How to wear a slightly more challenging trouser shape....and EVERYONE should have one of these....

[Carvela shoes, Baukjen trousers, Topshop jumper, Reiss leather jacket, Paul Costelloe bag, necklace from friend]

When you're used to skinnies, getting away from them can be really difficult, especially when it's to a trouser shape that is more relaxed, printed and with a little width around the ankle. Flares? Not a problem as they're still fitted around the hips and thighs and with heels, they're a flattering style in their own right. Wide legged trousers? Again not a problem as they are classic and if the cut is good, they can be very flattering. But as for a bit of a half way house style like these? Well they are more challenging and here's why....

• They have an elasticated waist and a less sexy waistband I cannot imagine, other than maybe the ones with buttons inside like kids trousers but then no-one tends to know about those. On the plus side, when you're off out to dinner with a friend who makes the best brownies ever, an elasticated waistband is quite handy;
• The length - not ankle length but not full length either (selling them well aren't I?!)
• From the side I can look hideous in this style trouser and I should know because I've tried lots of them. Short and dumpy would be a good description;
• Quite often the fabric can be very thin, allowing for every wibble, wobble and dimple to be shown to the world. 

However, when I tried the Felsted print trousers from Baukjen (£59 reduced from £99 and which I must have had for about 5 weeks now) I quite liked them. The fabric was of a good quality and they fell well. Then I cut the label off them, meaning that I could no longer return them, at which point (of course) I became unsure whether I liked them or not. So anyway I just decided to wear them.  And having worn them, these are my conclusions/solutions:

• Cover the elasticated waistband (obviously) and no-one will be any the wiser;
• Heels will avoid the dumpy feeling - and I should know because I tried them with trainers and they looked hideous;
• Choose a quality and/or printed fabric, all of which will help with lumps/bumps/and spare bottom cheeks which seem to appear at a certain age;
• When I have time I might play with the length by rolling them up a little but the fabric is quite slippery so they would probably just do their own thing anyway.  And in the summer I am going to try a chunky birkenstock type sandal which will either work really well, or make me look well dodgy.

Personally I think that a coloured shoe would work with these trousers (wardrobe gap alert!) and having come across the Milly suede shoe at Jigsaw (£149, although the lipstick shade are £74 and I'm also sure that I saw purple ones yesterday) I think that they could work for lots of us for lots of occasions. Of course there are loads of other styles too - much trendier and New Look/Primark would be my shop of choice for those styles - but for a good staple, these are pretty impressive and the leather that Jigsaw uses is always really, really soft.

After all my hours of wardrobe construction, I thought that I would share my favourite one with you. It has some of my bags, most of my jewellery, scarves and going out shoes in it and sometimes I just go and look at it because I love it so much. When the world around me is a little chaotic, my cupboard is calm and serene. Which makes me very happy but equally a complete saddo too (but I don't care!) 

Lots of my bracelets/bangles and cuffs were from friends of mine so I take great pleasure in looking at them and thinking of my lovely friends too. I think that we could probably all do with one  of these cupboards in our lives - even if it's only a weeny one.

A pretty dress and heels, as a contrast to pretty scruffy cut-offs and a top...

 

Last night when I was putting the piles of washing away, I had a flick through my wardrobe and concluded that it was about time to dig out a few favourites that I haven't worn for a while. After all, there are only so many times one can wear shorts and a top before everyone goes "Oh look, she's wearing shorts and a top again. How exciting."

This Reiss dress I've had for probably three years now and it's always nice on a sunny day. I'm also wearing a Paul Costelloe clutch bag which one of my friends gave me for my birthday and some NW3 Hobbs shoes, which I bought at Bicester for about £30 instead of their £189 price tag.

I shall be up early every morning this week getting a few hours work in before the older two surface. However my 6 year old photographer will be taking some snaps of those favourites I have mentioned. I can't promise that I will wear the outfits for the entire day and once that pink front door closes, it's quite likely that those shorts will be donned again. But at least it makes for some slightly more interesting blog posts...hopefully.

Oh and I am trying as hard as possible not to look at the new season's collections that are filtering through because frankly, I want the sun to last for as long as possible and the thought of winter clothing right now is pretty horrific.  However with the "Fall" collections filtering through - you do realise that "Autumn" will soon be a thing of the past when it comes to fashion - I couldn't help but take a quick look at Baukjen and there, predictably, I fell in love with something, namely this jumpsuit, which is £99.  I like to think of it as a more stylish version of a Onesie. Now we're talking!