The days when I travelled to an office every day for work are a distant memory now, my place of business having been home-based for a number of years. However, I can well remember the eternal struggle of maintaining a decent workwear wardrobe.

The office I worked in wasn't a power suit and stilettos kind of place, but looking smart and put together was important. I also needed to concentrate on documents while sat at my computer for long periods of time, and as we all know, that's difficult to do if you're not comfortable. I was constantly on the lookout for pieces that would tick both boxes, and I also wanted them to be affordable. After all, no one wants to spend their entire pay check on clothes to wear to the office!


If I was still in that job, I can say without a doubt that I would be racing to buy up these H&M paper bag trousers in every colour available (they come in black and beige as well as this checked version).  As office wear goes, in my opinion, these are about as perfect as it gets. With a tie belt to cinch in and accentuate the decorative, pleated high waist detail, and a tapered to the ankle cut, they are a really nice looking piece. Effortlessly chic when paired with a fitted turtle neck and loafers, you could easily up the smart factor by styling them with a crisp white shirt and a pair of kitten heels for an important meeting.

Are they comfortable? 100% yes. The soft fabric and loose fitting style means you can sit down at your desk and focus without being constantly distracted by restrictive clothing. You might as well be wearing pyjamas.

And finally, the price. At an incredibly reasonable £19.99, the question is, can you afford not to buy them?!

Shop The Look (AD)

What's your typical office attire?

Kate x

This post contains gifted items, which are marked "AD".  Read my full disclaimer here.

What's the most precious piece of jewellery you own? For me, it's probably my wedding ring. Engraved with my husband's initials and the date of our marriage, it's unique to me and very special. For others it might be a 21st birthday gift from their parents, or a family heirloom passed down from a beloved relative.


I've been thinking about jewellery and the special role it can play in the most important moments of our lives ever since Abelini reached out to work with me a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't heard of the brand, but after a little research I could see I was going to be a fan, and I could quite easily lose hours  of my time drooling over the beautiful trinkets on their Instagram page. UK based with a showroom in London's famous Hatton Garden, they pride themselves on using modern crafting techniques to create unique, high quality designs from ethically sourced materials, as well as meticulous attention to detail and outstanding customer service. Their aim is to be a go-to name when it comes to choosing jewellery to mark life's most special occasions, and they even offer a special bespoke service where you can work one-on-one with a designer to create a piece of jewellery that is entirely your own - a wonderful idea for engagement rings, for example.



While not everyone can have the opportunity to visit their London store, Abelini also has a comprehensive website, where you can not only browse a wide range of ready to wear designs but also select your preferred cut, setting, metal and price range to find the perfect ring, necklace or earrings for you or your loved one. There is also the possibility to have up to three samples made (in high quality silver and artificial diamonds) so that you can really be sure you're making the right choice. Selecting a special piece of jewellery is a big decision, so I love the idea of being able to see a mock up of the real thing.


Speaking of samples, Abelini very kindly sent a couple out to me so that I could get a feel for their pieces. The stud earrings are absolute classics, the kind of everyday luxury so many of us aspire to own, while the heart shaped ring is a real stunner and would make a fabulous cocktail ring or statement engagement ring. It's safe to say I'm hooked, and would definitely have Abelini high up on my list should I be in the market for diamond jewellery in the future!

I'd love to know about the most special piece of jewellery in your collection. Tell me a story in the comments!

Kate x

Summer clothes don't often get enough chance to shine in the UK, which is why I love it when my favourite trends pop back up again for another season! I've been routing around in my wardrobe and  have rediscovered five trends I enjoyed rocking last summer, which will still look bang up to date this year too. 

And so, of course, I made a video about it! You can watch it on YouTube if you want links to some of the pieces featured, or right here if you prefer.

What are some of your favourite summer trends?

Kate x

Having drooled over a fair number of other people's H&M hauls in recent weeks, it seemed only fair that I did one of my own! It has always been a favourite retailer of mine, and just lately the store seems to be full to bursting with gorgeous spring/summer pieces. I hope you like what I picked! As always, you can watch the video here on the blog, or head over to watch it on YouTube if you prefer. If you want to check out any of the items for yourself, you'll find the links over on YouTube too.

Are you a fan of H&M, and have you shopped there recently?

Kate x

This post contains affiliate links, which are marked "AD". Read my full disclaimer here.

A little while back I set myself a bit of a challenge. Despite really liking a pair of faux leather trousers I had acquired some time ago from H&M, I found I wasn't wearing them very often, tending to fall back, as I so often do, on my tried and tested jeans. I was determined to change that, so I laid out the faux leather trousers on my bed and told myself I wasn't going anywhere until I had figured out both a daytime and an evening look that worked with them.

Did I succeed? Well, I ended up buying a second pair of trousers for the evening look, so I'm not sure that "succeed" is the right word! On the other hand, I have two new outfits in my wardrobe that I might not otherwise have thought to put together, so on the whole, I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

The original trousers, featured here, are very similar in style to a pair of skinny jeans, though not quite so tight fitting around the calf and ankle. They are comfortable to wear and have a fair bit of stretch in them, while the sheen from the faux leather fabric makes them eye catching and a nice change from regular jeans. Mine are from H&M and were bought some time ago, but they always seem to have something similar in stock - I have linked a pair below which look almost identical.

For the daytime look, I opted to go for something fairly sleek and smart. While faux leather trousers can look great dressed down, it can all start to get a little bit too grungy for me - not a look I can pull off well. I'd been lusting after a long-line belted blazer for a while, having seen more and more of them popping up on Instagram in recent weeks, and when I spotted this one on the River Island website, I could instantly see it working perfectly with the trousers. The fact that it can be belted at the waist creates a really flattering silhouette, and also means that even petites like me can get away with the longer length. In addition to this, the black panels down the sides help to streamline your figure even further. I find the sleeves a touch too long, but they work well rolled back, so this isn't an issue. As for the grey check print, it's a classic that looks super smart and works beautifully with black.

Once I had the blazer, adding a simple, fitted black turtleneck underneath seemed like the perfect pairing, while the structured handbag and high heeled stiletto boots completed the look nicely.

It's been a while since I worked in an office, but I reckon this outfit would be a great addition to a workwear wardrobe. Personally, I'll find it useful for those occasions when I have events to go to in London, or even for a smart lunch or coffee date. Switch the heels for some sleek flat boots or loafers, and you could do an afternoon's shopping in this get-up too.

I'll bring you the evening look in another post soon, but in the meantime, I would love to know how you would style faux leather trousers for the daytime. Let me know in the comments!

Kate x