My favourite printed dresses on the High Street - and what they can do for you...

 

I realise that you've seen this dress several times before but I still like wearing it and I wanted to do a run down of some nice printed dresses that I have seen recently.

Printed dresses are good on several levels. They keep the eye on the move and give a cleaner silhouette (Oh OK, let's be honest, they hide lumps and bumps) they can add colour and interest to your wardrobe and a dress in a print of the season can look so much more up to date than its plain counterpart.

This Riviera shirt dress Boden (£69) - otherwise christened "my Kirsty Allsop" dress by a lady I was working with today, is a great dress for hourglass figures. It's beautifully fitted over the bust, without any gaping, nips in at the waist and then flares gently over the hips. With nude wedges it's a really simple, elegant look.  My only advice would be to tie the belt to one side (rather than over the tummy as above) just where you have those little "dips". Also try to make the belt as flat as possible, rather than tying it in a bow which can add bulk.

The Atlanta dress from Coast (£75) has a great big bloomin' print (literally) over the upper torso, which can serve to either attract, or distract, attention from a particular area. So if that's where you want to draw attention - either because of a shapely bust or a flat stomach - or if you want to use it as a diversion away from curvier hips - or just because you like it - this is the dress for you. The colours in the print are quite unusual and I really like the pale pink which I would pick out in accessories.

 

This abstract floral print dress Warehouse (£46) is the current version of the dress that I am wearing. The model wearing the dress on the website is 5ft 10" so don't be put off by how short it looks on her. I like the grey, lilac and yellow in this dress, which would look good with a jacket such as this one from Zara (£59.99). It's a great style with a lovely pleat at the back.

This Forget me knot midi dress Great Plains (£65) is a simple shape in a stretch cotton fabric which offers support. A dress with a sleeve and a good length such as this can be hard to come by so this is a particular favourite of mine. It also comes in a different colour way.

Here's a little collage of the dresses, which I then decided wasn't as good as the individual images but it took me so long to do, that I've decided to leave it in anyway - plus the links may be quite handy!

 

Clockwise from top left:

 

Riviera shirt dress Boden (£69)

 

Forget me knot midi dress Great Plains (£65)

 

Abstract floral print dress Warehouse (£46)

 

Atlanta dress from Coast (£75)

Eco and organic clothing for a birthday present - happy birthday sis!

Today it's my sister's birthday and for her present she asked for a t-shirt or long-sleeved top, which was fair trade/organic. I have to say it's been one of my toughest missions to date and despite extensive searching, I've only just managed to find what I am after.

Just to put things into context, when it comes to clothes, my sis and I are very different. When we were children, for Christmas I would get a new ballet leotard and she would get a Liverpool football kit. I would bet good money that she doesn't own a skirt or dress and she definitely doesn't own a pair of heels. I think that she secretly despairs at my fashion mags! She's more of a walk along the beach, or in the hills, kind of girl and loves a pint in her local. And she could probably give Richard Attenborough a run for his money when it comes to nature and the living world. So really it's not surprising that she likes her clothes to be made in an environmentally sound way - and to be honest we could probably all do with taking a leaf out of her book. 

I did find this sausage dog tee from People tree (£32) which I couldn't resist sharing. It also comes in a red and white stripe and it's just so sweet. I think that I may get away with this as she likes dogs, although probably not the shape of the t-shirt.

But in general, the clothes that I found fell into two categories. Either they were quite trendy - such as most of the range from People Tree - which is lovely, and to be fair I have featured quite a lot of it, but not what she was after - or ASOS Africa - equally not her. Alternatively they were very slogan led items, expounding various environmental causes - which again isn't really her, at least not in that very vocal way.

Now I know that this post isn't about me and what I like BUT I did find this range by Orla Kiely for People Tree, which may appeal to others. (Sorry to have snuck that in there sis.)

People Tree did have this slub t-shirt in grey (£28) - which was right in terms of the shape and it is a good basic piece but not overly inspiring - particularly for a birthday present.

They also do the slub t-shirt in white (£28). Again very handy but not very "wow"!

But then I came across the Eco Star Organic Clothing Company which is based in Wales and has very much an Innocent Smoothie approach to their business. They seem to spend their time divided between surfing and working, they treat their staff well and use organic cotton for their t-shirts which are embellished with stars made from clothes which would have otherwise gone to landfill. With simple styles, bright colours and just a little embellishment - and without a slogan, or flash in the pan trendy detail in sight, I finally felt that I was heading along the right lines.

I really like this organic cotton tee in yellow (£9) and as yellow is her son's favourite colour, he might find himself with one too.

There's also this organic cotton tee in green (£9)

And this organic cotton tee in pink (£9) - which may be slightly on the bright side but she has been known to wear some pink brogues once, so it may be a winner.

Of course she's allowed more than one £9 T-shirt for her birthday but it's a start. And as an aside, my sis has worn Birkenstocks for many, many years now, so when I told her that they were uber cool this season she just said "See, if you wear something for long enough it comes back into fashion again" before giving me a look as if to say "you numpty". Cheers sis, happy birthday!

Please feel free to let me know if you know of any other brands that might also fit the bill, especially if they are up and coming newbies.

How to pull together a bit of this and a bit of that to make a new outfit (plus the 25% discount code for Whistles)

Today dawned vaguely sunny so I decided to wear a dress - which I then wore as a skirt, which kind of defeated the object but never mind.  Anyway, because it's so versatile I wore my Pia jersey dress from All Saints (no longer available but the Marilla dress by All Saints (£88) is pretty close) with a striped GAP top, cobalt blue GAP jumper, Kausar cobalt blue bag (sadly no longer available), Whistles scarf and M&S leopard shoes.

With a very fitted bottom half, I wanted a looser and more relaxed look on the top half, so this jumper fitted the bill and the cobalt blue in the scarf and bag tied the outfit together - but hopefully not in a too matchy-matchy kind of way. I like it when a variety of random items comes together to make a new outfit - it's a bit like conjuring up a new recipe for dinner -sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but I was happy enough with this ensemble.

Forgive me for bleating and tweeting about Whistles again but I just wanted to let you know that the Grazia offer has finally arrived and there's currently 25% off. If you're buying online, just quote the code WH25SS14. If you're buying in store, you will need the voucher from the magazine. If what you're after is showing as sold out, don't panic. Whistles has the most fabulous customer service department. Just email them at enquiries@whistles.co.uk with your query and they will let you know which store has the item you are after. You can then call that store and purchase over the telephone. A friend of mine has already used the service today with great success.

So far I've heard of people buying sweatshirts, tops and bags. What bargains (in the loosest sense of the word of course) have you bagged? I'm off to take a look now.....

Kin by John Lewis - Good basics at a good price - one for your radar maybe?!

I've had my eye on Kin, the clothing range by John Lewis, for a while now and it is getting stronger each season. It offers clothing which is "affordable, well designed, contemporary but timeless". The range offers pared down basics with simple, clean lines, which (to me at least) take inspiration from the Scandinavian brands such as Other Stories and Cos, with a bit of GAP thrown in as well.

I've chosen a few of my favourite pieces to show you but you can see the whole range for men, women and children here. Whilst the pieces are slightly different from a typical JL brand, I like the comfort of knowing that it will be good quality, good value and with a sensible returns policy too.

For anyone tempted by a bomber jacket this quilted bomber jacket (£59), which also comes in grey, would be a good place to start. It's a beautiful soft colour for the spring - arguably a little more "out there" than a black or navy one but it's less heavily styled than some of the varsity style ones.

This linen blended jumper (£45) is a fairly typical Boden/Gap style piece but I like the fitted sleeves, scooped hem and boat neckline. It could be layered over a camisole in a contrasting colour and worn with a long pendant necklace, just to jazz it up a little. Or throw it on with shorts and converse in the summer months.

I know that a lot of you struggle with work wear. You may be pleased to know that culottes (£69) are firmly on the fashion radar this season. If I still worked in an office environment I would definitely try a pair of these - just because they are a little different to the norm, without being too challenging. I'm not sure that the photo does them justice and they do require high heels to make the proportions work properly, and for the shape to look right, but they could open up a whole new host of wardrobe ideas.

A navy blazer (£49) is always a great addition to a busy woman's wardrobe and this one is 100% cotton which makes it great for those who either prefer, or need to wear, natural fibres.

This tan tote (£89) is a fabulous wardrobe staple and big enough for essential baby items or papers/ipad etc for work (or many cases, both - altogether and all at the same time.)

And I love this ankle boot (£120) which also comes in pistachio (see below) white and brown. The navy and pistachio are particularly nice for this time of year when we're starting - very slowly - to think about heading towards warmer weather and lighter colours.

For anyone on the look out for a relatively inexpensive brands, with some good basics that not everyone else will be wearing, Kin could be worth a peek around.

Essential summer shopping from Jack Wills (and Liberty) with some Whistles and Jigsaw thrown in!

 

Show me clothes that are covered in sequins, leopard print or stripes, or clothes that are pink, navy or flouro and I'm there - throw in some Liberty print too and I can't resist! 

When I saw these pieces in  Jack Wills  on Monday I was virtually beside myself with glee. Jack Wills have raided the Liberty fabric archives and chosen one print, which they have used in two colour ways, in a whole range of pieces. I love, love, love the bomber jacket, partly because it makes what is quite a trendy style - and one which could easily look quite dodgy - very wearable.

 

Just off the top of my head, I'm seeing the jersey dress used as a bikini cover up with white converse and tanned legs (someone else's not mine), I'm seeing the hoody with cut off denim shorts and flip flops, the bomber can go into slightly more trendy territory, perhaps with a pencil skirt of some description and heeled sandals and the crew neck short sleeved top could be layered over a white shirt and worn with cigarette style trousers for a smart(ish) work look. There's also a top with a Peter Pan collar, another dress style and the fab trousers below. All pieces come in both colour ways and the link above will take you through to the page with all of them on.

Yesterday I mentioned that I had seen a couple of pairs of skater trainers/slip on trainers/deck shoes - call them what you will - that I liked. I wasn't expecting to find these in Whistles (£135) but I really like the texture on them and of course being navy, as opposed to the full on printed ones that I featured yesterday, they are very wearable.  They are pretty pricey though and there are much cheaper versions out there but if they are going to be your one new true love this summer, they may be worth holding out for (along with a 25% Grazia offer which must be due out anytime now.)

On the other hand, for less than half the price, these Jigsaw slip on plimsolls (£59) are a less spendy option. The upper is 100% leather, unlike the Whistles ones which are made of cotton, jute and raffia. On reflection I just have visions of the Whistles ones fraying and unravelling, to the point that all is left is the sole. Hmm, not a good look.

Anybody tempted? I fear that I may be paying Jack Wills another visit sometime soon and there's a 10% discount with Jigsaw today which you can take advantage of by entering SPRINGEVENT  at the checkout.

My Peter Pilotto for Target order has appeared at last!

I'm sure that Net a Porter have very good reasons for instructing their couriers not to deliver on Saturdays, for refusing to let them leave a parcel with a neighbour, for not allowing a parcel to be re-directed to a work address and for insisting on a signature - but it doesn't half make life hard! I think that this parcel finally reached me on Thursday - which was 11 days after I ordered it and because life has been so busy, I didn't even open it until today.

 

Now I agree that it's vaguely ridiculous to show a picture of a black box - although arguably not quite as ridiculous as showing clothes which aren't even available any more - but I was trying to be positive after the whole delivery debacle. I have to admit that the Net a Porter black boxes are lovely and in this case, they probably cost more than the clothes in them. However they're so lovely that that if you're not careful you could end up being seduced into thinking that the contents are more desirable than they really are (if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, hold it right there!)   

 

This is what I ordered - from left to right, a printed sweatshirt and a printed long sleeved top...

...plus trainers in the same print as the top.

 

Dealing first with the quality, I felt that it was really good. Although available through Net a Porter, the Peter Pilotto range was a collaboration with the US store Target, which is probably equates more to our Primarni than anything else. The sweatshirt is thick though and has a slight fleecy lining which I always find welcome.

 

I love the bold, graphic print and the colours in it and with a white shirt layered underneath, this sweatshirt might just find itself getting a trip out on Friday night. 

 

 

The long sleeved top is also really good quality and I was surprised at how much I liked the print in real life.

 

It's slightly longer than the sweatshirt and perhaps a bit roomy on the torso so I'm going to have another play before I decide which way to jump with this one.  However it's substantial enough to be layered over a denim shirt so that's possibly an option and at times, a little bit of room can be a good thing.

Just imagine what you could achieve in life if you had four feet - and double of everything else too! I added the printed trainers to my order at the last minute, just for the hell of it really, to see what they were like.

And whilst I most probably wouldn't wear them with the top in real life, I didn't look at them and think urrrgh, hideous, they have to go back. They do have to go back (or go on ebay for some vastly inflated price but that goes against my principles somewhat) because they're a bit big for me - but I'm really pleased to have tried them and I will definitely be giving some more a go - which is handy because already I've spotted two pairs that I like elsewhere.

I find that tops, rather than dresses and trousers, are more successful as online purchases where things can't be felt or tried on and I know that others have had difficulties with the fit of dresses. I suppose in simple terms there's more to go wrong!  If PP and Target get another little thing going in the future, I wouldn't hesitate in seeing what was on offer - if only for the Net a Porter black box.

An outfit for a day of shopping - trainers, knitted hat - bit of a bag lady look really!

 

Yesterday I spent many hours shopping, looking at all the lovely new spring collections and taking masses of photos of my favourite things.

Although it wasn't that cold, it was wet and there's no room for an umbrella when I'm dodging from store to store with arms full of bags, hence the GAP hat. As I'm also carrying a slight knee injury (which I'm trying to ignore) and knowing that I would be covering a lot of ground, I opted for trainers. The snood is less hassle than a scarf which can get caught in my headphones when I'm listening to my cool music (or would that really be Woman's Hour?) A cross body bag is so much easier than a shoulder bag and the hearts on my New Look jumper add a splash of clashing colour to my trainers.

So that was that - it was warm and comfortable and it gave a slight nod to that well known, and much coveted, "bag lady trend" I think.

There are some lovely things in the stores right now.....

Top tips on how to choose skirts for ladies with curves - Cos and Jigsaw are my favourites right now

A few posts ago now, I was asked to advise on which style skirts suit those with curvier hips. To my way of thinking, there are two way of looking at this: First, there's the Kim Kardashian way, which involves wearing body con skirts to show off those curves. I like this approach for its full on, two fingers in the air gesture to the "traditional" way of styling curvy hips - and in her case a curvy bottom too. It works really well for those who want to make the most of their assets and who have the attitude to carry it off. The only thing to make sure of is that you create the smoothest silhouette possible with the right underwear.

The second way, the more "traditional" way, for those who are less inclined to want their assets papped, is to use styling tricks to re-balance the proportions.

I'm not being prescriptive here, as it's always a matter of trial and error with these things, but rather I'm just putting tips out there so that your radar can pick them up, or not, as the case may be. In all honesty these type of posts scare the life out of me as I would hate for anyone to think that I am being critical/bossy so my advice is to take what you like and leave what you don't....

The theory is that to balance wider hips, a skirt needs to have some volume in it. The best way of establishing this is to look at the circumference of the hem. If it's teeny tiny and tube like, it's probably not for you - unless adopting the KK approach that is.

It's not quite as simple as that though because ideally you don't want the width to start from the waistband - as per skater skirts which just add further volume, or as per those with lots of tiny pleats/gathers which can just add bulk over the tummy as well as the hips. I think that it's best that I try and talk you through a few!

Cos is my favourite brand for a good selection of skirts which are made for those who have some decent hippage! The Cos photos aren't that great either in terms of size or styling, so I suggest that you follow the links and then click on the image to enlarge it.

This one is probably my favourite of all. This pleated skirt (£59) sits flat over the hips and tummy and then flares subtley further down to balance out the hips. Delicate fabrics are better than rigid ones as they skim. It's lined and has a laser cut hem - all of which I had a good look at today.  It's a really versatile skirt in that it could be worn with a chunky jumper, tights and ankle boots during the day, or really dressed up for the evening with sparkles and heels.

The panels in this panelled A-line skirt (£59) give it the width at the hem but it's still quite neat over the tummy and hips. The flat shoe styling never really helps though! It's a good price and also a versatile option too - it just need a bit of imagination in styling the top half. Dark colours can work really well on the bottom half for those with curvier hips, so one option is to play with texture, print and colour on the top half.

This flared panel skirt  (£69) is again neat over the tummy and hips with the flare starting from beneath the seam which is part way down the skirt. For some the flare may be too wide, for others it will work well. I would always recommend trying a skirt like this with dark tights and a heeled shoe or boot - not necessarily high ones but enough to give some lift - or else the danger is that the proportions won't look right and it will be taken straight off again.

This printed jacquard skirt (£69) has subtle A-line shape and the print too is fairly subtle. It would work well with navy, grey, black, purples or lilacs so it too is versatile in its own way. Those that are just above the knee work well on petite frames who don't want to be drowned by too much length.

For a more spring like option, this A-line skirt (£69) (which comes in cornflower blue and midnight blue) could be a real winner. Another tip for those with curvy hips - and who may also have heavier legs - is to tone the colour of hosiery to the colour of your shoes, rather than the skirt. In the spring however this could be worn with a bare leg and nude or tan shoes, to continue the lines which creates a slimming effect.

This wool cashmere skirt (£59) would suit those with a small frame. You can see that it has a slight A-line to it - just enough to re-balance the proportions.

For a splash of colour this orange skirt with front pleats (£55) is a bit quirky and unlike some colours, would still look OK with black tights and shoes or boots for now...

I also liked this lightweight melton skirt (£69) which I saw when shopping today. Sometimes you have to watch the pockets on A-line skirts - it just depends how they sit and they can always be stitched down. The vertical centre line is a good detail though as it draws the eye up and down creating an elongating effect.

Predictably I also loved the melton skirt (£69) in pink. This one is a different fabric to the one above - slightly heavier and a bit fluffy but again great with black, navy or grey so a versatile option despite being brighter.

I could go on but I think that you get the picture. The things to bear in mind when shopping for a skirt with a little more volume in it are:

Floaty fabrics are better than rigid ones, the use of panelling can work a treat, look for A-line shaped skirts, or for those that flip out half way down, tone tights to shoes rather than the skirt, wear heels if possible - substantial ones are better than delicate ones and direct shimmer, colour, print, horizontal stripes and texture to your top half. Phew, hope that helps! x

Not a skinny jean or oversized scarf in sight - but totally overdressed for the pub!

A couple of nights ago now I went out with a group of friends to the pub. My thought process as to what to wear for the night went like this (I was in the shower at the time) "It's half term so I've been wearing jeans a lot. It would be nice to wear a dress. Oh I know, I have that Jaeger Boutique dress that I didn't really mean to keep and haven't worn so I'll wear that whether it really works or not because otherwise it's a waste."

With only little time to spare, having put it on I then decided to go for a pretty full on lipstick in terms of colour and then I added into the mix leopard print shoes AND a fur coat. Which is how I came to be totally over dressed for a trip to the pub - to the point that I didn't stand up once all night in case I drew attention to myself. But you know what? I'm glad I did it anyway as at least I've worn the dress now and it was definitely a change from jeans!

 

Alice's Wonders - A treasure trove of sweetie coloured statement jewellery

Alice's Wonders

 

 

After writing a post about a lovely Kate Spade necklace I had seen, I was contacted by Cathy who runs Alice's Wonders, a website which sells lovely statement jewellery in a sweetie shop selection of colours.

 

Having taken a look at the site, I fell in love with a couple of pieces which Cathy sent through to me to try. First of all I chose the blue vintage style statement necklace from Alice's Wonders (£9.75) - seen above.

 

Now, I know that I look a bit peaky in this photo below but so would you if you had just arrived for a two hour birthday party in a soft play area at 4pm on a Saturday evening. What a ridiculous time for a party. What idiot would arrange a party for that time? Oh that would be me then.

 

I really enjoyed wearing the necklace though and lots of people commented on how they liked it too. It's a fantastic price, a good weight and compares really favourably to many other pieces of statement jewellery that I own, some of which were much more expensive.

 

I also chose this statement pink necklace (£9) because predictably I fell for its colour and also its scale - it's not too chunky but substantial enough to be the right side of not too dainty - which is probably the most convoluted term ever but it describes it well!

Here I'm wearing the necklace with a very simple outfit and it just adds that all important splash of colour to it.

By way of background, Cathy is an ex City worked turned stay at home Mum to three small children. She has an avid interest in fashion and is very keen on a necklace, or two, or three. She was always looking for something slightly different to the High Street and loved Shourouk, J Crew, Kate Spade, Stella & Dot but on a much smaller budget and eventually she found a source of statement jewellery that offered just that - and so Alice's Wonders was born.

I'm also loving these pieces which you can find here. I can definitely vouch for their quality and general yumminess (that well known fashion term).

You can find Cathy on twitter at Alice's Wonders or you can contact her via email at aliceswonders01@gmail.com