Trying and reviewing the M&S leather ponte leggings...be quick, before they sell out!

Last year there was a lot of coverage in the press and amongst bloggers about the Autograph leather ponte leggings (£99). So when they arrived on the scene this season, I thought that I would give them a try before they sold out. And I only just managed it because, the size 8 has now....sold out. Given their popularity last year though, hopefully M&S will be on top of this and fingers crossed, they should be back in store again soon.

The leggings aren't completely leather but rather leather at the front and ponte at the back. And you know I really liked them but what I found slightly strange was the fit.

The thing is that most very tight things - let's take tights for example, or normal leggings, or skinny jeans - are rather stretchy. So they expand whilst you're getting them on and then they fit snuggly once on - the power of lycra and all that. However these leggings are quite unforgiving when you're putting them on - a bit like jeans used to be before lycra was included in their composition. So it takes a while to get them on. There's no give in the leather at all, particularly as they are lined with polyester.   However, gradually they warm up and give a little so that you can then pull them up another couple of inches. Or perhaps this pair are too small - which is why I've ordered a size 10, just for comparison, although the size 8 felt fine once they were finally on. But it's important that they're not baggy in the leg - nah, that's not a good look.

I also fancied trying a sleeveless tunic jumper. This cable knit one is from Limited Edition at M&S but the website doesn't seem to have quite caught up with the stock yet. Whilst I like the idea of the jumper, I'm not quite sure of its wearability/versatility. It may only have a window of opportunity in my wardrobe of about four weeks. But anyway, sometimes it's good to try these things just to see what you think. Do any of you have your eye on anything? Is the High Street managing to tempt you yet or are you hanging on to summer clothes for as long as possible? x

Are you ribbing me? Today we're looking at one of the biggest trends for next season....

If you type the word "ribbed" into the Topshop website it comes up with 269 results - which is a sure sign that ribbed clothes are going to be huge this season - or next season - whichever way you look at it. From ribbed cropped tops, to ribbed cropped trousers and from ribbed jumpsuits, to ribbed swim suits anything and everything is ribbed.

All things 90's are in the midst of a huge revival, so be warned! By its very nature ribbing is not terribly forgiving. On the other hand, it can add curves to a chest where perhaps there are none and it also gives a really nice neat silhouette. With a little careful styling, ribbing can work beautifully. So before you write it off as a trend that's not going to work for you, there are a few tips worth bearing in mind...

• One of the easiest ways to wear ribbing is as a layer underneath something else. A ribbed top would work fantastically well under a faux fur gilet or suede waistcoat (fringing isn't compulsory) with just the sleeves peeping through.  I recently bought this jumper from Topshop (£28) which I will layer under all sorts of things when the colder weather arrives. The other great thing is that it will add warmth without lots of bulk. 

• Another way of layering a jumper like the one above is to wear a jacket over it, maybe a leather one or a blazer, just leaving a vertical strip of the jumper showing at the front. With some smart culottes it's a great work look - still smart but very modern. Layering a Peter Pan collar underneath it on a bib makes for a preppy look. Or, a ribbed top can make a statement in its own right, such as this asymmetric top from Topshop (£32)

• Long line cardis are a huge trend for the season and buying into a ribbed one of these isn't so much as buying into a "look" as adding a cardi to your wardrobe, which just happens to be ribbed. Given the fact that they can be quite fine knits, it's necessary to watch what peeps through from beneath - jeans for example can leave bumps where the buttons are. Leather leggings would give a smooth silhouette. Another offering from Topshop is this cardi, for £39.

• For anyone who fancies it, ribbing can be embraced as a full on look in many ways, from a jumpsuit to a dress. I love this two piece outfit from Topshop (£78) which comprises ribbed cropped trousers and a long line tunic.

• Or Zara has this ribbed dress (£15.99) which reminds me of Kate Moss in her early modelling days. See what I mean about the 1990s?

• Autograph at Marks and Spencer has this two piece ribbed dress and long line cardigan in olive. Somehow, seeing the outfit on a more mature model makes it easier to relate to as a trend. The cardigan is currently sold out and the dress is available in limited sizes, presumably because it has featured in Vogue. Not so good for us but I'm happy for M&S! Each piece is priced at £55.

• And another little gem from Autograph - this fabulous ribbed jumper and trousers ensemble. Now if I could wear this from October until April - and look as good as the model in doing so, I wouldn't mind winter approaching. The tunic top is £49.50 and the trousers are £45.

• Or maybe try a jumpsuit? Zara has this great option. Yes? No? Maybe with a white shirt underneath??

Personally I could quite happily be persuaded on any of the above. But as to a ribbed swimsuit? Maybe that's a 1990's Baywatch type step too far. So, to rib or not to rib, that is the question? I love the clean lines and muted tones of these outfits which are all quite Scandi looking. What do you all think? I predict quite a cosy winter. x

Shorts and pom poms in New York City!

Our recent trip to New York was the most amazing experience for the both of us. Our lovely Flossie finished her GCSE's on Thursday afternoon and by 9am on Friday we were heading over the Atlantic. She relished the plane journey where she could sit and, for the first time in months, not do any work. I relished the peace and the fact that I didn't have young children in tow! 

When it came to packing, I stuck to an almost neutral colour palette of black, navy, white and cream. Any colour came in the form of nails and friendship bracelets. It worked so well that I will be replicating it on our summer holiday next month. 

Over the next few days I will share a few outfit shots from our trip. Hopefully I won't irritate everyone to death in doing so! 

This was my first photo on US soil, whilst waiting to go through immigration. I travelled both there and back in my Topshop boiler suit (£65) and it was perfect (despite what people think about "going to the loo" type issues!) I also wore these Aldo Draedia shoes, now £25 in the sale, and my new M&S Collection bag (which still doesn't appear to be online), went everywhere with me. It was the perfect size for our map, my star clutch which had money, credit cards etc in it, suntan lotion, wipes, plasters, sunglasses and a denim shirt in the back pocket - just in case! I would thoroughly recommend it for anyone vaguely tempted.

Before I went away, I had my legs sprayed to make them a lesser shade of Persil white. Having said that, I have a feeling that most of it was deposited on the bathroom floor of our hotel when I got changed after arriving. Nice!

The pom pom embroidered tee from Topshop (sorry, can't find that online either) that I am wearing, arrived just in time and I'm pleased that I made the effort to go into town to collect it before going away. The scalloped shorts were from GAP last summer and you can find similar here

Unbelievably, given the temperature by the time that we left, it was actually quite chilly on the first day, so this Jigsaw pom pom scarf (£59) came in really handy. I think that I was killing time here in Victoria's Secrets whilst someone was trying bikinis on. Given how many pom poms I was wearing, I gave some thought to the collective noun for pom poms. I wondered whether a "dangle" of pom poms might work?

Later in the week, after one or two (OK about five), trips to J.Crew, I bought this striped top (£47 in the UK).

More about the pink sandals in my next post!

However for now, I'll leave you with a picture of one of my favourite sights - right from the top of the Empire States Building. It's just stunning - and terrifying - up there.

Bomber jackets - have you? could you? will you? won't you?

I know that I'm way behind the times on this one. Hec, Mary Berry has been wearing her Zara bomber jacket for a couple of years now but having ventured into Bomber Jacket territory I thought that I would share my thoughts.

The one that I'm wearing above is from Jigsaw. I had seen it in store full price last summer but I knew that both the pale blue one and the cream one would be a big mistake, probably lasting approximately five minutes before I wrecked it. Not that I'm hard on my clothes but it really would be the law of sod wouldn't it?!  However when reminiscing about them in store last week it came to light that they had a black one in the stock room, reduced from its full price of £169 (I think) to £45.

And the verdict? Well I reckon that they are a pretty flattering for lots of shape. There's simple styling, there's no high neckline, you can do the zip up to where it suits and the style of them means that they are good for disguising a tum. Also, they are a just a bit different - not seeking to copy a blazer or a trench, they are their own person (or jacket). And here are a couple that I worked with last week at M&S...

Tropical print bomber jacket from Autograph at Marks and Spencer (£69)

This a lovely option for anyone who doesn't want anything that shouts too loudly. It's soft and silky so could be worn either casually with jeans, or I like them with a pleated, or pencil, skirt.

Bomber jacket by Limited at Marks and Spencer (£55)

This one is really pretty. It's a lovely soft shade of pink and the embellishment works really well with it, even in a daytime context. Again it's quite a draped fabric - probably on the slightly smarter side than the one below.

On the other hand, this Topshop  bomber (£45) is made of jersey so has a slightly more casual feel about it.

All I would say is that if you're looking for a lightweight jacket to take away on holiday, either to cover your shoulders, or for on the aeroplane or if the nights get chilly, a bomber jacket could be the answer. I will wear mine with shorts, a maxi, a black lace skirt and jeans of many differing shapes. In fact it could do a good job giving lots of things a nudge in the right direction style wise.

One white Cos skirt worn two different ways...

Finding the right skirt for summer can be tricky but when I spied this one across the shop floor, it was love at first sight. Thick, white, cotton with a good length, pockets and a paper bag waist, I knew that this was the one for me.

Admittedly not all tops work with this skirt - they need to be the right length but that can be achieved either by tucking in, or tucking under, or just by getting one that sits on the waistband.

I don't think that I would look out of place at a jubilee party here - bring on the red, white and blue!

And here is the Cos tie waist skirt (£59)...

The other good thing about this skirt is that I can take big, proper, strides in it without it appearing too voluminous. I'm not good with skirts that restrict my movement. I take too big a stride, they pull me back, I fall over, the the skirt and I fall out and off to the charity shop it goes.

In this outfit I wore a cropped French Connection tencel shirt, M&S platform sandals and a pink Mulberry bag. Providing that I don't wreck it by chucking things down it - although it seems pretty hardy so it could probably take chemicals and a good scrub - it should serve me well over the next few months with breton t-shirts, vest tops, brighter bits and bobs or black for a monochrome look. I think that the thing now is just to wear it - lots.

I'm away for the next couple of days working with M&S so if I'm silent for a while, that's why - but I look forward to being back soon. In the meantime, have a lovely week all of you. x

The different approaches to getting dressed and how to take the stress out deciding what to wear each day...

Outfit: Whistles jeans and jacket, M&S shoes, French Connection jumper, Zara scarf, Oushka bag

I've concluded that there are different methods of getting dressed and these are some of them:

• Wearing what you wore the day before but with the necessary underwear changes - this is the quickest and easiest way of getting dressed, short of staying in your PJs;
• Getting ready for a fancy pants do, where you know what you're going to wear but it just takes a while to get ready, what with all the make-up faffing and stuff;
• Having something new to wear - again you know what you're going to wear but it may take a minute or so to get it right, depending on how you're styling it;
• Getting dressed for a particular activity - yoga/swimming/running/surfing etc where specific clothing is required which makes it easy;
• Every other day of the year where you (OK, I) sort of know what I'm going to wear, decide it's boring/it was done not that long ago, try something else, decide that's not right (too cold, too warm, too long, too short, legs not brown enough) and then revert to plan A - having wasted 10 minutes in the process.

Last week I read about a woman who decided that men had it easy at work because, effectively, they could wear the same thing every day. To make her life simpler, she decided to do the same as the men and wore the same thing to work for a year. 

So to cut out the middle man, that's what I'm doing this week. I'm not wearing the same thing but I am wearing a simple combination of jeans (or trousers) OK I lie it's mostly jeans, a jumper (so no blouses or fancy tops etc) and a jacket. And that's it. Job done - apart from the striped scarf but that's not going too far off plan. I'm on day 3 and so far it's fine. I suppose it's a little like Jennifer Aniston eating the same lunch for 10 years when she was filming Friends. Except that I'm not Jennifer Aniston. Or a salad. 

Doing the dosey doe in my dungarees! Do drop by for a laugh!

Tuesday can be a tricky day of the week. It's a bit of a no-man's land type of day. It's far enough away from the last weekend to have forgotten how good the weekend may have been and not close enough to the next weekend to look forward to. So, I feel that it is my duty to provide a little bit of Tuesday hilarity and the way I've done this is by dressing up as a four year old.

I came to have these H&M (£29.99) super stretch dungarees in my possession as I picked them up for a friend and I thought that I would give you all a laugh in the process.

These "ultra slim leg" style dungarees are a size 10 and they really do need to be super stretch because I can safely say that the super stretch is nearly at breaking point! I love dungarees and have had several pairs - albeit between the ages of about 4 and 22. But given that I am now double the age when I last wore them, I'm thinking that they are probably best left last seen in my University photos.

Having said that I'm not knocking dungarees as a trend. Anything that's denim and comfortable gets my vote and I've seen some great ones in Next (£35). This style from New Look are currently out of stock, which may be testament to how great they are....

For those who are about to tell me that I look a complete plonky head believe me, that is something that I know already!!!

Not quite 50 shades of grey but not far off - toning prints and textures

I've had this M&S Limited Collection dress - which you can't actually really see at all, so that's helpful - for a good few years now. I don't really remember wearing it last year so it's nice to resurrect it this year with the addition of this Whistles jacket/cardi type number, which I like because I wear it when I go out and then I leave it on when I come back in - because that's the kind of lazy dressing that I like! Somehow the addition of the scarf makes the jacket feel much warmer. I have no idea why this is but no doubt there's some weird and wonderful reason for it.

Most of my wardrobe is made up with pieces that I hope to own for many years without them dating - or that's the plan anyway. Then from season to season I just update them by putting them with new bits and bobs that I've bought - well again, that's the plan. Now that Mr SG reads this on a daily basis, it's time to well and truly put my plan to the test. Yes, it's time to dig deep. I'm hoping that he's going to tire from reading this flippin' blog sometime very soon.

Not quite 50 shades of grey...but there are definitely a few!

 "Click." That was the sound of the heating being clicked on to constant as Mr SG left the house for the day for his annual conference. The house is totally toasty now!

Today I took the youngest on her first shopping trip. Generally either I have chosen her clothes for her, or she's worn her sister's hand me downs but now that she has reached the grand old age of 6 (nearly 7) she liked the idea of choosing a few bits of her own.

She was so excited and I know that she loves it when I wear a skirt or dress so I wore this Whistles skirt from last year, with a Topshop jumper, flat Whistles shoes and a Reiss leather jacket that I bought in the sales at the end of the summer. It's the first time that I have worn it and it felt really lovely. I've always loved Reiss leather jackets and as my Oasis one was looking shabby it needed replacing but at about £450 a shot I didn't think that it would ever happen. And then, right at the end of the sale I came across this one for about £180 - not an insignificant amount I realise but I knew that it was now or never, so I took the plunge.

 

We did a one stop trip to M&S which came up trumps with some lovely pieces in the sale. The Autograph range was great and it's definitely worth a look, with some really pretty, age appropriate clothes. I loved this Autograph floral skirt (£16 to £18) - it's very Ted Baker - but I kept quiet and we came home with a skirt with cats on instead.

And this Autograph organza skirt (£12 to £13) is so ethereal...

I have just come across the silver Autograph boots (£40) online. They go up to a size 6, for anyone tempted with some silver Chelsea boots.

Next we went to Clarks for some shoes, where we were told that they didn't actually make any shoes in the size that our daughter had been measured as needing (12D), which kind of threw me, but would we like some wellies or slippers that we didn't actually go in for and which wouldn't have really fitted her anyway but which we might need because it was getting colder. Eh? That would be a no then.

This was one of our other projects for the day. Replacing the covers on the left hand chair with the new sausage dog oil cloth print which is available at John Lewis. You cannot imagine how much fun, and how satisfying it is, using a staple gun. It's much better than trying to build a gingerbread house. I shall be changing my name Linda Barker.

Checking out some checks and a special invitation...

For those of you with your eye on the ball, or your ear to the ground - or just if you've been out shopping really - you can't but fail to notice that checks are everywhere.

Checks can have connotations all of their very own, depending on their size and colour way. From picnic blankets to Rupert bear, we've heard it all before and do we care? Hmmm, maybe, particularly if they're plastered across one's thighs, other than that? Nah!

Typically I'm starting with a coat that isn't even checked. It was written about in the press over the summer and I saw this wool blend coat in & Other Stories (£145) a few weeks ago now. Predictably the pink jumped out at me and I think that it was this coat that started me down the road of checks. This one wasn't right a) because it's not checked and b) the lack of joining up in the stripes department would drive me nuts - but I still like it.

Then I came across this checked coat in Warehouse (£95). Having spent a lot of time in the stores recently, it keeps jumping out at me. Pink and grey are a lovely combination and this coat would add a nice touch against darker winter clothes.

And then yesterday whilst working in M&S I came across this checked coat (£139). I spotted it from a distance across the store and went for a closer look. As they only had it in a size 20 or 22 I didn't think that I would get a true representation of what it would be like on me so instead I ordered it to our local store and I've just had the email through to say that it's been received. So guess where I'm off in a mo?!

 

The checked capes that are around can be harder to wear. The proportions need to be right and there is the danger that they will swamp but there is something that I find very appealing about them. For a start you could wear a million thick jumpers under them and there would be no issue about not being able to get your arms down the sleeves of your coat.  There's also something a bit "swishy" and dress like about them, even if they're being worn with jeans and boots. I keep gravitating towards this one from Warehouse (£30).

 

 

For anyone unsure about a whole garment made of checks, there are some great scarves around this season. I love the colours in this River Island coral blanket scarf (£22), which also comes in different colour ways. And Mango has more check scarves than you could even begin to imagine. Use one as a way of giving a new lease of life (otherwise known as tarting up) an older coat which needs a bit of va-va-voom.

 

 

Tomorrow I am spending the day in John Lewis who are kindly lending me some outfits for an event I am styling next week (invitation to follow shortly) but for now, here's the official Jigsaw invitation for the event we are running at the Birmingham store this Thursday. Please drop me an email at style@bethgoodrham.com if you would like your name adding to the guest list. We'll have a 10% discount on the night and a chance to win a Jigsaw gift card for £100. I'll be covering lots of different looks and with fizz and canapés on offer, I think we'll have a ball. For those of you who have already responded, I look forward to seeing you there.

 

 

  

Mixing three (subtley) printed items with a dollop of denim - plus a Limited Collection M&S top

 

I like a nice pair of printed trousers - although I've now decided, three days after these photos were taken, that that these aren't them (which probably explains why I haven't worn them for ages). Anyway, for now, let's pretend that I hadn't reached that conclusion or else none of the rest of the post, which I also drafted three days ago, would make any sense.

I dug this pair out from the "too big to wear" pile. Except that now they are no longer too big to wear. On the one hand this is good because I can now wear them but on the other hand, it isn't so good because conversely I probably now have several pairs of trousers that need to go in to the "too small to wear" pile. That's the problem with the summer - wearing shorts, dresses and looser fabrics generally means that it's harder to notice when things are getting slightly too tight.

As well as printed trousers, I like to mix my prints and although I'm not such a big fan of wedges at the moment, I've always liked the snake print of these Carvela wedges. The star clutch, which as you've probably noticed goes everywhere with me at the moment (seriously, who has time to change their bag every day) is obviously not plain however the denim top? Plain as plain can be. A good dollop of denim always brings everything together.

Mixing prints doesn't have to scream "crazy lady with no taste." It might say "no taste" but it doesn't have to scream it.

Part of the reason for not having any more up to date photos than my three day old ones is because my Mum has been in hospital having a knee replacement. BUT one thing that I did have whilst she was in surgery was a stand up desk.

OK, so I may not have had the treadmill (seriously, those heels on a treadmill?) but my set up, courtesy of the NHS, comes a pretty close second to that of Mrs Beckham's

Now one thing that I did manage to do before my Mum went into hospital, was to order this Grafitti print top Marks & Spencer (£29.50). Mistakenly I sent it to her address but it was here ready and waiting when I brought her home from hospital - so that was quite handy. Anyway, I haven't had a chance to try it on yet but I thought that I would share it with you because I have high hopes for it with a pair of black trousers and heels for one of my many (!) nights out. I have to say, the village  I grew up in is really happening!

Bearing all on the beach in a bikin plus launching the Changing Pod....for when you want to be discreet on the beach

This post caused me much hilarity - look at the size of those bikini bottoms! They remind me of the knickers my Mum would wear.

I must give a warning - you may be shocked by the contents of this post. I think that it's fairly obvious that there hasn't been any photo editing of any description. No filters, camera tricks, lighting tricks or anything else to make me look better than the real life "me" were used in taking these photos - and boy does it show. Nope, it was just an iPhone and about 10 quick snaps which took a couple of minutes. We are so used to seeing everyone airbrushed/botoxed within an inch of their lives that when we see something which hasn't been given that treatment, it can be a little bit shocking.

Anyway, predictably there's a story behind the whole debacle, which started with me leaving my nicest piece of swimwear at the hotel in Cornwall. I have two other bikinis with me but they aren't great when I'm doing lengths of the pool, so I needed something else. I'd already decided that next year would be the year that I invested in some serious swimwear and, knowing that I wouldn't find anything that I loved, I decided to opt for something cheap and cheerful instead.

I looked in the sales at White Stuff, Joules and Seasalt but to no avail and then, when we were in M&S in St Peter Port, this little gem caught my eye. I've called it a sporty/40's hybrid with the top being sporty and those less than brief, briefs, looking like something from the 1940s. It cost me about £10 in total, rather than the £38 that it should have done and I left with a huge grin on my face, knowing that in all likelihood it would give us a giggle, if nothing else.

My dilemma.....

The thing is, how does one go about getting changed on the beach, especially when that beach happens to be very busy and without any facilities? When we holidayed here as children, we had great "changing pods" -  towels made into a tube with elastic around the neck which we put over our heads whilst changing underneath. As an adult I hadn't seen anything similar but there is no way that I would get changed on a beach without something fairly significant between me and the rest of the world.
 

The answer?

A few months ago now I was asked to speak on the radio about what politicians shouldn't wear on holiday. The image of  David Cameron struggling to get changed under his Mickey Mouse towel on the beach in Cornwall last year came to mind. It was obvious what he needed and, subsequent to that radio interview a friend, who had made a changing pod for herself a few years before, and I did some market research and concluded that there was a market for them and so we looked into producing them, under the company name "Bathe & Change". Whilst there are some out there in high tech fabrics, they are designed with surfing dudes in mind. We were after something very much more "bucket and spade" - something a little bit spotty, or striped, functional but aesthetically pleasing and which was just a really nice piece to have with you on holiday.

This is one of our earlier prototypes. We are still tweaking the design (they will be available for men, women and children), planning our PR and marketing strategy and talking to stockists - but here is one in action. It has also been tested, and approved, by Mr SG who is one of the most discerning people there could ever be when it comes to getting changed on the beach. He is very much one for keeping himself to himself - unlike the men we came across yesterday on what appears to be a nudist beach (in Guernsey?) But that's a whole different story.

And here I am part way through the changing process. Not a thing to be seen!

Wow, look at those pants! I said that they would give everyone a laugh. Bridget Jones eat your heart out. My husband's words were: "I don't think that it's the most flattering piece of swimwear that you've ever had. " Understatement of the century but then, even with the best designers and technology in the world, I'm not convinced that any swimwear is really that flattering is it? When things are on show which shouldn't be on show and which are only covered by a small amount of fabric, there's always going to be room for improvement isn't there? ie getting dressed.

And there we have it - all changed without a flash of anything!

Still astonished by the size of those pants!

 

For anyone who would like to find out more about Changing Pods, please email me at style@bethgoodrham.com