Mum on the Run - A Reiss printed summer dress - heels or converse? I think either will do.

Those days when you can wear just three pieces of clothing are the ones that I dream of all year - bra, pants, dress - job done. No need for layers, scarves, coats, jumpers, or vests - bliss. Yes, today I am vest free. It's almost as historic a moment as a British man winning Wimbledon.

 

I don't think that any of the dresses that I am planning on wearing this week are new, so forgive me if you have seen them before. I think that this Reiss dress is now into its second or third summer but I like a bit of longevity when it comes to clothes, which I bond with in the same way as some men bond with their cars. Speaking of men, Mr SG did the deed today and went to buy the bikinis. I haven't tried them yet - that's for another day.

This dress is an easy style to wear, especially now that I have my fashion tape!  A print is a great way of confusing the eye and keeping it on the move so as to stop it focusing in on anyone area. Here I wore it with my nude mango sandals but I will shortly be putting it with pale blue converse whilst I walk to collect our son from his leaver's disco at school. How bad would it be of me to sneak in a bit early to see if I can catch any of the action??!!! Yep, bad, I know. Right, I'm off.

Mum on the Run - Running away from that tricky issue of bikini buying.

This weekend has found me in all sorts of surreal situations. It started off on Saturday when I was at a cheerleading competition in Bournemouth. Loud music, flashing lights and about 1000 screaming girls all before 9am was just a bit too much by way of sensory overload.  As our daughter wasn't competing until 11am I took myself off into the town where I found myself trying on bikinis, which frankly was even scarier than the cheerleading competition.

After that I headed to Claire's Accessories as I needed some "fashion" tape, so that I could stick my dress to myself to avoid flashing my assets to the world. The assistant in there looked at me like I was bonkers when I explained what I was after, despite having just served four men who were buying pink tutus, blonde wigs and fairy wings to wear to the beach without batting an eyelid. Anyway, I finally found what I was looking for in the lingerie department at M&S.

So, back to the bikinis. After baby number 3, I decided that a bikini would never be something that I would wear again, so I parted with all of mine. However I prefer a bikini under a wet suit and as we are off to Cornwall next Monday I thought I ought to at least investigate them.

Never one to spend hours on searching for something (unless it's for someone else) the Evita and Eva (blue) bikinis from White Stuff found me last week.

I felt that the shape of the bikini top could offer the requisite support and uplift required and I like a bit of a 1950's nod. The online reviews were good and so having located a top in our local store, my husband has kindly offered - OK agreed under duress, to make a trip there this week to collect it.

I have already secured the bottoms, which in fairness (to them) didn't look as bad as I thought that they would. Sometimes I think that the desire for additional coverage results in a granny pant kind of bikini bottom, whereas a briefer one is actually more flattering. No, it wasn't something I believed either but it's true. I'd draw the line at a thong - in fact I'd draw the line way before a thong. I'd probably draw the line at a string tie at the side but that's partly because I'd be worried that it would come undone.

Despite it having a different name, I am pretty sure that the Eva is the same style.

The only difficulty with this bikini top is that it doesn't come in a cup size, so unless your back and bust size are a standard size 10, 12 etc, the fit may not be right. Having tried the 8, I know that it's too small in the cup but the 10 may be too wide around my back - so I'm just waiting to see how it all comes together after Mr SG has been to collect the top this week. Bless him!

On my journey through Bournemouth trying to find my "fashion tape" I came across the Kelly Brook range in New Look. I had a quick peruse of the collection and thought that it came in a good range of cup sizes. The top below comes in a size 32B to 36F, although there is also a 34G, so it may be that there is a 36G too, which is pretty impressive, especially for its £16.99 price tag.  Being designed for a slightly younger market, I found the bottoms a bit too Betty Boo and frilly for my liking. In fact I could imagine the kids having a good old laugh if I turned out wearing the bikini bottoms designed to go with the top, so instead I matched the top with a plain pair of turquoise £3.99 bikini bottoms from New Look.

There are of course hundreds of brands that sell swimwear, with M&S, Boden, Bravissimo, Sea Folly and Speedo all having good ranges. It's very much a case of trying on and seeing how you feel on the day and of course the magazines are always awash at this time of year with guides as to which shape bikini suits which figure.  The comfort of trying on in your own home is always a good option, where at least you have control over the lighting/mirror/time of day that you try things on.  Whether my White Stuff bikini comes good remains to be seen. As for the New Look one, let's just say that there's a little issue of sizing to be resolved. And possibly shape. I think it's probably best if I leave it there for now!

Mum on the Run - Bringing you the perfect LBD - the Allium B Audrey dress

By a great little LBD I mean that this is both a great Little Black Dress and a great Little Blue Dress - take your pick!

OK, so let's get straight to the nitty gritty as to why the Audrey dress by Allium B (£110) is such a winner shall we?  First of all there's the length. It has that lovely length to it which means that there's not too much leg on show. Some ladies love showing their legs - which is fantastic - others less so. I definitely fall into the "less so" category.  Mary and Clare design all of their dresses to have just that little bit more length than lots of High Street brands.

Then there's the neckline, which is really pretty and delicate and negates the need for tricky necklace decisions! I also like the fact that this neckline would also work on ladies with a curvier bust, despite the fact that it has a fairly high neck. The pretty detail breaks up the chest area, the effect of which is to give it a lower neckline, without the cleavage flash.

The sleeves are a perfect length too, nipping in at the elbow and with enough fabric so that they aren't restrictive in any way. Sometimes dresses with sleeves can still be restrictive, especially if they are made of a jersey fabric but that's not the case with the fabric on this dress, which is Viscose Moss Crepe.

When it comes to fabric belts, I am normally the first to whip them off and replace them with something more structured and with a bit of colour. However, after trying a few different ones of my own, I went back to the original. The width of it was right and unlike introducing another colour, the all black belt gives a sleeker line - which doesn't mean to say that I wouldn't ring the changes at some point. Equally it can be worn without the belt for a different look.

As to other ways of styling the dress? With it being black, the possibilities are endless. Black and tan are always a great combination so here are some accessories that would work with it - a leopard print bag, animal print scarf, cream and tan shoes. Two of the three below, worn with either a black or tan blazer, would be a great look.

Pair it with either silver or gold for a night out. Here I've chosen silver shoes, a black snake print Liberty bag, a black glitter belt and a chunky diamante bracelet. The texture on all of the items prevents the outfit from being too flat and the black belt, despite its glitter, continues with the clean line theme.

A spot of colour is always nice against black, whether it's blue, pink, green, yellow or red it would give the dress a really different feel from the more sedate options above.

A contrasting belt and bag would work well, perhaps with a nude shoe. Or a contrasting shoe and bag with a black belt. A scarf is a good option when wearing a blazer, which can be removed to reveal the pretty neckline.

 

For me the perfect thing about the Audrey dress is its versatility which is, without doubt, a real wardrobe saviour. Now as to the trickiest decision of all. Black or blue?

Mum on the Run - Sparkles and silver shoes for an early evening "do"

Yesterday evening I was invited to a networking event at Selfridges in Birmingham. It was one of those early evening do's which was exciting for me as usually at 6pm I am in the midst of the taxi/dinner/bath time/bed time routine which don't get me wrong, I love - but it's always good to have a change.

 

I also came away with a tin of shortbread biscuits in my goodie bag, which I wasn't quite expecting but which was brilliant as I am a shortbread fiend. A good friend always makes me some for Christmas (actually it's for the family but they don't get a look in) and I love that present, not only for the fact that she's taken the time to make it but because it's so delicious.

 

So with it being an early evening event and with it being cold, I wore these blue trousers which I bought in the Whistles sale last summer (similar below), together with a Whistles sparkly knit (great for putting layers underneath) also below and in the sale, and these silver shoes from Zara. I can't see the shoes online now but there's a picture below as they may be lurking in a store somewhere in the sale. They were £29.99 full price so clearly not leather but I like the design and the medium heel height. With a closed in toe there's no need for a perfect pedi, which is a bonus in my need for speed (OK, lazy arse) book.

Whistles sequin knit (£60)

Whistles Elliott crepe trousers (£60)

 

 

 

Zara silver shoes - there may be some lurking somewhere!

 

Hope that you all have a lovely weekend - fingers crossed for some sun tomorrow.

Mum on the Run - Introducing Saint Bustier, for ladies with busty busts!

Our High Street is great, probably one of the best in the world and it's fantastic for anyone who fits the "norm" - but for anyone who doesn't fit that model, finding clothes or shoes to fit can be difficult.

If you're taller than 5ft 9", smaller than 5ft 3", have a tiny waist and curvier hips, slim hips but a larger waist, a curvy bust, size 9 feet, size 2 feet, wide feet or narrow feet, or if you only like dresses with sleeves, you'll know what I mean. Obviously it all comes down to economics - what sells, in what quantities and the profit margins on those pieces, which is why brands cater to the majority, rather than the minority, all of which makes perfect sense but it can be really frustrating at times.

Quite often niche brands can be find online which cater for a specific, and fairly limited, market. Quite often you find that those brands were started by someone who couldn't find what they were looking for themselves and so went about fixing the problem. There are sites which sell shoes in larger sizes,  bras in larger sizes, boots in different leg width fittings and clothes for petite ladies.

It still astonishes me that more brands don't design jeans for the very obvious different body shapes - M&S and one or two others aside - as it would seem to be a no-brainer and such a simple way to clean up in the jeans market, which is huge. Whilst Pepperberry is also a great idea for ladies with curvier busts, there's always room in the market place for something else.

So, for those ladies who have a curvier bust, Saint Bustier could be just what you've always needed. In a nutshell, the team sources pieces from many brands, which work on a curvier bust without the need to go up a dress size. So no more gaping buttons, or wearing a size too large (and hiding your shape in the process) so as to accommodate a curvier bust. The about us page makes for an interesting read and I would encourage anyone to read it if it applies to you. Saint Bustier caters for dress sizes 8 to 16/18 and from bra size D to H.



Leopard print jumpsuit (£90)



Silver sequin jacket (£110)



The marble dress (£89)

Some of the brands, such as Vivienne Westwood, are more expensive but equally there are dresses available from £86. Whilst that is obviously not the cheapest dress on the market, many ladies are happy to pay that little bit more if something is a perfect fit, especially if it's so hard to get something to fit even remotely well.



Blossom dress with couture control (£145)



Silk dress by Vivienne Westwood (£379)



Silk top by Baum and Pferdgarten (£149)

St Bustier is still in its infancy but it's a great idea. As you know, I always tell you if I've benefited from writing about a brand. I think it's safe to assume that on this occasion, I probably don't quite fit the brand's demographic - but I hope that some of you do and that it works really well for you.

Mum on the Run - Oooh, so what did you buy in the Zara sale? Here are my bits and bobs - hold on to your seats now!

For me sales shopping involves a little bit of searching for pieces to fill the gaps in my wardrobe, a little bit of falling in love and snapping things up (price permitting) and a little bit of seeing things and thinking "you're just what I need in my life - how did I ever manage without you?"

When I was in Zara I fell in love with the scarf below because the colours are so unusual for me and different equals good. Quite often things jump out at me because they remind me of something else and I've definitely seen this combination of blue and red somewhere before but I can't remember where, so whilst different, it also felt familiar - if that makes sense. Just to add to the madness of the colour and print, I wore it with a Breton striped jumper from French Connection.

If I had seen it, I would have been quite tempted by this leopard print neon scarf too (£15.99). A bit of neon pink, a bit of neon blue and some tan, black and cream would be a great pick me up for a classic winter coat when it is time for them to come out again - but let's not think about that right now.

If I had a birthday or something special coming up - (hubbie, if you're reading this, you could take the hint) I would love to add this scarf from Lily and Lionel (£100 reduced to £70) to my collection. They have a fantastic range of scarves, which you can take a look at here. It also comes in navy and tangerine and I'm a bit partial to the Wanda design too. OK, so now hubby has to read between the lines - "does she want the one featured, the same one in tangerine or perhaps navy, or the Wanda one - and if so which one." Tricky huh?!

 OK, so hold on to your seats for this truly exceptionally, exciting piece - an anorak! I know, how amazing is that? Now this is one of those pieces that I was talking about. One that you didn't really know that you needed in your life but now it's there - well, how ever did I manage without it? Usually I would wear my All Saints trench or a blazer in the summer but there was definitely a need for a sensible coat with a hood amongst my arsenal of clothes to fight the elements. It was well and truly put to the test on Sunday when it was cold and blowing a gale and it easily justified its £29.99 price tag.

This year will see us holidaying in Cornwall (potential for rain, high) and Guernsey (potential for rain, even higher). True, holidaying in the UK is better for the skin than a hot holiday but I sorely needed a coat with a hood and a bit of warmth to it - and this is it. With great big pockets I can fit all my rubbish in them with ease, I can zip it up, pull up the hood and I'm good to go along the rainy, windswept beach, without the need for a bag.

I have to laugh - some of my clients are busy buying beautiful suits, dresses, cashmere knits and silk scarves and I'm buying a summer parka with a hood - brilliant!

On the way out of Zara I spotted this cut out faux leather top (£29.99) but I didn't have time to investigate closer - ie try it on and assess the potential for sweating.

The fact that this top is actually on the Zara website, as opposed to the scarf and parka that I bought, slightly concerns me. Does it mean that being faux leather it is sticky and yucky to wear and everyone has returned them - unlike that coat which is soooooooo chic - or that they are just too cool for school so there are lots of them left? I'm kind of intrigued so if they're still around when I next have time to shop for me, I'll take a closer look.

Other than that I bought a plain black jumper but I'm saving that for another post - probably one from Cornwall not only in the rain but in the cold too. Ah, the perfect summer holiday.

Some other Mums on the Run, wearing fabulous hats at Ascot!

Whilst I was sitting with my friend, Sally, at sports day on Friday, she received some pictures from her friend Jo, who was at Ascot, together with another friend. Although we were having lots of fun at sports day shouting for our children (some louder than others it has to be said - and yes, that included me, somewhat embarrassingly for our son although I enjoyed every minute) I think that we probably had some musings about how nice it would be to be at Ascot with a glass of something fizzy in our hands on a warm Friday afternoon. Anyway, I digress...

 

I've never met Jo (or her friend) but Sally had told me all about Jo's outfit and the Whistles Bella (I think!) dress that she had bought for her day out. On seeing the photographs I immediately seized on the opportunity to feature Jo and her friend and luckily both agreed.

 

Well, there's no point being in the Royal Enclosure if you don't get a photo as evidence is there? As you may know, I'm a big fan of this style of dress from Whistles and Jo looks amazing in it. It's just one of those dresses that fits in all the right places and it is so versatile that it can be worn on many other occasions.  

 

I just love this shot - isn't it brilliant? Two friends looking relaxed and happy and having a great day out!

This is the hat that Jo had made to go with her outfit. It's fantastic! Sally had told me about Jo's peacock hat but I couldn't quite envisage what she meant until I saw the photograph - and then it all became perfectly clear.

Jo's hat was made at a shop close to Cardiff, which is where she lives. I'm still working on where the shop is exactly and when I manage to find a link, I will include it.

And here's another fabulous hat, which Jo's friend wore. It's vintage and no doubt it has a great story to tell which would seem to be very fitting for such a traditional event.

Sadly I didn't quite manage Ascot but I did manage Jamfest Europe today - a cheerleading competition which was held in Liverpool. The very nature of the sport, which is incredible to watch, meant that there was a lot of pink lycra, fake tan, hairspray and false eyelashes involved. And that was just my outfit. I wonder, was anyone lucky enough to witness that particular spectacle at the Echo Arena today?

Mum on the Run - perusing the Allium B sale - the go to brand for dresses made for ladies who don't want to flash their pants (not unintentionally at least)!

For anyone in need of a lovely summer dress or two, Allium B has just launched its sale. With 50% off some lines and 25% off full price dresses (just for the weekend) I can't think of many better ways to spend half an hour on a rainy Saturday afternoon!

 

Apply code SALE 25 at checkout,  until midnight on Monday 24th June

You may remember the lovely Allium B Eliza dress that I was wearing a couple of weeks ago in Wales, in the sun (what a distant memory that is)!

In an effort not to be defeated by the oodles of rain that we have had this week, together with the colder temperatures, I put a coral H&M sweatshirt over the dress. Sometimes I prefer the look of a sweatshirt to a cardi, especially over a more traditional print - such as this Liberty one. It just keeps everything more up to date.  Also the proportions of the shorter length on the sweatshirt worked well with the dress. A little shorter would have been even better but it's not worth getting too hung up on these things.

The Eliza dress has 25% off it this weekend, taking it from £89 to £66.75. There's also free delivery and returns. Some of my other favourite dresses are the Audrey because of it's pretty neckline and elbow length sleeves and also the Susana for it's nipped in waist and the fact that a shirt dress is definitely a wardrobe work-horse rather than a dress that's wardrobe work-shy - and let's face it, we all need pieces like that in our wardobe.

Mum on the Run - It's only a tank but I like it....

Give me a hot day and the need for a simple summer top and I'll show you a problem. Simple tops, like many things, can be tricky. I've never been a fan of T shirts - for some reason they just don't feel right. When it comes to vests, the straps can be too strappy, the vest itself too fitted - almost as though you're wearing underwear as your outerwear. Fine if you're Madonna, Kylie, or 15 but otherwise not such a good look. The need for tops specifically for the summer seems to be decreasing as the years go by so versatile tops have to be the way forward.

 

So I was quite excited to come across this tank from GAP (£14.95). It's one of those pieces that whilst it doesn't look as if it would set the world on fire, I feel that it could have a million and one uses in your wardrobe and after owning one, you might wonder how you ever managed without it. 

 

 

So, what do I like about it? First off the fabric. It's 100% viscose, which I know some won't like, but I really like the soft, slightly silky drape on it. Secondly I like the fit. It doesn't cling, so for anyone with a bit of a tum, it's a godsend. The hemline is slightly scooped so there aren't any horizontal lines across the hips, which is also good and the straps are wide enough so that whatever you may require in the bra department, the straps won't be on show.

 

The arm holes are quite deep, so another vest is required underneath (unless you're wearing a bikini top or are happy to flash your bra) but again for me that's a bonus. It's a chance to work in some stripes/sequins/another colour underneath the top, whilst an additional layer adds some warmth and a little support!

 

 

Here's a quick snap of one in the flesh. Obviously having had a hard week at school it would have been unfair of me to ask anyone to move from the settee to take the photo but aside from I suppose it's a nice shot of my Grandma's sideboard and the typewriter that my Dad gave to my Mum when she was 21!

 

As you can see below, they come in a whole range of colours from vibrant green and royal blue through to navy, white and pastel colours too. The sizes are generous. The xs would have been fine for me but I am wearing a small as it is all they had and with the tops being a loose fit, there's probably very little to choose between the two sizes.

 

Worn with shorts, jeans, on the beach over a bikini, to work under a jacket with a scarf, or out for the evening with a pendant, skinnies, heels and a blazer/printed jacket/tweed jacket/leather jacket - one of these could be just what you have been looking for.

Fortuitously I had to nip into town first thing, which just happened to coincide with the Zara sale. Did I buy anything. Well, perhaps just one or two items. Whilst there I spotted this top that I featured a while ago and which I know several of you were after.

I've also included a shot of the details for anyone who wants to try and track it down online or in store. It's now selling for £29.99 and they do come up fairly small so it's best to size up.

Hope that everyone has something lovely planned for the weekend. Fingers crossed for some good weather.

Mum on the Run - Wearing flared jeans and taking style inspiration from Rod Stewart and Bruce Springsteen

Yesterday evening my husband and I went to see Rod Stewart. Whilst I didn't wear this outfit, Rod was sporting a mighty fine white jacket just like mine - although I don't suppose that his cost £30 from Zara a couple of years ago.

 

Apparently the reviews described it as brilliant but camp and slightly cheesy (his performance that is, not the jacket), which is absolutely true and that's what made it fantastic. The best bit was when Rod, without realising it, was caught on a huge screen eyeing up one of his female musicians - of which, unsurprisingly, there were many. Classic!

 

 

I'm sure that some who have followed Style Guile for a while now will remember this outfit from last summer and possibly the one before. Really long, kick flared jeans with a wedge heel are great for giving the illusion of longer legs and additional height and fortunately a solid wedge heel makes it a fairly practical option. These jeans are also a nice change from skinny ones and there's no doubt that a flare on a jean does have the hip slimming effect that it claims. The jeans that I am wearing are from Mango and they come in a 34" leg as standard.

For a similar pair, Mango currently has these jeans for £16.99

To keep everything the right side of smart, I also wore a blue printed silk shirt from Gerard Darel at Bicester, Zara white jacket, Dune wedges and Orla Kiely bag.

As to his outfits, Rod had some great Kermit coloured green trousers, which I guess were a reference to his passion for Celtic. What with several changes of outfit comprising a white jacket, some leopard print, skinny black trousers and a yellow shirt, I think that he may become my new style inspiration. It's a good job that I'm not going to see Bruce Springsteen in concert tonight or it could be double denim and bandanas all the way. Wow, imagine that. On second thought, perhaps it's better not to.