Mum on the Run - A warm outfit for a cold day!

Oh yes, today it was cold!  Having not worn this jumper for a while, I decided that it would do a fine job of keeping me warm.  It is grey leopard print with sequins on the front and it was from Jesire.  I put a denim shirt underneath or else it is a little bare at the neck. I put it with the Cos grey skinnies and the chelsea boots.

The chelsea boots were worn because we were about to embark on a trip to the High Street with the four year old on her scooter - and when the scooter is involved there is always potential for running.  In fact, today she was actually behind my son and myself - we knew that she was safe as we could hear her singing Justin Bieber at full pelt. The song went "Baby, baby, baby....." silent.  So we turned round and there she was, splattered on the pavement with the scooter in the hedge. Bless her.  And poor Justin - his song was ruined. Mind you, with the paternity suit hanging over him at the moment that's probably the least of his worries.

We have had family visiting today and so I had to flex my muscles in preparation for doing battle with my three year old nephew over my diet coke (again) as on boxing day. I am confident of winning - although it may be mis placed.  He's pretty tough!

I also had a delivery today - a not insignificant one at that....

it's all in a day's work! Can't wait to rummage through these babies!

Mum on the Run - Looking through the sales purchases - to keep or not to keep? That is the question

How bad is this?  I have convinced our four year old that the bits of nougat in my toblerone are nuts (which she doesn't like) just so that she doesn't want to eat it.  Even by my standards I think that is rather naughty but hec, the children have taken their toll on many things in my life (body, finances, the height of heels I can wear) so they can keep their hands off my chocloate at least.

So today I spent some time playing with the new clothes that arrived recently. It was a fun time - some successes and some not, so take a look and see what you think:

This is the Reiss trench, reduced from £295 to £147 - so still not the cheapest but it is a good reduction and the kind of wardrobe staple in which to invest if you absolutely love it.   The fabric is different to what I was expecting but once I got used to it, I quite liked it.  The down side? It's too big and the length is wrong. Even with heels, it hits the wrong part of my leg so with flats it wouldn't work at all.  I really like it but it's not for me. Moving on....

This dress is from Boden - it's called "the sixties dress" and is in the sale, reduced from £89 to £59.  It does come up quite short so I would possibly be inclined to order the longer one if they had it in my size. I love the colour and the patch pockets. It could be dressed up for the evening or down for the day so it is fairly versatile - which is important.  I am undecided on this one - need to assess the other options!

This too is a Boden dress - the joyful jersey dress - reduced from £59 to £35.  It is a fairly snug fit but quite supportive which is nice.  It has patch pockets and again could be dressed up or down. I am wearing it with the Reiss shoes, a leather ring and a Hobbs statement necklace. I need to try the dress again to see how it feels. They only had a size 6 left so that's why it's a bit snug. Not sure that it would be very forgiving!  Sadly the Reiss shoes are too big and I walk out of them - so that's an easy decision!

I also ordered these Red jeans from Reiss which were reduced from £89 to £44.  I put them with a Reiss sparkly top which I bought a couple of years ago and which I still love.  I like them but they are too big and if they give any more they will look dreadful. So they will be going back too although given that Reiss is offering free delivery and returns at the moment, I might order them in a smaller size.

I love this Boden Milan jacket which was reduced from £125 to £49 - now that's a proper saving! It's a nice way to dress up my smarter jeans which I put with a silk Warehouse shirt.  I can see myself wearing this jacket a huge amount. I'm almost tempted to order it in black too but that's when the sales become a false economy because I don't really need it. Here's a pic of the lining - lovely spots...

Moving on now to the next outfit - a very dressed down look of Gap long and lean jeans, Clarks leopard pumps and the Boden bella jumper reduced from £49 to £29 - because much as we might like it to be, life isn't always about heels and dresses!

I love the colour of this jumper, which I have put with a Stella & Dot necklace.  The sleeves are three quarters and a slight bell shape - so something different. This one is a keeps for me as it will be really useful.  So, so far the keeps are this jumper and the Boden jacket, probably one of the Boden dresses and possibly the Red jeans but in a smaller size. I have yet to give due attention to the bag and the leather jacket...

Mum on the Run - It's a bit of a Jigsaw day - parka, dress and scarf

First of all I just wanted to say "thank you" to anyone who has voted for me for the Marie Claire fashion blog of the year award - I really do appreciate it.  Thank you also for your emails of support and a special hello to the lovely people of Guernsey and Jersey who have taken a look at the blog.  Could one of you please nip to Port Soif for me and take in the beautiful view?

So you've all heard of "hat" hair. What about "swimming hat hair"? That takes bad hair to a whole new level. And then you add in the goggles and the marks that they leave under your eyes - ten years younger - ha! More like 15 years older. It takes until about 4pm for the welts to disappear. Then there's the limp to add in to the look. How do you get a limp from swimming? This is how. You take it upon yourself to try and beat the chap swimming in the lane next to you - you kick particularly hard and feel something "twang" at the bottom of your back. That's how. So by 9.30am you end up with exceedingly bad hair, looking 15 years older and limping. Add to that thought the woolly hat which has to be worn for the walk home and you get the picture.  Press the delete button now!

The above photo was actually taken yesterday as we dashed out to do the school run.  The swimming goggle marks had gone - I wouldn't inflict that look on anyone.  The whole point of the outfit is this -you're only meant to notice the (wonky) scarf.  It's a great styling trick (and I use the word "styling" in the loosest sense of the word in relation to the above photo)-having one item that stands out from the rest so the others can blend into the background.  In a few days time I will show you the items in my wardrobe that fulfill that role but for now...back to the outfit!

I am wearing a jersey Jigsaw dress and black tights from the M&S Autograph range (a new purchse which I love - the Autograph tights in general are v good.) I threw on my brown Hobbs biker boots (my daugher has taken to wearing my black biker boots and they are now covered in mud - thanks v much for that one) and my Jigsaw parka.  Up until a few days ago the Parka stank of smoke from where I went in the garden with my son and lit fires, using a whole box of matches in the process - but an airing has sorted it out.  Then to distract from that whole mish mash I put on my bright coral, long Jigsaw scarf, which I bought in the sale several seasons ago.

No-one saw me so the fact that I was a bit of a scummy Mummy didn't bother me - or offend anyone else either!

Mum on the Run - worshipping at the altar of parcels of new clothing (Boden, Reiss and Whistles) part 1

The problem with children being at home in the day is that they find out what you get up to and to be honest, I feel a bit invaded.  They creep up on you unannounced and find you eating chocolate. They have an inordinate capacity to block certain sounds out - but if the doorbell rings, with a parcel for me - that's a different matter. They are there like a shot and after the fourth time they turn round in amazement and say "That's the fourth parcel you've had today. Is this all that you do when I am at school?" Cheeky whatsits.

So here are the parcels, displayed in all their glory in the den left by the "fairies" for our daughter's fourth birthday at the weekend. And here are the contents, displayed on a hanging rail having been opened:

Shall we take a closer look?  (Sounds very Playschool like that doesn't it?) Oh how I wish they had covered clothes on playschool, rather than going through the round window and finding how milk bottles were filled.

This for me is one of my favourite pieces - a teal leather jacket from Whistles, reduced from £325 to £95.  Now I'm not for one minute suggesting that £95 is an insignificant sum of money, but it is significantly less than £325, so qualifies as a good saving in my book.

This is the Kingfisher blue bag from Reiss in all its glory - reduced to £55 from £195. It really is lovely in real life!

If you are after an evening bag then Reiss is the place to head.  Look for the Earlham Clutch in midnight (£39 from £79) the Surya clutch in Kingfisher (£129 to £38) and the Sola clutch in emerald (£79 to £25) - north to south below!  They are all lovely and way more interesting than black.

So, these are the Reiss shoes - also a very pretty shade of blue and good for those who no longer like to wear anything too strappy and revealing - they have some substance about them!

All in all, it's all looking a bit blue at the moment but there's more for tomorrow that isn't blue - plus a little bit more that is!  I haven't tried anything on yet - that's yet to come!

Mum on the Run - Guernsey Jumpers as worn by Alexa Chung

There are a few things in life about which I am passionate and so I decided to post about one of them.  Reviewing suspected miscarriages of justice is one, but prison clothes don't really lend themselves well to a post about fashion - and that's not meant to be flippant. It's just true. 

Guernsey jumpers have a place in my heart.  I remember my Grandma and Grandad wearing them on holiday in Guernsey when I was little - drinking their gin as the sun went down.  Ah, bless them.

These Guernsey jumpers may not really look stylish or fashionable - don't you just love this his 'n' hers 80's look (bear with me on this one)!

However, the thing is that Guernsey's have had a bit of a revival of late - it's to do with the whole jumper thing you know, which has been so big (and so well received by me, at least) this season (and the fact that Alexa Chung was pictured wearing a Guernsey at Latitude last year).  Alexa got hers from Daks and they are also stocked at ASOS. 

This is TopShop's version of the Guernsey.....

I have to say that I find it hard to swallow the "fashion" Guernseys - just because they are not the real deal. I have had it in mind to go up to the assistants in Topshop and point this out to them, telling them that they can get the real things from the Island after which they were named - but for obvious reason I quickly dismissed that idea.

Guernsey's have been around for centuries. It's thought that Mary Queen of Scots wore a pair of Guernsey stockings at her execution (nice)! Traditionally Guernsey's were worn by fishermen and they formed a large part of the Island's economy, which sadly, has been in decline over the years.  The wool is oiled so it's waterproof and warm and - I reckon this is the best bit - you can wear them either way around. I like the sound of that - getting up on a cold winter's morning, chucking it on and you're done. I have to say though, I'm not quite sure how that works if you have a large bust. You could end up walking around with two rather large protrusions poking out of your back.

Unlike Cornish pasties, Guernseys haven't yet been given a "Protected Geographical Indication" status by the European Commission - so anyone can make a jumper in the style of a Guernsey and call it a Guernsey (boo)!

Anyway, the point of all this is as follows:  for all you fashionistas out there, Guernsey's are now officially trendy! Guernsey woollens  http://guernseywoollens.com/ are the only people on the Island making them  and you can have a bespoke one made just for you. I am going over in March and having one made during my two day visit there.  I'm also getting a tour of the workshop. I'm v excited! (ps Guernsey is also a top place for a holiday if you have children and the Moulin Huet tea rooms do the best crab sarnies in the world!)

PPS - I think that there's some kind of code of blogging conduct that when you write about a product you have to include all sorts of caveats about whether you were paid, how you benefitted etc.  Well I'm just writing about Guernseys because I like them and for my Christmas present my Dad has actually paid for me to have one made - so there's no financial incentive for me to say nice things at all!

Mum on the Run - a spotty coat

 

So, here's to another day in the life of a potential top fashion blogger - looking after a poorly child, doing the washing and making a lasagne, which, it transpires, no one is prepared to eat other than my husband.  Mind you, he deserves a bit of a treat poor chap.  He's not really able to have a proper conversation with  me at the moment (if he ever could) because I just keep going "I can't believe it. Have you seen those other blogs..." Mind you I have just spoken to a friend who told me that in her book, being nominated for a blog award from Red Magazine would be even better.  So that's that bubble burst then!

Actually I had a lovely day.  I had a meeting to finalise the details of a fashion event that I am doing in Birmingham on 1st March and I also spent many happy hours researching a new wardrobe for a lovely client who is too busy to shop - so I get to do it for her!  Now that's my idea of fun. 

This photo was taken by my son as we were on the way to school with the youngest.  I have had my spotty Boden coat for a while.  It would actually look better a couple of inches shorter - but then I faced the fact that the chances of  it being altered in the next three years were probably somewhat remote so I decided to wear it anyway, together with Warehouse teal skinny jeans, warehouse sparkly jumper, cashmere scarf, H and M leather gloves and Cos chelsea boots. Here's another spotty item that I found when having a quick look round - something for the summer!

These shoes cost £29.50 from Marks and Spencer and I liked them because they are cheeky and they made me smile. I love a bit of a spot and a bit of blanket stitch and they are a kind of go with anything type of shoe - skirts, dresses, skinny jeans, capris - you get the idea!

Boden has lots of spotty things in the sale, from jackets to tops and dresses so if you fancy something spotty, look no further than there.

If you haven't already voted for me but would like to do so, please just go to www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashionlonglist  - thank you!

Mum on the Run - Trolley Dolly (Cos jumper, Hobbs shoes, Zara skirt)

So there I was making soup, unloading the dishwasher and wondering how I was going to stop our four year old from shouting "See you suckers" to her older brother's friends.

I was also thinking about how our eldest managed to cause hysterics in her French lesson by using her croaky voice to do an impression of Darth Vader.  I think her exact words were "Luke Skywalker, I am your father".  She hadn't appreciated that her class had gone silent - apparently she was too engrossed in her impression to notice.  Twenty, thirteen year old girls in hysterics.  Glad I wasn't in control of that class.

At that point I decided to take a look at the other blogs that have been long listed for the Marie Claire best fashion blog awards - boy what a mistake that was! 

For a start, I am probably old enough to be the mother of many of the other bloggers.  There they all are, long limbed, shiny hair, with time to take lots of photos of each outfit, all of which are beautifully styled and posed....and then we come to my blog.  Oh flip!  Photos taken in a 20 second window before rushing to the car, generally by our ten year old if not by our daughter when she was three!

If I wore the clothes that the younger bloggers are wearing I would look like Eddie from Absolutely Fabulous.  Which would certainly get me noticed but for all the wrong reasons.  I wondered whether in including me in the long list the lovely people at Marie Claire are simply complying with a piece of anti-discriminatory legislation - perhaps I am their token oldie!

So whilst the title of today's post represents a glamorous, if not slightly sexist, phrase - the "Trolley" in my world is more of the supermarket variety.  However, I have tapped into the colour of the Pan Am uniform in my blue Hobbs shoes and blue Cos jumper.  That, however, I am afraid is where the similarity ends!

I love Hobbs shoes - I bought these a couple of seasons ago as one of my first Spring purchases but for this season I have my eye on these, the Hobbs Guildford loafer in navy patent.  At £149 they aren't cheap but they will last for years and they are a wardrobe staple so......

I will style them with skinny jeans or peg trousers with a silk T or shirt, a cross body bag and off I will go - in style (and comfort)!

Mum on the Run....has been long listed for a Marie Claire fashion blog award!

Apparently I am doing quite well with some of my New Year's resolutions.  Our youngest commented today that I keep saying "yes" a lot.  So at least I have made progress in that regard.

However in other areas I am not doing so well.  Having not yet had a chance to shop for myself since the sales started (I know, how can that be?) I decide to have a quick scoot around the internet this morning to see what I could find and that's where things started to go terribly wrong.

My whizz around Reiss, Whistles, Boden, Jigsaw, Warehouse and others left my metaphorical basket on its metaphorical knees under the weight of the items  in it - and our bank account somewhere else entirely! However my guilt was assuaged (yep, needed the dictionary for that one!) by the fact that, as referred to in a post many moons ago -"it doesn't count until you decide to keep it." So that's all right then for a few days at least. 

Of course we all know that one should only buy "investment pieces" in the sale, and that is how these "bits and bobs" came to be in my shopping basket:

Reiss trench coat - £147 down from £295.  Now no one can argue that this isn't a wardrobe staple can they?

Reiss cross body bag in one of the colours for next season, reduced from £195 to £55 and of course some dancing shoes! Also from Reiss and reduced from £159 to £63.  I think that I'll let the bag off as a wardrobe staple but the shoes - possibly pushing it a little but I'll reserve judgement until they arrive. 

And finally for this

evening this blazer from Boden which is now £49 instead of £195, in navy.

Having completed my purchases, I was thrilled to hear from Marie Claire that my blog has been long listed for the Marie Claire blog fashion award.  So, New Year's resolutions aside, I was justified in popping these things into my basket.  The rest of the items,when they arrive, may feature in other posts as photographs, or as outfits, or indeed in London (and possibly Marie Claire itself) if the blog is short listed.  Now if that isn't the best excuse I have ever had for shopping then I don't know what is!

If you would like to vote for styleguile, please go to www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashionlonglist - thank you!

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas and beyond!

This is the outfit that I wore for the last of my "12 days of Christmas" feature - Gap jumper dress, Gap striped top, Cos jeans, Jigsaw necklace and shoe boots.  Sorry that it's late - I have been distracted the last two days by the return to school (for some) and clearing up our kitchen which has been flooded twice in two days. 

The first time it was the plumber who flooded the kitchen.  He was demonstrating that our shower wasn't leaking.  However water came pouring through the ceiling, through a light and all over the floor in bucket loads.  Fab! 

Today the kitchen was flooded in four pints of milk courtesy of our three year old who knocked it off the worksurface as she expertly licked the bowl after we had made a cake.  The bottle promptly split in two on impact. The most distressing thing wasn't that my purple Boden Uglies are now splattered in milk, nor that I found myself wearing crocs to clear the mess up but rather that I found the crocs rather comfortable.  No - it can't be happening!

Anyway, before I swapped my biker boots for crocs, I was wearing jeans, a Gap cashmere roll neck and an Oasis cream leather jacket plus my Primark bag in preparation for a day of food shopping, cooking, washing and general jobs! Yippee!

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas - packing for a weekend away

Packing for a weekend away can always be a bit of a struggle.  It's all too easy to take lots of clothes and still have nothing to wear but a bit of time planning your outfits can pay dividends in the long run.  Here's how I did my packing for our trip away.  I started with the easy things first:

]Running stuff!  I always run with my friend when we go away. (In fact this was my first mistake.  Apparently we will be running twice but I only bought one lot of gear.) Thank goodness for washing machines!

Nightwear/loungewear is pretty straight forward too, so that's  another one ticked off the list with ease! Now on to the actual "outfits". Travelling there....

This was the outfit I wore to travel in - grey Cos jeans, cream Monsoon top, Next pink long cardi, Oasis scarf, bangle and  Stella & Dot necklace....

The New Year's Eve outfit which you saw yesterday.....

Today's outfit for hanging around at home, walking the dog, going to Pizza Express and just generally feeling comfortable in - Gap jeans, H&M top, Warehouse jumper, Hobbs necklace...

An outfit for travelling home in tomorrow - striped Gap top, grey jeans, Gap jumper dress, Jigsaw necklace and shoe boots. Finally, a few of my favourite things....

Some lovely handcream which I had for Christmas (the thank you card will be on its way shortly!) Jo Malone perfume, Liz Earle serum, mac lipgloss and Bobbi Brown eyeshadow and not forgetting....

Cath Kidston weekend bag, make-up bag and wash bag. I have loved Cath Kidston for years and will continue to shop there even if my daughter and her friends shop there - unlike Jack Wills which I can't do - or Hollister.  Hollister! Don't even mention Hollister to me.....

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas - a New Year's Eve outfit

This was the skirt which was ordered from John Lewis and which I paid for to arrive a day later - that being Thursday. In fact it arrived two days later but because of its late arrival, the delivery fee was refunded together with a £20 discount - so that was a top result!  The skirt was from Kew 159 - metallic slub bell skirt (I am still not sure what the 159 part of Kew's re-branding is all about but there we go!)

We are with friends for the New Year and staying in, eating and drinking lots!  My friend and I decided to get dressed up (slightly) even though we weren't going anywhere.  However I suspect that shortly after dinner we will put our PJ's on and chill out!

I have put the skirt with the same top that I wore on Christmas Eve (Hobbs jumper) opaque tights, shoe boots, H&M ring, Stella & Dot bracelet. Sometimes it's good to see things in a photo - I was slightly concerned that the "bell" aspect of the skirt was going to be too bell like for my liking but I think that it is just about OK.

Hope that you all have a fabulous New Year's Eve!  See you next year.   

Mission Hollister Part 2 - It's not a pretty sight (largely because I can't see anything in there!)

You may remember that on 12 December I wrote a post entitled "Mission Hollister".  This was a tongue in cheek account of my many unsuccessful attempts to purchase a Gift Voucher from Hollister.  Since then I have had emails, comments and discussions with many others who have encountered similar problems and I have to admit to being somewhat relieved as it makes me feel less of a dinosaur!  It's not my style to stick my neck on the line and to criticise a brand but for flips sake!  So, here are some of the other tales I have been told:

• One lady, unable to see the price of an item due to the totally and utter rubbish (my words not hers) lighting in there took an item to an assistant to ask what the price was. The assistant couldn't find the price either.  When asked why the store had such inadequate lighting the assistant said that it "added to the ambience".  I like it!
• Another lady, having picked up an item, had to go and check out the nearest lightbulb to find the price, where she met other customers doing the same thing.
• Another lady went in with some information about a sweatshirt that she wanted for her daughter.  She took details of the sweatshirt, what it said on the front etc but was told that without the code they couldn't trace it.  Top service! Mary Portas would love that one!
• Another lady had to queue in a snake around the shop and half way down the stairs as the number of staff was so inadequate - or, in fairness to the store, it could just be that it is so popular that it simply couldn't cope with the number of customers - so I might let that one go for now but they could do with some more tills;
• Another lady went in with her elderly mother who has a condition which means that she has difficulty seeing in certain light. She couldn't see her daughter which caused her to panic and because she couldn't see, she then tripped over a rug.  Now whilst some of the above are vaguely amusing, this isn't in the slightest.  Have they never heard of Occupier's Liability for Dangerous Premises or all of the Health and Safety Legislation?

I know I know - I sound as if I am ranting and really it's not that bad. My friend and I have decided that it's the messing about with our senses that we can't deal with. 

You know that whole school disco thing of no light, lots of sound and the smell of sweaty bodies was fine at the age of 14 but now - being starved of light whilst at the same time our auditory and olfactory senses are overloaded (I was told that they pumped the smell of their fragrances through some system in their stores) means that we get dis-orientated.  It's an interesting concept really isn't it?  Employing methods that are used to torture people to sell clothes?  But somehow it works. I am still struggling with it!

Mum on the Run - the Twelve Days of Christmas - A Mango lace skirt and biker boots plus a guest on the blog!

Today I worked backwards and decided on the footwear first, (biker boots- on the basis that we might be going for a walk) and then fitted the clothes around the boots. I chose this Mango lace skirt because it's comfortable and put it with an H&M striped long sleeved top and Oasis striped jumper to make it less dressy.   My Reiss pea coat and humungous leopard furry gloves completed the outfit when it was time to head out.

My friend Sal dropped round today and kindly agreed to be photographed.  She had on a lovely printed jumper dress which looked as though it was from Jigsaw but which she in fact bought from Sainsbury's for less than £10 - (in fact it was nearly free after she used various discount vouchers - a real bargain if ever there was one!)  She put it with a Jigsaw cardi, leggings and Dune boots. She had done a great job of lifting an inexpensive item by mixing it with a more expensive piece. I thought that her hat was from Jigsaw too but apparently that was also a fab bargain.  Having short hair I can't really do the whole woolly hat thing but I think that Sal looks great. 

Mum on the Run - The twelve days of Christmas - a bit of a Cos day!

I have found a brilliant way to get a new wardrobe for yourself - sort through your ironing pile.  It worked for me!  I reckon that I could do a whole week of posts based on what was lurking in the ironing cupboard.  The above Cos shirt dress was one such item.  In fact I knew that was there but I had totally forgotten about two pairs of trousers and a couple of tops that had been languishing there since I last ironed (circa 1995). 

The three muskerhounds and I went off to visit a school friend of mine this morning, which was followed by a trip to see my Mum.  All went well - no ornaments broken, no-one offended, no-one wet themselves or puked anywhere and strangely there was no fighting.  Yes, I behaved rather well today I thought.

Given that we were up and out by 8.30am I had to make a quick decision on what to wear.  I wasn't sure whether the grey Cos jeans would really work with the navy shirt dress but in the end it was fine.  I put a striped Gap top underneath the shirt dress and a chunky Oasis cardi over the top together with a Reiss belt and the shoe boots - which have been my saviour (why does that word always remind me of Cliff Richard?) this holiday.

I quite like the shirt dress over trousers combo - it makes me feel kind of dressed up without feeling like I am wearing a dress - if that makes sense!  I love the way we women have all these psychological things going on in our heads in relation to clothes.

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas: A Zara skirt and cable knit

I have never seen so many miserable looking men as I did this morning when I was in John Lewis.  I felt so sorry for them as they stood leaning against the racks trying to look interested as their wives held up yet another piece of clothing for them to look at, which to them looked exactly the same as all the other pieces they had already been shown (and quite possibly, as far as they were concerned, the same as the entire contents of her wardobe.)

Just so that you know, the John Lewis website is not up to speed with what is going on in store and some items which are discounted in store aren't discounted online.  However, I found that if you call customer services, you can buy the item at the full price and they will immediately refund the difference.  A bit of a faff I know but it's worth it if there's something that you particularly like but which isn't in store in your size.

Anyway, as to the outfit.  I haven't worn a skirt for a while and the red shoes deserved a festive outing so I put them together and worked in some pinks and purples as well - none of which "matched" but given the neutral background it didn't matter. Quite often my clients are nervous or reluctant to put things together which, in their eyes, don't match and I encourage them to have a play around.  As long as the background is fairly simple - black/navy/grey/beige it's good to mix the accent colours and frankly no-one notices anyway! Mixing it up a bit makes for a much more versatile wardrobe.