What to wear to a black tie "Out of Africa" party? Hec, I have no idea!

The minute I saw the invitation I knew that it wasn't going to be easy. What does one wear to a combined 50th and 21st black tie birthday party which is held by an eminent QC at a Manor house, the theme of which is "Out of Africa"?

 

The thoughts that went through my head were along the lines of: "Shorts might be nice but I'll be surrounded by 21 year olds so won't go there. It would be easier to be a man as I could just wear a printed bow tie. Does the "Out of Africa" reference mean as in the film or "Out of Africa" as in a cultural sense?" Not knowing any other guests, it wasn't as easy as making a quick call to try and get a handle on what others thought, so really I was flying solo. In essence this meant playing it safe, giving a nod to theme in something that I was happy to wear again and in which I wouldn't feel too conspicuous. Equally as Mr G has known the host for over 20 years, I felt that that it was important to embrace the theme.

 

After the invitation had arrived, I spent an evening trawling the internet to see what I could come up with for an "Out of Africa" (as in the film) outfit but it proved a little tricky to fit it in with the black tie theme and there was a danger of falling wide of the mark. Having decided to adopt the animal print approach, I concluded that Karen Millen was probably the "go to" brand for something animal print inspired. With a two hour slot at Bicester that weekend off I went.

Karen Millen certainly had a good choice of animal print inspired pieces and I picked up these black trousers, reduced from £120 to £30 within 10 minutes of arriving.  In all honesty I perhaps wouldn't have chosen these trousers had I not got the party to go to but I can see myself wearing them in the future with black winter boots and an oversized jumper. The fit was also good too - close but comfortable!

This little fella was an accessory I picked up having arrived at the party. Issues of animal cruelty aside, I kept having to push to one side thoughts of how he may look as a pair of shoes, or a handbag and wondering whether his skin might be big enough for both. Perhaps that would be a bit matchy matchy though.....

As to the shoes, these too were bought at Bicester, from LK Bennett in the sale. They were reduced from £295 to £95 so clearly not the cheapest shoes in the world but definitely ones that I will wear again.

Doing double print with the shoes and trousers was again not quite me - especially given that they were animal prints - but as it was all black and white and given that it was a themed party, albeit a smart one, I figured that it was OK and only mildly OTT.

The black blazer is a very old one from the GAP and I also wore a yellow and diamond cuff from Karen Millen and a Topshop necklace. With Mr G in his zebra print bow tie, we were quite well co-ordinated - not in a Posh and Becks matching leather trousers and leather jackets kind of way I hasten to add, nor in a Kate and Wills matching African headdress kind of way - but more in a George and Mildred kind of way.

 

As an aside, you know how at a Halloween party you might tell the children that you were serving witches eyeballs, frogs legs and bat wings to eat? Well when we were asked whether we wanted to eat zebra, springbok, python or crocodile, I thought they meant that it was all really chicken or steak. It wasn't. All I can say is that the Pavlova was delicious!

 

A Dorothy Perkins grey quilted sweatshirt - just one way to wear it for now!

Earlier in the month I wrote about quilted sweatshirts which are everywhere at the moment. In fact quilted pieces in general are a big trend for A/W '13.

 

Despite the glorious sunshine when this photograph was taken, it was quite dull most of the day so I thought that my new quilt gem sweatshirt from Dorothy Perkins (£22) would be just the ticket. Here I am wearing it with GAP boyfriend jeans, Zara boots, yellow Karen Millen cuff (yellow and grey still remain a huge favourite colour combo of mine) and a Marc Jacobs handbag.

 

Here's a closer pic at the "gems" around the neckline which, predictably, increased its attraction to my magpie like personality.

My previous post about quilted pieces looked at quilted sweatshirts but for a couple of alternatives, there's this Hobbs  pearl skirt (£89), which I have seen in real life and it's really lovely....

And this quilted bomber jacket from Warehouse £48 which again I have seen in real life and that too is worth a closer inspection for anyone tempted to go down the quilted route.

Having a lot of grey in my wardrobe, and following on from my comment about liking grey and yellow together I have ordered the new Ingrid coat from Boden. For anyone still on the hunt for a pink coat, it also comes in pink too. I'll let you know how it all works out..... If anyone orders one I would love to see a picture!

One way to style the GAP camouflage jeans....

Today it was time to give the Gap camo jeans their first outing. To make them more wearable, I kept the top half simple with a New Look denim shirt and a black Zara jumper. I must admit that initially I was slightly cautious about wearing them out (signs pointing to one's thighs aren't always a brilliant idea) but I think that I am going to get quite attached to them. One day I might swap the black jumper for a yellow one - but I'm not quite ready for that yet.

 

 

Part of the deal with trousers like these, I think, is to "style them out" with some kind of heels. Some items of clothing work very well as they are, whilst others need a little bit of assistance to bring out the best in them - especially if you're not Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. So, once again, the Zara boots came to the rescue. I feel that these are going to earn their keep this winter.

Here's a link to the GAP camo jeans. For anyone interested in getting hold of some, it might be helpful to know the sizing is very generous. I am wearing a UK size 4, whereas in most stores I am a UK size 8.

Here's also a link to the New Look denim shirt that I am wearing and which is currently in store. When I first saw it, I liked it for the fact that it had a great big sticker on it saying "soft wear", which it is. I also liked the mother of pearl studs and the fact that it isn't too cow girl in appearance. New Look is always my first stop for a denim shirt. They have a great range of styles and the prices are good - this one was £19.99.

Oh, and these are what I removed from my Zara boots this morning. Remember I said that they were uncomfortable after I had worn them for a day? These could have had something to do with it, although of course the lack of socks didn't help. I did wonder though why the boots were a bit rigid at the front when I walked down the stairs. Mystery solved!

A current lust have - thanks to Ted Baker!

I think it's fair to say that as the colder weather approaches, I become slightly obsessed with knitwear. I'm a four layer kind of girl from September onwards. The layers take the form of:

 

 a vest;

a cotton long sleeved top;

a light knit;

a jacket, coat, or a chunky cardi.

 

This jumper, which I fell in love with today at Ted Baker would be perfect for the third, or "light knit" layer. I like that layer to have something interesting about it - whether it be its colour, the fact that it is striped, printed, has a sequin detail, or an interesting neckline. Chances are that some of it will be on display, either when you take your coat or jacket off, or when it peeps through the front of an open chunky cardi.

 

 

 

This jumper appealed to me for a number of reasons:

 

First, it has neon pink on it (always a bonus in my book);

It has grey on it which is a good wardrobe staple colour, which also goes well with the neon pink;

The colours remind me of angel cake, a version of neopolitan ice cream and battenburg cake (though you can keep the battenburg because I don't like marzipan) all of which remind me of the summer and WARM weather.

 

Will it be coming to a wardrobe near me anytime soon? Probably not because at £99 it's more than I feel that I could/should/ought to pay for a jumper but it's one to keep my eye on for later in the season when the sales are around. I  like having a few of those little numbers up my sleeve which I can track like a stockbroker tracks the market. When the time is right I will sell....or buy.

Super shiny Zara boots and a Zara fur sleeveless coat for a day out in London

Remember the blister inducing boots? Well let me introduce you to them. Black, shiny and with a block heel, I was seduced by them the minute that I saw them in Zara. I just felt (wait for the justification) that a smart shiny pair of boots were in order this winter, particularly when working. They will do a great job of making my trousers look smarter and with a block heel, will be comfortable enough (eventually) to wear for hours.

 

 

I think that the problems with the new boots/no socks/blisters (now there's a surprise) debacle started because I wanted to wear my sleeveless coat and being dark, it looked a bit odd with lighter coloured (comfortable) boots. Although the reality was such that it was so warm in London that I didn't need the sleeveless coat, so I could have got away with the lighter boots after all (and no blisters too).

 

 

I thought that it would be nice to give the pink Mulberry an outing and also due to its design I feel that its contents are pretty safe, so I like using when I'm in really busy places.  Also the pink of the bag picked up the pink in the Boden jumper which, as you have probably noticed, I haven't taken off since I bought it. It was the same with a navy roll neck from Cos which I bought this time last year. It's so soft and warm though. Predictably I'm in Liberty here, my favourite shop in London.

 

Here's another pic of the boots, taken whilst waiting for the train.  

 

And the "official" picture of the Zara fur long waistcoat, which I am hoping to get a lot of wear out of over the next few weeks and months.

On another note, has anyone else managed to run the colours on a brand new rugby shirt so that the red from the badge has coloured the white stripes, on the black and white rugby shirt, pink? And as for those iron on labels. They're rubbish.

A Zatchels offer for London Fashion Week

Many of you will be familiar with Zatchels - perhaps you own one, perhaps you have been pestered for one by a teenage daughter, or maybe you've spotted them on the world and his wife. Not only do these lovely bags come in a satchel style but also in a saddle bag and rucksack style. Increasingly popular, they come in fabulous colours too.

To mark London Fashion Week, Zatchels have a promotion running up until midnight on Tuesday 17th September. So, for anyone who falls into the category of wishing that they owned one but not quite having got there yet, this may help you on your way. Just enter FASHIONWEEK at the checkout to receive 20% off you new Zatchels bag.

As it so happened, I was using my Zatchels yesterday. It's a lovely grey one which was gifted to me after I wrote about a different offer that Zatchels ran in April. Sadly I don't think that it will remain mine for long as I fear that I am about to "gift" it to another member of the family.

Trainers were definitely the order of the day yesterday as the previous day I had been in London (more about that later in the week). That wasn't so much the problem as the fact that I had decided to wear, for the first time, new Zara boots minus socks. Even before I shut the front door, I knew that it was a totally daft thing to do but did I go back and do anything to fix it? No, of course I didn't. I wanted to wear the new boots, for which I have paid the price!

Anyway, with the trainers I wore a navy Zara skirt, striped lilac French Connection jumper, All Saints mac and Gap scarf. As you can see, there was a bit of a purple/lilac theme going on.  The trainers did their trick for me yesterday but every time I look at the boots I can still feel the pain!

Cuddle up in something cosy with a fur gilet (handy if you don't have a cat or husband/partner to hand)

I hate to say it but the nights are definitely drawing in and the heating in our house may have been flicked on once or twice - just to check that it's working of course. As I looked down at my M&S fleecy dressing gown jacket that I was wearing the other day (whilst in the house I hasten to add and whilst over my daytime clothes) I couldn't believe that we were back there again.

Fortunately, this season there are all manner of fur coats and gilets out there. In fact they have been out there for many seasons but now that they are officially a "trend" they will be much better advertised, making it easier for us to find them.

Primark has always been my go to place for fur gilets. I bought two from there last year which wore well, kept me warm and looked more expensive than their price tag. Last week didn't reveal any such gems but I'm sure that it's only a question of time.

I often wear my gilet in the house for warmth, or layered under my Parka to make it look more attractive than it really is, or they can be layered over a trench to take what is a lightweight coat a bit further into the autumn.

Johnnie B has a fur gilet for £45 and their sizing is pretty generous too. Cream gilets are a good place to start - somehow they're less full on fake fur and challenging than other colours.

If however black is more your thing, French Connection has a faux fur gilet (£150). I like the texture of this one and it would look great with a grey marl jumper underneath it or, for those who are washed out by grey, a lovely bright pink, coral or yellow jumper. The length could be tricky on some though, so it's definitely one to try on.

If the idea of a coat featuring some fur on it appeals to you, French Connection has this black one for £220 - which isn't cheap for what may be more of a trend item than a wardrobe classic but then if you love it, why not? And sometimes things that start off as a bit of a flash in the pan turn into a well established wardrobe staple. Skinny jeans being the perfect example.

For a bit of grey number, there's this faux fur gilet from Mint Velvet for £109 which is a nice alternative to black or cream and grey works really well with berry and purple colours.

This is one of my favourite, the granite and cream fur gilet from Mint Velvet £99. It has more of a sheepskin finish rather than a furry one and would sit well under a winter coat - well, provided there was a bit of room to spare.

Taking in two trends in one, Zara has this navy sleeveless coat with fur on it for £129. I have to admit to falling in love with this last week and it is now sitting in my wardrobe waiting to be worn. I'm going to layer it up with a navy roll neck or bright cashmere jumper, skinny jeans and boots. And if I have to freeze, I'm happy to but actually I think that it might be good when I'm working in the shops and for when I'm in the car. I love a great excuse almost as much as I love a great piece of clothing.

Here's a link to the New Look fur gilets/pieces and River Island  has a very fluffy Mongolian gilet in different colours for £150. If you're not sure about the whole idea though, I would still hang on and wait to see what Primark has in within the next few weeks. On the other hand, if you have a good excuse.....

From a Reiss summer dresses to heavy winter warmers, all in the space of two days

This is probably going to be the quickest post in the history of the blog because in less than ten minutes I need to head out with the eldest to see the One Direction (or Wrong Direction, take your pick) film. We've tried to persuade others to come along but oddly they have declined. The best excuse came from an 11 year old we know who said that she had stay in and do her homework - which is definitely on a par with having to stay in to wash your hair.

 

Anyway the start of the new term arrived, warm and sunny with temperatures in the mid twenties as the day went on, hence the Reiss dress and sandals....

But two days later the temperature had dropped to fourteen degrees, so I felt that it was time for a wardrobe swap around.  I had a little think about how I wanted to organise it for the autumn and I decided to devote the middle section of my wardrobe to things that I really like and that I want to wear the most. 

Until fairly recently I had a separate rail with those things on but it made the room look untidy so I took it down and made a rule that whatever I owned had to fit inside the wardrobe. Also, over the summer holidays dressing was simpler but now that the children are back at school and I am back at work, I need a wardrobe that is more organised and which pulls its weight a little bit more.

Being left handed, my wardrobe is organised from right to left, starting with blouses, tops, fine knit jumpers, blazers, skirts and smarter trousers and within that I have organised them from lighter, to darker, colours. Shoes, bags, coats, jeans, heavier jumpers, dresses and scarves are stored elsewhere.

 

I have a pile of  heavier jumpers ready to be hand washed but I don't plan on wearing them until it gets really cold and several pairs of jeans and cords are drying ready to be introduced into my autumn wardrobe over the next couple of weeks.  I also went through a lot of my "proper" winter things and left anything black well out of the way for now. Navy I can do all year round but I'm not quite ready for black yet.

 

I had a lot of my accessories stored away in soft cloth bags but for me it's actually better to have things that I want to wear on display, or close to hand. Whilst this looks a bit of a pickle, it all makes sense to me and I think that's the point really, whatever works for each person is good as it enables you get the most out of your clothes.  It also helps you to see what you have and what you need to add.

In the drawer I have belts, clutch bags, gloves and wrist warmers...

...whilst on the shelf I have my bangles and bracelets stored in a red leather box with statement necklaces and other cuffs laid out.

In theory if I go to that one section of my wardrobe, I should be able to pull together the basis of a smart/casual outfit really easily - the type of outfit that I need to wear during the week when I have the least amount of time to plan things.  Time will tell....

Quilted sweatshirts - coming at us from all angles!

The Chanel 2.55 handbag is probably the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of quilted pieces, closely followed by your Grandma's dressing gown. A few winters back, quilted coats started to appear and they quickly became the standard coat of pretty much every teenage girl in the country - to the point that one of our local schools has banned them.  In the spring, slightly boho Isabel Marant style quilted jackets took centre stage and it seems that most brands now have quilted clothing of one sort or another. I've seen quilted shoes, bags, jackets, skirts, tops and dresses but I have a special affinity for quilted sweatshirts.

Why you may ask? OK so you may not but if you do, here's why. Two big things in their favour are that they are warm and comfortable. Always a winner in my book. With jeans and boots they make a great casual outfit and with a smarter skirt and heels, they are a trendy look. They can be worn with a statement necklace or with a shirt layered underneath and they offer a way of us non-20 year olds being able to keep up to date without looking ridiculous.

These are some of my favourites so far:

Reiss £69 has this lovely silver grey one, with a quilted pattern that is quite different to most of the traditional diamond shaped patterns.

 

Reiss £69 also has this pinky coral coloured one - which makes a nice change to the grey, navy or black ones which are available in abundance.

Whistles £65 has a navy one, which also comes in white too. This quilting pattern is triangles all at different angles - which reminds me I still need to buy some set squares for our son. There will be  a trip to WH Smith tomorrow I think. Oooh, they stock toblerone too - it's all about the triangles tonight.

New Look £19.99 has a quilted grey sweatshirt for a good price - sorry about the tiny pic....

...together with this sweatshirt with quilted sleeves, also from New Look £12.99. It's a great colour and the nod to the quilting in the sleeves is good for those who don't necessarily want the added bulk over the chest that quilting can sometimes add.

I think that I ought to own up to this grey quilted sweatshirt from Dorothy Perkins £22 making its way into my bag today (that sounds like I didn't pay for it - but I did). Our Dotty P is dire but then I remembered that BHS has a section and that was an altogether much better experience. As you can imagine, I liked the sparkly bits at the neckline.

 Warehouse £36 has a black sweatshirt with a traditional diamond pattern on it. This sweatshirt would make a great backdrop for a bright statement necklace.

For anyone who prefers quilting on a real quilt, as opposed to clothing, you may like to take a look at this lovely blog, which is written by a lady I met on our recent trip to Guernsey - Little Island Quilting - they're beautiful, what a talent!

Jaeger - Taking a look at some favourite pieces, which currently have 25% off with Grazia Magazine

It just so happens that in this week's Grazia, there's an offer for 25% off at Jaeger. With that in mind I thought that it would be a good idea to take a look and see what Jaeger has to tempt us with this season and to bring you some of my favourite picks.

 

For anyone shopping in store, you will need to take the voucher from Grazia in with you. However if you are shopping online, just enter the code GRZA25AW at the checkout to claim your discount. It's valid until 10th September.

 

Just a word about Jaeger. Traditionally it was a twin set and pearls type of brand. The brand that your Mum would head to at the age of 45 when the hair started to turn grey and box pleated tartan skirts were the order of the day. Now, however, it's up there with Reiss and Whistles in terms of some of its pieces, particularly those from it's Boutique range. And the skirts these days are more likely to be of the leather and neon tweed variety, rather than the box pleated tartan skirt variety - although they do have a rather fetching leather buckle mini skirt, similar one to my Mum owned many years ago. 

 

There are lots of fantastic pieces in this season's collection and I think that it's worth taking a whizz around the site, even if it's with a view to identifying the pieces that will inevitably end up in the sale after Christmas. I like making a "hit list" of things that aren't actually affordable in the real world but which may become so, either in a sale or even in a couple of years time in an outlet.

 

The colour of this suede biker jacket (£399) is fabulous. It's a really beautiful colour on lots of skin tones and adds a real punch of colour to a darker winter wardrobe. Some may think that they would tire of it quickly. I take the view that if you love it at first sight, you will probably love it forever (just like one's husband really!)

The boucle biker jacket (£250) offers a traditional fabric in a modern style. This would be a really versatile piece - going from the office, to the evening and the weekend with ease. There's a skirt to match this particular jacket so for anyone looking for a modern twist to a skirt suit, this could be a good option. There are going to be lots of those around this season though, so it's worth just bearing that in mind.

The leather trim pea coat £375 is a classic style which won't date over the years, even with the addition of the leather trim. I love pea coats which look great done up, with roll neck jumpers, skinny jeans and loafers for a preppy look or open, with a big printed scarf, leather trousers and heels for a more modern look.

For anyone on the look out for some fancy pants trousers, perhaps to wear to a winter wedding or to wear at Christmas when something just a little more luxurious than jeans may be required, the animal jacquard trouser £165 could be perfect. They could be taken down the silk shirt/blazer/heels route for a smarter look, or down the sweatshirt and chunky heeled ankle boots route for more of a daytime look, or down the subtle sparkles and fierce heels route for the evening

This yellow cable knit sweater £160 would go brilliantly with jeans, navy, black or grey trousers, with a flippy skirt or one of the wider skirts that are around this season - either worn a size larger for a slouchy look or nipped in at the waist with a belt for a more fitted silhouette. It's sunny, smiley and fantastic for a bleak winter's day.

Jaeger has not only this leather skater skirt £250 but also a selection of leather pencil skirts too. I have a friend with two teenage daughters and her husband hates skater skirts with a passion. I'm not really sure why. Something to do with their length/arguments about their length I suspect!   Anyway, that aside, a skater skirt can be more flattering on some shapes than a pencil skirt and arguably, easier and more versatile to wear as their shape is less formal.

I'm really quite excited about this Italian wool metallic skirt £160 which is on my list of things to investigate tomorrow after the first drop-off of the new term. It has a pretty metallic thread running through it which adds interest to it and with its flattering shape and good length, it could be a wardrobe winner. I would wear it with fitted jumpers and earthy colours to pick up the rose gold of the zip.

The Sally jersey dress £80 has been around for a few weeks now but it's a cheeky little number. The colour is really vibrant and it could be worn with bare legs for now and then with thicker tights and boots as it gets colder. Biker boots would be good, as would a heeled shoe boot.

For a more formal event, I love the elegance of this crossover front dress £225 which comes in several bright colours. The black band at the waist is really flattering and for those who prefer some element of coverage on the arms it would be a god-send. Given where the sleeves end, it would lend itself perfectly to a jewelled cuff or bracelet.  

For a smart/casual top, and with sweatshirt styles still featuring this season, the Jamie Lace Sweater £60 is a nice option. With it being a slightly more relaxed fit, it lends itself to a more fitted bottom half - either a pencil skirt, skinny jeans, or anything without too much volume in it - unless you happen to have the build of Alexa Chung, in which case anything goes.

Taking a quick look at accessories, the Jennifer bag £99 has more depth to it than this picture would suggest, which is good for those of us whose purses are full of receipts and who carry around various (non) essential items "just in case". It was so popular last year that it has been re-issued in several different colours this season. This emerald green looks great against those dark coats that we all have hanging in our wardrobes.

I like the Tortoiseshell cuff £50 as an alternative to leopard print. It still does a great job of pulling brown and black pieces together in an outfit but it doesn't have some of the negative connotations that go with leopard print - which I don't hold but which I understand. The gold studs are a nice touch too.

Finally this Leather cuff £65 comes in four different colours. I love a good leather cuff to add some edge to a simple outfit and the metalwork on this one is good and chunky!

I like a discount and I think that a 25% discount has the ability to make (some)things that wouldn't otherwise be affordable, fall into that almost affordable category. I hope that there are one or two things here to help you kick-start your winter wardrobe.