When and why I bought new summer Gap basics …

As we all know I’m rarely short on basics and loungewear. In fact right now I’m also not even close to being short on sportswear either so why purchase two more new basics? Is this a shopping addicts cry for help?

What’s been the most interesting regarding undertaking capsule wardrobes in order to find my own personal style is sometimes not quite believing what you find.

If I get straight down to honesty as much I can talk about needing a great pair of jeans, or a structured dress my true happiness lies in soft cotton pieces that drape around me like the secret hippy I am.

I love soft brushes cotton, I love pieces that cling and fall and never strangle my insides and that’s why this year I picked up two new ‘basics’ because however basic they may be to you, to me they are an essential staple of my own personal style. 2017 is the year of fashion honesty as well it seems.

The culottes jumpsuit

A potentially controversial piece, when I first saw the blue version of this in GAP and my true style desire this uber soft pink one from Saturday/Sunday at Anthropologie I fell in love so quick and deep I knew that this was going to be the look for me this SS.

Before Christmas I actually purchased a similarly shaped number from the Next Sale, a loose blue beach pullover version I couldn’t have been happier with the shape on me. The tied up waist to give me much needed definition, the leg length I could work with flats, sand wedges and heels. I also love the ability to accessorise with a thicker plaited leather belt and a short in the waist structured jacket like this one+

100% Annie hall meets Indian jones but lets be honest I’m totally on board for that.

The casual jersey dress

There was a bit of a toss up when it came to this number in fact. One that I’m sure I’ll rectify with the next money off voucher whether to have this dress with the longer sleeves and v neck or to have it’s tied up sister in an almost navy blue. I ended up choosing this particular one for several reasons.

Firstly I love a good v neck it works perfectly on my body shape breaking up my heaviest area. 

Another plus is this came in tall, ensuring that yes this midi dress will be a midi dress on me! I’m also a massive fan of this baseball shirt hem … I’m looking forward to polishing this up with a jersey blazer and ballet flats and making it more casual with sandals perhaps in a great pair of leather wrap ones … on the weekend I can pop on a baseball cap, tie my chambray shirt around my waist with flat trainers for errands and coffee (tea) runs.

If I’m honest for my first two (besides sandals) purchases for SS I’m so pleased with them both. They add something insanely wearable and realistic to an otherwise daydreaming set of left overs from last year! 

When it comes to your basics be it t shirts and jeans or casual dresses or shorts and shirts what’s your go to basic every year?

Fashion | What to wear on a rainy Spring day…

The one thing I particularly hate dressing for whether it is Autumn, Winter, Spring or Summer is rain. Whether its cold outside (slightly easier) or hot (nightmare) being able to layer successfully, keep dry and look alright when you get to your destination can be a complete nightmare.

Now, honestly I spend more time researching this on blogs and Pinterest to say that I have found the ultimate solution, but I have at least found this one, Jeggings, a linen tunic (although whose to say I won’t wear it as a dress) a denim shirt and for more layers flat trainers/or waterproof boots and a lightweight jacket (I love either the khaki mac or a bomber jacket.) As when we took these photos it wasn’t raining (although it was supposed to) I also added this plush faux fur scarf from Zara last year, it adds quite a bit of bulk to my frame but I love it for feeling snuggled without getting too hot either.

All in all this outfit has been ideal recently as the weather gets warmer and we approach spring I think this might just be the way to go, light, airy layers all of which dry off quick!

Spring and Summer Fashion | Building Your Wardrobe around your LIFE, Activewear

Last week we kicked off SS17 with thoughts about building a wardrobe which works with the life we have as opposed to the one we see in magazines in blogs.

It’s been a turnaround year for me planning wise, but one which has ultimately helped me greatly. That actually, if I plan for the life I actually lead and intend to lead then perhaps I won’t spend hours just staring at my clothes but actually wearing them!

If we rewind back to my original capsule year I really worked on building my dream wardrobe and not just any dream wardrobe but one that would actually work with my lifestyle. While we bought a house, planned and executed a wedding however, I forgot the fundamentals of this practice, to plan, to develop and to keep my life in mind.

This week I want us to focus on “What’s needed to undertake all the tasks I do every day…”. Firstly a recap on the places I go every day,

–          Work (Smart/Casual Office)

–          Potential Meetings/on site/showcases

–          Drinks/dinner out

–          The Gym

–          Casual Weekend Wear

With that out of the way what does this lifestyle dictate? Well several things, I don’t need loads of pairs of heels, black tie clothing or anything over the top fancy. I do however note that I am looking for more timeless pieces, by fall this year I’m going to be 27 which is putting quite a few things in perspective (more on that in another post). For fashion I want to continue focusing on buying less but more quality items and on being realistic and considered with my money.

Quite frankly what I need to do is plan!

Lets start with the easy stuff, The Gym. Myself and Josh aim to go (every other week at the moment we seem to get ill but hopefully by summer we won’t get so interrupted!) every other day (roughly) So that is either four or three times a week.

I have read a lot about how when you start you have clean work out gear each day but how often that can fall to the wayside, however saying that, lets pretend I wear something clean everytime this is what I need.

Four pairs of bottoms & four tops and one pair of trainers, that’s it. Nine pieces!

Now because I also go swimming that will actually push that number up to a 13 pieces (2 x two pieces)

2 x full length Gap Gfit leggings

1 x 3/4 length Gap Gfit leggings

1 x Primark 3/4 leggings

Brie Bella “Bree Mode” T shirt

Next, boyfriend Fit active top

H&M grey muscle T

Adidas Purple tank

Nike Vomero 12’s

New Balance (basic Trainers)

Big Feet? Why you should buy your sandals now…

(Clarks Sandals Left+ Right+)

The sad fact of the matter is, if you are rocking size nine feet or larger, now is probably the first and last time you are going to be able to secure your summer sandals. Especially if you have a desire for flat, practical shoes.

In the autumn and winter you needn’t worry as quickly but in terms of the summer months? You have to make a plan and get your shoes tied down and fast.

If you think I’m joking I received my first pair in the mail last month (These cheap-ish flats from Clarks+ – I have sent these back, being as they are too flat for my feet) and after having decided they were not for me I found a further two pairs to send to my Mum and Nanna for inspection. My mum fell in love with the heavier soled pair pair whilst my nanna preferred the others and also informed me that she had bought hers two weeks prior!

See? It pays to get them in early, but why? because last year I didn’t get any, frankly because there were none! It seems that the unfortunate truth for any of us with difficult feet or bigger or smaller feet means far less choice, but seemingly no less demand. Therefore however much I wanted to wait them out for the next sale it just couldn’t be on the cards, although I may be keeping an eye on this pair+ just in case.

If you want to know about the two pairs I will more than likely review them later in the year. Upon first wearing they are both nicely cushioned and comfortable although even in the wide fittings they probably won’t be enough for anyone with very wide feet.

Fashion | The pink velvet midi skirt

Firstly one photo? Yes… one photo. When we took this photo it was just before it chucked down with rain and it was also freezing… I don’t believe my face does justice to how cold it was!

On the other side I’ve also been really struggling with blog photos of late. As we continue on our gym journey I’m really feeling and seeing a discrepancy between my body and how i feel inside, thats most likely a post for another day, but it does explain the lack of photos on this post.

I have been in love with midi skirts for a while now and while I have a gingham one for the summer months, when I saw this pink velvet number on sale in Anthropologie I knew it would be a worthwhile wardrobe investment for evening wear and the colder, winter months.

Although I wouldn’t say it photographs perfectly, in real life it is quite lovely! (Also I probably wouldn’t suggest the crazy thick jumper I’m pairing with it either – unless like me you were freezing, even under sherling!) For a night out a pair it with a thinner black top and blazer, this would streamline the look or for something more relaxed a simple white t shirt can never be forgotten! If I remember correctly I also got this on uber sale, reduced from £98.00 to only £29.99… bargain or what?

Life over fashion | How to plan a Wardrobe part 1

(I’ve already been scrolling through the highstreet looking for fashion inspiration… Although I’m still planning on channeling Lorelai from Gilmore Girls.) 

As we approach March, my favourite fashion planning month I’ve thought long and hard about how to have both fashion and clothes enjoyment whilst simultaneously having the most amazing LIFE possible.

I say LIFE in capitals because in order to compete with an array of full time blogs you often spend an awful lot of it, shopping, online and off when really you want to be on the beach or you want to be walking to the pub or going on a cycle ride. You shouldn’t have to choose. After all, shopping should be a teeny tiny amount of time in our lives and yet somehow, unchecked it quickly takes over. Just like I’m addicted to sugar to make myself feel better, I am also addicted to shopping as a cure. In my worst moments, I stop eating healthily, stop exercising and with it my shopping goes up and my LIFE (please tell me, are you annoyed by the capitals yet?) fulfilment goes down.

What I realise now, in emotionally shopping I’ve given up my life in the pursuit of ‘happiness’. Perhaps we are making it over dramatic, I still hang with Josh, still go out, I’m not a shut in, yet I can’t help but wonder if there is more out there for me?

Myself and Josh have made ourselves a bucket list. Following a rough year, 2017 for us is a recovery year. Making a long list, its simple living, lots of movement and exercise actually, far less hiding and far more exploring. Along with this we want to make the rest of our lives fall around our plans. I’m looking into compact cameras like this one+. (Although apparently the Panasonic is amazing from 2016 reviews*)  Finally having a camera we can just pop in a pocket and go? Amazing!

I want that same get up and go feeling from my clothes as well. After all, can it be that hard?

The key of it all comes down to planning of course. Planning can make the greatest wardrobe, this I’ve learnt from all my capsules in the past. Funnily however, it was the parts of the process which I missed out most often which I now find myself reaching for.

What does your lifestyle need?

We can go over the term need until we are blue in the face, after all, I know I have. However, it is the lifestyle needs I so often overlook. Recently I culled a Zara basket for instance, from 12 pieces I wheedled it down to these three but I still had to look at it and wonder, that top.. it’s a gorgeous colour, it’s a fun shape but actually what the hell would I wear it with? How often? Same with the sunglasses, I always wear cat eye glasses and usually the same three on repeat, the black ones from Tatler and their tortoiseshell sisters and my large brown ones from Urban Outfitters, do I need another pair of the same? I had also begun planning my look earlier in the year, purchasing a gingham midi skirt which is scarily similar to this new one from Zara (and I also have a feeling is the same skirt my boss purchased last year…) However, when I put it on I automatically reach for wedges or heels… the only problem being I’m a flat wearer 99% of the time so although I love all these flared skirts will they actually work for me in the main?

It’s really tripped me. Now as I look at the clothes that I already owned and what I’m looking at purchasing I have had to ask myself big questions… are these a dally day dream in terms of a look? Am I actually shopping for me and my life or thinking just in terms of blog content?

If anything blog content is often a decided factor when I shop too much on a whim. Whereas when I plan it out, it all becomes far more usable. So how do we become better planners?

Planning (part 1) 

Thankfully people like Caroline from un-fancy and Anuschka from Into-Mind have us covered in in depth plans to make our shopping so much easier, but there are plenty of ways to become more savvy when it comes to updating your wardrobe, or even starting from scratch. The key is to find a preferred method which works for you. Mine has come down to the simplicity of making lists;

Starting with,

What do I need to live my life to the fullest?

Beyond obviously thinking of what you want to do (go on walks, go to work?) you also need to know what clothes work for those activities. Kind of like not finding yourself in the gym wearing moccasins and a sundress. (yes, I witnessed a man working out in moccasins… it was strange.)

• Flat shoes/sandals for walking and running around the place (they need to be both smart and uber comfortable)
• Smart clothes for work meetings
• An outfit for going out onsite/showcases/events
• Work out gear for the gym/swimming/cycling/hiking (walks)
• Casual Saturday/Sunday Wear
• Cool, light layers that are easy to throw on (and also into the wash – no dry cleaning thanks!)

Then we move onto,

What pieces fit into my lifestyle, what’s needed to undertake all the daily tasks I wish to …

Now I could share that today, or…. I could make you wait till next week… because I’m mean like that right?

Till then!

*Also if you too are looking for a new camera? I’m in love with this video from Youtuber, Estee Lalondes wonderful partner, Aslan for all his thoughts… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s3Cpgf5RaE

Fashion | Big Sleeves & even bigger jeans

Unfortunately only the shirt of this outfit are available (although the jeans are from New Look and only cost, £7!) (the faux fur was from Zara before Christmas, the jacket was onsale from Anthropologie and the shoes are from, Barefoot Tess).

Really this faux fur waistcoat takes pride of place in this outfit. I waited it out on the latest Anthro sale (£30 from £95! Bargain!) I love how cosy it is and I also love its lack of sleeves! That lack of sleeves means I can wear these fantastic wide sleeved shirts which are all over the place at the moment!

Now this shirt is quite short in the body but it actually flatters me really well! (Although perhaps a little see-through.) I’m in love with white shirts in Spring and Summer so this has been a great kick start into the warmer seasons! Now onto these jeans, I bought these a little larger for comfort but actually they have wayyyyyy too much fabric on the crotch. Why are jeans so hard to find in a great, overall fit? A fellow blogger worked with Dorothy Perkins the other day on jeans and I couldn’t help but wonder, should I try out the classic bailey jean again? There is also a great instagram blogger I follow who’s been wearing thrifted paige jeans which look incredible and it makes me wonder, should I spend more on jeans? Are these high in elastic jeans actually good on fit or not?

Oh denim thoughts do they ever end? While I mull it over however, I would suggest that you all purchase a white t shirt with wide sleeves, great with skirts and of course jeans, fitted or oversized.

Shopping | Pre Spring shopping sweep…

Since Spring and Summer have less trends to follow the potential of pre planning a season of clothes becomes infinitely easier to plan for. Whereas Autumn and Winter always seem to cost me far more in terms of money they are far less cohesive and organised.

In Spring and Summer however I have had great fun in developing a firm and simple style which is easy to reinvent year after year. For the past two years I have kept focused on simple lines and patterns, often a mix of white blue and grey and in keeping with this I’ve been on the outlook of similar timeless items with a couple of stand out pieces to invest in more exuberant, timeless summers.

Here are a few of my favourite emerging pieces…

The simple, timeless and classic

These are pretty expected from me but its always good to have the odd classic piece to carry over year after year.

Gingham Dress: Tu, Sainsbury, Chiffon Shirt: Zara, Denim Skirt: Next, White shorts: Topshop, Blue rain mac: Sainsburys, Paris Haute top: New Look

White Skirt: River Island, Floral Body suit: Zara, Grey pencil skirt: River Island, Yellow backpack: Zara, Blue off the shoulder shirt: Next, Red patterned Skirt: Zara

Fashion | Winter Layers and dark denim

Pink Sunglasses: Tatler, Black batwing T shirt: Zara, Velore Kimono: Zara, Multi Knit Sweater Cardigan: George, ASDA, Brown Belt: Fat Face, Black Jeans: New Look.

Unlike most bloggers you might read, there is not one piece of this outfit you can buy off the high street right now. From free sunglasses from a monthly magazine to on sale denim from New Look 2015 its all about reusing those past seasons to make something new.

In terms of this look I have been thinking a lot about how to use the colder days to play with layers. Once it gets a little warmer I’m not such a fan of lots of layers, I get hot quickly and I like the freedom of running around unencumbered. So while its freezing (not necessarily so much right now) I’m making the most of it.

In terms of this particular outfit I wanted to play with proportion on the top. I love this jacket but I also know its perhaps a little too boxy for my figure. Trying to see how I could balance it out better I have layered my favourite black, velvet kimono from Zara underneath to elongate my figure where the jacket it cuts it.

One thing I have fallen in love with, within this outfit is the high waist denim and tacked in T shirts, this particular black one is quite voluminous so I tucked it in quite closely I love being able to look skinner than I am. Being an apple shape it is on occasion difficult to wear high waisted jeans because there is nothing worse than having a a giant arrow to the part of yourself you don’t want people to pay attention to and yet, somehow black denim hides an array of sins.

I wouldn’t say I’m a hundred percent sold on the jacket portion of the outfit, but I like the way the jeans and kimono out weigh its heaviness.

Fashion | How to make an outfit more flattering…

How to make an outfit more flattering? Its simple, its in those pesky details!

I have recently decided that I do know how to dress, I’m just not entirely sure that I know how to dress my body sometimes. An outfit can work great in principal or even on hangers but sometimes on our own bodies? Not so much.

What I’ve been desperately trying to learn is how to A, not buy unflattering things (It should be easy, why is it sometimes its just not?) and B, make something unflattering, flattering. You might be surprised to learn that actually it can be done and sometimes, easily!

Whats unflattering on me, is the current trend for oversized knitted sweaters, If I’m being real, really I should stick with a v neck, fitted sweater or thinner cardigans that nip my waist in, they are far more flattering on me and simple and yet… there is something so appealing about being wrapped in a thick, sweater. I bought this particular one in the H&M sale a couple of years ago and its perfect for cold, winter days! So how do I make it more attractive? Its as simple as the following three steps…

1. Alter the proportions

The shametuck is my first dressing, Bae. I feel like for my body I need to not have too many solid lines so by half tucking my sweater or t shirt it adds a little bit of flow and also does something similar to the next step…..

2. Distraction …

You know forever ago when we focused on distraction? Or better said, bringing attention to the parts we love and distracting everyone from the parts we don’t. Now I don’t hate my chunkier parts but fashion is a killer on anyone over a size 10. Pulling up my sleeves seems ridiculously simple but it draws away attention from my bust and also highlights where my waist pulls in.

The final step for this outfit?

3.  Make the shape that best suits your figure

Not only do I adore this faux fur stole from Zara last season but its the perfect finale to making my jumper go from frumpy to flattering. I find that having the v neck created by the scarf breaks up the wider parts of me and continues with the line from the shame tuck pulling all the elements together.

I am also finding that adding textures and different weights of fabrics also help in making an outfit more flattering when it might not be normally. It breaks up solid lines and diverts attention. Technically I should wear the heavier fabrics on my bottom half (your smaller parts can take more fabric) and wear the thinner, less complex ones – maybe with a detracting print on the top, but sometimes you need to wear something unflattering because you want to be warm, covered up and comfy, dressing rules be damned.

Fashion | How to compose an outfit and work with wide sleeves.

(very unlike myself, the moody photo. It gives all of us the laughs 🙂 )

Working with different lengths of clothing can make an outfit work better instantly. Clothing like art is all about composition and with the lovely wide sleeve having made a come back, now is the perfect time to work on your outfit composition.

When I was a teenager the style was for short tops and low rise jeans, looking at TV shows like Gilmore Girls at the time you can see how this made our silhouettes so boxy and because I grew up with that being the ‘look’ I sometimes forget the rules to dressing better and how to make an outfit more flattering.

Even if you are tall like me, making a slimline silhoutte works both for making yourself taller and slimmer. To create that line, you have some choices, in this case, the long, sleeveless blazer elongates my body making a cohesive line, even though its actually broken up between my skirt and my top. Furthermore the reason everyone should have a wide sleeve top in their closet is because it helps creating more flow. It reaches further down our arms (great for those shorter in the body also) and the wide sleeve gives more movement to the outfit which in turn adds to that length. no sharp cut off points!

To keep that length as well, this faux fur stole from Zara adds the perfect distraction as to where my skirt and top meet as the shape of it leads the eye down and over that cut in my middle.

If like me however, you need to at least give the illusion of a waist, belt outside of the jacket, or the longest part of your outfit, then either side of that line is the same keeping the overall length you are trying to create.

Fashion | How to wear a leather skirt to work & other fashion statements

(My coat is Zara, The sweater is Zara from two years ago, the shirt: Next, The Skirt: Next, Leggings: Topshop Tall, Boots: Long Tall Sally) 

As we were walking around the stores in London’s, Oxford Circus one of my best friends, Becky told me of how she had been on the hunt for a faux/leather mini skirt but that she wasn’t sure whether she could wear it to work.

The answer is, in some cases maybe not, but in a lot of cases yes, you can almost always wear whatever you want to work.

Since I don’t own a neutral leather skirt I’m going to improvise with this silver number. Interestingly I bought this skirt on sale for £10.00 in Kent but when I walked past Next in London, I saw the same skirt but not on sale! Even better, it is still available online in silver+ and even better for those of you like Boo (Becky) who would like it in Black+. (Its also not going to break the bank and is perfect for those who don’t wear leather.)

So the big question, “How can you wear a black leather skirt to work?”

The answer is quite simple. To make each piece in your wardrobe more wearable you have to pay attention to how you style it. The key, in terms of the leather skirt is subverting expectation of how this should be worn. We all have expectations as to how a skirt like this should look, worn with heels, worn out to drinks or on a date etc but for work none of this applies. For work it needs to be made smarter and so we need to add those elements to the skirt to make it more wearable.

In this case my friend, Boo (Becky) already has a lot of these in her wardrobe. Becky is a big lover of the smart, collared shirt for work and that is the perfect place to start the transformation…

I don’t often wear shirts like this because they don’t suit me that well, but imagine a smart, starched almost, white collared shirt tucked into your leather skirt with either a cute button up cardigan (and keep it buttoned up – I love this pearl embellished one from Zara particularly) and you instantly begin to look more polished. In this case, I’ve worn an uber thick sweater from Zara but a slightly longer one in a simple colour is great at keeping your outfit polished and put together. You also can often find that thinner layers look smarter than the thick jumper, if its a cold day, its worth saving your pennies for a long lasting cashmere sweater for these days. J Crew do an awesome array of super soft, cashmere for all occasions. Cheaper stores in the UK also include, Marks and Spencer & Supermarket, Tesco.

In terms of the shirt you can make the look more preppy by keeping it fitted and tucked in or loosen the look up by choosing a longer one that has a loose, less structured fit.

The roll neck/turtleneck

My bosses very favourite piece of clothing, the roll neck is also perfect for wearing with a leather skirt. Just take a look here+ at ASOS where if you search the word Leather skirt the looks available to you mainly involve that classic turtleneck look. This type of look also works because it makes you more covered up, something often associated with looking workwear appropriate. By covering up your chest and neck you balance out the over the knee skirt and appear more professional.

Of course, the best thing you can do is add a thick pair of tights, a boot (I prefer ankle boots but just under the knee works as well – over the knee less so). Better still, if you find a look that works for you, you can also wear it in different colours, for instance a black leather skirt and rollneck looks just as great together as this silver skirt will/would look with a grey rollneck.

White shirt from earlier (ASOS), Pearl Cardigan: Zara, Black Leather Skirt: Whistles (In the sale there was also a fantastic wrap leather skirt which was so tempting if I had more money to spend), another which looks amazing is this one+ from ASOS) 

Go longer

Another colleague of mine, actually the one person who made me so sure that you can wear a leather skirt to work, out at night and even to meetings is my colleague, Zip. Rather than the above knee number she sticks to a classic pencil skirt. I’ve seen her pair it with silk/sateen shirts to over sized chunky jumpers with suede tasseled ankle boots and she always looks phenomenal.

For something which is sometimes only associated with being sexy, worn only for dates and drinks and in St Trinians its actually a fantastically dynamic piece of clothing. On the weekend think about softening the look with a fluffy sweater, or give it some whimsy with a disney T shirt, or make it rock ‘n’ roll with a band T shirt, the options are endless!

Confidence 

The thing you need most is perhaps the hardest to find, confidence.

There is nothing quite like it when you want to make something work for you, whether its getting a new job or wearing a leather skirt to your current one, confidence will always be key. If you’ve not quite got it yet? The best advice is always, fake it till you make it and better still, the braver you are, the more comfortable you will become.