Frills 'n' Spills

There's something so easy about wearing a dress in the sunshine and this cute gingham dress from Matalan is a cute 1950s inspired addition to my wardrobe. Sales shopping can be dangerous but as promised, this dress is fun and practical and I have already got a lot of wear out of it. Monochrome can be tricky but I love it with a couple of splashes of hot pink as it just feels so fun! I didn't wear this outfit for any special occasion but I wanted to make the most of having bright weather before I retreat into the comfort of cosy jumpers and berry tones. These photos were so difficult to take, I am so pale that if I brightened them much more I was glowing onscreen, haha!

Whilst I love red lipstick, hot pink feels less serious and this Bourjois lipstick was a welcome addition of colour. I'm loving having shorter hair again, it is so much easier to straighten! Looking back over old posts, it strikes me how young I look in a lot of them and whilst I'm hardly old now, I look a lot closer to my age with short hair. I do sometimes miss having longer hair but cutting it all off was the best decision I made and I still love it a year and a half later!

You know how much I love a full skirt and this one is perfectly swooshy. I was going to wear my hot pink heels but I felt a bit too wedding-y with them on and I love the freedom you get with flats, especially when you are skipping around Tesco! 

Are you a fan of fifties frocks?

I'm not sure why I look quite so cheery in these pictures but it makes a refreshing change- usually I tend to  look bleary-eyed rather than chirpy! This outfit is a more casual version of this one and I have been wearing it a lot recently. The top was a recent impulse purchase in the Matalan sale and it looks equally good with high-waisted skirts as it does with skinny jeans- always a winner in my book! I love the jazzy print at the top too, it makes even the most simple outfit look more pulled together. The one problem is that it creases ridiculously quickly, I had ironed it not more than 10 minutes before these photos were taken but you wouldn't know it from all the creases. It's a good job I'm looking pretty relaxed about it huh?! Matalan have really impressed me recently, I could spend a fortune in my local store and I'm sure I certainly will come payday...

The best part about a simple outfit like this is that you can go completely overboard on the accessories! This bright yellow bag is the perfect way to add some sunshine and paired with my new favourite lipstick (Mac Lady Bug) I was hot to trot... 

Which brands have impressed you recently?

I know pants is an American term but it fits so much better than trousers in this situation! Jazzy trousers are one of those things that I love on other people but was never convinced by them on myself, until recently. I picked up a couple of pairs of printed trousers from Matalan and they are so comfy! I have been wearing them for work and at the weekend and their lightness makes them perfect for the warm weather we have been having. I love their slimline shape and the elasticated waist is just a bonus in my eyes ;) I have been loving longline tops and cardigans recently and Matalan came up trumps with this gorgeous white blouse. I had been looking for one for a while and I really like how simple this one is. It does have fluted sleeves but it was still pretty chilly first thing so my cardigan was definitely staying on! 

This cardi was a gift from my friend Matilda and it is such a gorgeous colour. I have worn it so much that it has developed a hole though so I am trying not to wear it as often. The morning light has been so pretty recently and it is massively flattering too! None of my lipsticks seem to be quite the right colour recently so I have been layering up colours to get the perfect shade. This was a mix of Max Factor Ballistic and my bargain red lipstick from Tesco to get that slightly deeper red. The one problem with moving is that I won't have such pretty backdrops for my photos, I will miss all of this green space!

You know how much I love red, white and navy together and the print on these trousers is ace. You know I have a pretty relaxed dress code at work but the navy definitely helps to smarten these up although I'm sure they'd be equally at home on the beach! I wasn't sure which shoes to pair with these as I don't have many pointed pairs but these nude shoes were a safe compromise, at least until I can get some red pointed heels...

Any tips for where to look for some red pointed heels? 

I think bloggers like to think that they are above such trivial things such as trends but for all my snobbery, I fell head over heels for peplums. This particular peplum top is from Matalan and although I have been desperate to wear it, I have found it difficult to style without looking as wide as I am tall but I figured black slim cut trousers will always work with a more oversized silhouette!

When Matalan asked me if I wanted to get involved in their style project I couldn't have said yes any quicker. Some of my favourite bloggers have participated in it and I love seeing all the different looks that people come up with for the same theme- it's so interesting to see what pieces everyone is drawn to! I was really impressed by how far my voucher stretched too, I managed to get the top, trousers, blazer and shoes for £50, how amazing is that?! I haven't actually worn this into work yet (hate the snow!) but as soon as the ice disappears, this will be top of the pile to wear!