Santa's little helper

 

Hi readers,

This week I was lucky to only work for three days.  I dragged my sister along on Thursday to support my daughter who was singing on the same stage as Kitty Brucknall (Xfactor 2011) & Alek Josh (The Voice 2011), at the Stevenage Christmas lights switch-on.  We had a great day catching up, laughing & stealing some much needed family quality time in.

So on Monday, I chose a Polka dot peplum top from H&M, a Pencil Skirt, a fitted Jacket, with Patent heels.  The only Jewellery I required were earrings & a bracelet, as the top was too busy for anything else.

Tuesday I stuck with the cream & black theme & chose a cream Shell top with a scalloped collar, from Gok Wan's for Tu October 2012 collection, teamed it with black straight jeans, Jewellery & heels.  

Lastly on Wednesday, I went for comfort as I was sat in a training room all day, so wore a black polo neck Jumper. black leggings, Black waterfall Cardigan & my old faithful Purple RI boots, which I've owned for ever, but are so comfortable, I refuse to throw away.  I wore a Gold & green necklace & gong like earrings.



      XMAS IS COMING

The rain looks like it's here to stay doesn't it & beautiful golds reds & burnt orange leaves are everywhere,  Halloween & Guy Fawkes night are both out of the way, so that can only mean one thing......., Christmas is just around the corner.

With team Christmas meals, office parties, private parties, Choir concerts & all manner of reasons to meet up with different sets of friends.  For me, that also means one other thing;  What to wear?????? 

So......  "How am I going to do this".   From this coming week, I have 9 occasions from now to Xmas eve to plan outfits for, so the question is "what's appropriate, for which occasion".  One of my daughters BFF's once told me that I dress effortlessly & I had to explain to her, that that was really very far from the truth.   So she amended it to; OK......, then you make is look effortless. 

Like everyone else I'm guessing, I do go through a process when I have that many events to attend, especially when some are straight from work.  So if you're the same,  I'm going to try to help some of you if I can.  Today we'll start with pieces. When going out for drinks straight from work & you're a more conservative dresser, but have no time to change into a whole outfit, the trick is to wear a top that you can cover up with a Jacket at work & by simply removing it later & adding a pair of heels & accessories, you are ready for your evening out. 

Oasis £30

Here's an example of a tops, that can be teamed with either cropped trousers, leather looked leggings, loose draped tie trousers, straight or skinny jeans, or......... if you prefer skirts, a pencil skirt, maxi skirt or an A line skirt, which ever suits your shape better.


The top on the right already has Jewellery built into the neck line & retails for a really reasonable price.  

H&M £14.99

£55 Dorothy Perkins

If like me you own a sequined jacket or cardigan from previous years, get it back out.  Team it with a simple vest & straight legged trousers & you're good to go. The jacket does all the work, so you don't need to. 

French Connection

 







Are you someone who doesn't fear experimenting?  Then here's an example of a fun evening outfit, if you have the body for it.  If you don't, then try putting colour on the bottom or the top like    these coloured jeans.  

For ladies who either don't do trousers, or just want to have their legs out, then these skirts are great Christmas items.  Sequins can come out in force at Christmas, without any questionable looks.  I'd probably not wear either of these to work though, as they're not only inappropriate, they're likely to be rather uncomfortable to wear all day, as sequins have a tendency to dig into your skin on occasion.  Maybe pop them into a bag & change into then when you are leaving work.   I'd probably wear the one on the left, with Opaque tights to keep the chill out.  If you add on a simple black vest & a blazer all you then need is some Jewellery, and a clutch, but keep the jewels light as the skirts do all the talking

River Island £50

Baroque velvet Pencil £25 RI

. 













And for those of you who think if you have shape (like most of us do), you miss out, you don't, check this out.  This lady has shape & rocks a bright red skirt with leopard print & oozes attitude, so you can too. You don't need to be sequins to stand out, It's all about confidence.  If you ooze confidence, everyone will see it. 




Another way to make a statement is to add a piece, to a simple dress or vest you're already wearing, like these.  They are inexpensive & can be used numerous times to change all manor or outfits.

River Island £28

In Silver

Jewellery at Christmas is always rather glamorous & there are lots to chose from.

If you are someone, who feels uncomfortable about dressing out of your usual comfort zone but you want to stand out from the crowd, jewellery is a great way to do so.  The pieces above are just an example of simple pieces, that you can add to a plain dress or top.  You can find cheap alternatives if you look hard enough.  Remember, you can also use scarfs for a similar effect. 

Hope some of the tips on here help you in dressing for an occasion you have coming up that is straight from work. 




Till next time.  Have a great peaceful week.


Stylish AT50






email;  stylishat50@gmail.com
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Staying Warm & Stylish

Hi people,

Hope your week has been good.  Mine, I am always grateful for.  Had a lovely evening out with friends on Saturday & was inspired by one of my stunning girlfriends who really knows how to dress her shape.  She had that certain something that your eye is drawn to all evening, (& it really wasn't just my eyes, believe me) so I had to take a pic of her for you to see. 

effortless Style

The world is certainly a different place now & beautiful curvy body shapes are at last celebrated.

Like all families my sister & I are different in age, shape, size & height, as are my daughter & I .  Two weeks ago, something made us all go "oh".........  I'd gone off to Sainsbury's for my weekly shop & as usual, looked around the clothing area.  I picked up a few pieces to try on, took pics of myself & went on my way, equipped to enable me to decide which ones I'd return for, at a later date.  2 weeks later both my sister & my daughter send me photo's of them selves, on the same day, from different post codes & ask the question, "what do you think'?.  My reply......I sent them back the pic of myself in the same dress. Hence the unanimous reply "oh", we all found it very amusing, but not really shocked that we had the same tastes. 

Same dress different bodies & ages

As you  can see the dress is a really simple one, made of soft jersey, with leather look panels on the Shoulder, a large gold zip detail down the back & you can dress it up or down.  See here (left), my sister running errands added a small necklace, patterned tights, & black boots.  While my daughter who was off to do a gig, dresses it up with a quirky camera charm necklace, added my belt & rocks a pair of platformed shoe boots.  They are also two different shapes & sizes, but both look great in the dress.  Three women from the same family, all have the same taste.  Not bad as that's three wardrobes & some things cross over 'very' well. 


My week was a full one & with Xmas fast approaching there's lots going on.  Here's a snapshot of three of those days in pictures, unfortunately I was dressing to go to work & out straight from the office on Friday evening & was running late, so forgot to photograph my chosen outfit.

Monday

On Monday I wore a blush Gok Wan for Tu peplum jumper , with a pencil skirt & added a bronze buckled belt to create a break in the jumper.  I incorporated some blush Jewellery, a scarf, & black patent Heels.

As I was on Duty on Tuesday I was in uniform.

Wednesday

On Wednesday I choose a plain grey long sleeved T shirt,  a Grey tweed skirt & a grey fringed Cardigan from Asda.  Remember those bargain Red/Oxblood boots I told you a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to find in a River Island sale, well I put them on & matched my earrings to them.  I added my light striped coat as it wasn't as cold out there on Wednesday.


On Thursday, I wore a black skirt with a cream asymmetric blouse from H & M, sheer tight & black patent shoes,  I combined it with an old faithful fitted H&M Jacket as it was a little too chilly to just wear the blouse in the office. 

Thursday

 I find it pretty hard to look good in outta wear while at the same time keeping warm. I hate the cold, & certain parts of me have to be warm, so you will generally not see me without gloves, scarfs & a hat in the winter.

I have a few coats, but always feel like I should be purchasing another winter coat every year.  (I don't)

I like this Military style coat from Zara.  The material is luxurious, & the leather Lapels give it that trendy edge.   If you don't like the length, it also comes as a jacket, but beware if like me, you need Zara XL in some things, then leave it alone, as you would not be able to wear a jumper underneath it to keep the chill out.

Zara military

great shape.

White biker Coat Top Shop

The coat above is lovely but could probably only be worn by slim women, as it may have the tendency to make you look very bloated because of the volume on the shoulders & arms. if you are going to wear it as an everyday coat & place jumpers etc under it. It really would be something you'd need to try on to see what type of fit it is on you, before making a decision about it.  This White biker coat is very this season & it might end up in the cleaners rather often, but is a stunning coat. 


There are lots of coats out there this time of year.  I always struggle in  deciding what I want, but when I see it, I always know straight away.  Some years I never find one I like, so don't purchase one.  Coloured coats certainly brighten up those grey days, although they're probably not as practical, as they can restrict items of clothing & footwear that you want to put with it, but I still love seeing women in coloured coats like the one above.

Wrapped up warm

This coat is quite light & fine if it isn't too cold outside.  It is stylish so works well for evenings out or if you are driving, & not intending to be out in the cold for too long.  It has a great metal belt that goes with it & has gathering around the waist line which flatters a woman's figure, which in my book is always a good thing.

If you have not yet purchased this years coat, happy hunting.  Take your time if you are thinking of spending lots of money one.  Make sure you choose a timeless piece, so that you can wear it for as long as you need to.  Some investments are worth it.

Have a great week people and happy shopping.


Take care


Stylish AT50




email;  Stylishat50@gmail.com
Facebook;  Stylish AT50  

Inspired by Fashion

Hi people,

How was your week.  Mine was has been eventful, in relation to this blog,  Which is the whole point of doing it I guess. On going into work this week one of my colleagues had on new boots that I noticed instantly.  They were Tan suede & were really striking.  On complimenting her, she explained that she'd thought about what I'd said in last weeks blog about colour, when looking at boots.  Totally chuffed by her admission, I asked her if I could take a photo of her in her new boots to post it for you all to see.  So here she is, the new inspired Lady in Tan.

Inspired colleague

This Monday I went for simplicity & wore a Orange Tu dress, which I accessories with Animal print accessories & Jewellery.  I added a Orange tote bag & black court platformed shoes.

Monday's

I was on duty on Tuesday, so was back in uniform, but was taken aback when on saying good morning to my Head of service, he said good morning in return, then doubled back to tell me that he'd loved the orange I'd worn yesterday, how I'd brightened his day & was the office Gok Wan, so he may have to start coming to me for fashion advise.  I laughed with him, but was totally surprised.  It really was one of those O....M.....G moments.  I should point out, that to my knowledge, he knows nothing of my blogs. but why his comments were strange for me is, it's standard that women notice women, but I never really think about men at work noticing anything in relation to fashion. 

Wednesday

On Wednesday I teamed a Tu animal print Peplum top with black straight jeans, black court shoes, & wrapped a black scarf around my neck to break up the animal print.  I was asked by a number of colleagues where my top was from & they all wore the same expression "Really!!!!" when the word 'Sainsbury's' left my mouth.   

Thursday up close

Thursday

Thursday, I went for Palazzo  pants, again from last years Gok Wan for Tu collection, with a nude French connection Frill Jumper. I added a Obi belt with black accessories to finish my look. 

Friday

Final it was the best day of the week..... Friday,  I went for comfort & wore an old faithful black A line skirt from Zara, a black wrap knitted top, & borrowed my daughters leather bomber Jacket, which she probably forgot she owns.  One of the ladies in the building said to me when walking through the atrium, "Oh you have on flats.  I've only ever seen you in heels".  I explained that it's my Friday dress down day,  to which she replied. "Oh OK!..... I'll let you off".

There are many women who I admire for their fashion sense & one of them whom I work with, has the ability to make Primark clothing look like Prada,  She doesn't read my blog & had been one of the women who'd asked about the top on Wednesday.  This Friday she approached me & said "look, I'm doing you".  Lone behold...... she was dressed in the black version of this top, & in the black bubble skirt I'd worn a few weeks ago (see blog 31st Oct 12).  She looked as amazing as she'd always done, but to think that she was inspired by me, felt even better.

So you can probably see why this week has been rather eventful for me in relation to blogging.  In talking about the things l like & think about when dressing, I've helped a few people do the same.

As this week I was able to make a few of you think about the colour of knee high boots, I figured I would tackle ankle boots of colour & style.  I don't have many myself,  but it doesn't stop me from loving them when I see them on women.  I was in the trendy streets of Shoreditch a few weeks ago for a girlfriends birthday & we walked by a bar where there were queues of people waiting to get in, & I saw a gorgeous pair of Pink boots on this lady, which really stood out.  Seeing the bright colour  reminded me of a pair I'd purchased back in January from H & M's (photo below) which I really must dig out again.

Coloured Ankle boots March 2012

I chose to team them with Colbait blue, but spring was just beginning & as you know by now I love colour.  Black is the colour that most people go towards in the winter, and we all know everything goes fantastic with black. 

There are some great coloured boots out there.  They go well with black trousers, leggings, jeans & long dresses or skirts.  If you are one of those people who doesn't like something about the upper part of your body, then use coloured boots to draw peoples attention to your feet. Whatever your hang up about that body part is NOT usually shared by the rest of the world, but if their attention is remove from it, it will just make you feel better.

There are lots of different types of Ankle boot out there, if you are not feeling colour maybe you could go for a pair with a twist like studs or wedged.

If you cannot afford the studded boots out there, you may already have a pair that you have ruined the backs of.  They could get a new lease of life by having them studded.  Don't do them yourself unless you have the a very steady hand, great creativity & patience. as they do take accurate precision in getting them to look like they were not a DIY job,  There is a company called 'Bling With Style', & you can find them on Facebook. 





On the right is a number of different styles to get some idea of different types of wedged boots on the market.  Wedges are great for comfort as long as you make sure the incline is not uncomfortable for 'you'.  I find that as soon as I put my feet into them, I know from experience whether they'll be a nuisance to wear or not.




I believe in comfort above style, but if they are not my style they remain on the shelf.  You don't have to buy them today, if you keep looking you will eventually find the ones that are right for you.



That's it for this week. so have a great week ppl.



Take care until next week



Stylish AT50



Email:  Stylishat50@gmail.com     
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Winter's Here.

Hi people,

This week has seen a real drop in temperature so my heating at homes is on constantly.  Unfortunately, I still have to venture outside to go to work, so thinking of what to wear means two things, stay warm and feel good.  That for me, is a challenge in itself.  So this week on Monday I wore a wool dress from Great Plains, and teamed it with red shoes, a red bag & black & red accessories.  On Tuesday I wore a grey dress from Matalan a few years back, with Oxblood tights and Wedged Boots.

Monday

Tuesday

It's getting colder & wetter so boots are coming out to stay I think.  I wear my wellies & black Opaque tight with a Red dress also from Matalan a few years back.  Lastly on Friday I kept it casual with a brown River Island top & brown straight legged Jeans, with a fawn cardigan from Primark, which I team with animal print Jewellery, 

Thursday

 

Friday

The only thing I like about winter, is that I love knee length boots.  I had a request from one of my readers last week to source boots that fit a larger calf,  I pointed her in the direction of the Evans site, and lone behold she found 2 pairs;   Here's one of the ones she choose. 
 




Large calves is something I also have.  If I like a pair of boots & it fits, I tend to buy them, as it's always such a struggle to find them.  I should add that I always purchase them in the sale though.  I don't believe I've ever paid full price for a pair. It does mean you some times have to wait till January as well as be in the right place at the right time, but that applies to lots of things in life I guess. 

Style number 1191245008

Boots evolve in style every year, & I must admit I don't always like the new styles that come out.    This pair on the left are from Office.  They cost £110  have a bit of a chunky heal on them and come in black & tan.



I tend to like simple neat looking boots.  I don't mind certain twist on them, like the pair below but I am rather particular about the twist. The type of twist I mean is as seen below on this Betty Jackson pair below with a feature back Zipper, and they are currently available in the Sales. 

Betty Jackson @Debenhams £60 Sale

M&S £95.00

Condolessw Rice in Great boots

This pair on the right is ideal for formal or office wear.  I'm quite lucky in that I work in an office that is a little relaxed, so can get away with a little bit of edginess when dressing, but if you cannot then this type of boot is great. 

There are lots of different styles of boots in the shops and on the internet.  Every ones style is different and it is up to you to choose what works for you.  The pairs I own don't date, so I can wear them year in year out without too many challenges. That works for me because I'm on a limited budget.  Don't rule out coloured boots either, See here's how they can brighten up an outfit.

The reader I helped with finding boots this week, I also helped to add Animal print to her wardrobe, as she is intending to go in a totally new direction with her entire wardrobe. She went all out & choose coloured boots too, so colour is not as scary as it sounds.  I was fortunate to find a red/oxblood pair last winter in the sales for £40.00, which I  love, but I should point out that I already own black boots that I can wear everyday.  Unless your coat or outdoor wear etc, matches your boots in some way, purchasing coloured boots could be deemed a little restrictive, so be careful if they are your 1st pair.  If you don't think you could be so bold take a look at Tan boots (example as per the Office ones above), they are also really stunning in colour, but not too bold, so will inject some flare to your look also.





Anyway I have a full day so I'm going to run now.  I hope you are inspired to think about the types & colours of boots to check out if you are on the look out for new ones this winter. Enjoy your weekend & your week.




Take care ppl



Stylish AT50