Mum on the Run - Off to the s/s '13 Boden press day (Part 1)

I was lucky enough to go to the Boden S/S '13 press day today and it was such a sunny experience that I wanted to share it with you by writing two posts about it. Today's post is all about setting the scene - both in terms of how it looked and also in terms of what actually goes on at a press day (just in case anyone is interested).  

 

If, which was quite easy to do, I ignored the Christmas tree and ice-skating rink outside of Somerset House, it was quite possible to imagine that it was a summer's day and that I was in a beautiful Victorian House somewhere in the English countryside. It was lovely to walk into such a light and airy room and be greeted by such vibrant colours. I have spent many days in the shops recently and they all seem a little flat colourwise - so it was  refreshing change.

 

 

It takes about five months to plan the press days and it's possible to see just how much work goes into them with the props, imagery, film reels, flowers, furniture - even the door stops had to be painted in the right colours.

Before I went to a press day I didn't really know what to expect - I think that I probably had visions of something like a press interview where everyone was seated, taking notes, and there were people talking at the front about the collection, perhaps using models and so on but in a very corporate kind of way.

For the Boden press day, there was a separate room for each collection of women/men, children's and Johnnie B - with rails around the edge of the room exhibiting each "story".  Sarah from Boden took me around each of the stories, explaining the inspiration behind each one, together with the key pieces from it. All the pieces could be looked at, touched and photographed so it was very much a "hands on" experience.

 

This lovely picture of Johnnie B himself adorned the wall above the fireplace in the treatment room. He's one brave man - that's all I can say.

These shots below were taken in the children's room. This first one is of the baby collection which contained lots of vintage muted tones, with nostalgic prints and crochet trim.

Frankly everything in this room was so cute, from the clothes, to the shoes, to the images on the wall...

...to the images on the furniture

...and the names on the stools. Fortunately none of the stools had any of our children's names on them, otherwise Boden may have found themselves one short.

Hopefully that gives a flavour of what goes on at these things, or certainly at the Boden press day. Oh, and I mustn't forget to mention the juice and breakfast canapes (v. tasty) or the presence of certain celebs and fashionistas! Thanks to all of the girls from Boden for being so friendly and helpful. 

 

Tomorrow it's the turn of the ladies' collections and the pieces that I spied from them!

 

 

Mum on the Run - A style event and the Boden press day may mean a little blogging break!

I have run out of time (again) so sorry for the short post. I have been busy preparing for an event that I will be at tomorrow night which forms part of the Pavilions campaign and from which the above shot is taken.

It will be an early start tomorrow, selecting outfits for the models I will be styling, together with pieces to talk about at the presentation that I will be giving. The clothes are then to be couriered to the venue, the models fitted and we will have a run through before going into hair and make-up prior to the event starting at 6.30pm. Nervous - me?!

The next day I am heading to London for the Boden press day, which I have no doubt will be fantastic.

So, please forgive me if I don't get around to posting for a couple of days - I will try and catch up as soon as I can, hopefully with something interesting to show you.

Have a good week!

Style Guile Smile - Markus Lupfer for Whistles - and a little wardrobe malfunction!

Many of you may have heard of Markus Lupfer, who I think it is fair to say is known best for his whacky knits.

He has designed a collection for Whistles, which is in stores from tomorrow, and which includes scarves and hats in his trademark style, together with silk pieces and phone and computer accessories.

From time to time I see a print which really catches my eye and I love the heart print on these Pyjama Pants (£95) which form part of the collection. I can't pretend that there's really room in my life for a pair of pyjama pants (other than to wear to bed - which is how these could be worn) but if I lived a different life, I would be tempted to give these a whirl. They would look great styled with a blazer or a leather jacket and they would certainly make an interesting alternative to the usual suspects which I would normally wear for a night out (to Pizza Express).

There is also a PJ top (£125) in both the blue print shown above and in this pinky/red print. Again, it's just a little different to anything else that I have seen recently and it would do a great job of breathing some life into a simple pair of black trousers.

I suppose what I am getting at with these pieces is this: if you have an event coming up for Christmas, it might be nice to find something a little bit quirky but which you love and which you get enjoyment from owning - rather than trawling the stores for another dress which will only get worn once or twice.

For me there's something really exciting about looking at a piece and thinking "ooh, that might be nice for a change - but could I pull it off?" There's then the fun element in trying it on and deciding whether to run with it, or whether to park it there and then! So I guess that's where I am coming from with these.

As an alternative to the above options, and something which falls into a different price bracket, there's this phone case (£40) which could be a nice addition to your Christmas list.

And finally for those who like a little neon, there's this neon heart print scarf (£55) which would give a real lift to those dark winter pieces that we all have in our winter wardrobe.

So, that's my whistle stop tour through the heart print pieces by Markus Lupfer for Whistles, but you can see the rest of the collection here

Many of you may remember the pictures of Lily Allen's sister at her (Lily Allen's) wedding. Well, due to an unfortunate mis-hap this morning, I was very close to leaving the house showing a similar amount of something which really shouldn't be on show. I have a running top with a cut out back which I inadvertently put on the wrong way round. Not a good look - especially for a Monday.

Fashion dilemma - I would like it but there isn't really the budget for it, so what to do???

This post is all about compromise - tweaking something that you have to make it similar to something that you might like. The shape of a dress can be changed with a belt, a dress can be turned into a skirt with a jumper layered over the top, trousers can be shortened to make them a more stylish ankle length - the list goes on.

I really like this French Connection Rhumba parka (£190). It's the combination of the leather sleeves and the white fur collar. On the downside, or maybe the upside depending on how you look at it, it is a little short (and quite a lot pricey!)

I also really like this Ted Baker fitted parka (£210). Another Mum at school has it and we have had some discussions as to its warmth, with the conclusion that with a jumper underneath, it may be thick enough for the colder weather.  It looks great on her and it is true to its "fitted" description.

 

I, on the other hand, have this Jigsaw down filled jacket. Now, whilst I know that I am very lucky to have it, it doesn't have the leather sleeves, it's not navy and it doesn't have any fluffy white fur in it. It's also pretty old now but, on the upside, I know for a fact that none of the others are as warm as it - and that is a big consideration for me because even if I bought one of the others, I would still gravitate towards this one. So what to do?

Well there's nothing that I can do about the fact that it doesn't have leather sleeves, or its colour (I don't fancy risk dyeing it) but I can add a little fur to it...

...which I did with this number from Primark. I bought it last week for £20 and I have to say that I have fallen a little bit in love with it. It looks and feels so much more expensive than it is and it's warm, really warm.

So I layered it underneath my Jigsaw coat and whilst I am not kidding myself that it's anything like the other parkas that I like, and it is a compromise, I do like the addition of the fur to it for a change. To me it feels different and we all know what a big part psychology plays in our wardrobe. So for now I am happy with my wardrobe tweak!

Another way to remember...

I thought that the sentiment behind this Poppy Friendship Bracelet from Claudia Bradby was lovely, which is why I wanted to share it with you.

 

The piece was specially commissioned and £5 from the sale of each bracelet will be donated to the Royal British Legion.

I don't know about you but as each year goes by, the significance of remembrance day becomes even greater to me. There are obviously lots of ways to contribute to charity but I know that every time I wear this piece, it will remind me of sitting with my Grandma and Grandad and hearing their fascinating stories about the war - so it's a way of remembering them too.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mum on the Run - A bit of an outfit miss - it's all a bit too much thigh heavy for my liking!

I've been caught! In the pub no less - and at lunchtime. Outrage!

 

We had a lunchtime birthday celebration for a friend the other day in a fantastic independent local pub which serves pots of tea, with jammy dodgers. They also serve food on tin plates and have jars of sweets plus cakes on the bar - now that's my kind of pub.

Anyway, a short trip out like this is always a good opportunity to try out something different, so I wore these Frye boots which I bought from Topshop in a sale so many years ago now that I can't even remember how long ago it was. I do remember however that they were reduced from well over £200 to a lot less than £50.

I put them with fine blue cords from GAP, Reiss pea coat, Boden leopard print bag and Oasis print scarf.

It was OK but  more of an outfit miss than a hit - all of which I am happy to share. I'm not really a fan of wearing skinny jeans in boots - for me it all becomes a bit too much about the thighs! Next time I will try them with high waisted wide leg jeans - true Dallas style. Speaking of which, it's going to start soon so I'm off - oh how I love that programme!

Mum on the Run - These boots are made for walking!

In today's post I am sharing with you this week's article for Easy Living Online which is all about boots you can walk in - not ones you can just take teeny tiny steps in but ones you can actually walk in! 

 

I know that like me, for many of you this is a major consideration - that and comfort in general, whether it's because you are racing around after small children, walking to and from school or on your feet all day at work.

 

Inevitably some boots have heels but the ones with the highest heels are the ones in which I  have walked the further distance, so I am happy to put my money where my mouth is!

 

I hope that you enjoy it. I would love to hear from anyone who has found a fab pair of boots that look great and which they can wear all day.

 

 

Mum on the Run - Wearing a little bit of Mint Velvet (but really it's all about the brand). Do pop by, I think you might like it.

 

I seem to keep getting myself in hot water at the moment, with many of you emailing me to tell me that I keep putting temptation in your way - in which case you may want to look away now.

 

I am sure that many of you will be familiar with the brand Mint Velvet, which was set up three years ago now by three women who each had 15 years experience in the fashion industry. As busy working women, their aim was to create a womenswear brand that consisted of beautiful textures, which referenced the season's key looks and which translated into effortlessly wearable co-ordinated pieces.

 

For me the brand goes from strength to strength. I think that the price point is good as is the way that the trends are interpreted to make them accessible.  I have always looked to Mint Velvet for leather jackets and their strength lies in creating key pieces in a neutral colour palette which will integrate effortlessly into an existing wardrobe, updating it without screaming "hello, I am this seasons' newest trend." 

 

Their selection of squishy, slouchy bags together with their snake print clutches are perfect. Think Jennifer Aniston in her jeans/leather jacket/slouchy bag combo and you won't be far off the mark.

 

If Mint Velvet isn't somewhere that you have previously looked for boots then I urge you to do so. They have a fantastic selection which includes knee high biker boots (quite hard to find and for some ladies preferable, as they finish at a more flattering point on the leg), shoe boots, wedge ankle boots, tan heeled boots, riding boots, over the knee boots, the list goes on.

 

The Mint Velvet Magazine is also fantastic - full of useful styling advice, hints and tips - quick and consise, it demonstrates that the creators of Mint Velvet have a real understanding of what women want on a daily basis.

 

I could go on but I won't, instead leaving you to take a look at your leisure!

 

Earlier in the summer - in fact it was a very rare and hot day - I was approached by Mint Velvet to ask whether I might like to do something with them. Roll on a few months and I chose some pieces from the current collection to try.  

 

Here I am wearing their storm nubuck ankle boots. The heel height appealed to me, as did the colour. Being a dark grey, they have the tendency to take on whichever colour they are put with, whether it's navy, grey or black  - which makes them so versatile. The rubber sole also appealed to me for its non-slip quality!

  

 

In this outfit I styled them with skinny cords, a denim shirt with striped top underneath and a cream cape. If time had permitted (and if they were mine) I would also style them with a dress with a leather jacket over the top, or with wide legged trousers, printed blouse and a blazer for a smarter look. However, the boots were required back in London for a photo shoot and I was required to get packing for our trip away.

 

 

Storm nubuck ankle boots (£139)

 

 

Please forgive the beer bottle by my feet! Without me realising it, the nice man from Amazon had emptied our recyling bin and turned it upside down so as to hide a package for our son's birthday. Fortunately he chose the right day to come - on another day there could have been far more beer bottles in it.

 

I also asked Mint Velvet if I could take a closer look at this wine saddle bag (£119)..... 

 

 

                                   

 

...which reminded me very much of a bag by Tom Ford (see below) which has found favour with the A-listers.

                                       

                                    

Despite my failure to style it particularly well (the colours weren't quite right), I am showing you a picture of it in any event. Alas the bag went back with the boots, so I couldn't re-do the shots - but I think you can get the gist of how it looks.

 

I hope that you enjoyed the read and that you find Mint Velvet to be a brand which works well for you. There are some stand alone stores and there is also a concession in House of Fraser.

 

Saturday Style - From £7.99 to £1,135 - a little bit of bling goes a long way

Much as I have enjoyed having some time away from wearing fancy pants clothing and accessories, it's nice to get back to some bling.

I suspect that most of us have something hanging in our wardrobes whether it be a crew neck jumper, a plain black dress, or an evening dress which has had many outings, which could have a little life breathed back into it by the addition of a new piece of jewellery.

If you have any events coming up for Christmas, rather than buying yet another LBD why not tweak one that you already have, by having it shortened for example - and then spending some of your budget on a knock out piece of jewellery which you can wear all year round? It will work much harder for you than another LBD.

I love this H&M necklace (£7.99) which also comes in lime green. It's a fantastic price and adds just a little bit of colour to an outfit without screaming "statement necklace."

 

 

 

I have the precursor to this necklace, which I wore with a lace black dress from Monsoon for the Pavilions campaign. I wanted to add some colour to the dress and I liked the combination of the black and yellow/green together (although it showed up more in real life)! 

 

 

Equally, I wore it today in a much more casual way, styled with black trousers and grey and yellow knits. 

 

Staying with H&M, I like this H&M necklace (£9.99) which also comes in bright pink. It's a great price, particularly for a first foray into something which may be slightly different. The black would be fantastic over a black jumper - tapping into this season's trend for mixing different textures of black together. Equally, it would look great over a hot pink or bright yellow jumper, whilst the pink would add interest to a black/navy/grey top or knit.

 

 

 

This pretty Zara gem necklace with bees (£19.99) has lots of lovely blue and green shades in it, which make a refreshing change from pinks or neons as accent colours. Also great for anyone who has a particular affinity for bees!

 

 

I thought that this Zara art deco necklace (£17.99) was a lovely piece.  With the potential to look much more expensive than it is, it would make a great talking point. Again it would look fantastic worn in the evening with a silk shirt, skinnies or wide leg jeans and heels, or in the day time with a simple knit, jeans and ankle boots.  

 

 

This Lulu Frost Sandra necklace (£150) is part of the fantastic collaboration by Lulu Frost for Whistles. It's such a beautiful piece which also has an art deco feel about it. This one is possibly more a special treat or for the Christmas list, as opposed to an addition to your basket whilst whizzing round the shops one lunchtime but who am I to say who should buy what and when?! I would love to hear from anyone who saw it, fell in love with it and bought it on the spot!

 

 

 Now I'm not really a dangly ear-ring kind of girl, instead sticking to diamond studs from my husband but if I were to branch out (which I should) I would head for these Lulu Frost Sandra ear-rings (£70). Again part of Lulu Frost's collection for Whistles, they are real beauties and would certainly pack a punch to a plain and simple outfit.  

 

 

 

Given that I am doing a post on bling, I thought it right to include some serious bling, both in terms of size and cost and this little number from Erikson Beamon (£1,135) from Net a Porter certainly satisfies both of those criteria.

 

Being such a fantastic piece, I think it deserves to be worn with nothing other than heels and a fur coat! (Fake, of course.)

 

 

 

Mum on the Run - Just one outfit from my casual Wales Wardrobe!

The trouble with not doing any washing for five days is that when you get home, there's five days of washing to catch up on. When there are five of you, that's a lot of washing. Hence the late post.

 

I thought it only fair that I brought you at least one outfit of what I wore this week. To be perfectly honest there was very little variation throughout the week and today's outfit was the nearest that I came to wearing a dress. It's a Cos shirt dress that I wore over jeans.

 

It's just possible to see a little bit of hot pink poking through at the neck which came from a long sleeved top, also from Cos, which I layered underneath the shirt dress. I then worked in a chunky cardi and long Lola Rose scarf over the top.

Here's a closer look at the neck tie on the shirt dress - and that's about as girlie as it got for me all week - but I plan on making up for it tomorrow!

 

I was convinced the other day that something amazing (and unheard of) was about to happen. There we were, sitting in a coffee shop with everyone doing what they should. The youngest was singing, there were no elbows on the tables, no runny noses, no fighting.

 

I was conscious that an elderly couple sitting nearby were watching us. As the gentleman came over to speak, I swelled with pride, convinced that he was about to compliment us on our lovely brood, instead of which he said:

 

"Excuse me, do you know what day of the week it is? I'm not sure whether it's Wednesday or Thursday." Well that put me in my place! It will happen one day though. I'm sure....

Mum on the Run - As featured on the Jigsaw blog "Insider Edit", writing about three of my favourite trends

To be invited to feature on the Jigsaw blog was pretty much a dream come true for me. For the first installment of their "Insider Edit" on 2 October, Jigsaw featured their US Fashion Writer, Heather Toner. Given that Heather is based in the LA office, her weather is very different to ours in the UK and she wrote about the trends "Boy Meets Girl", "Layer It Up" and "Jewel Toned Gems."

The Jigsaw stores are such that I have always taken great comfort from being in them - they just allow me to step off the world for a few minutes. Not only that of course but I love what's on the rails and always have done so since I was introduced to Jigsaw over 20 years ago now.

For their second installment of the Insider Edit, I was asked to choose three of my favourite trends and write about them, selecting some pieces to illustrate them from Jigsaw's new collection.

I wrote about "Country Heritage", "Luxe Leather" and the "Little Black Dress". The shoes that I chose to go with the LBD are unfortunately no longer available (great for them as they have sold out)but Jigsaw have made a lovely substitution on my behalf.

For a closer look at the feature, please click here - hope that you like it!

Mum on the Run - Sharing the love... and this week's article for Easy Living Online

When I came across this raspberry yesterday I thought that it deserved to be shared with the world - so here it is! I wondered whether heart shaped raspberries were, in fact, a common occurence but on checking the rest of the punnet, it seemed to be a one off. I just thought that it was so cute.

From my own experience, and from styling many others too, I know how difficult day time skirts can be. Not only are they, at the very minimum, a two piece outfit (as opposed to a dress which can be a one piece outfit) but there's the whole issue of the right shoes, how to accessorise and so on.

So, this week's article for Easy Living online looks at  five different styles of skirts which can be worn in the daytime, together with style tips on how to wear them. Obviously not every style will suit every shape but there should be something for everyone and hopefully you may be inspired to try something which you may not have done so otherwise.

An image of a true bell shaped skirt was hard to find, so you may need to imagine it in another colour - but it is a shape definitely worth giving some consideration to.

I hope that you enjoy the article and that you find it useful. Thanks for reading!

Mum on the Run - Could these be the perfect Smoking Slippers?

An opportunity presented itself to me last week to have a quick whizz around the stores and of course Zara beckoned - and loudly too!

 

Many of you may remember that I have done a complete volte face on the smoking slipper front and having gone from loathing them to quite liking them, it was just a question of finding a pair that did the trick.

 

I have tried on many pairs over the last few months from Primark (sparkles), to Topshop (metallic lace), to River Island (tapestry), to Clarks (leopard print), to Steve Madden (studded), to Jimmy Choo (sparkles) and Jeffrey Campbell (studded) - but none of them have quite hit the mark. 

 

However there was something about these Shiny Slippers (£39.99) from Zara which made my heart skip a beat.

 

First, I loved the simplicity of them - black with a touch of sparkle, they are both chic and versatile.  Whilst probably not the most hard of wearing shoes, I have boots for the more challenging weather.  

 

 

            

Secondly, when wearing them it felt as though I was wearing a shoe, rather than a slipper, which is how many of the other styles felt. The sole was substantial enough and with a separate heel, albeit slight, I didn't feel as dumpy in them as some other styles. The fact that the fit was good also helped. Being a size 5.5, a 5 is often too small and a 6 gapes too much - which is a really bad look.

I also really like these Zara studded pony skin slipper (£49.99). In fact, like many other brands, Zara has a whole array of different styles so if you are thinking along the smoking slipper lines, I would strongly suggest checking Zara out.

Here's a link to the Zara page so that you can take a look to see if there's anything that you like. Hope that you do!

Mum on the Run - On the beach with a little bit of Seasalt thrown in...

 

I was really disappointed not to be able to attend the Seasalt press day for their S/S '13 collection and wasn't entirely sure how I was going to be able to post about it given that winter was approaching.

 

However, the perfect opportunity arose today. Not only were we in Wales and about to hit the beach but it was also sunny - not just a little bit sunny either - but proper sunny, which didn't make writing about summer clothes seem quite so inappropriate.

 

So, here I am sporting my new Seasalt bag in preparation for our trip to the beach, which was kindly sent to me after the press day (and no, there was no way those boots were going near the beach. It's just that Mr SG forbids wellies in the car.)

 

 

This was the view that greeted us on arrival at the beach. Pure unadulterated sunshine - bliss. This is Newborough beach on Anglesey - one of our favourites.

The inspiration for Seasalt's S/S '13 collection came from the Scilly Isles, which hold a special place in my heart as I had a holiday there in my late teens.

Sophie Chadwick, who is the textile designer for Seasalt, has family who orignate from the islands and the collection reflects the colours, flowers and prints of the five inhabited isles of the Scilly Isles. The collection includes stripes to reflect the maritime history of the islands and floral inspiration is reflected in the chambray fabric in "Poppy". 

The bag that I was sent is great - reversible with a gingham print on the inside, it has a zipped pocket for things that you don't want to get sandy - (ie eldest's ipod which she has just managed to unlock, having locked it for 42 years (no kidding))!

I was also kindly sent a lip balm and scarf, neither of which I have used yet. However I have heard from many SG readers who like Seasalt and even my sister has mentioned it to me, which is a great accolade for any brand because she is as dis-interested in clothes at is possible to be, short of not bothering to wear any at all.

Here are some of the looks from the S/S '13 collection...

...together with a few more which are inspired by the artistic heritage of St Ives, Cornwall.

Here are a few things that you may not know about Seasalt and which I think are quite interesting:

• Seasalt are the former winners of "Best organic retailer", the first time ever for a non food company;
• Seasalt contributes towards maintaining and promoting local traditions and skills by selling a range of locally make products such as smocks and canvas sailing bags. They also sponsor various projects, such as a sea shanty choir and they work with schools on creative projects. They have also raised significant sums for charity in the last three years;
• The Seasalt team comprises fashion designers, fine artists, illustrators and creative writers.

Thank you to Seasalt for my press pack and information about the new collection, which I can't wait to see in the stores which will probably in the Guernsey stores when I am next over there - such a lovely place too!

Here is a pic of the kind of things we get up to when on holiday. Mr SG found a magnifying glass which I had taken to the beach and he reverted to type by trying to light a fire with it - which he did with great success. I was never quite so inventive as a child - rather we pinched matches to light the fires in our dens! I doubt that would ever happen these days.