Style Guile Smile - A suede Mango biker jacket in six colours and an alternative to the Russell & Bromley leopard heeled loafer of yesterday

I was going to post an outfit today...but that can wait until tomorrow because I wanted to show you this little beauty  - the Mango suede biker jacket which comes in 6 colours and costs £99.99.

As you know, I am a bit of  fan of a biker jacket. I love the versatility of them - the way that they can make a classic evening dress more edgy, they way they can be put with biker boots and layered with skinny jeans and a longer top underneath, they way that they sit so well with a lace pencil skirt. I could go on...

I have a theory behind building the perfect Wardrobe, which goes something like this: A good Wardrobe can be built in the shape of a pyramid, with three sections layered on top of one another.

On the bottom section are the basics: good jeans, black and navy trousers, white shirt, mac, lbd, day time and evening skirts, plus basic knits. These are the foundations if you like - and for some, a biker in a neutral colour, such as navy, black or brown, may fall into this section.
 

 

On the next level are some pieces to make your Wardrobe a little more interesting and up to date: coloured or skinny jeans or cords, day time sparkles, a denim shirt, stripes, lace and this could be the place for a biker jacket in perhaps a slightly more "adventurous colour" - perhaps to be added in when you already have one which goes with everything already - or just because you fancy it!

On the top layer are the on trend pieces for the season. There will generally be fewer of them and they will tap into the trends that you like - whether in terms of colour/style/shape/print and so on. Over time, some may work their way into one of the lower two tiers whilst others may have a shorter life span. This neon blue jacket, and this red jacket, would fall into this top category. They won't go with everything but they will make a real statement.

 

 

None of the above is set in stone - and some may head straight for the red jacket without having any other coat at all - just because they fancy it - and I totally get that too! But for longevity and to ensure that you have something that works with everything and for every occasion, the pyramid idea is a good starting place.

Following on from yesterday's post (and under orders from my friend to "work my magic") I have done a good deal of hunting for an alternative to the Russell & Bromley leopard heeled loafer. I haven't had a great amount of success so far but these are the nearest to anything which may vaguely work in the same way.

These are the Next leopard effect panel heeled loafer At £30 they are one tenth of the cost of the Russell & Bromley ones.  Whilst definitely less of a statement, the reviews are good so at the very least, they may be worth investigating. But I know only too well how it is when you fall in love with the real thing...

Style Guile Smile - I just love these shoes!

 

 

I have been coveting these shoes from Russell & Bromley since I first saw pictures of them a few months ago now. The trouble is that Russell & Bromely are having a new website built and it's not ready yet - so the images aren't that clear.

So, why do I like them? Because the heel on them is high, but not too high, and nor is it too thin.  A heeled loafer is more versatile than a court when it comes to wearing them with trousers and skinnies - and you can't go wrong with a bit of leopard print. 

The only deal breaker for me is the price. At £295 they are too expensive - so they can be added to the list of items for which I need to find less expensive alternative. I love that bit - the challenge. It's always so satisfying when you find them!

I was going to bring you a post today about my visit to the Boden pop up store in the Bullring.  I don't know about you, but for me a "pop up" store conjures up images of pop up Barbie tents.  However I can assure you that it isn't in the least bit pink and nor is constructed out of plastic rods and nylon. No, it looks very much like a "proper" shop to me.

So, the post would have been longer but for the fact that I have been so busy on amazingly exciting opportunities that have come my way, which have left me short of time.

Or would it be more accurate to say that I am short of time because I have spectacularly failed, even at this late hour, to label all of the children's uniform, or fill in forms for various activities and school trips (even the forms that should have been completed before term ended.) But, I am proud of my pump cupboard.  I reckon that we have a pair in every size from a small 8 to a large 4 - including half sizes. Now that's a shoe collection of which to be proud!

An Event in support of Look Good Feel Better - A charity which helps women combat the physical side effects of their cancer treatment

When I received a press release from Harvey Nichols Birmingham today about its Theatre of Beauty event, I thought that I would share it with you all.

It's a great event, in support of a fantastic charity, which helps women combat the physical side effects of their cancer treatment.

Read on for details....Hope to see some of you there!

HARVEY NICHOLS 

THEATRE OF BEAUTY

 
 

 

Harvey Nichols Birmingham has joined forces with a leading UK cancer charity to stage its first fundraising Theatre of Beauty later this year.

The luxury Mailbox store will host the event on Wednesday November 14, with 100% of ticket proceeds being donated to Look Good...Feel Better, the beauty industry’s charity that helps women combat the visible side-effects of their cancer treatment. Available in more than 60 hospitals in the UK – including Birmingham’s City and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals – the LGFB Programme provides uplifting skincare and make-up workshops to increase self confidence and self esteem.

 

The Theatre of Beauty will run from 6pm-9pm and guests can enjoy a host of beauty demonstrations, consultations and mini make-overs from leading cosmetic and skincare brands. There will also be competitions to win exclusive gifts and experiences as well as live Q&A sessions with beauty experts on stage.

Tickets cost £15 to include drinks, canapés and a goody bag. There will also be a limited number of VIP tickets available, at £25, which includes a 15-minute one-to-one with a Beauty Editor from one of the UK’s leading glossy women’s magazines or national newspapers. Inside a specially created ‘Beauty Editors’ lounge, you will receive expert advice on the hottest new products, trends and beauty tips, plus a specially-created VIP goody bag filled with skincare and make-up treats.

Tickets are available on line at www.harveynichols.com or can be purchased in store.

 

 

Mum on the Run - An afternoon at Harvey Nichols. What more could a girl want?

Yesterday afternoon I was lucky enough to spend a very pleasant few hours at a bloggers' event, which was held at Harvey Nichols in Birmingham.

 

We were treated to some dishes from their new menu, plied with champagne and cupcakes, a fashion show and a beauty treatment. Can there be a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon?  In all honesty I felt guilty being away from the children but then I have spent the whole summer with them - so they are probably sick of me anyway!

 

 

A photographer was there to take pictures during the event and he was good enough to take these pictures for me on my camera - though I shall be bringing you some of his professional shots later in the week.

In all honesty, I wasn't quite sure what to wear and having done the gymnastics run and other jobs, I didn't have much time to decide. As it was a lunchtime event, it didn't require anything too dressy and nor did it require anything to summery - given that we were looking at the A/W trends. 

So, I decided to go for an A/W theme but without any black - don't ask me why!  The berry cords from GAP had their first outing and I teamed them with a kingfisher blue silk H&M shirt, berry coloured NW3 shoes, grey studded Topshop belt and grey Mulberry bag.

I was comfortable, the temperature was right and I didn't feel too underdressed or overdressed, so all was well. I had a lovely afternoon chatting with other bloggers from the Midlands who all had lots of blogging hints and tips.

When I saw these Sophie Hulme bags I virtually pounced on them. I love Sophie Hulme and her bags are fabulous - they are just so elegantly simple and chic. The picture below is of Sophie's leather tote bag (£580) which also comes in black (£550).

This is Sophie's leather satchel, (£255) which also comes in yellow and blue.

We also had a sneak preview (and taste) of some of Harvey Nichols' Christmas gifts. This gift, which is exclusive to HN caught my eye. Shaped like something from Apple...

....it contains four bars of delicious chocolate. Sorry, I forgot to get an idea of the price - too busy eating the chocolate!

So, as to the comment from the photographer on Friday about my double chin.  Having taken some shots, he came up to me with a bemused look on his face and showed me the picture on his camera. He then said to me: "It looks to me as though you have a double chin on this shot - is that right and is there anything you can do about it?"

My thoughts were: "Errr, yes, it is a double chin and short of having some incisions somewhere, no, there isn't anything that I can do about it."

In fact it was much worse than that as a double chin is made up of excess fat, which can be lost. What I have is a little slackening going on and no amount of creams, lotions and potions are going to make a difference to that - that's gravity and other things for you. And frankly, I don't mind a bit!

Style Guile Smile - How to win a fabulous dress from The Fold for yourself and a friend plus styling from me, the Online Stylist and Feather & Frills

Today I wanted to share with you details of a fabulous competition which is being run by The Fold. I was so excited when an email dropped into my in box, asking me if I would like to be a part of this really exciting competition and event - and without hesitation I said yes!

The winner, along with a friend, will attend an evening event at the Push PR showroom in London.  Both the winner and her guest will receive a one of the Fold's beautiful dresses, a hair and make-up session and I will be there along with Amanda Start, the Online Stylist, and Victoria, from Feathers & Frills, styling the new Fold collection.

For those who are unfamiliar with The Fold, it was founded in January 2011 by Cheryl and Polly, two high flying women who met whilst doing their MBAs at London Business School. Disillusioned with the lack of fabulous outfits to wear to work, they created The Fold, a contemporary label which embraces the needs of the high flying modern woman.

Their dresses are beautiful - simple, chic and elegant and here are a few of my favourites:

From top to bottom:

 

The Rockefeller in royal blue

The Camelot in winter white

Bond Street dress in navy leather

So, how to enter? Just like the Fold's Facebook page and post your fail safe fabulous tip. I think that Cherly and Polly would also quite like it if you could follow them on Twitter @TheFoldLondon

The event is being held on Thursday 13th September so good luck and I really look forward to meeting you there!

Mum on the Run - in a sparkly knit, utility trousers and wedge desert boots

I know! Impressively scruffy eh? By the time the rain stopped it was nearly the end of the day.

 

 

It was really chilly here this morning, hence the layers of shirt and jumper. I haven't worn my GAP utility trousers for ages, so thought that I would dig them out - but I will be burying them again soon as I have other black trousers that I prefer.

 

Days like today are quite good for trying out things to see whether you still like them - all in the comfort of your own home and without anyone seeing you - until you go and do something daft like post them on a blog for the world to see.

 

I do like wedge desert boots with skinny jeans/trousers though. I can't bring myself to wear "proper" boots yet but it was too cold for wedge sandals or any other kind of summer heels, so they fitted the bill.

 

I have a hectic two days coming up.  Tomorrow I am on a mammoth shop, choosing outfits for a photo shoot, with the shoot taking place all day on Friday.  So if I don't get a chance to blog, it's because I am buried under an avalanche of clothes!

 

Today's outfit: Warehouse jumper, GAP trousers and shirt, Jigsaw necklace, New Look boots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Style Guile Finds - Something to keep you warm as September approaches

I must admit that I had a little panic yesterday.  When I finally braved the outdoors, somewhere in the middle of the afternoon, it was cold - really cold - which made me think that the summer had gone for good.

Now as you all know, I hate being cold. It makes me really miserable.  So, I wondered whether it was time to reach for the jumpers - and that's where my second (mini) panic came in.  You see, I can't bring myself to even take a look at my jumpers because I keep finding moths in the house - and I fear that they will have devoured my knitwear.

So, my plan is to buy a couple of jumpers, both to deal with the drop in temperature - although it's been boiling today so perhaps I am a little premature in my fear - and also because it will soften the blow if my others have been scoffed by the moths.

"Why don't you just take a look at them now?" I hear you ask. Well, in all honesty I don't have that many pieces of knitwear that I truly love so I could do with adding one or two new bits - and anyway, I'm a wimp.

I'm not looking for anything run of the mill - I have your usual round neck, v-neck and cropped jumpers and cardis. I also have a couple of sparkly pieces, another one with spots on and several striped jumpers too.

There are lots of weird and whacky jumpers out there for the season. Novelty jumpers, for want of a better phrase, have had a bit of a revival. But I think I am the wrong side of 30 to go around with batman shouting "kerpow" splattered across my chest. 

Or indeed have a pair of eyes staring out from it, as per this Markus Lupfer sequined wool jumper £280

Animals are also big - owls in particular thanks to Burberry but also foxes, dogs and perhaps lions too, if you live in Clacton.

Colour blocking will be a big trend for the season and I love this Gap boat neck sweater £29.95 which also comes in bright turquoise with grey, and yellow with grey. It really packs a punch on the colour stakes and will look great with those dark bottoms we all love to wear - or even some bright floral ones for those feeling brave.

Animals are also big - owls in particular thanks to Burberry but also foxes, dogs and perhaps lions too, if you live in Clacton. And unlike seasons gone by, jumpers aren't just going to be part of an outfit, they will be the centre piece of the outfit.

The Burberry owl cashmere sweater £795 has already sold out at Net a Porter - so I am showing you the t-shirt - but the jumper isn't hugely different in design. Owls are going to be huge this season and Next has many pieces which are subject to the owl influence!

So, here are a couple of pieces that I think walk that fine line between run of the mill and screaming "Look at me, I'm wearing a jumper of the season." (You wait - bet I will be sporting an owl in a few months - just not a burberry one!)

First off the white company rib hem sweater £85.  The White Company has great knitwear and there's always an offer to be had, so what may appear quite expensive at first glance can sometimes become more reasonable. I love this style jumper with skinny jeans, khakis or cords together with chunky boots and a long pendant for an off duty chic look.

This White company navy poncho £85 is a great way of adding interest to the silhouette of your outfit without adding too much bulk. I like the fact that it is different from the usual jumper/cardi styles and because this one isn't too voluminous, or brown, or crocheted, it doesn't have those negative 1970's associations, which so many ponchos have!

It's worth taking a closer look at this Boden skye jumper £69.  It is a relaxed fit, comes in different colours and is slightly lower at the back than the front - great for filling that breezy gap when bending over.  The reviews of it are really good too.

  

I love this Mango buttons flecked jumper £34.99, especially with the denim shirt styled underneath it.  It is also longer at the back and the buttons are down the back, which again makes it a little more interesting. The fleck in it makes it really versatile and I love it as styled on the Mango website, with wide cords and heels with the sleeves rolled up. Again, a laid back but stylish look.

 

 

 

A post on jumpers wouldn't be complete without a sequinned jumper and surprisingly, there are a lot around already.  Usually they appear nearer to Christmas but I have noticed a lot in the stores already.  This Mango sequin wool jumper £44.99 also comes in grey and would be great as an evening update to jeans.

 

 

And if you do decide to embrace the whole jumper trend head on, what better place to look than Topshop? Over the years I have had some great knits from Topshop and this year they have paisley, Union Jacks, drums, skulls, army print, as well  as pretty lace and pastel coloured jumpers. For anyone feeling romantic, how about this Topshop hearts jumper £36? It can soon be toughened up with leather, spikes and denim!

 

 

 

 

And finally, you know I mentioned an alternative to the Burberry owl jumper - well here she is, the French Connection lady owl jumper £67 - what's not to love?!

On the Run - Running away from away from the 11+ books in brogues

You know me - I love a good brogue, and a navy top, and a pair of jeans and oh look, here they are all  together!

 

I haven't worn this navy Cos top for a while but it has a little Peter Pan collar on it which is really cute.

 

Yesterday our son and I were hitting the books in preparation for his 11 plus exam in a couple of weeks. I though it only fair that I sat with him whilst he was doing the questions and I wanted to feel a bit "put together". For some reason - brogues do that for me. When I wear them I mean business!  

 

I think he learnt a lot - his vocabulary has certainly been broadened - mainly as a result of choice words and phrases on my part. 

 

The maths, english and verbal reasoning I get - that all makes sense and is useful in every day life. The non-verbal reasoning - what a total and utter waste of time. I would rather clean the windows than work out whether a whole load of shapes have been roated through 45 or 90 degrees in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction whilst shaded in a different way from the shapes next to them. We did have some laughs though!

This photo was taken on a trip to the newsagents as part of one of our "breaks". Having sat on a bench in the sun for a few minutes, I was encouraged by our son to return to the books - and I somewhat reluctantly followed. I love a bit of reverse psychology!

Here are a closer shot of the bag and cuff that I wore - the bag is the Orla Kiely (Bicester) one that I had from my husband for my birthday and the cuff is Hobbs NW3.

I can feel a whole brogue post coming on but thought that I had better give the shoes a rest for a while as I have been talking about them quite a lot recently!

 

Outfit: Gap high rise skinny jeans, Cos top, Dune cream brogues, bag and cuff as listed.

Style Guile Tip - One of the colours of the season: Cobalt blue

Each season there are a few colours which dominate the high street and this season, cobalt blue is one of them. 

So, if you are looking for another quick update to your wardrobe, buying a piece in one of the colours of the season is a great way of doing it.

I was in Harvey Nichols today, collecting a pair of trousers that I bought online on the last day of the sale. They were sent to my local HN free of charge - which I thought was a great service.

There they were, in the personal shopping changing rooms waiting to be tried on - together with these Christian Louboutin lady peep spike shoes, which I was given for the purpose of checking the length of the trousers. At £825 I can safely say that they are the most expensive shoes I have ever worn and with a 150mm heel, probably the highest too. Apparently a lot of WAGs are buying them. Sadly the heels were still too low for the trousers - but the trousers can soon be fixed with a quick trip to the tailors. More details of those to follow in a later post!






Getting back to the point of the post, whilst in there, I saw this Michael Kors fine knit cashmere sweater £290. I loved the shape of it - and obviously the colour and could well keep my eye open for something similar. 




Sticking with the cobalt theme, I also really like this Tegan  classy coating coat £240 - not only for the colour but also for the styling. Although it is double breasted, the absence of detail around the neckline and the bust could make it a great style for ladies who have a curvy bust.



This lovely Hobbs peggy blouse £69 would make a nice addition to your work wardrobe and will go with black, navy or camel.  It would look great tucked into a pencil skirt and would add some interest to a corporate style suit. If you work in the kind of environment where one of this season's printed trouser suits is an option, it could look great under one of them.





These Whistles nelly tapered peg trousers are now £50 in the sale - reduced from £125. I bought them at the start of the summer and haven't worn them yet but the fabric is heavy enough that I should be able to wear them well into the autumn.




For a dress option, this Warehouse feature back crepe dress £80 is really pretty.  Demure from the front, it has a low back which is a lovely detail if you are not one for showing off your legs. If you are tempted, remember to make the most of the the offer of 20% off with InStyle magazine.

 

 

As a nod to the trend you could go for this Zara suede city bag with chain handles £49.99

 

And finally one more coat - the M&S wool coat with cashmere £99. I so wish that M&S would sort out their styling on their website. This coat could look so much better than it does here. Once I have seen it in the flesh I will report back!





For further items in this colour, there's a blue mac in Hobbs, Barbour has a great blue jacket and Mango a blue suede biker style one.

No doubt there will be cobalt blue pieces everywhere this season at all different price ranges - so keep your eyes open for those gems for an instant update to your wardrobe.

Style Guile Saturday Round-Up

Quite often after I have posted, things crop up or come to my attention which I think it might be good to share.  So, I am going to start doing a "Saturday Round Up" - where I will fill in the gaps and let you know what other gems SG readers have shared with me during the week.

You may remember a while ago that I posted about the Sea Folly swimming costume that I had received, and about which I gave rave reviews. As I said at the time, that particular swimming costume made me feel like I was wearing clothes, rather than underwear!

This week I have come across another fantastic swimming costume courtesy of Grazia - which is very similar in style.  With a 1950's boy leg and halter neck, it comes with tummy support and goes up to a 44F in cup size. It's from Very and costs £29.  The contrast between the print on the side panels and the torso, make it really flattering. Not only that, but there is a video on the site. OK so it may be on a model but at least you can see it from all angles. It also comes in black.

Sorry to those of you have already read about this on my facebook page, which is where I first featured it.  To anyone who hasn't already, "Liking" my page will ensure that you are kept up to speed on anything that I find.



                                                              
      

Following on from my post a couple of days ago about the Zara Doctor's Bag, according to the October edition of In Style magazine "If there is ONE thing that defines the new season, it's the humble doctor's bag.  Sleek, practical and utterly fabulous." So for anyone looking to make a quick update, that could be the piece for you. And if you were undecided about the Zara bag, it may be worth securing one pronto.

In Style featured this utterly gorgeous polished leather bag from Miu Miu, which costs £1,350...

    

...and also this Tan Doctor's Tote from Matalan which, at £14, is a great buy. 

                                                            
                                                     
 


They also stated that the slipper trend wasn't going anywhere fast so again, for those looking to make a quick update on the flat shoe front, if you hadn't already done so, these might be worth considering.

Earlier in the week I mentioned that Boden was coming to Birmingham, in the form of a pop up shop in the Bullring.  Well, here's the evidence! For those of you who know the Bullring, it's opposite the Clarks store.  It opens on 31st August.  I am working the entire day on a photo shoot, so if anyone gets there before me, please let me know what it's like!

In yesterday's post I talked about jewel coloured jeans and showed a couple of designer pairs, with some cheaper GAP alternatives.  Thanks to those who left comments letting me know about alternatives.  Warehouse may have some wine coloured ones in their sale (£10) and surprise, surprise, Primark have them in a variety of different colours. 

Finally, some discounts:

Warehouse are offering 20% off new season stock with In Style - just quote 20INSTYLE at the checkout or take the pull out brochure along with you to the store (the October edition should be on the shelves in about a week or so).

Baukjen are offering 15% off plys free delivery and returns when you spend over £49. Just quote INSTYLE12

Happy shopping!

On the Run - an overview of GAP jewel coloured jeans - a must have for the season!

Jewel tones are going to be big for A/W '12 and we know that because....they are big every A/W! 

A change from the pastel coloured, and floral printed jeans of the summer months, and the darker florals and animal prints of the winter months, jewel coloured jeans also offer an alternative to black or grey.

The great thing about them is that they work well with base colours such as black, navy, grey, camel or cream - so the chances are that you will have plenty to go with them already - and that includes a coat.

In my quest for wine/burgundy/mulberry (call them what you will) and other jewel toned jeans, I headed to GAP.  They are always good for a first look at such items. 

I also had a quick look at Net a Porter for designer jeans, by way of a comparison, which is where I found these Victoria Beckham mid rise skinny jeans at £170



                                                                  

....or for £44.95 you could have thes GAP mulberry ankle zip leggings.  

Now, you know that I prefer it if I have seen/felt/worn pieces myself before bringing them to you - all in the name of research of course! Well, these come in a variety of colours and I love the ankle zip detail. The only trouble was that my usual size was about half a size too small - and I know this for a fact because I wore them for five minutes or so to test them out, whilst hanging out the washing - (which is a really good activity for testing jeans because of the bending and stretching involved.) Anyway, at the end of it they still felt too snug so they had to go back.  However, being half a size too small it meant that the next size was half a size too big. So for me they are a no - but I am working on it!

So, who's up for a pair of Cords?  No longer to be worn only by those stuck in the 70', here are the J Brand 511 corduroy skinny jeans £205


                                                            
           

and here are the GAP 1969 purple wine cord leggings, which at  £44.95 are a teeny bit cheaper than the J Brand ones and which, in real life, are much closer in colour to them. The cord is so fine that they don't really look like cords in all honesty and they are really soft - but quite low on the rise.

Having also tried these on, what I can say about them is that they came up a whole size too small on me, which was great as I just went up a size and that solved the problem.  With 30% off at GAP at the moment too, the price of them was really good.

 

 

If you don't feel particularly inclined to go around with wine coloured legs, these clear lake blue legging cords are just different enough from the colour of jeans to be worth the investment, without being too radical a departure to feel self conscious in them. 

 

 

 

 

 

GAP also has other coloured cords and jeans (more autumnal tones) in a boyfriend fit, if the skinny look isn't quite for you.  Last winter Warehouse did some great coloured jeans with a much higher rise - so they too could be worth investigating.

 

I have no doubt that many of you will also have found some great coloured jeans so if that's the case, please let us all know about them!