Double sequins - faux pas or OK?

You may remember that a few posts ago, I mentioned my double sequin outfit. Well here it is. Get that for sparkle overload!

The top was from H&M last year. It was bought by so many bloggers that between us we probably kept H&M going through the winter period. It wasn't expensive but I loved it then as I do now. H&M has done another version this year but it's a slightly different shape - looser maybe - which may work better for some, than for others.

Sequin top H&M (£29.99)

As to my trousers, they are the coated skinnies from Boden from a few seasons ago now but they have been such a great buy. New Look has a great pair this season  and here I've linked to all of their coated skinnies and leggings - for they have a few.

And the shoes - well these are the Topshop glitter shoes which have pretty much sold out now and which I've probably worn in every post for about the last three weeks.  But there is the odd pair lurking here and there in store and Topshop are pretty good at tracking them down - so don't give up if you have your heart set on some! Plus the silver are available online in a size 40.

Please bear with me whilst I release my inner fairy....I fear that there may well be many more sparkly and glittery outfits to come in the upcoming weeks.

How to wear leopard print. Grrrrrrr!

(Wearing: Whistles striped jumper, Boden leopard print bag (both seasons past!) side striped trousers from M&S and Adidas Stan Smiths)

Leopard print is one of the huge trends of the season but if you're not sure how to wear it, here are a few easy ways, starting from a nod to a full on embrace...

First off, this H&M leopard print bracelet (£7.99) which is perfect as a starting point - or finishing point. Or any point really. Oh dear, I think that I've tempted myself with it....

Next up, how about a bag? This Boden bag (£179.10) is a real gem. It's showing as out of stock at the moment with a 7 week wait but I've never had to wait that long for anything from Boden. And good things are worth waiting for! The beauty of a handbag, or shoes, is that as they are not directly "on" us - like our clothing, so we feel less self conscious when wearing them - or when people look at them. That's why bags and shoes are such a good starting point if you feel like taking a little risk. Obviously this one isn't the cheapest out there but if the thought of a leopard print handbag appeals, you won't have to look too far to find one - try this one from H&M for £7.99.

A scarf is always a good starting point too. I like this jacquard weave shawl from H&M (£14.99) - it's substantial and not floppy. Why that matters I have no idea. And whilst it's definitely from the leopard family, it's not full on leopard - well that is unless there are leopards out there with a slight pink tinge to them. If so, I thoroughly approve.

So getting a little more full on fashiony, there's this leopard print blouse from H&M (£19.99) which has a little frilled stand up collar and a chiffon feel about it. This blouse would be fantastic for layering up a crew neck jumper, for wearing on a night out with a cami underneath or for generally giving any black trousers or denim a bit of a kick up the whatsit.

And my absolute favourite, the Hush printed leopard joggers (£45). Grrrrrr! Cold evening sitting by the fire, here we come!

I could go on. Everything comes in leopard print from running gear, to shoes, boots, coats, jumpers and for those feeling really brave this H&M leopard print costume (£14.99). What do you mean, not on your life?!

Apologies for the fact that this post is a bit H&M heavy. Unless I'm writing a post about a particular brand, I try and spread my shopping choices around but I think that my family would far rather that I spent that extra time preparing their dinner.

It's midi, it's pleated and it hides a multitude of sins...

So what are the sins that this skirt hides? Let's think - bruises, blemishes, failure to attend to one's less than smooth legs?  So far so good. And it "wafts" beautifully in the breeze, making one feel almost lady like - although it also catches in the back of my trainers as I walk down the stairs which could, quite possibly, result in a less than lady like fall followed by less than lady like language.

There are lots of pleated skirts around at the moment. One of my favourites is this grey jersey one from Oasis (£30). It has a slightly more casual feel about it, so is good for those who don't fancy wearing satin on a daily basis.

Or for a bit of colour, there's this coral one from Oliver Bonas (£55), which also comes in blue or white. 

New Look has a great selection of pleated skirts, including this stripe monochrome one, for £27.99

The skirt that I am wearing is the satin pleat ankle grazer skirt from Topshop (£49), which also comes in a midi length (and that comes in tall and petite too.) I liked the khaki as a change from my usual grey, navy or black and they are surprisingly easy to wear - trainers, ankle boots, block heels, skater trainers, sandals - plus as I mentioned above, they hide a multitude of sins.

Lots of people have asked me whether they can get away with a pleated skirt and the answer is yes - it just has to be the right one. Some are very voluminous and they don't always work so well with flats, so the satin ones, or the ones with fewer pleats help with that. The longer ones also create a really nice vertical line, so they are surprisingly elongating even on a petite frame. So if you're tempted, go and have a good try on with some different styles of shoes and see what you think. Enjoy!

Hello Lovely (from Boden!)

Zara jeans, Topshop shoes, Boden sweatshirt (current), M&S bag (last year), Jigsaw sunglasses and necklace

I think that I have had half an eye on a logo sweatshirt for a while, but the words needed to mean something to me. When I saw this "hello lovely" sweatshirt by Boden (£41.65) it pretty much had my name written all over it, as this is a phrase that I quite often say to my friends. And if that isn't a brilliant excuse to make a purchase, what is?!

Before I sign off, I thought that I would just share a couple of photos of the interior of Watergate Bay Hotel where we went for a short stay a couple of weeks ago. It's all so simple and calming, with a lovely gentle colour palette.

I half wish that our home could look like this some of the time but then it wouldn't be a home - and anyway who could I shout at to tidy away their shoes/school bags/general detritus? Actually I've realised that quite a lot of it belongs to me. I seem to own way more shoes than I have feet.

Oooh what a tidy desk. Impractical - but tidy. And after all that's what counts isn't it?!

Hope that you are all having a good week. Beth x

That was the week that was - a little bit of house, a little bit of fashion and a competition coming your way soon!

Going for a bit of a biker look in this Reiss jacket that I've had for about 6 years but which fits so well, an H&M skirt, Boden roll neck and Whistles gloves and biker boots. 

Hello my lovelies, how are you all? I hope that you've had a lovely Mother's Day. I know that for some it can be a little bit of a sad and emotional day so I'm thinking of you all and sending you lots of love. I started off my day by running with a friend (lovely) dropping in on another friend (lovely - for me at least!) and then coming home to....dye the grey out of my hair. Ho hum! 

The rest of the day was fabulous though with lunch out, a wander around John Lewis, a home made chocolate cake with chunks of toblerone in it and crushed maltesers on top (yum) and some lovely pressies. My treat to myself is to check in with you all to say hello and to give you a little update - for there's a lot going on! 

Just prior to the work starting

As you may have gathered, we are having some work done to the house. It's a 14 week build project which was due to start last Monday, however we weren't really sure until three days beforehand whether it would start or not.  So, at the 11th hour we had to arrange for the downstairs of the house to be cleared and the furniture sent to storage. Last weekend was fun.

 Getting ready for the builders - I knew that the gin would come in handy.

The night before the work was due to start, we had fireworks to mark the occasion and to say goodbye to the house as we knew it. 

It didn't take long for the builders to get cracking.

Monday morning carnage.

Despite being a family of five, our house is "usually" fairly relaxed and calm but last Monday morning I had about 12 men in the house; the builders started ripping down the conservatory, there were skips arriving, the electrician was making the house safe, the plumber was moving and re-plumbing the washing machine, the alarm chap was dis-connecting certain sensors, the carpenter was building false walls and me? I stood paralysed behind the kitchen island, took a couple of photos and ate a WHOLE LOAD of chocolate. As for Mr SG?

He went to work leaving his sour dough to rise amongst the chaos. As you do. 

No more conservatory! It leaked and there's nothing that Mr SG hates more than a leak. They drive him round the bend.

Two days later, the conservatory was down. It's fair to say that the house is looking a pretty ugly place right now but hopefully in three weeks or so the new build will be up with the roof on and then it should start to look a whole look better. In the meantime I'm frantically making mood boards for the new utility room, study area, dining area and living area. For so long it didn't really seem that anything was happening and then all of a sudden we're meant to have chosen everything. Help! And sadly now that the living room is empty it's clear that the carpet is in need of an update so that room might just need a bit of attention. Such a shame.

Whilst in John Lewis today I seemed to lose a couple of the children.

Jigsaw trousers, Topshop jumper, Zara cardi, Accessorize scarf, Whistles boots.

This photo was taken at the end of the week - I'm just about still standing (unlike the conservatory). But with working, trying to sort the house, training for the marathon (we're up to 24 miles now so quite happy about that) and so on I'm not getting the time to blog as often as I would like. And I miss you all!

However I've got some great posts lined up - an exclusive competition with M&S to win a gift card of £100 for you and a friend, a new jewellery brand to introduce you to and an inspiring story from a reader who used her FitBit to help her to lose 3 stones.

Have a lovely week everyone and I hope to be back soon. x 

Beth's Best Sale Buys!

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not really a fan of the sales when they first start. They are always crowded plus I tend to be on school holidays when they start - and children and busy shops definitely don't mix.  Nope, I prefer the sales when they are drawing to a close. When the stores go into final markdowns and there are discounts of 70% to be had. Yes, that's more like it. 

And I might have just bought one or two pieces in the sale. Whether I shall keep them all or not I don't know yet but here goes....

OK so I'm slightly late to the culottes party but I saw these earlier in the season and I liked them very much. When they presented themselves to me on my recent travels, I thought that it would be rude not to at least try them on. And would you know it, they came home with me! These are the Hobbs Hazel Culottes (down from £110 to £33).

This top first came out in cream last spring and it was gorgeous. Then it was released in this slate colour for the Autumn/Winter, which is probably slightly more practical. It's a fantastic top being the perfect length with skirts (pleated/prom style) and higher waisted trousers. It's a top that I've had my eye on for a while and at this great price, who am I to argue?  Jigsaw Cropped Shell Top (down from £79 to £23)

I bought these boots in a burgundy/wine colour earlier in the season and they have been great. They are just the right heel height and as well as being comfortable, they are cut quite low at the front, making them work with skirts and dresses, as well as trousers. When I saw that the black ones had gone into the sale, I knew that I could squirrel them away in preparation for next winter. Boden Harper Boot (down from £110 to £35)

Remember the spring wedding that I keep wittering on about? Well I thought that these might be quite nice for that. Shoes with multiple straps are going to be a huge trend for the upcoming season but irrespective of that, I like them because they combine classic leopard with a bit of trend. What do you mean leave them for someone else to buy? Don't be daft!  Boden Cordelia Heel (down from £130 to £41.70)

An interesting flat is always a great piece to have in your wardrobe and it may be that these also get squirrelled away until next Christmas. The first review I read about them said that they were comfortable (big plus) and the next reviewer said that they were very blingy - too much so for the reviewer but I was right in there. Bling away! Boden Embellished T-bar Point (down from £110 to £35.70)


So no I haven't added it up. I'll leave that for Mr SG to do when he reads this at work. No doubt he will come home and tell me how much I've spent but that's entirely missing the point. The point is how much I've SAVED. And I reckon that's quite a bit, so all is good :)

What the future holds for Style Guile - and flashing the ankles whilst the tan remains!

Trying to keep the ankles out whilst they are still vaguely tanned...  

Trousers and knitted jacket: Boden, Blouse: & Other Stories, Shoes: Topshop, Bag: Whistles

During our return flight home I spent some time going through all of the photos on my phone. It's amazing the story that they tell, a lot of them relating to Style Guile.

I think that it's fair to say that recently I've been grappling with where to take the blog next. During the time that I've been blogging I've been so fortunate; I've been invited to some wonderful events, met amazing people, worked with some iconic brands and received some fantastic gifts - all of which makes me feel ever so slightly guilty.

Also, there are so many fantastic bloggers out there now and I do wonder what (if anything) I add to the blogosphere. I'm not very good at planning posts in advance, or covering the sales, or trawling sites for the perfect whatever it may be. Style Guile has always been a little more instinctive - a sort of "oooh, what do I fancy writing about today?" kind of approach, rather than a structured approach - a bit of an antidote to both work and life if you like (both of which I adore, of course.)

And then I thought about why I started Style Guile in the first place and sort of came full circle. I love writing and sharing my finds and I find it fun and rewarding. None of that has changed and I'm so, so grateful to all of you who have stayed with me over the years.

So, Style Guile won't be going anywhere but I feel that it's important that it evolves to reflect interests in other areas of my life as well as fashion. We will be having our house knocked around next year and from time to time I hope to write about that, sharing the progress and interiors that we choose. (This is my very rudimentary image board!)

I am also going to (hope to?) run the London Marathon, so I would like to write about the training involved and the nutrition side of things. Exercise is a big part of my life and over the years people have asked me about my training so I hope to share details of that too. There are lots of balls that us mid 40 year olds have to juggle so it will be good to write about those balls too as well as the fashion ones of course.

And as for beauty, that's not really my thing for now but if anyone wants to let me know about any wonder creams that stop your eyes from disappearing into your head, please do let me know!

I'm looking forward to fun times ahead and I hope that you will come along for the journey. If there's anything in particular that you would like me to cover, please do let me know. Beth x

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

What to wear when going to choose a Christmas tree...

Remember the Zara cardigan (similar here) that I featured on my You Tube vlog right at the start of the "winter"? Well it has definitely secured itself in my affections, together with these Boden Harper boots which seem to be glued to my feet right now. The price of these boots varies by colour and the black ones are £59.50 which is a pretty good price for a pair of boots that are so versatile.

Yesterday we went to buy our Christmas tree (I have deja vu each time I write this - I must have been blogging for far too many years now!) and as it was very windy I popped on my Topshop bobble hat which was a present from my Mum last year. I figure that you can never go wrong with a bit of denim and so this Whistles denim dress came along for the ride too.

I'm glad to report that the tree is now up and stylishly (!) decorated with all manner of things that we've collected over the years. From kitsch and slightly camp, to delicate and fairy tale like and from sequins to felt - all with a bit of tinsel mixed in, it's what one might call an eclectic mix - and not one that you would find in any interiors magazine.

Who doesn't love (fake) fur...and stripes....mixed? One to covet, one to consider and one to own!

I remember coveting Shrimps fur coats this time last year. And some things don't change....

Shrimps fur coat (£595)

And then this Pippa Coat from Boden (£199 - currently on sale for £173.13) caught my eye and the possibility of owning a striped fur coat seemed to get a little closer...

But then when I was in town a day or so ago, I spotted the Topshop fur clutch (£32) and my heart skipped a beat. Which made me realise, it's probably just the idea of stripes and fur that I like, rather than necessarily a striped fur coat. And the possibility of owning something which ticked those boxes just got a whole lot closer.

blue striped clutch (£32)

orange and purple striped clutch (£32)

From jeans and a leather jacket, to a pleather pleated skirt and chunky jumper, or a boho dress and a cape - this will work with them all. The only question is, which one should it be? (My vote....actually I don't have a vote. I think that they're all fab!)

Other peeps out there seem to like striped fur things too. What do you think? (Images courtesy of Pinterest). The second picture brings me on to a whole separate topic of OTK boots. It's taken a while but this year, I think that I might just go there.