Outfit: Holiday Monday

The young man and I have this week of work, so today we had a day out. We headed for the coast and stopped off in Pickering for a walk round and some lunch. Then we drove through Dalby Forrest and stopped off there for a walk too. We eventually made it to Whitby and had a wander round then got fish & chips for tea (well you have to when you’re at the seaside!).

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue tank – Topshop
Jeans – Gap
Blue flats – Ethel Austin

Weekend Recap

Friday night was youth work as usual. The weather had turned rainy and chilly (it is June after all), and so I donned a long cardigan over my outfit from earlier for warmth. I decided I would start to break in my new black flats too.
So, outfit as earlier on Friday
Black flats – Priceless Shoes
Blue/grey long cardi – Firetrap (charity shop)

Saturday there was a bit of a school reunion going on in one of the pubs near my old school. My friend & her husband came over and we left the lads to go for a ride on their motorbikes and headed on over, picking up my sister en route. I wore the same turquoise cami, blue cardi & beads as last Saturday, but wore longer length Gap jeans and these New Look heels.

Sunday is shaping up to be a lazy day around the house. I have laundered the bed sheets and sorted out a few items to go to the charity shop tomorrow.

Grey top – Topshop (eBay)
Black cardi – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Silver belt – Primark
Silver shoes – Faith

Also From My Stats…

I notice a bunch of people are still Googling ‘how to stop shoes rubbing’. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again people: Compeed Anti-Blister Stick! Boots, £4.99 ish.

Packing A Capsule Wardrobe

I noticed on my referral stats that someone had found this site by Googling just that, packing a capsule wardrobe. This is something I aim for each time I go away and it was only last weekend that I felt I had truly succeeded. So I’ll share with you the list of what I took and the combinations I wore in case it’s of any use to you. Now bear in mind that this is outerwear only, clearly you will have to add the appropriate number of undergarments for the length of your trip. This list was for a weekend away in a city, leaving Friday evening and returning Sunday evening.

To Pack/Wear to Travel:
Teal beads
Teal shrug
White tank
Skinny jeans – for flats
Blue coat
Blue metallic shoes
Black shrug
Black/silver cami
Dark jeans – for heels
Black trousers
Turquoise cami
Silver flats
Flared jeans – for flats
Blue cardi
Grey tank
Blue beads

The Outfit Combinations:

Friday night – travelling down
Silver flats
Flared jeans
Blue cardi
Grey tank
Blue beads

Saturday Day – wandering around city centre
Silver flats
Skinny jeans
Turquoise cami
Blue cardi
Blue beads

Saturday Night – meal/drinks out
Dark jeans or black trousers
Black/silver cami
Black shrug
Blue metallic heels
Blue coat

Sunday Day – brunch & walk at the coast
Flared jeans or skinnies cropped
Silver flats
Teal shrug
White tank
Teal beads

D’oh! New Bag Too

I was in so much of a hurry to post my new shoes so I could show them off to the girls on Shiny, I totally forgot to write about my new bag. Also from Priceless shoes, this clutch was £3 and is every bit as shiny as it looks here. I didn’t have any clutches before and have been wanting one for a while. A great payday treat.

Lunchtime Shopping

Priceless did not have any of the styles below in my size except the silver. But they were the last pair and somewhat dishevelled so I left them. I did however get these black flats for £9. I have been looking for some black flats for a while as I figure they will be very useful.

Priceless Shoes – Online Shopping!

When did that happen? How did I miss it? Anyway, I was planning to head up there at dinnertime hence my Googling of them. The site is very similar to the Barratts one (same company) and carries some of the same stock, but you can search by size on the Priceless site and that can only be a good thing. They go up to a UK 10 which is fab for me! I know what I need to look out for now but if they don’t have what I want at the store, I always have the online option to fall back on.

Blue peep toes £13
Silver Courts £8
Yellow wedges £6

All About My Boots

Well I couldn’t leave out my favourite form of footwear, could I?

Arturo Chiang Black Knee High
I bought these in New York at Century 21 in November 2003. I went on a short trip there with my friend. We went to Century 21 twice in as many days. The boots are leather in their entirety.

ASOS Brown & Black Knee High
I was on a quest back in April for some over the knee boots as they would actually reach all the way up to my knees. The only reasonably priced ones that came up on Google were these for £20 in the ASOS sale.

Bertie Pink Knee High
I was in Dublin in 2004 with the same friend who I’d gone to New York with. We’d looked in the shoe department of Brown Thomas and it was all fairly expensive. So we crossed the street and went into BT2, the younger, funkier, sister store. And staring at me on the sale shelf were these fantastic boots for 99€. We went out that night I got all kinds of attention for my footwear, peeking out from under my jeans.

Priceless Shoes Blue Slouch
£15 in summer 2006. I bought these boots on the hottest day of the year that July because I saw them and knew that such a fabulous colour would sell out quickly in my size.

Brantano Brown Ankle
These cost me £30 as I got a 10% discount on account of a loose thread on the stitching. The heels are 4” high and at the time were about the highest I had. I got them on a trip to Bristol in about 2001 or 2002.

Faith Brown Knee High
I loved the stitching detail and buttons on these boots when I saw them in the Faith sale. They cost me £50. At first I thought they were too pointy but once I tried them on at home with various jeans I decided I would keep them.

Faith Teal Mid Calf
These were bought at the same time as the brown pair above and were £40 in the sale. I love the colour and how they magically make my legs look slimmer.

River Island Green Suede Boots
I saw these on the sale table during a shopping trip with my Australian friend last summer. She was in the changing rooms at the time so I thought I’d try them on. I didn’t hold much hope as RI shoes have not fitted in the past, but these boots did. My friend came out and said ‘those are hot’ and as they were only £15 I got them. They are super long as they are supposed to fold over at the top, but unfolded they reach my knees. I think it was the bright green colour that attracted me to them. I must really get a better picture of them.

Ethel Austin Grey Ankle
Faux suede & faux leather, these had been reduced to £8 in Ethel Austin. They are super comfy and surprising waterproof too.

Faith Tan Knee High
£50 in the Faith sale. I should wear these more but because I associate boots with wet weather, the colour is not good. I will have to wear them more on cooler days this summer as the colour is better than black for ‘summer’.

Nine West Dark Brown Knee High
I really should get a picture of my own boots. I have these in dark brown. However, the red is good as you can see the detailing on the sides. I got these for £40 when Allers was shutting down in Leeds. They are comfy for their heel height and I can walk around the city centre for much of the day in them with minimal pain.

Next Black Shoe Boot
These were full price. I got them around 2001 I think, just after I had started working. They were £54.99 and I had to order them from the Next Directory as they don’t stock size 9s in the shops.

Nine West Red Ankle
These were also from Century 21 in New York. I got them either the day before or the day after the black Arturo Chiang pair. I go through phases of liking these and not liking them.

New Look Black Knee High
My latest boot acquisition. I got these on eBay a couple of months ago because I already had them in brown and they were pretty comfortable. There is a fold down flap at the top, but when it’s turned up the boots reach right to my knees. They cost me 99p.

New Look Brown Knee High
Bought on eBay for about £5. Exactly the same as the boots above.

Faith Navy Shoe Boots
I should eBay these really as I haven’t worn them in ages, and have only worn them about four times since I got them. £20 in the sale.

Tall Girls Flat Knee High
I really needed some flat knee high boots for winter and finally splashed out on these from Tall Girls. The leg is extra long so hits at my knee. £65 in the sale.

Splash Turquoise Fur Trim Mid Calf
One of my first eBay purchases in about 2003. Faux suede with a faux fur trim. They came from America and cost $24.99 so about £12.50 now. I don’t know how much that would have been back then. They are just fab – the fur, the colour, everything.

All About My Shoes

I was asked last week by Fabulously Broke to do a post about my shoe collection. So, here goes: I’ll tell you a little about all the pairs I have pictures of.

Barratts Red Point
These were bought for £8 in the Barratts sale about a year or so ago. They are a brighter red than the red pair I already owned and were such a bargain that I couldn’t leave them on the rack. The style name is ‘Bananarama’, a group that I still like all these years after their 80s heyday. I will admit here to owning their Greatest Hits CD and a vinyl album.

Ethel Austin Black Platforms
No, I don’t really need platforms but for £3.50 when Ethel Austin was shutting down, they were a bargain. I think these are my latest shoe acquisition. They are the plainest pair of black shoes that I own and will be very useful when the winter comes and I am back to wearing trousers and long length jeans.

Ethel Austin Blue Flats
I was bored with my options of flats in red, beige or silver and spotted this blue leather pair for £5 in the EA sale. You have no idea how pleased I am that EA is no longer shutting down!

Clarks Pink MJs
These are suede and leather and don’t get worn all that often. A possible candidate for eBay I think. About £18 in the sale.

Faith Pink Round Toes
These were purchased in September 2006 with a 20% discount from Company magazine. They are leather and have stretched out a little so that they are a bit big for me now. Something that does not often happen!

So Danca Black Dancing Shoes
Bought February 2008 for participating in the show. They are currently residing in their box ready to be brought out again when dance rehearsals start again next year. Hands down they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. Perhaps I should have worn those today!

Dolcis Black Brogue-Style
These were £20 I think in the Dolcis sale. I am still disappointed that Dolcis has shut down as they stocked size 9s in their stores. However, some of the brand’s styles still live on through Barratts.

Dorothy Perkins Red Patent Flats
I know that Dorothy Perkins make some of their shoes in a 9, but for some reason this fact is never advertised on their website. Occasionally there is the odd pair lingering in the sale and these were £7 last summer.

Evans Ribbon Bow Round Toes
I bought these along with 2 other pairs in a fit of excitement at finding somewhere new that stocked size 9s. They don’t get worn very often because of their pale colour. I must try to rectify that this year. £10 I think, in the sale. The young man doesn’t like the colour of them.

Evans Brown Suedette Wedges
In the sale with the above pair. Pretty comfortable because of the flexisole. I don’t know why I don’t wear these more often – possibly because they are not so good in the rain.

Faith Silver Flats
One of the few pairs I actually paid full price for. (Actually, they may be the only pair I have now as I sold my other full price pair on eBay recently.) I may be a shoe-a-holic but I hardly ever pay retail price for them.


Faith Beige Heels
Again, I don’t wear these so often because of the colour but they are very stylish. £25 in the sale.

New Look Bronze Glitter Shoes
£4.99 in Oxfam. I saw them and left them on my first visit but when they were still there a few days later I knew I had to have them! I wear them when I’m going out but not walking far as the glitter can dig in to the side of my feet.

Bridesmaid Shoes
These are now a deep shade of red, they were dyed to match my dress. Bought for £70 (oh there you go, that was full price) in August 2006 for my sister’s wedding. They are satin with leather soles and are possibly the most expensive shoes I own. They are very comfortable but I now regret not getting more of a heel as they are a bit flat to be glamorous in my opinion.

Matalan Burgundy Patent Bows
£2.50 in the sale. Need I say more? Bought last summer.

Matalan Teal Faux Suede Wedges
These are my only teal shoes so I love them. They are pretty comfortable considering they were only £10 (full price – whaddaya know, I have more than I thought!).

Matalan Black Patent Lace Ups
These were a bit of an ‘it’ shoe for a while last year and a few of the Shiny girls have them. £14 (full price again) in Matalan in September 2007.

Moda in Pelle Blue Almost-Flats
These are almost-flat as they have a teeny tiny kitten heel on them. They are one of my favourite pairs and have been worn to death – literally, as they are now starting to fall apart. Reheeled more times than I can remember, and resoled, they have lasted well since about 2002. £40 I think, full price again.

Magrit Navy Patent
These were £22 from a local outlet mall, bought in July 2006, just as I was starting this blog. They are leather all over, including the soles.

New Look Grey Suedette Round Toes
£4.99 in a charity shop at the seaside. They were like new and fit me perfectly. Again, they are not practical in the rain.

New Look Suede Shoe-Boots
I paid £25 for these. Full price I thought but the picture from the website says £30 so perhaps not. Again, a bit of an ‘it’ shoe within the Shiny community – a number of us have these as they came in grey, black and blue. They are real suede. Bought September 2006.

Next Black & Cream Shoes
£5 in a charity shop, Oxfam I think. They were in good nick and a size 9 so I had to have them. The sticker on the underneath says they were £44.99 new.

Nine West Pink Strappy
I can’t remember how much these were but they were in Debenhams sale so about £18 I think. They have padding under the ball of the foot to improve comfort.

New Look Black Peeptoes
£4.99 in the St Martin’s hospice shoe. They were just sitting in the window, looking at me. What could I do?

New Look Blue Patent
£5 in the sale. Bright blue. So me. These were bought on the same day as the red Barratts ones at the top of the list. I had £12 to spend from my ‘saving for shoes’ money box.

New Look Brown Round Toes
These were bought fairly recently from eBay for about a fiver I think.

New Look Leopard Print
Yet another eBay find. They are faux suede. I wasn’t sure about leopard print when it first had its resurgence a few years back, but inspired by Londyn and Allie, I think it has become a classic.
New Look Turquoise Peep Toes
£2.99 in a charity shop. I bought these at the end of last summer but never really got to wear them because of the rain. One of my favourite pairs this year.

Oasis Black & White Strappy
I don’t wear these very often so I think I will eBay them. I got them in Dublin in 2004 in the sale.

Oasis Green Peeptoes
£4.99 in Oxfam. I think I have worn these once since I got them last year but they are occasion shoes and are waiting for the right occasion to be worn.

Office Blue Metallic Point
My favourite pair of shoes, hands down. I love them! They are comfy enough to wear for a night of dancing and look fab with everything. £20 which I think was full price. I spotted these on the Office website when I had clicked through from Shoewawa to look at another pair entirely. With my love of all things blue and shiny it was love at first site and I had to have them. That was in December 2006.

Ethel Austin Pink Patent Flats
I have some pink flats from George at ASDA that I got in 2004. But they have become so scuffed and scruffy that they have been relegated to driving shoes some time since and I had been on the look out for a replacement for a while. So when I saw these for £5 in Ethel Austin’s closing down sale I got them.

Primark Brown Peeptoes
£2.99 in a charity shop. This is the only pair of Primark shoes I own (excluding the flip flops I have on today).

New Look Red Wedges
£4.99 in the British Heart Foundation shop. I do love me some New Look shoes!

Next Red Points
Another full price pair, but only £16.99 and real leather. I got these in August 2006 and wore them constantly. I still love them now.

Roberto Vianni Brown Ankle Strap
£19 in the Debenhams sale but I had a gift voucher so they cost me nothing. They look nice but don’t walk far in them – as I learned yesterday!

Brantano Silver Heart Sandals
Bought at Christmas 2005 to wear for an evening event on Boxing Day. £12 but I think that was the sale price. They have a low heel so are a good alternative to flip flops for work on a hot day.

New Look Yellow MJs
Another eBay purchase. I don’t wear a lot of yellow but I am slowly incorporating these into my outfits.

Ks Shoes Grey Courts
I have decided that I like these and am keeping them. I just haven’t figured out what to wear them with yet. Any suggestions?

Outfit: Thursday – Sore Feet!

I ended up walking a lot further in my shoes yesterday than I would have done ordinarily and then last night the young man and I took a walk to the pub to meet some friends. I had changed to my silver flats by that point but I had somehow still ended up with blisters today. And so I am in flipflops. I would usually only wear these around the house but I can barely walk at the moment and these seemed a good option this morning. Believe me, if I thought I could get away with my pink furry slippers at work I would be in those. I’m not kidding.

So, same jeans as I’ve had on all week. I was going to wear paler ones today but I thought the contrast of the dark denim against the bright turquoisey-green was a good one. If I could, I would have worn my turquoise peeptoe heels.

Turquoise/green cardi – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise/green tank – Topshop
Dark jeans – Gap
Navy flip flops – Primark
Necklace – Scope

Outfit: Sunny Wednesday

This is basically the outfit I wore last night for a meal out with the young man’s parents. We took them out for a combined (belated) Father’s Day and his mum’s birthday celebration. The only difference to my outfit last night was that I wore this top from New Look.

Being the lazy so and so that I am, when I got in last night I figured the same outfit would do for today, to save picking out a new one. All I had to do was change the top as the New Look one is a bit low cut for work.

Brown shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Blue tank – Dorothy Perkins
Jeans – Gap
Brown shoes – Roberto Vianni (Debenhams)
Brown necklace – Scope

New (well, new to me) Sites For Tall Women

I’ve added a few more links to my side bar for sites & blogs that focus on tall women. Take a look!

Outfit: Tuesday

Tuesday is now the one day of the week when I can’t wear jeans for work and I have to look fairly smart and presentable. As always in June in the UK, it’s hard to know what the weather is going to do and chances are, it is not going to be that warm. Wrap dresses are perfect for days like this.

Black & cream wrap dress – Dorothy Perkins
Red cami – New Look
Red wedges – New Look (charity shop)

Red belt - Market stall
Red glitter bangles – Primark
Red heart necklace – Claire’s

Outfit: Monday Evening

Choir practice again as it was Monday yesterday.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue top – Primark
Jeans – Gap
Red shoes – Barratts
Blue & silver bangles – Oxfam
Blue heart necklace – Scope

Wanted: Silver Glitter Shoes

£20 in New Look

Actually, I could buy a whole lot of shoes in New Look.

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing my hair up due to a lack of straighteners
…reading Little Women & OK magazine
…watching practically no TV – I think I’m out all but Thursday this week
…listening to the Female Touch compilation CD in my car
…eating out some more – we have a meal tomorrow for Father’s Day and the young man’s mum’s birthday (rather belatedly, her birthday was in April!) and then Wednesday is the end of year outing with the drama group
…shopping from my eBay watch list, possibly

Outfit: Monday Sunshine

It’s still windy today but I’m making the most of the sunshine with a skirt! Just working today, then going to Tesco on the way home this afternoon. My hair doesn’t look too bad today, all things considered. My straighteners blew up on Friday morning (whilst I was using them), so I had to blow dry my hair last night and hope for the best this morning. I decided it looked OK to be left down today. It will probably be up for the rest of the week.

Black shrug – unknown
White cami – charity shop
Red & white spot skirt – New Look
Black shoes – New Look (charity shop)

Weekend Recap

So, Friday night we (I) drove down to Bristol. The young man snoozed and generally relaxed. We left around 7pm but it was a good time to go as we missed the traffic around Birmingham and it stayed light until almost 10pm. We arrived at my friend’s house around 11pm.

Outfit for Friday night:

Grey tank – Cherokee @ Tesco
Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Jeans – Gap
Silver shoes – Faith
Blue bangles – Oxfam
Blue beads – Scope


Saturday we headed into the city centre to have a look at the new developments that are currently being built, and to have a walk round. We had lunch out a mosey around the shops on Park Street, and then caught the bus back to my friend’s house.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Turquoise cami – Dorothy Perkins
Jeans – Gap
Silver shoes – Faith (as above)
Blue beads – Scope
Blue bangles – Oxfam


Saturday night we went back into town and met up with another of our old uni housemates for a meal at The Picture House. The food was OK but the service was not great – they got one order wrong and forgot to bring chips to accompany a steak. Needless to say, we did not pay the ‘optional’ 10% service charge that had already been added to the bill. I hate when restaurants do that – if I want to tip, I’ll tip. But don’t add it to the bill yourselves.

Outfit picture is old, wore this minus the flower, with black trousers instead of jeans and with different shoes:

Blue coat – Topshop (eBay)
Black trousers – Tall Girls
Black & silver cami – New Look
Blue shoes – Office


Sunday we went out for brunch then headed to Clevedon for some sea air. We got more air than we bargained for as it was so windy!
Old picture again – I wore the same dark jeans as Saturday but turned them up to crops, and silver shoes.

Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
White rib tank – Topshop
Jeans – Gap
Silver flats – Faith (as before)
Teal beads – Claire’s

Weekend Away

We are heading down to Bristol this evening to visit and old university friend of mine for the weekend. I am very excited as I have not seen her since October last year. In a bid to minimise the amount of clothes I take with me, I have all my outfits meticulously planned out and I made a (short-ish) list of what to take with me. I have always striven to be able to pack a capsule wardrobe but have never quite managed it. This time I think I have it mastered. I shall have to keep my list so I know just what to take the next time I plan a weekend away. I will not be posting over the weekend (unless I have time to squeeze in a quick post this evening but I want to take a nap before we set off as it’s a 4 hour drive) so everyone have a great time and I’ll update on Monday.

Outfit: Grey Friday

Depending on which weather forecast you listen to, it will either be 18 degrees and sunny today, or 14 degrees and showery. Ever the optimist, I chose to listen to the first one and dressed accordingly. Foolish really, since the day so far is turning out like the latter.

Turquoise shrug – Dorothy Perkins
Grey t shirt dress – Next (charity shop)
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
Turquoise shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Black belt – ASOS

Outfit: Bright Thursday

Having not worn these jeans in ages, they have now had two outings in as many days. It was hard to know which shoes to put with this colour ensemble so I went for grey, tempting as it was to add another colour I thought it might be too much if I did.

Yellow tank – George at ASDA
Purple top – Mitch & Co (charity shop)
Bootcut jeans – Zara
Teal belt – Primark
Grey faux suede shoes – New Look (charity shop)

Outfit: Wednesday Evening Concert

My friend Bec has been taking a singing course at the music college in Leeds and last night was her class’s end of year recital. I went along to watch as I have been in previous years and knew it would be fun.

Grey ¾ sleeve t – Topshop (eBay)
Bootcut jeans – Zara
Teal belt – Primark

Teal flower (on wrist) - Primark
Shoe necklace – Claire’s
Black shoes – Ethel Austin

Gifts from NYC

My little sister has been in New York for a week and brought me back some fabulous gifts.

Bowl from Our Name is Mud


Sex & the City Mug and Shopper Bag

Thanks little sister, you’re a star!

Why I Love: New Look

A reader commented yesterday wonder what New Look is, whether it is a charity shop. And from reading this blog you could be forgiven for thinking so, as practically all of my New Look shoes are bargain charity shop finds. But as you will see from the link above, New Look is a UK fashion store that carries lines for men, women and older children (they call it the 9-15 range). It is a very versatile store: not only does it carry the Tall range that I have written about previously, but there is the Inspire range for sizes 16-28 and also a petite range. Whilst I would not say it was a truly cheap fashion store (such as Primark and the supermarket clothing ranges), the prices are very reasonable and it is certainly the cheapest Tall range around. And as for the shoes. Well, they don’t call the shoe section Shoe Heaven for nothing! My nearest large store is the one in Leeds city centre and the shoe section there is huge. It’s almost a separate room and is larger than the city branch of Faith shoes was until Faith moved recently. The shoes are displayed on shelves, in pairs, making it easy to find your size and try them on. And the choice is vast.

New Look finally arrived in the 21st century last year introducing online shopping to its website. There are only a handful of retailers left now that don’t offer this service and they will surely find themselves missing out as people don’t always want to travel to shop, especially with petrol the price it is at the moment. I have yet to order from the website as I am lucky enough to have 3 stores fairly close to me (I tried to order a few times but the site kept crashing), so I am unable to report on the service provided by the online facility. However it does seem like the majority of the styles are available online and I would definitely consider using this feature in the future if I could only get it to work!

Shoes

What shape shoe do you prefer? As regular readers will know, my shoe collection is wide and varied. But I have noticed recently that when it comes to heels, pointed toe shoes look better with skinny jeans that round toe ones do. I’m not saying that round toe heels don’t go with skinny jeans, just that I think pointed toe ones look better. I also like a pointed toe poking out beneath a flare or wide leg trouser, but round toes work equally as well with this style. As for cropped jeans, I think that either shape toe looks great.
Funnily enough though, I do like round toe flats with skinny jeans. I don’t have any pointed toe flats which may be a contributing factor to this opinion. Is it just me, or are pointy toe flats harder to walk in? I keep catching the toe and almost tripping up.

Outfit: Cold, Wet & Rainy Wednesday

Well I think summer is over folks. It’s raining and although it’s not that cold outside I knew the office would be (and I was right) and so it was out with a light sweater dress. The main reason for this outfit was to incorporate my new belt, and also to wear my current favourite pair of boots, as well as keeping warm at work.

Grey sweater dress – Oasis
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
White cami – Topshop
Black & brown boots – ASOS
Black belt – ASOS
Silver shoe necklace – Claire’s

New Belt – ASOS Review

I bought this belt from ASOS and splashed out on the next day delivery for once as there was only just over a pound difference in price. The service was impressive – after 8pm on the day of ordering you could track the parcel online to see where it was. And delivery is guaranteed by 3pm the following day. In the box with my belt I was surprised and pleased to find a sample of Kylie’s new perfume and a sachet of Aussie intensive hair treatment. I thought that was a nice little touch.

The belt is fab, as you can see from today’s outfit picture. However, it is supposed to wrap around you twice and then tie in the back. I’m not sure how skinny you have to be to do that with it, but clearly you have to have a smaller waist than my size 12 one. And as that is 2 sizes below the national average, there are going to be quite a few disappointed customers out there I should imagine. Although I can’t tie the belt in the back it does reach round and meet at the back so I have sewed two hooks on the ends to keep it in place and it works fine.

Outfit: Tuesday Evening

We went to meet my sister and her husband for a meal at Frankie & Benny’s last night. It was nice to go out midweek for a meal but I didn’t want to get up this morning, even though it wasn’t a particularly late night. It was good to see them, they have just come back from a week in New York so had photos and souvenirs a-plenty.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Black tank – Cherokee at Tesco
Skinny jeans – Topshop
Black & cream shoes – Next (charity shop)
Blue beads – Scope

Outfit: Red Tuesday

Sticking with the red theme, I thought I’d wear my red dress today. Having spent all of yesterday feeling cold I’ve added a scarf this morning, just in case!

Red dress – Luxuriously Tall
White cami – Topshop
Leopard print shoes – New Look (eBay)
Brown belt – Dorothy Perkins
Brown ombre silk scarf – M&Co

Outfit: Monday Night Choir Practice

Well the sun came out and the afternoon warmed up allowing me to wear a short sleeved top for the evening. I did end up with a chunky grey cardi over the top by the end of the rehearsal though as the church once again was chilly.

Red shrug – Charity shop
Grey tank – Cherokee at Tesco
Long & lean jeans – Gap
Red shoes – Barratts
Red belt – market stall

Update...

My photo issues appear to have been resolved (fingers crossed!) so Friday's posts have been updated with an outfit picture now.

Outfit: Monday Work

It’s not raining – yet – but it’s forecast and I think the high temperatures of last week are a thing of the past, at least for now. So it’s back to the long jeans and a jacket which is staying on until the office warms up a little (and that could take a while as I’m the only person here so far!).

Brown linen mix jacket – Dorothy Perkins

Blue tank - Topshop
Brown shrug – Ann Taylor Loft
Long & lean jeans – Gap
Brown shoes – New Look (eBay)

Outfit: Sunday

As I had felt quite glam in my skirt on Saturday night, I decided to wear another one in a similar style for church. My friend said this one looked lovely too. I changed into jeans and a blue sweater at dinnertime as it was a little chilly. Sunday afternoon I did some cleaning whilst the young man went to look at a car, then we went up to his parents’ house as it was Fathers’ Day. We ended up staying for tea there to save me cooking as we were going out for a friend’s birthday drinks in the evening.

Sunday evening I wore cropped jeans, a bright green-turquoise cami, a pink cardi and the pink patent flats that I wore Friday night.


Brown shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
White cami – Dorothy Perkins
Pink skirt – Jeff Banks (Debenhams)
Brown shoes – Roberto Vianni (Debenhams)

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing sweaters if it gets any chillier!
…reading Little Women
…watching the new series of Mary, Queen of Shops
…listening to Brian & Michael – they’re just so northern!
…eating out at Frankie & Benny’s tomorrow night
…shopping for a fab belt at ASOS

Outfit: Saturday Evening Concert

My choir had a social & entertainment evening last night. The dress code brief for the choir was ‘look summery’. As it was not a particularly summery day yesterday I went for my new skirt and a long sleeve t. I added a turquoise flower brooch to my top after I took the picture to bring out the turquoise in the pattern of the skirt.

Brown t – Tall Girls
Brown print skirt – Long Tall Sally
Brown shoes – New Look (eBay)

Outfit: Saturday Errands

After a lazy morning, the young man and I headed to Tesco for some grocery shopping and to pick up birthday cards and a present for various up coming birthdays.

White t – Long Tall Sally
Leopard print scarf – Ethel Austin
Skinny jeans – Gap
Blue flats – Ethel Austin

Outfit: Friday Evening Youth Work

To avoid carrying too much stuff around with me on a Friday my evening outfit is usually pretty similar to my daytime outfit. Often it’s just a case of switching heels for flats and possibly switching jeans to a more appropriate length for flats. Today is no exception: the jeans have been switched as the pair I had on earlier are only good for wearing cropped or tucked into boots. The boots have been replaced by flats and the scarf has been changed as there was no longer any brown in my outfit.

Black sweater dress – New Look (charity shop)
White rib cami – Topshop
Dark skinny jeans – Gap
Pink patent flats – Ethel Austin

Teal belt - Claire's
Teal/green zig zag scarf – Marks & Spencer

Sudden Realisation

Last night I was looking through my Sex & The City episode guide book and it suddenly struck me why I like my blue Topshop coat so much. It’s because it bears more than a passing resemblance to the Dolce and Gabbana coat that Carrie wore in season 4 when she was coerced into taking part in the fashion show.

Though I have no intention of styling my coat with just a bra and jewelled panties à la Carrie!

Outfit: Rainy Friday?

Today’s forecast was for rain so I’ve put on boots. At the moment it’s a bit cloudy but the sun is out. Not that I’m complaining you understand. There are some dark clouds gathering (to use a good Yorkshire expression) “over bi Bill’s mother’s”, but there’s no sign of a rain shower yet.
There were several inspirational factors for today’s outfit, aside from the weather. For a start I wanted to wear this scarf as I hadn’t done so yet. I also wanted some colour in an otherwise neutral outfit. So teal was the ideal choice as it meant I could use my Bourgois eyeshadow that I am totally loving at the moment. And I am one of those sad people who likes to match her makeup to her outfit.

Black sweater dress – New Look (charity shop)
White ribbed cami – Topshop
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
Brown & black boots – ASOS
Teal belt – Claire’s
Leopard print scarf – Ethel Austin

What’s In Your Makeup Bag?

I have watched a few of the ‘What’s in Your Makeup Bag’ videos on Catwalk Queen recently and I thought it would be fun to feature what is in my own makeup bag, or rather, box. For my makeup is unceremoniously stored in an old Too Good To Be True ‘frozen dessert’ carton (whatever happened to that stuff by the way? I loved the vanilla.). My eye makeup is stored in the cupboard over the sink in the bathroom with my makeup tub on the shelf below it.

So, what do I have?

Eyes
Collection 2000 mono eye shadows in pink, blue & silver
Collection 2000 eye shadow trio in blue
Bourgois Guide de Style in Crazy Chic (green & white shimmer)
Collection 2000 Dazzle Me! dusts in teal, blue & pink
*Rimmel eye shadow duo in dark pink & paler pink
*Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Pallet in Strawberry Fudge
Collection 2000 eye shadow trio in beige
Collection 2000 eye pencil in blue
*Max Factor eye pencil in grey
Virgin Vie eye pencil in walnut whip
Rimmel Special Eyes Liner pencil in Navy & Black


Mascara
Rimmel Volume Extend mascara in brown
Rimmel Volume Extend mascara in black
*Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara in black
*Estee Lauder Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara in brown
*Body Shop eye shadow mono purple
Max Factor Masterpiece Beyond Length mascara in black/silver
Virgin Vie silver glitter mascara


Lips
Collection 2000 Volume Boosting Lipstick in Red Red
No7 lipstick in Morello Cherry
*Rimmel Cool Shine lipstick in Vigour (orangy-red)
Max Factor Lipfinity in Majestic (burgundy)
*Clinique lip glosses in pale pink & purple
*L’Oreal Kiss Proof Ultra Glossy lipstick duo in brown
*Benefit lip gloss in Who Are You Wearing? (Bright pink)


Face
17 Hideaway Concealer Cream
Clinique Superbalanced Compact Foundation
Maybelline Fresh Matte Foundation
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation
Tesco concealer
Collection 2000 Blusher
Collection 2000 Shimmering Bronzer


Wow, that’s quite a lot of stuff! I never used to be into makeup but I’ve started collecting it in the last year or so and look at the results. However, I should point out that everything marked with a * was either given to me as a gift or was free as part of a promotional offer. As you can see from the things I actually paid for, I am mostly happy to go down the cheap and cheerful Collection 2000 route!

I should chuck out some of the older stuff really, such as the foundations that I don’t use anymore now that I’m a Clinique convert.


Well that’s me. Leave a comment and tell everyone what’s in YOUR makeup bag?

Outfit: Chilly Thursday

I suppose it’s not really that chilly out today but compared to earlier in the week it is!
This is a pretty cheap outfit all in – I think the jeans were on clearance for £10, the shoes were £5, scarf £2.50, tank about £4.50 and the cardi £5. So that’s £27. It would almost make the £25 high street challenge on Catwalk Queen.

Blue ¾ sleeve cardi – Ethel Austin
White rib tank – Topshop
Long & lean jeans – Gap (embroidered by me)
Blue silk scarf – Florence & Fred at Tesco
Blue patent shoes – New Look

Outfit: Sex and the City Take 2

I met my sister at the cinema last night for her first and my second viewing of the Sex and the City Movie. It’s still fabulous second time around! I didn’t have time to get an outfit shot before I left but it was basically yesterday’s tank & jeans. I switched the black shirt for my teal shrug and added a teal belt over the tank instead of the scarf on my jeans. I switched my shoes for the teal ones I wore Monday night. So not as dressy as the first time I saw the movie.

Outfit: Wednesday

Well it’s forecast to rain later today but there’s blue sky and sunshine at the moment. So I took a chance on peeptoe shoes once more. I have a few errands to run after work, but these involve popping in and out of shops so it will not be the end of the world if my toes get a bit wet.

Black shirt – Lee Jeans (Luxuriously Tall
Grey ribbed tank – Cherokee at Tesco
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
Black peeptoe shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Teal & green zig zag scarf (worn as belt) – Marks & Spencer
Teal heart necklace – Scope

Outfit: Summer Corporate

I’m back in the main office of my company on Tuesdays and the dress code is smarter than at the other office. It can be difficult to dress smartly in hot weather but in recent years the task has been made easier by the genius invention of city shorts. This pair looks smart but has enough stretch in to be super comfortable.

Also, it might be just the light (probably) but don’t my legs look brown today? That’s Dove Summer Glow SPF15 for you.

Brown linen mix jacket – Dorothy Perkins
Brown tweed city shorts – H&M
Turquoise ribbed tank – Topshop
Brown peep toe platform shoes – Primark (charity shop)

Outfit: Choir Practice

Monday nights are choir practice for me. It’s hard to know what to wear sometimes as we meet in a Methodist church and Methodist churches are ALWAYS cold. But with the temperature as high as it was yesterday I decided not even I would be cold last night. But I added a shrug, just to be sure.

Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
White ribbed tank – Topshop
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
Teal faux suede shoes – Matalan
Teal beads – Claire’s

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing summer dresses whilst the weather is good
…reading the June issue of UK Glamour magazine
…watching not a lot – I expect it will be the Wii that is on the TV screen the most
…listening to something summery – possible Ace of Base
…eating in for a while, I seem to have had quite a few meals out recently
…shopping for nothing if I can help it

Outfit: New Dress

Well it’s sunny again and supposed to reach 25 degrees today so I thought I’d take the opportunity to wear my new dress. This good weather might not last long!

Blue & white dress – New Look
Blue cami – Marks & Spencer
Blue shrug – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam
Turquoise beads and earrings – gift from a friend

Outfit: Sunday Night Pub

In a few minutes we’re heading out to meet some friends and go to the pub for food and drinks.

Blue & white cami – New Look
Dark jeans (worn cropped) – Gap
Silver shoes – Brantano
Blue heart necklace – Scope

Outfit: Sunny Sunday

It was hot and sunny today so we headed to a local country house to enjoy the weather and stopped off for a drink in a village just outside the city on the way back.

Blue tank – Topshop
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
Silver shoes – Faith

Saturday Shopping: What I Bought

I did pretty well this morning. The tankini I bought from Long Tall Sally’s website has a mark on the top so I took it to the shop to exchange it. They didn’t have one in my size so I agreed a discount instead with the ever helpful girls who work there and made myself £2.50. Then I went to Debenhams and bagged myself a free Estée Lauder mascara with an offer in the July issue of Cosmopolitan. In New Look I got this dress

And this top


Heading home from the city I needed to pop to Tesco so I went to see whether Ethel Austin was still open. It is. And I’m sure they’re getting new stock in now that the company has been bought as I picked up this scarf that wasn’t there last week

And this cardi


In Tesco I had a quick look at the book aisle as I passed and was pleased to find the Sex and the City The Movie book for half what Borders were asking for it.

And in the cosmetics aisle I got this Bourgois eyeshadow set for half price.

Outfit: Saturday Shopping

It was raining and not so warm out this morning so I thought a long sleeve top and jacket would be a good idea. When I got into the city it turned out to be far warmer than expected and I was soon too hot. Oh well.

Black jacket – Long Tall Sally
Black top – Tall Girls (eBay)
Dark skinny jeans – Gap
Red patent shoes – Dorothy Perkins
Red beads – eBay

eBay Bargain: Pink Jacket

I won this jacket on eBay on Thursday and it arrived today. Fantastic service from the seller. It is a Long Tall Sally one and cost me just £5.50.

Online Shopping

I got this fantastically retro tankini from the Long Tall Sally website last week.

Shrugs

As I was writing my outfit post earlier today, I got to thinking about shrugs. These sort of mini cardigans form a staple part of my wardrobe as I find their use to be so versatile.

Good old Wikipedia has this to say about them:
"A shrug or bolero jacket is an article of clothing, a sleeved sweater that covers the chest, shoulders and/or arms. It is usually worn by women. Generally, a shrug covers less of the body than a vest would, but it is more tailored than a shawl. It is shorter than a vest, covering a small portion of the upper body. When worn, some shrugs are tied together just below the breasts, while another style is cut-off at the sides, exposing the breasts. Shrugs are typically worn as the top layer of an outfit, with a full shirt or tank top beneath. It is typically called a shrug when it is a sweater or made of knitted material. Another name for this is bolero jacket. These are not knitted and are considered slightly more formal. They are simply short tailored jackets."

I don’t know who came up with the idea originally, or indeed whether they made an appearance in fashion history prior to the late 1990s, but I can remember the first time I saw one. I was in my university house watching Top of the Pops with my housemate and Whitney Houston came on singing ‘It’s Not Right, But It’s OK’. Her ensemble was all black – trousers, a strapless top and this odd looking little cardigan thing. All through the performance we were willing her to turn around so we could figure out just what she was wearing. A couple of weeks later I was on the bus home from the city centre when I spotted a billboard advertisement for Geri Halliwell’s first solo single ‘Look At Me’. She was lying on the floor sporting black trousers, a black tank and a pink shrug, an outfit that was to make a reappearance in part of the video for the song. Well, that was it. I was on a shopping mission to get one of these mini cardigans (I was only to learn later that they were called shrugs).

I think what attracted me to them initially, and indeed still attracts me to them today, is the versatility. You can cover up your shoulders and arms whilst wearing a strappy dress, cami, tank, or use it to layer over a long sleeve top or dress. It allows coverage and waist definition (a longer cardigan can often cover up and hide your waist if left un-buttoned and un-belted) without adding bulk, and makes strappy tops instantly work appropriate in the summer without adding a full extra layer. This is especially useful in warmer weather.

Whilst shrugs had their fashion moment back in 1998-99, I never stopped wearing them and in the last few years they have been enjoying something of resurgence. In fact, they have become somewhat a summer staple (the fact that they have an entry on Wikipedia is surely a testament to that) and are in plentiful supply in the shops at present. Finally the retail world has cottoned on to how useful such a piece can be and a shrug is now a perfectly respectable (fashion-wise) alternative to a cardi. I’ve said it before and I’ll stay it again: fashion follows me!

Outfit: Thrifty Friday

Sometimes, despite having planned and laid out my outfit the night before, I end up wearing something different to what I’d originally thought I would. Today, for example, I was going to wear a turquoise top and black shoes. However, having faked tanned my arms and shoulders, I was reluctant to cover them up immediately and so opted for this sleeveless t shirt/dress instead. The shoes were then switched to add a bit of colour against the grey. Rain is forecast later so I may regret the choice of peeptoe shoes, but I don’t think I have to go anywhere after work, just straight to my parents’ house, so it will be OK.

This whole outfit with the exception of the belt and shrug was bought second hand. This is also another example of a ‘vintage’ shrug – it was bought whilst I was still at university I think, or very shortly after I finished. The label has long since been chopped out for scratching my neck and consequently, I have no idea where I bought it.

Black shrug – unknown
Grey t shirt dress – Next (charity shop)
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
Turquoise shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam
Silver belt – Primark

Outfit: Sunny Thursday

A friend of mine was complaining this morning that it was too sunny to wear the dress & boots combo she’d planned. I am just pleased that it’s sunny as I get to wear my fab sunglasses when I’m outside. I can’t remember posting a pic of them on here before, so we’ll have one today.

The cost per wear (CPW) of this entire outfit must be pretty low. I have had this shrug for ages – I had it at university so it must be at least 8 years old by now and is still in constant rotation in my wardrobe. It’s a bit big for me really, it’s a size 16, but that makes the sleeves a little longer and I still love it. I can’t remember how much it cost but it’s been worn so much over the years that the CPW must be minimal by now. The blue top cost £2 last summer and was worn to death last year. So I will be in pence with the CPW on that too, though that would actually have only taken 4 wears. The jeans were £2.99 in January I think and have been worn at least once a week on average since. And the shoes were £5 and anyone who reads this site regularly will know I wear them frequently. I had them on last night for goodness sake too!

Blue shrug – Dorothy Perkins
Blue smock top – Primark
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
Blue patent shoes – New Look
Blue silk scarf – Florence & Fred at Tesco
Blue & silver bangles – Oxfam

Outfit: The Young Man’s Birthday Meal

Last night a group of us headed to TGI Friday to celebrate the young man’s birthday and the birthday of a friend, R. We had good time, they put out balloons and R made party bags just like you used to get at parties when you were 8.
I took my blue coat but in the end it was so warm I didn’t need it, but there’s a pic with it on anyway because I love it.

Blue coat – Topshop (eBay)
Black shrug – New Look
Black & silver cami – New Look
Long & Lean jeans – Gap
Blue patent shoes – New Look
Turquoise flower – Primark

Outfit: Waistcoat

It’s funny how we call various items of clothing by different names depending which country we’re from. I’m wearing a waistcoat today which to anyone in the US is better known as a vest. To me a vest is the strappy cami top I was wearing yesterday but to an Australian, that would be a singlet. Catwalk Queen posted a Shiny Fashion TV video about this a while ago, comparing the UK, US, Australian and New Zealand names for various items.

Anyway, I have taken my inspiration today from several pictures in the May issue of Lucky magazine featuring waistcoats. I’ve had this waistcoat several years but don’t wear it very often. I’m not sure why that is. But since it only cost £8 originally the cost-per-wear is low even if it has only been worn 4 or 5 times.

Blue velvet waistcoat – Primark
White t – Tall Girls
Long & Lean jeans – Gap
Navy patent shoes – Magrit (outlet mall)
Blue scarf – charity shop

Outfit: Variation on a Theme

I changed into jeans to go for tea at the young man’s parents’ house last night. I liked the shrug over shirt effect I had going on with the dress yesterday so I switched my dress for a shirt and jeans, keeping the brown/black thing too. Fortunately the rain had stopped by the time I set out to walk up, but I wasn’t taking any chances so I stuck with boots.

Brown shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Black shirt – Lee Jeans (Luxuriously Tall)
White cami – Topshop
Blue jeans – Next (charity shop)
Brown belt – bought in Crete
Brown boots – New Look (eBay)

Outfit: Torrential Rain Tuesday

Well, it’s not quite torrential rain but it’s very heavy. And there’s some localised flooding. Hence the boots. If the sun comes out by dinnertime I’m sure I’ll be too warm this afternoon but the boots are perfect for the weather this morning.

Black dress – George @ ASDA
White cami – Topshop
Brown shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Brown belt – Dorothy Perkins
Black & brown boots – ASOS
Brown pendant – Scope
Brown & silver bangles – Dorothy Perkins

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing boots if it rains as much as the forecast says it’s going to
…reading ‘Remember Me’ by Sophie Kinsella
…watching the Sex & The City Movie
…listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack
…eating out at TGI Friday in celebration of 2 birthdays this week
…shopping on eBay. Maybe.

Outfit: Back to Work

Well my week’s holiday is over and I’m back in the office, ploughing through my emails and catching up with everything I’ve missed (not a lot!). At least I am in the second office today – it’s nearer home and I can wear my jeans. I’ve added a flower in my lapel again for a splash of colour. Perhaps this can become my signature accessory for the summer.

Black jacket – Long Tall Sally
Turquoise tank – Topshop
Long & Lean jeans – Gap
Leopard print shoes – New Look (eBay)
Pink flower – Primark
Pink necklace – Scope
Pink bangles – gift from a friend

Outfit: Sex And The City Movie

We went to the cinema last night as I mentioned below, and then to the American Exchange bar & grill to eat. I decided to dress up a little as I was dying to wear my new coat. And I had to pay homage to Carrie Bradshaw in a small way by wearing a flower on my lapel. Unfortunately my original shoe plans were scuppered by the rain but it’s nice to wear boots occasionally in the summer. I was in a bit of a hurry taking a picture so it’s come out a bit dark unfortunately. I will have to see if I can persuade the young man to gift one of his cameras to me I think.

Blue coat – Topshop (eBay)
Turquoise cami – Long Tall Sally
Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Long & Lean jeans – Gap
Teal boots – Faith
Turquoise flower – Primark
Turquoise bead necklace – Accessorize
Turquoise earrings – Accessorize

Outfit: Lazy Sunday

“Although it is June and the sun is not sunny, we shall have lots of good fun that is funny.” (‘The Cat in the Hat’, Dr Seuss)

Yes it’s June 1st and it’s raining. Quelle surprise. I just hope this is not an indication of things to come for the rest of the summer. It was around this time last year that it started raining and didn’t stop for 10 weeks.

This is not going to be a lazy Sunday for long it turns out. We are going to visit the young man’s aunt & her husband (the ones whose caravan we stayed in last week) this afternoon to return the key to them. And then we’re meeting some friends to go to the cinema. The girls are going to see Sex & The City and the boys are going to see the new Indiana Jones.

But first up I have to go bake some caramel shortbread.

Blue t – Levi’s (contest prize)
Black long sleeve t – Long Tall Sally
Blue jeans – Miss Selfridge
Brown slippers – Ethel Austin