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Showing posts with label Whistles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Whistles. Show all posts

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Rainy Day Yellow Mac...


I'm interrupting the sunny posts from Cornwall to bring you a newsflash. It's raining here. A lot. But the temperature isn't too bad and last year I had a realisation that 17 degrees is my perfect temperature.

Any hotter and all I can be faffed with is some shorts and a top; any colder and we're into four layers including vests, tights and a coat. But 17 degrees? Well that's just perfect. It means that I can wear those clothes that sit in my wardrobe the rest of the year and which I look at longingly, before resorting to jeans, boots and a roll neck.

Everyday this week I've managed to wear something that I haven't worn for ages because it's been too cold to do so and today it was the turn of this Whistles dress. Please excuse the photo - I have to get a snap in in between the workmen arriving/someone using the portaloo/a delivery lorry appearing etc.


And because it was raining (but not too cold) it gave me a chance to wear my Petit Bateau coat, which really does keep the rain off - on the bit that it covers anyway. As to the rest of me? Well by the time I got home my dress had pretty much risen up to the bottom of the coat, so the dress didn't get wet which was good.  Luckily I didn't take the route which went via the police station.


No, I didn't go via the police station. But I did go via Sainsbury's because we had reached that dire stage of running out of everything that a house needs to function properly - loo roll, toothpaste, clingfilm, silver foil, bleach, bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, milk. With our current living conditions I feel slightly like a student - but I'm trying to embrace the general mess and disorganisation rather than fight it. Anyway, whilst in Sainsbury's, the lady serving me commented how much she liked my coat and asked where it was from. I told her that it was from Petit Bateau and that Warehouse had a similar one last year and then, when I arrived in town, look what I found in Topshop - a yellow hooded rain mac (£55).

So I googled the number of our local store, called her and told her the good news. I think that she thought that I was slightly crazy but she was very happy too and on her day off, she's going to go and buy one. So that was all good. Given that the rain will probably hang around on and off for a while yet, I thought that you all might like to know about this coat too. Happy splashing!



Wednesday 16 March 2016

Today I was stalked by....Bardot tops

One of the best things about my job is having the legitimate excuse of spending a few hours every so often walking around the shops to see what's out there.  Whizzing from one store to the next in quick succession is a great way of spotting the trends. And today I felt that I was being stalked by blue Bardot tops. Shop after shop had them on their rails. Take a look to see what I mean....



The Bardot striped top from Whistles (£85), which also comes in white.



Zara blue and white off the shoulder striped top (£29.99) 


GAP tencel off the shoulder top (£34.95)




H&M blue off the shoulder blouse - £7.99. This one is 100% cotton and it's from the H&M conscious range.

So is anyone tempted to jump on the Bardot bandwagon, or are you more likely to give them a miss, knowing that the rest of the world could, quite possibly, be wearing them too?!!

Tuesday 8 March 2016

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

Sunday 6 March 2016

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 

Friday 29 January 2016

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.










Friday 1 January 2016

Cropped wide legged trousers - maybe one to consider if you haven't done so before...

Happy New Year to you all!

So, how has your New Year been so far? How many resolutions have you made and broken? I've broken all of them. Even the ones that I didn't make. 

It's not so much a resolution but I have decided to give up alcohol until after I've run the marathon. I need any psychological advantage that I can get, no matter how small. And guess what I keep thinking about? Yes, having a glass of something fizzy - which is ironic because I'm really not much of a drinker at all. Clearly that's why diets don't work. Deprivation is not good for the psyche, or the soul. 

Anyway, that aside, it suddenly dawned on me yesterday like a flash from a higher place, that a pair of these wide legged cropped trousers from Whistles would be a really good addition to my wardrobe. I saw them before Christmas and they've obviously been lurking around in my sub-conscious since then. I recognise that I am very fortunate in that I have enough clothes and so I'm only going to buy things if they are really different to what I own already. And these are. 


I nipped into town yesterday morning, Christmas money in hand, to see if there were any in my size and there weren't. I could have managed with the size 10 but because they were too big on the waist, they sat too low on my hips making them look more like trousers that were slightly too short, which given their name (cropped trousers) is almost certainly what they're meant to look like. But I just wanted them an inch or so shorter, so that they looked more like a long skirt (and slightly less clown like).  


Obviously research needed to be done to establish that these were worth the investment (I say that in the loosest sense of the word) and so I wandered over to COS to see what they had. Their selection was really good but most of them still fell at that funny length on me, apart from these wide leg jersey trousers (£59). I don't think that these images are selling them very well at all - so let me explain!


I could wear these with trainers and a chunky roll neck jumper for a casual look. Trainers are still a big love of my life not only for comfort but wearing them means that I can complete my requisite 10,000 steps for the day much quicker than I might otherwise. Which also means that I can then sit on my bum for the rest of the day watching TV. (Spot who had a fitbit for Christmas!)

I like how these look with flats...


For a smarter look I could go with my high neck lace blouse with a bow, which I finally managed to get around to ironing, plus some heels.

I like how VB wears hers although the shoes? Hmmm, not so sure.

Image courtesy of Pinterest

In the summer, chunky sandals and a lighter weight top or shirt would be good. So I definitely think that they have legs.

I like how Olivia Palermo wears hers too...


The worst thing that will happen is that I will put them on, laugh loudly at myself, post a pic on Instagram so that everyone else can laugh too and take them back. But if you don't try you never know.

Now the one thing that I did manage to find me that fit yesterday were these Adidas superstar trainers from Schuh. Unlike the sparkly ones that I really loved, these are leather so I figured that they would be warmer.


Again I've had my eye on them for a couple of weeks now and my Stan Smiths are looking a bit tired, plus if my husband will buy me a Fitbit for Christmas what does he expect? If I'm going to meet my targets I've got to have the right gear haven't I?

Whatever you're up to, I hope that you're having a brilliant New Year's Day. Beth x

Tuesday 29 December 2015

Five outfit ideas for New Year's Eve...sparkles, pleather, lace, bright trousers and spotty shoes, though maybe not all together

With New Year's Eve only around the corner, I thought that I would post some outfit ideas for "the big night".  These outfits are all made up of things that I already have in my wardrobe. Bits and bobs could be mixed around - shoes swapped with other shoes, tops swapped with other tops - you get the idea. I'm hoping that this post may provide a light bulb moment - for me too!  If there's anything that you like the look of, have a think and see if there's anything that you have in your wardrobe that you could use to create something similar.

The 1970's shoes and midi skirt

I liked the idea of wearing these M&S 1970's inspired shoes in the winter but I haven't got around to it yet. However a party, or something based largely indoors, would be the perfect opportunity to give them a whirl. Because they are quite chunky they can hold their own against the heavier pleather fabric of the pleated skirt. For me the skirt needs to be midi length to avoid the whole "mutton" look. I chose the top because I really like the sleeve shape but plenty of other top options would work with this skirt.


The PJ top

Wearing PJs for evening wear has been a huge trend for a while now. Whilst my trousers aren't PJs they are probably the nearest thing in terms of comfort - satin joggers from Topshop. The top is a PJ top though. It's by Rosie at Autograph and I really like it irrespective of whether it's a PJ top or not - and it's probably the comfiest evening out outfit going. The spotty shoes are from Aldo. I love their shoes for their reasonable prices and half sizes.


The fun shoes and sparkly skirt

I bought these shoes this year and they always make me laugh as they definitely verge on the slightly ridiculous. The skirt is a Whistles one that I bought in the sale last year and didn't ever wear. There's a closer shot of its sparkle and "fluffiness" below. The silver ribbed top from Primark doesn't come through very well in the photos. A strappy silky top would work well with this outfit - just not on me! As would sparkly trainers - if I could find any in my size :( I love a big floral midi length skirt too for an evening out. If it's chilly, wear it with a short chunky jumper for a modern take on evening wear.



Full on sparkle and ripped jeans

I've been photo bombed! Sometimes all you need is jeans, a pair of heels and a sparkly top, especially for a trip to the pub. The jeans could be swapped for cigarette pants to make the outfit that bit smarter for a restaurant trip/house party where you're not quite sure of the dress code.


The top is H&M, the jeans are Zara and the shoes Dune. 


The bright trousers

For this look you could go with brocade trousers, or sequin trousers, instead of coloured trousers.  A black silk shirt would work well with a louder bottom half, or the lace black top from the first outfit would work with these too, or again, a strappy silk top. Whatever its style, I prefer a plainer top when wearing "shouty" bottoms. I like how the addition of a pair of heels can make an outfit party worthy - so if you're not a fan of full on sparkle/evening wear, they are a good investment to give a bit of a life to an otherwise plain outfit.


You will note the absence of any dresses. I think that it's because I don't have any midi length dresses and a shorter one would need tights and they then present shoe difficulties and anyway the 16 year old needed a lift as she was going out for the night because she has a better social life than I do and now I'm just a taxi driver.....(but I do love being a taxi driver really).

Thank you to everyone for your kind words following yesterday's post. I really appreciate you all taking time out of your busy lives to drop me a line and offer your words of wisdom.  Beth x


Monday 28 December 2015

What the future holds for Style Guile - and flashing the ankles whilst the tan remains!


Trying to keep the ankles out whilst they are still vaguely tanned...  

Trousers and knitted jacket: Boden, Blouse: & Other Stories, Shoes: Topshop, Bag: Whistles

During our return flight home I spent some time going through all of the photos on my phone. It's amazing the story that they tell, a lot of them relating to Style Guile.


I think that it's fair to say that recently I've been grappling with where to take the blog next. During the time that I've been blogging I've been so fortunate; I've been invited to some wonderful events, met amazing people, worked with some iconic brands and received some fantastic gifts - all of which makes me feel ever so slightly guilty.

Also, there are so many fantastic bloggers out there now and I do wonder what (if anything) I add to the blogosphere. I'm not very good at planning posts in advance, or covering the sales, or trawling sites for the perfect whatever it may be. Style Guile has always been a little more instinctive - a sort of "oooh, what do I fancy writing about today?" kind of approach, rather than a structured approach - a bit of an antidote to both work and life if you like (both of which I adore, of course.)


And then I thought about why I started Style Guile in the first place and sort of came full circle. I love writing and sharing my finds and I find it fun and rewarding. None of that has changed and I'm so, so grateful to all of you who have stayed with me over the years.

So, Style Guile won't be going anywhere but I feel that it's important that it evolves to reflect interests in other areas of my life as well as fashion. We will be having our house knocked around next year and from time to time I hope to write about that, sharing the progress and interiors that we choose. (This is my very rudimentary image board!)


I am also going to (hope to?) run the London Marathon, so I would like to write about the training involved and the nutrition side of things. Exercise is a big part of my life and over the years people have asked me about my training so I hope to share details of that too. There are lots of balls that us mid 40 year olds have to juggle so it will be good to write about those balls too as well as the fashion ones of course.

And as for beauty, that's not really my thing for now but if anyone wants to let me know about any wonder creams that stop your eyes from disappearing into your head, please do let me know!

I'm looking forward to fun times ahead and I hope that you will come along for the journey. If there's anything in particular that you would like me to cover, please do let me know. Beth x



Sunday 6 December 2015

What to wear when going to choose a Christmas tree...


Remember the Zara cardigan (similar here) that I featured on my You Tube vlog right at the start of the "winter"? Well it has definitely secured itself in my affections, together with these Boden Harper boots which seem to be glued to my feet right now. The price of these boots varies by colour and the black ones are £59.50 which is a pretty good price for a pair of boots that are so versatile.

Yesterday we went to buy our Christmas tree (I have deja vu each time I write this - I must have been blogging for far too many years now!) and as it was very windy I popped on my Topshop bobble hat which was a present from my Mum last year. I figure that you can never go wrong with a bit of denim and so this Whistles denim dress came along for the ride too.

I'm glad to report that the tree is now up and stylishly (!) decorated with all manner of things that we've collected over the years. From kitsch and slightly camp, to delicate and fairy tale like and from sequins to felt - all with a bit of tinsel mixed in, it's what one might call an eclectic mix - and not one that you would find in any interiors magazine.






Friday 20 November 2015

Kicking an outfit into touch with one of these...

For me, apart from a pair of shoes, there's nothing that can give an outfit a kick up the bum in quite the same way a a lovely shirt or blouse. It can take a pair of plain black work trousers into something which is quite kick-ass (sorry for all the derriere references tonight.) With a pair of ripped jeans and heels, a black metallic blouse can make the perfect outfit for a night out - and who doesn't love a bit of Victoriana?

So this is my run down of some gorgeous blouses that I've seen out and about on my travels recently....

Mint Velvet tie neck blouse (£69) - this is perfect with a pencil style skirt for work or with fitted trousers for a dressier look. Blouses are really great tops for curvier figures as they tend to skim without clinging, unlike jersey tops which can show every little trace of muffin consumption and muffin top.  The lighter  weight fabrics are brilliant as they don't add bulk, plus the ones with pussy bows have a v-neck line, which is so flattering on a larger bust. With a print to keep the eye on the move, they are absolute winners.


For those of you with curvier busts, you will know the problem with shirts and blouses and buttons that  pull. This Somerset blouse by Alice Temperley at John Lewis (£79) though is fantastic because....it doesn't have any buttons. Perfect! There is plenty of stock in store although not in this colour on line. It also comes in a lovely sage colour too which makes a nice change.


There are a lot of metallic shirts around this season. They can be scratchy so it's worth having a good feel of them on the inside if you don't have time to try them on as no-one likes to feel as though they are wearing a brillo pad. Marks and Spencer has this metallic effect textured blouse (£45). There's also one at Reiss (£145).


For something a little bit pretty and Victoriana, Limited Edition has this lovely lace trim blouse (£29.50). Zara also has a good selection too.


I was working with this M&S  Autograph satin blouse (£35) last week. Again it's really good because it doesn't have any buttons and it's silky fabric elevates it to being a little bit more special, despite its simple design.


Marks and Spencer also has this Autograph animal print blouse (£35) which again has a flattering shape, fit and fabric. It's the type of blouse that could be worn all year round and with leopard print being one of those prints that never disappears, for years to come as well.


Ah, now the Whistles lace shirt (£145) ticks many boxes. The colour is vibrant and great on many skin tones. The fact that it is lace makes it that little bit special and with a shorter length it will sit perfectly with a skirt - just like the one in the above photograph. In fact as time goes by, I veer further away from a "party" type dress, which just sits in the wardrobe until it needs to be squidged on for a night out - and more towards stylish separates which can be worn for many different events.



For sequins, I love this Zara sequinned blouse (£25.99). I would look an utter plonky head in it but I do really like it nonetheless. Particularly on other people.