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Tuesday 15 October 2013

H&M's little gems - premium pieces at the perfect price

Many of you may know about this little gem on the H&M site already but I thought that it was worth mentioning. Whilst there are some fabulous products in the store each season, it can be hard to find them online but H&M have a special section which lists their  PREMIUM QUALITY PRODUCTS of the week - products made of leather, silk, nubuck and cashmere.  This is what you will find this week and I'm pleased to say that nothing that I've shown here costs more than £59.99.

Cashmere jumpers in navy....


....and grey and they also come in orange and camel.
 
 
Silk shirts which come in a variety of colours....
 
  
This amazing black and blue textured leather cross body bag...
 

The palest of pink leather bags - great for those who don't fancy committing the money to a pale pink coat - or also for those who do!

 
Burgundy leather ankle boots, which also come in black...
 
 
 Nubuck ankle boots...
  
 
Lovely leather gloves...
 
 
As you might imagine, not all pieces are available in all stores but that's where a bit of plotting can come in handy. There's a 25% off voucher with Grazia this week (sadly only redeemable in stores) so this could be the perfect time to invest in some quality basics at a great price if you can get to one of the larger stores (or if you can get a friend to go for you)! 
 

Monday 14 October 2013

Seeing spots in Hobbs

Today it was the turn of an old favourite of mine - a navy and white Hobbs spotty dress which is fairly fitted and then flares out a little around the hem. I normally like to wear a bright Armani lipstick when I have this dress on but despite having found it yesterday, today I seem to have lost it again - I think it's probably at the bottom of a tardis bag somewhere.
 
It was the first time that I had worn winter tights and, despite shedding a tear or two for the fact that summer is now over, I'm glad to say that I have just about reconciled myself with it. Like stripes, spots always make me smile and they are a good way of adding some interest to your wardrobe, without having to embrace a trend, or a print, full on.
 

Yesterday I finally got around to sorting out my winter shoes and swapping them over with my summer ones, which has now given me more options. Much as I love my new shiny black boots, I think that it's time that I wore something else for a while, so here I am wearing Jigsaw shoe boots which are great with both dresses and trousers. I don't know about anyone else but I find something lovely and comforting about wearing old faithful pieces - it's as if I'm coming home!



Sunday 13 October 2013

Luxurious loungewear

With the days getting colder and darker, my thoughts inevitably turn to warm, snuggly things to wear at home. I am sure that over the years "leisurewear" must have become a multi-million pound industry in its own right.
 
Leisurewear can encompass anything from an old University tracksuit, to your husband's oversized jumper and PJ bottoms, to something altogether more luxurious. It's possible to spend a small fortune on cashmere to wear at home - and it would be lovely to be able to do so - but....
 
With Christmas coming up however it may be a good time to ask for a contribution towards something stylish to wear at home, even if only to convince ourselves that we lead the perfect life in which the front door is beautifully adorned with a wreath, there's a roaring log fire in the grate, the kitchen is filled with delicious smells a la Nigella and the children are playing together beautifully (rather than the half dead wreath, a gas fire with a dodgy knob, burnt offerings from the kitchen and badly behaved children.)
 
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has added to her range for M&S with some luxurious Rosie for Autograph pieces. (Please accept my apologies for the lack of specific links - they're a little more generic today as there are so many pieces but everything should be easy to find.) 
 
The pout may be difficult to emulate but the Cashmere blend cocoon wrap (£45) shouldn't be too hard to get hold of. Its shape doesn't scream "loungewear" either, so it should be pretty versatile.
 

These Cashmere blend pyjama bottoms with cuff (£35) look lovely and toasty. Some like a cuff around the ankle, others don't - but they do lend themselves to being tucked into ankle boots quite well if you need to do an emergency dash to the garage to buy Toblerone. Not that I would know or anything like that.


I can hear my friend Sal laughing as she reads about this cashmere jumper with detachable snood. It's the "detachable snood" that will amuse her - handy though if you want to wear your snood with anything else. I love the colour - and the neckline would be great for catching the stray bits of Toblerone. 


The Rosie for Autograph cashmere poncho (£99) is a lovely piece to wear either in or out of the house. Great for snuggling up under when watching TV - just like Rosie. I think in all likelihood I would be wearing more under it than she is though - which appears to be nothing.


There are also these pure cashmere bottoms (£99) from the Rosie for Autograph collection, which come in a darker grey too. These are a good style for those who prefer a wider leg, either for comfort or for the proportion balancing job that they do.

  
Hush is one of my favourite brands for loungewear and they've really got to grips with styling their loungewear, so that they are almost selling a lifestyle choice.  The colours are muted caramels, grey, taupes and pale blues, the fabrics soft and luxurious and the styling relaxed but feminine. It's clever because it's accessible to us all, certainly in terms of practicality.
 
As to their pieces, for those wanting to tap into one of the major trends this season, look no further than the Camouflage joggers (£45).  
 

The Fold over trousers (£45) are fantastic on many levels. Great for anyone who is in the early stages of pregnancy, post-op or who suffers from bloating, the waist band can be folded down to a comfortable level.


The slim leg joggers (£39.50) come in a variety of colours, including a bright red. Again styled with ankle boots they could do just as well at home or for a trip out.


And some of my favourites of all are these star print slim leg joggers (£45). I think it would be a brave person who wore them outside - I would fear the risk of being told that I was in my PJs - but I still love them for their slight cheekiness.


Wrap is another lovely on-line brand, as they have this Alohia fleecy dress (£65) which makes a pleasant change from trousers.


The Bella Hoodie (£69) has a lovely lace detail along the sleeve, which adds that touch of femininity and stops it from being too utilitarian.


The slouchy Emma trousers (£49) make a great partner to the Bella hoodie, above.


Now, my Mum likes a good velour lounge suit in the winter but has trouble finding one a) in velour and b) with a waist band high enough. So, I uncovered these little beauties from M & Co (£18) whilst away last week. I do worry though that I've failed on the tops - most of them had hoods (not on), were sleeveless (not on) or had a high neck (not on, she gets her make-up on them.)



I am slightly concerned that in wanting a velour lounge suit she's also going to want to start wearing her rollers in public - and believe me she has plenty of rollers. She's not quite there on the fake tan and fake nails yet though so I think that for now the world is safe but I do fear that I may have to have a little pep talk with her soon.

Friday 11 October 2013

The Fold's Autumn/Winter '13 Fashion Show

Sometimes as a result of being a stylist and running Style Guile, I am invited to fantastic events - events I never could have dreamed of attending a few years ago when working as a lawyer.
 
A few weeks ago now I was invited to the launch of The Fold's  Autumn/Winter 2013 collection.  The event was held at their fantastic showroom in Clerkenwell.  Some of you may remember the Fold featuring on Style Guile this time last year when I featured in a photo shoot that they were doing.
 
For those not familiar with the Fold, the brand was co-founded by Polly McMaster, who comes from a background of finance and accounting, and who has a PhD in Molecular Biology.  In her words "The Fold is about understanding a professional woman's needs in her daily life and trying to create a stylish contemporary wardrobe for them, but particularly focused around work." She also says "We really believe that being serious about work shouldn't compete with being interested in fashion."
 
So, just to give you a flavour of the event, here goes....
 
Lovely peonies - my favourite flowers of all times! Obviously it's nothing to do with the fact that they are pink!
 

In preparation for the guests, who also had an opportunity to shop the collection after the event.


The guests started to arrive, which resulted in us all starting to get a little nervous because not only had I been invited along, I had also been invited to "model" some pieces from the collection.  There were several of us - one model really was a model in the proper sense, in fact she was one of the original supermodels from the 1990's and had worked with Christie, Linda, Naomi and Cindy. I can confirm for sure that I was the shortest and widest of the models by a long way!

 
Here I am wearing the Le Marais long sleeve tunic in blush pink (£159) together with the Le Marais cropped black trousers (£159). The Fold are happy to make trousers to a bespoke length, should it be required.  


We were asked to take our own shoes along to the event and here I'm wearing my LK Bennett zebra print shoes from Bicester.


This outfit is the Brunswick dress in plum, which costs £225. Worn with a hat that was provided for the occasion, together with the Flinders Black Patent Belt (£65) which I love because it's so simple and elegant.


For my last outfit I wore the most beautiful dress, which is the navy winter Camelot. It hasn't yet been released but will be available in November, in time for Christmas. From it's length, to its neckline, to the navy fabric with a touch of sparkle in it, to the fit, the detailing - this dress is heavenly.



The Stratton top also comes in the sparkly fabric which again would be nice for Christmas, either with smarter trousers or with jeans.


You can see more images from The Fold's A/W '13 fashion show here. It's definitely worth taking a closer look at this season's collection - there are some beautifully elegant and stylish pieces.



Thursday 10 October 2013

Let's mix some Primark with some Whistles, Zara, All Saints and Mulberry to fight off the chill!

It really felt like the first day of winter today, which gave me the opportunity to wrap up warm.
 
I'm a big fan of lots of things - being warm is one of them, another is being comfortable and another is wearing "cheat" items - namely those pieces that look stylish and polished but which feel like the most comfortable PJs that I own.
 
When I'm styling clients I often say that the ideal is to feel as though you are wearing a onesie, whilst looking as if you are wearing something (anything!) much more stylish and sophisticated. It's definitely something to aim towards.
 
Here I'm wearing the Whistles Annabel jacket (£155) bought with the Grazia 25% discount. Our Selfridges didn't have it in the navy (shown below) which is probably just as well really as I could quite happily own both colours. It's boucle, which makes it soft, very warm and because of it's nice shape and styling, one of those cheat items I was talking about. Given the choice I would happily wear my fleecy dressing gown jacket for the entire winter - and behind closed doors frequently do - but it's not really acceptable in public, so this jacket is a much more acceptable alternative.
 
 


Underneath the jacket I wore an All Saints cashmere jumper, Whistles camo print scarf, Primark coated skinny jeans, Zara boots and Mulberry handbag. Cold weather - I'm ready and waiting for you!




Wednesday 9 October 2013

One guaranteed way to make legs look longer and hips narrower....

One guaranteed way to make legs look longer and hips look narrower is to wear a high waisted, dark rinse, flared jean with heels. Tone those heels to the colour of your jeans and hey presto, you look like you are on stilts (not that I do here; in fact this shot doesn't demonstrate the point particularly well at all but I'm sure that you get my drift.)

So what is it all about then? Well the high waist on the jeans makes legs look as if they start higher up than they do, a dark rinse is instantly slimming, the width of the flare in comparison to the width of the hips and thighs makes them look narrower (which is why tapered trousers have the opposite effect), heels obviously add height and the whole trick of toning shoes to jeans continues the lines without interruption.


I bought the jeans that I am wearing in the Jaeger Boutique sale last summer. With the trend being for skinny and boyfriend jeans, flared jeans are quite hard to find on the High Street but now and again I really like wearing them - and it means that I still haven't had to wear tights! Mango has this pair for £39.99, which should do the trick.


The jumper is going to get a post of its own devoted to it and the statement necklace is an old Hobbs favourite.

Tuesday 8 October 2013

A walk along the beach...

A weekend away with three friends in Dorset meant a capsule wardrobe of comfortable, practical pieces which I could layer and which I didn't mind getting mucky. I think that the emphasis was more on comfort than anything else. I seem to remember donning PJ bottoms at about 6pm on Saturday evening. 
 
Our Saturday started with a wander around the local town, progressed to lunch at a beach café after which we went for a walk along the beach. It was warm enough for me to go down to two layers - shocking, I know - hence the coat around my waist and the jumper around my shoulders.
 
Even if in scruffs I still like a bit of jewellery so on went the yellow necklace, which picked up the yellow in the jumper and also in the bag. The grey jeans, green parka and navy wellies (I have to be so careful with that word as it always auto-corrects to "willies") were a bit random but who cares - I was on holiday!!! I don't think that I did the whole wellies in the town thing - choosing to wear Zara ankle boots instead.
 
[The denim shirt was sold out online and I still can't find it although they were meant to have had new stock. Although I have seen the Parka in Zara, it's not on the site (it's a basic one) but I have included links to the ones they have. Mine is closest to the one on the top left of the link. Again the COS jeans are the nearest that I could find.]
 

Zara  Parka
New Look denim shirt
Primark jumper
Cos jeans
Joules Wellies
Cath Kidston bag
H&M necklace
 
Does anyone recognise those cliffs?!!
 



Monday 7 October 2013

If there's one thing that I would like in my life right now...

If there's one thing that I would like in my life right now it's one - or maybe all four but that's a little greedy - of these cuffs from Jaeger (£65). I like jewellery to have something about it - whether it's smaller pieces layered together, or one more significant piece like this, if it doesn't make a statement, I don't really see the point in wearing it (sentimental pieces aside of course.)

The orange one is lovely and bright and would make a nice addition to a grey, navy or black outfit. It has enough about it to turn a very simple black jersey dress into something very stylish. I think that the orange is appropriate for the whole Halloween/pumpkin thing that will be going on soon. So that's the orange one sold to me!


I love the richness of this purple one for an evening out. Worn against a gold or black sparkly top, with black velvet skinny trousers and heels, it has quite a decadent feel about it. It reminds me of the berries that we saw when walking in Dorset this weekend - so that's a purple one sold to me too.


Now I know that not everyone likes their jewellery to stand out, so this subtle grey one would be perfect for those who don't like the idea of a bright orange one - and who prefer to know in their own minds that they have something lovely lurking under their sleeve, without advertising it to the world. I love this one for its simplicity - so that's the grey one sold too.


And the black one is just beautifully simple. I'm not really a head to toe black girl but for those who can pull it off, wearing a piece like this with their black outfit, especially with the gold detailing, can look uber chic. Not that it has to be worn with black of course. Yep, I wouldn't say no to one of these either.


What would you like in your life right now and why do I fear that I may regret asking that?!

Friday 4 October 2013

Tapping into this season's fur trend with a Zara top

In about an hour I am going to be collected as a few of us are off on a girls' weekend away to Dorset - so apologies if this is unusually brief. Perhaps many of you will prefer it!
 
It was my plan to wear this outfit to travel down in but not only did I decide that most of it would be superfluous to requirements when it got down there but my trousers got soaked when I did the school pick up and clammy trousers are never good. 
 
Oh the trousers! I bumped into my husband briefly in town today and he looked at me and asked whether I was wearing new trousers. He would make a rubbish PI. Not only does he not look like Magnum, which is obviously a pre-requisite of being a PI, but his powers of observation are pants. The Cos trousers are pretty much on their last legs having been worn to death. Had he gone north by 10cm though and asked whether the blue and black, leopard print fur top (ie the really distinctive top that I was wearing) was new then yes, he would have been right.
 

So, there we have it: one fur fronted, leopard printed, short sleeved sweat from Zara, which I cannot now find anywhere on the site (rel details are 0909/236/800 and it's from the W&B collection for anyone interested) Zara boots, Cos trousers. I forgot to include the blue handbag which picked up the royal blue in the top but it was raining at the time.

As to how the outfit came about, having been running, I was late leaving for a meeting, so I opted for old faithful trousers, my new Zara boots (minus cardboard inserts) which I really like and just worked upwards. The top could have just as easily been a silk shirt, a sparkly knit or a striped top. Having half an outfit to think about when you are short of time is so much easier than thinking about a whole outfit!


I know it looks a bit mangy here but really it's not!

Thursday 3 October 2013

Possibly the only dress you will ever need

I first saw this dress whilst working yesterday and given that I was still thinking about it when I woke up this morning, I knew that I had to go and investigate further. The investigation soon turned into a purchase. Let me tell you more....

The Selma jersey dress from Whistles (£125 but there's still currently 25% off with Grazia) is all that I look for in a day dress - and more. It does have the slightly off putting word "body-con" in its title, which always strikes fear into my heart but whilst it's fitted, it's not one that cuts your circulation off, makes you turn blue and fall over.

I realise that I have written about Whistles a lot recently and whilst it's really strong this season I am objective about brands. When I was working last week we rejected a Whistles dress on the basis that it wasn't lined and was see through - come on Whistles, £145 for a see through dress? I don't think so.


So, where to start with this dress? It's machine washable at 30 degrees and has a wool content of 50% (so that's the warm box ticked). It has long sleeves, a good length (apart from the maxi dresses it is by far the longest length dress on the Whistles site.) It is also fully lined with a supportive under layer which not only holds you in but also gives a smooth line - and adds warmth, so that's a double tick on the warmth front.

This dress could be accessorised endlessly, and no doubt will be over the next few months, but for this post I wanted to show it to you in its "naked" state so that you can decide.

From this side shot it's possible to see the ruching at the waist, which is always a flattering detail, particularly as so many styles are hugely wide and loose this season - which is fine if it's a jumper and you can counteract it with a fitted skirt, or vice versa, or if you are very tall and can wear heels all day. Otherwise that shape isn't always so good.

 
Whilst I know it looks as though I'm doing a "push the boobs out" shot, it's just for the purpose of showing the exposed side zip, which I also really like as a detail.


Posting a photo of one's bottom is always a risky manoeuvre, and I must admit to forgetting the VB trick of bum clenching but there we go, it was the best I could manage whilst half way through cooking the dinner so please be gentle with me!

 
As an alternative, there's this Topshop dress at £35. It still has the ruching over the front and whilst it's flatter at the back, a client I was working with yesterday was telling me about the M&S slips she wears which are like a long vest, very fitted and give a smooth line - so one of those may sort out any bra strap/pant line issues.



Topshop also has it in this colour, which may hold more appeal to some. Lovely with bright yellow, hot pink, orange or black, it's another staple piece.


Me & Em has this double layered twist front jersey dress for £98, which I have included for those who have a curvier bust and who may appreciate the V-neck on this dress.


This Jigsaw dress £69 may appeal to more apple shaped ladies who don't necessarily want the ruching over the tummy (although don't discount it, it can work really well) and who instead prefer a looser fit - something which skims rather than clings but which nips back in at the hem to provide a nice silhouette.


The Whistles dress also comes in black - although I haven't seen it. I can't wait to play with this dress and to wear it for work, at the weekend and for evenings out - with heels, flats, boots, biker jackets, bright coats, pea coats, statement necklaces, printed scarves and sparkly scarves.  In fact I fear that this may be the end of Style Guile as from now on I will be wearing the same dress all winter. It may also be the end of my friendships as I will whiff a little too.

Wednesday 2 October 2013

A fail safe outfit - a little like a two and a half minute fail safe Jamie Oliver recipe!

It's not rocket science but slightly battered jeans with heeled boots worn with a nicer top always works for me as an outfit. It's like a Jamie Oliver two and a half minute fail safe recipe - but it takes less than two and a half minutes to put together. I like to be comfortable and able to move around - and there's nothing worse than watching your every move in case you mark something that's dry clean only. So the combination of jeans that don't matter but a top that does (isn't that what aprons were invented for?) works on lots of different levels.  
 

Sometimes I go with sparkles on the top half, sometimes it's a Breton stripe and a statement necklace, sometimes it's a printed blouse or sometimes, as in this outfit, it's a particular colour combination that I like.


With yellow and grey being a favourite combination, I wore a sequin striped Whistles jumper with an H&M necklace, yellow Karen Millen cuff and a Warehouse grey jacket, which also has a sparkly thread running through it. 
 

So, that's one fail safe easy outfit. A whole "recipe" book of others might be good I think!

Tuesday 1 October 2013

A school run outfit of Nike, Boden, Gap and All Saints to help with sore toes!

You may remember that I mentioned that I had somehow inadvertently ended up training for the Birmingham half marathon. Well last night saw us run 14 miles in preparation for it - just to be on the safe side. The reason that I tell you this is because it directly impacted on today's outfit.
 
My purple Nike trainers were the softest thing to wear against my slightly sore toes for the walk to school this morning. Feeling the need for warmth, comfort and the clothing equivalent of a hot stew, I also wore my Boden cashmere striped jumper together with skinny jeans and an All Saints mac. The thought of a clutch also appealed more than a handbag, so I used my snake print Marc Jacobs neon clutch instead. I have to admit that I am coming perilously close to buying a onesie to wear after the event (but don't tell anyone).  
 

Having done only a few long distance runs, I can't pretend to be an authority on them but through trial and error, and taking on board what others have said, I have found a few things that help in preparation. So for anyone interested, here goes:
  • An hour's nap in the afternoon is a good plan (sneaky I know but I did our last 13 mile run after a six hour shopping day and that was really, really, hard);
  • Carb loading on fresh white home baked rolls and butter an hour and half before running seems to work and it is also slightly indulgent;
  • Jelly babies are good to nibble after about 10 miles and are a good distraction (but they make you really thirsty and your teeth feel horrible);
  • Chatting on and off makes the time go much quicker (we tried to convince ourselves that we were in our local pub, which worked to an extent but certain things were missing ie alcohol);
  • The Endomondo app is good for providing information of your speed for each km run, which oddly acts as a good motivator. It also enables you to see your speed as you are running. Naturally we concluded that it wasn't entirely accurate and that the signal failed somewhere along our tree dense route so that we were, in fact, actually faster than it gave us credit for;
  • Running in trainers which don't have holes in the bottom of them is probably a good idea (well, how often are you meant to check the bottom of your trainers) and good running socks are worth their weight in gold.
If anyone else would like to share their tips I would love to hear them. Anything and everything is welcome! I would particularly like to know how to convince yourself that you are running at night time (which I much prefer) even though you are running in the morning. I'm thinking about wearing sunglasses but I'm not sure that it will work.