Frills 'n' Spills

I have never been one for buttoning my shirt/blouse up to the collar, I think if you have any semblance of a chest, it can make you look quite chunky so I convinced myself that this was a trend that I would never participate in....One raspberry pink dress later and my favourite vintage shirt succumbed to this blogger cliché! 

I just love the fuller skirt with this, uber flattering if you have massive childbearing hips like me!

  
Collar detail provided by my dad. He came outside after thinking that there was a dog running around on our driveway and found me trying to take outfit pictures with the tripod and a remote. When he stopped laughing he offered to take some photos for me, so thanks Dad! 

I styled these dresses in 3 different ways (see here and here) but which did you like the best?! 


Do you like the buttoned up look? Which version of the dress did you like the best?

It's still not very flattering but I don't know what to change to make it more wearable, maybe trim the shoulders down? 

I wanted an outfit that was cosy but still looked like I had made an effort and although I look really miserable in these photos, I loved the metallic tones with the berry jeans...

I bought this cardigan in the sale at good old M&S at the same time I bought this skirt and these shoes and this is the first time it has debuted on the blog! I loved the gold leaf effect that is sprayed (?) all over and considering that it it is cropped and full of holes, it is surprisingly warm! 

Outtake of the day: me perfecting my hair model pose, am I really worth it?! 

What would you do to make the jacket more wearable? Do you like things to match?

I bought this dress when I was last in Worcester from good old H&M. I love the colour and  length and it has proven to be a godsend for work but I'm just not sure how to style it without looking like someone's (frumpy) mother....

In real life the skirt is perfectly swooshy and hangs nicely but I'm just not sure it is flattering me in the way a wrap dress should. I wanted it to be an easy throw-on outfit but these pictures have made me sure that I need to style it differently...

I love these shoes but I think they may have been too clunky for the dress, although I need the extra height due to where the skirt hits me on the leg. 

At least I can take some consolation in the fact that my top underneath matches perfectly! 

Outtake of the day: falling over on camera is never a good look!

How would you have styled it? Would you have worn different shoes?

 I wanted something cute and fun to wear for a late Valentine's celebration with Mark and this coat was the focal point of the outfit. Whenever I wear it I always get loads of compliments and this time was no exception...

  

Yes, this is the same dress from my last post, but in white! I loved the shape and style so much that I bought it in 3 (!) colours.  I loved the red and white together and I think the white will also look good with pale turquoise once it warms up a bit...

This belt is possibly the most kitschy thing I own but I couldn't resist the diamanté cherries!

The perfect shade of soft red just topped off the look...

Outtake of the day: Looking rather windswept in a car park. Yes this glamorous location is in fact the car park for the local swimming pool, haha!

What did you wear for Valentines Day? Do you like co-ordinated outfits?

 Polka dot tights add a bit of fun to any outfit and these were ridiculous cheap from Primark!

 I love polo-necks at the moment, they are perfect for making party dresses daytime appropriate and keeping you cosy at the same time...

I was in Primark the other day and whilst I was completely in love with their new season stock [seriously go and check it out!] it was the sale rail which caught my eye! I bought this sparkly dress in black, raspberry and cream/white for the price of one dress. I love the shape and you can't really go wrong with a glittery wool dress. 

 The blazer made me feel quite eighties in combination with everything else but I loved how it lifted the outfit and I am sure to get a lot of wear out of the hot pink colour... I plan to do a Frassy and make a pink mini suit (with this skirt) rather than a mustard one! 

"Make sure you get a picture of the tights"... said whilst vigorously shaking my leg towards Mark, much to the bemusement of the Sunday shoppers in Worcester... OOPS!

Which bloggers inspire you? Do you like fun outfits?

 I was drawn to this due to the long sleeves, recently I have really been feeling the cold and I like having my arms nice and warm. I have to say, I'm not convinced that the shape is that flattering on me, I don't suit a drop waist but I like the print and colour too much to be put off...

The long sleeves are completely negated by the fact it is backless though, oops!

My new favourite bag from Primark. I love the boxy shape and the texture makes it look much more luxe. I can't wait to pair it with some pastels when it finally  warms up! 

It even matched my Krispy Kreme hat! 

I tried something different with my hair too! 

Yes, that is a face of pure excitement!

Mmm... chocolatey doughnut!

Me and Mike...

True love ♥ 

Although I had a very busy weekend ( I met up with Pete and Chris the night before and I went to Mark's work's Christmas meal that evening too) it was lovely to catch up with friends, it definitely doesn't happen enough!

Do you like drop waists? What did you do at the weekend?

I loved the colour and the weight of the skirt as soon as I saw it and the slight sheen to it makes me think that it would look equally good dressed up as it does dressed down. The leopard belt provided a nice contrast and was the focal point for all the brown accessories... 

I couldn't believe just how much material was in this skirt! I'm pretty sure I would have lifted off the ground with a sharp gust of wind here :P 

Plus, the skirt is so long that I was able to wear my jeans underneath for an extra layer of warmth. Who says fashion is impractical?! 

Anyone who has looked at a magazine or clothing website recently will know that pastels are big news for Spring but with the recent snow falls, summery colours and outfits were about as far from my mind as physically possible. That all changed though when I found a gorgeous pale blue cashmere jumper in my local charity shop for a measly £2.95. I love how soft and snuggly it is and it provided the perfect extra layer in the chilly weather...

Unfortunately, I think this is one of those outfits that is doomed to photograph really badly but in real life I loved it! The mix of the cashmere and the jacket made me feel quite grown up and I wasn't sure if it was too 'old' for me but I thought the colours kept it fun, what do you think?

With the boxy shape and the tweed like fabric I couldn't help but be inspired by classic Chanel (pretty sure I can get sued for saying this!) and layered up my pearls! I was reminded of this jacket after browsing the Topshop sale and finding this gem by Sister Jane...isn't it gorgeous?! 

I thought the grey accessories would help to toughen up the outfit a bit and also give me some much needed height! These shoeboots are so comfortable and I love how soft the suede is...

How would you make pastels winter appropriate? Do you think the outfit is too 'old' for me? 

One of the best things about being a blogger is finding new blogs to read and thanks to Sherin I have a new favourite: Inslee Sketches. This insanely talented illustrator has some gorgeous work and I sat and read her blog back to the beginning as I was absolutely in love with her sketches and illustrations. 

I could have featured every single one of her beautiful illustrations but I narrowed it down to a few favourites, I clearly like illustrations of pretty girls in dresses!  I have taken all these images from the Inslee blog which you should really check out!

Do you like fashion illustrations? Have you discovered any new blogs recently?

P.S. I thought that this would be some light relief from my (rather heavy) post on Friday, thank you for all your lovely comments, they really made me think!