Happy Christmas - The Seven Outfits of Christmas

 Skirt from Hush (£65), Boots Jones (now £120) sequin top & Other Stories (£49 - almost sold out) Earrings Kaaren Buchanan (£68 - gift)

I had such great plans for the blog this week but as you can tell from my absence - none of them came to fruition. However I didn't want Christmas to come and go without wishing you all a very "Happy Christmas." I also wanted to say a huge big "Thank You" for reading and for your support along the way. Style Guile will be going into its 8th year next year and I know that some of you have been with me from the start. Without you all it wouldn't be here - so thank you! Hopefully next year I will be able to make time to blog more (famous last words) so I should get to chat to you all a little more regularly. 

I love Christmas Eve - it's probably my favourite day of the year. But I'm really conscious that for many, Christmas can be a difficult time. A "first" Christmas after anything sad has happened must be upsetting, so I want to let you know that amongst the merriment tomorrow, I shall be taking a moment to reflect and to send out virtual hugs to those who need them.  

As I haven't managed to blog much - OK, at all - I thought that I would do a quick round up of outfits from the week, together with a couple of other shots. After all, Christmas is about friends and family as much as the outfits.

This week, I've managed to get out early most mornings with my running friends. Those times are so precious to us all and we love getting some fresh air, some exercise and having a chat. It really sets us up for the day. This shot was taken on top of a railway bridge near to my home, just as the sun was rising. It was such a beautiful sight and just stopping (phew) and taking a moment to think about the run that I had just had with my wonderful friends was a really special time. 

Last Sunday we went to see my Mum and her sister and that too was such fun. This is a photo of her sideboard, which she had set up for Christmas. I felt that it captured the essence of Christmas when I was young, perfectly. So many people liked this post on Instagram that I have wondered about handing my account over to my Mum. Forget the fashion - it's all about the mince pies, the cake frill and the Quality Street. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion and so many people commented and identified with this post. The cake frill in particular had lots of love!

And this was my Mum's coffee table, complete with my Aunt's slippers in shot. You can tell that the children had been at the Pringles.

I seem to have been on my feet a lot this week so it was pretty much flats all the way. Dungarees and a new blouse from one of my favourite brands, Mercy Delta (which they kindly gifted to me) was a really comfortable outfit for a full day of Christmas shopping on Monday.

Our eldest daughter is working in John Lewis at the moment and we spent hours in there, taking every single item to her till just so that we could see her briefly. We also took her for lunch and although she was working, it was a really special day for us all. She loved having us so close. Sometimes people can be horrible to shop staff at Christmas (and some can be lovely) so it broke up her day and although I always chat to shop staff, it acted as a reminder to be super nice to them.

I took our youngest to see Alice in Wonderland earlier on Tuesday and I wore this outfit from Great Plains which I wrote about in my last post. This time however I wore it with trainers from Air & Grace together with a huge scarf from Jaeger which I've had for several years now. It just gave a slightly different twist to things. And I'm still quite traditional when it comes down to what to wear to the theatre/ballet/carol service. It would be wrong to pretend that I had made a huge effort but something other than jeans feels right on those occasions.

On Wednesday I was again in jeans and trainers, which were from Air & Grace. The weather has been so mild that the issue of socks (or lack of them) really hasn't arisen. This coat from Linea at House of Fraser is also perfect for this weather and it adds sharpness to an otherwise very casual and "un-tailored" outfit. Note to self - I must wear some more skirts and dresses.

More sparkles - this time from & Other Stories. And surprise surprise, I'm in (old, Gap) jeans (hence the lack of link) and Adidas trainers -again! On Thursday I had some friends come round for brunch and it was lovely to just sit and chat - particularly as they were my running friends and most of our conversations are interspersed with "Can't talk now, I can talk at the top" or "Ooh this really hurts today" or, as in the case of this morning "I thought that somehow running on Christmas Eve would be easy." Why? Who in their right mind would actually think that, let alone voice it?! (Well apart from me.)

And on Friday I was in....yup, jeans and trainers! These jeans were from Whistles a while ago now and are generally on the tight side, so the fact that I managed to get them on and keep them on all day was a result. I don't know why I decided to do double denim but I like this shirt from Zara and I haven't worn it for a while - so it kind of seemed like a good idea at the time.

We had 9 for dinner that night so there was lots of running around to do, hence the trainers. As we're going away on Boxing Day we had to start our Christmas food celebrations early, so as not to have any left overs. So, our Christmas pudding has already been eaten and the trifle already made and eaten too. I should have photographed it - the cut glass trifle bowl is from my Mum and it's a beauty. I figured that the trifle didn't quite look the same after the first portion had been served.

And look! I'm not wearing trainers! Although I am wearing jeans (Mango from nearly a year ago) and a sparkly top (again) - this time the Great Plains Suraya top (again limited in size). This is clearly not a place to come for outfit inspiration - unless you like jeans, a sparkly top and a splash of colour in accessories.

And then here we are at today and I'm wearing the first outfit. To set the scene, the children and their friends are watching Harry Potter and the Snowman will be on soon, which I love. The tree lights are on, the table is almost set for tomorrow and shortly we're off to Pizza Express before coming home when I will read "The night before Christmas" to the "children". On Boxing Day we're heading for some sun so next time I appear on here, it may well be in a bikini. And if that's not an incentive to keep off the mince pies then I don't know what is. Well, apart from turning a blind eye and breathing in, which is what I will probably do in reality.

I hope that you all have a truly special Christmas. Do come over and follow me on Instagram if you would like to see what I am up to - you can find me here And if anyone is feeling a little blue or in need of a chat, please do just drop me a line anytime. See you on the other side!

Wearing what I own already - a novel concept that I'm sure a few of us could adopt.

When I was in a particularly hallucinatory tonsillitis induced state the other day, I dreamt that Martin Lewis, the money man, was talking to me. He was trying to hypnotise me into thinking that the Adirondack II Ugg boots that I have my eye on would be better off left on the shelf.

He told me that I should imagine looking down at them on my feet and that I should think how much happier I would be if they weren't there, that the money would be better off in the bank and that I could manage with some old boots that I have. He then asked me what I thought of what he had said to which I replied "Don't be such a flippin (actually it was a ruder version of that word) idiot" and I walked off. I used to quite like listening to what he had to say. Not any more.

I think that all of this came on the back of plan - not a resolution because they're a bit looserish - to wear everything that I own in my wardrobe before adding to it any further. There will be exceptions - new boots possibly being one of them - and no-one likes to live by a strict set of rules but I figure that there are probably one or two new outfits that I could make out of what I own already.

So taking things to the extreme, the coat that I am wearing above is 10 years old. I bought it when our eldest was in year 1 and  in two weeks she will be 16. Argghhh. The Jaeger scarf is a couple of years old and I'm wearing a Whistles tube skirt,  Zara boots and a Marc Jacobs bag because I realised that if I didn't get out of sloppy stuff sometime soon, not only would I have my own TV series about never leaving the house, I would also have a parallel one about always wearing the same outfit.

And I thought that on such a dull day, it would be nice to share with you all a bunch of flowers. Hope that you like them!

How to look good naked...but I think that I prefer these ladies with clothes on! (From Warehouse, Coast, Karen Millen, Dune, Ted Baker, Jaeger)

 

Yesterday evening I was working with the Solihull BID  at the Mell Square Shopping Centre and specifically, with House of Fraser. The photo above shows the seating area where I sat and chatted to my ladies. Put together by the interiors team, I would quite liked to have picked it all up and taken it home with me.

These were part of the team with whom I was working.  Boy were they heavy (sorry ladies). Dressing these models was so tricky - their arms kept falling off, they wouldn't bend or move in the way that I wanted them too, I kept groping their boobs (and apologising to them)!  I have so much respect for the VMs who work with them on a daily basis in the confined space of shop windows.

The models were to be dressed in work wear so I wanted to include a dress option and a trouser option, print on the top half, print on the bottom half, colour, texture, matching bag and shoes, clashing bag and shoes, open shoes and closed shoes, together with classic, and more on trend, pieces.

Model 1 wore printed trousers and a pale blue lace top from Warehouse to reference the pale blue in the trousers, a Ted Baker mac with Dune shoes and bag - very matchy, matchy - but they could easily be separated out.

I love Dune for their range of inexpensive but stylish bags. They have a lovely coral one plus some nice tan and black ones too.

The great thing about these trousers is that there are so many colours with which to work. I felt that the print of the trouser and the texture of the top demanded a simple, classic shape in a coat.

The shoes are black at the back. I like the closed toe for those who don't feel that open toed shoes are appropriate at work. Love the leopard print lining in the coat too!

Model 2 sported a little neon and black number from Coast -which almost looks like a skirt and top option - together with a softly tailored jacket, also from Coast.

The leopard print bag is from Biba. I fancied introducing a print as a black bag, whilst safe, was a bit too predictable. The patent shoes were from Kurt Geiger.

I wanted to break the neon pink up, so chose this large linked necklace from Karen Millen. I like this necklace for work. It's really versatile and has a good weight to it, with just a little bit of bling in the smaller links.

Model 3 wore a printed kimono style jacket from Yumi, a cream Warehouse top, Episode trousers, Dune shoes and a Jaeger bag.

I love the colours in this softly tailored jacket as there are so many different ones that could be picked up elsewhere in an outfit. It would also be great with jeans at the weekend. The Warehouse top has a slight texture to it and the necklace, which picks up the brown shades in the jacket, is from Ted Baker.

I love this Jaeger bag! It's as near as it needs to be to the shade of blue in the jacket and the shoes pick up the coral in the jacket. The shoes may be a bit high for work but maybe not. The trousers are a lovely fabric - nice and drapey with just the right amount of room in the leg.

Ladies, it was lovely working with you - even the ones that were rigid and not very chatty!

Not a skinny jean or oversized scarf in sight - but totally overdressed for the pub!

A couple of nights ago now I went out with a group of friends to the pub. My thought process as to what to wear for the night went like this (I was in the shower at the time) "It's half term so I've been wearing jeans a lot. It would be nice to wear a dress. Oh I know, I have that Jaeger Boutique dress that I didn't really mean to keep and haven't worn so I'll wear that whether it really works or not because otherwise it's a waste."

With only little time to spare, having put it on I then decided to go for a pretty full on lipstick in terms of colour and then I added into the mix leopard print shoes AND a fur coat. Which is how I came to be totally over dressed for a trip to the pub - to the point that I didn't stand up once all night in case I drew attention to myself. But you know what? I'm glad I did it anyway as at least I've worn the dress now and it was definitely a change from jeans!

 

Swapping skinnies jeans for a flared pair...

 

Today just felt like the kind of day for a flared jean and some heels. I bought the jeans from Jaeger Boutique in the sale a couple of summers ago. They are high waisted and very supportive - in fact I used not to be able to wear them as they made me feel faint, which wasn't really very good at all. They are OK now though and having done a long run today, I felt the need for clothing which would hold me upright and which would prevent me from collapsing like a jelly on the floor. They did the trick up until 7.45pm and then I gave up on clothes in favour of my Onesie.

Being of the chilly persuasion, I also wore a Cos chunky roll neck and my Primark fur gilet which is great for the school run and nipping in and out of the car. I find that if my torso is warm, I can cope without wearing sleeves and the lack of fuss and flapping of a longer coat is always welcome!

These red patent Kurt Geiger shoes, which were also a sale purchase a while ago now, made a nice change to boots and their chunky heel works with a flared jean, more so than a thinner, more delicate heel - especially in the day time.

As much as skinny jeans have a big role to play in my life, some days only a flared jean will do and there's no denying that their shape definitely makes you feel more elegant and elongated. I suspect that over the next few seasons we're going to see more of them making an appearance so get ready for them....the bootcuts will be back!

If there's one thing that I would like in my life right now...

If there's one thing that I would like in my life right now it's one - or maybe all four but that's a little greedy - of these cuffs from Jaeger (£65). I like jewellery to have something about it - whether it's smaller pieces layered together, or one more significant piece like this, if it doesn't make a statement, I don't really see the point in wearing it (sentimental pieces aside of course.)

The orange one is lovely and bright and would make a nice addition to a grey, navy or black outfit. It has enough about it to turn a very simple black jersey dress into something very stylish. I think that the orange is appropriate for the whole Halloween/pumpkin thing that will be going on soon. So that's the orange one sold to me!

I love the richness of this purple one for an evening out. Worn against a gold or black sparkly top, with black velvet skinny trousers and heels, it has quite a decadent feel about it. It reminds me of the berries that we saw when walking in Dorset this weekend - so that's a purple one sold to me too.

Now I know that not everyone likes their jewellery to stand out, so this subtle grey one would be perfect for those who don't like the idea of a bright orange one - and who prefer to know in their own minds that they have something lovely lurking under their sleeve, without advertising it to the world. I love this one for its simplicity - so that's the grey one sold too.

And the black one is just beautifully simple. I'm not really a head to toe black girl but for those who can pull it off, wearing a piece like this with their black outfit, especially with the gold detailing, can look uber chic. Not that it has to be worn with black of course. Yep, I wouldn't say no to one of these either.

What would you like in your life right now and why do I fear that I may regret asking that?!

Jaeger - Taking a look at some favourite pieces, which currently have 25% off with Grazia Magazine

It just so happens that in this week's Grazia, there's an offer for 25% off at Jaeger. With that in mind I thought that it would be a good idea to take a look and see what Jaeger has to tempt us with this season and to bring you some of my favourite picks.

 

For anyone shopping in store, you will need to take the voucher from Grazia in with you. However if you are shopping online, just enter the code GRZA25AW at the checkout to claim your discount. It's valid until 10th September.

 

Just a word about Jaeger. Traditionally it was a twin set and pearls type of brand. The brand that your Mum would head to at the age of 45 when the hair started to turn grey and box pleated tartan skirts were the order of the day. Now, however, it's up there with Reiss and Whistles in terms of some of its pieces, particularly those from it's Boutique range. And the skirts these days are more likely to be of the leather and neon tweed variety, rather than the box pleated tartan skirt variety - although they do have a rather fetching leather buckle mini skirt, similar one to my Mum owned many years ago. 

 

There are lots of fantastic pieces in this season's collection and I think that it's worth taking a whizz around the site, even if it's with a view to identifying the pieces that will inevitably end up in the sale after Christmas. I like making a "hit list" of things that aren't actually affordable in the real world but which may become so, either in a sale or even in a couple of years time in an outlet.

 

The colour of this suede biker jacket (£399) is fabulous. It's a really beautiful colour on lots of skin tones and adds a real punch of colour to a darker winter wardrobe. Some may think that they would tire of it quickly. I take the view that if you love it at first sight, you will probably love it forever (just like one's husband really!)

The boucle biker jacket (£250) offers a traditional fabric in a modern style. This would be a really versatile piece - going from the office, to the evening and the weekend with ease. There's a skirt to match this particular jacket so for anyone looking for a modern twist to a skirt suit, this could be a good option. There are going to be lots of those around this season though, so it's worth just bearing that in mind.

The leather trim pea coat £375 is a classic style which won't date over the years, even with the addition of the leather trim. I love pea coats which look great done up, with roll neck jumpers, skinny jeans and loafers for a preppy look or open, with a big printed scarf, leather trousers and heels for a more modern look.

For anyone on the look out for some fancy pants trousers, perhaps to wear to a winter wedding or to wear at Christmas when something just a little more luxurious than jeans may be required, the animal jacquard trouser £165 could be perfect. They could be taken down the silk shirt/blazer/heels route for a smarter look, or down the sweatshirt and chunky heeled ankle boots route for more of a daytime look, or down the subtle sparkles and fierce heels route for the evening

This yellow cable knit sweater £160 would go brilliantly with jeans, navy, black or grey trousers, with a flippy skirt or one of the wider skirts that are around this season - either worn a size larger for a slouchy look or nipped in at the waist with a belt for a more fitted silhouette. It's sunny, smiley and fantastic for a bleak winter's day.

Jaeger has not only this leather skater skirt £250 but also a selection of leather pencil skirts too. I have a friend with two teenage daughters and her husband hates skater skirts with a passion. I'm not really sure why. Something to do with their length/arguments about their length I suspect!   Anyway, that aside, a skater skirt can be more flattering on some shapes than a pencil skirt and arguably, easier and more versatile to wear as their shape is less formal.

I'm really quite excited about this Italian wool metallic skirt £160 which is on my list of things to investigate tomorrow after the first drop-off of the new term. It has a pretty metallic thread running through it which adds interest to it and with its flattering shape and good length, it could be a wardrobe winner. I would wear it with fitted jumpers and earthy colours to pick up the rose gold of the zip.

The Sally jersey dress £80 has been around for a few weeks now but it's a cheeky little number. The colour is really vibrant and it could be worn with bare legs for now and then with thicker tights and boots as it gets colder. Biker boots would be good, as would a heeled shoe boot.

For a more formal event, I love the elegance of this crossover front dress £225 which comes in several bright colours. The black band at the waist is really flattering and for those who prefer some element of coverage on the arms it would be a god-send. Given where the sleeves end, it would lend itself perfectly to a jewelled cuff or bracelet.  

For a smart/casual top, and with sweatshirt styles still featuring this season, the Jamie Lace Sweater £60 is a nice option. With it being a slightly more relaxed fit, it lends itself to a more fitted bottom half - either a pencil skirt, skinny jeans, or anything without too much volume in it - unless you happen to have the build of Alexa Chung, in which case anything goes.

Taking a quick look at accessories, the Jennifer bag £99 has more depth to it than this picture would suggest, which is good for those of us whose purses are full of receipts and who carry around various (non) essential items "just in case". It was so popular last year that it has been re-issued in several different colours this season. This emerald green looks great against those dark coats that we all have hanging in our wardrobes.

I like the Tortoiseshell cuff £50 as an alternative to leopard print. It still does a great job of pulling brown and black pieces together in an outfit but it doesn't have some of the negative connotations that go with leopard print - which I don't hold but which I understand. The gold studs are a nice touch too.

Finally this Leather cuff £65 comes in four different colours. I love a good leather cuff to add some edge to a simple outfit and the metalwork on this one is good and chunky!

I like a discount and I think that a 25% discount has the ability to make (some)things that wouldn't otherwise be affordable, fall into that almost affordable category. I hope that there are one or two things here to help you kick-start your winter wardrobe.

On the Run - Doing a bit of a wardrobe up date of my own!

July was meant to be the month where I didn't spend anything on clothes but I have changed it to August instead. It doesn't seem right to stick to a principle for the sake of it and the sales have been so good...

Having come to the realisation that quite a few of my pieces had passed their best, I decided to practice what I preach so, here are the results of a morning's work in which I topped up on some basics. I have stuck to a similar colour palette throughout, bearing in mind that I have grey and teal jeans already and a lot of navy - so everything should work across the board.

Jeans  - These are the Jaeger Boutique high rise wide leg jeans which I featured two days ago. Reduced from £125 to £35 in Selfridges, I thought that they were a great buy. They are very long but given their price, I am happy to pay to have them altered.

 

Zara Boots - Reduced from £79 to £30, I also featured these a few days ago.  I like the colour and the height of the heel. I haven't worn them yet but they will be getting a good spray with some protector spray before I wear them.

Blazer - Another Zara purchase, I found it in the more casual section. It too was in the sale, reduced to £30.  Try as I might, I couldn't peel the labels off to find its original price. Such as shame as I always like to know what saving I have made!

I thought that the blazer was really well made and loved the green trim on the inside, together with the breast pocket.  I always wanted to whip a warrant out of my inside pocket, Cagney and Lacy style!

Every day skirt - I spotted this in French Connection and really liked the print on it.  Too short for now, I will wear it with thick tights and ankle boots in the colder weather. This was also in the sale and was significantly reduced.

Smart day dress - Bought in the Boden sale, and as featured yesterday, I liked the blouson style and also the collar. I have only had a chance for a quick try on so I am not sure whether it will be a keeper or not.

Here is a closer shot of the print. I quite like the idea of picking up on the yellow/green tones in it, for a change.

Breton Jumpers - Again, spotted in the French Connection sale.  This jumper also comes in lilac but the prices of the different colour do vary.  They are a great fit - a decent length in the body and the arms and with some cashmere in them they are very soft.  They were half price, so again a good buy.

Zara blouse - Another sale purchase, it was around the £20 mark.  I have had my eye on it for a while. I really liked the print and it will go well with grey or teal coloured jeans that I have, as well as blue ones.

Here is a closer shot of the print - it's obviously fairly light and girlie so the skull shaped buttons are a nice contrast - and being gold you don't really realise from a distance that they are skulls.

We are going to a friend's birthday party on Saturday night and I bought this dress from Reiss at Bicester at the weekend. It was hugely reduced from something like £179 to £70 (ish).  I love the vibrant green colour and the slightly grecian feel about it.  As it is a stand alone piece, it doesn't really need to work with anything else in my wardrobe, so the bright colour was an added bonus.

With a poorly ones on our hands, I don't have time to get to the shops to acquire the necessary decency tape, so I am hoping that my friend can take some along and meet me there with it, otherwise it could be a bit of a disaster!

I also picked up this Coccinelle leather cuff from Bicester for £18. It didn't have its original price on but I would imagine that it was probably at least twice that.

Finally, the Boden leather jacket arrived today. I think that it will look better with a body in it! I haven't had time to try it yet but I will let you know how it fits.

The other item that I bought was some half price navy trousers in the Cos sale, to replace the ones that I wear a lot and which are looking a bit shabby.

The only problem is, since buying these pieces, the Jigsaw sale started. Fortunately (depending on how you look at it) being away next week means there isn't enough time to get anything delivered before we leave.  But I might just bring you a few pics instead of some pieces that it would be nice to have...