For something altogether more floral, Zara has this necklace for £29.99. Again, great for perking up a plain jumper, or a LBD for a night out.


Turquoise can look stunning, particularly on people with blue eyes and this necklace from Topshop (£35) would be fantastic for adding a splash of colour to an otherwise very simple outfit, making it very chic.

A necklace with a ribbon tie, instead of a chain, like this one from River Island £12 is great for wearing underneath a collar on a plain blouse.  It's a brilliant way of giving a whole new look to a trusty wardrobe staple and the length can be altered to fit your own needs.



J Crew has a fantastic choice of statement necklaces. The colours in this floral necklace (£139.90) are so pretty I want to eat it. It's the kind of thing that would make me smile every time I wore it, which with it's bright and cheery colours, would be a lot.


The J Crew crystal fan necklace (£122.94) comes in the colour way shown below (soft pink) or warm orchid, which is slightly more autumnal. As the drop falls to more of a point, it is a good design for drawing the eye into the centre of the body, and down, which is really flattering.


Marni does beautiful jewellery. I took a quick look in Marni when I was at Bicester yesterday and they have some incredible pieces. They use resin and acrylic a lot in their distinctive designs which are reminiscent of times gone by. The necklace below is on sale at the Outnet  for £137.28



Many of the brands now do a selection of statement necklaces each season and some brands, like Whistles, will do the odd collaboration. I will often look to H&M first, along with Topshop, Oasis and River Island. Sometimes though it's more a case of not looking too hard but instead browsing shops on holiday and waiting for something to fling itself round your neck shouting "buy me, buy me." Then you know you're on to a winner.

For a similar top, Boden has a button back jumper in four colour ways, which normally costs £69 but which is currently discounted. In addition to the two colour ways that I have shown below, there is also a mustard combination and a red and black one too - but that just shouts ladybird to me and whilst I love ladybirds, I'm not sure that I would like to look like one.



The bag that I used that day was a large canvas number from Zara, which can carry virtually anything and frequently does.


Given the time of year, I probably wouldn't buy a canvas bag now but this Zara suede combination bowling bag (£39.99) is a good alternative and the colours would tone well with the blue spotted jumper above. If it was all starting to feel a bit too blue, the jeans could be swapped for a coloured pair.


As to the shoes, the Topshop ramble sandal (£65) are the closest style that I can find to the Mango ones that I am wearing above (now sold out) and which I have found really useful this summer as they work with so many different outfits. 

If I'm going to wear a heel during the daytime, I make sure that it's a sturdy one - there's just less room for disaster of the falling off one's heels variety! These silver sandals have just that and would look pretty amazing with the grey jumper above, lifting the outfit a little, as they would black and navy pieces too.


If we were taking the footwear one step further towards the Autumn, I think that these boots, also from Boden could work really well. I know that I have featured them before but they keep seeping into my consciousness, which is never a good sign. I like the sole, the heel, the colour and the fact that there isn't a zip with a long tag on it - it just makes for a cleaner line, especially with dresses.



Wishing everyone a happy (and hopefully sunny) weekend - with a little time for magazine perusing too!

Another friend buys her running things from Sports Direct, so (after taking a deep breath) I then went there and found this Puma tank for £19 instead of £27.99. It also has a built in bra but what I really liked about it was the fact that it didn't have a racing back to it, which makes the whole bra situation so much easier. I also like my vests to be quite thick and tight fitting - substantial rather than flimsy - so that nothing moves!


I also visited our local Tennis Centre where last week I noticed that they sold Pure Lime. It's a Scandanavian brand and one which I hadn't come across before. I picked up this top for  (£20 instead of £28) - yet to be tried on. The best selection of Pure Lime that I have found online is at Simply Sweat. They do a good range of underwear plus tennis and leisurewear too.



Sweaty Betty is the brand of choice for another friend and she's had some cracking pieces from them in their sale. She usually orders in bulk, on the basis that fitness gear can be tricky in terms of size - and then returns a lot of it. She recently bought this dance vest, reduced from £50 to £25 and it looks great with really short, shorts. I think it's quite "Flashdance" and as it's long, it's great for bottom coverage - and also for anyone who is taller. I've included a link to the sale vests and bottoms and there are some great savings on Stella McCartney pieces for Adidas, as well as really high tech performance gear which is more affordable in the sale.



I also bought these USA Pro  leggings from Sports Direct, just because of the hole issue in my existing ones and at £12.99 instead of £24.99, they were a great price. Whilst I really liked the fit and feel of them, they turned out to be too long so will be going back. However it's definitely a range I will investigate closer.


I shouldn't say this but I've never been a fan of sports bras, always preferring to wear my usual bras, which seemed to offer much better support and a better shape than the sports bras I had tried. However Sports Direct had this USA Pro sports bra (£10.99 instead of £19.99) which is not only slightly padded but is also underwired. I think that we will get on fairly well together, although perhaps not with the tops with the built in bras too as then it all gets a bit much!


Finally, when in JD Sports yesterday, I fell in love with these Nike Flex trainers (£65). I really like the look and colour of them - but that's not really a good enough reason to buy them. When I need new trainers I always go to a proper running shop and pretty much let them tell me what I should be wearing (Saucony, generally) after they have watched me flailing around on the treadmill.

I'm sure that many of you will have your own ideas on the best places for sports wear, together with the best styles and fit but for those who are a little less sure, or who are perhaps just starting out, I hope that this helps.

The only other outfit I've worn recently is the one below, which I wore when we went out for dinner with friends on Saturday night. If the dress code is smart/casual, I don't think that you can go far wrong with some smartish trousers, a sparkly top and a pair of heels. Not only that but the trousers negate the need for perfectly smooth legs and closed in shoes negate the need for perfectly pedicured toes. I'm starting to wonder - am I turning into Waynetta slob?


The other reason that August is a tricky month for blogging is that whilst the winter collections are starting to filter through, there's just something not quite right in writing about them. Not yet at least. I just want to enjoy the summer for as long as possible. True, I can often be caught reading my mags and surfing the internet looking at what's in store but I'm not quite ready to go public with that little secret just yet.

I have also had to devote several weeks to getting the IT side of my life in order. One week was devoted to editing out all of my photos from the last few years to prevent my computer from spluttering and coming to a grinding halt. Another week was devoted to reducing my inbox from 1500 plus emails to 50 (although all I did was move the other 1450 into a sub-folder so they're still there really).

And my final reason? I banned the children from watching TV and can I just tell you that making caterpillars out of yoghurt pots/doing aqua beads/painting/sticking/gluing/spending many hours outside severely limits the time available for blogging.

So, that's where I'm at. Fortunately the photos are sorted, the emails are almost under control and having exhausted all manner of arts and crafts, I realise that the children's TV habits are so deeply ingrained that they cannot be broken entirely, as a result of which I have slightly relaxed my rules.




With several other posts in the pipeline and a couple of new stores and brands to write about, I hope to be able to get back to blogging with a vengeance and certainly more than once a week at least!

What a beautiful sight - row upon row of pale pink satin ballet shoes. When I look at these I can smell them as much as I can see them and no doubt that's the same for many others too.

There's an amazing article in Spitalfields Life about Freed of London, the ballet shoe company which was founded by Frederick Freed in 1920 - and is a name which is no doubt familiar to many who spent happy hours in pink leotards and pointe shoes during their formative years - and who may still do so today.

In the article are fantastic photographs taken from the archives, showing how the ballet shoes were made, together with picture of the inside of the shop in St Martin's Lane, with ballet shoes in glass cases, and Frederick Freed himself.



Receiving an email from the brand development manager of Freed asking me whether I would like to try a pair of their ballet flats is up there with some of the best emails I have received. Nostalgia, happy memories, an affinity with a brand from the age of 6 - call it what you will, I was over the moon.

Knowing that I would photographing the shoes during the warmer weather, I chose a pair that could be worn across the seasons and with a variety of different colours. I really liked the combination of the patent and the snake skin, which really added texture and shine to the shoes.



I have to be a little bit careful when wearing ballet flats in terms of the whole cankle issue but the cut of these shoes at the front, together with the defined (as opposed to moulded) heel, makes them more flattering than other brands I have tried.


Here I am wearing them with an H&M t-shirt, Gap jeans, the White Company sequin cardigan that I bought from Bicester a couple of weeks ago and an Orla Kiely bag. I really like the way that the patent reflects the light and stops them from being too flat in terms of finish. They are also really comfortable too and the draw string around the top allows them to be pulled in (or let out), so the fit can be adjusted.




The ballet flats come in lots of plain colours but I thought that this was a really pretty colour, which would look lovely with navy/grey/aubergine as we head into the autumn.



From now on, when searching for a pair of ballet flats, Freed will definitely be on my radar. With such an amazing history in making ballet shoes, I think that it's safe to say that they probably know a thing or two about making ballet flats as well.

Boden is always one of the first on the scene with their catalogue for the new season. When it first drops through the door I have a cursory flick through it and then, when the time is right, I re-visit it for a closer inspection.

So, let's cut to the chase, what have Boden got in store for us this Autumn?

I am always interested to see what dresses a brand has. The elusive search for that perfect dress that goes with everything, that can be layered up, dressed up or down, continues season after season. I look for something fairly plain, with a hem just above the knee, that is fitted and that has sleeves.

The Ottoman Shift (£79) could be that elusive dress. It comes in several different colours and is made of ponte, which I like for its warmth, fit and ease of care (this one is machine washable and is 100% cotton).


Another one that may fit the bill is the Alexa dress (£79). This one is textured ponte, made of cotton, polyamide and with 2% elastane it has that extra stretch which can be great for comfort.


This Printed shift (£59) falls more into the category of a dress that I just happened to like, which is slightly different from "the dress that needs to be everything to all people at all times" category. Made of cotton and modal, it will be more floaty than the dresses above but would work well with chunky ankle boots (see below) and an Aran cardi as well as with brogues, flats, Mary-Janes or court shoes.


A lace top is always a useful addition to a wardrobe, particularly for those occasions when jeans will do on the bottom half but when something slightly dressier is required on the top half.

The Alice lace top (£59) comes in a variety of colours and in addition to this one, I really like the navy one and the emerald one as emerald looks great against so many different skin tones.


Whilst not shown in this colour way in main picture in the catalogue, I prefer it to any of the others. The combination of charcoal and lime green in this Embellished ponte top (£69) is one of my favourite combinations for the winter.


Predictable I know, but the Collared Breton (£35) has to feature. For some there's no better combination than fish and chips, or chocolate and wine but for me it's stripes and a peter pan collar. They get me every time!


Oooh, a skirt snuck in here but it's a bit late in the day to move it. This Daisy Jacquard skirt (£59) works for me on a number of levels. The colour combination is different but will work well with navy, cream or black. Whilst jacquard, the shaping at the side stops it from being too formal. It's straight but not pencil and with 2% elastane again has that stretch for comfort. The hazy blue and coral pink are both nice options too. It reminds me very much of something that J.Crew would produce. Not long to wait now for their arrival in the UK. Yippee.


 A little bit of cashmere, the combination of hot pink with navy, throw in some stripes and I'm done for. The Cashmere crew neck jumper (£119) again has that J.Crew feel about it. Wear it with jeans, a pair of the bistro crop trousers or a printed skirt in the same colour way and it would look great.


For a little bit of animal print without going overboard, the Merino crew (£69) is a great option. It comes in this blue, or grey marl, leopard print and also in a range of plain colours.


Pink is THE colour for the season and whilst some say that pale pink is the way to go on the coat front, I think if you're going to do pink you may as well do it properly. For those less convinced by a pink coat the Mia Coat (£149) also comes in navy and squirrel (light brown for those not sure). It looks more like camel to me, so I find it slightly strange that it is called squirrel because last time I checked, squirrels and camels weren't really that similar in colour.


Ah, bags. Who can resist a good bag? Clutches are coming into their own for A/W '13 and the Canonbury Clutch (£59) comes in a variety of colours. I particularly like the leopard and pink ones together with the yellow and emerald. Well, there's no point going all dark just because the winter will be here in a few months is there?



For something which is a little more every day in terms of size (well, my kind of every day anyway) the Leather pouch bag (£119) is just the right side of slouchy. It comes in this lovely vibrant turquoise which would look great against a black, navy or grey coat but the fig (dark purple) is a lovely rich colour for something a little more sedate.



As for a boot, the combination of the chunky sole and solid heel work well on the Carnaby boot (£129). These could be worn with trousers, jeans or skirts and for me the charcoal would be more versatile than the black ones.