One white Cos skirt worn two different ways...

Finding the right skirt for summer can be tricky but when I spied this one across the shop floor, it was love at first sight. Thick, white, cotton with a good length, pockets and a paper bag waist, I knew that this was the one for me.

Admittedly not all tops work with this skirt - they need to be the right length but that can be achieved either by tucking in, or tucking under, or just by getting one that sits on the waistband.

I don't think that I would look out of place at a jubilee party here - bring on the red, white and blue!

And here is the Cos tie waist skirt (£59)...

The other good thing about this skirt is that I can take big, proper, strides in it without it appearing too voluminous. I'm not good with skirts that restrict my movement. I take too big a stride, they pull me back, I fall over, the the skirt and I fall out and off to the charity shop it goes.

In this outfit I wore a cropped French Connection tencel shirt, M&S platform sandals and a pink Mulberry bag. Providing that I don't wreck it by chucking things down it - although it seems pretty hardy so it could probably take chemicals and a good scrub - it should serve me well over the next few months with breton t-shirts, vest tops, brighter bits and bobs or black for a monochrome look. I think that the thing now is just to wear it - lots.

I'm away for the next couple of days working with M&S so if I'm silent for a while, that's why - but I look forward to being back soon. In the meantime, have a lovely week all of you. x

Seeing spots and stripes in Boden summer dresses...

When I was invited by Boden to write a post  on a topic of my choosing, there was one topic that immediately sprang to mind - summer dresses.

It doesn't matter what else I may have in my wardrobe, my search for the perfect summer dress is always on. And then, when a sunny day arrives, knowing that my perfect dress is sitting in the wardrobe makes my day complete, even before I've opened my eyes.

To me spots always signify the arrival of the spring and summer and it is for that reason that I chose to include the Iris shirt dress (£79) which comes in four colour ways. This classic combination of navy and white would work well for an office or work environment, without being too formal.

Although the dress would look great teamed with a navy or cream bag, I felt that with its dark background it could take an injection of colour and this yellow Kate Spade bag ticked that box nicely. For me, whatever the occasion, it's nice to have an element of something unexpected in your outfit, which is why I also opted for the spotty shoes, rather than a more traditional plain shoe.

Spots also lend themselves really well to a pattern clash, so I worked in some leopard print shoes and a leopard print belt, above and below. In fact spots pretty much work with anything - so just have a play and see where they take you.

Style notes, I'm wearing the size 8 in this dress but there was enough room in it for me to have sized down to a size 6. Although I'm only 5ft 6" tall, I ordered the long length as I was interested to see how "long" the long really was. For a smarter dress like this, I liked the longer length - and to me it's a real bonus that Boden does a longer length.

Another favourite of mine for the spring and summer are stripes, hence my choice of the Blackberry dress (£49). This dress comes in seven colour ways, not all of which are striped.

This dress is a more casual option that the Iris shirt dress although it can be styled up. The soft jersey fabric makes it a really easy dress to wear and perfect for a summer holiday or day trip out with children in tow and all that that entails!

I'm wearing this dress with an old favourite statement H&M necklace which people ask me about whenever I wear it. In the top picture I've opted for a summer basket and above and below I've swapped the basket for a tasselled flamingo pouch, which instantly makes the outfit more pub/dinner appropriate, despite the flat Topshop shoes.

Style Notes: This dress is also a size 8 and comes up true to size. I think that it might be possible to size down to a size 6 but then I might be conscious of the elastic on my waist and I don't like that feeling, even if it's not tight. As to the length? Again this is the longer length but because I would wear this dress casually and probably with flats, I would be tempted to try the standard length, just for comparison purposes.

Honesty policy! Although I have received payment for this post, Boden have not had any control over its content. All of the statements and opinions given are my own and all are completely genuine. The trust that readers place in my recommendations is very important to me and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardise that.

Spring time bits and bobs that it's good to have in your wardrobe...

When the weather gets slightly warmer, it's good to swap your jeans for something lighter in weight. Chinos, cargos and utility trousers are the obvious choices but they're not always that different in weight. However these Jigsaw cotton tencel chinos (£79) have are lovely and light and drapey. They are great on a long flight or car journey and unlike linen, which is the other obvious choice for summer trousers, you don't arrive looking like you need a good iron - well at least your trousers don't. (Tummy and face, in my case, are a different matter.)

This post wasn't intended to go down this route but now that I've looked at the trousers, I think I'll talk through the rest of the pieces that I'm wearing in this outfit.

There are a few pieces that can truly be worn pretty much any day of the year but a denim shirt really is one of those pieces. It too is made form tencel and this one is from New Look (£17.99). Next also has a good selection.

I'm still loving tassels in a big way and the bead and tassel necklace that I'm wearing is from Topshop (£12.50). Predictably I was attracted by the pink! I'm also wearing a longer one which was gifted to me last year by Marianna Boutique and it's by ChloBo.

Finally the sunglasses are by Jigsaw (£59). These glasses are quite a statement for me and not something that I would have worn years ago. But I guess that's the one good thing that comes with age - you gain a little more confidence about some things and worry a little less about others.

And then for shoes? Well espadrilles have taken off in a huge way over the last couple of summers and now they're available in sequins, such as these Kurt Geiger espadrilles (£95)

And in print, such as these Margarita espadrilles created in partnership with Liberty from Bibico (£49.99)

And in glitter, such as these New Look lace up espadrilles (£9.99) - which also come in stripes.

New Look has a great range of espadrilles - despite their photos not being up to much when it comes to writing a blog - which is irritating but not irritating enough to put me off going to take a closer look at these sparkly ones next week.

Dressing for a summer occasion in collaboration with Marks & Spencer

To celebrate the online launch of Marks & Spencer's Ultimate Dress Guide and new summer womenswear collection, I was invited by M&S to collaborate with them on a "Dressing for a Summer Occasion" post. The Ultimate Dress Guide offers styling ideas for summer events, from weddings to festivals and incorporates some of the key dress trends for the season.

The brief was to style an outfit tailored for a summer occasion or an event. With a budget of £120 I was to chose a dress as a "hero" piece and the remainder of the budget was to be utilised in accessorising the outfit. 

Although I don't have any weddings to go to or trips to the races planned, I am going to New York for a long weekend and we are going on holiday to the Channel Islands plus I have a summer birthday - so there's plenty of room for a new dress in all of that!

Without really realising it - but this is an approach which I take with most of the clothes that I buy -  I was on the look out for a dress that I could style in lots of different ways and this Autograph sleeveless maxi dress (£52 down from £65) looked like it might just fit the bill. I liked the neat shape of the collar and the neckline, together with the fact that the shoulders were wide enough to accommodate bra straps. Also the slight empire line looked very forgiving and believe me it is. I have done the "standing in front of the mirror sideways test" and breathed both in, and out, as much as I can and you know something? It is impossible to tell the difference. Oh the joy! And oddly, although I steer clear from black during the winter months, I actually quite like it for the summer.

Over the last few summers I have become much more of a hat wearer and this M&S Collection straw fedora hat (£15) worn with the dress and gladiator flats, wouldn't look out of place in a casual setting. Swap it for a big floppy hat, layers of gold and silver bracelets and high wedges and it would be perfect for a wedding.

With all things 70's being such a big trend this summer, and with maxi dresses lending themselves to some styles of shoes more than others, I chose these Limited Edition platform sling back sandals (£28 down from £35). I must admit to having worn them on the school run this morning and they are so comfortable. The berry colour is a lovely colour too, working with lots of darker base colours plus the summer neutrals of cream, white, khaki and pale grey.

And being such a big fan of Lulu Kennedy, I wanted to include one of her pieces in my outfit from her new range Lulu Kennedy for Indigo Collection. Unfortunately the bag is now out of stock online - although it is still in some stores - so I've linked to the rest of Lulu's collection for M&S which has some great pieces in it.

Now I just hope that the weather holds out so that I can wear this outfit. For anyone interested in this dress, I'm wearing a size 8, which is plenty roomy enough - in a good way. It's also double lined which suits me perfectly as I'm not so much of a fan of the "negligee during the day" look!

Don't dress for the season, dress for the weather....I'm trying, really I am.

"Don't dress for the season, dress for the weather" were the wise words imparted to me by the lady who works on the returns counter in our M&S. She's lovely and we have some great chats, all of which somehow seem to involve the size of her boobs - at her instigation, not mine. But in fairness they are noteworthy.

Anyway, I got to thinking how right she is. How cold, wet and windy will it have to get before I finally relent and put some socks and a winter coat on, like so many people that I saw today? The trouble is that somehow I just can't bring myself to take that step backwards, which could quite possibly explain how it came to be that today I bought a white sun dress.

So this morning, rather than return to a full on winter coat, I opted for my Jigsaw coatigan (a less stylish name for a piece of clothing I cannot imagine).

Worn with a Topshop blouse which I reclaimed from our eldest's wardrobe, GAP trousers and my Topshop shoes to which I appear to be surgically attached at the moment, I was sorted (other than in the playground at drop-off and pick-up when I was freezing). OK I'll admit - maybe I should just go back to a winter coat.

The Topshop all in one utility suit - getting another outing!

This is a very quick ootd post from yesterday when, for ease, I decided to dress like one of our visitors - a toddler.

Boiler suits are great for comfort, warmth and practicality and they go with pretty much everything. I've layered an H&M breton top under this utility boiler suit from Topshop (which I'm sorry to say I can't find a link for any more) and put it with Next pointed loafers (£60) for an easy look.

Excuse the terrible photo and the awful light - great shadow of our son though who was taking the photo and pulling ridiculous faces, hence my ridiculous grin. Hope that you are all having a fabulous weekend.

Featuring the perfect shirt dress - the Claudette dress by Allium B in a bespoke Liberty print...

Many of you will be familiar with the brand Allium B which is run by sisters, Mary and Clare, both of whom previously had successful careers in fashion.

After being convinced that there was a gap in the market for dresses aimed at those ladies who wanted that all important extra length and close attention to detail, in September 2011, Clare and Mary started developing the range. Allium B was launched in March 2012 and has gone from strength to strength in the intervening years.  Nearly three years ago now I interviewed Mary and Clare, asking them about the philosophy behind the brand and for anyone interested, you can read that interview here.

Over the past few summers I have featured Allium B dresses on Style Guile and I have loved wearing them all. I wrote about the Eliza (£95) dress here , the Hannah dress here and the Audrey dress here and when I was asked to feature the Claudette shirt dress (£125), one of Allium B's new styles, I didn't hesitate in saying yes.  A shirt dress is one of those wardrobe workhorses that will serve you well over the years in so many different ways.

The Claudette shirt dress is particularly special because Liberty commissioned a bespoke print especially for Clare and Mary, which has the Allium B flower in the design. And their dresses are now available for sale in the Liberty store, which must be hugely exciting for them.

The Claudette shirt dress comes with a fabric tie belt, three quarter sleeves and lends itself to being styled in a number of ways. Although I have opted for the more obvious dress route, it would work really well as a beach cover up, or as a tunic style top over skinny jeans - either undone or done up.

For anyone who would like to treat themselves to a lovely dress from Allium B, there's a 25% discount available to readers of Style Guile, using the code BESPOKE, which is valid until 20th June.

In the above photos I have styled the dress with a thin gold Reiss belt, Topshop shoes and a Jigsaw bag and sunglasses for quite a modern "City" look. Below I have swapped the bag to a Kausar one and the sparkly sandals are from Aldo, which gives the outfit more of a laid back summer look.

Dare to flare? We're talking cropped kick flares here...

There was a time, not so many years ago, when there was only ONE style of jeans - and they were boot cut. Since then we've seen skinny, boyfriend, girlfriend, wide legged, busted, the return of flares and now, cropped flares.

First off we have Alexa Chung at London Fashion Week back in February  of this year. She's styled hers with the fashion staples of leopard print, sunglasses (in Feb?) and black boots. The look works on Alexa. As to whether many of mere mortals could pull it off, I'm not so sure.

Image taken courtesy of Grazia daily

Except that really she wasn't the first to wear them at all. No, that privilege (although I stand to be corrected) went to Jenna Lyons, who wore them at NY Fashion Week in September 2014. I love how Jenna has styled her kick flares with a cream leather jacket, aviators, a gold bag and courts. For me this is a really fresh and modern way to wear them.

 Image courtesy ofVanessa Jackman

Who What Wear have featured them on Pinterest, styled with a cable knit and converse which demonstrates their versatility. Here they look really laid back and cool.

Although these jeans are classed as cropped girlfriend jeans (Limited at Marks and Spencer £35) they have the same shape as those worn by Alexa and Jenna (note we're on first name terms!!)

Now when I saw them on me, the words "Worzel Gummidge" sprang to mind (it's the hem detail), which is a shame because I really like them but I know that when words spring to my mind, the same words are also likely to spring to Mr SGs mind - and then that would be the end of them.

I have to say that the cable jumper was a fluke and not a copy of the image above, which I found later. No, my inspiration in wearing this jumper was along the lines of "I'm not sure whether I like this. I think that I'll wear it today and then make a decision on it..."

When I was in town on Thursday, I also spotted the Topshop moto girlfriend jeans (£40). I didn't have time to try them but on the mannequin they looked like a cropped flare.

However I think that it's fair to say that they didn't quite translate into such in real life, although for a straight leg cropped jean they are a really good buy and they have a good rise to them.

Don't be put off by Topshop jeans. I don't find them any smaller than any other brand and they're not all low slung. Also, the denim is really thick and supportive - not like that fabric that looks like denim but which feels like a pair of tights when actually on (which Topshop also does in their Jamie jeans). They are great for a petite and taller range too.

And then I got to thinking. I knew that I had a whole stack of boot cut jeans which still fit me but which I don't wear, from two pairs of Seven jeans to Gap long and lean, Gap curvy, Topshop Bessie, Jigsaw and Diesel - any of which I was prepared to have as my victim! So, using the M&S jeans as a template, I measured all of my old pairs against the M&S ones to find the best shape....

Having decided that the GAP curvy were the best shape, I marked the length with chalk...

....and then I started to chop...

So this was the finished result in the first instance. But then I decided that I wanted to wash them and fray the bottom a little, which I planned on doing by putting them in a mesh bag and putting them on a gentle wash. BUT, bless him, Mr SG got there first and washed them and now they're a little more frayed than I thought. They're still drying so I have yet to try them but in the meantime, I also have these on order...

...cropped kick flares from Topshop £38 - just to see how they stack up to the other pairs. If ultimately my home made ones don't work, I'm not fussed at all. It was fun while it lasted!

Has anyone else dared to chop?!