Days of summer

Odd, my feelings about summer. I suppose I look on it rather like one of those not-so-successful relationships - unpleasant to be endured but to be reminisced on with aspects of fondness.

Now that summer is dying, I look back through a kind of rose-tinted haze and think 'it wasn't so bad' and 'what a shame' and 'how nice it will be when summer is here again'. (Remind me of that come next July when I am perspiring madly and longing for autumn!)

I do love autumn though. It is my absolute favourite time of year. In my eyes you get all the pros of summer - bright, balmy, sunny days (we hope!) without any of the cons (sweaty, stuffy, humid, silly).

And added to that lot, it's the best time of years clothes wise. You can (a) pile on the layers - more clothes - what's not to like - AND (b) crack open the accessories. Bring on snoods, boots, capes.... I'm practically salivating with the possibilities.

First on my wish-list, continuing my love affair (or maybe obsession?) with stripes, is this top from Mint Velvet. Spied during my recent London visit with small child in tow. Hence sadly only fondled, not tried on. It is lovely and I think the ruching at the sides and on the sleeves would be very flattering and comfortable:

Mint velvet top - midnight and grey stripes. I love the gathers. £39

And how fantastic is this sleeveless knitted tunic which I also saw in the shop - it would look great styled over any of my growing collection of bretons to take them through into autumn / winter.  They describe it as a 'Lurex Tabard' - (urgh - how to turn anyone off with one easy description?) It didn't appear to have any lurex when I saw it:

Mint Velvet 'Ink Lurex Tabard' - £69

Anyway, to reign myself in a bit, here I am still working my 10 15 or so item wardrobe, in a 'last day of summer' outfit. If you can actually make out  what I am wearing, that is. I have a strange light effect in this spot - maybe the house is haunted?!  There is always a weird glow/ aura emanating from the glass over the door, and it's not a camera flash, I didn't use one...

Skirt - Whistles Jersey Tube Skirt

Top - short sleeved breton H&M

Shirt - Toast

Shoes - Russell & Bromley tan loafers (similar in black)

A hole in my wardrobe

I mean - how CAN it have happened?

After all my purchasing and browsing and fiddling over the years, it took a radical wardrobe 'declutter' to discover that one of my absolute essentials is a black skirt. Not just any black skirt mind you: I have some too short, some too long, some too large (although none too small, oddly?!), some too buttoned, some too bunchy...I won't bore you, the list goes on.

No - what I needed was something really minimal, simple, stretchy and 'flat'.  I have plenty going on around the waistline already thank you very much - I don't need bulging zips and sticky outy button tabs adding to my woes.

Now I may have said it many times before - but I'll say it again - this blog is a learning curve for me. Don't come here expecting any answers - or, if you do, be prepared to wait a long time while I muddle through stuff and the penny eventually drops!

However....if you also have come to the conclusion that a simple black skirt is what you need to fill your wardrobe hole (a kind of 'skirt shaped alternative to black trousers' I guess) then you may have come to the right place. I give you this:

Whistles Jersey skirt - £45 (John Lewis)
More sizes available here - Whistles online

It's a jersey skirt from Whistles - called the 'tube skirt'. It simply slips on, no zips or buttons. It is just above knee length on me - although they do a longer version, which the jury is still out on... (for me, but could be practical come the colder weather) - see below:

Longer version of Whistles skirt (£55) at John Lewis

or Whistles online

The short version (which I bought) is £45, which naturally equals a saving of £80 rather than any actual expenditure as such - as by buying this I avoided the pleated offering from Jigsaw (post the other day) which rang in at £125. Simples :-)

Here I am yesterday in London at the top of the 'View from the Shard'. Our school is not back yet so we had a final 'day out' day. Boy - what a day it was. I do not intend to repeat rush hour tube travel and small child combo anytime soon.  (By the way, note how even at the top of the Shard my photos - or rather the helpful assistant's photos - are still dismal. It is clearly a case of blaming the tools and my phone is not up to the job.)

Jacket - navy jersey 'biker' style from The White Company

Top - short sleeved breton - H&M

Skirt - navy pencil skirt - Tesco (similar here)

Shoes - tan TODS-a-likes from Russell & Bromley (old)

Bag - Longchamp - available from Selfridges

Necklace - SchoolGateStyle shop

The torture of having to pass by the majority of shops just begging me to go in! The shoes - oh the shoes - that had to be ignored.  And the lego that had to be played with. Oh yes: Selfridges have a very nice little lego play station. Which, oddly enough, I somehow wasn't aware of until yesterday. If it came with fully paid up and vetted Norland nannies I may have been sorely tempted to leave in situ... but it didn't and I am not THAT bad a mother.... (I think! But the temptation was strong.)

The Shard was amazing - and I would highly recommend it. It was so well run and (shock horror...I am so cynical and old with low expectations) had such friendly and efficient staff.  

Loved the 'open-ness' - wow!

Simply amazing views.... and so peaceful - the noises are so far away.

Short story

Or Shorts Story actually, that was the name.

Mentally filed away for later use.

If (like many a time I suspect) you wonder what on earth this woman is wittering on about - it's this:

OPI Shorts Story - available here from John Lewis 

(click on the 5th colour swatch, 2nd row!)

Pink - yes.
Sickly - possibly.
On my wish list - (for some unfathomable reason) - yes.

Pink suits me, I do believe. In the light of 2 x pink lipsticks and a Bobbi Brown 'pale pink' blusher, I'm hoping so anyway!


Other items on my wish list:

Jigsaw pleated skirt

Jigsaw red pom pom scarf

Whistles 'ovoid spot' scarf

Pure collection V neck boyfriend sweater 

I also have in my sights:

• Pink tweed Jigsaw skirt (there I was I hoping Jigsaw were 'finding their way' again... but no picture on website!)
• Orla Kiely pink(see the worrying trend?) and blue scarf - no picture anywhere - but it's in John  Lewis. Helpful (not).

The White Company autumn catalogue had arrived; nothing immediately grabbed me. There was nothing offensive, but just a rehash of last winter (most of which already seem to have bought!)

Having said that, I may make an exception for this maxi skirt:

White Company Jersey Maxi Skirt

A couple of recent outfit pictures below. Excuse the general carnage which surrounds me. I've momentarily lost the wherewithal and time to do anything about it.

Still surviving on a 10 (ok maybe 15) item wardrobe. (Not including accessories!)

Breton shrt sleeved top - H&M

Black capri trousers - Sainsbury's

White jersey 'biker' style cardigan - Florence & Fred (Tesco) <-- thanks to Sue at Susie So So for that tip :-)

Bag - Mulberry Bayswater

Shoes - Russell and Bromley (old)

Shirt - Musto (don't ask) (How did it survive the cull..? Double don't ask!)

Jumper - Joules (similar here)

Trousers - Sainsbury's as above

Bag & Shoes - Mulberry & Russell & Bromley as above