Why Topshop is currently my top shop....

Just look at that! The models in the window display at Topshop have taken inspiration for their hair colour from Helen Mirren!

 

 

 

 

Today I had an hour to myself so whizzed around the shops to see what was what. Zara still had some sale remnants which they really need to get rid of now. Everyone has just had enough, not least the staff. Their new stock is nothing to write home about yet - lots of yellow/orange and black and white - but it's early days yet. Cos was OK but a bit bland. French Connection looked too bodycon to even bother with. Just looking through the window gave me stomach ache (it was the thought of that suck-you-in underwear!) Ted Baker had a whole selection of pieces in lovely colours but I find it really expensive and All Saints had some nice pieces but I'm trying to steer away from black and navy. 

 

Topshop however - it really came up with the goods. There was colour, print, great styles and fab jewellery. I was like a kid in a sweetshop. I know some feel a bit intimidated in Topshop but as with any store, if you go in first thing when it's empty, it feels less scary than the full on Saturday afternoon experience. Sorry for the lack of links - hopefully the pics will allow you to identify anything that you like.

 

So first off, I love the colours in this coat. It's just so different and would add a real lift to your wardrobe for the spring. The yellow is a bit crayon like, if you know what I mean. I think that it was £79.

 

A great little jacket. It's similar to the silver Warehouse one that I have. I love the fact that although it is printed, it is all in one colour. It's a great way to make an entry into the print scene for anyone who is a bit wary of prints.

This printed jumper taps into the whole graphic trend which is so big this season. Louis Vuitton did it big style with huge checks, which is probably where the inspiration for this jumper came from. I like the fact that it is accessible and that it is wearable now - even better!

This smaller graphic print is worn on a shirt. It's more subtle than the jumper and again, a good way to start wearing prints.

Sheer panelling is a big trend for the season too, as shown at Dior. This is the first piece that I have seen on the high street with sheer panelling in it. Because of the length of the skirt, the sheer panel falls in a place which is not too obscene! I love this skirt. It's a really classic style with a modern twist but it would need to be styled really well to avoid the frump factor.

I loved the colour and print of this dress. I held it up to check the length and it was knee length on me, so it could be worth trying at some point to see whether it might be an option. I can imagine it with bare legs and taupe/mushroom/tan ankle boots when the weather starts to warm up and then with sandals in the summer. Just add a Pashley bicycle for the Diane Kruger/Laura Bailey look!

Such a fab statement necklace - with orange, yellow, aqua, lilac, pale pink and chandeliers too! It was one of my favourite finds. At £30 it's not cheap but it could be used to lift any plain jumper or t-shirt, or to add interest to darker pieces. Definitely one worth investigating.

Topshop even had a lovely selection of bright scarves which just added to the excitement.

These cigarette style trousers are the same style as the spotty ones that I have and which I was wearing in this month's Easy Living article. They would work really well with not only the plainer colours such as navy/grey/white but also with a hot pink or bright yellow top (see the jumper below).

For anyone who wanted one, here's a closer look at the print.

Topshop isn't the obvious place for an evening dress but this one is really pretty...

...with great detailing on the bodice. V Kate Middy! It reminds me of a dress that she wore with some fab Jimmy Choos. It was quite revealing but it looked great on her.

Not one for me but it's a fantastic print and the structure was great. Lovely for someone with a different life/age/shape/legs!

I have admired this brocade printed dress for a few weeks now. It also comes in shorts for those brave enough! Again it won't be for everyone but it's nice to have some choice.

Love this cropped yellow jumper, which also comes in blue.

And one or two other things that I spotted. I love brogues and don't need any more but if I did happen to be on the hunt for a pair, these would be high on my list of possibilities. They are from Clarks and come in black, tan and a sort of grey colour too. I like Clarks for its half sizes and its comfort!

 

And finally the one piece in Zara that I did like. A spring parka in different shades of green and grey. In fact I think that the Zara parka and the Clarks brogues would look great together.

I hope that there was a little bit of something for everyone here. If nothing else, hopefully it may encourage some to go and have a wander around Topshop. Just borrow a nearby teenager if it makes you feel more comfortable!

Boden staff wearing Boden "their way" - and what do you think of the outifits worn to the BAFTAs?

Last week I was invited down to Boden HQ to work with the social media team there for a feature that they will be running on tumblr There was a photographer there for the day so there will be some fantastic images coming up on the Boden page over the next few days.

 

For the feature (currently, unofficially) entitled "Boden My Way" seven members of staff, all with very different styles, chose an outfit of their own which included a few Boden pieces.

 

The idea was inspirational. Rarely do we wear a brand head-to-toe, so mixing Boden with pieces from Topshop, Zara, KG, Asos and H&M, together with vintage pieces, showed it off to its best and demonstrated its versatility. Everyone looked fantastic and so very different.

 

I think that it's fair to say that there are both stereotypical Boden pieces (the words hotch-potch/fun/ditsy) spring to mind and stereotypical Boden customers (40 ish/Mum/likes baking and holidaying in Cornwall). Oh, that would be me then.

 

However, over the past couple of seasons  there has been a shift away from the traditional Boden pieces - or rather an inclusion of more trend led, stylish pieces, which have seen the clothes appeal to a much wider audience. Grazia, Red, Easy Living, InStyle and Marie Claire Magazines have all picked up on this and you will regularly see Boden pieces featured in them. Their simple cashmere pieces and cotton and linen T's are fantastic quality and something that the staff stock up on.

 

So first up we had Chloe, who is a print designer. Wearing her own outfit of leather shorts, wedge shoes and a statement necklace, she added in a black Boden cashmere jumper and their Canonbury coat.  Her black and purple combo, including her hair colour, looked incredible.

  

 

It was great to meet Chloe and Jess, below, who is also a print designer. They were due to go to LA the following day to scour markets for vintage prints. They both certainly dispelled the image that I had in my head of the Boden print designers!

 

Occasionally, if the timing was right, I snapped at the same time the photographer's flash went off. I loved the results!

This is Jess, who is wearing her own Topshop dress and Aubin and Wills shirt (bought in the closing down sale) which we layered under a Boden jumper, effectively turning the dress into a skirt. Her cute block fringe together with the Peter Pan collar on her shirt gave Jess' outfit a real 60's/vintage/Edie Sedgwick kind of feel. She totally rocked the Boden brogues.

For the shoot Jess also used this electric blue Boden tote, which is due to be released later on in the season.

For her next outfit, we swapped the brogues for Jess' own Topshop shoes and the Boden Leather Folded Clutch to give it a slightly dressier look. Those Topshop shoes were amazing - but sadly no longer available.

Vikki was up next. A Production Controller, I thought that she had a little bit of an Angelina Jolie look about her.  For her first outfit she wore Topshop jeans, a Zara vest, a Tiffany bracelet, a bright yellow Boden tote (also available later in the season) and a fantastic Metal Disc Necklace (£29) (sort of visible here but best to click through for a closer look) which looked great layered over the simple vest.

 

 

Vikki also wore the Boden pointed slingbacks which worked really well with her jeans. All the neutral colours allowed her bag and bright lips to be the main focal point of what was a really relaxed laid back summer time outfit.

 

For her second outfit Vikki was almost head to toe Boden, wearing their navy spotted Bistro crop trousers their Linen slub tee, which is a great texture and has a lovely relaxed fit and the hand crochet jacket, which she wore with her own necklace from Asos, together with KG shoes.

Finally for today's post we had David in a Boden jumper with H&M trousers, Clarks shoes and a Uniqlo shirt. Being in front of the camera like that was really difficult be he relaxed into it, chatting away with the photographer. Being surrounded by women, I think that he appreciated having another male in the room!

Tomorrow I will bring you the remaining three members of staff, all of whom had an equally distinctive style and who definitely wore Boden their way.

 

So, what did you make of the outfits at last night's BAFTAs? Who did it for you? Marion Cotillard in sunny yellow Dior Couture, Anne Hathaway rocking rock chick in Burberry or Jessica Chastain in cobalt blue Roland Mouret?  And what about Helen Mirren's pink hair? I haven't decided whether I like it or not but I just think "good on her." She will have known that she was going to get some stick for it but couldn't give a monkeys. And for that reason, I like her style!

 

And another Mum on the Run - As featured in today's press!

Sometimes you just see something that warms the cockles of your heart and for me this was it. My friend who I have known since I was at school, and who runs the blog Lottie's Interiors, was today featured in an article in the Sunday Mirror Magazine which was entitled Crafty Bloggers

Lottie's blog was picked up by a journalist who was looking to write about people who blogged about their hobbies. Lottie hasn't been running her blog for very long and has kept it under the radar, doing very little to promote it, writing about interiors for the love of what she does rather than anything else - so it's great that a journalist spotted it and recognised it for its great content and her style of writing.

Although the interior's work that Lottie does is a hobby, it's pretty much a full-time, slightly obsessive (in a good way) passionate hobby at which she is very good. When she told me that she would regularly change the colour of her bedroom over the course of the weekend, I wondered whether she meant it - but she did.

At school Lottie could turn her hand pretty much to anything of an art/craft nature, from woodwork, to painting, to metalwork to cookery. Let's just say it wasn't her drawing of a certain part of the male anatomy that was held up in biology for the class to ridicule!

Here is a lovely picture of her living room, which featured in the article. I can never understand how the rest of her house is as equally tidy as this room - especially given that she has two children.

But anyway there we are! It's her thing and she's great at it. So, if you like reading about interiors as well as fashion, take a nip over to Lottie's Interiors for a snoop around. I'm sure that you will be very welcome!

A different Mum on the Run - and her fashion Wish List!

For a long time now I have wanted to open Style Guile up - to get the input, opinions, views and ideas of others on fashion. Unsurprisingly, requests for photos have been largely unsuccessful and to be honest I'm not suprised. Risking putting yourself out there to the masses is not an easy thing to do and can be met with a variety of responses - some not always as positive as they might, or should, be.

 

So instead, a few weeks ago, I floated the idea on my facebook page of seeing how you would feel about letting me have your fashion "Wish List".

 

I think that we all have things that we would love to own. Some things maybe a once in a life time present. Other things may be achievable with a little bit of saving and other things you may just see and think that they would be perfect to pep up your wardrobe for the season.

 

The pleasure need not come from how much something costs. It can come from suddenly possessing something you thought that you would never wear, or finding an item in the perfect colour or in the perfect fit.

 

So thank you to those of you who have been in touch to let me have your Wish Lists and here goes with Natalie's...

 

The new Baukjen collection was released on Monday. Just by way of background, Baujken initially started off with the maternity brand, Isabella Oliver, and later branched out with Baukjen, which is non-maternity but effectively both are under the same umbrella.

 

With the arrival of the new Baukjen catalogue, Natalie's Wish List suddenly increased substantially. One of the items from her Wish List is this Baukjen Jodie Cropped Blazer. Oh yes please!

 

 

Next on Natalie's Wish List is this Baukjen high waisted pencil skirt. She's not quite sure whether she could rock it in quite the same way as the model but I reckon she could and it's always worth giving things a try just to find out. It would be great for lifting those grey, black and navy pieces.

Next up is the Baukjen Amber print pencil skirt. Natalie would go with the whole sweatshirt look with it. I wouldn't mind betting that we will see a lot of this skirt in the press in the next few weeks. It's a beauty!

Finally - for now at least - Natalie would love to own a pair of these Stuart Weitzman 5050 boots. They are an over the knee boot with an elasticated back for added comfort and fit and given that Natalie has a problem finding boots to fit her calves and ankles, these would be perfect for her. Currently she has to go down a size to avoid them flapping around her legs.

So, a big thank you to Natalie and, if you would like to, please let me have your Wish Lists by sending them to me at style@bethgoodrham.com where I will aim to post one a week.

Mum on the Run - An outfit from H&M outfit which cost £27 (£15 without the necklace)

It's fair to say that there were one or two observations from friends this morning about the brightness of my neon combination and I have to agree that the sweatshirt and necklace were exceptionally bright. In fact I'm not sure that I realised quite how bright they were until I went outside.

 

The Zara coat, Miss Selfridge gloves, Marc Jacobs bag and All Saints shoes you have seen many times before but the skirt, sweatshirt and necklace are all new and courtesy of H&M - as in that's where I bought them.

The sweatshirt was a reasonably priced £9.99, the necklace was £12 (ish) and the skirt was a totally bargainous £5 in the sale. With reference to the skirt, I did make the observation that, due to its length and fit, I couldn't see myself managing to put the washing machine on whilst wearing it. However we concluded that some outfits weren't "washing machine putting on" kinds of outfits. No, instead I went to see my Mum and all we did was sit, chat and eat M&S sarnies and crisps, so it was perfect for that.

I can live with the black leopard print - it's fairly subtle.  Arguably it would be even more so if some idiot didn't go and stick it with a bright coral sweatshirt and necklace. Oh, and by the way children, there aren't any clean clothes for you to wear. Except....the eldest has already made several comments about liking the sweatshirt and if she doesn't have any clean clothes of her own that can only mean one thing. Sorry, must dash. Need to go and put the washing machine on. There's no way she's getting her mitts on this one.

Mum on the Run - All change! Time for a (daytime) dress so I'm calling on the Whistles Isabella

"Time for a change" I thought this morning when I woke up. It's been trousers all the way of late so today I decided to break the habit and to wear a dress instead. Tomorrow it's going to be a skirt. I know! Radical or what?!

 

This Whistles drop waist dress (hugely reduced in the sale the last time I looked) is a good day time dress for me - warm, loose enough to get a couple of layers underneath and with a decent length to it. It ticked the right boxes for the styling work that I was doing today too.

The scarf was a Christmas present from my Mum. It's an M&S scarf with swans printed on it and the bag you have all seen before lots of times. I was using it yesterday for work as it's a good size to get everything in. As I was home late last night I didn't have time to swap it before heading out this morning but it worked fine so that was OK.

I also wore my faithful Boden spotty coat which I bought 11 years ago. A lady came up to me when I was working and asked me where I had got it from. She absolutely loved it and was desperate to have one. When I explained that it wasn't available any more because it was so old she said "Ah, that's why it's so lovely. It's antique. You look like an antique in it." Hmmm. That's a new one to add to the list!

For those who have asked about the bag before, I checked at Orla Kiely, Bicester, when I was there on Saturday but this particular one isn't available any more. They thought that the style was called "Ivy" but I have a feeling, from looking at the clutch style that I have, that it's called "the coloured ring" something or other in "sky." There are similar styles in different colours or there's a bag from Radley that I have seen in pretty much the same colour. However it's not online so I will make some enquiries with Radley and try and bring a pic to you. Just in case anyone would like one!

Mum on the Run - An outfit of ice cream Sundae colours

After the snow had disappeared, I realised that I had missed the perfect opportunity to wear my H&M fur jacket so instead I wore it on Sunday for our trip to Bicester. Rather than wear it with dark colours, I went down the route of ice cream colours - creams, lilacs and pinks. I just thought that it might be nice for a change and a break from the dark colours of winter.

 

As you can see, it was a blustery day hence the slightly wild scarf!  In addition to the fur jacket I wore a lilac striped jumper from French Connnection, a Jigsaw pendant and a scarf from French Connection.

 

I also chose a pale pink Russell & Bromley bag as black would have been too heavy.

 

 

I felt that pastels on the top half were OK but I wouldn't be ready to embrace pastels on the bottom half too - it would be too much so instead I wore Primark black coated jeans and black boots. The photos aren't great but it would be wrong to complain about the presence of the sun and anyway I like slightly dodgy photos - they are more forgiving!

 

I'm going to London tomorrow to work with Boden so probably won't be home in time to blog but I hope to be back on Thursday with photos of what we got up to!

 

I went to Bicester and all I got was this...

I know, I can't believe it either. All the way to Bicester for a Jack Wills shirt. Given all the fantastic stores there how ridiculous is that?

 

The thing is, it was busy and I don't do shops when they're busy. At least I don't like arriving when they're busy. There were some quite nice peep toe boots in Hobbs and I liked some tux evening trousers in Reiss but the queue was too long. The Orla Kiely bags were as good as ever and Gerard Darel (not Gerald Durrell - he was the books guy) had some lovely prints. All Saints had a divine powder blue (more like pale grey) leather jacket but they didn't have it in my size - which was lucky really. The worse thing though was that I didn't see anything that I liked more than a top that I've seen in Hollister. The world has gone mad (or I have).

 

 

I've been on the hunt for a lumber jack/tartan shirt for ages now. I bought one in Zara before Christmas but returned it because it wasn't quite right. This one was perfect though - exactly what I was after and why? Because it's brushed cotton - just like my Cath Kidston PJ's - and really soft and warm. Oh, and I like the colours too.

So that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. All the way to Bicester and all I came back with was a Jack Wills shirt (no obvious logo you'll be pleased to hear) and all because the lady loves (not Milk Tray) but feeling as though she's wearing her pyjamas during the day. Is anyone else with me on that one - especially when it's cold?!

This season's picks - as fed to us by the glossies, the weeklys and everything in between - and here's why...

I realise that I start a lot of posts off with "have you noticed?" but seriously, have you noticed how, at the start of each season, there are a few pieces which crop up time and time again in the magazines?

A few season's ago, you couldn't open a magazine without seeing a picture of the Burberry Aviator Jacket. For A/W '12 it was the pink Jil Sander coat. This season? Well, I have given you a flavour of them below....

The Next yellow collarless jacket (£50)

Why? Because it's yellow and yellow is big for s/s '13 . At the start of the season, jackets are always a good place to start because they are one of the first things we can look to to replace when the weather starts to get warmer.

Mathilda Flouro Tweed Bomber (£250) Whistles

Why? Because although bomber/varsity jackets have hung around on the fashion periphery for a couple of seasons, they have now wriggled their way into mainstream fashion. Whistles was one of the first to get its new season stock on the shop floor and this has been picked up on as the perfect example. There is a flouro fleck in this jacket - and in its matching trousers.

Victoria dress from Hobbs (£189)

Why? A perfect example of the monochrome trend which again is so big for s/s '13. Although monochrome is never far away (you can't get much simpler than black and white can you?)  Monochrome is now a "trend" in its own right, as opposed to just a "look". No, I don't really know what that means either but it sounds good and I think it makes it clear - in a fuzzy kind of way.

Cropped neon jacket Ted Baker (£169)

Why? Whoa. Get those shades on! Again neon is big this season and you're not going to get any brighter than this. Seriously. It shouts across the shop floor at you.

Striped dress H&M  £19.99

Why? A double whammy. Not only monochrome but stripes too. Not any old stripes though -
W I D E stripes are where it's at this season.

 Eley Kishimoto Clarks £79.99

Why? A design collaboration of graphic proportions about which the fashion world is very excited. Graphics are huge, collaborations can be highly successful and this one between Eley Kishimoto (on sale from March 1st) could be a beauty. Follow the link for other styles.

Nell Cross Front Strap Sandals Topshop £48

 

Why? Because the midi heel is the way to go and these are some of the first ones available. High heels and platforms - bye bye! Slightly grannified? Quite possibly but they're still better than Birkenstocks, particularly the furry ones.

 

 

 

The Hobbs trouser suit (not yet available)

 

Why? Because trouser suits are having a moment and this is one is one of a couple that are around (Debenhams has one too) that aren't too corporate. It also taps into the whole colour block head to toe trend. The Boden shoes are another example of the midi heel.

 

 

The Dior Skirt

Why? Well, it's not actually the Dior skirt that we are seeing a lot of but rather a skirt from Coast which is inspired by this Dior skirt. Not yet available, it is full length with yellow flowers on it. I would love to see it in real life as I'm intrigued and for some reason, slightly tempted. As to where to wear it - I have no idea. A note to friends: could someone please have a big birthday party/get married/engaged/ so that I have somewhere to wear it?

Annie embroidered lace dress French Connection (£130.00)

Why? Because it's a fine example of the "white" trend. (Why is that when I type "white" without fail, I type "shite" instead?)  Perhaps it's a Freudian slip of the fingers. Perhaps it is because calling white a trend - just like calling monochrome a trend - is just that.

What I like about this dress though, price aside, is that it has a good length on it. The model wearing it on the FC site is 5ft 10" and it's knee length on her. Anyway, someone is on to it because the stock is limited.

So, that's where we are with what's being shown to us at the moment. Has anyone else spotted anything that's white, shite, neon, monochrome, bomber, yellow, colour block, midi or anything else of late?

Mum on the Run - This one's electric (blue)! A beautiful bag from Kausar

There have been a lot of "oooohs" and "aaaahs" in this neck of the woods today, I can tell you. "What a lovely colour," "Is it both a clutch and a handbag?" "I bet you could fit an ipad in that" (you can - I checked).

 

The bag responsible for the "ooohs" and the "aaaahs" is the Electric blue Fenix bag from Kausar (£144) and I must say, all of the compliments are well deserved. The shape is fantastic and the colour stunning - in fact the colour is so great that the rest of your outfit could be totally pants and you could still get away with looking as though you had made an effort/it was intentional.

 

 

 

With the emphasis being on quality rather than quantity, Kausar makes a limited number of each style of bag and they are all designed in house. Because of that, the dimensions and colour can be varied upon request - which is handy for a handbag!

 

 

When I went out last night, I used the bag clutch style.  Oversized clutches are great to use and, strategically placed, they can hide a multitude of sins too.  The leather is beautifully soft and the bags are light.

 

Today I used the bag casually, cross body style. Up until now I haven't had a bag in this colour but I can see how versatile it will be. In this outfit it picks up the blue in this Whistles scarf but it will also work with darker winter coats - grey, navy, black, tan - take your pick.

This is another style of bag which I also really like - the Tiffany (£202.30). All of the bags have velvet inner linings and leather trim throughout, which makes them feel really special. Additionally, 10% of revenue from the bags is donated to a children's orphanage.

Kausar is looking to be stocked in stores and boutiques so if you are running a boutique and are interested in stocking these beautiful bags, please contact info@kausaronline.com

Now, Kausar have kindly said that I can keep this fantastic bag. However, I feel that it would be unfair to keep it just for me so, as with all things that are gifted to me, if anyone would like to borrow it - whether to blog about it or to use it for an event or just because they fancy trying it out - please let me know and I will send it over to you.