the shoes that I wore on the day. It was the first time that I had worn them and I wore them all day without the slightest problem. I'm avoiding heels at the moment and so this block heel was a perfect height for me.

And I know that I keep banging on about the Marathon but I'm going to include the link to my donations page, just in case anyone would like to donate to Coram, the Children's charity I'm running for. Thank you x  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BethGoodrham  Oh and I'll be back soon with a renovations update post for those who have asked!

Christmas fun in the sun but it's GREAT to be back!

Top: J Crew/ Shorts: Home made Topshop cut offs/ Sandals: Aldo/ Sunglasses: Jigsaw

Call me a bit of a bah humbug, but, pleased as I am for people when they're on holiday and I'm at home in the rain, there's a part of me that finds it mildly annoying. So I will try very hard not to be one of those annoying people!

I did try to post this when we were away but the wi-fi wasn't having any of it, so this is really a bit of a catch up post. Other than the odd shorts pic, I've tried to keep it relevant to what you might be thinking of wearing in the UK or perhaps buying in the sales. The evenings were slightly colder when we were away, so it gave me a chance to wear pieces which, with a tweak, could be worn at home.

It was great to wear my Topshop denim jumpsuit again. It has become a firm favourite for travelling in as it's so comfortable. If I'm too hot I just take the top down (yes I do wear a vest underneath!) tie the arms around my waist and I'm good to go. Really I could wear it at home but I quite like to keep a few things just for the warmer weather as it's always so nice to re-visit them when the season changes.

This outfit is made up of a pair of Boden sequin joggers (limited sizes available), which I recently bought plus a Zara jumper, and Banana Republic shoes, all of which were sale purchases. The Accessorize bag was a present from a friend for my birthday. Stick me in top toe navy with a bit of sparkle and all of it being comfortable and I'm as happy as Larry. And given that our holiday was all inclusive, the elasticated waistband (oooooh, sexy) didn't go a miss either! If I swapped my shoes for a pair of silver heels, this outfit could work equally well on New Year's Eve.

Here's another warm weather favourite - a Hush dress. It's probably not quite warm enough to wear this at home right now but I did wear it at the back end of the summer with pale grey suede Jigsaw ankle boots and a little knitted jacket, which put a nice spin on it.

This playsuit outfit is obviously one that is too chilly to wear just now but I've included it because I bought it in the Baukjen sale just after Christmas last year. Again, being all in one, it's one of those uber comfortable pieces which I can wear in the day, or dressed up a little for the evening.

And here's an outfit that no-one would ever want to be seen in - summer or winter, day or night, rain or shine. But when you're up a volcano and it's chilly, you just have to stick on whatever is to hand - and if that includes you son's (clean) socks with your sandals, so be it.

And moving on to a vaguely - OK so totally - ridiculous outfit. Here's another gem!  

 It was fantastic to be away but it's amazing to be home too, catching up with friends, getting back to my running and we had our own Christmas Day number two this afternoon which was fab.

I hope that you have all had a wonderful time and that you have plenty more exciting things lined up between now and the New Year. It's good to be back with you all. Beth x

An outfit for lounging around in....

Does anyone else have to force themselves to just STOP? Well yesterday afternoon I decided to do just that. It doesn't come easily but having done one very long run on Friday afternoon and two shorter ones on Saturday and Sunday morning, plus Christmas shopping, oodles of washing, cooking, food shopping and baking I decided that it was time to just sit down for a while.

The youngest and I made friendship bracelets for her to sell at school in aid of Children in Need. We sat in front of the fire and watched films and it was bliss. But then again sometimes the simplest things in life are, aren't they?

Obviously when it came to sitting down for the afternoon, comfort was paramount. Because they are pretty much the most comfortable trousers out, my Felsted print trousers from Baukjen were more than up to the job. Sparkles and animal print were, in truth, probably slight overload but no-one in the family said anything. I think that they're used to it by now. Comfortable trousers are always high on  my list of wardrobe essentials, so I would love to know if you've come across any gems recently.

Keep safe in the storms. Beth x

Wearing a lovely necklace from Yosa and some printed pants!

"Oooh, that's a pretty necklace" the seven year old observed several times during the course of the day, which I'm sure Rachel, who runs the online jewellery business Yosa would be delighted to hear. She kindly asked me if I would like to choose a piece of jewellery to feature on Style Guile and I chose this lovely Triangular Outlines Necklace which you can see below.

I love big, bold, bright, statement necklaces, and Rachel has a great selection of these too, but sometimes it's nice to wear something which is a little understated. If I'm not wearing a statement necklace, I tend to layer a few finer necklaces together but this necklace is a fabulous compromise between the two as it's substantial enough to hold its own ground without being too bling - and some outfits just don't need bling. Geometric shapes are going to be a huge trend for the upcoming season so this necklace also ticked that box nicely and will do a fantastic job of updating some simple dresses and tops.

Rachel has lots of lovely pieces including bracelets, ear-rings, bags and scarves as well as necklaces and she sends everything out beautifully wrapped. You can find her on instagram as well as twitter and facebook too. There are lots of amazing women out there running small businesses alongside running a family and it's fantastic if we are able to support them.

As to the rest of my outfit, I'm wearing the Felsted print trouser from  Baukjen (£69 in the sale) similar here (£109) which I bought just after Christmas, together with a Hobbs top, Whistles handbag and Adidas Stan Smith trainers. The trousers haven't had chance to make much of an appearance but I'm planning on changing that as they are so comfortable and easy to wear. Oooh and just look at that elasticated waist (which I'm hiding for that very reason)!

Taking style inspiration from Kate Bosworth....

If there's one person who pulls off the shorts and ankle boots look a treat, it's Kate Bosworth. It's a tried and tested look that she wears over and over again. Obviously having very slim legs that go up to one's armpits helps. For the rest of us mere mortals - OK, me -  it's never going to be quite so successful however, we're all entitled to make our own way in the world!

I saw these Jigsaw Sally ankle boots (reduced from £139 to £69 in the sale) when I was shopping in Leeds a few weeks ago and I added them to my pre-winter stash of necessary items. They were designed to replace a similar coloured pair of Zara ankle boots which I bought a few years ago. Having found them so useful I knew that this pair would be a good investment and the slightly lower heel makes them more wearable every day.

Anyway, I thought that I would give the above look a whirl as it also gave me a chance to style my Baukjen playsuit in a slightly different way. Although it was warm today it wasn't hot and I'm really trying to embrace the opportunity the weather is affording me to wear some slightly different combinations that others might wear in April or late September, when I am head to toe in my thermals.

OK so it's not quite this.....

Image courtesy of Pinterest

But you know, if we never tried anything slightly different the world would be a very dull place. So, is there a combination that you're going to wear that you haven't done so before, or have you had any recent magnificent successes?

Can I persuade you to jump into a jumpsuit?

Not so long ago, I could never have imagined wearing a jumpsuit but I guess that's partly because I hadn't found the right one. A very short, very tight, Ted Baker style one (lovely as they are) worn with heels for a night out would have just caused looks of consternation wherever I went. It's a bit like the off-the-shoulder top that I tried on the other day. What looked like a 19 year old's top next to the face of a 44 year old. Not so much.

However just after Christmas I took the plunge and ordered the Baukjen playsuit that I'm wearing above. I didn't expect to like it but I was pleasantly surprised not only by its comfort and quality but also because of its laid back style. Whilst I couldn't deal with a jumpsuit in a dressed up environment I can get my head around it in a more relaxed setting, with flats and a stack of friendship bracelets. The drawstring waist means that I can alter the length of the shorts, the addition of a sleeve means that I feel less exposed and the neckline is one that I like. As with my denim Topshop jumpsuit that I've worn so much, an all in one outfit just takes the hassle out of dressing.

This Baukjen playsuit (£71) is a good alternative, although sizes are limited. 

And M&S Limited Edition has this playsuit (£45) which I love for its denim look, although the reviews about its fit aren't great - but obviously one size doesn't fit all and I would personally still give it a try. In fact M&S has quite a good selection of jumpsuits, both printed and plain so it's worth taking a look there as a starting point.

GAP has this tencel playsuit (24.99) which would be perfect for those who might prefer a little less coverage, possibly because they're going somewhere other than wet Wales or rainy Guernsey for their hols!

I know that some of us may be over 40 and that some of us will soon be teetering on the brink of being nearer to 50 than 40 - but that doesn't mean that we have to resign ourselves to wearing mid calf, wide leg, flippy, flappy linen trousers in the summer.

Adding warmth to your outfit - this time in the style of a kimono shaped jacket

For a chilly wimp bag like myself, I have to come up with new ways and styles of keeping warm. Quite often I will wear a jersey blazer over a finer knit jumper, or a boucle style jacket, of which I have a couple. However just before Christmas I ordered the Barcelona cardigan from Boden (£44), which also comes in navy and charcoal.

Liking the fact that I could wrap it around myself to keep myself snug, I went on to order this Rye Kimono jacket from Baukjen (reduced from £169 to £84). So much of the knitwear available at the moment is oversized so if like me you can't carry it off, or if a bit of waist definition suits your shape better, these style jackets/cardis are a pretty good option.

I think that I look a bit like I'm off to do my karate. I'm not quite sure how you translate the sound of a karate chop into words but I'll try "Haaaaaa Yaaaaa." How did I do?

Speaking of going off to do things, tomorrow a friend and myself are going to do a 12km mud run. The words "lung busting, lung burning and waist deep water" feature in the literature. Sounds fun don't you think?

How to wear a slightly more challenging trouser shape....and EVERYONE should have one of these....

[Carvela shoes, Baukjen trousers, Topshop jumper, Reiss leather jacket, Paul Costelloe bag, necklace from friend]

When you're used to skinnies, getting away from them can be really difficult, especially when it's to a trouser shape that is more relaxed, printed and with a little width around the ankle. Flares? Not a problem as they're still fitted around the hips and thighs and with heels, they're a flattering style in their own right. Wide legged trousers? Again not a problem as they are classic and if the cut is good, they can be very flattering. But as for a bit of a half way house style like these? Well they are more challenging and here's why....

• They have an elasticated waist and a less sexy waistband I cannot imagine, other than maybe the ones with buttons inside like kids trousers but then no-one tends to know about those. On the plus side, when you're off out to dinner with a friend who makes the best brownies ever, an elasticated waistband is quite handy;
• The length - not ankle length but not full length either (selling them well aren't I?!)
• From the side I can look hideous in this style trouser and I should know because I've tried lots of them. Short and dumpy would be a good description;
• Quite often the fabric can be very thin, allowing for every wibble, wobble and dimple to be shown to the world. 

However, when I tried the Felsted print trousers from Baukjen (£59 reduced from £99 and which I must have had for about 5 weeks now) I quite liked them. The fabric was of a good quality and they fell well. Then I cut the label off them, meaning that I could no longer return them, at which point (of course) I became unsure whether I liked them or not. So anyway I just decided to wear them.  And having worn them, these are my conclusions/solutions:

• Cover the elasticated waistband (obviously) and no-one will be any the wiser;
• Heels will avoid the dumpy feeling - and I should know because I tried them with trainers and they looked hideous;
• Choose a quality and/or printed fabric, all of which will help with lumps/bumps/and spare bottom cheeks which seem to appear at a certain age;
• When I have time I might play with the length by rolling them up a little but the fabric is quite slippery so they would probably just do their own thing anyway.  And in the summer I am going to try a chunky birkenstock type sandal which will either work really well, or make me look well dodgy.

Personally I think that a coloured shoe would work with these trousers (wardrobe gap alert!) and having come across the Milly suede shoe at Jigsaw (£149, although the lipstick shade are £74 and I'm also sure that I saw purple ones yesterday) I think that they could work for lots of us for lots of occasions. Of course there are loads of other styles too - much trendier and New Look/Primark would be my shop of choice for those styles - but for a good staple, these are pretty impressive and the leather that Jigsaw uses is always really, really soft.

After all my hours of wardrobe construction, I thought that I would share my favourite one with you. It has some of my bags, most of my jewellery, scarves and going out shoes in it and sometimes I just go and look at it because I love it so much. When the world around me is a little chaotic, my cupboard is calm and serene. Which makes me very happy but equally a complete saddo too (but I don't care!) 

Lots of my bracelets/bangles and cuffs were from friends of mine so I take great pleasure in looking at them and thinking of my lovely friends too. I think that we could probably all do with one  of these cupboards in our lives - even if it's only a weeny one.

An injection of colour which should earn its keep and I have a great excuse for a whole new outfit...

I think that it's probably pretty fair to say that we all have a lot of black/navy/grey in our wardrobes during the winter months and it can get a little tiring. Equally it can be tricky to find brighter coloured things and if we do, they stand out like a sore thumb after having been worn a dozen times so we end up getting bored of them too. Which is why I thought that this scarf could come in handy in injecting some colour into all manner of darker things. It was £20, reduced from £80 in the Whistles sale (bought at the same time as the bargain basement boots) and I stuck it with this Jigsaw jersey dress which is about four years old now, giving it a new lease of life. It will also work well with an older, navy, traditionally styled Jigsaw coat that I have, together with plain jumpers - so hopefully it will be worn enough to justify its £20 price tag.

This ruched jersey dress from Baukjen (£99 down to £59) is very similar in its style to the one above and I've also linked to other Baukjen black dresses which may suit different shapes slightly better - there's a wrap one, a v-neck one, a midi length one an A-line one and a very nice leather one too!

Now, despite my efforts to wear everything that I own already without any new major additions, tomorrow I will be kitted out, head to toe, in new gear. Because tomorrow I am going to "learn to ski in a day" and for that, new gear was required.  Can you imagine it? Me learning to ski in a day that is? Although I'm pretty bendy and pretty active, I am rubbish on anything slippery. When I was a kid I only had to see a hill with some snow on it and I would sit down, which the children have told me that I must not do under any circumstances, because I will only go faster. And I don't do speed either which doesn't bode well. True, I've challenged myself quite a bit over the last couple of years - running the half marathon, doing various other forms of exercise and last summer doing the high ropes too. However, the problem is that when I'm scared, really scared, I have to distract myself and I do this by singing One Direction very loudly. I'm pretty confident that my singing is probably as bad as my skiing (will be) so I'm not holding out much hope for anyone, or anything, within close proximity to me tomorrow. Thankfully Mr SG is no longer planning on popping in to "see how I am getting on" (ie videoing me so that he can take the p*** out of me mercilessly) on his way back from a meeting tomorrow.

Baukjen Spring/Summer 2014 - Just a little bit of loveliness!

With some brands you have to do a bit of rummaging and hunting around and before you come across something that you like. That's not the case with Baukjen, where virtually everything I look at I can imagine incorporating into my wardrobe - it's stylish, simple, elegant and very wearable. 

 

Not only that but with my stylist's hat on, I have more time for those brands who think about their demographic and who reflect their customers wishes in the design of their clothes. That little bit extra length in the hem of a dress, the addition of a sleeve, some clever ruching, a scooped or v-neckline and a wide range of colours - it all goes a long way.

 

So with that in mind, here are a few of my favourite pieces from this season's collection.....

The Marseille trouser (£79) is a soft, draped, lightweight style of trouser. The choice of summer trousers which can be styled for both in, and out of work, is quite limited but this style fills that brief really well. With heels, a shirt and a blazer, they would work well for the office but with flats and a linen T they would equally well for the weekend.

The Madrid cropped jacket (£179) is made of ponte jersey which, for its warmth and comfort, is one of my favourite fabrics. I think nowadays, with a less corporate feel in the air,  many of us look for pieces that are super versatile and which can be worn both in and out of work. With our love of jeans, it's also great to be able to dress them up for a night out and this jacket does just that.

For me, the print on the Maya shirt makes it really accessible and not too challenging for those who tend to steer clear of prints. Whilst it has a presence, it's not too domineering and will quietly go about working hard for you, whilst you get on with what you need to be doing. This shirt also comes in a blazer (£195) and trousers (£105) which are shown below.

A patterned jacket is a great way of drawing the eye upwards, either as a means of attracting attention to the top half, or as a way of distracting it from the bottom half where sometimes, let's face it, heaven knows what goes on.

I love a printed trouser with a pair of heels and a simple top. The vertical design within the pattern makes them really flattering.

For anyone who hasn't yet tried a jumpsuit, I would seriously recommend that you give one a try. I know that I keep on saying this but as we move on in life (OK, get older) the choice of what's available for us to wear does change, if not reduce slightly, so it's good to keep ahead of the game and try something either new, or that we haven't tried for a while.

The Elisa jersey jumpsuit (£99) has that versatility that's so important and with a scooped neckline, a reasonable sleeve and with some room in the legs, it's a definite winner for lots of different shapes. Styling one with heels will make all the difference.

I sometimes think the search for that perfect, holy grail, of day dress is never ending! I love the cobalt blue colour of this Sabina wrap dress (£95). There are lots of fantastic styles of really versatile and flattering dresses with sleeves and in great colours too.

This outfit is a chic and stylish way of incorporating leather into a look in an understated way. It's not too rock chic, not too Cher, or too Sandy from Greece but just simple and elegant - with a bit of a kick ass feel about it! The Ravenna leather skirt is £309 and the Santorini Tee is (£55).

Finishing a long day with a relaxed feel is always a good thing! The summer joggers (£59) are pretty high up on my list of things to acquire within the next few weeks together with the Iona striped tee (£45). I have visions of long car journeys to Cornwall in mind, quite possibly with a Baukjen brochure on my knee as I plan another purchase - well, July is "birthday month" after all.

Baukjen 2014 Spring Collection - First look!

When the new collections start appearing online and in the stores, sad as it may be, I must admit to getting a bit of a thrill. It's the promise that they hold - of the spring, of new beginnings and of how (we imagine) those amazing one or two new pieces might revolutionise our lives! With that in mind, and having been asked by the lovely peeps at Baukjen, I thought that I would give you a first look at their spring collection, which will arrive in February. (Please just ignore the links to pieces that aren't from Baukjen. Those sneaky little gremlins refuse to switch themselves off!)

 

Many of you will be familiar with Baukjen and the effortless pared back look that it offers. Baukjen designs with the modern woman in mind, with its aim being to take women from day to night and from work to play, with chic pieces for all occasions. (Sounds like I could do with a bit of them in my life!) 

 

This season, the collection focuses upon a relaxed pared back feel – mixing a clean silhouette with textured fabrics and beautiful layers of colour. It's minimal, only slightly more refined.  The soft colour palette of dusted blues and touches of metallic, with splashes of colour and abstract prints, reflect the mood of the collection. 

 

So, here are five style essentials to whet your appetite in preparation for the full collection - a white shirt, a leather jacket, a grey marl top, a grey marl dress and of course the ubiquitous boyfriend jeans (£95).  What a great place to start. More will be revealed in due course!

 

The Coco shirt £99

 

Ravenna Leather Jacket in Sand £389

Napoli Top £49

Napoli Tunic Dress £69

 

Leather leggings: How to wear them and what to put with them.

Over the last few seasons leather, or faux leather, leggings have taken over the High Street. When I was in H&M today I counted at least 5 pairs and pretty much every store has some, of one description or another.

So firstly, some tips for choosing the right ones for you:

• Are you ready to commit to leather leggings or are you just dipping your toe in the leather/pleather legging water? There are some out there for as little as £10;
• The fit is really important. Everyone thinks about leggings being too tight but equally, baggy leggings are never a good look;
• Check from all angles before buying and have a good wriggle around in them. Wonky seams, leggings that are too tight and leggings which ride up (or down) are never going to work. Oddly the crotch can also be in the wrong place too. Imagine that!
• Most leather style leggings will have panelling or details on them. Light can bounce off shinier fabrics, acting as a highlighter, so check where those panels sit on you. Panels may be best avoided on the thighs and/or bottom and confined to the lower leg, or down the side of the leg instead (see below).

To list all of the leather/pleather leggings available on the High Street would take all night, so here are a few choices at different prices;

Black leather leggings Mint Velvet (£499) - the real deal and I have to admit that they do look lovely;

Liv leather leggings Baukjen (£299) - the real deal at a slightly lower price;

Damsel in a Dress leggings at John Lewis (£89). These are made of a thick fabric and have real leather detailing down the side of the leggings. This is a really flattering way to wear leather on leggings as the vertical lines serve to lengthen the legs. Damsel in a Dress designs for a slightly more mature market too, so they sit fairly high on the waist;

Faux leather leggings Mint Velvet (£39) - these are a good mid priced option, ones that I haven't yet tried but I am planning on doing so.

So, what to put with them? Well on most people, covering the bottom will be a good idea. I have seen one woman wearing the Damsel leggings with a short fitted top from Zara and she looked amazing - but then so was her figure! There are lots of different ways of styling them so here goes!

The long shirt:

There are lots of longer line shirts available. From denim, to silk for a night out, to an oversized man's shirt or a plaid one for a rock chick look, there are plenty of options available.

I like this Ebony print blouse from Mint Velvet (£69). The Nehru collar is flattering, I like how the print is concentrated at the top of the blouse and for anyone with a curvier bust, a V-neck can be created by undoing a few of the buttons. Wear it with the shoes at the bottom of the post for a night out.

The long knit

Long jumpers and biker boots are a nice way to style leather leggings for a weekend. This Merino Kimono sleeve sweater from Jigsaw (£98) is a great jumper and one which I used for an event on Wednesday night. It's long and loose enough to give the right look, without swamping the wearer. It also looks great with a long pendant worn over the top of it.

The shirt dress

Depending on the fabric and print of the shirt dress, it could be worn either to dress the leggings up for a night out, or down, to wear them casually.

GAP has a good selection of shirt dresses and this plaid shirt dress (£35) would work well worn with ankle boots for a casual look. Again, for anyone who prefers to steer clear of a high neck, a V-neck can be created by undoing the top couple of buttons.

The Long Cardi

Long cardis work well over leather leggings, provided that any top worn underneath has the requisite length at the front, if you get my drift.

This long wrap around cardigan from Zara (£19.99) comes in several colour ways and would look good with a brighter jumper, or printed jumper, worn underneath it or with a plain top and a big printed scarf. I think that I would have to work in a bit of neon to this look.

Sweater/jumper/sweatshirt dress

Tapping into the trend for sweatshirts, a sweatshirt dress would give a very modern feel to the look and would look fantastic with a statement necklace. This sweat dress from Topshop (£19.99) would work well, as would a more traditional jumper dress. I am sure that Primark will have some lovely novelty ones in time for Christmas!

I had to include these shoes on here today. They are my current all time favourite. They are the lacey Courts from Carvela (£59 down from £85) and they would look totally brilliant with leather leggings - as they would with lots of things. They are a classic style but the spikes give them an edge, so they tick that box for when you want something stylish but also very modern.