Wearing a dress by the Fold London for an event in support of Action Cancer

Last week I was really privileged to be one of three guest speakers at a lunch at the Merchant hotel event in Belfast, which was held by Action Cancer and which was sponsored by BDO and the Bank of Ireland.

 

The charity, which doesn't receive any government funding, was celebrating its 40th year. It offers a fantastic service which includes a breast cancer screening service for women aged 40 and over - screening on the NHS starts at 50. 

 

Given that Action Cancer has been in existence for so long, I was intrigued as to why other countries hadn't followed in its footsteps, particularly given the accounts you hear of women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their 30's and even their 20's.  I realise that the density of breast tissue in younger women is an issue but the evidence clearly demonstrates that screening women at an age younger than 50 does result in the detection of breast cancer, so my intrigue remains....

 

The room looked incredible - so much hard work had gone into making everything look fantastic.

 

Shots taken during the event.... 

 

 

Thanks to Sue Wilty for taking the outfit photographs that day. Here I'm wearing the lace Camelot dress by The Fold London. It's not currently available in this finish but will soon be available in a lovely sparkly navy fabric.

This is a clearer shot of the dress but please excuse the scary eyes!

And look who's was wearing the same style dress, but in winter white, the day before - doesn't Holly look lovely?

 

 

   

   

The first shot included, left to right, Laura Jackson (BDO), me, Rachel Abbott (author and guest speaker), Sue Wilton (Director Roe Park Resort), Christine Boyle (MD of Lawell Asphalt and guest speaker), Maria McAllister (Bank of Ireland). Sadly Kerry Anderson, possibly the most stylish pregnant lady I have ever met, wasn't on the picture - she totally rocked a Zara sequinned dress!

 

Thank you to everyone who gave me such a warm welcome in Belfast. The chat and the laughter were fun and it made my first visit to Northern Ireland a fantastic one. Thank you!

Seven Boot Lane - A fabulous new boot brand, with a 10% offer to Style Guile readers

I really like that part of blogging where I get to find out about new brands that I wouldn't necessarily know about otherwise - and then share them with everyone!

 

Seven Boot Lane was established in 2012 so is a fairly new kid on the (boot) block. Having taken a good look at the site, and having read the about page - which I think reveals as much about a brand as anything else - I didn't hesitate in accepting their kind invitation to try a pair of their boots to feature on Style Guile. Actually that's not strictly true, I did hesitate just to double check that they were absolutely sure and after they said yes, I went ahead and chose the Abella boots in black leather.

 

The philosophy behind the brand is really appealing. The boots are made in Spain by traditional craftsmen and women using hand finished leather. The brand sees itself as an "antidote to modern throwaway mentality" and it creates beautiful boots that stand the test of time both in design and quality. Available not only online, take a look her to find local stockists

 

With slightly sore toes today and with the rain lashing down, I thought that it would be a great day to put the boots to the test. As soon as I put them on they felt lovely - and this time I did double check to make sure that there were no cardboard inserts before wearing them for a whole day.

 

Testament to their comfort comes from the fact that I still had them on until it was time to go upstairs this evening to bath the youngest. Up until then I had avoided going upstairs for any reason as I didn't want to take them off - cream carpets and rain swept boots don't work. How ridiculous is that? I know, off the scale in ridiculousness but I didn't really need to go upstairs for much other than the dirty washing and that won't be going far.

 

Like many, I am a sucker for lovely packaging and these boots were certainly wrapped beautifully - it's the small things that count! 

 

As I opened the box, the smell of leather really hit me. I even asked our son (poor boy, he's so tolerant) to come and smell them. When I asked him what they smelt like he said: "Proper boots." So they got his seal of approval.

These give a good side view and an idea of the height of the heel (flat but not dumpy feeling) and the height of the boot too.

 

This is the tan version of the Abella boot, taken from the Seven Boot Lane lookbook.

 

  

I love the Annie in charcoal leather (£175) which also come in khaki suede. They have that fantastic slightly beaten up look which works so well with jeans and a leather jacket, with tea dresses and thick tights, or with a short dress and tanned legs for a festival in the summer.  

  

  

The Alice charcoal suede (£150), which also come in sand suede are a great every day boot and are so versatile. A lovely alternative to leather, they add some texture to an outfit.

 

 

This photograph is taken from the Boots on Tour section on the Seven Boot Lane site, where people can post photos of themselves wearing their Seven Boot Lane boots, getting a chance to win a pair in the process.

 

   

The Angelica  charcoal boots (£175) offer a lace up work boot that can be worn up or down. They're a brilliant way of tapping into the grunge look, which is such a big look for the season.

 

 

See the Angelica's on tour! 

 

  

The Alabama in chestnut (£160) also come in black and there are biker boots, knee high boots and brogues too. There are so many lovely boots on the site that it's hard to choose a favourite.

 

 

For anyone tempted with a lovely pair of boots from Seven Boot Lane, there's a 10% discount for Style Guile readers, available with this special voucher below.

 

 

Happy shopping!

Mum on the Run - literally - and a very stylish plaid outfit from Next

At last, the day of the Birmingham half marathon dawned. Despite the initial downpour, the sun came out and as we were warming up true Brit style, complete with an instructor who was doing some serious 80's moves, it was really warm.

 

For the most part, I had a blast. The course is relatively flat most of the way and I remember having a little sing along to my extraordinarily bad play list. In fact my friend and I concluded prior to the race that if anything were to happen to me during the race, any possible street cred that I may ever have had would have gone right out of the window when they realised what I was listening to.  Hanson anyone? See, I told you it was bad!

 

OK, so I had spotted family at this point hence the inane grin but I fear that I looked like that quite a lot of the way round - other than at the evil hill towards the end but fortunately a friend was at the top to cheer me on. I just remember shouting to her "It's hard, it's really hard."

Anyway, the point of the post is to show you my lovely Next grey checked - but let's be "fashiony" shall we and call it "plaid" - Onesie, given to me by my friend as a pressie to be worn specifically after the race.  Ah, it's lovely and warm and I plan on wearing it from now until Spring.

The bobble positioning may require a little attention but you know, all in good time.

I made this last night, specifically for today as a treat on returning home. Sadly I haven't made as much of a dent in it as I would have liked but there's always tomorrow.

And to all my lovely friends, family, followers and twitter peeps - thank you for your phone calls, texts, banners, cheering, tweets, tips and belief in me, all of which meant so much. And special thanks to my hubby - amongst other things he's a brilliant chef and great taxi service. Yes, I can highly recommend him (but like lots of husbands, his jokes are still REALLY bad.)

Beth x

One fashion dilemma solved, one to be solved and an embarrassing "50 Shades of Grey" style encounter (in public)

So when I volunteered to assist the (male) yoga teacher this morning in a demonstration, little did I realise that I would be asked to do the downward facing dog, with him standing behind me, belt wrapped around my hips and him tugging on it whilst the rest of the class watched. It felt more like something that you would read about in 50 Shades of Grey as opposed to something you would witness in a sleepy Birmingham suburb. Oh the embarrassment!

Anyway, moving swiftly on, there's no outfit photo today as I stayed in my yoga gear all day. It even elicited a response from my usually fairly unobservant husband who said "Are you really going out dressed like that. What if someone sees you?" As I am in strict preparation for the Birmingham half marathon tomorrow (eating lots of pizza and running around the conservatory to see if drumstick sweets were easier to pull apart and eat than jelly babies) clothes were the last thing on my mind.

That aside, several of you have asked about the M&S slip that I mentioned the other day which does a fantastic job of smoothing lines. Yesterday my lovely client from Bristol sent me a link to it with the advice that it is definitely best taken off downwards, rather than over one's head.

Marks and Spencer secret slimming light control full slip (£25)

Nervous of committing a fashion faux pas, I have taken advice from a friend on where it's best to pin my race label. It has to be on the front but I wasn't sure whether it was best placed on the belly or the boobs. The answer came back just below the boobs but thinking about it I'm not quite sure how that's going to translate in real life. There's always a fashion dilemma in life isn't there?

Trophy Trousers - the winter wardrobe saviour!

Have you noticed how the world "Trophy" is used a lot in relation to fashion? Trophy jackets, trophy ear-rings - those pieces that are a just that little bit more special than the norm. I wonder though whether the "Trophy" in relation to "Trophy wives" has been somewhat lost in translation - because last time I checked, I'm not sure that it was a wholly positive description!

Today I'm looking at Trophy Trousers. I think that these can be a winter wardrobe saviour on many levels and here's why:

• Generally they are a cigarette shape, which is a more flattering shape than a skinny trouser;
• Given their shape, they finish at the ankle and flashing a bit of ankle can be quite sexy;
• For a smart casual event, when jeans won't quite do but a dress is too dressed up, a pair of trophy trousers and heels are a great option - think school bash, Christmas drinks with the vicar/neighbours, trip to the ballet (I just re-read "ballet" back to myself as "toilet" and clearly whilst you could wear Trophy Trousers for a trip to the toilet, it may be a bit OTT), friends around on Christmas day - you get the gist;
• With pointy toe heels, they lend themselves to a real 1950's vibe, which is incredibly stylish;
• They can be dressed down for the day with a round neck jumper, flats  and a parka, or up for the evening with a blazer and sparkly heels.

So these are some of my current favourites:

1960's jacquard trousers Jaeger Boutique (£70) - arguably these are quite spring like in their print but I think that's nice for the winter. I love the cobalt blue in these and for anyone with blue eyes, picking that colour out on your top half would look really stunning. Because these are currently on sale, sizes are limited but customer services should be able to advise which stores stock your size.

Polka Dot slim leg trousers Jaeger Boutique (£60). A dark background with a lighter accent colour is a really flattering combination. Spots are a great for those who aren't really into a floral print and the navy and green makes a nice alternative to black.

I saw these Jacquard fabric tailored trousers Jigsaw (£98) yesterday and thought that they looked like  a really good option. The grey, purple and orange colour combination actually works really well and lends itself to a whole range of different coloured tops. In fact, the crystal jumper that I bought from Topshop and which I featured yesterday would go well with these. Hmmmm, I'm liking that idea....

I mentioned these camo jacquard cigarette trousers from Topshop (£45) yesterday and here's a picture of them for you. I've fallen in love with these a little bit too. Wearing shine can be tricky on the bottom half but there's just the right amount of shine so that they are on the right side of flattering.

For a slightly more subtle option - and perhaps a good place to start for those dipping their toes into the Trophy Trousers water - these floral jacquard PJ trousers Topshop (£35) are a good option. The "navy within the navy" combo is a great one. A silver sparkly top, a white shirt, or pale knit or a bright pink/yellow/ top would work brilliantly.

 

These Jacquard cigarette trousers Next (£35) will appeal to those who prefer something other than a navy or black option. Great with cream, camel, pale blue or turquoise, they could go from work to party quite easily.

I'm quite intrigued by these Jacquard Harem trousers Zara (£29.99). They could either be brilliant or a big fat fail. Unlike most of the others, I haven't seen these in the flesh but if anyone has, please feel free to report back. If not, I may be forced to go on another research trip and frankly that's all proving a little too dangerous at the moment.

Not so much camouflage, as a jacquard skirt in a camouflage print, from Topshop

I would have felt it rude to have visited another City and not headed straight for the shops so, within less than an hour of arriving in Belfast yesterday I was in Topshop.

 

Initially I was on the hunt for a pair of shoes that I'd seen. Sadly they didn't have them in the colour that I was after but at least I could establish which size I needed and thanks to the internet they are now on their way. So anyway, instead I had a good look at the clothes.

 

I decided to try some leather panelled leggings (BIG mistake - along the lines of the "Big mistake" comment made to the shop assistant by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman). There was something else that I tried that was also so bad that it has been wiped from my memory. However the jacquard print camo skirt and crystal jumper were much more up my street.

 

I bought the crystal jumper in grey marl but it also comes in pale pink, deep berry and charcoal. For what it's worth, I think that this could be a wardrobe winner on many levels, particularly in the run up to Christmas. It would do a good "pepping up" job of a plainer bottom half, from jeans, to black trousers or a simple skirt.

 

And this is the jacquard skirt, which is in a camo print. I was attracted to the skirt by the finish and colour as much as the camo and it's the perfect camo piece - less army, more luxurious. I really like the trousers and the dress in it too - and the tiles on the hotel floor for that matter but sadly I couldn't bring those home with me.

 So, the whole outfit was Topshop crystal grey marl jumper (£46)

Topshop camo jacquard skirt £38

I also wore LK Bennett Sledge shoes in grey

 

Here's also the link to the Camo A-line dress, trousers and bomber jacket, all from Topshop .

H&M's little gems - premium pieces at the perfect price

Many of you may know about this little gem on the H&M site already but I thought that it was worth mentioning. Whilst there are some fabulous products in the store each season, it can be hard to find them online but H&M have a special section which lists their  PREMIUM QUALITY PRODUCTS of the week - products made of leather, silk, nubuck and cashmere.  This is what you will find this week and I'm pleased to say that nothing that I've shown here costs more than £59.99.

Cashmere jumpers in navy....

....and grey and they also come in orange and camel.

 

 

Silk shirts which come in a variety of colours....

 

  

This amazing black and blue textured leather cross body bag...

 

The palest of pink leather bags - great for those who don't fancy committing the money to a pale pink coat - or also for those who do!

 

Burgundy leather ankle boots, which also come in black...

 

 

 Nubuck ankle boots...

  

 

Lovely leather gloves...

 

 

As you might imagine, not all pieces are available in all stores but that's where a bit of plotting can come in handy. There's a 25% off voucher with Grazia this week (sadly only redeemable in stores) so this could be the perfect time to invest in some quality basics at a great price if you can get to one of the larger stores (or if you can get a friend to go for you)! 

 

Seeing spots in Hobbs

Today it was the turn of an old favourite of mine - a navy and white Hobbs spotty dress which is fairly fitted and then flares out a little around the hem. I normally like to wear a bright Armani lipstick when I have this dress on but despite having found it yesterday, today I seem to have lost it again - I think it's probably at the bottom of a tardis bag somewhere.

 

It was the first time that I had worn winter tights and, despite shedding a tear or two for the fact that summer is now over, I'm glad to say that I have just about reconciled myself with it. Like stripes, spots always make me smile and they are a good way of adding some interest to your wardrobe, without having to embrace a trend, or a print, full on.

 

Yesterday I finally got around to sorting out my winter shoes and swapping them over with my summer ones, which has now given me more options. Much as I love my new shiny black boots, I think that it's time that I wore something else for a while, so here I am wearing Jigsaw shoe boots which are great with both dresses and trousers. I don't know about anyone else but I find something lovely and comforting about wearing old faithful pieces - it's as if I'm coming home!

Luxurious loungewear

With the days getting colder and darker, my thoughts inevitably turn to warm, snuggly things to wear at home. I am sure that over the years "leisurewear" must have become a multi-million pound industry in its own right.

 

Leisurewear can encompass anything from an old University tracksuit, to your husband's oversized jumper and PJ bottoms, to something altogether more luxurious. It's possible to spend a small fortune on cashmere to wear at home - and it would be lovely to be able to do so - but....

 

With Christmas coming up however it may be a good time to ask for a contribution towards something stylish to wear at home, even if only to convince ourselves that we lead the perfect life in which the front door is beautifully adorned with a wreath, there's a roaring log fire in the grate, the kitchen is filled with delicious smells a la Nigella and the children are playing together beautifully (rather than the half dead wreath, a gas fire with a dodgy knob, burnt offerings from the kitchen and badly behaved children.)

 

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has added to her range for M&S with some luxurious Rosie for Autograph pieces. (Please accept my apologies for the lack of specific links - they're a little more generic today as there are so many pieces but everything should be easy to find.) 

 

The pout may be difficult to emulate but the Cashmere blend cocoon wrap (£45) shouldn't be too hard to get hold of. Its shape doesn't scream "loungewear" either, so it should be pretty versatile.

 

These Cashmere blend pyjama bottoms with cuff (£35) look lovely and toasty. Some like a cuff around the ankle, others don't - but they do lend themselves to being tucked into ankle boots quite well if you need to do an emergency dash to the garage to buy Toblerone. Not that I would know or anything like that.

I can hear my friend Sal laughing as she reads about this cashmere jumper with detachable snood. It's the "detachable snood" that will amuse her - handy though if you want to wear your snood with anything else. I love the colour - and the neckline would be great for catching the stray bits of Toblerone. 

The Rosie for Autograph cashmere poncho (£99) is a lovely piece to wear either in or out of the house. Great for snuggling up under when watching TV - just like Rosie. I think in all likelihood I would be wearing more under it than she is though - which appears to be nothing.

There are also these pure cashmere bottoms (£99) from the Rosie for Autograph collection, which come in a darker grey too. These are a good style for those who prefer a wider leg, either for comfort or for the proportion balancing job that they do.

  

Hush is one of my favourite brands for loungewear and they've really got to grips with styling their loungewear, so that they are almost selling a lifestyle choice.  The colours are muted caramels, grey, taupes and pale blues, the fabrics soft and luxurious and the styling relaxed but feminine. It's clever because it's accessible to us all, certainly in terms of practicality.

 

As to their pieces, for those wanting to tap into one of the major trends this season, look no further than the Camouflage joggers (£45).  

 

The Fold over trousers (£45) are fantastic on many levels. Great for anyone who is in the early stages of pregnancy, post-op or who suffers from bloating, the waist band can be folded down to a comfortable level.

The slim leg joggers (£39.50) come in a variety of colours, including a bright red. Again styled with ankle boots they could do just as well at home or for a trip out.

And some of my favourites of all are these star print slim leg joggers (£45). I think it would be a brave person who wore them outside - I would fear the risk of being told that I was in my PJs - but I still love them for their slight cheekiness.

Wrap is another lovely on-line brand, as they have this Alohia fleecy dress (£65) which makes a pleasant change from trousers.

The Bella Hoodie (£69) has a lovely lace detail along the sleeve, which adds that touch of femininity and stops it from being too utilitarian.

The slouchy Emma trousers (£49) make a great partner to the Bella hoodie, above.

Now, my Mum likes a good velour lounge suit in the winter but has trouble finding one a) in velour and b) with a waist band high enough. So, I uncovered these little beauties from M & Co (£18) whilst away last week. I do worry though that I've failed on the tops - most of them had hoods (not on), were sleeveless (not on) or had a high neck (not on, she gets her make-up on them.)

I am slightly concerned that in wanting a velour lounge suit she's also going to want to start wearing her rollers in public - and believe me she has plenty of rollers. She's not quite there on the fake tan and fake nails yet though so I think that for now the world is safe but I do fear that I may have to have a little pep talk with her soon.