Teacher Feature - the lovely Mrs Daffurn shares with us, the outfits that she wears to school.

Mrs Daffurn was our youngest's first teacher and I wanted to feature her on Style Guile a long time ago. However I thought that it might be prudent to wait until Matilda had moved on a year before asking her. Luckily she agreed to appear but I know that she is slightly nervous about it. Occasionally I would drop by her classroom after school without any pre-warning - so this post isn't in the least bit contrived.

 

I think that teachers have a tricky time when it comes to getting dressed for work. Without being patronising, or wishing to imply that it's not possible to dress nicely as a teacher, all that bending, lifting and moving around, plus the risk of getting covered in paint, glue, glitter and various bodily fluids would probably make me want to dress in a nuclear suit. 

 

I was always full of admiration for the way that Mrs Daffurn managed to pull something different out of the hat every day, especially given the constraints on what would be comfortable and practical to wear whilst teaching a class of three year olds. Personally I don't think that she ever wore the same outfit twice but she assures me that she did!  

 

I love this outfit which is so simple but which, with the addition of a belt, bright beads and Hunter wellies, is really pretty and stylish.

How great are these for wet soggy school days?

I will probably get into a little bit of trouble for posting this picture but for me, it captures the essence of Mrs Daffurn. She is always so happy to see the children and parents and they are all so adoring of her.

 

A little bit of colour and print is great for the children too - I know from what my own children say to me that they like bright clothes. Only just this morning Matilda told me that she liked all of my clothes, apart from the dark ones!

 

Here's another great outfit which combines a dress and cardigan with a printed scarf. The shape of this dress is really flattering as it nips in at the waist and the looser boyfriend style cardigan keeps the look relaxed.

 

And here Mrs Daffurn has added her Barbour which she brought over from home (Ireland) as she knew how practical it would be at school, where the children have to walk outside to get to the dining hall, irrespective of what the weather is doing. I love how the turn back on the sleeves of the Barbour picks up the colour of the cardigan.

I think that Mrs Daffurn is a bit of a Joules fan and I know that this dress is from Warehouse. Other than that, I didn't think it fair to quizz her too much further but with her Barbour, Hunters, scarves, beads, stripes and clever use of colour, she gets top marks in the teacher style stakes!

Mum on the Run - A Saturday casual outift of Jigsaw, Boden, Oasis, Cos and Primark (my fave piece!)

This morning our youngest and I had a date at a soft play area. One of her friends was 5 (so grown up don't you know!) so off we went, present and card in hand.

 

Now that Matilda is older I don't need the full on soft play regalia of jeans and converse. I'm pretty confident that she's likely to come when I ask her to and if not well, I'll just kick off my heels and go in and fish her out.

 

I know from nearly 14 years of bitter experience that these places can be cold so I layered my new fur Primark gilet under my leather jacket, just to see whether it would work as much as anything. M&S Autograph tights with cashmere and cotton are very cosy, so they worked a treat under my Jigaw skirt.

I also wore my Cos roll neck, to which I appear to be surgically attached at the moment, together with Rockport heeled loafers and my Boden leopard print bag - just to thrown another animal print into the mix - and because it's a handy size.

Later on in the day when we went to the High Street, I swapped the heels for ankle boots but other than that the outfit has stayed the same all day - even as I sit here now I am cosy - but we have just had friends around for dinner so the waistband on my skirt is a little tighter than it was this morning!

The Boden press day Part 2 - the clothes!

In this second post about the s/s '13 Boden press day, I am moving on to the stories behind the clothes and the best part - the clothes themselves.

 

The colour block collection is all about simple shapes in a rainbow of colours from chalky tones to citrus shades with a punch of neon. The colours are to be clashed or toned - as you choose. 

 

There are also bold patterns and prints in the collection which are from the Boden archives, or which are found at vintage fairs, which are scoured by the Boden team.  

 

This rail gives an idea of the colours in the colourblock collection.

There are lots of patent shoes in the collection, so for anyone who likes patent, you won't be disappointed as you can see here...

 .

..and here with these lovely two tone flats...

...and here. Talk about neon pink! These are gorgeous.

This is an example of one of their prints on the bistro crop trousers, the style of which has been really popular this season. Sarah from Boden was wearing these trousers with a simple pale pink jumper with buttons up the back and high platform peep toe leopard print shoes. The whole outfit looked amazing on her.

Here's another shot of the rail from a different angle, where it's possible to see a good old smattering of stripes.

This rail is from the sixties collection which features clean, uncluttered shapes in formica colours. There are also large swirly psychedilic prints in zingy colours. There are beautiful crochet and jacquard dresses and this story features pieces in cream, coral, lemon and mint.

I love these Edie Sedgwick style shoes, which come in a wide array of colours.

They have this cute sixties block heel. After years in the style wilderness, pointed toe flat shoes look refreshingly modern. I definitely have my eye on these!

I loved the style of this dress too. I like its elbow length sleeve and knee length as they make it an easier and more stylish option than so many strappy and revealing styles which are around in the summer.

This is a pretty cream blouse with a peplum detail which appealed to me because it is a floppy peplum, rather than a big, stiff, sticking out "hey look at me" kind of peplum.

Some refreshing polka dots are always nice to see in the summer and this cute peter pan collar, whilst not for everyone, is not as high as some that are around, which makes it more wearable.

And this is one of the psychedelic prints to which I referred. I love it. Actually come to think of it, it reminds me of our bedroom wallpaper (one wall only) - but I like that too, so I don't see it as a bad thing. I would wear this piece as we have used the wallpaper, in a one wall only kind of way - with everything else really plain.

For those of you who have bought these sixties heels this season, this is the updated version for the summer. They still have a kitten heel but the strap over the foot has been moved slightly so that it is further up the foot.

And again a few more stripes. This lemon and grey colour combination is a nice change from the navy/white combination which we see so much of each season - although they too will feature somewhere no doubt -well I hope they do.

As it's possible to see from the rail, this collection has a completely different feel about it. It is the texture and shine story and includes textures of all varieties from broderie to woollen yarns with metallics for subtle shine. Fabrics have been shot through with sparkly threads which are usually reserved for evening wear. The idea is to mix those pieces with everyday pieces for luxe daytime looks.

This is a really pretty embellished dress in simple blue/grey navy shades.

 

With a closer picture of the embellishment, which is so pretty.

These bistro crop trousers (which are the same style as the psychedelic ones above) are just lovely. They have a subtle sparkle weave through them and could be worn for all sorts of occasions depending on whether they were paired with a white shirt, a bright vest, a silk cami or a fine knit and flats.

These are the shoes which again reflect the whole feel of the collection with neutral colours with shine and sparkle.

The fourth collection, which is the spots and stripes is a transitional collection and contains simple shapes and clean lines in cashmere, cotton and merino wool. They pieces are designed to create streamlined silhouettes.  Unfortunately I don't have a picture of that particular rail but being the transitional collection, it will be out fairly soon, so it won't be too long before it's all revealed.

 

I hope that you have enjoyed this whizz through what Boden has in store for us next season. Whilst I like to live in the here and now, and don't think it's right to wish my life away, I can't wait until it's available to buy.

 

Enjoy the weekend!

Mum on the Run - Off to the s/s '13 Boden press day (Part 1)

I was lucky enough to go to the Boden S/S '13 press day today and it was such a sunny experience that I wanted to share it with you by writing two posts about it. Today's post is all about setting the scene - both in terms of how it looked and also in terms of what actually goes on at a press day (just in case anyone is interested).  

 

If, which was quite easy to do, I ignored the Christmas tree and ice-skating rink outside of Somerset House, it was quite possible to imagine that it was a summer's day and that I was in a beautiful Victorian House somewhere in the English countryside. It was lovely to walk into such a light and airy room and be greeted by such vibrant colours. I have spent many days in the shops recently and they all seem a little flat colourwise - so it was  refreshing change.

 

 

It takes about five months to plan the press days and it's possible to see just how much work goes into them with the props, imagery, film reels, flowers, furniture - even the door stops had to be painted in the right colours.

Before I went to a press day I didn't really know what to expect - I think that I probably had visions of something like a press interview where everyone was seated, taking notes, and there were people talking at the front about the collection, perhaps using models and so on but in a very corporate kind of way.

For the Boden press day, there was a separate room for each collection of women/men, children's and Johnnie B - with rails around the edge of the room exhibiting each "story".  Sarah from Boden took me around each of the stories, explaining the inspiration behind each one, together with the key pieces from it. All the pieces could be looked at, touched and photographed so it was very much a "hands on" experience.

 

This lovely picture of Johnnie B himself adorned the wall above the fireplace in the treatment room. He's one brave man - that's all I can say.

These shots below were taken in the children's room. This first one is of the baby collection which contained lots of vintage muted tones, with nostalgic prints and crochet trim.

Frankly everything in this room was so cute, from the clothes, to the shoes, to the images on the wall...

...to the images on the furniture

...and the names on the stools. Fortunately none of the stools had any of our children's names on them, otherwise Boden may have found themselves one short.

Hopefully that gives a flavour of what goes on at these things, or certainly at the Boden press day. Oh, and I mustn't forget to mention the juice and breakfast canapes (v. tasty) or the presence of certain celebs and fashionistas! Thanks to all of the girls from Boden for being so friendly and helpful. 

 

Tomorrow it's the turn of the ladies' collections and the pieces that I spied from them!

 

 

Mum on the Run - A style event and the Boden press day may mean a little blogging break!

I have run out of time (again) so sorry for the short post. I have been busy preparing for an event that I will be at tomorrow night which forms part of the Pavilions campaign and from which the above shot is taken.

It will be an early start tomorrow, selecting outfits for the models I will be styling, together with pieces to talk about at the presentation that I will be giving. The clothes are then to be couriered to the venue, the models fitted and we will have a run through before going into hair and make-up prior to the event starting at 6.30pm. Nervous - me?!

The next day I am heading to London for the Boden press day, which I have no doubt will be fantastic.

So, please forgive me if I don't get around to posting for a couple of days - I will try and catch up as soon as I can, hopefully with something interesting to show you.

Have a good week!

Style Guile Smile - Markus Lupfer for Whistles - and a little wardrobe malfunction!

Many of you may have heard of Markus Lupfer, who I think it is fair to say is known best for his whacky knits.

He has designed a collection for Whistles, which is in stores from tomorrow, and which includes scarves and hats in his trademark style, together with silk pieces and phone and computer accessories.

From time to time I see a print which really catches my eye and I love the heart print on these Pyjama Pants (£95) which form part of the collection. I can't pretend that there's really room in my life for a pair of pyjama pants (other than to wear to bed - which is how these could be worn) but if I lived a different life, I would be tempted to give these a whirl. They would look great styled with a blazer or a leather jacket and they would certainly make an interesting alternative to the usual suspects which I would normally wear for a night out (to Pizza Express).

There is also a PJ top (£125) in both the blue print shown above and in this pinky/red print. Again, it's just a little different to anything else that I have seen recently and it would do a great job of breathing some life into a simple pair of black trousers.

I suppose what I am getting at with these pieces is this: if you have an event coming up for Christmas, it might be nice to find something a little bit quirky but which you love and which you get enjoyment from owning - rather than trawling the stores for another dress which will only get worn once or twice.

For me there's something really exciting about looking at a piece and thinking "ooh, that might be nice for a change - but could I pull it off?" There's then the fun element in trying it on and deciding whether to run with it, or whether to park it there and then! So I guess that's where I am coming from with these.

As an alternative to the above options, and something which falls into a different price bracket, there's this phone case (£40) which could be a nice addition to your Christmas list.

And finally for those who like a little neon, there's this neon heart print scarf (£55) which would give a real lift to those dark winter pieces that we all have in our winter wardrobe.

So, that's my whistle stop tour through the heart print pieces by Markus Lupfer for Whistles, but you can see the rest of the collection here

Many of you may remember the pictures of Lily Allen's sister at her (Lily Allen's) wedding. Well, due to an unfortunate mis-hap this morning, I was very close to leaving the house showing a similar amount of something which really shouldn't be on show. I have a running top with a cut out back which I inadvertently put on the wrong way round. Not a good look - especially for a Monday.

Fashion dilemma - I would like it but there isn't really the budget for it, so what to do???

This post is all about compromise - tweaking something that you have to make it similar to something that you might like. The shape of a dress can be changed with a belt, a dress can be turned into a skirt with a jumper layered over the top, trousers can be shortened to make them a more stylish ankle length - the list goes on.

I really like this French Connection Rhumba parka (£190). It's the combination of the leather sleeves and the white fur collar. On the downside, or maybe the upside depending on how you look at it, it is a little short (and quite a lot pricey!)

I also really like this Ted Baker fitted parka (£210). Another Mum at school has it and we have had some discussions as to its warmth, with the conclusion that with a jumper underneath, it may be thick enough for the colder weather.  It looks great on her and it is true to its "fitted" description.

 

I, on the other hand, have this Jigsaw down filled jacket. Now, whilst I know that I am very lucky to have it, it doesn't have the leather sleeves, it's not navy and it doesn't have any fluffy white fur in it. It's also pretty old now but, on the upside, I know for a fact that none of the others are as warm as it - and that is a big consideration for me because even if I bought one of the others, I would still gravitate towards this one. So what to do?

Well there's nothing that I can do about the fact that it doesn't have leather sleeves, or its colour (I don't fancy risk dyeing it) but I can add a little fur to it...

...which I did with this number from Primark. I bought it last week for £20 and I have to say that I have fallen a little bit in love with it. It looks and feels so much more expensive than it is and it's warm, really warm.

So I layered it underneath my Jigsaw coat and whilst I am not kidding myself that it's anything like the other parkas that I like, and it is a compromise, I do like the addition of the fur to it for a change. To me it feels different and we all know what a big part psychology plays in our wardrobe. So for now I am happy with my wardrobe tweak!

Another way to remember...

I thought that the sentiment behind this Poppy Friendship Bracelet from Claudia Bradby was lovely, which is why I wanted to share it with you.

 

The piece was specially commissioned and £5 from the sale of each bracelet will be donated to the Royal British Legion.

I don't know about you but as each year goes by, the significance of remembrance day becomes even greater to me. There are obviously lots of ways to contribute to charity but I know that every time I wear this piece, it will remind me of sitting with my Grandma and Grandad and hearing their fascinating stories about the war - so it's a way of remembering them too.

Have a lovely weekend.