Outfit: Sunday

We got up and cooked a full breakfast this morning. It’s been ages since we’ve done that. The young man is now pottering in the garden and I have painted my nails and mended a tear in his jacket. It’s a lovely day so I think we are going to head out for a walk shortly. I may change my footwear, depending on where we are going. And I will definitely add my sunglasses.

Red cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
White ‘Tall?’ cami – Café Press
Jeans – River Island
Leopard print flats – Priceless Shoes (eBay)
Yellow belt – charity shop

Total Est. Cost £67.50

Outfit: Style Stealer

I have once again been inspired by the fabulous Jessica for my outfit today. Sadly it is not as warm here as it looks to have been in NYC earlier this week so I have had to substitute in a long sleeve t so I don’t freeze to death. It’s also not that sunny but I’ve taken the opportunity to show off my fab new sunglasses anyway.

Teal long sleeve t – H&M
Jeans – Topshop Tall
Silver flats – Faith
Brown silk scarf – M&Co
Teal bangles – Accessorize
Teal earrings – Primark
Sunglasses – Boots

Total Est. Cost £65

Tall Tip

Dorothy Perkins have some great longer length t shirts in their ordinary range at the moment. All sorts of colours and styles, and they are on 2 for £12.

Outfit: Casual Friday

I was going to wear flats with this outfit but at the last minute plumped for heels to amp up the look a bit. The sun is shining and ¾ length sleeves make me feel like it’s spring (which I suppose, technically, it is). And it’s lovely to be able to wear shoes rather than boots now too.
Yes I know what I said about not wearing my contact lenses for work, but it’s now a vanity thing – I like myself better without glasses now.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue/green/white check shirt – Primark
Blue tank – Dorothy Perkins
Boyfit jeans – River Island
Blue patent shoes – New Look
Blue bangles – Oxfam

Total Est. Cost £72

Outfit: Smart Casual

I’m bending the rules by wearing jeans on a Thursday again. I was going to put my purple booties with this outfit, but changed my mind and added the yellow wedges as an unexpected second colour pop. I think yellow is a very sping-like colour, even though I don’t wear it very often. I remember as a child my sister’s favourite colour was yellow – we had these anoraks from Mothercare that matched – hers was yellow, mine was red. I was dressed in red a lot as a child. My mother and grandmother thought it suited me as I have dark hair.

Purple tank – Long Tall Sally
Grey check shirt – New Look Tall
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Purple belt – Ethel Austin
Yellow wedges – Priceless Shoes
Purple necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £66

Outfit: Dance Practice

Another Wednesday, another dance rehearsal for the musical theatre group. I added the scarf as my top was a little low; however I got warm pretty quickly and so shed the scarf after less than an hour. I am enjoying the dancing despite being fairly unco-ordinated with the steps – I know what I’m supposed to be doing, even if my feet aren’t always moving in exactly the right direction all the time!

Red cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Blue t – Dorothy Perkins
Jeans – River Island
Red patent flats – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise necklace – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam

Blue silk scarf - Accessorize

Total Est. Cost £69

Hmm…

Sometimes I just don’t understand how a fashion editor’s mind works when planning magazine spreads. I was reading the March issue of US Cosmopolitan magazine and one of the fashion pages had me baffled. It showed an outfit to build around a pair of denim hotpants that included a suede jacket and a scarf. Now, call me cynical, but I would wager that if it’s chilly enough to need a suede jacket AND a scarf, it’s probably too chilly for denim hotpants, wouldn’t you say?

Outfit: Black & Brown

I miss being able to wear jeans all week for work. I loved it when I had that option at the other office. The closest thing I can get to jeans now is these cord trousers which are just so comfy and I love them. I love mixing black and brown at the moment but I wanted to add a bit of colour too, so I have done so quite subtly with turquoise earrings, bangles and eyeliner!

Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Brown cord trousers – Tall Girls
Leopard print flats – Priceless Shoes (eBay)
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam
Turquoise earrings – gifted

Total Est. Cost £60

Outfit: Green

I’ve not worn this dress in a while so decided to give it another airing with a polo neck. I think it will work OK without one too, if it ever gets warm enough. I’m wearing about four shades of green today, not normally a colour I would wear all over.

Green & lilac dress – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Grey polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Green tights – Topshop (gifted)
Green suede boots – River Island
Green necklace – Primark

Total Est. Cost £48.50

Outfit: New Jacket!

I was excited to wear my new leather jacket last night, even if it wasn’t really warm enough for it. I layered a couple of sweaters underneath it and fortunately the heating was on in the church where choir practice is held so all was good.

Brown cord cap – Matalan
Brown leather jacket – New Look Tall
Brown polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Brown boots – Nine West (Allders)
Blue bead – Scope
Brown silk scarf – M&Co

Total Est. Cost £109

Paring Down My Wardrobe – Part 2

A while back I posted about how, come Easter, I would be getting rid of anything I hadn’t worn.
Well, I’ve had another idea, one that can be put into effect immediately. Anything that doesn’t make me feel fantastic whilst I’m wearing it will also go. And I’ll be starting with today’s dress. I’m just not feeling it anymore so back to the charity shop it will go. I know the young man will be pleased – he hates most of my dresses, especially the patterned ones.

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing something colourful in a bid to pretend it’s spring, even though it’s still freezing cold
…reading the April issue of UK Cosmopolitan
…watching the last few episodes of X Files Season 1, I hope
…listening to the Pretty Woman soundtrack (my sister said she heard King of Wishful Thinking on the radio twice yesterday and it reminded me what a great soundtrack this is)
…eating M&Ms
…shopping for nothing (honestly!)

Outfit: Sleepy Monday

I didn’t get to sleep until late last night so I didn’t really want to get up this morning. I had tried to plan an outfit with a bit of colour, and I was going to wear shoes to make it more spring-like, but this morning it was blowing a gale and pouring with rain making boots the only option.

Brown/teal dress – Next (charity shop)
Brown polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Teal tights – Primark
Brown boots – Nine West (Allders)

Total Est. Cost £76

Shopping Bargain

I went into New Look this afternoon to try on a leather jacket I have been eyeing up in the Tall section for a while. I decided I would get it and took it to the till. There was some scuffing on the back (which will totally polish out) so I asked for a discount as it was the last one on the rail. The assistant agreed to 10% off. The price tag said £50 but when she rang it up it was only £30 (I love when that happens!). And with the 10% it went down to £27. Did I mention it is real leather? So all in all, a total bargain!

Outfit: Sunday Afternoon Shopping

I headed into the city this afternoon to meet my sister for a little shopping and for a coffee and cake. We had a lovely time and ended up eating chocolate croissants in Pret A Manger to dodge the hailstorm.

This red cardi is already one of my favourite items and I can see it being worn fairly frequently this spring as an alternative to black or grey.

Red cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Blue ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ t – Topshop Tall (eBay)
Jeans – River Island
Cowboy boots – New Look
Red beads – eBay

Total Est. Cost £85

Outfit: Church

The choir was singing an anthem at church this morning so I had to look presentable. It was the anniversary of when the Methodists merged with the United Reform Church to form the church I go to now.

Black cardi – New Look Tall
Black & white houndstooth top – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Black faux suede boots – Priceless Shoes
Red ribbon belt – Duttons For Buttons haberdashery
Red beads – eBay

Total Est. Cost £59

Outfit: Church Social

I had a quiet day around the house yesterday, just in my scruffy jeans and baggy cardi. The young man is not well and I was just catching up on the usual chores – cleaning the bathroom, doing some laundry etc. In the evening there was a Beetle Drive at church and I had not been to one of those for years. We used to have them quite regularly at my old church when I was a child, and every year on holiday there would be one – usually Bag Beetle (where the winner and loser on each table would exchange an item from each other’s bags before moving on. The greatest challenge about that would be finding items worth 20p or less to put in your bag in the days preceding.

Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
White ‘Tall?’ cami – Café Press
Grey jeans – Gap
Teal boots – Faith
Teal scarf – Marks and Spencer

Total Est. Cost £68

Review: Fitness Footwear

As much as I love my high heeled shoes and boots, there are times when that style of footwear just won’t cut it. Like a Sunday afternoon walk with the young man for example. I have many pairs of flat shoes and boots, but nothing designed specifically for walking. So when Fitness Footwear contacted me to ask whether I’d like to try out something from their range, I jumped at the chance. I chose the Merrell Oslo boot (pictured) which are perfect for long wintery walks in the countryside. The boots are made from waterproof leather lined with faux fur to keep your feet lovely and cosy. They have a Dual Density Compression Molded EVA Footbed with In-Board EVA Wedge and Integrated Air Cushion® which makes them supremely comfortable, and a Merrell Winter Artrek™ Sole providing a good grip when it is wet.

Fitness Footwear stocks the full range of Merrell Shoes, which includes everything from walking flip flops, to trainer-style shoes, to walking boots, and even My First Merrells (in pink or blue) for children. They also stock many other popular brands of sports and leisure footwear, such as Catepillar, Hi Tec, EMU, Ecko, Timberland, Sketchers and Birkenstock.

Fitness Footwear offers free delivery on all UK orders and aim to dispatch your goods within 5-7 working days. All goods require a signature and an online tracking facility is available on the website for you to view the status of your order. A range of credit and debit cards are accepted and payment is also possible via Paypal.

Outfit: Casual Friday

I won this t shirt on eBay the other week and when I saw the red cardi I had to bid on it as I knew it would go perfectly with the top. I am trying to pretend it is spring today by wearing bright colours, despite the sub-zero temperatures and the fact that I had to scrape frost off my car this morning. It is another sunny day though and I drove to work wearing my sunglasses.

Red cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Mickey Mouse t – Topshop Tall (eBay)
Jeans – River Island
Yellow belt – Charity shop
Yellow shoes – Cherokee at Tesco
Red beads – eBay

Total Est. Cost £72.50

Outfit: Confessions Of A Shopaholic

I met my sister at the cinema last night and we saw the new ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ movie. I loved the books (I own all five) so it was strange to see the characters with the same names and an altered storyline. The film was funny and Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher – who else remembers her in Home & Away?) has some fabulous outfits thanks to one Patricia Field. I think if you judge it on its own merits as a standalone piece, and forget about the books, it is a great movie.

I ended up leaving on my silk scarf (not pictured) as it was pretty chilly in the cinema.

Brown cardi – Luxuriously Tall
Brown long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Turquoise boots – Splash! (eBay)
Turquoise necklace – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam

Total Est. Cost £73

Outfit: Black & Brown

It was almost spring yesterday morning. The sun was shining; the crocuses & snow drops are out in the park. Then I drove home in a snowstorm.
I love mixing black and brown or tan. I added the necklace and bangles for a flash of colour, and also so I could put on turquoise eyeliner.

Black wrap dress – Luxuriously Tall
Brown long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Tan Obi belt – ASOS
Tan boots – Faith
Black tights – Morrison’s
Turquoise necklace – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise & silver bangles – Oxfam

Total Est. Cost £100

Outfit: Pub

I waited until I got home last night to take a picture so that my hair would look great after I got it cut. After my hair appointment I rushed down to the local Wetherspoon’s to meet the drama group for tea. As the ladies didn’t have a rehearsal last night we were free to linger and ended up staying out til around 9.30pm drinking tea and hot chocolate.

I am totally loving this cardigan by the way. I got it on eBay last week for the bargain price of £7 and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of it.

Red cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
White long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Jeans – River Island
Leopard print flats – Priceless Shoes (eBay)

Total Est. Cost £63

Outfit: Tricolore

Hands up who else is bored of the cold weather now? It’s March, I’m ready for spring. My inspiration today comes from the fabulous Jessica of What I Wore. I saw her navy & red ensemble last week and thought ‘I could do that’ with my new red cardi that arrived from eBay on Thursday. I will be changing when I get home as I am headed for a hair cut (at last!) and then out for tea at the pub with the gang from the drama group. We have no rehearsal tonight (well, the ladies don’t) so it should be a nice relaxing evening and then home early.

Red cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
White long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Navy dress – Next
Navy tights – New Look
Navy patent shoes – Magrit (outlet mall)
Red belt – Mall market stall

Total Est. Cost £67

MyLook Research

Last night I was invited to take part in some research for MyLook, the community website of New Look. Travel expenses were paid and they were offering £40 for participating. It was in Leeds, an hour and a half and well, £40 is £40. So I went along and was joined by 4 other ladies (2 had travelled from Manchester) to discuss the MyLook site, New Look and our shopping and online habits in general. It was good to meet new people and sitting around talking about shopping and fashion and getting paid for it? My idea of a dream come true! I would definitely be up for partaking in something similar should the opportunity arise in the future.

Outfit: Brown, Black & Purple

This evening I am going to take part in some research for New Look. I am a member of the My Look website and was invited to take part through that. It’s going to be a long day; I won’t get home until around 8pm, so I need to be comfortable.
I am still trying to love my hair up, but I can’t wait for my hair appointment tomorrow afternoon when I can get it shaped again and have my front bits cut short. Also, it will be the first time ever I will be able to see what the hairdresser is doing as I usually have to take off my glasses so they don’t get in the way.

Black/Purple/Grey/Brown Argyle sweater – Next Tall
Brown cord trousers – Tall Girls
Purple scarf – Claire’s
Black faux suede boots – Priceless Shoes

Total Est. Cost £51

Outfit: Choir Practice

There was no heating on in the church last night so we all stayed bundled up in coats and scarves. I wished I had added another layer underneath my sweater. This tank top is very versatile – I’ve worn it 3 different ways over Sunday and Monday.
My eyebrow appointment was later than I thought so in the end I had time to go home and change and walk into the village.

Purple tank – Long Tall Sally
Black polo neck – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Black faux suede OTK boots – Matalan

Total Est. Cost £66.50

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing contact lenses!
…reading the March issue of US Cosmopolitan
…watching The Princess Bride
…listening to Up All Night by Take That
…eating out at Wetherspoon’s on Wednesday
…shopping for nothing

Outfit: Teal & Purple

I’m getting my eyebrows waxed this afternoon so I may end up regretting the choice of such a short skirt! However, I do have leggings on rather than tights and I am still seeing women walking around wearing leggings as trousers (never a good look, ladies).

Teal dress, shortened – Florence + Fred at Tesco (charity shop)
Purple tank – Long Tall Sally
Black leggings – New Look Tall
Grey faux suede OTK boots – Priceless Shoes
Necklace – Scope
Earrings – Primark

Total Est. Cost £52

Outfit: Church On Sunday

I got up and went to church this morning. On the way home I stopped off and did the Tesco shopping. The checkout lady said I looked very glam, had I been to an event? This afternoon I changed into skinny jeans and riding boots and washed my car in the sunshine.

Black jacket – Long Tall Sally
Turquoise shrug – Dorothy Perkins
Purple tank – Long Tall Sally
White t – New Look Tall
Jeans – Tall Girls
Purple faux suede booties – Priceless Shoes
Turquoise leather belt (on jeans) – H&M

Turquoise flower - Claire's

Turquoise necklace - Dorothy Perkins

Total Est. Cost £130