On the Run -More outfits from last week's Style Event

Yesterday I promised to bring you some more outfits from the style event that I was running last week. The clothes weren't in my size, which is why they are being modelled on "Grace."

Before I start though, a few ladies have left messages for me highlighting the difficulties they have finding fashionable clothes on the High Street, given that they are so tall. With that in mind, I left a message on the Boden fb page asking them if they were likely to do a "tall" range. I selected Boden as their customer service is brilliant and they are good at catering to a wide market.   Their clothes go from a 6 to a 22, they do a maternity range, a petite range and a longer length in clothes - although the trouser leg length, at least, is not long enough for the ladies who left me messages. 

Boden's response was that if there was sufficient demand, they would certainly look into it. So I would like to urge all ladies out there, tall or otherwise, to leave a message on the Boden fb page asking that they look into this further.  Having worked with lots of tall ladies, I have concluded that they are probably the least well catered for on the High Street out of everybody.  I realise that if Boden did develop a tall range, it would still only be available by mail order but it would be a start.  Anyway, here's the link to the page where you can leave your comment, if you felt so inclined.  http://www.facebook.com/JohnnieBoden?ref=ts 

Things won't change unless the brands are aware that they need to make changes so if you feel strongly about something, let them know. Facebook is a great forum for this because it's so public and the brands have to be seen to be responding. [Lecture over.]

Anyway, on to the outfits.

This first outfit comprises a broderie anglaise navy jacket from M&S, a yellow knit from Limited Collection at M&S and some palazzo pants from Per Una - I know, Per Una! Actually they are great.

You can see from the picture below that they are flat over the tummy but supportive too. They have small pleats which start a little lower down and they are really flattering for any ladies who carry more weight on their hips/thighs.

Said outfit minus the jacket but with the H&M yellow bag (I have now seen another yellow bag in Zara which has replaced this one as my favourite yellow bag of the season.)

Here's a closer picture of the navy broderie anglaise jacket from M&S. A lovely alternative to a corporate style jacket in a flattering style. It could be worn equally well with jeans and a breton top as to the office over a plain shift dress.

Yellow knit from Limited Collection at M&S which has little buttons down the back. It's quite a creamy yellow so not too difficult to wear.

The Per Una Palazzo pants - very flattering!

This too is from Per Una. I came across it the other day when I was doing some work with M&S and had to review their Per Una range. I love the print on it as it reminds me of Orla Kiely or the Scandinavian fabric brand, Marimekko.

This dress has a real 1950's feel about it and again, is good for anyone with heavier hips and legs. A fitted bolero would work well over it, keeping the silhouette neat.

Do any of you remember the furore caused by the "Carrie" skirt at Whistles last summer? It sold out nationwide, although Birmingham has since confessed to me that they told everyone who enquired over the phone that they didn't have it when they did! This pleated skirt, which is very similar (largely because it too is a pleated skirt) is from GAP and comes in this lovely vibrant red and also navy. The sizing is a little out though - you may well need to go down a size or two in it.

I put it with this cute cardi from Oasis which obviously has a nautical theme about it. It would also look great with jeans, chinos, cigarette pants and over dresses. I like the addition of the turquoise to it - rather than it being just red, white and navy.

This pink skirt is from GAP.  Casual skirts can be tricky. They can either feel quite dressy, as the pleated one above, a bit too work like - as in a pencil skirt, or too denim, short, and teenagerish (if there is such a word!)

I liked this one because of its softness, the vertical row of buttons down the front which is flattering, the bright colour and the fact that it isn't too short. I have styled it with a white shirt and the navy blazer with the sleeves rolled up, a Topshop belt plus some gold wedges. It would look equally good though with ballet flats or converse. (I haven't put a scarf with it - that's just the model.)

Tailored shirts are great for ladies with a curvier bust as the neckline is flattering and the darts mean that you still get a neat silhouette. Pepperberry is a good brand to try as they do shirts and tops in three bust fittings - meaning that it's not necessary to go up a size just to get a top to fit your bust.

Here I have put some coloured jeans (Gap jeggings) with a M&S Limited Collection bird print top.  The jeans are really comfortable and a lovely colour.

The top is likely to suit ladies with a small to medium sized bust but hey - there are plenty of us around!

Lastly, another M&S Limited Collection top, this time with seagulls on it. It is a pretty 1950's style top with a pink trim on the collar.

This is just a small selection of the pieces that I chose for the event and I hope that you like them.

Mum on the Run - On a day off!

Mr SG is a big one for celebraing his birthday. Not only do we have birthday "day", we have birthday "eve", birthday "week" and birthday "month". Given that it is his birthday today, the 26th of the month, this can all be quite painful at times.

Anyway, in the true spirit of being a good wife, I won't be blogging today as I think that he deserves all of my attention. Hopefully we will be engaged in eating a lovely meal somewhere and generally having a little bit time off from life.

So, please forgive me. I plan to return tomorrow full of vigour!

Whilst I'm off though, I wonder if I might ask a favour? I have been fortunate enough to have been short listed for blog award by Britmums, in the style category. If you felt able to vote for me by followint this link, I should be really grateful - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7QFQ6HY

Thank you in advance. Voting closes on 30th April so I don't have much time left to ask for help. Thank you in advance - I am very grateful!

On the Run-One dress, four different belts and a mint green silk shirt

I hope that you like the new blog header for Style Guile.  For those who have been following me for a while, or who know me well, you will probably recognise a lot of the images on the header.  It was drawn for me by Kristina, a Swedish girl who grew up in America but who has now moved back to Sweden.  You can take a look at her website here but I warn you, it may be dangerous. Very dangerous! Her illustrations and scarves are beautiful.

I have had requests for a closer look at some of  the pieces that were on my rail last week in preparation for the Style Event I was running. I think that one of the requests related to this dress which I am wearing and which cost £175 from Whistles. Actually, I am lying - it cost £14.99 from H&M. 

This is the dress in its simplest form. Whilst the black tights and dark shoes aren't terribly spring like, I couldn't face revealing my legs to the world. Ordinarily I would dig out my knee length M&S vest (sounds sexy huh?!) to layer under a dress like this but I think it's currently residing at the back of a cupboard somewhere so, in the spirit of keeping the photographer happy, I let the shots be taken even though there is a very clear line where my shorter vest ends but hey, it doesn't matter, we're not talking Vogue photography here.

Now I know that this dress won't suit all bodyshapes but in actual fact with it having a sleeve, a decent length and some room in the skirt, it is actually not as limiting as it first seems, particularly if you can get over the fact that it is 100% polyester, which to be honest I can because lots of things are these days - but I know that others can't.

I quite like this dress as a general "every day and it doesn't need too much accessorising" kind of dress. At the start of the summer it could be put with a blazer and dressed up a little for work.   As the summer progresses, and depending on how it wears, it can be relegated further down the fashion foodchain to a weekend dress, ending up as a beach cover up. Having said that, it could wear really well. After all, people have been known to pay a lot more for a polyester dress!

On the photograph below I have added in a wide blue Reiss belt. I quite like it for the colour but you can see how the addition of a contrasting colour breaks up the line of the dress.

For this look I have added a cream moc croc leather belt, also from Reiss.  The width of the belt is probably better for my proportions and it would look nice paired with some nude shoes for the summer.

For this last shot I have put it with a Hobbs skinny coral belt - narrower again it's just a nice alternative to any of the above if I fancy ringing the changes.

I am also bringing you a picture of this 100% silk shirt, which too is from H&M and costs £34.99. I bought the turquoise version earlier in the season and they have now brought it out in mint green.

Thanks to Louis Vuitton, pastels are huge this season and I think that this shirt, which isn't too girly, is a nice way of tapping into that trend. I am taking the mick on the first shot, in tucking it in on one side - as per the fashionistas....

....which is why it is all creased up on this shot!

I have some other outfits to show you from the event which I styled on my mannequin and which I will bring to you tomorrow.

We seem to have had a mini Hugh Heffner move into our house in the shape of a four year old wearing a dressing gown and sporting sunglasses. She has taken to putting on her dressing gown when she gets in from school and has also decided that she can't see unless she is wearing a pair of very glitzy (sun)glasses which used to be her sister's. In fact she goes as far as walking into things if she's not wearing them, just to prove the point. The whole ensemble, together with the straw from her smoothie which uses cigar style, completes the look and I have to say that I find it very funny.

I spoke to a photographer from the Daily Mail today.  He was arranging to come and take photos of me for an article which will be in the Femail section next Thursday and in which I will feature. When it came to the clothes I should be wearing his instructions were no black, no denim, possibly a block colour shift dress and nothing frumpy. NOTHING FRUMPY.  Cheeky whatsit. No comment.

On the Run - An oufit for a girls' night out

I know.  There's a bit of a colour clash going on here! This outfit could be worn for lots of different occasions but I thought it quite nice for a girls' night out.

When I was in Zara today I spotted this blazer which I thought would do a great job of livening up lots of outfits. It will go with black, navy, grey - all the base colours - so I decided to give it a whirl.

I have laid the outfit here for you to see...

Here's a closer look at the blazer. It's 100% linen with a single button fastening and four buttons on the cuff...

At £49.99 I thought it great value for a linen blazer.  I know some prefer to steer clear of linen because of its crumple factor and it's true that a linen mix will crease less - however, the colour is so vibrant that I think that has to be put into the equation too.

I have taken a shot of the label, just in case you fancied taking a look at it online - there are so many different Zara blazers that it can be hard to find what you are after without a code.

These are the trousers that I am wearing.  They are a neat fit with zips at the ankles and a sort of lacy/cobweb finish - sounds attractive huh?!

Here's a close up of the trousers which also come in other colours - white, cream and black...

I also added this Stella & Dot necklace which has recently been used in a Vogue shoot. It has that real 1920's feel about it which is so big right now.

And finally these Pied a Terre shoes which I bought a few seasons ago in the sale.  They throw another colour into the mix.  I felt that navy or black would be too heavy against the light trousers so you could add in a shoe in coral, gold, green - whatever takes your fancy really. I should add that I also put in a Zara basic T in a linen mix - a bit slouchy, it keeps the look relaxed. If it was swapped for a tailored white shirt, the outfit would take on a whole new look.

Zara is a bit of hit with me at the moment. I bought this coat last week, which I think will look better on a real body - but it's one of those that you need to use your imagination for.  I think that it would look fantastic for a wedding, styled with the above trousers but perhaps in cream together with some high heels.  It would just be a little different to the usual combinations we might head for.

As to the terrible trio, our youngest is having a tough time at the moment. She fell down the stairs this morning as her eldest sister told her that "bum head" was after her and she panicked. This comes not long after she locked herself into the toilet at school and became hysterical.  Never mind, all was well tonight when she chose a new toothbrush from my "magic box" which contains lots of toiletries and which she loves.  So how did she carry it down the landing and back to the bathroom  - down the back of her pants of course. How else?

Sunday Best - A perfect outfit for a perfect sunny day!

I just love everything about this picture - the sun, the beach, the colours and Kathy's fab outfit.

Kathy has nailed stylish but practical laid back chic perfectly, putting a Boden striped tunic with M&S turned up jeans, a pendant necklace and some converse. She looks so happy and comfortable in her outfit and she demonstrates that stripes do work with curves.

Kathy is off on a jeans mission next week. During a trip to London she will be trying on lots of pairs of jeans and reporting back to me on style, fit, comfort and age appropriateness.  Naturally I will share the results with you all.

Have a great Sunday!

One dress - four different ways

I couldn't decide what to bring you today - I have too many ideas buzzing around. So I thought that I would keep it simple and show you how to style one dress in four different ways.

This dress formed one of the "figure fixes" pieces which I showed at the event that I ran on Thursday night.  It is such a flattering shape, particularly for the curvier figure as it skims without clinging.  It also has a v neck and draping in all of the right places!  It is from Coast, costs £85 and is called the Minda Jersey Dress D in Purple.  Whilst it doesn't have sleeves, Coast do similar styles all year round and I am fairly certain that they will do a similar style for A/W '12 which will have sleeves.

I should say before we start that my model, Grace, had a slight accident and she isn't quite vertical.  However, Grace was named after my lovely Grandma who was partial to a G&T which meant that she too, on occasion, wasn't always entirely vertical - so it's quite fitting really.

I also used the flash on this occasion which with hindsight was an error, so please forgive me!

The dress!

Outfit 1

The first look is a smart/casual look -  Fine for some at work, for going out for lunch or for a day shopping. I have put the dress with a trench coat (ideally the dress shouldn't show under the trench but for today's purposes I used my own trench, so it did), a cream slouchy bag from Warehouse and cream stacked heel shoes from M&S;

Here is a closer look at the Stella & Dot necklace which I also put with the dress.  This necklace was used in Vogue recently in a feature about the Great Gatsby look which is so big this season.

This necklace wouldn't necessarily be right for anyone with a very curvy bust but otherwise it is a flattering length, with the contrasting cream against the purple background giving greater definition to the V - shaped neckline and elongating it. The detail on the end of the necklace also draws the eye in to the centre of the body.

Outfit 2

This is more of a work outfit. I have styled it with a silk scarf from Monsoon which reflects the traditional Paul Smith print but in a different colourway, a bolero from Hobbs and LK Bennett court shoes (Sledge). 

Note how the bolero nips in at the waist, emphasising the shape of the dress, rather than hiding it which is so often the case with longer more square cut cardigans. The sleeves are also a flattering length, finishing just below the elbow which allow a pretty cuff or bracelet to be shown off  (I think that the scarf has undone itself between me tying it and taking the shot but you get the gist.)

Outift 3

Here the dress is styled as if going for an evening out, with a sequinned scarf from Oasis which I have probably had for ten years now.  Zara has some sparkly ones, which you can find here - they come in three different colours and at £9.99 are really good value.

Here's a closer look at the sparkly scarf - these are full on sparkles, which I love!

And these are some grey patent wedge shoes from Reiss with a hint of snake print on them..

Outfit 4

A slightly more modern look. I have styled the dress with a cream leather jacket, Zara scarf with greys and purples in it and the Hobbs Georgia slingback.

Here's a closer shot of the jacket and scarf...

and the shoes.....

My fifth outfit was going to be with a white shirt underneath and a black blazer with it but I ran out of time.  Equally the white shirt could be swapped for a printed silk blouse and the black blazer for a grey or navy one, depending on the colour palette.

I suppose the point is, irrespective of whether you like the above outfits or not, the aim when buying an item is to imagine how versatile it is.  Think about what you can layer under an item (a coloured cami, a shirt, a printed blouse, a breton top), or over an item (a knit, a jacket, a trench, a blazer etc) and how you can accessorise it - so think about which shoes will work with it and which pieces of jewellery - can it carry a necklace or is the neckline too fussy? If so, what about a cuff instead, or a cocktail ring, or some statement ear-rings. Thinking through these items when buying will help you build a versatile wardrobe and when you have done that, that's the time to chuck in something which doesn't really go with anything but which you love anyway!

On the Run - A Friday Jeans Look

The bags are still packed from last night's style event, which is why I'm not yet able to bring you more photos of the pieces that I had there.  I didn't get home until 11ish and then I was up and out early this morning, off up the motorway to style another lady. Anyway, I will try to bring you some more pictures over the next few days.

It being Friday and all that, and having been dressed up last night, I opted for jeans which I dressed up with a white shirt, turquoise boden jumper, together with a long necklace and statement ring.

As you can see, I also wore my new Hobbs shoes which are getting quite a lot of outings. Being closed in at the front and fairly covered too, they are OK even in this less than sunny weather.  Our four year old was totally bemused when I was putting on my "pop socks" on - I don't think that she could get over the fact that whilst they looked like tights they were socks - or may be it was because they looked like socks but were tights, sort of. 

This was the necklace that I wore - a nightmare when with children or doing jobs around the house but great otherwise.

And here I am, wearing a pink front door, or so it would appear.

Kathy, who featured in "Sunday Best" last week has very kindly offered to go and try lots of pairs of jeans on, photograph herself in them and report back to me, whilst on her trip to London next week. So I look forward to passing all of that information on to you.

Tale of the Day from the Terrible Three comes courtesy of the youngest, who asked me the other day whether I had any hip-hop music and then proceeded to dance in a hip hop style.  Apparently she had seen it on Angelina Ballerina. Seems that AB is clearly getting with it.

On the Run - The rise on jeans Part 2 : Topshop

Today's post is all about - you guessed it - jeans.  Many of you contacted me after the last post so I thought that I would do another one, this time concentrating on jeans from one particular brand - and this time it's Topshop.

Once many ladies get to a certain age, they no longer dare step over the threshold of Topshop - or any of the perceived "younger" brands. I guess it can seem quite intimidating but I am sure that the people working in there are far too wrapped up in their own thoughts to pay much attention to anyone else  - or their age so I encourage people to go and have a look around. Even if it's only the accessories you wander to I am sure that you will spot something that you like.

The great thing is that Topshop jeans go up to a size 16, they also do a tall range, albeit more limited and a petite range too.  They sell millions of pairs of jeans a year and some swear that they are as good as other brands which cost five times as much.  So really, they do know what they are doing. 

To keep it simple I chose four pairs of jeans, all in the same size, and took four pictures of me wearing each pair:

• A close up to show you the height of the rise (using a "I run with the wolves" sticker which I found. I have no idea where it came from let alone what it means!)
• A close up shot of the jeans;
• A full length shot straight on;
• A full length shot sideways on.

The Leigh Supersoft ankle grazer: cost £38: composition 65% cotton, 31% polyester, 4% elastane

Favoured by many a star, including Kate Moss, I was never sure about these...until now! I often say at styling events that the aim is to look totally polished and stylish whilst feeling as though you are wearing your tracksuit bottoms - and these jeans achieve just that. 

They feel fairly unsubstantial to the touch but when on they feel divine - soft and with 4% elastane they stretch with you. If you are new to the idea of skinny jeans I would definitely give these a try.  If you don't like the feel of anything other than cotton and elastane in your jeans, the addition of polyester means that these may not be for you.  However the trade off with the softness and comfort may be one worth making. Although they are meant to be ankle grazers, the 34" leg turned them into full length ones on me.

 

Kristen High Waisted Skinny: Cost £40: Composition 98% cotton 2% elastane

If I thought that the Leigh were good these were amazing.  Just look at the high rise on those babies -so comfortable! I fear that it is all downhill for me from hereon in. You will soon find me skulking around the Granny pants in M&S! If you prefer only cotton and elastane in your jeans these may well be for you. They aren't quite as soft as the Leigh but they are firm and supportive - probably a bit like a 24 hour girdle - remember that advert?

Baxter Skinny: Cost £40: Composition 98% cotton 2% elastane

As you can see, the Baxter are the style with the lowest rise so far.  They do have a little more room at the bottom of the leg - a bit of a kick if you like - and whilst I would probably have loved them had I not already tried on two amazing pairs, these were less comfortable and flattering than the Leigh or Kristen - but that is probably just down to my shape and preference rather than anything else.

Jessie Flare: £42: Composition 99% cotton 1% elastane

These are the most expensive of the jeans but still a reasonable price.  I have a pair of these which I wear with flats and they are great. They are the only flared pair that I have shown and they are definitely worth a try if you are in the market for a new bootleg/flare style.  The ones I tried were black.  Not too low slung they are comfortable but they have less elastane in than some so may take a little more breaking in and may need to be washed slightly more often (inside out of course) to maintain their shape.

So, that's me done for the evening with the jeans.  Hopefully I will have some photos for you tomorrow of the event last night and the pieces on "the rail!"