A winter wardrobe essential - the chunky of chunkiest cardigans, a lovely boho dress and a vlog so that you can see it all in the flesh!

With its slightly chillier mornings, September is the perfect time of year to wear a chunky cardigan - rather than a coat. This is one that I picked up in Zara last week (£39.99) which isn't on line quite yet. However fear not, it features in this new vlog post where you can get a closer look at it, plus ideas on where to find other similar cardigans together with ideas on how to style them.

Boho dresses are a huge trend this season. There's a Monsoon one which is currently getting a lot of coverage but for something which is nodding towards the boho trend without being too full on, there's this Zara printed dress (£39.99) which also features on the vlog along with the cardigan.

I really hope that you like this vlog. I've tried to include a couple of good styling tips as well as showing the clothes (on me....eeeek!) so do let me know what you think!

Bring your wardrobe up to date with the ONLY coat of the season (for now at least!) - and there's a not to miss vlog talking you through the options.

Short sleeved coats are THE coat of the season. They are everywhere in the shops and I just LOVE them. They are great at this time of year. You can flash a bit of lace as I've done above, rock a stripe, bring out some denim, show off some print - it just makes them so interesting and fun.

In the above shot, I'm wearing the Lexi short sleeved coat from Oasis (£65) which you can see in my latest vlog here where I talk about sleeveless coats and the options currently available on the high street.

The Topshop sleeveless coat in navy (£50) is another of my favourites and it's also covered in the vlog. Navy is always elegant and the lines of these coats are just so simple and stylish. This coat is a great price and a lovely fabric, so definitely one to watch. Again I've covered it in detail on the vlog.

The Topshop sleeveless coat above also comes in pale grey (£50). With wide legged trousers and trainers it looks amazing. So simple and yet so effective. It's the perfect one off investment to bring your wardrobe bag up to date for the season. It will work so hard for you and my guess is that it will do a fab job of pulling lots of different pieces together - jeans and a jumper, skirts and a blouse, a dress -  the options are endless.

I've also included in the vlog a sleeveless cardigan from Autograph at Marks and Spencer which isn't currently available on line and here is a Zara camel sleeveless coat (£79.99) that I came across after I filmed the vlog. This is definitely next on my list! Or in fact any camel coat for that matter! But that's a whole new blog post.

Don't you just love it?!

Hope that you all have a super fab weekend. See you next week (or before if I have the energy!) Beth x

Lace Skirts - for now, for the winter, and forever!

I love a bit of lace. Top or bottom, it can just make you feel just a little bit more special than an "every day" type of fabric such as denim.

I bought this lace skirt from Jigsaw way back at the start of the summer and it's now in the sale for £79, with pretty good availability too, being available in sizes 8/10/14.

Although technically it's a summer skirt, it is substantial enough for me to keep in my wardrobe for a few more weeks yet and perhaps right through the winter.

From what I've seen out and about, there will still be plenty of lace skirts in the shops over the winter. Firstly, I came across this one in Zara (£49.99), which I love styled here with the (almost) mid calf length ankle boots

Secondly I spotted this lace pencil skirt, also from Zara (£39.99), which is in THE colour of the season....burgundy. It's great that is has a top to go with it, making a whole outfit should the need arise.

Marks and Spencer has this lace skirt in Autograph for £55. It's a little bit less "fashiony" than the Zara ones and arguably slightly easier to style mostly because of its knee length which is, as a general rule, more flattering and easier to wear than midi-length skirts - particularly with flats.

There's also this gorgeous fluorescent lace pencil skirt from Topshop (£65) which is lovely and vibrant for the winter months plus the taupe background makes a nice change from the usual suspects of black/navy/grey/burgundy.

And for the petite ladies amongst you, M&S has kindly obliged and designed this lovely Rose Lace Pencil skirt, which is £39.50.

Please someone put me out of my misery and tell me that I'm not going mad when I say that I'm sure that I saw a navy blue lace skirt very similar to mine in Whistles yesterday. I'm convinced that I did. Didn't I?

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has watched the YouTube vlogs. Thank you for your views, for subscribing and for your comments. Also a big thanks to Helen for the lovely comment on the blog yesterday with pointers on things to cover. All I can say is, don't go out and buy a sleeveless coat before watching the next vlog!

Zara stripes for the autumn, a new layering find from Topshop and a short vlog looking at both of them...

For the life of me I cannot find this top anywhere on the Zara website (despite about 250 searches) but I only bought it yesterday so it should be there somewhere.

I know that lots of us love a good stripe and I like how this top is half way between a long sleeved cotton top and a jumper, making it perfect for this time of year.

Here I just photographed it quickly with a pair of old jeans (and not much make-up!) but I'm looking forward to wearing it with wide-legged navy Jigsaw trousers plus trainers, or with a navy skirt and heeled ankle boots (and a bit more make-up!)

This was my other fab find of the day, a long sleeved cropped top from Topshop for £12.

If you would like to find out more about both of these items and find out why the Topshop top is my new best friend, you can nip over to my new vlog here for more info.

Whilst talking about the vlog, I would love to hear your views. Please let me know what you would like to see, the perfect length vlog for you and what I could cover to make your lives easier when it comes to your wardrobe! I have a few ideas of my own but I'm far more interested in yours. Thank you! Beth x

I will not surrender....layering up an & Other Stories dress into September...

It may be starting to get slightly chillier out there but that's no reason to reach for the knee high boots and roll necks just yet. Nope, there are plenty of ways that we can extend the life of our summer clothes.

I thought that I would have a little play around and here I'm wearing my & Other Stories  midi length summer dress which I first wore way back in sunny June, with my current favourite Zara jumper and Jigsaw ankle boots.

I think that the longevity of this outfit is limited perhaps to the end of the month but the winter can be long! Last year I just remember being sick to death of jeans and jumpers so I'm happy to avoid going there for as long as I possibly can. One tip for this type of outfit is to get the right length jumper. Something that finishes just on, or above, the waist seems to be about right so as to keep the lines right and also to keep everything in proportion.

Do you have any ideas for stretching out those summer clothes? I would love to here them. Layering either over or under things, switching footwear, sneaky thermals in September? I'm open to suggestions!

Oooh and whilst I remember, I've published another vlog on my YouTube channel here. It's a quick pulling together of the first two vlogs with some new additions too - so I hope that you like it. Have a fab week. Beth x

Neutrals and how to wear them if, as a rule, they don't really like you that much!

Today's post is just a quick OOTD. Generally I don't wear too many outfits made up entirely of neutrals. Many neutrals just seem to wash me out and I'm better with colours which have some depth to them, just as you might expect given my dark colouring. However I really like this Boden cardi/jacket that I bought in the sale last year (similar here) and it seems to work OK with this & Other Stories printed blouse (similar (ish) here (£45). It's all quite soft and muted but I think :) that I can just about get away with it. A bit of colour from the sun probably doesn't harm either.

I carried on the "light" theme with some white Whistles jeans and pale suede Jigsaw ankle boots (available here in a size 36) - but then stuck a navy Whistles bag with it all, in all probability just because it was handy.

On this particular day I needed a little warmth but I didn't want to head straight for the winter pile of clothing. Nope, for now I'm hanging on to those lighter shades for dear life.

Wishing you all a lovely Sunday. I think that we have some sun due next week. Yipppeeee!  Beth x

Re-visiting our ribbing chat - and putting vlog no. 2 out there!

Some of you may remember that a few posts ago I wrote about ribbed clothing and how much it features on the High Street this season. In this post I'm featuring a whole outfit which is ribbed and which I bought from Autograph at Marks and Spencer a few weeks ago. These two pieces were featured in Vogue so unsurprisingly they are not now available on line but I suspect that they may still be carrying stock in store.

For some reason this outfit reminds me of Friday nights watching Friends back in the 1990's - boot cut trousers, longer line jumper - we've been there before but I don't think that this means that we can't go there again!

In my second vlog, which you can watch here I'm talking about this two piece together with Topshop jumper and Marks and Spencer ribbed dress. I would love it if you could head over to see what you think!

And as is only fit for a 1990's inspired outfit, here I am doing my best Spice Girls pose. Anything to keep the photographer happy!

Zara wrap around denim skirt - and introducing the Style Guile vlog!

Last week I had a couple of hours to myself so I nipped to Zara and, amongst other things, I came away with this Zara wrap around denim skirt (£25.99).  I LOVE denim skirts. They are so perfect for this time of year, especially midi-length ones because you can still show a little leg whilst at the same time keeping warm.

For anyone who would like to see the skirt in the flesh, together with a more detailed review of it and another denim skirt from Zara, you can head over to my first vlog, which you can see on You Tube here.

Vlogging is  a bit of a new venture for me so I would love it if you could head over and take a look. The vlog is only five minutes long but hopefully people will find it a little bit useful.  I am hoping to vlog two to three times a week, covering all sorts of things from High Street finds, to beauty buys, trends for the season and styling hints and tricks. Really it's an extension of Style Guile but I can cover so much more in five minutes chatting than in five minutes writing!

(In all honestly, I'm slightly nervous and I'm hoping that I will improve as time goes by - but as with anything new, we all have to start somewhere. Thank you! x)

A "to die for" J. Crew cardigan....(in my dreams!)

It was love at first sight. It had me at the navy, it had me at the white - but then I saw the price (£285).  

I have a shorter version of this type of cardigan which I bought from Cos several years ago but it's more of an Aspen/Wham "Last Christmas" type of cardigan than the one above, which I have fallen for hook line and sinker. I love how it's styled over a whimsical style of dress, rather than with the more traditional skinny jeans/leather leggings and boots look - although in fairness that's how I would be wearing it. If I ever owned one. Note to self: contact friend who regularly travels to the States to see if he fancies a trip to J. Crew.

Since seeing this image (courtesy of the Sunday Times Style Section) I have hunted high and low on-line for something similar. I've tried Banana Republic, Gap, Mango, Zara, Cos, Jigsaw, Atterley, Hush and even the men's section of some of those brands but the closest that I have found is this...

Topshop Starsky cardigan (£55) - which I would be quite happy to buy, just for the name. But no, these things cannot be rushed. I must wait a little longer to see what comes in the stores. For some reason I suspect that I may find one in Primark, when I'm least looking for it. And that's what I love about clothes and shopping!

Oooh and I just wanted to share this birthday present from my school friend Charlotte, over at Lottie's Interiors. It is gorgeous - THE perfect shade of pink for me (she knows me well) - but far too nice to go in the kitchen and be filled with biscuits - so instead it's keeping my beside table tidy. Seems that I need to acquire a few more bracelets. Ho hum. Life's tough.

Hope that everyone has a good day on Tuesday and that it's not too miserable to return to work after this lovely (!) bank holiday weather that we have been having. Beth x

Skinted vs minted - Topshop vs Russell & Bromley. Who is going to come out on top?

I just can't go on any longer without saying something. It's just not right.

These Russell & Bromley shoes are EVERYWHERE at the moment. They are the one pair of shoes that those in the fashion know have identified as being this season's "must have" shoes and they are in every September issue, every weekly magazine and every supplement known to man. In fact it's virtually impossible to open a mag at the moment and not been greeted by them.

These are the shoe in question - the Russell and Bromley Collisee, which are £185.  (Please excuse the image, I don't think that the folks from R&B like us using them that much and for the life of me I can't link to them either, which makes me even more suspicious).

So what is is that I need to share? What is it that I have to get off my chest? What is it that causes me sleepless nights and much angst? (OK, slight exaggeration there).

It is this. That the Topshop Jive mid heel court shoe (£46) is virtually the same as the Russell & Bromley shoe and it bugs me to bits that those in the fashion know don't also share these shoes with us. I feel that it's pretty deceitful because if I know that they are out there (and they have been well and truly out there - since January infact) then they must know that too.

OK, so cards on the table time, just in case anyone decides to pull me up on it. I'll admit that the Topshop shoes have a moc croc finish, rather than a plain finish - but personally I prefer that. Also, they're not leather - although this could be seen as a good thing, particularly for veggies. They have an ankle strap, rather than a "across the foot" strap, but the R&B strap is so high as to virtually be an ankle strap. And whilst I understand that some will prefer to pay the R&B price for an R&B shoe and that they may well be better made, for those who covet this style of shoe but can't afford them, then I think (and hope) that these offer an acceptable solution. They also come in a wine/burgundy colour, which is going to be a huge colour for the season.

Phew! You cannot imagine how much better I feel now that I've got that off my chest. Happy Bank Holiday weekend everyone! Beth x

They weren't a favourite and now they are. Fringed bags. Are you with me or not?!

When fringed handbags first came on the scene, I really didn't like them at all. They just didn't do it for me but as is sometimes the way with these things, they have steadily grown on me and now I'm on the look out for just the right one. Personally I prefer the softer shades of grey and camel - again I don't really know why that is but somehow I find them just a little less harsh than black ones.

This leather tassel hobo bag (£65) arrived in Topshop only this morning and the colour is gorgeous. The slight downside for me was that although the handle could be lengthened, it still wasn't long enough to be worn as a cross body bag. Also, whilst the fringing is 100% leather, the bag itself is made from nylon, which for its £65 price tag is not entirely surprising but I did feel a little bit conned when I rummaged under the tassels only to find grey nylon.

Now I've had my eye on this fringed suede bag from Mango (£69.99) for quite a few weeks. Today, whilst in Birmingham, I found it in our new Mango store. I gave it the good once over but decided to look a little further before making a final decision, namely at this one from....

....The White Company which is £129 (and which a friend expressly told me NOT to look at as I would fall in love with it. She may just be right.)  Although it's described as a clutch bag it also has a strap, so it can be worn as a cross body bag - and I do like having two hands free. It also comes in stone too, making it doubly lovely.

Mint Velvet has this gorgeous fringed cross body bag for £99 which is also a contender, although looking back over the photographs, I think that I prefer the ones with the flap over them.

And finally on my hit list, there's this equally gorgeous Jigsaw fringed cross body bag which is £98. I haven't yet seen this one in the flesh but I'm sure that it's only a matter of time.

So, I'll keep you posted. There are fringed bags anywhere and everywhere right now so do let me know if you spot a gem somewhere on your travels. Beth x

Wearing a lovely necklace from Yosa and some printed pants!

"Oooh, that's a pretty necklace" the seven year old observed several times during the course of the day, which I'm sure Rachel, who runs the online jewellery business Yosa would be delighted to hear. She kindly asked me if I would like to choose a piece of jewellery to feature on Style Guile and I chose this lovely Triangular Outlines Necklace which you can see below.

I love big, bold, bright, statement necklaces, and Rachel has a great selection of these too, but sometimes it's nice to wear something which is a little understated. If I'm not wearing a statement necklace, I tend to layer a few finer necklaces together but this necklace is a fabulous compromise between the two as it's substantial enough to hold its own ground without being too bling - and some outfits just don't need bling. Geometric shapes are going to be a huge trend for the upcoming season so this necklace also ticked that box nicely and will do a fantastic job of updating some simple dresses and tops.

Rachel has lots of lovely pieces including bracelets, ear-rings, bags and scarves as well as necklaces and she sends everything out beautifully wrapped. You can find her on instagram as well as twitter and facebook too. There are lots of amazing women out there running small businesses alongside running a family and it's fantastic if we are able to support them.

As to the rest of my outfit, I'm wearing the Felsted print trouser from  Baukjen (£69 in the sale) similar here (£109) which I bought just after Christmas, together with a Hobbs top, Whistles handbag and Adidas Stan Smith trainers. The trousers haven't had chance to make much of an appearance but I'm planning on changing that as they are so comfortable and easy to wear. Oooh and just look at that elasticated waist (which I'm hiding for that very reason)!

My Style Evolution in conjunction with Marks and Spencer - and it involves dresses (with sleeves!)

Many of you will already be familiar with Marks and Spencer's current campaign entitled "Style Evolution". M&S is celebrating women who have embraced style change at certain milestones and phases in their life. The campaign started back in June,  with six bloggers, including Amanda (the Online Stylist) and Rachel (Lady M Presents) who I consider as blogging friends, being invited to spend a day at M&S Head Office. What they got up to that day can be viewed on the Marks and Spencer website here. 

For the next stage of the campaign M&S have asked several bloggers, including me, to write about their own "Style Evolution". In doing so, we were asked to choose some pieces from the M&S collection, to include at least one dress from the current collection.

My Midlife Forties and Fashion Mum of 40 have already written their posts which I so enjoyed reading as, although we aren't dis-similar in age or stage in life, the outfits that we have chosen are very different - and of course reading about other people's milestones is always fascinating.

The knitted dress that I am wearing above is from Limited Collection. Now, for some reason, this dress isn't online. I can't quite work out whether that's because it has already sold out, or whether it's because the site hasn't quite caught up yet but what I can say is if you do come across one in store, it's worth giving it a try. Knitted dresses are going to be a huge trend for the upcoming season but more than that it's a) warm b) incredibly comfortable and c) not the slightest bit scratchy - all of which make it a total winner!

For my second dress I chose the Autograph geometric print dress (£39 down from £59). I love print and colour and this dress could be styled in so many different ways depending on the occasion. A blazer and heels would make it perfect for a meeting, or a pair of block heeled knee high boots would give it a 70's vibe. Also the olive and coral colours make a refreshing change to navy and black for work.

Wearing it with the Autograph open front cardigan with cashmere (£45) and a Marks and Spencer cross body bag gives the dress a different feel.

Autograph open front cardigan with cashmere (£45)

There was another outfit that I loved but I wasn't sure that I could pull it off, in the sense that it is very slim fitting and quite possibly a little unforgiving. I'm still going to give it a whirl next time I'm in town though - just in the safety of a changing room!

M&S Autograph funnel neck dress (£55)

Autograph open front line cardigan (£55)

As many of you will know, I turned 45 last month and I consider that to be a little bit of a milestone. Half way between 40 and 50. Hmmm. As to my Style Evolution? The older I get the more confident I get about my style choices. After all, what is there to lose? Women my age no longer have to wear pearls and a pleated skirt and there are plenty of women older than I am who are forging the way - still looking great, modern, fresh and as if they are having fun with their clothes. As long as I'm not treading on any teenage toes along the way or embarrassing my children (or not too much at least, that's what parents are for after all) then I'm happy. And I hope that you all are too.

I've been "blog bombed" by my photographer and artistic director!

I don't often hand the blog over to anyone else - although I'm very happy to feature anyone who would like to be on it. However, after it was suggested by Donna at I won't wear sludge brown that Matilda should take the blog over, I thought that I would introduce you to my seven year old photographer and artistic director - because without her things wouldn't run as smoothly as they do. 

Interestingly she's really not fussed about clothes. She just checks the weather, gets dressed and often tops the outfit off with her favourite M&S cardigan (above). She was most cross with me today when I was sorting out some of her older sister's clothes which I had kept for her. "Stop trying to make me interested in clothes " she said. (I wasn't. She has one pair of jeans that fit and that's not enough trousers for Wales, which is where we are headed next week.)

Matilda also dislikes taking photos. She says my shots are boring so to make them less so, we always do a "funky" shot at the end. "THIS is how you're meant to do it." she says. Sometimes we have to do a "fierce" shot or a "pop star" shot. I agree with her. They're much more fun and I think that a few more will be making an appearance on here. Although she doesn't really like taking the photos, she takes her job seriously. So seriously that she pulls ridiculous faces when she's taking them so that my grin - ridiculous as that also may be - is genuine. Which it is. She's great at going cross eyed. A trick I've never been able to master.

Her Onesie is another favourite outfit. We like our cosy things in this house. In fact I would go so far as to say that Onesies have influenced a lot of my fashion choices recently. But more about that in my next post.

And the best shots are the fun ones. This dress is one that she chose from M&S on our one and only shopping trip ever - the same trip that she chose her cardigan - and the cat print green dress in the top right pic below. I think that she looks like some slightly mad creature from a Roald Dahl book, which is quite apt really, given her name.

Now I know that many of you will be in the same boat as me tomorrow - finding out the GCSE results, so I hope that goes really well for everyone. Additionally I am tasked with the job of going down to school, collecting them, opening them and telling NO ONE the results (other than Mr SG) until Flo gets home from London tomorrow night. It's all under her direction and I'm terrified of cocking the whole thing up. I expect that I will have a stress dream tonight - turning up late, the wind whipping the results out of my hands, opening them and tearing them up inadvertently. I'm more nervous than if they were my own. And what I've realised is that, unlike most things in life that cause us stress, there's no point doing any kind of prep because it's all decided, which is weird. Often doing some research, getting a good night's sleep, wearing a nice outfit, having a good breakfast, listening to words of wisdom or the right music - all of that might help but not tomorrow. I can turn up naked and it won't make any difference. And now I'm waffling. See how nervous I am? I think that I had better go.....