Three wardrobe basics at a high(ish) price and three alternatives at a low(er) price...

[Whistles jeans, jacket and boots, Jigsaw sweatshirt, H&M necklace, Kate Spade bag]

When I'm out and about in the shops I come across a lot of things, some of which are cheaper alternatives to other things I may have come across elsewhere. A number of pieces like this have come my way recently, so I thought that I would share them with you....

First of all, there's this long line layering shirt from Me & Em (£98) which I have looked at, and lusted after, many times over the last few seasons. The white one is currently out of stock but it looks as though it is due back in sometime soon. However at £98 for a shirt, it's not something that I can square off in my mind. 

However, this H&M longline shirt (£14.99), which also comes in white, is 100% cotton and it will do the same job. I'm liking the saving of £83.01!

For many years, I've been a fan of trousers with a side zip. Although I don't own any myself right now, they are fantastic for ladies who wear tunics as a jeans button can quite often show through them. For ladies with a bit of a tum they are a great option because this style tends to be pretty high waisted, which gives a smoother line. They also tend to be pretty slim in the leg so there's none of that "if they fit around the waist they're like sails around the hips and legs" business going on.

Anyway, J. Crew have just released their Martie pant (£89.50), which are skinny with a side zip....

....now you will have to bear with me on this one BUT M&S  do a style which is pretty similar - these high waisted skinny tube jeggings for £29.50. I asked you to bear with me on this one because any brand that calls an item a "skinny tube jegging" deserves to have them sitting on the shelves until they go into the sale. A less enticing name for a piece of clothing I cannot imagine. My stomach just clenches and then swells at the thought of them. However, the style is great and I bought them for the style party that I was doing the other night and they looked amazing on. So don't write them off either as a result of the name, or the totally awful picture. And for anyone who buys them, rather than the J Crew ones, that's £60 saved.

Phase Eight always stock a side zipped style and they have their Amina jegging (£49) in at the moment. The only thing that I would say about the M&S and Phase Eight styles are that they don't have a back pocket (unlike the J, Crew ones) which can be slightly less flattering but in any event side zipped trousers can, due to their lack of pockets at the front, create a little hint of the camel toe so from that perspective a slightly longer top is better in any event, whether there are pockets on the bottom or not.

Now this style of shoe first seemed to come on the scene later on last summer. Laura over at WIT featured this style from Isabel Marant (£315) on her blog today. Lovely as they are - and she mentioned how soft they were, which is something to bear in mind....

...there's a pretty similar style in Dune for £89, which still isn't a bargain basement price but for anyone unsure as to whether it's a style they will get a lot of wear out of, it's worth investing in a less expensive option first....

...which is where this style from New Look (£22.99) comes in. I've tried both this style and the ones from Dune and both seem pretty comfortable to me. So that's another £226, or £292.01 saved.

So, that's a little bit of cash saved to buy yourself some other sneaky purchases instead.

A style staple plus Sienna Miller's hair and is it me or does Catherine ZJ look more and more like VB?

Carrying on with my plan to wear everything in my wardrobe, a pea coat is a style of coat that never goes out of fashion. It's a timeless classic and if you're thinking of investing in any type of coat, this is one that will last for years - along with a biker style jacket, a leather jacket, a trench coat or a camel coat. Other styles come and go and they are nice to own in an exciting, heart missing a beat kind of way, but as they may only last a few seasons they are probably more of a Zara/Topshop buy.

I had my first pea coat when I was about 23 and wanted to replace it after it had served me very well. This one from Reiss I bought in their post Christmas sale about 4 years ago now and provided that I don't grow out of it, it should last me for many years to come.

Now I may be a bear of very little brain but it just can't deal with this picture. It keeps trying to make it into Victoria Beckham. The similarities between her and Catherine ZJ are starting to become a bit spooky and my little brain finds is very confuddling.

Although in fairness I can't really comment about people coveting other people's looks because if I had hair that I could cut into this choppy bob, I so would. As it is it would take me forever to grow my short style out and knowing me after a few months I would cut short again so there's no point in even going there - but somehow I can't stop thinking about it which is always a bad sign.

The 12 outfits of Christmas, day 11 - The printed dress and flat shoes

A pair of comfortable and smart(ish) flats are a weapon in your arsenal of essential wardrobe items. Getting the right pair can be tricky as flats aren't always the most flattering of styles. For those blessed with slim ankles they can look just fine but for those with cankles or heavier calves - which probably accounts for about 90% of us - they can be more of a challenge. A small block heel is quite often the best fix but a pointed toe or a kitten heel can work wonders in balancing proportions or adding just a weeny bit of height. Toning them in with the colour of your tights elongates your legs and a shorter hem length can have the same effect, hopefully avoiding that Miss Marple look.

I wore this Warehouse dress yesterday when we largely spent the day at home. I bought the dress last winter and it's great because although it's a neat fit over the shoulders, it's fairly straight up and down so it's an easy style to wear. No clinging, no tight waistbands - perfect for this time of year plus the print keeps the eye on the move so whatever lumps and bumps may lie beneath, no one would ever know.

For a similar style, the Boden printed Beaufort dress is a very nice little number. A friend of mine has one and it looks fantastic, it's a real winner and definitely worth a shot in the sale. It's £69.30 and there's a blue print which is also in the sale, for £49.50.

I'll be back tomorrow with my last outfit of my 12 outfits for Christmas. They have been a little sporadic and I've not always managed to include a gift but I hope that you have enjoyed them. x

The 12 outfits of Christmas, day 6 - One from Zara and & Other Stories for the rounds of Christmas jobs and chores.

"Are those jeans new?" Mr SG asked me a couple of days ago. To which I replied "Yes."
"What you bought them with those holes in? Please tell me you're joking."
"Yes I did and no, I'm not." The poor man was at a loss for words - incredulous and utterly confused by the whole thing but I think that it's fair to say that, on occasion, I suffer at the hands of his sense of humour so I didn't feel too bad.

As we all know, a new pair of jeans can work wonders at breathing life into your wardrobe. I saw these jeans in a magazine a couple of weeks ago so went to try them out in Zara (£29.99) earlier this week. They're a low rise but not ridiculously low and they're actually very comfortable plus I liked the frayed hem. I haven't bought any trousers or jeans from Zara for a few years now, since a pair I bought ripped right where you wouldn't want them to but I thought that they deserved another chance.

With this new blouse from & Other Stories (£45) which I bought in London last week, I was sorted for a day of Christmas jobs. As an aside, the fit of this blouse is lovely - not too tight and I also managed to get a long sleeved cotton T underneath as an extra layer.

More of a decoration than a gift, I'm currently loving Eric, our stag head from Cox & Cox (£25). He's probably the most decorated (and camp looking) stag that there is, adorned as he is with Monsoon Christmas glasses and decorations from Selfridges and John Lewis. When you have to relinquish control of the the tree to the children, you need a little bit of something to call your own - and on reflection, if this is what I do to Eric, it's probably just as well that I'm not in charge of the tree.

Camo, leather, fur, patent and embellishment - sounds a lot for one outfit!

 

 

[Oufit: Topshop skirt and jumper, Oasis leather jacket, Damart gilet, Dune shoes and no, I've no idea what I'm doing in this photo either!]

 

Oh crikey so much to say, so little time to say it, so I'm not going to regale you with tales of how I really want a t-shirt with the slogan on "I'm just trying to get the house tidy for Christmas" which I can point to each time one of the children leaves a wet towel on the floor, or school books in our bedroom, or shoes piled in places that shoes shouldn't be piled - all of which happens frequently. 

 

Nor am I going to tell you about how I'm trying to be a Domestic Goddess, using every spare second to bake cakes, make stews or whizz up desserts, all of which I can freeze before Christmas so that a beautiful meal can be produced with minimal effort. Sadly I'm lacking some of the assets of the real Domestic Goddess (namely huge boobs, big red lips and a silky negligee) but you know, a onesie will do.

 

That aside, yesterday I resurrected one of my favourite skirts from last winter. I bought it in Topshop in Belfast, along with the grey embellished jumper, whilst I was over there speaking at a lunch last year. I have such fond memories of that trip - everyone was so friendly.

 

To keep out the chill I've layered it with my old (and on its last legs) cream Oasis leather jacket and a fur gilet from Damart (£39) which they kindly sent to me to review. Having worn a few fur gilets I have to say that this is a lovely one. It's not too bulky which is great as the idea of fur can be good but the reality can be a little honey monster at times. It also has hidden hook and eye fastenings plus as it's collarless it has a nice simple line about it. I really like layering fur gilets over a leather jacket for a layered look - plus the added warmth of course. This one is a good price too so if you've not ventured down that particular road before but are considering doing so, this is a great place to start.

 

Must dash - time to go and order myself a silk negligee so that I can come down and eat the Christmas leftovers from the fridge in the middle of the night in true Nigella style.

A (not too) sparkly outfit for a night out...or for a night in, if you fancy it...

 

OK so I accept that this is not the closest shot of the outfit that I am wearing but it gives an idea of its silhouette at least. It's a two piece; a high waisted A-line midi skirt and a short top, which looks short enough on the hanger to reveal a little too much mid-riff but in fact it doesn't reveal any (luckily).

A two piece can work really well as an alternative to a dress particularly for those ladies who wear a different top size to skirt size - and a high waisted skirt fits neatly, avoiding the gaping that can come with a skirt which sits lower on the hips. So do give one a try, even if it looks as though the top will finish somewhere up near your arm pits - they are really nice for a change.

I wore this Jacquard top from Miss Selfridge (£24.50),

together with this jacquard skirt from Miss Selfridge (£31.50) and a pair of very high sparkly Dune shoes just because if you can't wear sparkle when its Christmas, when can you? It looked and felt far more expensive than its reasonable price tag. If someone had stuck me in it and said it was from Reiss or Whistles, I wouldn't have argued with them.

I spotted another double trouble outfit in Warehouse today, which isn't online but if you're passing and if you're after a two piece outfit, it's definitely worth a closer look. From memory it was black, sparkly (there's a surprise) again with a skirt - possibly pencil - and a short sleeved top combination.

And I'm including this just because I love it and one might just be on its way to be sometime soon.....a sequin skirt from Miss Selfridge (£38.50). Now we're starting to verge on the ridiculous. Is there such a thing as excessive sequinnage? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A glamourous Mum in a glamourous outfit from Coast, Dune, Carvela and Jigsaw

 

 

A very beautiful lady!

 

Last night we held a Glamour Evening at school and I styled the fashion side of things. It was a joint event between myself and a friend who is an Arbonne representative, plus we had a hairdresser come along to do an "up do" on one of the models, a make-up artist, a team of ladies threading eyebrows and another lady promoting her teeth whitening business - so there was plenty going on. The entrance to the event was lit with tea lights (I can't take credit for any of this) which made it look really pretty.

 

The board room was transformed - a little bit Winter Wonderland and a little bit Downton Abbey!

 

Well, what's a mantelpiece for if not for displaying shoes....

...and the odd bag?

 

During the evening we covered a number of different events that might arise during the Christmas calendar and "black tie" was one of them. A lovely Mum from school had her hair and make-up done for the event.  In preparation for the event I chose this fabulously opulent Rita skirt from Coast (was £125, now £87.50) which I knew would make the most of her tiny waist and which I hoped that she would agree to wear - and luckily she did. [They are only available in limited sizes now but if anyone is desperate for a size 10, I have a spare one - although only at the full price.]

 

 

I've displayed the outfit in the pictures below and in addition to the skirt you can also see the bag that I used, which is from Dune (Now £52 instead of £65) as I wanted to pick up the blue in the skirt elsewhere in the outfit but this could just as easily be done in some shoes or in some jewellery.

I also opted for the Coast Sunnita jacket (£85 full price though it is available with a discount at some stores) as it has a nice neat fitted shape to it and I didn't want to spoil the line of the skirt, some Stella & Dot earrings, a Coast thick gold bangle and Carvela Lacey shoes which have little spikes on the front and which were included just to add a bit of an edge to the outfit.

 

Carvela Lacey shoes - tricky to find right now, House of Fraser have sold out and the Very website has crashed but there will be some somewhere!

I also used this 100% silk cami from Jigsaw (now £35.10 instead of £39). These are fantastic for layering under jackets as they aren't too tight, the V-neck isn't too low and the straps are adjustable so they're not constantly falling off your shoulders. They come in a whole range of colours too - just in case anyone is after something similar.

I hear that Santa may be buying this outfit for a black tie event which this lady has coming up. He sounds like my kind of chap!

Something furry from Zara for a chilly morning...

 

Coat: Zara, jeans: Whistles Maya; Boots; Dune, Bag: Kate Spade

 

So after yesterday's post, I've raided the Birmingham Oasis and relieved it of many of its striped jumpers. Ooops!

 

Today saw the inaugural outing of the Zara fur coat (£69.99), which I have had sitting in my wardrobe for about 6 weeks now. The timing had to be right and today was the day. It may have had something to do with the fact that I saw the much lusted after Shrimp coats in Selfridges yesterday which, on closer inspection, didn't feel any different at all in texture to this considerably less expensive Zara one. Or it could have been that because it was a Friday I was feeling frivolous. I know, living life on the edge or what? Or maybe it was just because, at long last, I felt brave enough to venture out in it, despite the reservations of the six year old as to its shape which I get, although not to its colour which is what was I expecting. Having said that, she did keep on stroking it as I walked her in to school.

 

I have spent more hours in the shops this week than I can count. Next week I'm working at an event at the children's school. We're holding a glamour night and we will have a talk from a skincare and make up brand, there will be a hairdresser there doing up dos, along with someone doing eyebrows. I have a teacher, parents and friends modelling for me. We're doing a metaphorical walk through the Christmas calendar together with the outfits that you may want for those events and I'm having a ball indulging my inner glam (which doesn't often make an appearance) buying all things silk, satin and sequinned. I can't really share any photos yet of the things that I bought but I hope to do so after the event. We only have about ten tickets left and if anyone would like one, please just drop me an email. I am soooo excited about it!

 

Look forward to catching up next week!

The fail safe anytime, anywhere, going out outfit...

 

Today I received an SOS email from a reader whose husband had sprung a weekend away on her. Lovely as the surprise was, she wasn't quite sure what to wear to the champagne bar her husband was taking her to.

For me there's always one fail safe outfit which I have tried and tested many times over so, if you don't have a huge amount of time to shop, to suss out the latest styles, fashions and trends, this won't let you down....I promise.

So, take one pair of fitted black trousers such as the Jigsaw woven jersey riding legging (£85)...

if they are a bit tight and scary, instead go for the GAP slim cropped pants (£34.95)...

Nip to Oasis and pick up this leather trim long line ponte jacket or something similar - there are plenty to choose from..

 

Work in a plain top - either silky, or a vest top or a fine knit. Just nip to M&S if necessary and pick up a fancy vest! This slinky mesh trim vest for £5 should do the trick. Tweak it as necessary depending on your shape and size. Something less clingy or with more bust support may work better for some but you get the idea.

 

 

Then work in the fun bits. Trawl through your wardrobe and see what you can find - the sparkly shoes, the statement necklace or finer necklaces layered together, the cocktail ring, the chunky bracelet, the painted nails, the lippy and a clutch. And believe me, you're ready to go. Whether it's to a cocktail bar, a gastro pub for a meal out, a night with the girls at one of their houses you won't feel out of place. Stylish and simple with a bit of colour or sparkle as a talking point is all that you need. As they say on the Apprentice "it's not rocket surgery" (I know, the mind boggles) but it works.

 

If you need to add a few bits in, here are my tips...

 

Hit New Look for a clutch. Whether it's yellow, sparkly, embellished or plain, they have a great choice. This box clutch for £15.99 will work with lots of things. Just turn it on its side if needs be!

 

 

Dune has some great shoes for the party season. I love the Alina (£69) which comes in 11 styles to include sparkly ones, bright colours, suede, metallic snake skin and leopard. They are a mid height court, so not massively high but of course places like NEXT and Oasis have some great styles for this time of year too.

 

 

Alina leopard print...

 

Alina bright pink...

Alina sparkle...

 

And then for a necklace.  I love this one from Oasis (£10). It's not too much but it's got nice sharp lines about it.

 

 

For something a little more statement like, nip over to Alice's Wonders for some serious bling! This star necklace is £14. But equally you may prefer ear-rings and a cocktail ring to a necklace, or a chunky bracelet instead. Just go with what feels comfortable.

 

 

Don't worry about mixing silver and gold or black and navy and don't worry about getting exactly the right "shades" of black together. It's about wearing things with confidence and giving the impression that every part of your outfit is well thought out and intentional even if it's all been put together at the last minute. Seriously, if ever anyone came up to me and told me that they thought that my navy and black didn't quite go or that I'd mixed silver and gold, I quite possibly think that I would tell them to go and get a life (in a nice way of course.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outfits that make me happy and keep me warm! And a little something for my wardrobe...

 

"There's nothing worse that tights that don't fit properly" were the words of wisdom imparted by the 6 year old on the way into school this morning. And you know, she's absolutely right. I replenished her tights stock at John Lewis yesterday but clearly I got it slightly wrong. I like it when the girls have lots of new school tights. It makes me feel like a competent and organised mother.

I even looked at buying one of those gingerbread houses to make at Christmas as that would have made me a competent and organised mother but in an entirely different stratosphere. A domestic goddess no less. But then I looked at the instructions, realised that all that icing bag and piping nonsense was probably way beyond me, that it would look like a two year old had done it, that no-one would eat it and that I would finally put it in the bin mid January cursing what a waste of time it had been.  And then where would my well performing mother role be? No, sometimes knowing your limitations in life is a good thing.

I spent a huge amount of time in the shops last week and these were a couple of the outfits that I wore. They're not drastically different to one another and largely comprised of basics to include navy Whistles trousers, boots (black or navy) a jumper (sparkly or roll neck) and a jacket (Whistles: top photo, or Oasis and Zara: bottom photo).

On my rounds I came across too many things to mention but this Oasis snowflake jumper (£42) caught my eye. It's much nicer in really life - more vibrant and sparkly and the longer length will be preferred by many.

I also absolutely love this New Look fur duffle bag (£22.99), to the point that it may be finding its way into my wardrobe sometime fairly soon.

Hope that everyone's week has got off to a fabulous start!