On the Run - Are the White Stuff, Reiss and Carvela pieces hot, or not?

Do you remember when Daniella Westbrook dressed head to toe in Burberry and was seen out with her baby in matching Burberry pram/baby bag etc?  I am quite tempted to do the same with Jubilee memorabilia - and we have got a street party coming up so perhaps it would be rude not to... 

I have seen a great Union Jack Ra-Ra skirt in BHS, a vest with Freddie Mercury on the front in Primark, Union Jack tights in M&S - I reckon that I could pull together a cracking and impressively un-stylish look on what is out there at the moment.

As you can see, today the sun was out. Not being one to cast everything off at the first sign of the rays, I was slightly conservative about revealing too much and also at 8am it was slightly cooler than at 3pm.  So, I stuck to navy trousers but put them with this White Stuff top (which try as I might, despite several searches I can't find on-line despite the fact that it is current stock - but it is called the Shelley Top.) I really liked the neckline - it's all quite 1950's ish and I thought that the cap sleeves were cute too.

I also wore for the first time these Carvela (KupKake) wedges in a neutral snake print, which I picked up for half price in John Lewis at Easter. They are currently £85 but I think that's a bit steep personally.  I bought them with a view to them giving a new lease of life to a couple of black dresses which are almost on their way out but being neutral, they will go with lots of things.


                                                              

I also worked in my Orla Kiely bag and the new bracelet which I bought from Reiss at the weekend. I think that we might be forgiven for thinking that this shot was designed to promote the bag on the Reiss website, instead of the bracelet!

        

                               
 

Hope that the warm weather lasts - it's nice to ring the changes with the clothes a little and I am quite excited at the prospect of wearing a summer dress or two. Is there anything that you are looking forward to wearing, either again or for the first time?

   

On the Run - Trousers made for ladies with "proper" legs

Oh what a relief to see some sun today. I don't think I had quite appreciated how miffed off I had been with the cold and the rain until the sun came out, when I suddenly felt a whole lot better. Probably largely because I could wear some different clothes.  So shallow!

Over the past few weeks I have tried many pairs of trousers of the printed/coloured variety and have found that many are cut too slim in the leg to accommodate my calves and sausage thighs.   Like many women, I am slightly heavier on my lower half and lots of brands just don't take account of that fact so on occasion it is impossible to get the trousers past my calves, let alone any further. N.B. The title of this post is not meant to be offensive to anyone with slim legs, who may interpret it to mean that they have "improper" legs - which of course they do not!

Skinny jeans in darker colours are easier to work with and the addition of longer knits and/or heels and boots in winter tends to make them a little less "in your face" than brightly coloured jeans, which I often wear with flats and shorter tops. Seeing my sausage thighs squidged into bright fabric which is too tight - well, it just doesn't bear thinking about.

However, not one to be defeated by the vagaries of fashion, I turned to chinos instead. Cut slighly looser in the leg, they skim rather than squeeze, which is frankly far preferable and the brands which are designed for ladies who don't have the legs of which we dream, can be a sure fire hit.

The ones I am wearing above are the ones I bought in Gap on Saturday. Initially I thought that they were slightly short in the body but once they had warmed up and given a little they were fine. As you may expect, the sizing in Gap is a little off and these come up large so you may need to go down a size. I am wearing a size 6 but don't be fooled - I am not a size 6. They also come in other colours.

Some chino styles have pleats at the waist, which can add bulk so just beware but if, like these White Stuff ones below, they are stitched down, they are fine. Many don't have back pockets, which again can cause a few problems, as an expanse of bottom is not always a sight we wish to put on display but on the whole, they are a much better option.  Unlike the Gap trousers, these come up small, so be prepared to go up a size.  These are a 10 in sweetpea - a pretty pinkish colour with some depth to it so they don't act like a highlighter, adding pounds.  I will bring you a pic when I wear them.

This blue pair from Next is also a great fit with room to accommodate both calves and thighs without gaping on the waist (on me anyway but it may not be the same for everyone.) They also come up true to size and these are an 8. These too have some depth of colour so don't add pounds either.

Here's a closer photo of the labels of both the White Stuff and the Next ones, should anyone wish to take a closer look on-line.

M&S also has a good range of Chinos in different colours but unsurprisingly I have found the Zara ones too tight and surprisingly the Fat Face ones too.  Has anyone come across any other brands which work well? 

I have been shopping today, and will be shopping tomorrow, for an event that I will be attending on Wednesday so I hope to bring you lots of lovely pics of the things that I find.  And don't forget that there's less than a week less before the Stella & Dot competition closes, so get those entries in.  I love reading them. 

On the Run - A little bit of a shopping trip

Yesterday was spent in Leeds with a great friend of mine.  Naturally, in addition to lots of tea and cake and a nice lunch out, we did a spot of shopping and here are some of my finds....

This lovely blue bag was in Reiss. I have had my eye out for a blue bag since the start of the year and this is one of the nicest that I have seen so far. This mini bleecker in mid blue is £195 and you can see it on- line here

I thought that this navy and white striped top was a great alternative to a classic horizontal striped breton top. Wtih the neckline being flattering to a larger bust and the diagonal stripes drawing the eye in to the centre of the body it opens up a whole new world to those who perhaps thought that stripes weren't for them. This too is in Reiss.

A lovely florist's window display that caught my eye....

I am grateful for the tip-off about the new Liz Earle store which has opened in Leeds - together with the new make-up range...

and how about this for a view in a shop?  It was lovely to look at on a grey drizzly day.

And this is what I bought from Liz Earle. I have had the Bobbi Brown blush pots for probably far longer than I should but, like a lot of my make-up, it could do with an update. So, I chose this "healthy glow cream blush" which promises to give me a "healthy looking dewy finish". I wonder whether it is really capable of doing what it says on the tin. Hmmm - it has a lot to prove.

I also bought a pretty pale blue snake skin buckle bracelet from Reiss.  Funds don't quite stretch to a blue bag at the moment but the bracelet will do nicely for now.

And finally my little pile of goodies for the day - lemon Zara scarf, Liz Earle make-up, Reiss bangle, Gap navy lacy jumper and Gap green cargos. Not necessarily all to be worn at the same time but a couple of treats and a couple of basics. 

Thanks to those who let me know what they were up to yesterday. From seeing the olympic torch, to visting children and shopping - I hope that you all had a great time.

On the Run - Heels, grey skinnies and Jigsaw - all for a trip to the dentist

Our husband has promised the children that they can have some fish.  After our escapades with Bob, Dora and Merlin nearly two years ago (which you can read about here in my post entitled I blame Harvey Nichols), there was no way that I was going down that route again.

The children initially tried it on with me but I pointed them in the direction of my husband, telling them that he was a better bet as he was "as soft as sh-te" to which our son responded "Nice use of a metaphor Mum."  I'm pleased to hear that he's listening at school and can recognise metaphors in every day life.  (OK, in his Mum's bad language.)

As I have mentioned before, I have taken to wearing flats a lot of the time now which means that on the occasions that I don't have to walk far, I wear heels - which is why I wore them to go and see the dentist today.  Arguably it's slight overkill but being a friend of mine, and liking clothes and shoes, I knew that they wouldn't be lost on her and it can't be right that they should just sit in the wardrobe gathering dust.

So, today I wore grey skinny Cos jeans, Jigsaw shoe boots, Zara top, Oasis cardigan, Hobbs necklace and Mulberry handbag.  The Zara top is in store but I can't seem to find it on-line which is a shame because it's quite nice - silky front with fine knitted long sleeves in pale pink with a slightly longer back - great for bum coverage! If I find it some time soon I will provide a link.

I'm off to Leeds tomorrow for my bi-annual shopping trip with a friend of mine so I shall report back on what I find.  I can't wait to get wet in the Leeds rain!

On the Run - A lacy skirt worn in a daytime outfit plus a little bit of Mango and a Grazia article

I haven't posted an outfit for a while - time hasn't really permitted it, which is ridiculous as clearly I am still getting dressed on a daily basis. I think that the starts have been earlier than usual and when I get home I am so desperate to get into my Cath K pj's that I just chuck everything off in a heap.

This photo was taken a few days ago, when the rain stopped briefly.  I am wearing a lace Mango skirt with a bright Boden lightweight jumper and Jigsaw shoe boots.  The lace skirt is stretchy so very comfortable and the knit kept me cosy. You can find similar skirts at Great Plains, Jigsaw and Boden - and Mango has a black one in stock at the moment but it is quite a bit shorter. 

Whilst on the subject of Mango, I was in there today with a lovely lady during a Shopping Day.  We concluded that the jeans would probably fit a lady who was 6ft tall, or thereabouts, so, for all of you tall ladies who find it difficult to find jeans to fit, Mango may just have the answer. The Martina style is great too, a very dark wash and very wide at the bottom, they make legs look as if they go on forever.

Like most of you no doubt, I have had a fantastically busy week this week so haven't had chance to blog much, or for that matter look at other blogs.  The article in Grazia magazine that 33 pieces = the perfect wardrobe has probably been discussed to death - but I'm going to talk about it anyway.

Apparently, according to April Glassborrow, head of womenswear buying at Harvey Nichols:  A woman needs a capsule wardrobe of everyday hereos which should be updated with key pieces each season.  It should also be updated with a key piece each season and be kept organised to save time when getting ready.

I don't think that many would dispute that - unless we were meant to buy them all from HN and then our Wardrobes may have 3, instead of 33 pieces in them.

So, what are the 33 pieces we should have in our Wardrobe? 

10 tops - 2 silk shirts, 1 breton top, 1 grey and 1 white T-shirt, 1 great white shirt, 1 silk vest, 1 trophy top, 1 cashmere knit and 1 lightweight knit

10 bottoms - 3 jeans, 3 skirts, 3 trousers and 1 every wardroe needs one pair of leather pants (I personally prefer the idea of leather trousers to leather pants but even then I am not convinced!)

2 bags - 1 great day bag, 1 clutch

3 jackets - 1 leather, 1 trans-seasonal and 1 jazzy (leopard, sequinned or printed offering work to bar glitz)

3 dresses - 1 cocktail, 1 structured power and 1 shirtdress

5 shoes - 1 ankle boot, 1 black stiletto, 1 nude stiletto, 1 fancy shoe, 1 daily flat

The most amazing fact about all of this is that apparently it is possible to get 3,090 outfits out of this little lot. Really?  Is anyone out there able to tell me in simple terms what mathematical formula is used to arrive at this number - not that I am disputing it - I am just not sure how the number is arrived at.

For what it's worth, I think that the above article is great. It's a fantastic starting point from which to work. Personally I wouldn't have the white or grey t's but would include other tops instead. Others might choose more jeans and less dresses, the possibilities are endless. 

I once read an article in Red magazine along the same lines where I am sure that the magic number of pieces was 38 - so not far off this one. I carefully cut it out and was determined to keep it safe somewhere - which I did, kind of. It's in one of about ten files stuffed full of articles from magazines and I can't, for the life of me, find it. So, in referring to it in on the here, whilst it's not exactly original material, it will make it easy for me to find for furture reference and hopefully for you too.

After a bit of an enforced leave of abscence from blogging, it's nice to be back! Hope to see you tomorrow.

On the Run - Trying out a little bit of Hush

I was really excited to be asked by hush clothing if I would like to select a few pieces from their range to try out. Largely because no-one has ever asked me before but also because a few of my friends have tried their pj's and really liked them.

Hush is run by a busy Mum - I don't really know why I used the word "busy" as I don't think that there is such a thing as a "non-busy" Mum - or a "non - busy" any kind of female at all really, for that matter.

The brand specialises in loungewear, nightwear and there is also a section on footwear, accessories and summerwear which includes dresses, tops and beach coverups - all of which have a very laid back, relaxed feel about them. Think of Victoria Beckham or the Herve Leger bandage dress -  now think of the exact opposite and that would be about right.

I have to say that my loungewear is dire - I am not sure that it even qualifies as loungewear - more like some indescribably awful old tracksuit bottoms that I resort to at the end of the day together with a pink fleece which has a hole in it where a spark from a fire landed on it. Someone once told me it looked like a cigarette burn. Classy!

I chose four items from the collection, two of which I am wearing today.  Firstly I chose the sloppy sweatshirt, at £30, which you can see here I liked the look of this because it was so different to what I would normally wear (other than my pink dishcloth jumper). Short and wide I liked the relaxed feel of it, together with the pale blue colour.  It has quite a low scooped neck and being fair of skin (OK, pasty) I put my Jigsaw breton top underneath it. 

I also chose the fold over trousers, at £45, which you can see here  These trousers are truly lovely. Putting them on felt like coming home and I have to say I wasn't expecting that. It was a bit like when I wore the Kristen Topshop jeans. Sadly I think that it's something about the high (and therefore supportive) waistband!

What I really like about them is that they are comfortable enough to wear around the house but smart enough to be seen out in. I can imagine wearing them on the boating holiday we are going on with some friends in the summer - I am talking barge here, not yacht - swapping the sweatshirt for a leather jacket and going to the pub for dinner, where the stretchy fabric will accommodate my scampi and chips. Yes, I am seeing the potential of these even more.

I also think that they would be great for new Mums who are just coming out of that pj stage (at about 6 weeks in my case) but who aren't quite yet ready for the stiffness of (some) jeans together with their waistbands, zips and buttons, especially if the Mums have have had a c-section.

Alternatively I suppose that they could be worn when doing some exercise - yoga or pilates may be - after all that's probably what they were desiged for.  On the other hand...

So, here is my outfit laid out - breton top, converse, hush bottoms and sweatshirt. Excellent - my holiday packing started already. Doubt that there will be room for much more anyway.

In the spirit of transparency I can tell you that these pieces haven't been gifted to me and I would happily pay for them, particularly the fold over trousers.

On the Run - In some Topshop, Oasis, Cos and Jesire

This is what I wore yesterday when on my way to have my tooth out. I knew that I wanted to wear flats as I guessed that I would be walking across town afterwards (especially if I wanted to shop!) so the pink brogues were given an outing.

I also dug out this big bag which I haven't used in a while.  I thought that there might be lots of waiting around and so carried books/papers - all sorts of things really.  As it was I was in and out in a flash.

To start off with the shirt collar fought with the jacket collar a little and looked unitdy, so I did the shirt collar up and added this necklace - very patriotic! I have always loved the Union Jack - and hearts - and the coming together of the two in this necklace, which was also pink, well I knew that it needed to find its way into my Wardrobe. I bought it from Accessorise a while back now and it was £8. I think that this, plus the Union Jack tights from M&S, might be my jubilee outfit sorted - although others might disagree that tights and a necklace alone constitutes an outfit.

I'm off up bright and early to Bristol tomorrow for a work commitment so I wish you all a happy start to the week. Oh and thank you to all of you who have entered the Stella & Dot competition so far - I am loving your comments - what a witty bunch!

Outfit: Cos trousers, Topshop brogues, Gap shirt, Oasis leather jacket, Accessorise necklace, Jesire bag

Stella & Dot - Competition Time!

You may remember over the past few weeks that I have mentioned a competition that I was due to run.  Well, it's about to start and the prize is the beautiful Palamino necklace from Stella & Dot, worth £120.

I was very excited to see this arrive on my doorstep and very tempted to keep it (only joking)- kind of.

I don't know about you but I always like to know a little about a brand, so here goes: Many of you will be familiar with Stella & Dot but for those who aren't, it is a U.S. brand, which arrived in the U.K. last October.  The brand has taken the U.K. by storm and it is hard to open a glossy magazine these days, without seeing a piece from the collection.  Its fast growing reputation is one which is certainly deserved.

Named after the respective grandmother's of the CEO, Jessica Herrin, and the Chief Creative Officer, Blythe Harris, the brand is designed to fill the gap between expensive jewellery and its high street counter-part. Necklaces are priced from around £40 up to £215.

New collections are released twice a year with smaller collections being released at holiday times. Within each collection there are several different  styles of jewellery. The beauty of the brand is that it offers something for everyone - from teenagers to Grandmas and Great Grandmas.

As you can see, the packaging is just that little bit special.  Stella & Dot isn't available in stores but rather, through in home "Trunk Shows" run by Independent Stylists, or on-line.

A great attraction of S&D is its very clear policy on social responsibility.  All of its Partners are governed by a strict code of conduct, to which they must agree to adhere if they wish to do business with S&D, with a strict enforcement policy if those guidelines are breached. Products are sourced in an ethical and responsible manner. As a company, they are concerned with the Health and Safety and Human Rights of anyone involved in making products for them and seek to ensure fair wages for all.  As anyone working as an independent stylist for S&D, their aim is to help women create flexible careers as work from home entrepreneurs.
                                                          
As to the necklace, it is made from multiple strands of coral and glass beads, this is a great statement piece to add interest to a simple outfit, either for the day or on into the evening.

 

By coincidence, the necklace was featured in an article in the Daily Mail last week.

And here's a closer picture of the necklace.

 

Here's an example of another great piece, which a guest was wearing at a Style Event that I ran a few weeks ago. I think that it looks amazing on her. This piece is called the Zahara bib necklace and is priced at £210.  You can take a closer look at it here.

 

                                                       

The competition is open to everyone, wherever you may be. All that you have to do is follow these easy steps:

• simply follow myself and Stella & Dot on twitter @BethGoodrham and @stelladotUK; 
• "Like" my facebook page and that of Stella & Dot's too;
• Tell me either via twitter, facebook or email (style@bethgoodrham.com) why you deserve to win this necklace. Answers may be whatever you want them to be - witty, serious or thought provoking.

Entries close at mid-night on May 26th (14 days from now) and the lucky winner will be informed the following day.

Good luck - someone is in for a treat!

The Boden Press Day Part 2 - Accessories and Mini Boden

You will be pleased to know that I took full advantage of the small window of opportunity between leaving the Dental Hospital this morning and the anaesthetic wearing off - and did some shopping.

Naturally I was only acting on the advice of a dentist friend of mine who reminded me that it was essential to my recovery. I think I managed to scare one or two shop assistants though.  Due to the effects of the anaesthetic I wasn't aware of the blood dribbling out of the corner of my mouth.  I thought that I did a very good impression of Dracula actually - well, either that or a Great White Shark.

I came across this illustration in a library book that I was reading to our youngest today. It's from the book "Dogger" which was written by Shirley Hughes in 1977 and I thought it apt, after the Daily Mail article last week.

I love what the Mums are wearing - prints, colour, heels, handbags, hair up, flares, accessories - just as I remember the school gates when I was growing up.

Anyway, back to a few Boden accessories which I thought that I would share with you. There was a whole row of glass cases with items displayed inside and naturally these patent (and printed) items...

...together with these sparkly wedges, caught my eye.

For anyone who likes a metallic pump, these might just be for you.

And of course here's that little bit of leopard print to add to your Wardrobe. I know that there are very mixed feelings about leopard print but I think that a little worn in the right way can be very stylish and it's a great way for bringing an outfit together which contains both black and brown. In fact, it gives the perfect excuse to put them together when you might not have done so otherwise.

These are a lovely pair of biker boots - again, one of my favourite staple items in my winter Wardrobe.

And these grey jeans from the Johnnie B range which have the addition of a military sequin stripe. I think that I might be giving these a whirl.

And finally some shots from the children's ranges - I just loved these cute hangers on the rail of girls clothes.

And these on the boys clothes. 

These shots are just designed to give a flavour of the colour palette in one of the stories of the girls clothes...

in the clothes for baby girls...

and in the clothes for baby boys.

And finally, here's the Hush parcel which has been sitting at the Post Office for a few days now as I have been unable to collect it but which my lovely hubby collected for me this morning.  I will share the contents of it with you over the next day or so.

Yesterday I promised that I would bring you the story of a very inspiring lady.  There's a minor technical hitch on that one of a photographic nature so once it is sorted, I will bring her to you.

Enjoy your Saturday - please feel free to have an extra glass of something on my behalf tonight as I am banned from alcohol, which is a shame as it is the only night that I have any - not that I am feeling sorry for myself or anything.

On the Run - Another casual Friday outfit with a little bit of Liberty, Petit Bateau and Ugg, just for good measure

Yes, we've made it to the end of the week - just.  Two of the three terrors have limped, sneezed, coughed and wheezed their way through the week and finally it's Friday night and we can now sigh a big sigh of relief. Phew. 

Do you reckon that when you are older and you have a tooth out, the tooth fairy still visits? I hope so because tomorrow, at 9am, I will be in the dental hospital having a wisdom tooth taken out. The up side of all that though is that the dental hospital is in the centre of Birmingham and to get back home I will have to walk past House of Fraser, Jigsaw - well any shop I choose really - and what better way to take the pain away than with a little retail therapy?

I was styling again today and after so much racing around yesterday, first with the trip to London and then working in Selfridges in the evening, I went for a fairly casual look - hoping that the lady I was working with wouldn't mind.

I wore the new White Stuff wide leg trousers that I bought last week together with a Warehouse silk shirt, Topshop knit, Converse and Zara mac.

Hopefully I just about got away with it - there was no way that I could face heels today.

Today I thought that I would bring you a few snaps of some pieces that I saw yesterday whilst on my travels. Having arrived at 7.15am I had plenty of time for wandering. So, I took myself off to Oxford Street, South Molton Street and Regent Street for a look in Liberty, where I spotted this gorgeous Liberty print/Dr Marten satchel.

I have included a link so that you can take a closer look it. At £195 it isn't cheap but if you are perhaps in that baby zone, not wanting to spend too much on clothes for now but needing a cross body bag and looking for something to pep up your Wardrobe, my money would be on this little number. Have I persuaded anyone yet - apart from myself that is? [Although I am not sure that wanting to own this bag is reason enough to go for baby number 4]

http://www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/product/Liberty//Large-Martens-Flower-Liberty-Print-Satchel-Dr-Martens/75360

I just loved the styling of this window too.  I am not sure that I am in the market for any DM boots but I did used to love wearing my DM shoes when at University - bought from Sheffield market, I wore them all the time - without socks too - rock hard I was!

Many of you will know that personally, I don't like wearing Uggs outdoors (not that I am judging anyone else for doing so - I will leave that to DM readers!) Given that I don't own a pair in the first place it would actually be quite difficult anyway but even if I did own a real pair, as opposed to a mini Boden pair,  I still wouldn't feel right doing it. 

So, this is my tongue in cheek photo of some Uggs which I would be prepared to wear outside - well, that's if I could actually walk in them.

I took this photograph of the window of Petit Bateau on South Molton Street.  As you know, I am a fan of stripes and I love this simple but striking, and very chic, window display. 

I can't think of a better way to finish tonight's post than with some stripes so I will sign off now. Tomorrow I will bring you a few more shots from the Boden press day (did I tell you I'd been there?!) and a very inspirational lady. Enjoy your Friday night.