How a few tweaks and a knot can take a top from the beach to the town...

The last time that I wore this J. Crew dress I wore it on the beach and at its full length. With it being such a beautiful day yesterday, I really wanted to wear it again but it just looked all wrong for a trip to Waitrose.

On the beach the dress was fine but out of context I felt as though it looked as if I was wearing a dress that was far too short for me, even though I had denim shorts underneath.  Not one to be defeated, I tucked the back of the top underneath itself, grabbed the front, tied it in a knot and off I went. Now admittedly, having made the top shorter I ended up with more leg on show than if I had worn it as a dress but somehow it worked better. I think that it looked more intentional and less like I had left the house without really checking the length of my dress.

I'm also wearing Amirah flat shoes from Banana Republic which had their first outing yesterday. I bought these when I was in New York in June for about £20 and there are similar here in silver for £49.99, reduced from £75.

I also really like these Aiden D'Orsay flats from Banana Republic (£69). What I hadn't appreciated until I wore my shoes for while is that they have padding under the ball of the foot and a memory foam system, which makes them really comfortable.  As in really, really comfortable so I will definitely see what Banana Republic have lined up for next season.

Re-working pieces is a great way to make your wardrobe work harder for you - whether it's layering something underneath, or over, something else chopping your old jeans into cut-offs (which mine are above), belting an item to change its shape or length, or committing an act of sacrilege by knotting a a J. Crew dress to make it into a top, thinking outside the box opens a whole host of wardrobe options.

Giving the J. Crew beach tassel tunic its very first outing (at last)!

Just a quick OOTD today as at last the sun has been shining and we have been able to go out and about. Today we went to Sark, which was absolutely beautiful. I haven't been for many years but it was just as magical as it always was.

"I feel like Anne of Green Gables" I shouted as I whizzed down the lanes on my bike.
"You don't look like her" came the witty reply. But really, Sark is like a mixture of Anne of Green Gables and the Famous Five.

However this is an outfit that I wore yesterday when, for the first time during our two weeks away, the sun actually shone. I bought this embroidered tassel beach tunic from J. Crew when I was in America a few weeks ago and I was really happy to be able to wear it. It's quite good for Guernsey because the fabric is quite substantial so it just about kept the breeze at bay.

Last day tomorrow and the sun is predicted to shine. For anyone coming here next week, it looks as though your luck may be in!

How to wear shorts when the temperature doesn't really warrant it (and it doesn't involve American Tan tights)....

Despite the fact it's not the warmest right now, I still want to wear shorts. So how to get around this? Layer up on the top half, that's how. Today's ensemble (the word "outfit" would attribute to it a sense of style or organisation that it didn't really possess - other than the scarf which was a lovely present from a lovely friend) consisted of the following layers:

• M&S vest (not seen - be grateful!)
• J Crew striped top;
• Denim shirt (knotted at the waist);
• Zara sequin jumper;
• Bright scarf - later used as a coat when it got chilly and I'd left my coat in the car;
• Yellow petit bateau coat, for when it truly threw it down.

With that lot on my top half, it was hard to feel cold on my legs and in fairness, when the sun did choose to shine, it was warm enough for shorts - not like that whole February LFW thing when all the celebs are so keen to show off the new season's fashion that they flash their pants despite the snow. 

I have always loved Cath Kidston and Cath and Guernsey are another match made in heaven. And Cath at a beach kiosk, well, it just had to be done. I bought this bag in Selfridges on the morning that we came away, having seen it in there the day before. If I'm honest, I think that I fell in love with the luminous pink. Bet no-one saw that one coming. All due credit for the mercy dash to get the bag has go to Mr SG who, despite not being remotely interested in such things for himself, totally gets it. Apologies for the random foot, which appears to be mine.

I've linked to the Cath Kidston bag online, despite the fact that it's out of stock, just because there are further details if anyone did want to try and track one down.

White jeans - a summer staple or a style nightmare?!

Having taken the outfit shots and having loaded up the photos, I'm now going to be incredibly unhelpful and tell you that the white jeans that I'm about to write about aren't actually available online. Sorry. However I do have a plan, which you can find out all about later in the post.

Yesterday I bought three pairs of Whistles jeans (I know, ouch) - one white, one navy and one black, all of which had between 60% and 70% off. At full price they would have been £285 (well they wouldn't because I wouldn't have paid that) but I ended up paying about £115 which isn't to be sneezed at but they will last me for many years.

So, back to white jeans in particular. Tricky little beggars aren't they? And here's why:

1. White acts as a highlighter not only drawing the eye to the area on which its worn but also adding pounds in the process. Perhaps not the best case scenario for one's thighs;
2. They can be see through;
3. This means that not only can you see pants and pockets BUT;
4. Others are able to witness any areas that may not be quite as smooth as they once were (oh all right then - cellulite);
5. Too tight and they can be a bit yuck and too loose they can wrinkle horribly around the knees - and as you can see above, wrinkles in white jeans really show.

I've tried a few pairs of white jeans this season - GAP skinny with rips, GAP girlfriend, Hush and the ones that I wanted to try, Baukjen, had sold out in my size by the time they went into the sale. However with two UK based holidays approaching, I just thought that some white jeans might lift my mood when the rain sets in!

I had nearly given up on white jeans when I came across these Whistles ankle length ones yesterday. They have plenty of stretch, they're thick and supportive, the rise isn't too low and so in the end I just threw caution to the wind and went for it. I know, living life on the edge again. 

So if you too are on the hunt for white jeans, it might be an idea to take a trip to a Whistles store. If there's not one near to you, customer services are usually really good at trying to track items down and they can be sent out to you.  For info purposes the ones that I am wearing are a 26". The good thing about Whistles jeans is that they come in some in between sizes too, so a 27 (size 9) and 29" (size 11) too which is handy to know in general.

So, white jeans, yes or no? Too impractical or a great option for a lighter summer jean without losing the warmth that the weather suggests we might need.  

Shorts and pom poms in New York City!

Our recent trip to New York was the most amazing experience for the both of us. Our lovely Flossie finished her GCSE's on Thursday afternoon and by 9am on Friday we were heading over the Atlantic. She relished the plane journey where she could sit and, for the first time in months, not do any work. I relished the peace and the fact that I didn't have young children in tow! 

When it came to packing, I stuck to an almost neutral colour palette of black, navy, white and cream. Any colour came in the form of nails and friendship bracelets. It worked so well that I will be replicating it on our summer holiday next month. 

Over the next few days I will share a few outfit shots from our trip. Hopefully I won't irritate everyone to death in doing so! 

This was my first photo on US soil, whilst waiting to go through immigration. I travelled both there and back in my Topshop boiler suit (£65) and it was perfect (despite what people think about "going to the loo" type issues!) I also wore these Aldo Draedia shoes, now £25 in the sale, and my new M&S Collection bag (which still doesn't appear to be online), went everywhere with me. It was the perfect size for our map, my star clutch which had money, credit cards etc in it, suntan lotion, wipes, plasters, sunglasses and a denim shirt in the back pocket - just in case! I would thoroughly recommend it for anyone vaguely tempted.

Before I went away, I had my legs sprayed to make them a lesser shade of Persil white. Having said that, I have a feeling that most of it was deposited on the bathroom floor of our hotel when I got changed after arriving. Nice!

The pom pom embroidered tee from Topshop (sorry, can't find that online either) that I am wearing, arrived just in time and I'm pleased that I made the effort to go into town to collect it before going away. The scalloped shorts were from GAP last summer and you can find similar here

Unbelievably, given the temperature by the time that we left, it was actually quite chilly on the first day, so this Jigsaw pom pom scarf (£59) came in really handy. I think that I was killing time here in Victoria's Secrets whilst someone was trying bikinis on. Given how many pom poms I was wearing, I gave some thought to the collective noun for pom poms. I wondered whether a "dangle" of pom poms might work?

Later in the week, after one or two (OK about five), trips to J.Crew, I bought this striped top (£47 in the UK).

More about the pink sandals in my next post!

However for now, I'll leave you with a picture of one of my favourite sights - right from the top of the Empire States Building. It's just stunning - and terrifying - up there.

A trip to London, a peruse around J. Crew and some cheaper alternatives.....

On Saturday I went to London to meet my friend who lives in Brighton. Whilst there, I tried on this Reiss quilted jumper in ivory (£79) (below). We both really liked it but, after thinking about it, I concluded that it was too much to spend on a top that I would probably wear in a really casual way and anyway, I already had a white sweatshirt  (above) which would do much the same job.

Roll on Sunday and I decided to wear my white sweatshirt just to see what I thought. As the end of the day was nearing, I concluded that the Reiss one would, in fact, be very handy to have and as it was a bit smarter than mine I could wear it in a slightly different way.

So we sat down to our evening meal of home made burgers, home made rolls, salad and home made ice-cream (all thanks to Mr SG), the latter of which I doused liberally with salted caramel sauce (the ice-cream that is, not Mr SG). The trouble was that before it even reached the ice cream, I doused myself in it - and what I mess a made. And then, in taking the sweatshirt off to give it the fairy liquid treatment, I managed to get the sauce everywhere - up the sleeves, down the back, on the inside. By the time I had finished with it the top looked like a baby had projectile vomited (and the other) simultaneously and it was at that point that I realised that for once, just for once in my life, I had actually made a very good decision in not buying the Reiss top for had I done so, I would most definitely have been wearing it at that point.

Obviously whilst in London, a visit to J. Crew had to be on the agenda. Now I don't want to be a party pooper, and more than anyone I understand the joy that clothes can bring, but we did enjoy our game of spotting where else we could find less expensive alternatives to what they had on offer. Banana Republic, GAP, Zara and Topshop featured. Of course some of the things are lovely and it's great to see a successful brand but as with anything that has such a strong brand identity, it's important not to get seduced by that, rather than the clothes on offer.

Now one of the items that has featured quite a lot recently is this J. Crew jewelled bib shirt (£495). It's pretty much sold out on line so there are obviously plenty of people who can get their heads around spending that much on a shirt and I have to say, not being one of them, I'm pretty impressed by that.

But for those who can't imagine spending that on a shirt, this H&M  embellished shirt (£29.99) would probably do just fine.

You could even sew a few more embellishments on it to make it sparkle a bit more AND, it would leave £465.01 to put towards this Dulcie coat from Shrimps (£595) which is very covetable.

Anyway, whilst in London I wanted to try this H&M beaded sweatshirt (£29.99) which I had seen in the window of our local store last week but which I hadn't had time to try. When I put it on my friend said "Oh my God, you look like you've been inflated." Which naturally left me very deflated but on looking in the mirror I couldn't argue. The fabric was stiff and the shape wide but on others I wouldn't rule it out - it just might work.

And whilst I'm on the subject of embellished bits and bobs, this H&M  grey beaded sweatshirt  (£24.99) could do a good job of adding a bit of bling as the nights draw in.

Some transitional pieces to see you through the next few months...

For the first time since the New Year, today I was back in the shops, shopping for an event which is on Saturday. There were some great sale pieces which I picked up, so I'll try and share those with you in day or so.

I've also taken a look online finding some new, and some sale, pieces that appealed. These are things that could be worn now and which will also go through into the spring - so nothing too dark (other than the black dress I have included!) and nothing too heavy - but rather things that can be integrated into a wardrobe pretty easily.

Still on the theme of sweatshirts which, for their warmth, I prefer to fine knit jumpers, there's this Floral jacquard sweatshirt from J Crew (£148). Quite often I will spot the things that I like and then file them away in my brain, waiting until I find a similar, but less expensive, alternative - so I'll let you know if that happens! Being a girl who has lots of navy in her wardrobe, something like this would slot in quite easily.

I love the vibrant colours on this Paisley silk T, also from J Crew (£98) which I filed in my brain only for a day or two before I came across...

...this alternative in Zara (£22.99). Granted the colours aren't as vibrant but neither are they as pale as the picture shows. Clearly the Zara one won't be silk either but it will do the same job as the J.Crew one and for a quarter of the price, it's definitely worth thinking about.

Predictably this Fluoro pink bag by Zatchels at Atterley Road (reduced from £60 to £29) also caught my eye. It's the type of bag that would work well now against darker coats but also on into the spring and summer. Being a cross body bag it's a brilliant style and great price too.

I think that it's fair to say that these metallic heeled loafers from Jigsaw (£84 down from £169) are quite "Marmitish". I look at them from the perspective of them having a heel (good) which is sturdy (good) and not too high (good) all of which works for the hours that I spend walking around town. I wouldn't wear them with skirts or dresses - they are more of a trouser shoe - but I do like the fact that they are an alternative to boots come the spring, that they are metallic and that they were designed in conjunction with Patrick Cox -that loafer designing genius of the 90's!

As you know, I currently have my eye on bomber jackets and this one from All Saints (£91 down from £228) is a good starting point. The sleeves and trim are burgundy, rather than brown, but I'm waiting to see whether it gets reduced any further.

GAP has a few bombers which are new in and I'm waiting to see their floral one too, which I think might be a hit.

I liked this dress so much that there's one on its way to me. As you can see, the bodice on the Atle dress from All Saints (£68.50 down from £98) is quite fitted but the skirt is a jersey fabric so it's soft and not too structured. For anyone tempted, a word of warning - this style comes up tiny, so it's necessary to go up a size. I have an evening out coming up soon so I am hoping that this will do the trick. It can also be layered up for the winter and then on through into the spring and summer.

 

Finally, these shoes from Faith, reduced from £60 to £30 are a really good buy for anyone after a mid height leopard print court shoe. Oh, that would be me then!

For anyone heading into the sales - good luck. The stores are marking down again so now is the time to find some real bargains. If they don't have your size, don't be put off - ask about inter-store transfers, postal sales or get friends on the case for you. Where there's a will there's a way!

How to make a statement in a statement necklace - with a selection from Zara, River Island, Marni and J. Crew

The more I play around with clothes and accessories, the more I realise that certain things are pretty much guaranteed to elicit a response from people. I find this really interesting because it's almost as though humans are pre-programmed to respond to certain things in a similar way.  

 

Most often it's the colour of something that will bring about a comment. This is closely followed by whether something is sequinned or shiny. Other things that people comment on are if there's an unusual juxtaposition of pieces and of course handbags and shoes are always hot topics of conversation - but I suspect that's more of a girl thing than anything else!

 

When I added the coral necklace that I am wearing in the pic below to my outfit just prior to going out the other day, my sister in law commented how much it made a difference and how it took a Breton striped jumper to a whole different level. And that's what I really like about £12.99 purchases from H&M - and any other fairly inexpensive purchase - they can make all the difference.  

 

 

 

The photograph above features in the September edition of Essentials Magazine. The magazine contacted me to ask me whether I would mind the photograph featuring and next to the shot they have re-created the outfit. The funny thing was that I was wearing sunglasses because it was at this point in time that I was sporting my black eye (for anyone who doesn't know the story I chose the wrong time to become involved in a game of catch between our son and my husband.) Bad move.

 

On the basis of being asked to feature in Essentials, and because I'm fairly certain it would have been in part due to the necklace, I thought that I would do a round up of some necklaces that are available in stores at the moment. As the years go on, the choice gets even better so if these aren't for you, I'm sure that there are plenty that will be.

 

Kicking off with my old friend Zara I love the colours in this necklace which costs £19.99. The chartreuse colour looks great against a plain navy, black or grey jumper.

 

For something altogether more floral, Zara has this necklace for £29.99. Again, great for perking up a plain jumper, or a LBD for a night out.

Turquoise can look stunning, particularly on people with blue eyes and this necklace from Topshop (£35) would be fantastic for adding a splash of colour to an otherwise very simple outfit, making it very chic.

 

Another turquoise option is this Kate Spade necklace which I saw at Bicester yesterday - sorry, I can't remember the price but I think that it was around £70.  

 

A necklace with a ribbon tie, instead of a chain, like this one from River Island £12 is great for wearing underneath a collar on a plain blouse.  It's a brilliant way of giving a whole new look to a trusty wardrobe staple and the length can be altered to fit your own needs.

J Crew has a fantastic choice of statement necklaces. The colours in this floral necklace (£139.90) are so pretty I want to eat it. It's the kind of thing that would make me smile every time I wore it, which with it's bright and cheery colours, would be a lot.

The J Crew crystal fan necklace (£122.94) comes in the colour way shown below (soft pink) or warm orchid, which is slightly more autumnal. As the drop falls to more of a point, it is a good design for drawing the eye into the centre of the body, and down, which is really flattering.

Marni does beautiful jewellery. I took a quick look in Marni when I was at Bicester yesterday and they have some incredible pieces. They use resin and acrylic a lot in their distinctive designs which are reminiscent of times gone by. The necklace below is on sale at the Outnet  for £137.28

Many of the brands now do a selection of statement necklaces each season and some brands, like Whistles, will do the odd collaboration. I will often look to H&M first, along with Topshop, Oasis and River Island. Sometimes though it's more a case of not looking too hard but instead browsing shops on holiday and waiting for something to fling itself round your neck shouting "buy me, buy me." Then you know you're on to a winner.