Have a handbag which needs a little TLC? You need to meet the Handbag Clinic!

 

Remember the bag from yesterday's outfit?

 

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Handbag Clinic. They invited me to send a handbag of my choice to them for treatment so that they could restore it, hopefully, to its former glory. I left my handbag outside for collection and when the treatment had been completed, they called me and delivered it back, all without any cost.

 

So as to put Handbag Clinic to the test, I chose a very much loved but very damaged pale duck egg blue handbag from Jigsaw. It had reached the point that it could no longer be used but equally I couldn't bear to part with it, so there it sat in the wardrobe - loved but neglected in equal measure.

 

Handbag Clinic officially launched in August 2013, however its sister company Furniture Clinic has been offering handbag repairs for several years. Managing Director Ben Staerck decided that a company devoted exclusively to handbag repair would be of more benefit to customers who owned high value pieces demanding the greatest levels of care and dedication. They work on all types of bags from designer names such as Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Hermes and Mulberry and every day thousands of pounds worth of bags arrive in need of help. At anyone time they have over £150,000 worth of handbags in the department.

 

Aside from the repairs and restoration service offered, they also offer Stain Cover. This is a so called ‘Handbag Insurance’ which starts from £4.95 a month. Should your handbag become stained, they will collect it, remove the stain and protect it for the future before sending it back. This is such a great idea for anyone with a Calamity Jane type personality, or for anyone who has lots of beautiful but delicate bags, which they would like to use without worrying about them.

 

Here are some before shots of the handbag. I know, it's in a sorry state. I think that I tried to clean it myself some years back but clearly it didn't work!

 

And here are the after shots. It is totally amazing! I can't quite believe that it's the same bag.

All of the stains are gone and it has been restored to its original beautiful colour.

Without sounding totally dramatic and hysterical about these things, I'm really happy that it has been restored and it's a weight off my mind to know that it is no longer just sitting there unable to be used. It's a bit like when you have those niggly jobs that bug you but you don't quite know what to do about them and it's only when they're fixed that you realise how much they have been bugging you. Or is that just me?!

The bag was  given a colour restoration, which involved thoroughly cleaning it. The stains were removed and the colour was matched from the inside (where it hadn’t faded and it was the original colour). A full coat of colour was applied to the entire outside, which was sealed in with a clear lacquer. The cost of a similar treatment would be around £150.

 

 

Handbag Clinic has extended to readers of Style Guile, a half price Age Defying Protection, reducing the cost from £30 to £15. The Age Defying Protection is an invisible cream which is applied to the handbag and which repels staining by providing a barrier between the handbag and anything with which it comes into contact. Should it become stained, it can easily be wiped clean.

 

Please just quote ‘BG50’ at the checkout or via email. The offer is available until January 31st. I dealt with Charlotte at the Handbag Clinic and she was lovely, so if you have any queries, do give her a call on 01207 279963.

 

So for anyone with a beautiful handbag languishing at the back of a cupboard unable to be used, Handbag Clinic may just be able to come to your rescue.

 

I should just add at this point that this is probably the one and only time that I will be in total agreement with anything that Liz Jones from the Daily Mail says. She too had a handbag treated by Handbag Clinic and loved the results. Actually, that's not entirely fair. She did say nice things about fashion bloggers. Once...

 

 

With a cold spell on the way let's take a look at some fur coats to keep us warm

 

As you know I like a bit of a fur jacket/gilet. This one I bought from H&M kids many years ago now, when there weren't that many of them round. This season however it's a completely different story and you can't move in the stores for fake fur jackets (and leather leggings.) I generally wear mine with skinnies and boots but they can be worn over dresses for an evening out, with leggings and a longer line top or over a jersey day dress.

Have you noticed how children quite often comment on clothes? Sometimes our youngest will approach someone and say "Excuse me...." at which I point I steel myself for having to quickly back track/apologise/hope that the ground will open up and swallow us both. Invariably though she tells someone that she likes the colour of their coat, their bright shiny shoes or their pretty dress. Whilst I was at school today, I had three 5 year old girls come up and stroke my jacket. All of them liked it because of how soft it was.

I've taken a look around the High Street and identified these as some of my favourites:

Alfine fur jacket from Coast (£125) - Coast always has a range of fake fur coats each winter. Quite often the preference for a fur coat will come down to colour, so this is a good choice for those who prefer the brown colour palette, as opposed to creams or greys. It's also a good length for anyone on the petite side as it's not too long.

H&M has a good selection of fake furs too and I like the grey colour of this fake fur jacket (£29.99). Depending on what is in your wardrobe, it may be more versatile than the one above.

This slightly longer cream fake fur jacket from H&M £29.99 has a more laid back feel than the shorter, boxy, one from Coast. This is definitely one to wear with skinny jeans and biker boots.

Sorry about the tiny images of the New Look pieces! This black faux fur jacket from New Look (£44.99) has a really good shine to it, making it look much more expensive than it is. Using interesting textures, such as fur, leather and suede can alleviate the dullness of an all black outfit.

 Obviously fake fur can add bulk to the frame but with its open collar and shaping at the waist, this nude faux fur jacket from New Look (£34.99) is more flattering than some.

For anyone who doesn't like the idea of fur because of it being too animal like in colour, this duck egg blue bomber jacket from Topshop (£68) could just get you over that particular hurdle. Some will love it, some will hate it - but anything that is different has to have potential! (Whether it delivers or not is of course an entirely different matter!) It would go really well with the duck-egg blue bag I was using today - but more about that tomorrow....

This Lux fur shrug from Topshop (£79) is really cute. Again it's quite short but with a very high strokability factor!

With a cold spell promised, perhaps now would be a good time to wrap up in something stylish to keep the chill at bay.

What makes a dress the perfect everyday dress?

Quite often it can be tricky to find a dress that is as versatile as we might like it to be - and sometimes whether it truly is or not, only becomes apparent once we've got it home and worn it a few times.

 

There's never going to be a "one size fits all" in that department as we are all different shapes and sizes and have different lifestyles and requirements - but for me this fluoro animal print shift from Warehouse (£50) which I featured last week, fits the bill. I've worn it to a friend's house for a birthday tea, out for dinner, to work and out for lunch.  

 

 

 

I've given it some thought and this is why I think it works for me;

• Whilst the style is fitted, it's not bodycon so I can still get in and out of the car, put the washing machine on and work in the shops and generally do what I need to do;
• There's enough room in it for me to layer a thin cotton H&M long sleeved top underneath, meaning that I don't have to cover it up with a cardi - which can totally ruin the look of a dress;
• The fact that it has sleeves also means that I don't have to cover up too much with additional layers, making it a "throw it on and go" type of dress;
• It's the right length to wear with heels or flats. I find that some dresses which are just about OK with flats can be way too short with heels;
• It wasn't so expensive that I'm worried every time that I wear it;
• I like the print and so I'm more encouraged to wear it. On the other hand, the fact that it is printed means that it's pretty obvious if I wear the same dress a lot - but I can live with that;
• The print contains both black and navy so it's easy when it comes to which coloured shoes/tights to wear with it (ie whatever comes to hand first!)

Here I'm wearing it with my favourite coral H&M necklace and my All Saints cocoon coat, plus Zara boots. Let me know if you have any thoughts on what makes your perfect everyday dress.

A little bit of Zara, Whistles and Warehouse for some Christmas shopping

 

The family are all currently very worried. Not about me. Rather about themselves. You see my husband and I went to look around a show home yesterday whilst out with the youngest on her bike and I just loved its minimalist look. The fact that it didn't have a stitch of furniture in it, or a picture on the wall, totally appealed to me. We don't have any plans to move but now everyone is worried that they, together with the rest of our possessions, are going to end up in a skip. The rate I'm going, they're not far wrong. I keep catching them glancing furtively at one another, wondering whose room I'm about to attack, complete with a black bin liner in hand.

Not that any of that has anything to do with the outfit that I wore to hit the shops yesterday to start the Christmas shopping. It was a spur of the moment thing, borne out of the realisation that it was probably the last weekend between now and Christmas that I would have a chance to do any shopping, so off I went.

I recall glancing in the mirror beforehand and thinking to myself that I really probably ought to wear a brighter jumper but I just ignored myself and got cracking because I'm really not a fan of busy shops. The lack of sleeves in my coat, whilst arguably slightly impractical, was actually really good when in the shops. It made my elbows sharper for a start. (Only joking, I'll leave that to those who braved the Isabel Marant launch in H&M last week. Having witnessed the Marni launch, I'm sure that they will have needed them!) Also there's something quite purposeful about striding out in a long coat. I felt that I meant business!

The outfit was made up of the navy Ella Panel jeans from Whistles (sorry, no longer on the site) a Zara sleeveless fur coat (ditto), Warehouse cable knit and KG boots.

Hope that you all had a good weekend - whether emptying your houses, shopping, both, or neither!

Leather leggings: How to wear them and what to put with them.

Over the last few seasons leather, or faux leather, leggings have taken over the High Street. When I was in H&M today I counted at least 5 pairs and pretty much every store has some, of one description or another.

So firstly, some tips for choosing the right ones for you:

• Are you ready to commit to leather leggings or are you just dipping your toe in the leather/pleather legging water? There are some out there for as little as £10;
• The fit is really important. Everyone thinks about leggings being too tight but equally, baggy leggings are never a good look;
• Check from all angles before buying and have a good wriggle around in them. Wonky seams, leggings that are too tight and leggings which ride up (or down) are never going to work. Oddly the crotch can also be in the wrong place too. Imagine that!
• Most leather style leggings will have panelling or details on them. Light can bounce off shinier fabrics, acting as a highlighter, so check where those panels sit on you. Panels may be best avoided on the thighs and/or bottom and confined to the lower leg, or down the side of the leg instead (see below).

To list all of the leather/pleather leggings available on the High Street would take all night, so here are a few choices at different prices;

Black leather leggings Mint Velvet (£499) - the real deal and I have to admit that they do look lovely;

Liv leather leggings Baukjen (£299) - the real deal at a slightly lower price;

Damsel in a Dress leggings at John Lewis (£89). These are made of a thick fabric and have real leather detailing down the side of the leggings. This is a really flattering way to wear leather on leggings as the vertical lines serve to lengthen the legs. Damsel in a Dress designs for a slightly more mature market too, so they sit fairly high on the waist;

Faux leather leggings Mint Velvet (£39) - these are a good mid priced option, ones that I haven't yet tried but I am planning on doing so.

So, what to put with them? Well on most people, covering the bottom will be a good idea. I have seen one woman wearing the Damsel leggings with a short fitted top from Zara and she looked amazing - but then so was her figure! There are lots of different ways of styling them so here goes!

The long shirt:

There are lots of longer line shirts available. From denim, to silk for a night out, to an oversized man's shirt or a plaid one for a rock chick look, there are plenty of options available.

I like this Ebony print blouse from Mint Velvet (£69). The Nehru collar is flattering, I like how the print is concentrated at the top of the blouse and for anyone with a curvier bust, a V-neck can be created by undoing a few of the buttons. Wear it with the shoes at the bottom of the post for a night out.

The long knit

Long jumpers and biker boots are a nice way to style leather leggings for a weekend. This Merino Kimono sleeve sweater from Jigsaw (£98) is a great jumper and one which I used for an event on Wednesday night. It's long and loose enough to give the right look, without swamping the wearer. It also looks great with a long pendant worn over the top of it.

The shirt dress

Depending on the fabric and print of the shirt dress, it could be worn either to dress the leggings up for a night out, or down, to wear them casually.

GAP has a good selection of shirt dresses and this plaid shirt dress (£35) would work well worn with ankle boots for a casual look. Again, for anyone who prefers to steer clear of a high neck, a V-neck can be created by undoing the top couple of buttons.

The Long Cardi

Long cardis work well over leather leggings, provided that any top worn underneath has the requisite length at the front, if you get my drift.

This long wrap around cardigan from Zara (£19.99) comes in several colour ways and would look good with a brighter jumper, or printed jumper, worn underneath it or with a plain top and a big printed scarf. I think that I would have to work in a bit of neon to this look.

Sweater/jumper/sweatshirt dress

Tapping into the trend for sweatshirts, a sweatshirt dress would give a very modern feel to the look and would look fantastic with a statement necklace. This sweat dress from Topshop (£19.99) would work well, as would a more traditional jumper dress. I am sure that Primark will have some lovely novelty ones in time for Christmas!

I had to include these shoes on here today. They are my current all time favourite. They are the lacey Courts from Carvela (£59 down from £85) and they would look totally brilliant with leather leggings - as they would with lots of things. They are a classic style but the spikes give them an edge, so they tick that box for when you want something stylish but also very modern.

Making the lingerie look more accessible.

Sometimes I see a look that I like but which I know won't work without a bit of tweaking. So, I take the elements of it that I think I can use and mix them with other pieces, until I find a look which is more practical, or age appropriate, but which still nods to the original look.

 

I've really liked these Louis Vuitton slip dresses since I saw Victoria Beckham wearing one of them to the Wimbledon tennis final. Bear with me on this one...

 

Predictably Zara has the best range on the High Street. They have several ranging from this one at £25.99 to over £100.

The problem with them is that, without going into too much detail, one needs to be near perfect in the pert department to pull them off - and have smooth, tanned, toned legs - in fact really one needs to be a Louis Vuitton model (or VB) for them to work well and frankly, well, let's say no more on that one.

I also like this as a look - really high heels, slouchy jeans, a fitted top, a blazer and a bright lip. It's much more accessible and mixing the two looks together would mean that a hint of the lingerie look could be included.

So here's one way of doing it....

Take one Jigsaw lace vest (£24) John Lewis - these are more substantial than they look, aren't too clingy, have a good length to them and come in a variety of colours.

Add some Warehouse distressed boyfriend style jeans (£33) John Lewis

Put a Ted Baker black velvet jacket (£229) John Lewis over the top.

Step into the Gosford Slipper Vamp Courts from Topshop (£60) either in this fabulous bright pink colour...

 

...or in this leopard print finish...

 

...I'd also work in this beauty that I'm currently coveting in Jigsaw at the moment (£79)

 

 

And you're ready for a night out, having given a nod to the lingerie look.  

My cosy, toasty Primark fur gilet

Is it really bad to admit to wearing the same clothes two days running? Well it wasn't the entire outfit that I wore again today - it was only the fur gilet. It was so warm and cosy and I didn't get a chance to photograph it yesterday so I wore it again today too. At least it reduced the price per wear and given that it was from Primark in the first place, it now practically pays me each time I wear it.

 

I was working from home for part of the day today, getting myself prepared for an event tomorrow night, and given that I wasn't on the go that much the extra layer came in really handy.

 

I'm also wearing Primark skinny coated jeans, Zara boots and one of my favourite Cos funnel neck jumpers. Sadly it shrank in the wash but oddly only in its length, and not so that it has gone all boardy and stiff, so it is still wearable.  More by luck than by judgment, this turned out to be a great way to wear it as its "shortness" is totally hidden.

I haven't been able to face Primark for a while to see whether they have any fur gilets this season but the closest that I have come across so far is this Topshop fur gilet (£60) which is also available in grey, mink and lime. 

I like the head to toe black look (not necessarily on me but just in general) which is broken up by the colour of the sleeves and neckline of the jumper. It just makes it more interesting than an all black outfit and means that you can play around with the colours. The fur of the gilet and the coating on the jeans also adds texture to the outfit and as I mentioned above, it works at hiding washing disasters and possibly pulled threads, moth holes, stains and damage caused by little peeps. Who else can see a whole new range of wardrobe possibilities opening up for them?!

Bright Young Things - Pieces to brighten up your Wardrobe (and a dull day)!

It was such a dull and rainy day today that I wanted to show you some brighter pieces. I've tried to keep them fairly plain so, surprisingly for me, there isn't any brocade, camouflage or leopard print, and there aren't any spots or sequins in sight - OK so there are a few stripes and some winter florals - but I allowed them to sneak into this post because they are cheery.  I'm not going to say a lot about each piece (famous last words). Instead they can do the talking!

If you have some trousers, a pencil skirt or a blazer in black, grey or navy which needs a "pick me up", this Cara silk vest top from Whistles (reduced to £30 in the sale) could just be it.

A simple style in a fantastic colour, the Elfin shift dress from Topshop (£42) would look great with a statement necklace and sparkly heels, or for work with a black patent, or leopard print, belt and black heels.

This cable zip back jumper from Warehouse (£42) would do me, my jeans and my ankle boots just fine on a cold winter's day, thank you very much!

Oh how I love this striped sweater from Ted Baker (£99) - apart from the price. But it's definitely one that's on my sale list. I would wear this come rain or shine....

This box pleated skirt from Cos £59 is just a little bit different from lots of things on the high street. "Technical" fabric, great colour, good length and some (but not too much) volume. I would wear it with high, high, heels and a pretty sweater with sparkles on.

In need of something to up the style stakes of your LBD? There's no need for the Fairy Godmother's magic wand, these Cinderella Slipper style courts from Topshop (£60) will make a real style statement. At the other end of the spectrum, wear them with boyfriend jeans and a denim shirt.

For anyone after a dress with sleeves, a good length and some figure flattering ruching, the Opus Dress by Damsel in a dress at John Lewis (£119) could be just what you are after. The colour is fabulous and a great change from black.

Take these Oil painting trousers from Ted Baker (£109) add in the Topshop pink shoes above, a simple top and black blazer and you have the perfect outfit for an evening out.

I saw this fuschia moto jacket in GAP (£69.95) for the first time today. It's bright. Very bright. But lovely!

This Tinna Velvet dress from Ted Baker (£149) is so beautiful you will just want to stroke it. Don't be put off by the length shown on the model on the TB site - well unless you're 5ft 10" or more like she is. On the rest of us, it's a good length. The wider neckline and kick flared skirt do a great job of balancing hips and despite the drop waist, it's still fitted. I'm really feeling the love for this dress!

The Ella skirt by Hobbs (reduced to £62 from £89) would be a great addition to a winter work wardrobe in the run up to Christmas. The A-line shape is uber flattering and with a fitted black top, black opaques and heels it could look knock out.

As you know, I love a bit of colour. Hopefully this will spur you on to have a little play (or buy) and see what cheery combinations you can come up with on a rainy day.

The miracle "bottom shrinking" trousers from Whistles

I wanted to tell you about the Ella Panel Trousers from Whistles (reduced to £40 from £85) because they were a bit of find. There's nothing unusual about them really - navy blue, biker style with detailing at the knees and zips at the ankles. However they do make a good alternative to jeans and what I really like about them is the panelling on them. They have a decent rise on them too which is never a bad thing.

In simple terms, the panelling makes the hips/bottom look narrower than they are - which is great, particularly if you spend a lot of time walking into rooms backwards. As to the magical bottom shrinking capabilities of these trousers, the reason for it (I did have a photograph taken of myself in the trousers to demonstrate the point but it was so horrific that I quickly removed myself from the photograph) is that there are fairly wide, but subtle, panels up the sides of the trousers. These go around to the back of the trouser so that, as shown in the picture below, the distance (in width) from the back mid-line of the trouser, to the outside seam, is much less than usual (probably by a couple of inches on each side) making the hips look narrower. It's a bit hard to explain but hopefully you'll get the idea.

If like me you like a half way trouser - not too smart but smarter than jeans - these are definitely worth taking a look at. As to the photos - personally I like the blurred look, it's so much softer than HD - but it wasn't intentional - just a five year old with a wobbly hand! I'm also wearing my current favourite Topshop pale blue jumper, a French Connection printed scarf and Zara boots.

An All Saints Cocoon shaped coat (with wellies)?!

Here's a first peek at a Cocoon style coat which I bought from All Saints back in the summer.  I immediately loved it for its shape, weight, quality and the two rows of buttons. The fact that it was reduced from £295 to £87.50 didn't pass me by unnoticed!

 

I admit that the rest of the outfit that I was wearing to the school fireworks may not have played to its strengths and it should have perhaps have had its first outing with some leopard print heels instead of some leopard print mittens. However, the great thing about this shaped coat is that you can layer LOADS of jumpers underneath it, so I was toasty warm on a chilly night. One day soon I'll style it up with something other than wellies!

The rest of the outfit was made up of: Jigsaw hat, pale blue cashmere scarf, Whistles trousers, Joules wellies, Miss Selfridge mittens.