Points for uniformed dressing . . .

In the last two weeks I left my car unlocked. Not a big deal I hear from you, but it is, when you own a 2006 Honda Civic. Why am I telling you this? Because not only have I killed our formally perfect car but also, my dress sense.

Of course the fact that I also have to make my fashion decisions at six in the morning probably doesn’t help matters. So for pretty much the last two weeks I have worn my clothes almost like an eighties kid wore a mullet. Serious in the front, party in the back.

To try and save myself from yet another impending clown outfit I did what any self-respecting girl would do in an emergency, I reverted back to my old style ‘uniform’. A classic combination of a blazer and jeans and the best fitting t-shirts in my closet I felt as if I was at least semi armed to attack the rest of the week but if there was something I never fully considered it was the shoes.

I have been trying to be more sensible with my footwear choices. More support, more flats and better quality, again this should never have affected two weeks of dressing the way it did. Only my weather and sensible shoe confusion led me down a path lined with so many bad decisions (hello knock of vans with cropped boyfriend jeans) that I’d rather not count or admit to them.

But these two weeks did teach me something about my current style and that’s, a, sometimes you need a uniform. A look you can pull together with multiple items and still know that it’ll make you look fabulous and secondly girl work out your shoe situation and make the ‘good’ shoes more easily visible at six in the morning. Your eye sight really isn’t as good as it used to be.

Now comes the tough part of course, working out what my best uniform could be . . .

Worst nightmare.

 

Lets be honest here folks. I think this dress has been secretly (and sneakily I may add) been getting shorter over the last year. I am pretty sure that when I bought it it was a tiny bit longer and that makes me sad because I love this damn dress. and to a slightly lesser degree its yellow counter part. In fact I kick myself for not getting it in black as well!

See its one of those dresses, always cute, always summery, loves me on my fat days and my skinny days alike looks good with flats and with heels. I just . . . what will I do without it? For a £15 H&M dress its gotten more wears than most in my closet, bar perhaps my Zara jeans. Guess that gives me an excuse to buy a new summer dress right?

So tomorrow is the beginning of our little Easter break! Me and the bear (Josh) are really looking forward to some down time. Which of course includes a house clean (the lazy girl in me made me spray down the en suite the other day while I was in the shower. That probably make me all kinds of strange and wrong. But a lazy girl’s gotta do her cleaning when she can be bothered!) probably a trip to Rochester to grab a coffee and walk up and down the street, throw in a bicycle ride and a BBQ with friends and we have one great weekend planned!

 

 

Day to Night Sports Luxe

(I assure you my heads not really twice the size of my body – I think . . . and hope quite frankly . . .)

Snood: Next, Blazer: F21, Top: Next, Jeans: Dorothy Perkins, Boots: New Look Find my go to make up look here+ 

 

 

I have a love hate relationship with these boots. Firstly I bought them on a whim when I was addicted to having as many pairs of ankle boots as is humanly possible! Now that was great before I hurt my metatarsals and found that all heels hated me and that flats were the only way to go. So couple that with the endless rain we found ourselves having I literally lived in these boots!

So now if I can avoid them I try too which is silly because I have really worn them in nicely now and they look quite good with this get up. This outfit I think is great from going from work to night I feel like I can wear this for date night as well as the work day which in my mind is always a keeper! And also, who can pass up an opportunity to wear an uber comfy tee like this one?

Tomorrows outfit today . . .

 

Top: Next, Bag: Accessorize, Jeans (Eden): Dorothy Perkins (The ones I’m wearing are their regular length rolled up one I am 5ft 10 3/4, Heels: New Look, sadly I couldn’t find any similar? what!? – if you do find any please do link them in the comments and I’ll add a link up here!

 

 

Today I am in leggings and a tunic something like this . . . In the middle of the working week you ask? Why yes, yes indeed because today I have been living the dream and have been out shopping for Phoenix and the Lions Spring Antique and Vintage stock  at Newark’s International Antiques and Collectors Fair. We spent a grand total of five and half hours today collecting some really great pieces for the store and man do my feet want a break!

In fact on the topic of feet I have been missing my heels with a passion! I have lived in flat boots, converse and ballet pumps for so long now that I will do (almost) anything to put on my heels again. So of course date night with the boy has become a weekly thing just so I can wear my many heels for a few hours! (not all at the same time of course – that would be silly . . . or genius?)

Luckily this weekend we are going away to Oxfordshire with my family to celebrate my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary! So not only do I get to spend time with my favourite people in the world but I also have an excuse to pull out my heels again (and tower over Josh – He must love me!)

Until then for what we got up to (with limited internet I may add – the horror!) Check out the official Phoenix and the Lion Twitter page! we found the cutest pigs that have a fantastic story that’ll all be revealed soon!

 

psstttt . . . I’m wearing this tomorrow! (god forbid I explain the title! – it’s been a long day . . .)

Tough Love and Cut Backs

I’m having to be careful because I can feel myself slipping again. Slipping back into those bad buying habit shoes. So for the rest of the month it has been re-decided that I need to teach myself some tough love and clamp down on spending again and maybe into next month as well. It happens gradually and I have begun to see where the problems lie in momentary purchases . . .

As a perpetual shopper I have learnt increasingly bad habits over the years since leaving the little town of Hitchin (where clothes shops were short on numbers) going from that to London full time meant that having hundreds of shops at my disposal more than nine hours a day meant that my shopping went up, my cash went down and my style with it! But you knew that!

What perhaps you didn’t know is that I do still feel pressure to bring out new items here on the therealjlow, which is silly really when I set out with the idea that this would be “the real jlow” not the girl who constantly shops because for most people that just isn’t a viable options and really I don’t think it should be. After a year of this blog I decided to try focusing more on quality over quantity and doing more with less so as I caught myself this morning I realised I need to look more in my closet rather than online and in other peoples so from here on out this month (and maybe next) no more new and far more remixed! I’ve also realised that if I have ten minutes I buy more and buy with less thought yet when I go out with several hours a whole afternoon I am far more sensible and hold on to more of my cash. So I’m cutting the spending and upping the time when I do go!

So here goes . . . it’s those blasted pink jeans again!

Sales and I. (Trying to be good in a time of sales)

Lipstick: Yves Saint Laurent (the only) Rouge Pur Couture in Le Orange

Clothes: Infinity snuggy thing: Next (old Autumn 2013), Slub Jersey in white: Next Bag: Primarni

I went in the mid-season Next sale. It’s one of those places you know you really shouldn’t go into at these times it’s like the unspoken rule to shopaholics like myself. Go into a next sale? You will come out with stuff you don’t need nor necessarily wear again; it’s just like the unspoken rule. So of course I went in. I obviously love torturing myself with things I can’t and shouldn’t buy.

I was however lucky this time. My recent self-teachings of buying more sensibly are obviously kicking in and working more now as I came out with three things, one of which was full price and all of which I have already tried to wear at every occasion. I also held and put back a total of four things one of which was a t-shirt saying “I’m a pretty big deal on my blog” (ok, for me in my mind and hopefully Joshes) but the quality wasn’t great so it got left behind (but this blogger loved it check it out here+) as did the identical tee shirt in a different colour but a size down sure it still fit and looked great but more blue Jess? Really? I’m banning myself from buying any more blue not sure if you’ve noticed but I have had a major influx in blue things recently! But banning! So you’ll probably see it next week – in fact you will because I haven’t posted these photos yet!

Zara Boyfriend Jeans, Top Next, Shoes New Look

Anyhoo a while back (as mentioned here+) I saw these shirts on the site, thought how cute and that I’d love them but never bought one! (Crazy how my virtual shopping often gets literally forgotten) but anyway I saw this shirt and I love it! It’s so comfortable I have been actively stopping myself wearing it all week. However with the weekend upon us I can’t promise I won’t wear it everyday.

It’s my go to.

With the latest comfy sporty trend still going strong I can’t help but feel that this won’t be the last sporty item in my wardrobe this spring! Do you have any go to’s? And check out my day to night look with this shirt here next week!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

 

One Handed Problems

 

Hat: Marks and Spencers, Blazer: F21 2011, Jumper: Next (Sale), Dress: Dorothy Perkins – this ones longer – mines shrunk, Leggings: H&M, Boots: Next (Autumn/Winter 2013) Similar

 

I am a girl of very few words today, I am also a girl of little style, wearing my gap jumper and leggings, it was literally all I could wangle on one handed. Its been an interesting week so far. Since slicing part of my hand off I have developed a small fear of drinking glasses (the culprit) and the sink still gives me goosebumps, brr . . .

Other than that, I have come to realise the many things you need two hands for especially since there is little more embarrassing than having your fiance chop up a banana for your breakfast since you couldn’t even open a banana if you tried!

If I could cross my fingers I would be. Instead, I’ll just pray that next week brings more movement again! Until then leggings it is again!

 

What I wore: When all else fails . . .

Striped Skirt: Dorothy Perkins, Alternative, Chambray Shirt: H&M mens, Grey Shirt: H&M, Red Heels: New Look

 

Get ready for a whole host of grammatical and written errors. The crux of this matter is I hurt my hand. I was washing up (always dangerous on a Sunday – or you know, any day) and the glass I was cleaning broke and without knowing it attempted to remove my knuckle. I was mostly unsuccessful but now I’m sitting here with a hand full of bandages and not allowed to use my hand. One handed typing and texting – not my thing, it seems.

Anyhoo, it just means that instead of beautifully written blogs posts. (I hear you laughing – I raise you one injury!) you get a week of post injury photos and little words, well hear goes . . . What I wear when all else fails.

Scarves, Scarves, Scarves

 

The Cold girl Wrap – Scarf: Accessorize, Striped tunic: Dorothy Perkins, Pink Jeans: Next, Heels: New Look (old) Similar

 

The not so infinity, Infinity Scarf

 

The Sari Wrap

 

Sandals, because the weather was so good open toes was a must!

Let’s talk about scarves.

Does anyone else have a small hoard of them in their closet? I’m sure it’s not just me but without actively wanting too I end up with at least one new scarf a season (maybe more). There’s something that just grabs me about them – the bad side? Well here goes, confession time! I tend to wear them constantly for a season and then they get relegated to only being worn occasionally. Worse still (and not on purpose) I find it harder to donate scarves than clothes – with scarves they’re still cute whether the trends have moved on and the colours are all wrong, I still love them. Unlike my clothes haul which in recent years I have fallen out of love with after a season (or they have fallen out of love with me! Hello bobbles!) But scarves, scarves never let me down – even when they have to have a whole drawer dedicated to them alone! (I have thrown out a few this year I promise – about 2 but I’m working on it!

But if there’s one upside it’s that you can wear scarves in a multitude of ways. The above are my favourite ways to wear scarves during the spring. It’s all about the light weight scarf in spring and summer and with travelling to India again this year it’s always good to have a really large thin scarf to wrap around yourself when you go out and especially in the temples and mosques hence the sari wrap. It’s probably my favourite way to wear this scarf at the moment whether it’s just to ward of a chill or a make do blanket on the train, I love it and its all down to those stylish ladies we saw in Ahmedabad! So thank you all of you for your incredible wrapping skills!

There’s obviously also the classic – cold girl wrap. You know the one – the post pub/dancing walk home or to the nearby pizza joint or the cold restaurant. It’s the scarf wrap of dreams in all those instances!

The final one is the make do infinity scarf. I’m not sure when the infinity trend started but it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon! I wear this a lot into the office for some extra warmth or when wearing lower cut tops and is probably my daily go to at the moment

What ways do you like to wear your scarves? And do you have any pretty bow tricks to offer? Cause I’ve been thinking about how to wear the tutorial from yet another beauty site forever. . .

Fair Weathered Running and Fears

Simple Summer Sunday: Jumper: Dorothy Perkins (oh, so old) Next alternative, Tee: H&M Basics, Skirt  (£1 fish of a skirt) Similar, Flats: New Look

It’s that time again folks, its exercise season. I know this because a, I am definitely packing winter weight like an animal that hibernates and B, because I almost got run over by five consecutive runners on the way home last night. And in the dark, over a high level bridge it can be pretty scary. It was almost like being roped into a flash mob. (That’s like a major nightmare of mine, along with people dressed up as Disney characters – *shudder*).

But yes, there are people like me getting fit all over the place! Fair weathered exercisers. I’m personally taking it slow – as in crawling almost backwards through the local pool a couple of times while I wait to get back on that bicycle! It’s just no fun with snow (re: floods) on the ground!

Running, Dresses & Global Warming all in one post!

Blue Dress: Dorothy Perkins, Belt: H&M (Old), similar (yes mens but who said they can have all the fun?), Bag: Accessorize sale, similar, More expensive, Blazer: F21 Similar Shoes: New Look

I think the sun has gone to my head. Why you ask? Well it could be because I find myself no longer capable of getting anywhere without rushing. The worst part is; I don’t even know why I am perpetually running – I get up at the same time, I am ready almost early and yet every morning I find myself running onto the train, running into the office, running out of the office, running for my next train, running for dinner . . . you name it I no longer walk to it, I run.

So during the week this dress is pretty useless but on the weekends . . . oh the weekends! I am one cool cookie. In fact we jammed so much in this weekend that I even chose to wash our car. Now if you know me you’ll know that car washing, not my strong suit. I was spoilt with a dad who loved his cars and made sure they looked good. Well that and I’m pretty sure he was just insuring that my messy mug of a car wasn’t bringing down the neighbourhood. (Or driveway, It probably was)

But then you know what happened? Monday. That’s what happened and so starts the cycle of running again. Oh global warming you are a cruel mistress!

I dream of Ice cream . . .

Pink blazer: H&M Sale (January 2014) Alternative, Tee: H&M Basics, Mint Bag: Accessorize Pink Jeans: Next Leopard Print flats: New Look (January Sale 2014) Similar

I look really tan and over healthy (and a little bit tired in these photos) and I’m not entirely sure why. How does this happen? It must be all the pink im wearing in this outfit so say hello to my new pink jeans! my quest for pink jeans arrived one day with no warning. Literally one moment I wanted bright coloured jeans and the next pale pink had jumped into my mind and wouldn’t leave.

So first I tried Boden – New would equal great right? Well no. Not for me & my apple shapes but Next did! These ankle skimmers were just what I was looking for and even better they had a great zip detail which meant they were that little bit more different and perfect for updating my wardrobe! Success! So get ready to look forward to seeing these little gems with my striped tunic, long thin sweaters and peplum tops! cause I’m coming for you!