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.

Coral bird print dress

Today I was allowed out for good behaviour - a visit to Ikea followed by a mooch around John Lewis. Husband was in attendance (he was needed for the Ikea part as general labourer/carrier etc) - but was something of a hindrance on the John Lewis leg of the outing it must be said!

First day back to school today so this outfit also doubled as a school run starter for 10 - must remember to email it to Avril for the SchoolGateStyle blog school run competition.

My bird print Tesco dress from Wick has its first outing today. I toyed with taking my orange Longchamp bag but in the end took the Orla Kiely again. (On reflection - and viewing of the photos - the orange Longchamp looks better though I think. The O/K is too much of a print clash... You live and learn!)

I paired the dress, as planned, with a black cropped Brora cashmere cardigan, black opaques, and black suede wedge KG shoes.

If anyone is interested, I have a feeling that the dress is still around in Tesco and is now marked down - it was on a rail the other day which had that look about it. I didn't investigate too closely as it would ruin things for me to see it going for a song!

Ooh, ooh - by the way - the M&S snake print scarf in neutral / blush, khaki - I picked it up today in M&S for £5  - and I would have been happy to pay full price (£19.50) for it. I thought it was full price - the label didn't indicate any reduction - what a fantastic bargain. Love it when you get to the till and that happens :-)

Autumn - happy days!

My lovely fellow bloggers. And a Longchamp bag.

D'you know what, when I started this little blog, I never expected anyone even to find it, much less read it, much much less take time and trouble to comment. And not just comment but be so kind and encouraging. And really, my posts are so feeble compared to the fabulous blogs I am following.  I am in awe of your skills and dedication and thank you kindly!

Your encouraging comments have been just what the doctor ordered to motivate me to get my arse (or at least my typing fingers) in gear. My arse also needs to get in gear, I have taken to eating like it were going out of fashion, and have at least half a stone to lose. Now if that's not a motivation for the new season, what is?!

Anyway, as usual I digress...

Nothing very inspiring, or ground breaking was worn today. But at last I've taken a pic!

• White Company dark indigo jeans (look black because of poor lighting and my dodgy camera - will aim to improve the quality of pics I promise!)
• Zara beige linen knit cardi with lovely droopy back hem (longer than front) - oh so flattering on my current podgy.
• Primark scarf - beige / black (some kind of animal - zebra?) print - with a shocking pink border
• Black primark flat ballet pumps.

Now to handbag news:

I've been using my trusty navy Longchamp tote all through summer < it's waterproof ;-)  > and on a foray to the John Lewis sale about a month ago, to my delight they had some in the sale. One such was the orange colour-way - which I'd had my eye on, and was further encouraged by one of those articles at the end of Vogue - short snappy one-pagers where some uber- stylish person lists their essentials... Anyway - one of the items this (naturally very stylish) person whose name sadly escapes me had listed  was an orange Longchamp tote!  Now I am not a total sheep honestly - I had my eye on it first. But it's always nice to have a little endorsement - to stop the self doubt creeping in - of the "orange? Really!  It's obviously pants, that's why it's in the sale" variety....

I had a minor panic when getting it out to take the photo this evening, as I'd had to secrete it away from husband's prying eyes (as you do...)  I didn't much fancy the 'you don't need another bag' grief. I had a panicky moment but after a brief rummage it was found safe and sound at the bottom of the wardrobe - phew!

In other news, I have to confess a crush. I had a lovely local carpenter call round this evening to quote for moving a door. He's happily married - so enough of the rumour mill! However,  I must confess I am a tad envious of his lovely wife. What bliss it must be to be married to a man who can conjure up all manner of cupboards, loft conversions, shelves, windows and doors etc. And there's something very appealing about a man in work clothes covered in sawdust!  Now I'd better sign off with that note, (and have a cold shower!) I hope this doesn't read as 'iffy' - it's an innocent thought I assure you!

I can have it all (sometimes)!

Inspired by the super stylish blogs I've been following recently, I was lured to Primark today.  Now, I had on occasion wandered inside a Primark store before today to see what all the fuss was about, so it was not entirely a new experience for me, but I had always wandered out again fairly sharply upon seeing what seemed to be a sea of mismatched polyester - (polyester tartan as I seem to recall last time - on Oxford Street? - but I digress).

Integrating my new Primark buys

In the picture above I am wearing:

• Primark jeggings in dark indigo (£7)
• Primark sheer cream henley style top (£5)
• Zara beige linen cardigan (on their website here)
• Russell and Bromley 'Tod's' style loafers 
• Navy Longchamp tote bag

So - in short, previous forays into Primark had not been fruitful. This time however, I had a more specific idea of what I was looking for. Maybe they just have good stuff in there at the moment, maybe I was more focussed and better informed, but there were some very nice basics.  And the prices - well, normally I wander around a shop thinking ooh that's nice, wander wander, ooh so's that - and so's that! etc - until I have about 9 items when I get to the fitting room or till and (a) credit card then takes a bashing and so does husband's blood pressure; (b) I weed out certain items, invariably choosing the wrong ones and usually having to return and perform complex exchanges; or (c) dissolve into a fit of indecision and end up with nothing. (Disclaimer: I am an indecisive person!)

Today, I did a quick mental tally while in the humungous post office style till queue (cashier no 33 please..) and worked out that each item was averaging about £6, incredible - especially for the trousers.

I bought the skinny leopard jeans (£11); some black capri pants (in middle of pic below - £9); some soft skinny jeans in navy (£11); some indigo 'jeggings' (worn above - £7); a handful of basic vests in navy, grey, white and nude (£2 each);  a pale cream sheer short sleeved 'henley' style tee shirt (worn above - £5), and a tan / navy striped very lightweight knit sheer-ish t-shirt / top (on the right in pic below - £5).

Some of today's buys: Zara star print top (15.99), black Primark capris (£9), navy / beige lightweight Primark top (£5)

I then went to Zara and got a lovely star print linen t-shirt (in pic above - £15.99 on website here) and a pale pink / blush coloured sleeveless top with a shirred waistline (pic below - £25 - on website here) which is very elegant on (I hope) and flattering on a mum tum.

Zara top

Oh, and I also bought a gold tone necklace in Primark for good measure (£4) which I think is very pretty. So all in all a good day and I'm very happy with my new purchases :-)

Primark necklace - £4

PS....... End of day reflective mental ramblings:
There was a pleather studded tote in Primark - (£12 I think) - which I am already thinking I need - er I mean want. I can hardly need another bag as my husband would point out - and I would have to accept his reasoning on this point - but still, maybe something cheaper would be good for our hols... something which I needn't be precious about, which I could get sand in and so on...? And studs - hmm - would they not add a soupçon of 'currentness' and 'edginess' (whatever that might mean, I fear I could just look ridiculous!) - but I don't know. I'll sleep on it.
(I told you I was indecisive.)