A must have shoe for the spring - something pretty but practical and high enough off the ground to keep your feet dry!

 

Last spring and summer, I really enjoyed wearing my red patent wooden sandals from Topshop. As soon as I saw them, I fell in love with them, tried them on and the deal was done within minutes. Those instinctive purchases are rarely ones that we live to regret - unless they are made under the influence of alcohol, or a broken heart, or there's some other motivating factor at play. They went with so many things and were comfortable whilst giving me that bit of height, and slight chunkiness, that balances me out. On the other hand, I do think that they're a bit of a marmite item - some will look on in glee, others will turn away in terror!

I haven't been able to find anything similar this year at Topshop but there are a couple of styles out there that I would be quite happy to wear as an alternative. There are lots of huge wedges but that's not really what I was after. Cork is also a good option for those who don't like wood and it's also lighter too. I'm feeling a 1970's vibe coming on here!

Whilst it may be a bit early to wear sandals it's good to have them waiting in the wings and the good thing about these sandals is that they're not too "high summer" too early on. I like a gradual transition from boots, to converse, to these type of sandals and then flatter, strappier ones. It's the same with my clothes - a layer at a time is fine, thank you very much! I've never been one to whip everything off at the first sign of the sun.

These cork sandals from Hush (£70) are a pair of shoes that I would love to try. I love the chunky heel and the platform negates some of the heel height, which will make them much more wearable than they look. They also come in a couple of other colours too.

The Boden court platforms (£84.15) are also another option. I like shoes which go with lots of different things and these would be good with dresses, skirts, skinny, boyfriend or biker jeans, or chinos - the list goes on really. They would even be good with a really wide pair of high waisted, flared jeans.

The Lotta  peep toe clogs (£57.50) are a slightly lower, less chunky version. I've included the link to Swedish Hasbeens who also have a great selection, which are really similar.

And I realise that these are a bit of wildcard because they would be pretty difficult to walk in, let alone drive, or run in (and they are wedges) but I do love the look of these Hush leather clogs (£95) - especially in the image underneath them. If I thought that I could pull it off I would - but one has to know one's limits! Maybe with trousers though.....

 

What to wear when you want to feel as though you are wearing PJs all day but don't (quite) want to look like it!

 

 

Today dawned sunny and bright and I knew that with that came the possibility of tennis with our son, bouncing on the trampoline with the youngest (subject to the loan of some pelvic floor muscles from somewhere), a few random squats/lunges should the mood take me (it didn't), some ironing and faffing in the garden. So with all those possibilities in mind, jeans or restrictive trousers were out of the question.

Given that I didn't plan to come across many people that I knew, other than during a quick trip to Waitrose (to buy the most unhealthy basket of ingredients for posh bread and butter pudding, ice-cream and chocolate cake - thank heavens for the huge bag of crisps which hid everything) I figured that I could get away with my harem jogging bottoms from Next.

I stuck them with a denim shirt tied at the waist and a modal lace vest from Jigsaw (£24) to fill in the gap between the two. M&S are great for vests with their long ones being particularly good - and H&M vests are great too but if you need one with lace around the bottom, the Jigsaw ones are the best. With a pair of converse I was good to go and all that I needed to do all day was swap the converse for wellies when I went into the garden.

I really think that a pair of good joggers/track pants, call them what you will (as long as it's not a shell suit I really don't mind. Oooh, can you imagine those making a comeback?) are a good addition to your wardrobe. Easier to style than leggings, they are also a little more forgiving, (arguably) a little more stylish and can be worn for travelling or whenever else you just need to be uber comfortable.

With trainers being such a huge trend now they can be worn with those, skater shoes, converse or wedge trainers and somehow they have become acceptable as a fashion piece in their own right, rather than just something to slob around in at home behind closed doors or when nipping out to the chippy.

My trousers aren't cuffed at the bottom but I would be very happy to wear a pair that were. I think that the thing to remember about them is that some cheaper ones will work great on some people, whilst others will have to spend a bit more. It just depends so much on the individual. I bought some from H&M late last year and they were so wrong that it was hilarious - too low in the rise, too tight on the calf - not a life enhancing experience! Anyway, here's a quick round up of some that I have come across:

There's the Next harem track pants, which at £22 are a really good price.

The Next luxe joggers (£30) are made from modal so are slightly more elegant than jersey ones and could also be styled for an evening out.

The Whistles Lola track pant (£65) are lovely and soft and hang really well.

The Whistles Dalia jogging pant (£65) have a good rise on them, for anyone preferring something not too low slung.

These slim leg joggers from Hush (£39.50) are some of my favourites - but then I'm a bit of a sucker for Hush!

And these cotton cashmere trousers from Cos (£49) have had my fingers run over them many times, although I haven't ever tried them. I'm very tempted to do so though as the combination of cotton and cashmere makes them a) much less spendy than their cashmere counterparts and b) means that because of that, I would actually be more likely to wear them than rather just look at them and wish I were brave enough to do so!

 

As an aside, whilst Freddie was taking my photos, he was fiddling with the camera. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he was making me look "vintage" to which I responded that I was quite capable (sadly) of doing that all by myself. Oh well, it's good to be good at something.  

 

Luxurious loungewear

With the days getting colder and darker, my thoughts inevitably turn to warm, snuggly things to wear at home. I am sure that over the years "leisurewear" must have become a multi-million pound industry in its own right.

 

Leisurewear can encompass anything from an old University tracksuit, to your husband's oversized jumper and PJ bottoms, to something altogether more luxurious. It's possible to spend a small fortune on cashmere to wear at home - and it would be lovely to be able to do so - but....

 

With Christmas coming up however it may be a good time to ask for a contribution towards something stylish to wear at home, even if only to convince ourselves that we lead the perfect life in which the front door is beautifully adorned with a wreath, there's a roaring log fire in the grate, the kitchen is filled with delicious smells a la Nigella and the children are playing together beautifully (rather than the half dead wreath, a gas fire with a dodgy knob, burnt offerings from the kitchen and badly behaved children.)

 

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has added to her range for M&S with some luxurious Rosie for Autograph pieces. (Please accept my apologies for the lack of specific links - they're a little more generic today as there are so many pieces but everything should be easy to find.) 

 

The pout may be difficult to emulate but the Cashmere blend cocoon wrap (£45) shouldn't be too hard to get hold of. Its shape doesn't scream "loungewear" either, so it should be pretty versatile.

 

These Cashmere blend pyjama bottoms with cuff (£35) look lovely and toasty. Some like a cuff around the ankle, others don't - but they do lend themselves to being tucked into ankle boots quite well if you need to do an emergency dash to the garage to buy Toblerone. Not that I would know or anything like that.

I can hear my friend Sal laughing as she reads about this cashmere jumper with detachable snood. It's the "detachable snood" that will amuse her - handy though if you want to wear your snood with anything else. I love the colour - and the neckline would be great for catching the stray bits of Toblerone. 

The Rosie for Autograph cashmere poncho (£99) is a lovely piece to wear either in or out of the house. Great for snuggling up under when watching TV - just like Rosie. I think in all likelihood I would be wearing more under it than she is though - which appears to be nothing.

There are also these pure cashmere bottoms (£99) from the Rosie for Autograph collection, which come in a darker grey too. These are a good style for those who prefer a wider leg, either for comfort or for the proportion balancing job that they do.

  

Hush is one of my favourite brands for loungewear and they've really got to grips with styling their loungewear, so that they are almost selling a lifestyle choice.  The colours are muted caramels, grey, taupes and pale blues, the fabrics soft and luxurious and the styling relaxed but feminine. It's clever because it's accessible to us all, certainly in terms of practicality.

 

As to their pieces, for those wanting to tap into one of the major trends this season, look no further than the Camouflage joggers (£45).  

 

The Fold over trousers (£45) are fantastic on many levels. Great for anyone who is in the early stages of pregnancy, post-op or who suffers from bloating, the waist band can be folded down to a comfortable level.

The slim leg joggers (£39.50) come in a variety of colours, including a bright red. Again styled with ankle boots they could do just as well at home or for a trip out.

And some of my favourites of all are these star print slim leg joggers (£45). I think it would be a brave person who wore them outside - I would fear the risk of being told that I was in my PJs - but I still love them for their slight cheekiness.

Wrap is another lovely on-line brand, as they have this Alohia fleecy dress (£65) which makes a pleasant change from trousers.

The Bella Hoodie (£69) has a lovely lace detail along the sleeve, which adds that touch of femininity and stops it from being too utilitarian.

The slouchy Emma trousers (£49) make a great partner to the Bella hoodie, above.

Now, my Mum likes a good velour lounge suit in the winter but has trouble finding one a) in velour and b) with a waist band high enough. So, I uncovered these little beauties from M & Co (£18) whilst away last week. I do worry though that I've failed on the tops - most of them had hoods (not on), were sleeveless (not on) or had a high neck (not on, she gets her make-up on them.)

I am slightly concerned that in wanting a velour lounge suit she's also going to want to start wearing her rollers in public - and believe me she has plenty of rollers. She's not quite there on the fake tan and fake nails yet though so I think that for now the world is safe but I do fear that I may have to have a little pep talk with her soon.

Mum on the Run - Skirting around the issue. Skirt styles to tempt you into summer.

I'm sure that I have said this before but skirts can be tricky. Tricky to find in the first place, tricky to find the right tops to go with them and tricky because unlike a dress which is an outfit in it's own right, they require more thought in terms of shoes and accessories.

 

Separates are always billed as being the way forward but finding a good, everyday, skirt is no mean feat. Whilst pencil skirts are having a moment, they're not for everyone.

 

The skirt that I am wearing below was from Jigsaw last summer. It's their trench skirt and I liked it for it's length, its volume which allows me to move around easily, and for the fact that I can put lots of things with it - except tops with buttons as it then looks like there's a bit of a button fest going on.

 

 

 

For a skirt along similar lines, there's this Hobbs skirt (£69). It's an easy fabric in the sense that it's not too far a departure from jeans - it's just jeans in the guise of a skirt really - which can be a good starting point. With it's slight fullness, it is flattering over curvier hips and the wider hem has the effect of making legs look slimmer.

I like to be able to wear my skirts with lots of different shoes, from heels, to brogues, to converse or flat sandals (not asking much am I?!) and for me the Hobbs Millie Derby (£139) would be the perfect complement to this skirt. However for those not so fond of brogues, there are lots of other options that would work equally well. It goes back to this being the skirt version of jeans really.

 

 

This French Connection skirt (£65) has a great print on it. It too is fuller in the skirt and therefore requires a fitted top to counteract that, so as to keep the silhouette neat. Depending on your height, it's designed to be knee length, as opposed to mid thigh or midi. Again, one to be worn with heels or brogues, it could take you from a sunny day out with flats and a strappy vest, to a night out with heels and a silky top.

The challenges that tall ladies face in finding a skirt with enough length to it are just as great as those faced by petite ladies who find lots of skirts too long.

This Pixel python skirt (£95) from French Connection is more of the midi variety - depending on your height - and arguably requires slightly more styling to keep it out of frumpy territory. However, that can be done with the usual suspects which I use to "rescue" outfits from going down the wrong route. These might include a denim shirt, some neon jewellery, a biker style jacket, a silky fitted top and shoes in the shape/style of the season. We all know how the "right" shoes can make all the difference to an outfit.

The Crochet pencil skirt (£87) also from French Connection comes in dark blue as well as this pretty cream/ivory colour. When thinking about what types of skirts to include in this post, it reminded me of a navy Mango pencil skirt that I find really useful in both summer and winter. It's great in the winter with thick tights and a short fitted jumper and in the summer with lighter weight shoes and a denim shirt, breton style top or a pink vest top. There's also a cheaper one in Next - just go to the webite and search for skirts/blue and it should come up on that page.

I love this Zara pencil skirt (£29.99) for its print. It's so pretty and there are lots of colours which could be picked up in a top to go with it. The Zara blazer which I wrote about yesterday comes in a fantastic blue colour which goes with this skirt perfectly, for anyone needing a smarter outfit. It too has a decent length to it but don't be put off if at first instance it appears an inch or so too long. If heels don't take it to the perfect length for you, having it turned up even slightly makes it look completely different. For me, the length that it is shown at below is about right but sadly not all of us are as tall as the model!

This skirt is a great style and the polka dots keep it really young and fresh. The Next flippy skirt (£28) is a good price. It is shorter in length and the fabric and shape make it a really flattering style for ladies with curvier hips.

For those ladies who prefer to keep largely covered up but don't mind flashing a little leg through a side split, the Hush maxi tube skirt (£40) could be perfect. Some maxi style skirts and dresses have way too much fabric in them adding pounds and drowning out smaller frames. However the neater lines of this skirt avoid that and are good for those ladies who perhaps aren't quite so fond of their knees/lack of tan/blemishes/veins - and I include myself within this category - but who don't want to wear trousers all year round either.

 

Hopefully that may have given you some ideas as to where to head now that the warmer weather has, hopefully, arrived and because skirts are now, hopefully, going to be an option (as was mine until the sun went in and the jeans went back on)!

Mum on the Run - Hush Clothing. Now the weather is warmer this is what I AM wearing!

Today I thought that I'd tell you about Hush, which is a another favourite brand of mine. I have a pair of their Fold Over trousers and as you might imagine from the name, the waist band is huge - going beyond the status of belly warmer, almost to boob warmer, but you can fold it over to exactly where is comfortable, which as we know, can change from day to day. Given a choice I would probably live in them all day long, surrounded by fashion mags and Toblerone.

 

For those not familiar with Hush, it's great for relaxed jersey separates including t's and over sized sweatshirts, scooped back tops, tube skirts, vests, knits and great heeled Chelsea boots. Hush offers the backbone to a dress-down wardrobe - not to mention fantastic nightwear too.

 

It's really nice to be asked to work with a brand - although I'm always slightly scared in case I don't manage to do the pieces justice and I do more harm than good.  It is great for clothes to be seen on real life women as opposed to models but there again models are models for a reason - not that models aren't real women too but you know what I mean. I suppose that was the good thing about the snow lasting as long as it did - by the time we finally got the ball rolling, at least my mono brow had been turned back into two eyebrows.

 

For this post I was asked to choose from a selection of pieces and I chose to wear the zip cuff trousers (£55) and the  Sandra top (£80) on the basis that a) I didn't fancy getting my legs out just yet, which ruled out (lovely as they are) shorts, or a skirt, or a dress and b) I could see how these pieces would be a great summer version of my winter uniform of skinny jeans and a chunky knit.

 

 I really liked the colour of these whale zip cuff trousers - plus the fact that they have a cuff, and a zip - as the name describes. Some of the reviews said that they came up a little short but I like the length of them, together with the fact that the zip can be undone.

The Sandra jumper is  pretty too. It's scoopy and slouchy with loose and tight knit panels, the contrast between which works really well. When Flo and I decided to go for a walk on Saturday, I just changed the Mango heels for the fuschia Nike trainers and accessorised with her RE book!

For a trip out later on in the afternoon I thought that I would probably need a jumper and coat so swapped the Sandra knit for a striped jumper and added my Oasis leather jacket for warmth - predictably.

There's currently an offer of with Hush, who are doing £10 off 10 pieces and there's also free delivery on all orders over £75. There will be £10 off a further 10 products on Thursday and another 10 over the weekend. The Sandra top currently has £10 off until mid-night tonight. I don't know about you but I think that tonight could be the perfect night for a little peruse of the Hush website.

I should add that because I liked the pieces so much, I emailed Hush to ask whether I could buy them from them. Whilst there's no denying that it's nice to be gifted things, I never expect anyone to give me anything for free. However, Hush have kindly gifted the pieces to me but that's not why I'm writing nice things about them - I'm writing nice things because I wore them all day Saturday and made them stinky so couldn't return them. No, not really - I just really liked them and hope that you do too.