Rewearing Pieces From Your Wardrobe

Life is more than hectic at the moment and with a home renovation in full swing it leaves little to no time for much forward thinking.  I had a wedding at the week-end and as my wardrobe is currently scattered all over the place it hasn't left me with much enthusiasm so subconsciously, more than anything, I think I left it to the last minute on purpose.  The thought of trying to cobble something together just wasn't appealing.  However I had to, so the night before I grabbed 5 dresses from under  the eaves wardrobes (after ducking and diving to get to them!) and whittled it down to 3.  Not in the mood for it I left it until the morning however one thing was for sure, the white Zara blazer was going to be worn.  It just made every dress look and feel better full stop.  I haven't worn it a ton, it's a very crisp white but when I wear it, it does feel so good on.  I needed to wear a piece like that to give me a kick I think!

After a face time conversation with my cousin (the husband was no help, they all looked nice apparently) I went with a French Connection dress I've had for a good few years.  It is one of those comfortable ones that you just slip on.  It's not tight, it has a pattern that is so flattering as well as a neutral colour pallet.  I just wanted to feel comfy for this wedding.  

However, like the jacket, I wanted to accessorise with some pieces that I really loved to put some oomph back into how I was feeling about my current dismantled wardrobe.  I went for my killer Gucci heels and yes, they were a killer, they were not made for walking.  Needs must when you need a bit of loveliness on your feet though.  I love the bamboo detail on them and grabbed my sunglasses as I ran out the door which also have the bamboo (randomly bought years apart and forgetting that I had any Gucci bamboo pieces).  A few bracelets and my vintage Chanel and I didn't feel too bad in my outfit after all. 

Bag; Chanel
Shoes & Sunglasses; Gucci (Bicester Village)
Silver Bracelets; Tiffany & Annie Haak
Snake Rockstud Bracelet; Valentino (Bicester Village)

I would never advise leaving your outfit until the last minute but sometimes you do just have to go with what you feel on the day so it's good to have a few options ready.  I was sure I would go with a old Whistles dress which had lots of colour but just decided I didn't want to be faffing with the pockets shifting under it (it's silk) but I could handle a good heel that day instead!  

French Connection are great for these shift style dresses which actually leave room to move around in (or binge on bread rolls as I did and need extra breathing space in a dress!) and I have a few of them  now.  Just popped over to their website to have a look and completely fallen for this one. 

Anastasia Floral Relaxed Tea Dress £99

I'm pretty sure the below is the same Zara blazer as mine and it's currently online at £59.99.  I'm sure it was £10 more last year as I bought mine in Spain and with exchange rate ended up paying around what it is now.  It does say 'Ecru' but comes out a very bright white.  I love the relaxed, ruched sleeves and longer length to it.  

Turn-Up Sleeve Blazer £59.99

PS Please excuse the toilet selfies and pipe work in the photos, lack of time when you're racing out the house with two little ones under your feet also means you grab a photo when you can.  My husband is still learning after all these years that additional items like pipes don't really need to be seen but until that day, they are there for your viewing pleasure!

A Mini French Connection Review

I was loitering around the changing rooms waiting for a client the other week when I spotted a sales assistant with a fabulous t-shirt.  Never one not to ask, I marched on over to find out where it was from and naturally grab a photo - I have no shame!  It is from French Connection.  I loved how she'd teamed it with a plain leather skirt, it made me want to get mine out more often and dress it down with t-shirts for every day wear.  

FCUK T-Shirt £30

I've always liked French Connection but it has fallen off my radar recently - Zara and Topshop seem to be my firm favourites at the moment.  I did use to rely on them heavily for dresses as they seemed to suit my shape and I knew my size would fit me (rather than with some brands who fluctuate their sizes, style and season dependent!).  This below number also caught my eye.  I'm a sucker for a bit of embroidery and the navy and white colour combo really worked for it.  

French Connection Dress £135 

I saw the below dress whilst in Dublin with my sister.  She tried it on but they didn't have my size.  It actually worked out cheaper here in the UK (£36 from £120) but French Connection were sold out.  John Lewis have it in stock though so I'm hovering over the order button - just to see if it fits of course, which I'm planning that it won't (or really can't...!).  A great buy though and I tend to find their dresses are the right side of fashion - not so high fashion that they're done after one season, but just enough to still be a safe bet in your wardrobe for a good few years. 

French Connection Leopard Moth Dress (via John Lewis) £36

I have a few golden oldie French Connection dresses lurking in my wardrobe.  One in particular that I bring out at least once a year for an occasion.  It was actually found via a charity shop but it was my size and I knew it would fit.  They are very fair in their sales so make sure you have a good browse around.  It isn't too early to be thinking ahead for party season you know - 132 days to be precise!  Leaving you on that note rather promptly.

PS Extra 10% off sale with code EX10SALE until 24th August 2015. 

Some Bright & Cheerful Inspiration

Writing from my sick bed (I wondered why I had been feeling ill all week then took a look at my poor tonsils today!) I feel in need of some hope that Spring is coming soon.  Thankfully I've had emails dropping in my inbox all week with some colour which has cheered me up.  I am having a dry February (I hardly drink so yes, you've guessed it, I'm talking clothes shopping).  I have a little bit left from my birthday money which I'm in no rush to spend.  I don't really want to buy Winter bits now as that's just too depressing but it's still too cold for a Spring wardrobe.  So it's a good excuse to go cold turkey this month!  Please note the disclaimer here, should something pretty amazing turn up, I have the right to spend my birthday pennies ok?

So here's some of my favourites from the emails I've received this week.

French Connection

This a-line dress is £150 so fairly pricey but knowing French Connection and their quality, it will last a long time.  I love the simple elegant cut with the contemporary twist coming in the form of the print. They also do a skirt for £70 if the style isn't right for your shape but like me, you love the print. 

Miss Selfridge

How adorable is the above?  I don't wear midi skirts as, as of yet, haven't found one that does my small frame justice and doesn't completely dwarf me.  However I feel when I am next passing a Miss Selfridge, this one needs to be tried on.  Yes, just in case you missed it, this is a skirt and top combo. The skirt is £45 and the top £35.  (PS they are having a flash sale tomorrow - Friday 13th February 12-2pm, use code FLASH20 for 20% off full price items.  I hear there may well be a 25% voucher in Glamour magazine floating about too).  

Boden

I love this whole look from Boden but in particular the peach jeans.  These are £49 which I don't feel is an unfair price for jeans.  I have a cornflour blue pair of ankle jeans by Ralph Lauren that I only wear in the Summer months and I love them as the colour really does make them a more versatile Spring/Summer wear.  These would look just as chic with a trainer/plimsole style shoe. 

Some very Spring colours above, for now though, I'm back for lots of layers and of course my trusted thermals!  

Tower London Breakfast

I spent a lovely Sunday morning the other week in North London with the crew at Tower London checking out there shoes.  What other way is there to spend a morning right?!?  Here's my round up of their latest offering with a great selection of brands.

Calvin Klein

The marmite Ugg!  Personally I still think there's a place for them, they are too comfy not to be in my wardrobe

If only my girls were with me!

Just a few Converse!

I LOVE Timberland boots, such a well made, sturdy, comfy shoe

Tommy Hilfiger, probably my favourite boot of the day

The French Connection suede and studded slipper were just as good in the flesh, honest

No collection would be complete without the Ash boot

For all the Birkenstock fans out there (I am a fan but they just don't work on my feet!)

My favourite colour was this green

Vivienne Westwood for Mel (for some reason, it's the baby powder smell that wins me over with these shoes!)

My error of the day were these Mel sandals.  Reduced to £21 - they would have gone perfectly with my dress for the beach wedding later this month, arrrrrgh!  Why wasn't my thinking cap on properly that day?  Back up to full price £33.99 and no small sizes left.  Booo!

I'm now a little obsessed with finding some Mel sandals - has anyone ever bought some?  Do they rub?  I am thinking in heat they may not be ideal but I really like them.....!

Dorothy Perkins has this one for £14, very tempted but I will await any reviews on them from you guys first!

(PS Just read that they are a Vegan friendly brand and the bride is a Vegan, I am thinking I should order them, are you seeing my logic here?!?!)

And now I'm just getting carried away - the Vegan bride needs these!

Wedding Outfit & Some Vintage Accessories

So my last post was about leaving my outfit's until the last minute.  Well I can report I am consistent, I did the same on Friday.  Three dresses hung in front of me, 1 hour left to leave the house......the navy French Connection dress won.  I wanted something fitted, not loose that day.  I am mostly a simple dresser, I like to keep it classic.  So I threw in my vintage pale pink Chanel handbag, painted my nails pink (Chanel again!) and wore my L.K.Bennett snakeskin heels for the first time.  I love that they cover the soles of their shoes so they are not scuffed until the first wear - genius for saving them for the owner not the shoppers in store.  I added several other accessories then removed them all and just added some sparkle with a necklace.

Not the best of shots, you will know by now I'm not the best in front of the camera

Bows on the back

In a slightly better light (but the end of the day!)

It deserved a seat all of it's own

I love the ruffle detail on the shoulders of this dress

My accessories

Whilst driving to the wedding I took this photo to send to my family as the necklace was my late Nan's (RIP Nana W) and it was the first time I've worn it.  It's not real diamonds but my Mum polished it up and boy does it sparkle.  The hubby said, 'I wonder if our grand-daughters will be sat here one day calling your New Look/Primark costume jewellery vintage'.  Good point.  I'm thinking that my Nan's was well made back in the day and probably cost more then what I spend on token trend jewellery now.  This piece was obviously made to last, it must be 50-60 years old.  But I do wonder, will our costume jewellery one day be classed as vintage?

So tonight I am trying to plan my outfit to the Next Blogger Network Workshop.  Bad weather has stumped any plans I had.  At the moment I think it will be my Converse (seriously, I don't know how I survived without them before) for the commute then a quick change to some court shoes with skinny jeans.  As I have spent all week-end on another project (below!) I've neglected devoting any proper thought to my outfit for tomorrow.

This week-end I've been mainly painting my lounge furniture!

So my brain is not in the 'planning outfit' stage.  I've given up and done what I know will work, paint my nails.....then the rest will follow.  I love red nails.  Would I advise this way round for outfits to my clients?  Absolutely not, that's what I'm there for!

Helen E Cosmetics base coat & my favourite red Chanel

Wish me luck braving the storm whilst trying to remain fashionable!

The Ones That Got Away This Week

Well I'm back to my 'do I really need it stage' with shopping.  I think this is my husbands favourite stage for obvious reasons.  Maybe it's that Christmas is looming however I think not.  I do tend to go in phases of finding loads then nothing.  So today I am sharing with you what's got away!  Starting with this dress from FCUK in Bicester Village.  I was drawn mainly due to the price tag I will admit, £97 down to £15 then a further 20% off that day so £13.  However there was also a Brucey bonus in that it was silk, one of my favourite materials.  However it just hung.  High neckline; check, fibre composition; check, price; check, does it actually do anything for me; um, big fat no.  Could I make a cushion cover from this amazing fabric purely because the price for that piece of material is sooo cheap?  Oh come on Natalie, put it back.  So I did.  

I'd started getting dressed when I realised I should share it, so trousers were back on, sorry!

It did need a good iron but for £13 I could have lived with that

Next up also at Bicester Village were these Gucci sunglasses, £220 down to £100.  Now I struggle with sunnies, I have a slight paranoia that they must cover my eyebrows.  I had a little disaster in the week with some contact lens solution (resulting in A&E, I am slightly embarrassed to confess, but all's well) so it was a glasses day.  I am blind as a bat so there I was trying these on with my face literally pressed up against the mirror, it steamed up, I moved back and decided to ask about their returns policy.  Trying them on and seeing them on was not an option in store that day.  No refunds so no buying for me.  Can I afford £100 on sunglasses, absolutely not, maybe my eyes were trying to tell me something.  But I think they did cover my eyebrows.....

I didn't manage to snap a piccy but I was in TK Maxx for something and saw my absolute favourite Nike joggers I have, in grey for £16.99.  I decided I didn't need two pairs, despite their comfort, I own a washing machine so why waste money on two of the same?  Goodness, what is going on with my logic?!?  So what did I actually purchase last week, wait for it......

A bloody teapot (I can swear on my own blog right?).  It matches the rest of my Le Creuset set which was bought to match my tiles.  Obsessed?  Me?  Much?  £28 down to £9.99.  My logic behind this purchase (other than the most obvious that it matches)?  Well it's going to save me pennies on tea bags, 1 bag will do 2 cups of tea instead of a bag in each cup.

Someone save me.

Ending with some colour, my favourite shop window at Bicester Village goes to Anya Hindmarch with her clutches that were all wired up to open and close with sweeties all around.  It had lots of people stopping to look!

Quirky Knits & Some Major Bargains

I was dashing around Tesco the other day when their clothing sale caught my eye.  I was immediately drawn to two jumpers, both a little different to what I would normally home in on (think classic, smart, casual dresser who loves a breton stripe and animal print).  I tried them both on, I definitely preferred one over the other but then I checked the fibre composition, mmmmm. I have never shied away from the fact I don't like acrylic, I always aim for natural fibres as I like my clothes to last as I buy classic shapes.  But it got me thinking.  At £9 was it worth a try just to have a bit of fun in my wardrobe?  Or is it compromising my 'rules' on garments and after two washes I will be fuming that it looks a mess and will never make it to next season in my wardrobe?  Is it a little 'young'?  Or is it quirky and cheeky?  I am still undecided.  The husband is against it, thinks it looks daft.  I like the colours but I feel I am going to be cheated of my £9 if it ends up in the rag bag bin.  Yes there is the slight chance I am over thinking this, but that is me, I like to think about my clothes.  It's rare that I buy an item and wear it straight away (like my Jack Wills cardi), I ponder.

Tesco £9 

The one that jumped away...had more cotton in but not a great shape on me, £7

For £9 part of me wants to give it a go, but then I look at the cut around the neck, feel the fabric and I cringe.  I am not saying that everything I've bought from Tesco has been like this, their cashmere is amazing but then for £40 a piece, you would expect it to be.  I guess I just expect a lot for my money, but then why shouldn't we, we all work hard for it.  Throw away fashion has never really been part of my wardrobe, yes a few odd pieces but never the foundation of it.  If you are a fan of these jumpers and want to/have the means to spend more, I love this French Connection version and it's pretty much all wool.  

French Connections £79

I also tried this on that I found in the M&S sale for £22 but it wasn't my size.  I do love the detail on this though and I like that it's on top as it balances out my proportions.

And a few randoms to finish off with tonight.  If you are a cooker/baker and enjoy a good book, I found this in my local Poundland (there is branded stuff in Poundland before anyone shouts at me, and the more I save there, the more I can 'invest' in my wardrobe).  I did a quick Amazon check and it's £12.72 there with an RRP of £18.99, bargain!  Oh and it's recommended by Nigella.

I did warn you it was random - a new night cream!  It's that time of year when my expensive one runs out and I am waiting for it in the sales again.  I have heard quite a lot of good stuff about Aldi's creams so for £3.49 I'm giving it a whirl.  Will feed back on my findings.

And last but by no means least as it's probably been the highlight of my day, I need to get out more I know, my Waitrose shop.  Somehow I managed to walk in at just the right time of day that mark downs were happening and instead of spending the £37.50 it totalled, I spent £13.08 and all the meat/fish has gone straight in the freezer.  I do LOVE a bargain, don't say I don't share everything with you on my blog.  Have a good week-end everyone!

Converse + Sale = Ordered!

Well I did say in this post that I was reluctant to pay full price for them (and most things I might add) and a few weeks later?  They are now £25!  I couldn't remember what size I tried on and was dashing out of the house for school pick up when I saw they were reduced so it was left to fate.  By the time I came home there was only a 4 in the animal and 3.5 in the grey.  I decided against the blue as I wear a lot of blue denim jeans and I want them a different colour.   Check out Office as that is where I found them in the sale.  Will update once they've arrived and I've decided which pair.  Excited, my first pair of Converse!

I also managed to try on the Topshop Gwenda shoes I was raving about in this post.  Mmmmm.  Strangely the navy size 4 felt big yet the pink 4 were small and I did not like the toe cleavage.  So glad I managed to try them on as now I can knock them off my wish list.  I actually preferred the navy though, even when I seem to have a pink thing going on at the moment!

For anyone already considering the Christmas party frock (well done!) give French Connection's Ebay outlet a try here.  They have some amazing discounts.  I've ordered and returned things to them before and it's been no trouble.  There are some silk tops I am so tempted by but Converse were more important for my day to day living than a fancy silk top, so head over ruled heart today (I won't make this a habit).

French Connection Ebay Outlet £87 down to £25

And I will end with a little tip off, Grazia are having a sample sale from 11-13 October.  If you are in London and enjoy a designer bargain on two, pop along.  More information here.  I think I might just have to attend as I've never been to one of theirs before so in the name of research for you my lovely readers.......
PS I want that top above now even more, damn.