WHATS ON THE HIGH STREET.....

Kimonos are a really colourful and stylish option to a summer jacket-they tend to be so light and floaty that are great for all sizes and give you that extra bit of coverage. They are also a perfect day to night piece which look great with denim and also tailored items such as a tapered cropped pair of trousers. Here is what's currently availbale on the High Street:

 Topshop dotty floral kimono, £55

   

Topshop embroidered kimono, £45



Zara Japanese kimono, £29.99

 

Zara printed kimono, £69.99 

This kimono was bought (but still not worn!) when I was on holiday last August:

I really love the vivid orange, bold pink and cobalt blue against the greys and zebra print and the orchids are so pretty too: 

What style of  summer jacket will you be opting for this coming season?



MYSTYLE FOR MOTHERS DAY

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a lovely Mothers Day, I had a great day which started with a lie in and my usual cup of tea brought up, then an early start to a couple of boot sales which unfortunately didn't yield much at all-I bought 'The Sixth Wife' book for 50p but the walk round them was bracing and built up an appetite for the brunch hubby made when we got home. I also received a new cosy red Duffer sweatshirt from my boys and a lovely card.

Then an afternoon of R&R and a family gathering to watch Manchester United v Chelsea, so nice to be at home with all my family around!!

I had to wrap warm for the boot sales and I wore a couple of new and new to me items. one of which I could wear often and would give a pop of colour-well it had to be a scarf!!

The scarf is absolutely massive-very long and wide so it double looped around my neck twice and although it is a fine material it was ideal for a cold windy day as there is so much of it!! 

I am also wearing a newly thrifted khaki coloured parka by Per Una from Marks and Spencer which I bought last week from the Salvation Army charity shop for £6.99. It is lightweight but warm, so ideal for unsettled weather and an  ideal length too:

It worked out well that the scarf and parka were a perfect match colourwise and I'm also wearing a hand knitted Aran jumper which I thrifted from my local Sue Ryder charity shop last year for £4.99:

It looks like the weather is still going to be cold for a while yet-I'm sure like a lot of you that layering up is proving to be just so boring but necessary- I really cannot wait for Spring to properly arrive!

I am linking this to the lovely Patti at NotDeadyetStyle for her Visible Monday post, wishing you a good week ahead xx

MYSTYLE ESSENTIALS: BLACK TAILORED JACKET

Call it predictable or bordering 'boring', but for me a constant style essential is a tailored black jacket. As Michael Kors recently remarked on twitter, 'I truly believe 70% of a woman's wardrobe should be classic, basic pieces'.  I've never been a fan of capsule wardrobes but I do appreciate the significance of having certain style basics in my wardrobe and if I'm a repeat offender of any particular item then it's a tailored black jacket. 

Looking back on previous pictures over the years, this is one style essential that is still in my wardrobe, winning over items that continually get turfed out for being out of trend or favour to a new home either via the charity shop, ebay or vintage fairs.

All of my black tailored jackets have been thrifted from boot sales and charity shops and over half of them are vintage or designer too- Stella McCartney, Thierry Mugler, Valentino and Janice Wainwright. The others are either made in France or Italy from wool and crepe, ensuring quality and style. None of them cost more £12 and I wouldn't be without any of them:

Thierry Mugler early 90s black tailored jacket

Made in France black tailored dress coat

Artigiano Italian wool tailored jacket-this was only £1 from the boot sale a few years back!

So hands up- I am guilty of repeat offending on the black tailored jacket front-but quality wins over trends for me any day. What is your main style essential for the coming season?

Outfit post-Mixing browns and black, faux fur, leather and denim

Hi everyone! I thrifted this brown faux fur gilet in January, it is by Dorothy Perkins and I got it from the PDSA charity shop for £4.99. It's a perfect layering piece to wear over a top or a jacket which is how I wore it over the weekend, indoors and out. I have really liked wearing faux fur gilets over leather jackets this winter season as key layering pieces, not only does this work the leather sleeve trend but it's an ideal way to keep cosier too.

I am wearing a thrifted vintage Marks & Spencer gold chain and tassel print top, my Gap Always Skinny jeans and Marks & Spencer biker style black leather ankle boots that I also bought in January:

I am really pleased that true blue jeans are back in style, as much as I love coloured denim I do enjoy wearing different washes of blue jeans as for me they are so much more versatile and feel like I'm finally seeing the back of winter after wearing black jeans virtually most of this season!

I am also wearing my best ever Primark item which is my black leather biker jacket-I thrifted this three years ago for only £8.95 from my local Sue Ryder charity shop and for cost per wear it's been worth it's weight in gold, I enjoy wearing it every season either by itself or as I've just said, layered under a faux fur gilet.

I am linking this post to the lovely Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday.

Wishing you all a very good week ahead and how good it feels to know Spring is only round the corner!

The LBB- My 'Go To' Black Bag Style Essential

Hi everyone! This post is about the everyday, go to, no fuss LBB-little black bag. Like many of  you, I do have a selection of different bags ranging from shoulder bags to totes to clutches in an array of colours and from vintage to high street to designer.

Generally though when I am out and about on an everyday basis and I'm not going anywhere in particular without the need to impress or dress up then an everyday little black bag is my perfect partner.

I was fortunate to find this lovely little black bag by Kipling in the British Heart Foundation charity shop a couple of Autumns ago for only £5.99.

What drew me to it was the shiny gold hardware and detailing and the easy clean nylon material which even to now has not faded and still looks great and feels like an up to date version of the classic nylon Prada bags of the 90s. It slings easily over my shoulder and fits snugly under my arm and I can get so much into it considering it looks a small bag-no holding my umbrella! Plus it has a good variety of outer and inner compartments too:

Kipling black hobo style bag, £5.99 British Heart Foundation charity shop

No fur monkey here, his portrait is now emblazoned on the gold hardware!!

I still love the bright and shiny gold detailing on this cute bag!

Do you have a particular 'go to' bag that you just can't help using, despite the many you already own?

Here's wishing you all a really lovely weekend, lets hope now it's the start of March that Spring will now be in the air to stay!