Pleats please. A last look at the sales...

Thinking about my failure with the £125 polyester Jigsaw skirt I tried on the other day...I still have a slight hankering after a pleated skirt. Just preferably one that is a bit more substantial and / or less costly - i.e. better value all round.

An online hunt has turned up the following:

Jigsaw shell pleated skirt - £44 - now that's more like it!

LK Bennett - in sale but still £75

LK Bennett - hmmm still polyester but the print would work with my navy stuff - and a better price at £40... (also comes in red)

Not sale alas - cashmere blend from Pure Collection  - could be better for winter wear 

- and code TAC111 gives 25% off all from Pure Collection :-)

Asos pleated Midi Skirt - non sale - £36

River Island Grey Pleated Maxi Skirt - reduced to £24.50 

Bit undecided about the grey though (too light?) and somehow looks very maxi, i.e. might be too long on me

Asos bargain black pleated maxi skirt - but says 'chiffon' - possibly too sheer?  Reduced to £19

Finally, not black - but love the design - (and Kate Middleton was spotted wearing this print in a dress - so would be in good company, amazed it hasn't sold out!)  Utter bargain now for just £17.

Great Plains Cezanne Paintbox Pleated Skirt - £17.70

http://www.greatplains.co.uk/product/Woman+Sale+Skirts+And+Shorts/J3AL8/Cezanne+Paintbox+Pleated+Skirt.htm

Out of that little lot, I am sorely tempted to try the first (Jigsaw £40) and the last (Great Plains £17) - as they offer really good reductions - AND I'd have a black pleated skirt and a colourful one - both for less than the cost of the original new season Jigsaw offering. That has to be a bargain in anyone's book! 

I also really like the non reduced Asos midi. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions...  

Watch this space... :-)

Comfort dressing...or 'shopping on a fat day'

Comfort dressing. Oh dear me, when you dress for comfort, is it time to abandon all hope?  I felt today that my boyfriend jeans, which I thought I'd grown to love, were really not suiting me.  Maybe the changing room light was unflattering.  Maybe I'm just having a 'fat' day.

Whatever. Today I don't think they looked so good. I am not ready for elasticated slacks just yet. Now I am not exactly putting 'boyfriend jeans' into that category, but it made me think about why I wear stuff.

Put it this way, after an encounter with said changing room mirror, I came home and changed into a 'skinny' style. And incidentally how odd that when you are far from skinny, that such a style should seem to flatter more than a looser cut?!

At the start of the day...

At the end of the day... Yeah drab I know - but matched my mood.

Now I mentioned changing rooms - and yes I did manage to do some shopping / browsing in peace today. First time in months - (now that school is back) - much needed, but I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would as I had a vague sense of foreboding all day for some reason. Probably guilt that I was doing something I wanted to for a change :-/

Without further ado however - here are the pictures of what caught my eye:

Pointy flats from M&S Autograph - £45 

(Ooh 'as seen in Vogue' it says on their website, get me!)

Left - Leather panelled water resistant pumps - £45

Right - leather faux snakeskin - £45

Autograph leather mid heel courts - £45

Autograph wedge suede boots - navy & black £65 

(description says 'wide fit', which I didn't notice in the shop - didn't look any different from normal)

M&S Star print scarves £15 - looked better in the flesh. I preferred the burgundy. I apologise unreservedly for my photos - which it transpires, are even worse than M&S's. Nuff said. 

M&S jacket - combination of knit (sleeves) and wool felt (the rest) - can't seem to find on website.

Next, my quest for a replacement basic navy sweater continued (so far without success). I tried on 2 in GAP. Neither quite right.

GAP fine merino sweater - £39.95. Hmm. Just not quite right.

GAP merino / nylon blend sweater - £19.95. 

 The neck and shoulders felt better but I didn't want the looser shape and the side vents. If however, you are on the look out for something similar with a casual feel - this would be an excellent buy.

GAP 'eversoft' v neck merino / nylon blend sweater - £19.95

Not a sweater - a 'hoody' top - but tried anyway while I was in the navy theme. If you're in the market for such an item it's nice. I wasn't.  (But tried it anyway. As you do.)

Gap funnel neck hoody - £29.95

NB Using code GAPSTYLE will give 15% off online at Gap. 

Next I went to hunt out the Mint Velvet 'tabard' (yuk to the name) which I blogged about the other day.   Turned out it was yuk by name and yuk by nature. A shame. Didn't feel right on me at all. The roll neck was clumsy and didn't sit well. This may of course be in a large part due to the fact that (a) I was feeling yukky and (b) my hair has been cut too short and is hugely annoying me. :-(  

However, I may return to this later in the season when (a) my hair has grown and (b) with a bit of luck it might be in a sale.  But for now, that's another 'itch scratched' and £69 saved. 

Mint Velvet 'lurex tabard' - £69

I took a few other things into the fitting room while I was at it. This beige knit from Whistles was nice but I've left for now as I don't really need it, was unsure of the crew neck. And of course, ahem,  I am trying hard to keep to my minimal wardrobe.  (Like that would have figured at all if I decided I needed it!)

Whistles 'Amelia' silk crew neck jumper - £65 

Crew necks are too 'boobtastic' for me I fear. 

Classic colour and nice feel to it though.

Faye seam back tee from Whistles - £35

Not shown on my pic or on website - but has nice mini slit detail at side seam. 

Liked it for layering - lighter weight than a knit. May return to this...although on the pricy side for what it is... ('wrinkles nose' and sounds like mother).

And finally.... the Mint Velvet stripe t shirt - 'midnight / grey' top - £39  

Tried. Liked. Purchased. :-)

If it feels ok on a 'fat' day - it's IN.

Last but not least, a quick dash to Tesco for their 'Shower shine' - which incidentally is the best on the market. Trust me, I have done extensive research. I now endure Tesco solely for this one item. Don't say I never tell you anything useful.

I had a quick recce in the clothing section hoping to see the denim pencil skirt I blogged about the other day. Didn't find it sadly, but did notice that they had this replica of a leather effect trim top which I bought in Zara last year - almost identical - right down to the brass coloured zip at the back - and for just £8!  I didn't have time to stay and investigate any other Zara-like items... but interesting.

Tesco Zara-a-like top - £8 (couldn't find on website yet) 

*** Disclaimer ***

I did none of these items any favours today. If you click the links you will see how they are actually meant to look. But sometimes I think it's useful also to see how they look on a short tubby person having a bad day.

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Black and Navy

A controversial combination. Some people wouldn't wear black and navy blue together, but I have no such qualms. This due mainly, or wholly actually, because I don't yet  (although probably need one) have a navy blue - or any other colour come to that - maxi dress in my life. So needs must - and I balanced it all out by letting another colour show in between.

I wore my Primark silver leaves necklace today in honour of the onset of autumn :-)

Shoes were my LK Bennett Milos T bar wedges - these are still in stock online - they have gone into the sale and are now greatly reduced. A classic shape I think.

 Navy blue jersey biker jacket - from the White Company

Black Maxi dress from Warehouse - similar here from Asos

Milos T bar sandal - LK Bennett sale

Navy and black theme extending to navy sandals and black toes...

What is your opinion on navy and black together - do you think it can work?

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)

The 10 key items

Well 10 or thereabouts, I am not a creature of exact science.

A while ago I edited my wardrobe heavily, attempting to attain the 'holy grail' of the capsule - 10 item - wardrobe.

I'm not quite at 10 items yet, but I do have space between the garments hanging in my wardrobe.
I've been quite surprised by the items I have been wearing and which have been working for me.

Here is a run down of my absolute basics. As some of the items are no longer available I've included links to similar things should anyone be interested.

1. Tesco navy cotton pencil skirt (similar here). Skirts have featured more heavily in my 10 items than I expected. Maybe it's a little bit of not wanting to wear jeans / trousers ALL the time, maybe a bit weather related. But whatever, my Tesco navy pencil skirt has proved to be a real workhorse. I love navy and it fills a 'jean shaped hole' while still looking feminine and just ringing the changes from jeans. I plan to snap up this new season version as a 'spare' because,  while Tesco clothes are great, I don't expect the original to last forever:

2. Musto checked shirt (similar here). This was a bizarre item. Had I been dreaming up my ideal 'must have' wardrobe, it's hardly the first item which would have sprung to mind! I just tried it on and decided I liked the checks. Mine is a subtler colour but I also like the colour-way below. Checked shirts are apparently the next big thing - they are everywhere! - so unknowingly I was right up to date for this season as well as (I think) having a reliable basic for years to come:

Musto are 'heavy duty' country wear I guess, so are a little pricer, but lots of equivalents are available if you just want a nice shirt and are not planning to go shooting ;-)

From Zara - see here 

 and also Tesco - see here

3. Selection of breton tops - my new Jigsaw breton (now further reduced at John Lewis - just £18):

And classic navy and white from Zara here:

4. Sainsbury's black cropped capri trousers (similar here from M&S). Just one of those basic items you need to have I think. I like the 7/8 length - seems a bit fresher somehow and I'd say will still work for autumn with ankle boots:

5. Pink Joules cable knit crew neck jumper (similar here from Crew). To add a bit of colour. Complemnts the navy and the shirt, and the trousers.... (you get the idea!):

6. Toast & New Look denim / chambray shirts (similar here from Tesco). Layers brilliantly over the maxi dress and breton tops and under the pink jumper. Works alone too. No-brainer:

7. White Tesco jersey biker style jacket and navy White Company jersey style biker jacket. I like the fact these can be worn done up and also left open, giving very different looks. Two for one, or four for two. I am a creature of simple brain, but there you go. Similar knitted autumn /winter version from Pure Collection below:

8. Long black Warehouse vest style maxi dress (similar from Asos).

This has proved to be an absolute necessity. It can be worn so many ways - as a dress on its own, over a tee, under a tee - under a jacket - with scarf, with bold necklace, belted up etc etc.) If I was starting from scratch and had to buy one item I think this would be it - on a cost per use basis - and this one from Asos is an absolute bargain at £14!

9. M&S black knee length swingy jersey skirt. Can't find an equivalent and don't really want to! Unbelievably it was all I had in the suitable / flattering black skirt line!  And it has now been replaced by the Whistles black jersey tube skirt. A necessary basic, in much the same way as the black trousers:

10. Loose Zara black top - similar here. Because everyone (well I do at least) needs a black t-shirt:

10a. I haven't included jeans as I haven't worn them much recently. Realistically though, any 10 item wardrobe would need a pair of jeans. My current favourites which will be added to the mix are these from Topshop:

Moto Boyfriend jeans - Topshop £42

These are just the 'bare bones'.

I haven't talked about the myriad of shoes, bags, scarves and other accessories which are key to varying the look. I've been plundering my reserves of those to keep me sane. Maybe I'll do a future post on the accessories which I find most useful to make the 10 item look more interesting.... :-)

The 10 or so clothing items will change as I move further into my warmer autumn wear, I'll attempt to keep the list updated!

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.

Stripes and No 19

A couple of therapeutic purchases.

One was 'considered':  I'd tested Chanel no 19 Poudre a few months ago and kept coming back to it.

I love Chanel no 19 anyway, and this I think this version is even better than the original, in the Eau de Parfum concentration anyway.

Since I had a £5 off voucher and a double points voucher from Boots, now seemed the perfect time for a purchase.

The other buy was an impulse one! While wandering around John Lewis, I had a browse through the dregs of the clearance rail, and immediately spotted this little striped Jigsaw top in amidst a sea of nondescript florals.  I've been wearing a lot of stripes recently and feel good in them, so although an impulse buy, a good one I hope...!

Chanel No 19 Poudre - get it here from Boots - plus Advantage points!

Yippee - an outside picture!  Excuse the heavy little person cropping outage.

Top: Jigsaw (sale) - buy here - now reduced FURTHER to £18 at John Lewis

Skirt: Tesco (last year)

Shoes: Converse (available from John Lewis)

Gold overlapping leaves necklace: SchoolGateStyle shop

Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TK Maxx

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Oh, and by the way, I tried on the Jigsaw pleated skirt from my last post.

It was £125.
It was 100% polyester.
It was vile.

Problem solved :-)

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