What Red Magazine's Fashion Director, and Red's Executive Beauty & Fashion Director, wore to Bicester

As part of my new (school) year's resolutions to get out and about more, last week I went to Bicester Village to attend an event run by Red Magazine. It was a trend presentation held by Red's Fashion Director Oonagh Brennan and Red's Executive Fashion and Beauty Director, Kim Parker.  

In preparation for the event, Oonagh and Kim had "shopped" Bicester, choosing pieces to illustrate the trends for the season. The talk was accompanied with a power point presentation. It was a great event from the venue, which was the Farmshop Restaurant, to the presentation and to the people that I met there - plus the subsequent shopping of course.    

But one of the things that I absolutely loved were the outfits that Oonagh and Kim wore. They had gone for a co-ordinated kimono over jeans look which wasn't try hard, or over fashiony, alienating or inaccessible. And of course one might argue that they were bound to get it right but I think that it would have been easy to choose something that was hugely pricey and alienating to most people in that it could have been super skinny fitting, or the shoes could have had incredibly high heels or it could have been just be too out there for an everyday look.  

Printed kimono with faux fur from Zara (£79.99) - a very glamourous winter styled kimono

So I thought that I would bring you a few ideas for the "kimono" part of the look, plus a couple of shoe ideas too because it's an easy look to re-create and it's so versatile too. On colder days a black skinny turtle neck could be worn under the kimono. For a smarter look the jeans could be swapped for leather leggings. And when it's really freezing, the shoes could be swapped for kitten heel boots. 

Patchwork is a huge trend for the season (as I now know) so this Zara patchwork kimono (£79.99) nails two trends in one. The colours are beautifully rich for the winter and the side slits are really flattering for those on the petite side.

For those who prefer something a little less "busy", the flower print maxi kimono from Topshop (£69.99) has enough detail to keep it interesting but it's not overpowering. Belts are also a huge trend for the season so this could be belted with a wide belt for a neater silhouette.

If the full on kimono look is a little too much, then I would definitely try a midi dress over jeans. I think that the frill trimmed dress from H&M (£39.99) would enable the look to be re-created without the need to invest in a kimono, which some may feel may be slightly less versatile. If the dress doesn't button all the way down the front (and therefore can't be worn open) I would suggest finding a dress which doesn't have too much volume in the skirt.

Or the Cherry draped dress H&M (£49.99) is another great option for re-creating the look but with a dress. The clever off centre ruching detail is also really flattering, creating a lovely silhouette.

Another idea would be to try a Wrap dress such this one which again, is from H&M (£39.99). I really like this look and if you've got a curvier bust, the wrap dress neckline will (as you will all have sussed by now) work really well for your shape. 

When it comes to the shoes, Oonagh was wearing some mules. The Darci pointed toe mule from John Lewis (£59.99) is a really good option and as you can see below, it also comes in red....

And Kim volunteered that the shoes that she was wearing were these red Velvet sling back shoes from Mango (£59.99), which also come in black. Both styles were gorgeous - kitten heels with a little bit of texture. And who can say fairer than Mango for a pair of fab shoes?

This photograph gives a little more of an idea as to Oonagh's and Kim's outfits.  

I first put this Zara dress over jeans way back in April but it was for a weekend away at the beach so it didn't really work that well. Today though I used skinnier jeans and heels and I preferred it. I think that it's a look that will be forming the basis of my wardrobe over the next few months. I used to love wearing dresses over jeans a while back, so it's time to re-visit an old favourite look.

I would love to know what you think. Do you fancy embracing this look for a bit of a feminine but practical look....or is it not for you?

The Slip Dress Recipe for Success...

I've realised that the one dress that I reach for time and time again when I want to wear a dress but don't want to be "dressy" - is a slip dress. Each time I wear mine I get lots of people asking me where it's from so I thought that the slip dress deserved a post of its own. 

The great thing about slip dresses is that they can be worn all year round - as ever, winter florals will be huge again.  If it's exceptionally hot (hmmm) they're great on their own. If it's a bit chillier, wear a T-shirt underneath and when the winter arrives, go for the full on black ribbed turtle neck for added warmth and a chunky cardi over the top. Some are slimmer fitting than others but in general the shape of them is good because they have a neat silhouette without clinging. The fabric can play a part in whether they work or not too - so try a few on and see where you get to. 

The ones below are largely from & Other Stories and H&M but I've also linked to M&S for anyone who wants to take a good look at what's out there now. 

Lace Slip Dress (£69) Other Stories

Lace Trimmed Slip dress (£69) Other Stories

Leaf print dress (£59) Other Stories

Gilded pleat dress (£59) Other Stories

H&M  slip dress (£9.99)

H&M pale blue slip dress (£7.99)

As an alternative, if the idea of a slip dress "top" appeals but not the bottom half of the dress, the Jigsaw cami (£29) comes in 12 colours and looks great with a simple crew neck T underneath.

If you're a regular slip dress wearer, I would love to hear how you style yours. Or if you've not gone there before, could you be tempted?! Have a lovely start to the week. Beth x

An H&M gem of a summer dress

This post comes with a warning - and several caveats! First, please excuse the tired face. The day that these photos were taken, I went up to Durham with our eldest and we had to be up at 5am to get there for a 10am start. And it doesn't matter how early I go to bed the night before, I always feel like a bag of poo by about 11am. Secondly, yes, I am wearing a purple bra! I don't think that I was planning on taking my clothes off in Durham :) And thirdly, yes I am also wearing my fitbit. Oh, and the reason I'm leaning against the changing room wall (apart from being in need of a rest) was so that I excluded from the photo, the pile of clothes that I'd just chucked on the floor.

So, now we've got all of that out of the way, let's take a look at this H&M dress which I found in the Durham store. Apparently it's new stock and I can't find it on the website yet - but it's one of those dresses that I felt was a bit of a gem and which I wanted to share before they all came and went.

It's gorgeously pretty - if you like that sort of thing. Personally I find summer dresses quite hard to find, well at least ones that I like enough to buy, although oddly I've recently added one or two to my collection (thanks Mr SG for being 50 soon. Very convenient.) But this one has sleeves, a good length to it and enough coverage so as not to feel too naked. The under slip is too low on me at the front (I had to choose my photos carefully show as not to flash any cleavage) so I will either turn the under slip around and wear it back to front, shorten the straps, or buy another one.

Now at £69.99 admittedly this is quite pricey for an H&M dress but there is enough about it to make me think that it's worth it. It only comes in two sizes - XS/S and M/L (I think!) I'm wearing the XS/S and it's pretty big - possibly too big for me. On the other hand the style of the dress means that it can get away with being slightly looser and of course a pair of heels can fix everything in life. Also, I like the idea of wearing it to a festival or a summer party and not worrying about it clinging in all the wrong places :(

Have a super weekend everyone and let's hope that the sun shines!

The jumpsuit and leopard print heels post!

Topshop denim jumpsuit (previous season) velvet leopard print court shoes from River Island (£35)

Whenever I post a picture of this jumpsuit on Instagram, people seem to really like it, so I thought that I would try and find some that are similar, which of course provided harder than anticipated!

I'm not quite sure what it is about a jumpsuit that appeals in particular but I know that whenever I see one on someone I really like it - they just look quite cool and stylish (not that I think that when I look in the mirror I hasten to add - only when I see others in them).  

And when it comes to wearing them, they are so comfortable. I've done long haul flights in mine and it's worked so well, despite there being the potential for loo issues! It's a one stop outfit which really only a dress that can compete with but a jumpsuit is so much better. Comfortable, able to be layered, can be worn with flats or for a night out, wear with a leather biker or a blazer. A jumpsuit is the perfect piece for a weekend away on hand luggage only.

This lyocell blend jumpsuit from H&M (£39.99) is one of the best options that I've come across. It's from their conscious range and comes in sizes 6 to 20. It's the most similar in style to the one I'm wearing insofar as it has long sleeves and the trouser hem isn't cuffed. I think that I could quite easily be persuaded on this one too.

The soft utility jumpsuit from Oasis (£52) is made from modal (65%) and polyester (35%) which will give it its softness but I'm slightly concerned about the VPL issue with this one and wonder whether it might just be a little too soft. Nevertheless it made it into my top 3. It comes in khaki as well as dark grey, both of which make a softer change to black.

At £75 the Hush jumpsuit is the most expensive but this too is a gem. I bought it last year and wore it virtually non stop when I was away with work for a couple of days. It was so easy to style in different ways and it was hugely comfortable too. Because it was around last summer, it has 52 reviews for you to read and it has been awarded five stars.

I haven't managed to find a denim one, despite much searching - but I will keep on looking. And as for a word about the shoes, these are my favourite heels at the moment. They are velvet and wearing them is like wearing slippers. They come in nine finishes, including metallic, orange and pink velvet (unsurprisingly I have my eye on those too!)  Because I'm not great in heels for any length of time, at £35 these are the right price for me.

So, over to you wise readers! Do you have any top jumpsuit tips that you would like to share? Could you be tempted where previously you haven't and the all elusive question - have you found a lovely denim one anywhere?! Thanking you in advance x

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.

The H&M silver pleated skirt....

(Outfit: Skirt H&M current season, Shoes Dune, Jumper Whistles, Bag Boden, all previous seasons)

I know, I look like a very silver Christmas tree. Although compared to an outfit that I wore the other evening - first to parents' evening (the Head must have thought I was slightly crazy donning double sequins) and then out with friends, this is positively tame. In fact I came out of parents' evening slightly hot and flustered due to trying to cover up said sequins with a fur gilet and a coat. Bad move.

Anyway, I digress, here I'm wearing the H&M silver pleated skirt (£29.99) which is uber comfortable for a number of reasons. First it has an elasticated waist, secondly it's a great length, thirdly it has plenty of room for taking a big stride. What more can you ask from a skirt that looks like it's made of bacofoil?

And as for re-styling it? Biker boots and a turtle neck maybe, or high open sandals and a chunky jumper, or a lacy top. no socks and ankle boots, or just to add to the glitz, sparkly socks with anything and everything? Now we're talking! (So who's going to comment on the fact that I clearly didn't take my socks off early enough, hence the sock mark on my ankle? That's why I love instagram. These things don't show up!)

Keeping it warm but silky....

I'm never quite sure why I think that I will achieve so much more in the holidays, than in term time. After all these years you would have thought that I would have learned that having three children at home means that I have less time available to blog, instagram, exercise and catch up on things that I think that I will have time to catch up on. It's not that I don't love having them around, far from it. I love doing lots of baking, being taught how to play games on the wii, going for walks and to the cinema I'm just like an elephant but in reverse....they never forget. I never remember.

So now that I've got that off my chest, I'm going to share one of my favourite ways of wearing something pretty whilst keeping warm. At heart I'm a girl who loves pretty things - lace, bows, frills, sequins, they all appeal but it's how to wear them in the colder months and remain warm.

One thing that I have mastered over the years, well insofar as I've mastered anything, is the art of layering. True, it's not much of a skill but you know, it all counts.

So I start off with a vest, something like this one from M&S one for £5 works a treat but H&M also has great ones too. This one comes in five colours and quite often they are two for £8.

My revelation from last winter were some cropped, long sleeved, ribbed cotton tops from Topshop which I wore over a vest and underneath everything. They were great because they offered warmth where I needed it but because they were cropped, they weren't bulky around the middle. Topshop seem to have replaced them with this style which might not work so well as the tops have a turtle neck and a twist  - so they may not sit quite so flat. But at least they give an idea.

Next we have the ribbed turtleneck jumper from H&M (£24.99). There's something about the snug fit of a ribbed jumper that I find really warm, despite its lack of wool, or bulk.

Now some of you will have broken out in a sweat just looking at those layers but for those of you who haven't, I find the combination of those three pieces offer a great base layer but without the bulk and that means that I can then get to the fun part, whether it be a cami top, a slip dress or a lightweight silky top.

In the above photo I'm wearing the M&S lace trim cami (£22.50). I was actually trying this for size, thinking that I had bought the size 8 but in fact it was the 10, so I have the 8 on order so that I can compare them. Of course I would prefer to pretend that I could wear the silky top just with a thick cardi thrown over it but that's not the case. And whilst arguably I would rather not have to layer three extra pieces underneath the silky top, at least it means that I can wear one, even in the winter.

Whilst writing this post I went a little off piste but I thought that I would share these pieces anyway. First of all, I came across these gorgeous shoes from M&S which are, of course, in THE fabric of the season...

And I'm actually quite fancying them with this H&M dress (£29.99) which looks as if it is the snuggliest dress ever made.

The alternative Christmas Day outfit perhaps?!

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.

Three ways to style the "slip" trend into the Autumn...

[Layering up the M&S slip dress that I bought in the summer with a pussy bow shirt and a silk bomber jacket]

So you know how there was this whole slip thing going on in the summer? Well it's continued on into the autumn too. Slip dresses are great because it's easy enough to layer something underneath them, such as this black ribbed turtleneck from H&M (£24.99). I love a turtleneck, in fact I think a black ribbed turtleneck was the first thing that I ever bought from Jigsaw when I was 21. And as you get older, they're great because there's less for your chins to rest on, compared to a polo neck :)  Equally a chunkier jumper can be layered over the top of them, so they're pretty versatile little numbers.

Now, I currently have my eye on this Zara silk feel batik dress (£49.99). I first saw a couple of weeks ago and I had another look last week. Next week I might actually try it on. I like the idea of it with the black turtleneck underneath it on Christmas day. A bit dressy but not too dressy and with a pair of ankle boots or biker boots, it would be good for everyday too. Then when the spring comes I can wear it with a white t-shirt underneath, Stans and off we go again into another season with it.

Another option that might be a little easier to imagine wearing, is this M&S lace trim skirt (£35 but with code SEPT16A12 there's a 20 per cent discount). Again it would work with the black turtleneck, a chunkier short cream jumper, a blouse, or a cami top for an evening out. I think that I will be wearing mine with a denim shirt and leather jacket rather than more dressed up - but we'll see.

And then for those who prefer the idea of something "slip like" on the top half rather than as a dress or skirt, there's this M&S  sleeveless lace trim camisole top (£22.50 which again has a 20 per cent discount with the same code). It could be worn with boyfriend jeans, a white t-shirt and chunky loafers for a weekend feel, maybe with a chunky cardi thrown over. Or I fancy it with smarter navy tapered trousers, ankle boots and a navy t-shirt.

So, will anyone be slip sliding their way into the Autumn with me in something of the slip variety? 

A sparkly flamingo t-shirt, shorts and a camo shacket...

Oh my golly it's been hot here today (as I think it has been in lots of places!) It was properly, swimming in the sea hot, like it hasn't been for ages. During the day it was bikinis all the way but in the evening Mr SG and I went for a walk along the south coast cliffs.

It was still warm so shorts and this new flamingo tee from H&M* seemed to fit the bill. I took the camo shacket for when the sun went down and wore trainers because the cliff paths are, unsurprisingly, high and a little uneven.  The Saywhatyouc bag held essentials, just in case we came across an ice-cream kiosk that was open. We didn't.

*I can't find the flamingo t-shirt on the UK site, even though I only bought it on Friday. It was a one off so I suspect that it is pretty old stock. It's probably not very helpful but I've linked to the US site for its composition, further details etc.

The H&M embroidered sweatshirt...

So today was the first full day of our Guernsey holiday and it was a little bit warm, a little bit rainy, a little bit sunny (from time to time) and VERY windy. 

After heading down to the beach for a spot of early morning exercise with the younger children, I changed into some old Topshop jeans that I chopped down into cut-offs and this sweatshirt that I picked up in H&M (£12.99) on Friday. I love a bit of embroidery - and a bit of navy - so for me it was a match made in heaven. 

If you were an 8 year old taking photos of your Mum, of course you too would keep quiet about a wave sneaking up on her wouldn't you? I know I would. 

Yes, we're talking cold! 

I think that all things embroidery related will be here for a few seasons yet and whilst we first have to deal with the upcoming season, next summer I will be investing in some embroidered shorts. For anyone who is about to embark on a late holiday, here's an idea of what is still on offer...

H&M embroidered shorts (£19.99)

H&M embroidered cotton shorts (£8.99)

H&M navy embroidered shorts (£9.99)