An outfit for a night out with the girls (please note it was a Monday and we were all a bit tired)!

For the first time since the children broke up from school, I had a few hours in the house on my own today.  During that time I did several things, one of them being my best impression of Carole Middleton. From what I've read however, I don't think that she ironed her children's name tapes into their uniform, and she probably didn't do it whilst watching Neighbours on catch up. No, I imagine that a thimble and the Archers were more her kind of thing.  Never mind. I'm pleased that they're done and at least these name tapes are ironed on. As the term goes on and the labels drop off, I resort to the sticky ones instead.

 

I'm always a sucker for a pair of non-jean, semi-smart trousers. With a couple of navy pairs to my name, I thought that I would branch out slightly and try these Brasserie trousers from Boden (£59) in pewter. I would describe them as more of a truffle colour but it all comes down to interpretation really.

 

 

In terms of sizing, I found them OK and fairly true to size but on reading the reviews, others have said that they come up on the small side and the trim on the navy trousers doesn't seem to be particularly popular. Here is a closer shot of the trousers....

 

 

As to comfort, the first time that I wore these trousers I went out for dinner with some friends. I have to say that they were very comfortable and able to accommodate my tapas tummy quite happily!

 

I bought this mint green cashmere jumper from an All Saints outlet shop a few weeks ago now. It was £40 down from £130 and is lovely and cosy for the slightly chillier summer evenings. I know that some of you also have hilarious husbands, as do I, and mine likes to tell me that I have it on inside out as the seams are on the outside. Sooooo funny.

 

Sometimes it's nice to wear a longer style necklace for a change as I did on this occasion and on lots of women they can be more flattering than the shorter, chunkier necklaces that I wrote about a couple of days ago. They do the job of creating the illusion of a V-neck, where there is none and so work better on ladies with a heavier bust, provided that the necklace doesn't balance precariously over one's bust (as my Grandma's did once, right into her gin and tonic.)

I quite like the colour combination of the jumper, trousers and bag, which was inspired by a striped towel that I bought from Ikea.  I wasn't sure whether to own up to that or not but hey, inspiration can come from the funniest of places.

Karen Millen's transformation - so far the signs are good!

Probably like many of you, I had the new Karen Millen Autumn Winter 13 "lookbook" drop through my door today (photos interspersed below). More accurately it should be referred to as the Autumn Winter 13 campaign, with portraits by David Bailey.

 

Inside it says that "Karen Millen is transforming." So the next obvious question to me was "into what?" But that's not a question that seems to be addressed. Rather it is a case of talking about the coming together of Karen Millen and David Bailey and their creative journey. I still haven't got to the nub of what the changes are really all about - although I have an idea and some hopes of my own as Karen Millen hasn't had a good overhaul for many years.

 

 

Unlike Reiss and Whistles, brands that are comparable with Karen Millen price wise, I'm not really convinced that Karen Millen has ever found its style niche on the High Street. Or maybe it has but maybe it doesn't want to inhabit that particular niche any more. 

 

Whilst there's no doubting that previous collections did have some great staple pieces, I quite often felt that it was just a bit too try hard - a little short, a little too tight, a bit heavy on the animal print, a ruffle too far and quite often something perfect would be ruined when I turned it around and it was laced up at the back. I suppose it's always felt a bit trussed up, as though it needed to kick back and relax a bit more.

 

 

It's odd that my path with Karen Millen should cross again so soon. When I recently started to think about what to wear to an upcoming 50th birthday party, the theme of which is "Out of Africa" (more about that after the event) Karen Millen was the store that really sprang to mind as having animal print pieces that would fit the bill. However is that what you would really want for your brand? For it to be the go to store for something animal print, slightly theatrical and a little OTT, to wear to a themed birthday party?

 

So, as to the "transformation" I particularly like this jacket which is from the new collection.

 

 

Whilst in the Karen Millen at Bicester at the weekend, I took a photograph of this jacket which is very similar. As I recall I think that it was about £130 and the sizing was quite snug. They did seem to have a good selection of stock though so it may be worth making enquiries for anyone who likes it enough to pursue it further - which I am now wishing I had done!

 

 

 

So, what do we think ladies?  Do we think that Karen Millen is due for an overhaul and if so, what do we hope to see. One thing is for sure, as you can see from these shots, plaid is going to be everywhere this winter and this dress could be a good place to start.

 

 

 Checked dress (£175)

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to make a statement in a statement necklace - with a selection from Zara, River Island, Marni and J. Crew

The more I play around with clothes and accessories, the more I realise that certain things are pretty much guaranteed to elicit a response from people. I find this really interesting because it's almost as though humans are pre-programmed to respond to certain things in a similar way.  

 

Most often it's the colour of something that will bring about a comment. This is closely followed by whether something is sequinned or shiny. Other things that people comment on are if there's an unusual juxtaposition of pieces and of course handbags and shoes are always hot topics of conversation - but I suspect that's more of a girl thing than anything else!

 

When I added the coral necklace that I am wearing in the pic below to my outfit just prior to going out the other day, my sister in law commented how much it made a difference and how it took a Breton striped jumper to a whole different level. And that's what I really like about £12.99 purchases from H&M - and any other fairly inexpensive purchase - they can make all the difference.  

 

 

 

The photograph above features in the September edition of Essentials Magazine. The magazine contacted me to ask me whether I would mind the photograph featuring and next to the shot they have re-created the outfit. The funny thing was that I was wearing sunglasses because it was at this point in time that I was sporting my black eye (for anyone who doesn't know the story I chose the wrong time to become involved in a game of catch between our son and my husband.) Bad move.

 

On the basis of being asked to feature in Essentials, and because I'm fairly certain it would have been in part due to the necklace, I thought that I would do a round up of some necklaces that are available in stores at the moment. As the years go on, the choice gets even better so if these aren't for you, I'm sure that there are plenty that will be.

 

Kicking off with my old friend Zara I love the colours in this necklace which costs £19.99. The chartreuse colour looks great against a plain navy, black or grey jumper.

 

For something altogether more floral, Zara has this necklace for £29.99. Again, great for perking up a plain jumper, or a LBD for a night out.

Turquoise can look stunning, particularly on people with blue eyes and this necklace from Topshop (£35) would be fantastic for adding a splash of colour to an otherwise very simple outfit, making it very chic.

 

Another turquoise option is this Kate Spade necklace which I saw at Bicester yesterday - sorry, I can't remember the price but I think that it was around £70.  

 

A necklace with a ribbon tie, instead of a chain, like this one from River Island £12 is great for wearing underneath a collar on a plain blouse.  It's a brilliant way of giving a whole new look to a trusty wardrobe staple and the length can be altered to fit your own needs.

J Crew has a fantastic choice of statement necklaces. The colours in this floral necklace (£139.90) are so pretty I want to eat it. It's the kind of thing that would make me smile every time I wore it, which with it's bright and cheery colours, would be a lot.

The J Crew crystal fan necklace (£122.94) comes in the colour way shown below (soft pink) or warm orchid, which is slightly more autumnal. As the drop falls to more of a point, it is a good design for drawing the eye into the centre of the body, and down, which is really flattering.

Marni does beautiful jewellery. I took a quick look in Marni when I was at Bicester yesterday and they have some incredible pieces. They use resin and acrylic a lot in their distinctive designs which are reminiscent of times gone by. The necklace below is on sale at the Outnet  for £137.28

Many of the brands now do a selection of statement necklaces each season and some brands, like Whistles, will do the odd collaboration. I will often look to H&M first, along with Topshop, Oasis and River Island. Sometimes though it's more a case of not looking too hard but instead browsing shops on holiday and waiting for something to fling itself round your neck shouting "buy me, buy me." Then you know you're on to a winner.

Re-creating an outfit for a sunny(ish) day

Like stripes I find spots cheery little fellas, unless they are where you would rather they weren't, in which case they're a pain in the you know what.

 

After my admission the other day that I had only been wearing two outfits over the entire summer, I thought that I had probably up my game and so.....I changed my top. Radical, I know. Actually I also changed my shoes too - double radical.

 

The temperature was just right to wear this navy spotted button back jumper from Cos. Because of its length, the belt loops on my jeans were screaming out to be adorned so I wore a studded Topshop belt.

 

 

For a similar top, Boden has a button back jumper in four colour ways, which normally costs £69 but which is currently discounted. In addition to the two colour ways that I have shown below, there is also a mustard combination and a red and black one too - but that just shouts ladybird to me and whilst I love ladybirds, I'm not sure that I would like to look like one.

The bag that I used that day was a large canvas number from Zara, which can carry virtually anything and frequently does.

Given the time of year, I probably wouldn't buy a canvas bag now but this Zara suede combination bowling bag (£39.99) is a good alternative and the colours would tone well with the blue spotted jumper above. If it was all starting to feel a bit too blue, the jeans could be swapped for a coloured pair.

As to the shoes, the Topshop ramble sandal (£65) are the closest style that I can find to the Mango ones that I am wearing above (now sold out) and which I have found really useful this summer as they work with so many different outfits. 

If I'm going to wear a heel during the daytime, I make sure that it's a sturdy one - there's just less room for disaster of the falling off one's heels variety! These silver sandals have just that and would look pretty amazing with the grey jumper above, lifting the outfit a little, as they would black and navy pieces too.

If we were taking the footwear one step further towards the Autumn, I think that these boots, also from Boden could work really well. I know that I have featured them before but they keep seeping into my consciousness, which is never a good sign. I like the sole, the heel, the colour and the fact that there isn't a zip with a long tag on it - it just makes for a cleaner line, especially with dresses.

Wishing everyone a happy (and hopefully sunny) weekend - with a little time for magazine perusing too!

Mum on the Run - Buying running gear (through gritted teeth)!

Recently it came to my attention that my running gear was in serious need of a re-vamp. It wasn't so much the style, as the hole which I had worn on the inside thigh of my running shorts. The seams had also been caught with Velcro from my running jacket so many times that they were now furry on the outside - and that's really not a good look by anyone's standards. Having said that they have served me well and the cost per wear over the years is now negligible.

 

For anyone unsure, and/or possibly too polite to ask, the below shot is the after shot - after I had bought the new clothes and after I had been running, hence the red face!

 

 

So where to start? Well the first thing is that I don't really like buying running gear. Not only would I rather spend the money on something else (preferably other clothes) but I don't like trying it on. I like my old stuff - it fits, it's comfortable and I don't have to worry about it. It's not particularly flattering but then I'm not sure that any running gear is really - and anyway, it's just functional clothing. Nonetheless, it is falling apart.

 

As a lot of my friends run, I decided to do a little survey to see where they went for their running clothes. The first friend I spoke to said that she bought a lot of her things from GAP active, which I hadn't really contemplated before as an option. With a couple of hours to spare yesterday (two out of the three children were making ukuleles which we now have at home - lucky us) I headed to GAP where I bought the Gap capris (£19.99) in charcoal and neon sunshine.

 

Having already owned black bottoms, I thought that the grey and yellow combination would make a nice change. I wore them last night and really liked them. The waist is fairly generous compared to the rest of the proportions but they didn't fall down, which was good for myself and particularly for fellow runners. They have a pocket on the waist band at the back for "stuff" and they also come in grey and pink. I've included a link to GAP active for the full range available.

Another friend buys her running things from Sports Direct, so (after taking a deep breath) I then went there and found this Puma tank for £19 instead of £27.99. It also has a built in bra but what I really liked about it was the fact that it didn't have a racing back to it, which makes the whole bra situation so much easier. I also like my vests to be quite thick and tight fitting - substantial rather than flimsy - so that nothing moves!

I also visited our local Tennis Centre where last week I noticed that they sold Pure Lime. It's a Scandanavian brand and one which I hadn't come across before. I picked up this top for  (£20 instead of £28) - yet to be tried on. The best selection of Pure Lime that I have found online is at Simply Sweat. They do a good range of underwear plus tennis and leisurewear too.

Sweaty Betty is the brand of choice for another friend and she's had some cracking pieces from them in their sale. She usually orders in bulk, on the basis that fitness gear can be tricky in terms of size - and then returns a lot of it. She recently bought this dance vest, reduced from £50 to £25 and it looks great with really short, shorts. I think it's quite "Flashdance" and as it's long, it's great for bottom coverage - and also for anyone who is taller. I've included a link to the sale vests and bottoms and there are some great savings on Stella McCartney pieces for Adidas, as well as really high tech performance gear which is more affordable in the sale.

I also bought these USA Pro  leggings from Sports Direct, just because of the hole issue in my existing ones and at £12.99 instead of £24.99, they were a great price. Whilst I really liked the fit and feel of them, they turned out to be too long so will be going back. However it's definitely a range I will investigate closer.

I shouldn't say this but I've never been a fan of sports bras, always preferring to wear my usual bras, which seemed to offer much better support and a better shape than the sports bras I had tried. However Sports Direct had this USA Pro sports bra (£10.99 instead of £19.99) which is not only slightly padded but is also underwired. I think that we will get on fairly well together, although perhaps not with the tops with the built in bras too as then it all gets a bit much!

Finally, when in JD Sports yesterday, I fell in love with these Nike Flex trainers (£65). I really like the look and colour of them - but that's not really a good enough reason to buy them. When I need new trainers I always go to a proper running shop and pretty much let them tell me what I should be wearing (Saucony, generally) after they have watched me flailing around on the treadmill.

I'm sure that many of you will have your own ideas on the best places for sports wear, together with the best styles and fit but for those who are a little less sure, or who are perhaps just starting out, I hope that this helps.

Mixing a little Mulberry with a little Mango and Topshop and trying to break out of the only two outfits I've been wearing for weeks!

I have found July/August to be funny months when it comes to blogging. For a start, I have only been wearing two outfits - a Joules skirt (with deep pockets for tennis balls as I never know when I'm going to be called upon for a knock about) neon t-shirt, red Topshop shoes (not for the tennis) and Cath Kidston bag; OR jeans that I found at the back of the cupboard, boat printed Joules top, with the same shoes and bag.  

 

Either outfit covers most situations that I find myself in of late but there's only so many times that you can show the same outfits in quick succession ie once, which means there's not much else to show by way of outfits for the other 29 days of the month. Only wearing two outfits does cut down on the washing though, which is good when your children are producing more dirty clothes than a rugby team.

 

The only other outfit I've worn recently is the one below, which I wore when we went out for dinner with friends on Saturday night. If the dress code is smart/casual, I don't think that you can go far wrong with some smartish trousers, a sparkly top and a pair of heels. Not only that but the trousers negate the need for perfectly smooth legs and closed in shoes negate the need for perfectly pedicured toes. I'm starting to wonder - am I turning into Waynetta slob?

The other reason that August is a tricky month for blogging is that whilst the winter collections are starting to filter through, there's just something not quite right in writing about them. Not yet at least. I just want to enjoy the summer for as long as possible. True, I can often be caught reading my mags and surfing the internet looking at what's in store but I'm not quite ready to go public with that little secret just yet.

I have also had to devote several weeks to getting the IT side of my life in order. One week was devoted to editing out all of my photos from the last few years to prevent my computer from spluttering and coming to a grinding halt. Another week was devoted to reducing my inbox from 1500 plus emails to 50 (although all I did was move the other 1450 into a sub-folder so they're still there really).

And my final reason? I banned the children from watching TV and can I just tell you that making caterpillars out of yoghurt pots/doing aqua beads/painting/sticking/gluing/spending many hours outside severely limits the time available for blogging.

So, that's where I'm at. Fortunately the photos are sorted, the emails are almost under control and having exhausted all manner of arts and crafts, I realise that the children's TV habits are so deeply ingrained that they cannot be broken entirely, as a result of which I have slightly relaxed my rules.

 

So hopefully back into the blogging world I will come, with slightly more regularity than of late.

 

Last night I was working so I was forced, kicking and screaming, out of my denim skirt/jeans combo into some Gap printed trousers, Topshop sequin T and belt, a Hobbs swing cardi and Mango shoes.

I also used my pink Mulberry handbag and Tori Burch cuff which I was given as a birthday present.

With several other posts in the pipeline and a couple of new stores and brands to write about, I hope to be able to get back to blogging with a vengeance and certainly more than once a week at least!

Freed of London - not only famous world wide for their ballet shoes but now also for their ballet flats...

What a beautiful sight - row upon row of pale pink satin ballet shoes. When I look at these I can smell them as much as I can see them and no doubt that's the same for many others too.

There's an amazing article in Spitalfields Life about Freed of London, the ballet shoe company which was founded by Frederick Freed in 1920 - and is a name which is no doubt familiar to many who spent happy hours in pink leotards and pointe shoes during their formative years - and who may still do so today.

In the article are fantastic photographs taken from the archives, showing how the ballet shoes were made, together with picture of the inside of the shop in St Martin's Lane, with ballet shoes in glass cases, and Frederick Freed himself.

Receiving an email from the brand development manager of Freed asking me whether I would like to try a pair of their ballet flats is up there with some of the best emails I have received. Nostalgia, happy memories, an affinity with a brand from the age of 6 - call it what you will, I was over the moon.

Knowing that I would photographing the shoes during the warmer weather, I chose a pair that could be worn across the seasons and with a variety of different colours. I really liked the combination of the patent and the snake skin, which really added texture and shine to the shoes.

I have to be a little bit careful when wearing ballet flats in terms of the whole cankle issue but the cut of these shoes at the front, together with the defined (as opposed to moulded) heel, makes them more flattering than other brands I have tried.

Here I am wearing them with an H&M t-shirt, Gap jeans, the White Company sequin cardigan that I bought from Bicester a couple of weeks ago and an Orla Kiely bag. I really like the way that the patent reflects the light and stops them from being too flat in terms of finish. They are also really comfortable too and the draw string around the top allows them to be pulled in (or let out), so the fit can be adjusted.

 

Here is a closer shot of the shoes - for those who want to see how far down the front of the foot they come. I should add at this stage that, like the shoes, these feet were borrowed!

 

 

There's a whole variety of shoes from which to choose, so I've included a link to Freed's ballet flat collection, which also includes plain colours, snake print and leopard print, together with the shoes that I have shown below and they come in sizes 3 to 8, with half sizes too. Theyare priced between £49.95 and £59.95

 

Checks are going to be huge next season, in all different sizes and colour ways. Think kilts and you won't be far wrong. I know, kilts - when were we last wearing them?!

 

If black is the order of the day, you can't go wrong with a bit of patent mock croc!

The ballet flats come in lots of plain colours but I thought that this was a really pretty colour, which would look lovely with navy/grey/aubergine as we head into the autumn.

 

 

In addition to a pair of shoes which are completely leopard print, there's just a nod to it on this pair, which again would be nice for the autumn when it's just that little bit too cold for sandals but when we're not quite ready to head into boots territory.

 

 

Finally, you can never go far wrong with a Chanel inspired ballet pump can you?!

From now on, when searching for a pair of ballet flats, Freed will definitely be on my radar. With such an amazing history in making ballet shoes, I think that it's safe to say that they probably know a thing or two about making ballet flats as well.