It's the sequinned top post!

OK - confession time, this is clearly an old photo - but I still have the top! 

If there's one top that screams Christmas it's my black - slightly naked of sequins - sequinned top from H&M, which must be going into its third or so year now.

True, it sheds sequins wherever I go but given that I love sequins - (not glitter....especially not when a child is shaking a pot of it. I still haven't got over our eldest spilling a pot of red glitter all over the house when she was about 4. I was still finding it in July) - then I don't mind at all.

Here's my round up of my favourite sequinned tops. Just add jeans, a pleated skirt, dungarees, wide leg trousers, coated skinnies, culottes - basically anything will go with one of these - and in any setting. Which makes it a really easy top to wear - despite it being all things shiny and not seeming, at first glance, to lend itself to anything other than fancy pants occasions.

Sequin top Warehouse (£42) which also comes in blue (below)

The trick to buying any sequinned top is to feel it on the inside before you buy it. Exfoliation is, as well all know, a good thing but not when you feel it being done all evening by something that resembles a brillo pad. Check for a lovely lining which will avoid that brillo pad feel. 

This same gorgeous top also comes in gold (below). I have given it a good once over and for me, this top is a real gem.

Now I love the idea of this asymmetric sequin top from Mango (£35) for a black tie event with some wide legged trousers and maybe even, dare I say it, with some trainers. Or if that's a step too far then some flat velvet shoes, if (more) sparkles aren't your thing. Then maybe wear it with jeans or with a skirt on Christmas day.

                              
    
     
Now there are sequins and then there are SEQUINS and this turtleneck from Other Stories (£49) definitely falls into the latter category. I love this top. It's just divine! Please someone buy it and send me a picture of you wearing it.

This Oasis sequin tinsel sweat (£38) is also a fabulous option. I first saw it when I went to visit the refurbished House of Fraser in Sutton Coldfield. It's slightly less fitted than some of the other options and maybe slightly* less bling than some of my other choices.

I cannot convey enough my love for a sequinned top, shining like a star in an otherwise dark and wintery wardrobe. It always holds such promise of a fab night out!

* this is a relative term because all sequinned tops, by definition, are bling.

Your arsenal of winter warmers....things are not quite what they seem

There are not many things in life that I would say that I'm the Queen of but when it comes to layering, that crown is well and firmly on my head thank you very much.

But this post isn't about the obvious that we reach for to keep us warm in the winter - the scarf/hat/gloves/thick jumpers/duvet. Oh no. It's more about those pieces that we can layer under, or over, what "normal" people wear, so that we still look like we're wearing a "normal" outfit and so that we don't have to go around looking like the Michelin man from October until April.

I've come up with an arsenal of weapons to help fight the cold. These I bring out year after year, literally, and they are a fail safe way of making summer clothes last into the winter and to stop us from having to wear winter clothes into the summer.

Modal long lace vest Jigsaw (£29)

Let's start with a vest. A vest is always a good place to start when it's cold. The Jigsaw vests are lovely and comfortable with a nice lace detail, straps which can be altered plus they come in about 9 different colours. They are particularly great if a bit of vest is going to be peeking through - say at the neckline of a denim shirt or something.

M&S cotton rich strappy vest (£5)

Then for the every day work horse type vest, you can't beat good old M&S, or H&M (who do long line ones), or Next. A vest is the first piece of clothing that goes on after my undies. You have to start layering early on in the construction of an outfit. 

Thermal ankle length leggings from Marks and Spencer (£12.50)

You may not know it yet but you absolutely need these babies in your wardrobe if you want to wear a midi dress and do an ankle flash at any point in the year beyond, say, mid September. I bought some from Primark and they key is to have them loose enough around the ankle so that they can be turned up. Thermals poking out from beneath the hem of your dress is not a good look. Nope not at all. But one sadly that I think I may have participated in inadvertently :( I had these on as part of the above outfit.

Long sleeved jersey top H&M (£8.99)

So then I quite often (no, pretty much always) have a long sleeved cotton top over my vest. Last year I bought a stack of scooped neck ones from H&M just like the one above. I must admit that on the day I wore the above outfit, I didn't have a long sleeved top on as it would have been a bit bulky under my dress and it might have shown through at the neck. But they are definitely necessary about 75% of the time.

H&M ribbed polo neck jumper (£9.99)

Now a ribbed neck polo is the best thing against the cold. Fitted but not too tight is the order of the day. It's a great layering piece under all of those summer dresses that run out of steam come the end of September. And with a vest to go underneath it, plus thermal leggings, you're absolutely sorted. They're also fab under dungarees. 

Boden cashmere cropped cardigan (£98) or Boden favourite cropped cardigan (£50)

Trust me. If you feel the cold, you really need one of these cropped cardigans from Boden. There are two choices, the cashmere one and the favourite cropped cardi, which is 80% cotton. Mine is never far away from me and although it's rarely on show, it's working behind the scenes underneath a biker jacket, adding an extra layer of warmth. I'm wearing mine as part of the above outfit but it doesn't add bulk and no-one would ever know. A layer over the dress, as opposed to underneath it, also stops the dress from becoming too tight. 

Faux fur gilet Oasis (£55)

If you've got a coat that needs a bit of help in keeping you warm, a fake fur gilet like the one above does the job brilliantly. Coats can be hard to layer up because there's often not enough room in the sleeves, which is where the gilet comes in. It adds warmth to your torso but means that you can still get your arms in the sleeves. True, depending on the fit you may not be able to get your coat done up but if the gilet has a fastening that's that problem sorted. Equally they look good layered over a biker jacket. 

Uniqlo  ultra light compact jacket (£49.90)

Finally, although I don't have one of these jackets yet, I've always thought that they look such a good idea to have squirrelled away in your bag. I've seen my friends dive into their bag to pull out what I thought was going to be a tissue, only to produce, magician like, a coat. For those days out in London where it can go from freezing to really warm, one of these would be perfect.

There are various heat tech type garments available which I may investigate another time for those truly freezing days but for now, I've stuck to what is pretty much available in your standard shopping centre.

I hope that this post is helpful for those who, like me, long to look like everyone else whilst their fingers are in fact turning white and their nose, blue. It doesn't have to be about the bulk to keep warm and stylish, although on some days there's no denying that there's no substitute for a thick jumper. But the rest of the time, we can wing it. (Just like many things in life!)

Me & Em - winning basics in gorgeous fabrics

You know me, I'm not really a designer girl at heart. True, I love a good handbag and I can't deny that I love comfort and quality but I also like mixing those pieces with bits and bobs that make my heart skip a beat - and quite often I find those brighter, blingier, neon, pieces in places such as Topshop and H&M.

But I've always loved Me & Em and when it first started, I remember lying in the bath reading the catalogue and coveting the pieces. So when an opportunity presented itself in my day to head to Me & Em and try on a whole range of pieces that I've admired from afar for years - well it would be have been crazy not to take advantage of it. I must confess, it was a dangerous expedition and I came away thinking that life would be so much easier if I could just buy everything from there. The quality, the cut and the fit are fabulous.

Hello grinning idiot! I completely fell in love with this skirt and this jumper which I think I could wear pretty much all winter long. I've included some clearer images of both pieces, below.

Fluid front frill skirt Me & Em  (£169)

I love this skirt styled with these biker boots. It just makes it a little less girlie than if styled with heels - and a whole lot more edgy but also accessible on an every day basis. It scoops down slightly at the back too, also making it just a little less "twee". In the photo above, I'm wearing a size 8 so I'd say it comes pretty true to size. 

Cashmere slim fit roll neck Me & Em (£249)

And this red cashmere jumper is just beautiful. I've been looking for a red jumper for a while now and this was the perfect shade of cherry red. It didn't come home with me - but I'm still plotting! I'm wearing the size 6, which was great as I didn't want anything too oversized. Sometimes over sized is good but only if I'm balancing it with a fitted piece elsewhere - and generally heels of some description too. Otherwise I can look like I'm wearing someone else's clothes. Not that I'm averse to wearing other people's clothes - my friends have some lovely pieces.   

Detachable scarf knit dress Me & Em (£189)

I have a knitted dress that I dig out every winter, particularly when it gets really cold and I love the versatility of it. This dress is 86% merino wool and 14% elastane and it's not in the least bit itchy, which is always the danger with wool dresses. Nor is it too thick for those who are concerned about over heating in wool. This dress would work well for a smarter event with statement jewellery or with a leather and biker boots, or with a blazer for work. And the detachable scarf enables several different looks to be created, which is always handy in a "no I'm not really wearing the same dress again" kind of way. 

And with the scarf, below. Now I know that there's no denying that this dress is fitted but it didn't cling, or fall, in such a way that I felt that I had to breathe in when wearing it - which is always a relief. I'm wearing my usual size 8 and it didn't feel too tight.

Oh and the trousers are just amazing. I've been looking for some wide leg trousers for several winters now but I've found either that they're really baggy around the hips and bottom as well as in the leg - thus giving the impression of a clown, or they look more like a boot cut than a wide leg. These though are fitted around the hips and waist, slightly slouchy and with plenty of width in the leg.

Pinstriped tux jacket Me & Em (£299) Pinstriped wide leg belted pant Me & Em (£169)

I'm wearing the jacket here, together with the trousers. The jacket is slightly too long for my frame /with this style trouser but I haven't worn a suit in years so it was nice to try one on. And I think that the combo of the sparkly top and pinstriped trousers makes them more wearable for the everyday. Well, provided that you see sequins as "the everyday". Doesn't everyone?!

These trousers are obviously way too long for me but I loved them, so I've bought them and they have been shortened so that I can wear them with flats. I'm just waiting for the right moment to get them out and about. Again, they came up true to size, which is a real bonus given how much the sizes can vary both across, and within the same, brands.

These trousers are the same style as the ones above but they're called the "Flannel wide leg trouser with belt" Me & Em (£169). I'm sooo tempted by these too. They are so comfortable, a fab colour and just a refreshing change from skinnies.

I would say that these are my favourite picks but honestly, everything is so beautifully designed that I have many favourite picks from the collection. If you're ever in the area, I would definitely recommend going into a store for a try on. Everything that they say in the brochure is so true.