Time to put your feet up in some slip on trainers - I've plumped for the Jigsaw ones!

It would be nice to get a chance to do a little bit of this, this weekend. I hope that you all get the chance to do the same too!

For info, I'm wearing the Jigsaw slip on plimsolls, £59 in a size 5. If like me you are a genuine 5.5, the Jigsaw ones would be better than their Whistles counterpart (£135) as the Jigsaw size 5 is generous.  In the Whistles one, the 5 was too small and the 6 was too large. It's always a case of trial and error but with this style, any sort of gaping is a no-no as they can look a bit too much like a Grandad's slipper - which they're pretty good at doing on their own anyway!

Printed Zara scarf - taking a winter outfit into spring!

 

I'm not quite sure how it came about but I decided to mix camo print GAP trousers with several layers, a Boden jacket and then a bright Zara scarf. Because the print in the trousers is fairly subtle, and because the colours in the scarf (apart from the bright yellow) are the same as those in the trousers and the bag, it just about got itself under the radar of fashion crimes.

This was the first time that I had worn the new Zara scarf and I really like it - it's huge and a bit wafty and soft - so very spring like - and you can see how much brighter it makes the whole outfit.

Here's a closer look at the layering that went on - an essential part of my everyday life until the thermometer hits at least 20 degrees! First on was the long cobalt Jigsaw top, followed by a slightly shorter black Zara jumper, followed by an even shorter Boden jacket - a sort of stepped approach to layering - and it really doesn't matter that the jacket is the shortest of those steps!

Today I spent the day walking around the Touchwood shopping centre in Solihull, choosing outfits for a two day style event that I am running there next weekend. Please do come and say hello if you are in the area. For anyone who likes chatting about clothes it will be the perfect opportunity to do so, plus the PR Company have come up with a great idea on how it should all look, so it's quite hi-tec and interactive.  

Anyway, here's something to leave you with which I read in the 6 year olds R.E. book at parents' evening - it made me laugh:

"Jesus gave up his life for everyone. I wud give up costud (custard) for Amelie."

I'm not sure that it is quite the same level of sacrifice but I think that the intention is good.

Dungarees and boilersuits - anyone fancy going there with me?

Unlike the chap who was convinced that he was going to win the lottery, I did not wake up this morning convinced that, by the end of the day, dungarees/boiler suits would have worked their way into my consciousness - but they have. Random!

It all started whilst waiting at the Children's Hospital this morning. It being Tuesday, I was flicking through my copy of Grazia when these Denim dungarees from Next (£35) caught my eye. I mentioned them to the eldest as we were leaving to see what she thought. Oddly the conversation turned to how she would quite like a short pair, which was probably for the best really, and I concluded that I wouldn't go there but then....

...whilst flicking through Marie Claire at gymnastics, this Tencel jumpsuit from Mango (£59.99) jumped out at me. Having tried the tencel chinos in Jigsaw recently, I'm a big fan of its softness and the way it drapes. This style is so much more versatile too - far less Andy Pandy!

And then whilst sitting at ballet, (I do a lot of sitting and flicking on a Tuesday, not that I'm a tiger mother or anything. After all our children only learn 4 languages each and play 3 instruments each to grade 8 standard) this Utility boiler suit from Topshop (£62) leapt off the screen at me. I was being ambushed from all sides.

So, how to wear them? If you're thinking "let's not wear them at all" you may not want to read on. On the other hand, perhaps you will be inspired! As I've said before, as we get older, the options of what to wear do start to narrow down, which is why I try to remain open minded about anything that has potential, whether it's because (in the case of shoes) they are flat - for example skater trainers - or in the case of clothing because something is fairly modest, or because it is a classic style, albeit in a bright colour or print. The fit of these will be crucial though. Too loose and they will scream Andy from British Gas. Too tight and they could become all about the camel toe, which is never a good look.

Having been lucky enough to have hung around this planet for a while now, there will be styles that I have worn before but I think it's important to try and look at them through fresh eyes and to style them in a modern way. There are just some things that we won't be able to get our heads around but to avoid getting stuck in a rut, keep on giving things a go or else we will all find ourselves in the same few styles and colours season after season.  Of course if you have a toddler who has a pair of these, rocking the same look perhaps isn't where you want to be.

Despite what I've said above, I think for now I'll leave the Next denim dungarees to one side and instead work with the Mango and Topshop jumpsuit/boiler suit styles. Here's how I would style them:

• For a casual look, I'm thinking flat strappy gold or silver sandals, maybe skater trainers or converse, a selection of layered bracelets and that's about it. A coloured cami peeping through would also be a nice touch;
• For a slightly smarter look I would wear a block heeled shoe, maybe a wooden or cork soled one as I wrote about the other day, a statement necklace and a fairly short swing style jacket;
• For an evening look - which is where I really like the idea of these - I'd go for some high pointed courts and a printed jacket or printed courts and a leather biker jacket or a blazer, chunky jewellery and a clutch. At the moment I really like this one from Whistles (£55)

 

Hopefully tomorrow will not see me being ambushed by Ra-Ra skirts because despite trying to take my own advice, I think that they are something which (for good reason) I would not be able to get my head around.

Hunting for silver shoes for you (similar to my Zara ones) at Aldo, House of Fraser and Kurt Geiger

 

After posting this outfit I had a lot of people asking me where I bought these silver shoes, which has prompted me to do a post on similar styles. My shoes were bought from Zara about a year ago now. They weren't very expensive and they're not leather but they are a good heel height and the pointy toe was  bit different - then! I can't find any exactly the same but there are some that are pretty similar....

These Aldo shoes at House of Fraser (£60) were about the closest that I could find in terms of price, heel height (although they look a little higher than mine) and toe shape. The T-bar part is lacking but other than that, they are really similar.

The Kurt Geiger Yasmin courts at House of Fraser (£220) are similar in style too, with a crocodile print worked in there. Quite a lot of the Kurt Geiger styles are on sale on the KG site so it maybe worth looking there for a cheaper option if you really like them.

For a block version heel, also with a crocodile print, these Ella shoes at Kurt Geiger are a nice option, and they are down to £49 from £195.

The Mercada shoes at Kurt Geiger are down from £220 to £109.  They have a pretty jewelled strap, which would work really well with rolled up jeans.

The Maniah silver shoes by Kurt Geiger (£95) have the T-bar but not the closed in toe. I love the studded ankle straps and the heel height is good. Great for those with slim ankles!

The Millie sandal by Hobbs NW3 (down to £75 from£129) is just a lovely everyday sandal, rather than necessarily being similar to the style that I am wearing - although they could be worn in just the same way and with their block heel, they are probably slightly more versatile for the day time too.

 

And following on from my post on wooden and cork soled shoes the other day, I love these wooden silver shoes by Kurt Geiger (£120). They have a really great day time heel height to them and will instantly update jeans, utility trousers, cargos and chinos for the spring.

Finally, although this post is meant to be about silver shoes some prefer gold, so these gold shoes by Kurt Geiger (£55) have earned themselves a place for their price, heel height and shape and general all round versatility.

I really hope that you have enjoyed some sun over the weekend. It makes such a lovely change doesn't it? Tomorrow I am working on a short film/promotional video and I see from the call sheet that as part of that, I will be working with a.....horse. Hmmmm - I'm not quite sure which end I would rather be.   

A Saturday outfit of maximum strokability, thanks to Whistles and Zara

 

During a shopping trip in late January, I came upon these pony skin shoes in Whistles. They were the last pair in the shop and happened to be in my size, so I just thought that I would give them a go. Given that they fitted me, that I liked them and that they were reduced from over £200 to £60, they were just too good to pass on.

I haven't had much of a chance to wear them up until now so today, with the weather being warmer, I went for the full on strokability factor in my outfit by wearing not only the shoes but also a printed navy and black pony skin (not real) short sweatshirt style top from Zara.

In actual fact the shoes didn't stay on for that long. Not only did I have to hang the washing out but the six year old and I decided to head up to the High Street, with her on her scooter, which could only mean one thing - trainers!

 

For anyone interested in giving something similar a whirl, either these shoes from M&S Autograph (£55)....

 

 

...or these from M&S Collection (£39.50) are probably the closest.

 

 

Sorry for the short post but I've got a date with Mr SG and a film and it's a (very loose) rule that I don't blog at the weekend. However, having been away for a couple of days, I've really missed it!

Trophy jackets - taking the stress out of getting dressed for a night out!

 

Mr SG and I are so living life on the edge tonight! We have a date with Michael Buble, hence the early post.

I wore this outfit on Saturday night when out with friends. I bought the jacket last summer but wasn't sure about it, so I thought about taking it back. Then when I didn't get around to it, I decided to wear it a couple of times and now, I really like it. How I put up with myself sometimes I'm really not sure.

Worn with jeans and mid-height heels, a "trophy jacket" can take you to lots of different events, without that fear of being over, or under, dressed.  Actually, thinking about it, I wonder if Mr Buble would approve?!

There are some fantastic jackets and coats around this season in different colours, prints, fabrics and cuts - and they're such a great way of hiding what lies beneath! I love the whole no collar coat idea, bomber jackets, biker jackets, blazers, kimono style jackets, quilted jackets - the list just goes on.

For now though, I've confined my search to jackets similar to the one I am wearing above. Although it is a different style, this Tapestry bomber jacket by Mango (£29.99, which is half price) is a really pretty blue and has the same neckline, which I think is easier to wear if you have lots of hair. It also lengthens the neck - if you know what I mean!

This paisley print bomber, also by Mango (£29.99), is another good option and given its bomber style, it could make lots of older pieces in your wardrobe look really fresh and up to date. I like the idea of this with a full, almost midi-length, denim skirt (Primark has a great one for £12 which is on my list) and block heeled ankle strap sandals.

The New Look pixelated blazer (£29.99) is a really nice, neat, fitted shape which will look so good with cuffed trousers, boyfriend jeans or skinny jeans for a relaxed feel. Then again for anyone who works in a more formal environment, it could skip very nicely over to the work side of your wardrobe to be worn with narrow tailored trousers, a pencil skirt or over a simple dress.

Must dash to get myself prepared for Mr Buble - not so sure he would be impressed if he knew I was about to take a trip to get my wayward brows tamed!

Continuing on my shopping trip.....off now to Whistles and Zara for some more core pieces/wardrobe staples/hero pieces!

You may remember that last week I took myself off on a shopping trip to see what I could find. At this time of year, for me at least, it's more about taking stock of what's needed to fill the gaps in my wardrobe, rather than necessarily buying into the latest trend. Also, because we've decided on our summer holiday (Cornwall and Guernsey) and because we have been to both zillions of times before, I can see what I will need for when I am away - so I'm happy to buy a few bits for that trip too. Anything else and I'm happy to wait and have a think about it!

I've seen, and styled quite a few people in the Lena Jersey Blazer Whistles (£95) and now it's my turn to have one. They are lovely - quite thick but soft too, so they give the look of a blazer - perfect for those times when you need to be warm but when a jumper just won't make the grade - whilst feeling more like a cardigan. That's my sort of clothing! Oddly there is very little difference between the sizes 4,6 and 8 - so if you do normally take an 8, don't be put off by seeing the tiny sizes - they may still fit.

Buying my New Look jeans made me realise how dire the rest of my jeans were - so rather than filling a gap, they created one, which wasn't the plan at all. I've also picked up a pair of the Maysa jeans Whistles (£95) for another try on at home, after road testing them in store a few weeks ago now. They may not stay with me but with a 25% discount, it made them a little more realistic price wise.

I'm not sure that I've ever worn a tube skirt but Whistles (£55) does a longer length one, which I could see had potential. Oddly it was also recommended in the Sunday Times Style Magazine this week - to a pregnant lady. It's so close fitting that I fear that there's a risk that this skirt could make anyone look pregnant, whether they are or not, so perhaps that's the best way to wear it - although I'm not prepared to go quite that far.  Even I draw the line somewhere.

During a brief wander around Zara this floral scarf (£17.99) revealed itself to me. I can see me wearing it with a striped top and a yellow bag - I just need to get the yellow bag now!

 

So far on my shopping trip I've bought navy tencel chinos and a navy striped dress from Jigsaw, the Jack Wills Liberty print dress, Whistles navy jacket, tube skirt and jeans plus the above scarf from Zara. It's unlikely that I will keep it all but I've started the ball rolling in the purchasing/returning/purchasing something else in its place merry-go-round, which tends to go on at the start of each season until all the basics are in place. Then I gradually start to add the more on trend items plus some print and colour.  Sometimes known as a capsule wardrobe, core pieces, wardrobe staples or hero pieces, I prefer to think of this lot as stuff I'll wear a lot - and a bit more than that too.

A must have shoe for the spring - something pretty but practical and high enough off the ground to keep your feet dry!

 

Last spring and summer, I really enjoyed wearing my red patent wooden sandals from Topshop. As soon as I saw them, I fell in love with them, tried them on and the deal was done within minutes. Those instinctive purchases are rarely ones that we live to regret - unless they are made under the influence of alcohol, or a broken heart, or there's some other motivating factor at play. They went with so many things and were comfortable whilst giving me that bit of height, and slight chunkiness, that balances me out. On the other hand, I do think that they're a bit of a marmite item - some will look on in glee, others will turn away in terror!

I haven't been able to find anything similar this year at Topshop but there are a couple of styles out there that I would be quite happy to wear as an alternative. There are lots of huge wedges but that's not really what I was after. Cork is also a good option for those who don't like wood and it's also lighter too. I'm feeling a 1970's vibe coming on here!

Whilst it may be a bit early to wear sandals it's good to have them waiting in the wings and the good thing about these sandals is that they're not too "high summer" too early on. I like a gradual transition from boots, to converse, to these type of sandals and then flatter, strappier ones. It's the same with my clothes - a layer at a time is fine, thank you very much! I've never been one to whip everything off at the first sign of the sun.

These cork sandals from Hush (£70) are a pair of shoes that I would love to try. I love the chunky heel and the platform negates some of the heel height, which will make them much more wearable than they look. They also come in a couple of other colours too.

The Boden court platforms (£84.15) are also another option. I like shoes which go with lots of different things and these would be good with dresses, skirts, skinny, boyfriend or biker jeans, or chinos - the list goes on really. They would even be good with a really wide pair of high waisted, flared jeans.

The Lotta  peep toe clogs (£57.50) are a slightly lower, less chunky version. I've included the link to Swedish Hasbeens who also have a great selection, which are really similar.

And I realise that these are a bit of wildcard because they would be pretty difficult to walk in, let alone drive, or run in (and they are wedges) but I do love the look of these Hush leather clogs (£95) - especially in the image underneath them. If I thought that I could pull it off I would - but one has to know one's limits! Maybe with trousers though.....

 

Alice's Wonders: The treasure trove of sweetie coloured statement jewellery has just had more treasure added to it!

A couple of weeks ago now, I wrote a post about Alice's Wonders a fabulous online shop run by Cathy, who I met via twitter. People were so taken with her choice of necklaces and ear-rings on Alice's Wonders that she quickly sold out. However, you will be really pleased to hear that her shop is now well and truly stocked with some lovely pieces so for anyone who missed out, now may be the perfect time to pick up a lovely sparkly number to wear in the sun. I can't promise that the pieces featured above are still available but the ones below are.

I'm loving a bit of lime right now and this lovely necklace from Alice's Wonders (£8) will look fantastic against a navy or grey backdrop or with a denim, or white, shirt.

With all things blue being such a huge trend for the season, this Alice's Wonders necklace (£8) allows you to tap into it without having to make too much of a financial commitment. Put against a backdrop of a plain white T-shirt, this necklace would really make it something other than, well,  just a plain white T-shirt!

And it would be wrong of me not to include something as lovely as this beautiful pink necklace from Alice's Wonders (£9). It's just fabulous!

So, for those of you who have been waiting for Cathy's new stock to arrive, quick, go and take a look before it all goes!

What to wear when you want to feel as though you are wearing PJs all day but don't (quite) want to look like it!

 

 

Today dawned sunny and bright and I knew that with that came the possibility of tennis with our son, bouncing on the trampoline with the youngest (subject to the loan of some pelvic floor muscles from somewhere), a few random squats/lunges should the mood take me (it didn't), some ironing and faffing in the garden. So with all those possibilities in mind, jeans or restrictive trousers were out of the question.

Given that I didn't plan to come across many people that I knew, other than during a quick trip to Waitrose (to buy the most unhealthy basket of ingredients for posh bread and butter pudding, ice-cream and chocolate cake - thank heavens for the huge bag of crisps which hid everything) I figured that I could get away with my harem jogging bottoms from Next.

I stuck them with a denim shirt tied at the waist and a modal lace vest from Jigsaw (£24) to fill in the gap between the two. M&S are great for vests with their long ones being particularly good - and H&M vests are great too but if you need one with lace around the bottom, the Jigsaw ones are the best. With a pair of converse I was good to go and all that I needed to do all day was swap the converse for wellies when I went into the garden.

I really think that a pair of good joggers/track pants, call them what you will (as long as it's not a shell suit I really don't mind. Oooh, can you imagine those making a comeback?) are a good addition to your wardrobe. Easier to style than leggings, they are also a little more forgiving, (arguably) a little more stylish and can be worn for travelling or whenever else you just need to be uber comfortable.

With trainers being such a huge trend now they can be worn with those, skater shoes, converse or wedge trainers and somehow they have become acceptable as a fashion piece in their own right, rather than just something to slob around in at home behind closed doors or when nipping out to the chippy.

My trousers aren't cuffed at the bottom but I would be very happy to wear a pair that were. I think that the thing to remember about them is that some cheaper ones will work great on some people, whilst others will have to spend a bit more. It just depends so much on the individual. I bought some from H&M late last year and they were so wrong that it was hilarious - too low in the rise, too tight on the calf - not a life enhancing experience! Anyway, here's a quick round up of some that I have come across:

There's the Next harem track pants, which at £22 are a really good price.

The Next luxe joggers (£30) are made from modal so are slightly more elegant than jersey ones and could also be styled for an evening out.

The Whistles Lola track pant (£65) are lovely and soft and hang really well.

The Whistles Dalia jogging pant (£65) have a good rise on them, for anyone preferring something not too low slung.

These slim leg joggers from Hush (£39.50) are some of my favourites - but then I'm a bit of a sucker for Hush!

And these cotton cashmere trousers from Cos (£49) have had my fingers run over them many times, although I haven't ever tried them. I'm very tempted to do so though as the combination of cotton and cashmere makes them a) much less spendy than their cashmere counterparts and b) means that because of that, I would actually be more likely to wear them than rather just look at them and wish I were brave enough to do so!

 

As an aside, whilst Freddie was taking my photos, he was fiddling with the camera. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he was making me look "vintage" to which I responded that I was quite capable (sadly) of doing that all by myself. Oh well, it's good to be good at something.