Sometimes an item of clothing just ticks all the boxes. For instance, this pretty summery top, which is a recent addition to my wardrobe. The vibrant pillar box red colour seems to be very fashionable right now, while the ruffle and cold shoulder details are still definitely in vogue - something I'm very pleased about as I'm a big fan of both!
This top is more than just fashionable though. For a start, it's incredibly easy to wear. The way it's cut at the top means you can show off your shoulders without having to worry about a strapless bra, as there's enough fabric there to feel confident that you aren't going to get any pesky straps peeking out. Speaking of the fabric, it's cool and cottony, and best of all, this top goes with absolutely everything. I've tucked it into a floaty skirt here, but it hangs really nicely when left loose too, and looks great worn this way with jeans for a more casual look. I also think it would work really well on the beach with denim shorts and flip flops, yet equally, I can see it tucked into tailored trousers and teamed with sky high heels for a formal event. It really is a great little multi-tasker.
Did I also mention that it's super affordable? At just £10.98 you'd recoup your cost per wear in no time!
It was a sunny day when we took these pictures, so I decided to pair the top with this H&M skirt. The detail on it is really beautiful - it has a very fine blue stripe with gorgeous broderie anglaise at the bottom, not to mention a concealed zip with button fastening - It definitely feels a lot fancier than your average H&M skirt. To complete the look, I opted for espadrille wedges (just for a change!) and my TK Maxx basket bag. Then we went down to the lake, and as you'll probably be able to tell from these photos, there was a gale force wind blowing. Ah, the good old British summer, eh?!
How would you style this top?
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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Summer fashion is so much fun, isn't it? Pretty, feminine prints, delicate fabrics and the chance to show off a little (fake) tanned skin... but if you're anything like me, things can start to feel decidedly chilly when the UK weather disappoints. Which is often.
When you live in a country where you just can't guarantee warm weather in the summer, you have to get a little bit creative, because no one wants to a.) freeze to death or b.) cover up our pretty summer clothes with last winter's ratty old cardigan. So, if I want to wear a flimsy summer dress and the weather isn't cooperating, I'll opt for a midi or maxi length. Just having that little bit of extra fabric between my bare legs and the elements can make a big difference, and when you add a jacket into the mix, you should be well protected against all but the most miserable of British summer days. I've always loved the contrast of a biker jacket over a feminine dress, but if I really want to stick with the summery vibes, I'll go for a bleached denim one. In fact, even when I'm on holiday somewhere hot, I'll still throw a denim jacket over a floral maxi if a breeze picks up after the sun goes down. I have one a lot like this which has served me well over many years. I nearly always opt for a cropped style because I'm petite and I like that it shows my waist, but the oversized ones are pretty cool too.
Another staple you can always fall back on no matter what the time of year is a good old pair of jeans, and the ones you wear in summer don't have to be the same as your favourite winter pairs. White denim will always look summery and fresh, but this season I've really been enjoying this mid blue pair from H&M. Turned up at the ankle, they're perfect for showing off pretty summer sandals and shoes - I've opted for espadrilles again here - I'm obsessed! As well as being an absolute steal at £19.99, they're also made of really soft, comfortable denim and aren't too thick, so you won't suddenly start boiling to death if the sun does decide to make an appearance. Jeans go with everything like nothing else, so they're brilliant for pairing with just about every style of summer top you can think of. And, because you're covered up on your bottom half, you're not going to freeze. Pairing this lovely Shein blouse with jeans made me feel more comfortable in it even when the weather wasn't so great. (It looks bright in these pictures, but there was a cool breeze blowing that day!) By adding the red clutch to accentuate the detail on the blouse, as well as my new gold-toned sunglasses, I still felt summer appropriate.
Blouse* - Shein, Jeans, Espadrilles, Sunglasses - H&M, Bag - Zara
Conversely, if it's a pretty skirt you're desperate to show off, you can easily flip things around by adding some extra warmth on your top half. A-line skirts with beautiful prints or detail can look stunning teamed with a plain blouse and tailored blazer. I personally love white blazers in the summer, and have one a lot like this which I will wear over just about everything from evening dresses to jeans and a t-shirt. It's a great way to look smart and keep warm without looking as though you're ready for Christmas.
How do you like to cover up on chilly summer days?
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
Do you ever feel like you don't own anything "smart casual"? Like your wardrobe consists of jeans and t-shirts or fancy dresses and nothing in between? This is a situation I often find myself in - particularly with shoes. I have plimsolls or I have party shoes. Well, perhaps that is a slight exaggeration, but what I am trying to say is this - when I saw these studded sandals in Topshop the other day, I knew that they were going to fill a gaping hole in my life.
They are the perfect in between shoe. Dressier than loafers (and definitely dressier than plimsolls), they're a lot more laid back than a skyscraper heel, not to mention infinitely more walkable. Which is good, because a girl doesn't always get chauffeur driven to every event, now does she? They're cute, comfortable and flattering, and the stud detailing, in my opinion, makes them look a lot more expensive than their £32 price tag. I can see them being useful on so many different occasions and I'm sure they'll be worn to death in no time at all. If you're not crazy about the black, they're also available in a soft grey colour.
As for the rest of my outfit, I went for this pleated white midi skirt from H&M which I've had for a while. You can see it styled up quite differently in this post. Pretty, feminine and easy to wear, it's a great option for a smart casual look. I've paired it with this light pink neck tie top from Shein. Simply cut and in a flattering, silky feel fabric, it's a great little multi tasking piece that will tuck into anything from shorts or jeans to culottes and any kind of skirt you can imagine. You can create a pussy bow with the neck tie or you can just leave it knotted like I've done here, offering you even more options.
Finally, I've added my trusty little cross body bag from Topshop to balance out the shoes and pull the whole look together.
What's your favourite way to do smart casual?
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
I've become a bit of a Shein fan since they started sending me pieces to feature on my blog. And I've always been very honest about their clothing - it tends to be bang on trend, cheap as chips, but not necessarily the best quality. However, not only is this white off the shoulder top absolutely gorgeous, it's also very nicely made. In fact, this is probably one of my favourite things they've ever sent me.
I adore off the shoulder styles, and this one sits beautifully without me feeling the need to keep yanking it up every five minutes, which is a definite bonus! The billowing sleeves, bow details and soft fabric are incredibly flattering and it's a joy to wear. I've paired it with this brilliant denim skirt from H&M - a fantastic fit and such a multi-tasker - a dirt cheap Gucci dupe bag and my ancient red wedges which were a bargain from New Look years ago and I think the subject of one of my very first blog posts! I like the little pop of red against the muted palette of the rest of the outfit.
How else could you wear this top? Well, I love the idea of it with jeans and jewelled flat sandals for a more laid back approach, or you could go full on girly and pair it with a pretty skirt in a pastel hue.
As I mentioned, this H&M skirt is incredibly versatile. It works with anything from a ribbed vest top and plimsolls to a fancy blouse and sky high heels. I've even worn it with thick tights and boots when the weather was cooler - I do love a multi-tasking piece!
And while we're on the subject of H&M, how cool is this little bag? It's a great size, kinda looks like Gucci and was less than £30.00. What's not to love?!
What's your favourite piece from this look?
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
It seems we have a new obsession on our hands. After extolling the virtues of blush pink in this post, here I am bringing it back again, but this time in an entirely new way. At least, new for me.
Wide legged trousers are one of those things I've always admired on other people but never felt suited me. After all, generally speaking, petite frames and vast expanses of fabric just don't mix. However, I don't like to be defeated when it comes to fashion, and if I love something, I'll try it on, even if I'm 99% sure it won't work on me. That's what happened when I saw these Zara culottes. I had to give them a chance, because, hello, they're blush pink.
Wide legged trousers are one of those things I've always admired on other people but never felt suited me. After all, generally speaking, petite frames and vast expanses of fabric just don't mix. However, I don't like to be defeated when it comes to fashion, and if I love something, I'll try it on, even if I'm 99% sure it won't work on me. That's what happened when I saw these Zara culottes. I had to give them a chance, because, hello, they're blush pink.
Beautiful
colour aside, I absolutely love the cut and fit of these. The poser in
me can't help but wish they had pockets, but at the same time I can see
how that might compromise the sleek silhouette they create. I know a lot
of people dress culottes down, and I think they can look fabulous worn
like that, but for me the heels are necessary as I'm so little, so I'll
probably be reserving these for formal occasions when I want an
alternative to a dress.
I've paired the culottes with this pretty white blouse from (you've
guessed it!) Shein. This is actually a body and very comfortable to
wear. I love the neck detail and the fact that it's semi-sheer - so
feminine and delicate. It also works beautifully with jeans, loafers and
a blazer.
I felt quite elegant in this outfit, particularly in this beautiful setting! It was nice to have a change from my brick wall and work with a photographer again. (And when I say photographer, I mean husband. Obviously.) The photos were taken at Easton Walled Gardens and you can read more about the place and our visit to the area here if you haven't already.
Any culottes in your wardrobe? If so, how do you style them?
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
Apparently, blush pink is one of the colours of the season for SS17, and I for one couldn't be happier. Feminine without being overly girly, sophisticated, flattering and such a joy to wear, it's probably one of my favourite colours of all time.
It's put to glorious effect in this ruffled Shein blouse - as much as I love a flouncy sleeve, it was the colour more than anything else that drew me to this piece. And just in case you're thinking that my fashion posts this year have been very Shein heavy so far, you'd be right. The reason for that is very simple - they keep sending me stuff faster than I can post about it! Not that I'm complaining.
The ruffles going on here are just a hair's breadth away from too much, but worn with very simple jeans and flats, I think they work. The jeans are the same River Island ones I wore in this post. I'm kind of obsessed with them - I love the artfully placed rips and raw hems - but I'm not crazy about the fact that they lose their shape so quickly. Wear them once and they're all saggy around the knees and need to be washed. Has anyone else found this with River Island jeans? Perhaps I just have an unlucky pair!
Finally, I've accessorized with some old lace up flats and an even older Zara bag that I just don't seem to get tired of. I can see myself wearing this outfit a lot throughout the spring for casual days out.
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
From "all black errthang" to pastel tones to striking brights, everyone has their own approach when it comes to the colours that dominate their wardrobe. My own seems to be "the more the merrier". While there are definitely shades that don't work well on me, I still seem to be attracted to a lot of different ones, and the result is a closet that resembles a rainbow! Perhaps I should streamline things a little, but on the other hand, colour can be a lot of fun at times.
This little red clutch, for instance, immediately stood out to me as the perfect partner to the pretty embroidery on this new Shein top. I've had the clutch for about a decade, but it's such a classic style I don't think I'll ever throw it away, and it's proven so useful over the years.
The yellow mules were a far less obvious choice, but for some reason they just seem to pull the whole look together. I'm pretty happy about that, because I'm still obsessed with these shoes. I picked them up from Topshop last year just before it got too cold to wear them, so I'm thrilled that I can break them out again now spring is here.
Finally, I'm loving the raw hem detail on these River Island jeans. My eye is constantly being drawn to the more exaggerated frayed hems, not to mention full-on embroidered denim (swoon!) but I'm trying to resist, as I feel like I might get sick of those pretty quickly. For the moment, these are fulfilling my current denim desires!
I'd love to know if there are any particular colours that dominate your wardrobe, or do you embrace the rainbow?! Let me know!
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
I mentioned a while ago that I received a few different items of clothing from Shein recently, and at last I've got around to blogging about the final piece - this wraparound, paisley print maxi dress.
I'll be really honest - when I first received this, I wasn't sure it was actually going to function as an item of clothing. There is so little to it, and other than the single wraparound string at the waist, it has no fastening at all. As you can imagine, weightless fabric plus flimsy fastening isn't the greatest combination, especially if there's a bit of a breeze blowing, as there was when I was taking these photos!
That said, I do think there is a place in my wardrobe for this. It is so pretty, and so light, that I think it would make a great beach dress. It would be the easiest thing in the world to roll this into nothing and pack it into a beach bag, then slip it over a bikini for lunch or whatever. I'd definitely wear it like that, but as a regular dress to go strolling through the city in - not so much.
I do love the cut and print of this dress. Styled with tan shoes and red lips, it is really pretty, so I'm happy that I've thought of an alternative use for it.
Have you ever bought something, or tried something on in store, that didn't quite work the way it was supposed to? And have you ever had to re-imagine an item of clothing because it was too pretty to abandon altogether?
Let me know!
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
Military style coats have long been a favourite of mine. Effortlessly stylish, they transcend seasonal trends and have the power to make even the sloppiest of outfits look smart and put together. Lately, I've spotted a few lighter jackets around with the same vibe, perfect for that transitional period between winter and spring. If we ever get there!
Mine is a cropped jacket from Shein - as I mentioned in my last fashion post, they were kind enough to send me a few pieces recently. I love all the gold piping detail on this, as well as the brass buttons. It definitely transforms a simple jeans and white t-shirt combo into a polished outfit. It's quite thin, so it's a bit too cold to wear this now, but I'm sure it will come in really useful once the weather warms up a bit.
Jacket* - Shein, Jeans, Top (similar) - Topshop, Shoes (similar), Sunglasses - River Island, Belt (similar) - H&M
And because one of something never seems quite enough (I'm greedy when it comes to clothes!) I've also listed a few of my other favourites below.
1. Missguided - This looks like such a good dupe for the fabulous Balmain blazer I've seen a lot of my favourite bloggers wearing. Might have to snap this one up!
2. Boohoo - I love the fact that this one is velvet, and looks as good buttoned up as it does open.
3. Zara - The subtle braiding on the collar and cuffs adds a luxurious touch to this cropped jacket.
4. River Island - A more casual take on the trend.
Which one is your favourite?
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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