It's casual all the way today....

"Give me your best holiday face" said the youngest as she was photographing me. And this is what she got! As you can see I'm uber casual today - Topshop skirt, H&M t-shirt, ancient converse and GAP clutch for those million jobs that need doing before you go away.

Watch out for Mr SG's guest posts whilst I'm away, to include how to wear crocs 10 different ways and the art of dressing yourself by taking whatever is on top of the pile when you open the wardrobe. I'm so going to miss him whilst I'm away. x

Don't dress for the season, dress for the weather....I'm trying, really I am.

"Don't dress for the season, dress for the weather" were the wise words imparted to me by the lady who works on the returns counter in our M&S. She's lovely and we have some great chats, all of which somehow seem to involve the size of her boobs - at her instigation, not mine. But in fairness they are noteworthy.

Anyway, I got to thinking how right she is. How cold, wet and windy will it have to get before I finally relent and put some socks and a winter coat on, like so many people that I saw today? The trouble is that somehow I just can't bring myself to take that step backwards, which could quite possibly explain how it came to be that today I bought a white sun dress.

So this morning, rather than return to a full on winter coat, I opted for my Jigsaw coatigan (a less stylish name for a piece of clothing I cannot imagine).

Worn with a Topshop blouse which I reclaimed from our eldest's wardrobe, GAP trousers and my Topshop shoes to which I appear to be surgically attached at the moment, I was sorted (other than in the playground at drop-off and pick-up when I was freezing). OK I'll admit - maybe I should just go back to a winter coat.

Dare to flare? We're talking cropped kick flares here...

There was a time, not so many years ago, when there was only ONE style of jeans - and they were boot cut. Since then we've seen skinny, boyfriend, girlfriend, wide legged, busted, the return of flares and now, cropped flares.

First off we have Alexa Chung at London Fashion Week back in February  of this year. She's styled hers with the fashion staples of leopard print, sunglasses (in Feb?) and black boots. The look works on Alexa. As to whether many of mere mortals could pull it off, I'm not so sure.

Image taken courtesy of Grazia daily

Except that really she wasn't the first to wear them at all. No, that privilege (although I stand to be corrected) went to Jenna Lyons, who wore them at NY Fashion Week in September 2014. I love how Jenna has styled her kick flares with a cream leather jacket, aviators, a gold bag and courts. For me this is a really fresh and modern way to wear them.

 Image courtesy ofVanessa Jackman

Who What Wear have featured them on Pinterest, styled with a cable knit and converse which demonstrates their versatility. Here they look really laid back and cool.

Although these jeans are classed as cropped girlfriend jeans (Limited at Marks and Spencer £35) they have the same shape as those worn by Alexa and Jenna (note we're on first name terms!!)

Now when I saw them on me, the words "Worzel Gummidge" sprang to mind (it's the hem detail), which is a shame because I really like them but I know that when words spring to my mind, the same words are also likely to spring to Mr SGs mind - and then that would be the end of them.

I have to say that the cable jumper was a fluke and not a copy of the image above, which I found later. No, my inspiration in wearing this jumper was along the lines of "I'm not sure whether I like this. I think that I'll wear it today and then make a decision on it..."

When I was in town on Thursday, I also spotted the Topshop moto girlfriend jeans (£40). I didn't have time to try them but on the mannequin they looked like a cropped flare.

However I think that it's fair to say that they didn't quite translate into such in real life, although for a straight leg cropped jean they are a really good buy and they have a good rise to them.

Don't be put off by Topshop jeans. I don't find them any smaller than any other brand and they're not all low slung. Also, the denim is really thick and supportive - not like that fabric that looks like denim but which feels like a pair of tights when actually on (which Topshop also does in their Jamie jeans). They are great for a petite and taller range too.

And then I got to thinking. I knew that I had a whole stack of boot cut jeans which still fit me but which I don't wear, from two pairs of Seven jeans to Gap long and lean, Gap curvy, Topshop Bessie, Jigsaw and Diesel - any of which I was prepared to have as my victim! So, using the M&S jeans as a template, I measured all of my old pairs against the M&S ones to find the best shape....

Having decided that the GAP curvy were the best shape, I marked the length with chalk...

....and then I started to chop...

So this was the finished result in the first instance. But then I decided that I wanted to wash them and fray the bottom a little, which I planned on doing by putting them in a mesh bag and putting them on a gentle wash. BUT, bless him, Mr SG got there first and washed them and now they're a little more frayed than I thought. They're still drying so I have yet to try them but in the meantime, I also have these on order...

...cropped kick flares from Topshop £38 - just to see how they stack up to the other pairs. If ultimately my home made ones don't work, I'm not fussed at all. It was fun while it lasted!

Has anyone else dared to chop?!

A metaphorical walk through the summer season at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens...

(Outfit: Gap trousers, French Connection shirt £45, Stan Smith trainers - all current)

Yesterday I styled and presented a charity lunch for 200 ladies at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens - a place which is dear to my heart and which will probably be known to many of you. The glass in the glasshouses is 100 years old and desperately needs replacing, so the aim of the lunch was to help to raise money towards the £1m target. I was invited by the Trustees and the Gardens' PR Company to style the event way back in February and it was lovely to see everything come to fruition at last.

I always start such busy days in really casual, practical clothes because there is a huge amount of running around to do before an event starts. I usually end up getting changed in a cupboard about two minutes before we start, which was exactly the case yesterday.

The function rooms at the Botanical Gardens have recently been re-furbished and they looked amazing. It's a great venue for a wedding or function and the gardens are so beautiful that you can be sure of fantastic photographs. So much thought and effort went in to making everything look fantastic which was no mean feat for small but very dedicated team.

The clothes for the event were lent to me by House of Fraser, Reiss, Jigsaw and Karen Millen, with bits and bobs bought from other brands.

This is a very grainy shot of the ladies in their "Ascot" look but I like the relaxed feel to it. We had a couple of press photographers so I will share some more photos at a later date. During the event we took a metaphorical walk through the summer season, covering looks for a wedding, Henley, a trip to the tennis plus a festival or picnic. Some of the hats for the Ascot look were provided by Sally from Sharper Millinery. For anyone who needs a hat for a special event, Sally is the lady to contact!

Although I had been doing the groundwork for several weeks, the clothes and shoes were finally collected on Monday, taken home to be hung up and organised, packed and taken to the event on Wednesday, packed and returned home Wednesday night and re-packed to be returned to the stores today. This is how I was looking this morning - a little wrung out I think - and still wearing trainers, albeit different ones, for more dashing around town.

(Outfit: GAP trousers, Jigsaw coatigan £149, Whistles scarf  £45, (all current) Nike trainers, Kate Spade bag - older)

My arsenal of weapons against the April chill...

"Are you cold Beth?" came the shout across the pub when I walked in yesterday to book a table for Mr SGs b'day today. The shout came from my friend's very witty husband, which was followed by a quick retort from my friend that he knew nothing about fashion. But in fairness he was right - I was cold and I was dressed for it. In fact having got dressed once, I nipped outside to test the temperature and returned inside muttering the words to myself "I refuse to spend all weekend pretending that I'm warm when I'm not," so off came the new Boden top and on went a pale grey La Redoute cashmere jumper, GAP boyfriend jeans, a Jigsaw pom pom scarf and Zara boots. I suspect it was the scarf that elicited the comment from Gok - its scale does mean that it makes its presence known!

I must admit that, along with a cream leather jacket, lighter coloured cashmere jumpers and some big cotton scarves (all of which are a little more spring like than their darker/heavier winter counterparts) a pair of pale ankle boots is a necessity in my arsenal of weapons against the spring chill. In all honesty mine could do with replacing and these are pretty strong contenders...

Mint Velvet mole zip ankle boots (£139). I like the low cut on these because a little bit of ankle flash is nice when it's spring, however they still offer some protection against the chill.

Ditto the Mint Velvet leather Eva ankle boot (£139) - I do like a more neutral coloured heel rather than the darker heel on mine but when I bought mine they were a bit of an experiment and they were definitely worth their £30 Zara price tag.

The Mint Velvet Stella ankle boot (£149) have an elegant shape to them and some detail with the buckles. Again they are a great colour but I don't think that a bit of protector spray would go a miss on any of these.

Sorry that there are only 3 choices and that they are all MV but for what it's worth I think that they have the best selection at the moment and I'm sure that anyone who likes the idea enough will do a bit of surfing and come up with some fab options of their own. Here's hoping for a slightly warmer week...

A navy Zara cardi - it doesn't sound very inspiring but I like its "swish"...

Just before Christmas, when we still had a Zara - how long does it take to do a refurb? - I bought this long line navy cardi. I hadn't worn it until today but the time just felt right. I suppose it was because although a warm layer was needed, a coat wasn't - and trying to find a coat to work over this little number would be virtually impossible. It made for quite a nice feel - a bit of a "swish" without wearing a dress - and we all like a little bit of "swish" from time to time don't we?

The nearest that I could find was this black edged rib coat from Zara £39.99. I'm not sure why it's described as a coat because from its composition it looks more cardi-like and unlike the one I'm wearing it is ribbed - but for anyone looking for something that's very wearable but a little bit different, something like this could be it.

A new season must have - How a pom pom scarf can give some ancient favourites a new lease of life...

We all know that a few good staples can work season after season and year after year and for this outfit I'm going to do a quick calculation of the age of my outfit:

• GAP boyfriend jeans, mercilessly dumped last year for the Jigsaw boyfriend jeans but now back in favour - 4 years;
• Hobbs blazer - a rough guess but I would say 4 years;
• Hobbs pale blue knit - again 4 years;
• Jigsaw handbag - used to death, fixed by the Handbag clinic, and now back on the scene - 10 years;
• Boden sunglasses - 3 years;
• Gold Aldo espadrilles - the new kids on the block - 1 year.

Total outfit age: 26 years

But then this Jigsaw pom pom scarf (£59) came along and turned things around, bringing everything back up to date. This scarf is big, big, big and I'll be able to use it as a great cover up on hot days on the beach. Normally I would go for a brighter option, of which there are many but I just liked this shade of grey and the contrasting pom poms. 

Other colours of Jigsaw pom pom scarf....indigo, navy, pink, shrimp and yellow - almost one for every day of the week!

Nautical, floral and khaki all at the same time? And how can we lighten our outfits when the temperature outside is only a few degrees above zero?

Having come this far down the "it's no longer winter so I'm not going to dress like it any more" track, I've decided that there's no going back. No more Boden polo - which I've pretty much lived in since Christmas, no more boots, no more heavy coats. But when the outside temperature in the morning is still only a few degrees above zero, what to do?

• Lightening the colours but not the fabric can make all the difference, so these utility GAP trousers look slightly less winter like than the same style but in black;
• A heavy cotton jumper like this striped Reiss one is lighter in its colour palette and general feel but its weight still offers warmth, so it's great for this time of year and also for when the summer is on its way out;
• Pointed block heels, again in a lighter colour, are less heavy than a boot but not quite so lightweight as a sandal/slide which it was too cold to wear this morning, although we got there later in the day. And bare ankles are a concession that I can just about handle right now. 

Tell me, is this a sign of the times? When the youngest comes in first thing in the morning and I ask her what the weather is like, rather than looking out of the window, she asks for my phone so that she can check the app. I'm still trying to get my head around that one!

Tencel trenches - a much nicer term than "duster coat" which frankly just reminds me of housework...

There's a lot been written about duster coats of late and below I've taken a look at some of the best on the High Street. I don't know if anyone remembers them from the first time around but I had a great one in 1997. Clearly I remember it well. It was from M&S and billowy and I loved it. I'm not sure what happened to that coat but I so wish that I had it now. The way to wear them now - says she being a bossy whatsit - is in a very casual way, so over the type of jeans/shirt outfit that I am wearing above, rather than over a power suit in a very 1980's way.

I was working with this Autograph tencel trench coat (£99) when I did my stint with M&S a couple of weeks ago now. Did anyone know that tencel is derived from sustainable eucalyptus trees? No, me neither. Not until now at least.

So soft white and me don't mix, as I demonstrated yesterday when I threw an oreo ice cream down myself but Autograph have this beautiful trench in soft white for £99. 

Keeping with M&S, there's this Limited tencel coat (£89) in a traditionally classic "mac" colour. 

I love the detailing on this H&M trench (£39.99). The soft draping makes it look a whole lot more expensive than it is. 

Again, rubbish if you like chucking ice-cream over yourself but if you're more sophisticated than I am, this Mango trench (£59.99) could work a treat. I like the collarless fuss free option on this coat.

The Oasis longline drape coat (£120) has a lovely wide, elegant, neckline which is flattering for balancing out wider shoulders or hips.

For a sleeveless option, this Warehouse long split side waistcoat (£65) is a great take on modern trench. I have to say that this one is probably my favourite, just because it is a little bit different. Warehouse has a great selection of duster coats which are definitely worth taking a closer look at if you are thinking of taking the duster plunge.

As much as I like the concept of duster coats, I've decided that I don't like the term.  They just remind me of housework. Urggh. 

The five "go with everything" pieces for spring/summer that will last year after year...

There are a few things that come around each spring/summer that will go with pretty much everything and will come to your rescue on many occasions. Whilst that's also true of plain white T's and such like, I couldn't face a wardrobe full of them, so I wanted to bring you things that you would look at and really like - not only because they do a great job but because they are also lovely in their own right.

None of this is revolutionary and I'm slightly concerned that  it will come across as patronising but for those not in a position to start from scratch every season, these should last for years.  And going back to basics is never a bad thing. Sometimes it's about shopping smarter not harder and having a good plan of attack, rather than a random scatter gun approach. The pieces that I have suggested may need to be tweaked to suit your own shape but hopefully they should act as a guide....

1. The go with everything necklace...

This one is from Jigsaw and costs £49. I realise that's on the pricey side for an everyday necklace but with its neutral colour this one works with so many things and it will still look good in ten years time. It has a lovely sparkle about it which is just enough but not too much for those who don't like full on bling.

2. The go with everything top...

Remember I said this post wasn't revolutionary? Well this is one such top that is anything but revolutionary but it has stood the test of time and can be worn with anything from jeans to silky track pants and heels, to a printed skirt or with cut offs on the beach. It's one of those pieces that straddles the generations, social events and budget without blinking an eye. Over the years my favourite ones have come from H&M (£12.99 - top) and Jigsaw (£39 - bottom).

3. The other go with everything top...

Tops can be tricky little fellas. They may be OK for work but not for home, and vice versa, for wearing in the evening but not the day time and some are hugely expensive. So a lace top like this one from Warehouse (£36) (or something similar as the one I was after initially has sold out) transcends all of those beautifully. If you can think of something working with both cut-offs and also at a wedding, then you know that you're on to a winner.

4. The go with everything shoe...

A tan shoe is another great summer "go with everything" piece whether it's worn with rolled up boyfriend jeans or a pretty dress. With all things 70s being so huge, they're having even more of a moment than usual. I like tan because it works so well with lots of base colours and it's less harsh than black but a white shoe can work really well too.

I like these from Clarks (£65) which are very Hobbs NW3 looking in their appearance. Some prefer more of a covered sandal for work and these offer that. They are also heading slightly towards a peep toe boot style which we've seen more of over the past couple of summer seasons, so whilst it's a slightly different look to get one's head around, I think that this style will be here to stay.

For a white option, the Nancy sandal from Topshop (£45) are pretty good.  They also come in black - for those who can't be persuaded by tan or white.  

5. The go with everything jersey blazer

For my final item it was a bit tricky to know whether to go with a pair of trousers, a skirt, a dress or a blazer but in the end I've gone with a jersey blazer because it's good for in or out of work and it can do such a great job of lifting outfits, making them look that one notch smarter than what may lie beneath! Add in a printed scarf and some sunglasses and all will be well with the world.

I like this Whistles one (£95) but GAP and Next usually have some good jersey options too, which aren't too expensive. The Whistles 25% discount (WH25SS15) is still valid.

And I wanted to include this just because I love it. I saw it in Cos (£135) earlier in the week and loved it because of it's stripes and also because it has a pink stripe down the back which is so pretty. I thought that  I might be able to sneak it in as my "go with everything" coat but I know that some would baulk at a striped coat, so I'll leave it on the sidelines for now!