My top eleven pleated skirts and some ideas on how to wear them

Pleated skirts are, much to my Mum's delight "Oh I DO love a pleated skirt", going from strength to strength. They are a trend that's not going away, which is funny in some ways because other than a brief spell that I remember as a child, they pretty much disappeared from the skirt scene with pencil, mini, skater and midi skirts being more popular. I think that it may have been the rise of the popularity in midi skirts a few years ago now though, that saw them come back in to favour. Most pleated skirts fall into the "midi" category, so they ticked the box of being a "variation on a (midi skirt)" theme.

Sophia pleated skirt Reiss (£155)

I featured this skirt on my insta stories when I took some of you for a virtual shop earlier in the week. It's absolutely beautiful. The pleats are razor sharp and edged in black for an even sharper look. 

I still believe that there's a pleated skirt for everyone, somewhere. Most crucially the issue is what kind of waistband is on the skirt and how the pleats fall from it. I've included lots of pictures below of me in various pleated skirt outfits and I'll try to explain what I mean when we get to them. 

Elsa pleated skirt Reiss (£155)

I haven't seen this skirt in real life but the shape is virtually the same, if not the same, as the one above. What I like about this skirt is that the darker colour over the tum area is really flattering. And it's just such a striking skirt - great if you're after something different and you're not really a floral/spots type girl. 

Printed pleated skirt Mango (£49.99)

But then again, if spots are exactly your thing, this skirt from Mango could be just the ticket. It's really lovely in real life and in the store they paired it with a pale blue jumper which looked gorgeous.  Spots feature hugely on the High Street at the moment so expect to see a lot more spotty pieces over the next few weeks. 

Printed pleated skirt Mango (£49.99)

This skirt ticks a lot of trend boxes in one go. The navy/yellow/white colour combo is a big trend this summer. Work in a go faster "athleisure" stripe along with a split and the pleats and oh boy you would so be nailing it. I really like the sporty vibe about this skirt - great if you're not someone who loves girlie floaty skirts - or if like me you do but you're also a bit of a chameleon and like sportier urban pieces (I totally made that phrase up - but I know what I mean!) too. 

Stripes pleated skirt Mango (£49.99)

Stripes! Again another huge trend this season on everything from tops, to skirts, trousers and accessories. I love the interesting colour combination of this skirt which is again from Mango. They are really doing pleated skirts so well this season and there are also some pleated dresses coming through too, which are an interesting addition to the dress scene.  

Leopard print skirt H&M (£34.99)

Yeah! Good old leopard print. This is a small print and not too "leopardy" if you know what I mean, making it a fairly easy leopard print to wear. I love leopard with anything red, denim, or neons too and as we know, leopard is the new neutral, so it's definitely one to have fun with. 

Satin pleated skirt Whistles (£99) which also comes in metallic gold, green and black. I've linked to them all here

A metallic pleated skirt always feels a bit glam without being too try hard. It really is a great one to dress up or down and it can take you to so many different places just by changing up your top and/or shoes. 

Batik Lily pleated skirt Whistles (£139)

I think that this skirt is a little bit marmite. It's definitely in the colour of the season but whether it's your cup of tea or not is a different matter. I think that a skirt like this works either if you're going to go the whole hog and dress it up for a wedding, or dress it right down with a slogan tee or denim. Anything in between might just not work. But I'm happy to be proven wrong!

Pleated skirt HUSH (£89) (lined and elasticated waist)

I haven't seen this skirt in the flesh as HUSH in our John Lewis don't have it but having said that, I'm really tempted to order it and see what it's like on. The blue and green combo are really striking but  in a very wearable way and without being too dressy.

Pleated skirt in watermelon Jigsaw (£120) it also comes in blossom blue

The above skirt from Jigsaw is a real gem. It's a great length, hangs well and the pleats are quite "flat" when they come out of the waistband, meaning that they fall in a really flattering way. It also comes in blossom blue (below) and gravel (below that). 

Pleated skirt in blossom blue Jigsaw 

When something is a little more on the expensive side (such as this skirt) as we all know, there are lots of things to consider for sure. It may be that it's perfect for a wedding, or an event, but something that you would also get a lot of mileage out of afterwards, bringing the cost per wear down. 

Pleated skirt in gravel Jigsaw (£120)

Or it may be that you're not sure whether a pleated skirt is going to be for you, in which case maybe start off with an inexpensive one and see where it takes you. Or maybe the inexpensive one is perfect and there's no need to look any further. Or perhaps you just fall in love with one like this, or it's an amazing fit. So many things to think about!

Stripe maxi skirt Ted Baker (£120)

For anyone who is super tall, or who likes their pleated skirts to be full length, this one from Ted Baker is a possibility but I think its "sheerness" might need to be checked. 

Contrast pleated panel maxi dress Ted Baker (£239)

And remember I mentioned earlier about pleated dresses? This one with its panel of pleats is so pretty. If anyone I know would like to get married, I'd be very happy to wear this to the occasion. 

So here are some outfits "that I prepared earlier" - in some cases a lot earlier! 

This gold M&S skirt is great for the winter. The velvet is lovely and shimmery. It has an elasticated waist band which is good because I can either wear it on my waist or drop it lower if I feel in need of a bit of extra length. The pleats aren't too small or knife like, which I think suits me slightly better. Heels and a leather jacket give this skirt more of a dressed up feel.

This skirt from Topshop again has fairly open pleats and as there aren't too many of them, there's not so much volume in the skirt.  I like the length of it and it's a really versatile skirt. The heels glam up this skirt and jumper outfit but with boots or trainers it would look completely different.

This is an H&M pleated skirt. I find it harder to wear - possibly because there are more pleats in it and the fabric is quite stiff, meaning that if I bend over the skirt sort of folds and digs in. Sounds weird huh?!

This is probably the least favourite of my pleated skirts. The waist band isn't elasticated and there are lots of pleats with lots of volume. As it's pleather, it's also a bulker fabric, so it's less flattering than the green Topshop one.

It's the Zara silver one again but this time with a fitted knit instead of a denim shirt. 

Topshop again with metallic boots and a star print shirt

Topshop again with a blouse and trainers

And finally the Jigsaw skirt which I've linked to above with some crazy green boots! 

I realise that pleated skirts won't be for everyone, but I hope that these outfits have provided some ideas on what to stick with your pleated skirt. I think the fact that they're not short, or clingy, that they have some volume (which is good if you like to take a big stride or don't have the teeny tiniest of hips) all help to make them super wearable for busy ladies who love a skirt but who don't want to feel restricted when it comes to bending over, loading the washing machine or striding out in force. 

September, I'm coming for you!

September can be a funny month. The start of a new term, children moving onwards and upwards, a chill in the air meaning that autumn is on its way and most of all, change. I've concluded that humans don't like change very much.

Don't make me go home!

During our last few days in Guernsey I was sort of dreading the return home, to life and a daily routine. And then I re-visited the "roundabout" as per my earlier post and I decided that either September could rule me, or I could get my schizzle together and tackle it head on. So before I left Guernsey I started to get my act together and I sent just one or two emails of things that I knew needed doing around the house, just to get the ball rolling. Little steps and all that.

So in no particular order these are things that I'm going to tackle and this is what I have in mind to do - a list of New (school) Year Resolutions - if you like.

Stuff around the house:

I've contacted a local handy man. The tap in our downstairs loo needs fixing, plus I have pictures to go up. I'd like to re-grout the bathroom floor and buy a new blind for the bathroom too. Even knowing that those things are in hand have made me feel better.

The girls have both tidied their bedrooms and the car is full of stuff for the charity shops. I've been through my wardrobe and sorted my clothes out, meaning that I now have a better idea of what I have and what I'd like to add. That too is a weight lifted.

There's a chair I'd like re-covering, and I'd like to replace the blind in the spare room as well as get a new sheepskin rug for it - so those things are now in hand. 

I've booked the decorator to come at the end of October to paint one of the bedrooms and also the bathroom. We've been in this house for nearly 13 years now and neither room has been decorated since we arrived. How bad is that?!

So that's it for the house for now, other than needing a new desk chair. It's GCSE year for our son and he will be sitting at his desk a lot. Oh yes, he will! 

Stuff to do for me:

Get a hair cut. I purposefully haven't had my hair cut for ages but now is the time to go for the chop. That will make me feel a whole lot better. 

Think about having a spot of botox. I've never really seriously contemplated it before now but I might just investigate it. It may not go any further than that but there's no harm in looking. 

Get back to eating 3 proper meals a day rather than summer type food. I love home made soups and stews and with the marathon coming up, I need to keep on top of my nutrition game even more. 

Plan my winter wardrobe - but that's worthy of a blog post in its own right!

Back from holiday and contemplating the jobs (and washing!) to be done

Stuff to do for work:

Say "yes" to more things that I'm invited to do. Historically I've felt that every minute of my working day should be accounted for - it stems from having time sheets as a lawyer. But I need to get out and have more fun at events, socials, networking and just in general.

Manage my work streams better. Being freelance I have lots of different "arms" to my work from personal styling, to fashion and commercial styling, TV work, blogging, working with brands and running style events. I'm never quite sure that I'm top of all of them at all times.  Any tips would be gratefully received! 

Get on top of my social media. My profile pics need updating, my Pinterest link doesn't work on my blog and there are a million and other one little things that need attending to. 

Get back in the shops pronto so I that I can fully suss out the new season's collections in preparation for all the personal shopping I have coming up. 

Sort out all my paperwork and maybe do my tax return before the end of October, rather than waiting until the end of January. 

First day back at work - judging the Midlands Media Awards. Excuse the knackered plant pots. I'm going to go and move them RIGHT NOW! 

Stuff to do for the children:

With Flo heading off to University, there are a lot of things that I need to do with her. We need to shop for bits and bobs, get her meningitis C vaccination organised and I need to help her with her bank accounts and finances. 

So that's my list of tasks for the month ahead. Does anyone else have anything that they want to add? Is there anything that you routinely do in September? (Please don't mention Christmas!!!) and which makes you feel a whole lot better. Oh but of course I forgot the most important thing. September traditionally means new school shoes....so a new pair of shoes must feature in there somewhere! 

My favourite summer buy - and it's only £9.99!

Skirt: Zara, Shoes: Dune, Jacket: Reiss, Jumper: Topshop, Bag: M&S, Necklace: New Look

Remember a few posts ago I said that I loved it when the temperature was around 17 degrees? Well this is what I meant. It gives me the chance to wear the sort of outfits that I like, rather than bulking up and covering up with lots of layers out of necessity, or it being so warm that I end up in a Sweaty Betty type mess.

I really liked wearing this outfit - not that there's anything special about it but it was just a case of no tights and I wasn't cold, a leather jacket and again I wasn't cold, a lightweight fitted jumper and my new favourite necklace - and one which I will wear all summer no doubt. I felt covered enough and smart enough for work but still comfortable in my current favourite Dune flats.

As to the necklace, it's the multi coloured spike thread necklace from New Look (£9.99). Predictably I love the colours - as does my two year old niece. As soon as I arrived last week she was straight after my necklace (and bracelets) and it's so sweet as everything looks so enormous on her. But it is so pretty but in a neon type way - and it will go with everything.

And just to clarify the motor bike isn't mine. We'll leave it at that for now. But maybe one day I'll do a post on hobbies that our hubbie's take up as they approach 50. 

A Wedding Outfit Without Heels!

I've always maintained that shoes can either make, or break, not only an outfit but also an entire wardrobe. A wardrobe full of gorgeous clothes can be killed dead in an instant with hideously frumpy shoes. Equally, adding a few pairs of the right shoes to even a very basic wardrobe can give it a whole new lease of life. And we're not even talking expensive shoes or high heels here but just ones that do a great job style wise.


Anyway, I digress slightly from the whole point of this post which is about pretty dresses and low heels. I have about four or five dresses tucked away - the above one from Reiss in Bicester included - that in previous years I've worn with high heels. Not really being one for heels anymore, I hadn't worn the dresses for a while. Then I thought what a shame that was and with a wedding to go to earlier in the week I decided just to go for it anyway and to wear the dress first of all with silver trainers for the mile or so walk to the ceremony...

...and then later with silver shoes from Topshop - similar here from Whistles (£136)

Now I know that it's hardly mind-blowing or a great discovery "Ooooh, let's wear some flatter shoes with pretty dresses so as to get more wear out of them" but the realisation that I'd found some shoes that I liked and that would do the job that I needed, meant that they opened up a whole new host of wardrobe possibilities. It also meant that I didn't have to wear trousers and flats (again) or compromise in some other way.  And that's what it's all about. Identifying the gaps and filling them so that you get the most out of your wardrobe - whether it's the right shoes, a top that's the right length to work with all of the skirts that you have, or a dress that you can style for many occasions.


You would be surprised at the number of ladies I work with who really only need a few bits adding here and there for their wardrobes suddenly to come together and be complete. Sometimes it seems like magic but really it's just a case of taking a good hard look at what you have and identifying what you need for things to slot into place.


So here's looking forward to the wedding party this coming weekend with another fancy pants dress and flatt(ish) shoes.


And as for a couple more options, so I know that these aren't exactly flat but they are gorgeous - and their block heel makes them more sturdy than others. They are £35 and they are from Next plus they also come in navy.

However if lower heeled and "of the moment" is what you're after, minus an ankle strap or a pointy toe which many would rather steer clear of, there's always the glove shoe from Next (£55) which come in this gorgeous rose gold.

Tomorrow I'll be back with more rose gold. But this time for the house. Until then, have a super bank holiday weekend. Beth x

Jumper Dresses - Why don't we go there?

M&S jumper dress, Reiss leather jacket, Zara sleeveless coat, Whistles gloves and boots, Marc Jacobs bag

From the various emails that I've had, I know that lots of you are toying with the idea of a jumper dress but aren't sure whether to take the plunge or not.  It may be slightly late for this winter but fear not they will be around next year, so I thought that I would share my thoughts.

Being a creature who feels the cold, unsurprisingly I really like jumper dresses. Warm and comfortable, they tick my boxes.  So what are the pitfalls and how do you go about styling them?

Firstly, I think that people are put off jumper dresses by the thought of having to wash them each time they're worn and wondering how they will fare on a long term basis. The solution? Lightweight layers underneath mean that the dress won't be next to your skin, so it won't need to be washed each time that it's worn (or ever, potentially!)

Secondly, not all styles are particularly forgiving, especially the fitted/ribbed styles, so make sure that you check from all angles before buying one. I like wearing mine layered with this sleeveless coat as it just gives me a little tum coverage. And in all likelihood when I get home I would take the dress off anyway, so preferring it styled in this way really isn't an issue.

Thirdly they can make you feel a bit "square" and bulky. I know, I'm really not selling them! It's more with the one that I'm wearing above than the navy Jigsaw one that I have (below) so again, the sleeveless coat, or a jacket, breaks the body up leaving just a narrow column on show, which is a great styling trick for narrowing a wider torso.

Jigsaw jumper dress, Karen Millen leggings, Adidas trainers, Whistles bag and gloves

This navy jumper dress from Jigsaw however is much easier to wear. Due to the fact that it is a looser fit and that it's darker, it is easier to throw on and go, rather than having to work a little harder at styling it.  The fact that it's shorter too means that coat lengths aren't so much of an issue.

But when it's a cold day as it was on Monday, only the grey ribbed one will do. It's probably the nearest thing that I have to a onesie in terms of warmth and comfort, so you can count me in big style. It was only through working with M&S on a blog post that I decided to try one in the first place but I'm so glad that I did.

What's your experience of jumper dresses - yes or no to the jumper dress? And if you haven't been there before, are you tempted? Hope that you're all having a lovely week. x

That was the week that was - a little bit of house, a little bit of fashion and a competition coming your way soon!

Going for a bit of a biker look in this Reiss jacket that I've had for about 6 years but which fits so well, an H&M skirt, Boden roll neck and Whistles gloves and biker boots. 

Hello my lovelies, how are you all? I hope that you've had a lovely Mother's Day. I know that for some it can be a little bit of a sad and emotional day so I'm thinking of you all and sending you lots of love. I started off my day by running with a friend (lovely) dropping in on another friend (lovely - for me at least!) and then coming home to....dye the grey out of my hair. Ho hum! 

The rest of the day was fabulous though with lunch out, a wander around John Lewis, a home made chocolate cake with chunks of toblerone in it and crushed maltesers on top (yum) and some lovely pressies. My treat to myself is to check in with you all to say hello and to give you a little update - for there's a lot going on! 

Just prior to the work starting

As you may have gathered, we are having some work done to the house. It's a 14 week build project which was due to start last Monday, however we weren't really sure until three days beforehand whether it would start or not.  So, at the 11th hour we had to arrange for the downstairs of the house to be cleared and the furniture sent to storage. Last weekend was fun.

 Getting ready for the builders - I knew that the gin would come in handy.

The night before the work was due to start, we had fireworks to mark the occasion and to say goodbye to the house as we knew it. 

It didn't take long for the builders to get cracking.

Monday morning carnage.

Despite being a family of five, our house is "usually" fairly relaxed and calm but last Monday morning I had about 12 men in the house; the builders started ripping down the conservatory, there were skips arriving, the electrician was making the house safe, the plumber was moving and re-plumbing the washing machine, the alarm chap was dis-connecting certain sensors, the carpenter was building false walls and me? I stood paralysed behind the kitchen island, took a couple of photos and ate a WHOLE LOAD of chocolate. As for Mr SG?

He went to work leaving his sour dough to rise amongst the chaos. As you do. 

No more conservatory! It leaked and there's nothing that Mr SG hates more than a leak. They drive him round the bend.

Two days later, the conservatory was down. It's fair to say that the house is looking a pretty ugly place right now but hopefully in three weeks or so the new build will be up with the roof on and then it should start to look a whole look better. In the meantime I'm frantically making mood boards for the new utility room, study area, dining area and living area. For so long it didn't really seem that anything was happening and then all of a sudden we're meant to have chosen everything. Help! And sadly now that the living room is empty it's clear that the carpet is in need of an update so that room might just need a bit of attention. Such a shame.

Whilst in John Lewis today I seemed to lose a couple of the children.

Jigsaw trousers, Topshop jumper, Zara cardi, Accessorize scarf, Whistles boots.

This photo was taken at the end of the week - I'm just about still standing (unlike the conservatory). But with working, trying to sort the house, training for the marathon (we're up to 24 miles now so quite happy about that) and so on I'm not getting the time to blog as often as I would like. And I miss you all!

However I've got some great posts lined up - an exclusive competition with M&S to win a gift card of £100 for you and a friend, a new jewellery brand to introduce you to and an inspiring story from a reader who used her FitBit to help her to lose 3 stones.

Have a lovely week everyone and I hope to be back soon. x 

Cropped wide legged trousers - fancy giving them a go?!

[Outfit: Jacket: Reiss, Trousers: Whistles, Scarf: New Look, Trainers: Adidas, Cropped jumper: Zara, Bag: Marc Jacobs]

Remember the wide legged Renee cropped trousers from Whistles that I told you about not so long ago? Well here they are in action. I know, it would have been nice to have got a better photo than this but I wore them to the Hush preview day and as I left the house at 5.25am and returned home and changed prior to the school run there wasn't anyone to oblige (implying that someone obliges on other occasions which is kind of stretching it a little).  

I really liked wearing these trousers. The fabric is beautiful and it falls really well. Plus they're a little different. I should add however that the waistband is high and pretty small and two pieces of Deliciously Ella's flapjack and several of  her juices left me feeling somewhat errrrm uncomfortable. But it was so worth it.

I've also tried these trousers with ankle boots, ghillie lace ups and block heeled shoes and they work with all of them. So they will all be combos that I will be wearing, especially when the weather gets warmer. But maybe I should leave the flapjacks (which were the size of bricks) out of the equation.

We can be hereos just for one day....

This post is only a little bit about David Bowie but I do love "Heroes" so that's why this post is titled the way that it is. 

Today I hit the shops, for the first time since Christmas really. Part of it was work related but part of it was to "assess" the sale situation. If anyone thinks that they've left it too late for the sales - think again! Most stores will be going into final markdowns next week and there are some fantastic bargains to be had.

But of course, one of the (many) things that I really loved was this outfit from Jigsaw. It's two separate pieces made up of these Jigsaw cubist drape culottes (£139)...

...and this Jigsaw cubist drape top (£89)

As I've previously mentioned, we have a spring wedding to go to and this outfit appeals to me on a number of levels. For a start, an April wedding could be boiling hot or freezing cold. If it's cold, I can layer the top up with a vest or two underneath and a jacket over the top. If needs be, I can wear leggings (but obviously so that you don't see them) under the culottes, or tights and if it's really freezing, oxblood knee length boots. On the other hand if it's hot, I can go with a bit of  fake tan, bare legs, strappy sandals or high courts (for some reason I'm thinking metallic/silver), lots of bangles and I'm all done.

But the fun doesn't stop there. Oh no! After the wedding these babies will be worn separately. The culottes will be paired with chunky flat sandals, ghillie flats or trainers and the top will go over the new leather (look) leggings that I might just have bought today. Ooops. More about those another day...

And I'm kind of wondering whether I may have taken leave of my senses but I also really like this Rose Gold dress from Reiss (reduced from £195 to £95)

I'm thinking that it might be quite a nice dress for next Christmas (did I really just say that?) Others might be thinking that it looks a little bit like their Granny's curtains. But I've always been partial to a little damask/brocade.

And somehow, I can't quite leave this post without mentioning the sad passing (actually I can't use that word, it sounds like someone is going to the loo) - death, of David Bowie. His music was distinctive and oddly comforting.  He was always there, a part of my 70's childhood and somehow invincible - in my mind at least - as if he was almost other worldly. Oddly we have been talking about him a lot in our household recently as our youngest shared his birthday, which was only on Friday, and our eldest is learning about him in A-level Politics. No doubt he will be missed by millions in a million different ways but for me, the start of the Snowman will never be quite the same again. May he rest in peace.

An event to which you are all invited - and a sneak peak at a couple of pieces I will be using....

A few days ago I was walking around our fabulous new John Lewis, taking picture of pieces that I would like to use on the models I will be working with at an upcoming event in Birmingham. John Lewis have kindly agreed to provide the clothes for the event and next Wednesday I will be going around the store with a rail selecting the clothes, shoes and accessories for the event. You know the phrase "a kid in a sweet shop"? Well I think that may well be me.

There were so many pieces that caught my eye and which will fit nicely into the twelve outfits that I will be choosing and which will range in name from "Brunch with the girls" to "Cocktail hour", "Fancy pants" and "Winter wedding".  My aim is to tick as many boxes as I can, featuring outfits which are both casual and smart, with flats and heels, which include some big trends and some micro-trends, which cover a wide price range and which appeal to a broad age range. 

The day before I go to John Lewis, I will be in the Jewellery Quarter meeting with the jewellers who are exhibiting at the event and choosing the pieces to use on the models. It's great for us that the new John Lewis has chosen six local jewellers whose stock they are carrying in a display case. I love that they want to support the City. 

This dress from Ted Baker (£199) is one of my absolute favourites. It's perfect for a winter wedding. The navy colour works so well with most skin tones, the length means no pulling down of tiny dresses, the print is bold but not overpowering and it is also well placed. The dress is just supremely elegant. There's also a skirt in this print too, which is also lovely. I like the idea of it with a cropped fur jacket. As to the lack of sleeves? Even I can manage bare arms at a wedding (and you could still sneak a vest in underneath!!)

Fur coats were a huge trend last season and the colour of this Reiss Alba faux fur coat (£350) is fabulous. I also wanted to show you a long navy sleeveless fur coat, also from Reiss, which is in store but not on the website. It was just one of those pieces to which you are instantly drawn. There was no way that I could have walked past it without giving it a stroke! 

 I also love this Hobbs jacket (£149). For Hobbs I think that it's a pretty good price and whilst clearly it isn't sheep skin, it has a sheep skin look about it whilst the navy stops it being too "1970's football manager-esque". When I think of that, all I can see is Terry Venables in a sheepskin coat. 

I could go on but I won't! As a taster though I have my eye on a LBD from Jaeger, sparkles from French Connection, prints from Damsel in a Dress, stars from John Lewis weekend, bright coats from Maison Scotch and as for the shoes? Oh don't even get me started on the shoes!!!

For anyone who would like to come along, please email mat.lovell@jqdt for a ticket. It's on Wednesday 21st October 2015 from 6pm until 8pm at McIntyre House, Holland Street, B3 1PW, which is located on Birmingham's only cobbled street, which is off a one way street - a one way street which I happened to go down the wrong way whilst looking for it the other day. Ho hum. People in New Zealand and Texas - you are excused from coming! We are hoping for 150 to 200 people and we have some great exhibitors as well as the fashion show, so do please pop by if you would like to.