Old Jacket, New Favourite

Outfit roundup a on Tuesday?! Due to a couple of busy weeks and then having been on holiday, I'm totally behind. My week in Germany involved a lot of lounging around and little sartorial action, so below the outfits from a couple of weeks ago. If I can find the time tomorrow, I'll get us up to date.

A couple of future faves: My old, yet newly discovered tweed jacket is finally being worn - and I really love it. (Do you do that? Discover items in your wardrobe that you almost discarded and fall in love with them?) Oh, and something actually new: that cosy Tesco jumper is going to get some repeat wears this winter!

I thought this outfit might be a pattern too far but I think it actually worked - and I really enjoyed wearing it! The jacket must be about 15 years old and almost every year I've held it up and thought "need to get rid of this, I never wear it" - and then hung it straight back into my wardrobe. It's a tricky one, as it's quite warm but not warm enough for proper outer wear (plus, it has elbow length sleeves and is cropped). But I thought I'd start wearing it kind of like a cardigan or blazer and voilà, it's now officially a keeper! 
Blouse & boots: Zara 
Skirt: Boden 
Jacket: River Island

I normally don't do outerwear shots. 
1. I do my ootd pic when I get home in the evening, after I dropped bag and coat downstairs and before I get changed into something that doesn't mind if I crawl around the floor building lego. 
2. I usually wear the same coat all season: a warm one in winter, a thinner one when it's warmer. Both hooded and waterproof, as I commute by train and walk bits in between. I also can't be bothered carrying an umbrella. (God knows why I have a wardrobe full of coats...) This was a day though when it was cold with no chance of rain so I dug out my classic grey coat - and I thought I'd share this. :) 
Jumper: Tesco 
Jeans: Next 
Trainers & coat: Zara 
Scarf: C&A

This is what happens when I take my 'outfit of the day' photo after coming home (no way would I have time to do this in the morning!). Little M will insist in being in a couple of pics and then we have to pose so that he "wears" my clothes. I have reams of those pics. 
Rubbish quality - but I can't quite get myself to delete them. 
Jumper: Zara 
Skirt: Mango 
Trainers: Kurt Geiger

At the weekend you'll usually find me in jeans, mainly because I will either be cleaning/tidying/pottering or climbing around hills/playgrounds/rocks. On Saturday I dragged Mr G and little M to Cheshire Oaks and (also due to the wet weather: nothing worse than jeans soaking up rain water) ended up in a dress. :) 

By the way: check out here what Mulberry had in stock! 

Dress & cardigan: Boden 

Boots: Hallhuber 

Necklace: Topshop

Something Green and Something New

This week you're not just getting all my outfits from last week but also a sneaky peek at my Victoria Beckham X Target purchase before I actually wear it out.

So what do you think of my VB dresses? I do love the mint one - and the quality is amazing for £40! The dress on the right is actually a girls' dress in size XL. I probably wouldn't put it with black tights but, regardless of that, I am not so sure about it. It's just a bit of a funny shape on me...

Trying to coax out spring with some greenery. Remember that Chanel inspired black and white skirt I have and never wore until recently? Well, this is the same one in green. [incidentally "das gleiche in grün" is a German saying but let's not get sidetracked.] I've been waiting to pair it with something and found a plain top just too boring, so I tried this new sweatshirt. Too green? Kinda like it...
Top: Next
Skirt: River Island
Boots: Zara

More florals for spring, though the colours have a distinct autumnal feel - as does the weather at times. The skirt and top are a fairly recent Topshop sale purchase, both were a bit of a bargain - though I'm not that sure about the top...
Top & skirt: Topshop
Cardigan: Boden
Boots: Marks and Spencer

Boden prints: when they're good, they're really good! Still love this dress, which combines flattering shape and striking print to something just that extra bit special.
Dress: Boden
Boots: Zara

You know when something seems like a good idea in your head? Like that outfit you think you're gonna pull out of the wardrobe and you mentally put together as you're waking up. Then the shirt is suddenly a bit too short as a dress, so you add leggings. And, for some reason, a belt. And you're suddenly in territory you didn't really want to be. Especially if 2 of our colleagues wear denim dresses the same day and look fab in them. 😂 #outfitfail 
Shirt: Sainsbury's 
Leggings: Topshop 
Boots: Office
Belt: Reiss 
Necklace: Stella & Dot

Come on Spring!

Spring is definitely in the air - and I feel like wearing colour! It also means my black boots will slowly get relegated and I can dig out other footwear. And then I will have to remember or figure out Spring/Summer outfits. Can't wait for it to be Spring every year - and then it still comes as a surprise!

I love this skirt (yes, it's new and current and available here) and paired with the belt it's the perfect "I have a waist!" cheat!

Top: Karen Millen

Skirt: Rumour London at Wolf & Badger

Boots: Office

Belt: Reiss

Necklace: Aarikka

How lovely is this necklace?!

Worth adding: As I usually commute into work via train and (living in Manchester) a exposed to a fair bit of rain/wind/cold weather, I don't tend to coordinate my coat with the rest of my outfit. I usually wear whatever the weather demands, something functional, with a hood and warm lining at this time of year.

As I was driving in that day, I indulged and wore a jacket that has been hanging in my wardrobe for years and big scarf.

Some groundbreaking florals for spring. And a bit of a story: I believe it was in SS14 when Boden brought out their best prints in years. Beautiful florals. I ordered way too many items because I couldn't decide - and was then pretty ruthless when they arrived, only keeping a couple. This skirt went back. I've been hankering after it for a while and just managed to find it on eBay (of course). Happy me. Have you ever done that?

Shirt: Laredoute

Skirt: Boden

Trainers: Converse

Had completely forgotten little M was supposed to wear something green today. #mumfail Not sure my own green dress from yesterday makes up for it? And yes: I'm wearing the necklace wonky and only just realised this when assembling the pics. *sigh*

Dress: Mango

Boots: Marks and Spencer

Necklace: Accessorize

It's getting milder, the sun is peeping out every now and again - spring is definitely around the corner. (Oh, and did I mention hayfever?) Time for a bit more colour. It's not even a conscious decision, it just kind of happens. Do you find that you're automatically picking more colourful clothes when winter starts to go? 

Top & skirt: Warehouse 

Trainers: Kurt Geiger 

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Girly Pastels

How have I not yet posted more about my favourite trend this season?!

Could it be that, although I am getting dressed in soft hues in my head, in reality a look out the window usually results in me pulling on the black tights & boot combo. Pastels on top of that don't really work. [let's challenge that!]

Anyway, in preparation of what will be very soon, I went a bit "all-over-pastel" on both highstreet and designer budgets. What do you think?

Highstreet - total spend £245

Highstreet Pastels by verystef featuring flower rings

Miss Selfridge tie dye dress
£69 - missselfridge.com

River Island green jacket
£65 - riverisland.com

ASOS stiletto high heels
£55 - asos.com

ASOS oversized handbag
£40 - asos.com

Dorothy Perkins flower ring
£8.50 - dorothyperkins.com

Dorothy Perkins stackable ring
£7.50 - dorothyperkins.com

Designer - total spend £4,045

Designer Pastels by verystef featuring vintage bangles

Roberto Cavalli multi colored dress
£860 - net-a-porter.com

Acne suede leather jacket
£1,100 - net-a-porter.com

Brian atwood pumps
£485 - mytheresa.com

Jil Sander shoulder handbag
£595 - mytheresa.com

Aurélie Bidermann vintage bangle
£785 - net-a-porter.com

Zoe B. Ltd clear earrings
£220 - maxandchloe.com

So which one is your favourite?

Patterned Blazer - wear it forever?

So I've been wearing my plain blazers like the good girl that I am and even if we're talking pastel colours, they will stand the test of time and give me a fantastic cost per wear ratio.

But what about patterned blazers? I have a H&M blazer that sits in the back of my wardrobe and rarely sees the light of day and this is mainly due that its pale blue floral pattern doesn't go with much. At the same time it's a bit too dull to stand out by itself.

I think the key is in getting a pattern that gives the blazer the chance to be the statement piece. Sure, this season we will be mixing and clashing our patterns but for the item to have real staying power and for you to love it and dig it out again and again, it needs to be special enough to look great next season, when we won't be so clash-mad anymore. 

There are some fantastic pieces out there, designer as well as high-street, and whereas my plain blazer top-choice was a Topshop beauty for just £40, the selection below will see me pick that beautiful tuxedo style, paisley print blazer from Etro.At £1,095 you'd want to get quite a few wears out of it!

patterned blazers - designer vs highstreet by verystef featuring a lace jacket

Alexander McQueen collarless jacket
£3,275 - mytheresa.com

Etro printed jacket
£1,095 - mytheresa.com

River Island lace jacket
£50 - riverisland.com

H m jacket
£30 - hm.com

H m jacket
£15 - hm.com

Stella McCartney striped jacket
£1,125 - liberty.co.uk

Not so boring trousers...

I used to have a pair of trousers that Mr. G called my "Nena-Pants". They were basically a skinny jeans with a very mad flower/lip/eye/glitter (!) print on them. I know. I stopped wearing them because, well, maybe my tastes matured. The day when I thought, "oh, let's try them again" I couldn't actually close the button. So out they went and that was the end of it.

This year though, I suddenly find myself lusting after a pair of flower-pattererned trousers. They should be smart enough to wear for work with a pair of flats, work with at least some of the print tops in my wardrobe (e.g. my newly acquired Marni at H&M wardrobe) and be at the not-such-a-big-spend end of my shopping-spectrum as I have just overdone it on the Marni!

A few minutes on the www and my favourites are as follows:

Lovely pastels, good shape, right length. With £38 not dirt-cheap but within contention. (Warehouse)

 These lovelies are from next and also priced £38. I love the strong colours, tropical print and the fact that they are called "Ipanema Trousers". Just like wearing a holiday!

These are definitely my favourite find. Just the right proportion, the colours will go well (or rather, clash nicely) with the tops I had in mind and they are an absolute steal at £12.99.(H&M)

I might just have to pop back to H&M - this time, without the queue...