The jumper that we all need in our Wardrobe

Honestly, you may not think that you need a pink jumper but you absolutely do. I promise. Even if you don't like pink, you really do need a pink jumper. This is even more so if you don't like sparkles, Christmas jumpers or Fair Isle ones - all of which are in abundance at this time of year.  They go so well with denim and all of those navy, black and grey pieces that we wear at this time of year.

I posted the above picture on Instagram a while ago and asked people if they had seen any fab pink jumpers this season.  And this is the response that came back...

The Oasis cable knit (£40) seemed particularly popular. If wearing it with a midi length embellished skirt of the party variety, just tuck some of the front of the jumper into the waistband in a nonchalant kind of way, so as to keep the proportions right. Equally this would look great with coated skinnies and wellies for those winter walks that we all avoid like the plague look forward to on a cold wintery day.

This Oasis pink turtleneck (£30) offers something slightly more lightweight for those layering occasions, or if a chunky style is just too heavy for what you're wearing on the bottom half. The scalloped neckline  and hem make for a really pretty detail.

For something a little sport luxe, this Burford cashmere hoodie from Kitted in Cashmere (£139) is just lovely. Again it can be worn with a party style skirt for a high/low look, or  leather leggings, or luxe track pants. This jumper also comes in this amazing shade of pink, which is really "Wow" in the flesh.

This Burfood hoodie is a "one size fits all" jumper too - making it the perfect Christmas present.

If a slightly more subtle shade of pink is more of your thing, then there's the HUSH Helen jumper (£69) which isn't quite as full on as some of the more neon ones that I've suggested above. This is a great, easy style to wear too. Layer something underneath it, or over it, tuck it in, leave it out, lengthen it with a white shirt peeping out from the bottom, add a scarf if you prefer a higher neckline, jazz it up with sparkly jewellery - it's just so versatile. 

I've noticed that chenille, that fabulous fabric with 80s and 90s connotations, seems to be having a revival. So for those who like the idea of some texture and would rather avoid anything with wool in it, there's this hooded jumper in cerise chenille from H&M (£29.99)

And I love this Chunky knit jumper H&M (£19.99). It's very insta worthy in a "wearing it with Mom type jeans and sky scraper heels" kind of way. Over sized, overly long sleeves with a great high neckline, it's fabulous.

For an investment piece in something luxuriously soft, there's the Mimi cashmere jumper from White Stuff (£89.95) which was also drawn to my attention. It's such a vibrant shade of pink - love it!

And then I just had to go and do it didn't I? I had to go and lower the tone by including a jumper that was not only pink but also sparkly and with a Christmas theme. As you can tell, this was all my own work! It's the Topshop Christmas sequin penguin jumper (£36) and I fear that it might just have my name all over it.

Now do you believe me? You see, you totally need a pink jumper....don't you?!

A white shirt - the ultimate weapon against the sun's rays!

 

Another piece of weaponry in my armour against the sun's rays, along with a hat and sunglasses (not that I mind this particular battle) is a white cotton shirt. I brought several away with me and the one that I am wearing here is from White Stuff. I've had it for a few years but it's one of those things that I often gravitate towards on the hottest of days, for its crisp coolness. I know that some prefer a sun top or a vest style top but for me, this is one of those occasions when the ironing involved is definitely worth it!

By rights I should now be back in the UK, so this is the last but one post of holiday outfits. Hopefully the weather at home should allow me to continue with some summer wear. I'm keeping my fingers, and everything else, crossed.

Mum on the Run - Running away from that tricky issue of bikini buying.

This weekend has found me in all sorts of surreal situations. It started off on Saturday when I was at a cheerleading competition in Bournemouth. Loud music, flashing lights and about 1000 screaming girls all before 9am was just a bit too much by way of sensory overload.  As our daughter wasn't competing until 11am I took myself off into the town where I found myself trying on bikinis, which frankly was even scarier than the cheerleading competition.

After that I headed to Claire's Accessories as I needed some "fashion" tape, so that I could stick my dress to myself to avoid flashing my assets to the world. The assistant in there looked at me like I was bonkers when I explained what I was after, despite having just served four men who were buying pink tutus, blonde wigs and fairy wings to wear to the beach without batting an eyelid. Anyway, I finally found what I was looking for in the lingerie department at M&S.

So, back to the bikinis. After baby number 3, I decided that a bikini would never be something that I would wear again, so I parted with all of mine. However I prefer a bikini under a wet suit and as we are off to Cornwall next Monday I thought I ought to at least investigate them.

Never one to spend hours on searching for something (unless it's for someone else) the Evita and Eva (blue) bikinis from White Stuff found me last week.

I felt that the shape of the bikini top could offer the requisite support and uplift required and I like a bit of a 1950's nod. The online reviews were good and so having located a top in our local store, my husband has kindly offered - OK agreed under duress, to make a trip there this week to collect it.

I have already secured the bottoms, which in fairness (to them) didn't look as bad as I thought that they would. Sometimes I think that the desire for additional coverage results in a granny pant kind of bikini bottom, whereas a briefer one is actually more flattering. No, it wasn't something I believed either but it's true. I'd draw the line at a thong - in fact I'd draw the line way before a thong. I'd probably draw the line at a string tie at the side but that's partly because I'd be worried that it would come undone.

Despite it having a different name, I am pretty sure that the Eva is the same style.

The only difficulty with this bikini top is that it doesn't come in a cup size, so unless your back and bust size are a standard size 10, 12 etc, the fit may not be right. Having tried the 8, I know that it's too small in the cup but the 10 may be too wide around my back - so I'm just waiting to see how it all comes together after Mr SG has been to collect the top this week. Bless him!

On my journey through Bournemouth trying to find my "fashion tape" I came across the Kelly Brook range in New Look. I had a quick peruse of the collection and thought that it came in a good range of cup sizes. The top below comes in a size 32B to 36F, although there is also a 34G, so it may be that there is a 36G too, which is pretty impressive, especially for its £16.99 price tag.  Being designed for a slightly younger market, I found the bottoms a bit too Betty Boo and frilly for my liking. In fact I could imagine the kids having a good old laugh if I turned out wearing the bikini bottoms designed to go with the top, so instead I matched the top with a plain pair of turquoise £3.99 bikini bottoms from New Look.

There are of course hundreds of brands that sell swimwear, with M&S, Boden, Bravissimo, Sea Folly and Speedo all having good ranges. It's very much a case of trying on and seeing how you feel on the day and of course the magazines are always awash at this time of year with guides as to which shape bikini suits which figure.  The comfort of trying on in your own home is always a good option, where at least you have control over the lighting/mirror/time of day that you try things on.  Whether my White Stuff bikini comes good remains to be seen. As for the New Look one, let's just say that there's a little issue of sizing to be resolved. And possibly shape. I think it's probably best if I leave it there for now!

On the Run - Nearly, but I just couldn't quite bring myself to do it...

It nearly happened but I bottled it at the last minute.  The plan was to wear a dress or skirt for our street party this afternoon but as the day went on and the sun retreated behind the clouds I, once again, wimped out and wore trousers. 

The plan was to wear red, white and blue but as I don't have any red trousers, I opted for my White Stuff pink ones (note to self: don't have photos in pink clothes taken in front of pink front door), Hobbs NW3 shirt and as a nod to the "golden" part of the celebrations, I wore gold wedges. As you can see, it was all accessorised with a Union Jack.

This was our son's contribution to the street party - a chocolate cake which he always makes all by himself, although I am always under strict instructions to get the exact ingredients that he wants for the topping. This time it was Maltesers. I must admit responsibility for the awesomely awful Union Jack!

So, on to the Union Jack scarf competiton winner! Pat Shergold is the lucky winner and once I have received confirmation from her that she is happy for me to share her entry with you, I will do so. Thank you so much to everyone who entered - it's so lovely to hear from you all and I am only sorry that you couldn't all win.

So, on to some exciting news about Style It Light, a new fashion blog that has been set up with Look Magazine, Marie Claire and InStyle. Along with the guest bloggers from Marie Claire, Look and InStyle, I have been asked to contribute some articles each week.  Apparently I was shortlisted by the Marie Claire team from the blogger awards and invited to get involved.  It's both an exciting and slightly nerve wracking opportunity and I wanted to  thank everyone who voted for me in the Marie Claire fashion blog of the year awards earlier this year, as without you this opportunity wouldn't have come my way. To be honest I am not sure exactly what it entails but I will be sure to keep you posted!

So, now that the jubilee celebrations are well and truly over it's life back to normal. I think we all need to make plans for some further celebrations - I don't know what the reasons for them may be but as far as I am concerned, any excuse will do nicely!