Frills 'n' Spills

I have barely taken these wonderful Clarks loafers off my feet but when they are this comfortable, why would you?! Nude tights were perhaps slightly optimistic but I don't think this dress would suit black tights, perhaps I could try it with sheer spotty ones next time? 

Any tips for finding 'proper' vintage workwear?

I love the cut out shoulders on this jumper, it certainly makes a plain black jumper more interesting! I was quite pleased with how my hair and make up looks here too, not bad for one of my first outfits back in the real world after being poorly! 

See what I mean about a mix of textures?! I'm pretty sure I have shrunk since I last wore these trousers, heels are most definitely necessary. I don't wear these shoes as often as I would like as me and heels are a bit of a lethal combination (comfort is most definitely a priority!) but they definitely help to make any outfit look much more elegant.

How would you style this jumper?

This dress came from the wardrobe of my friend Matilda and the length and colours meant that it was love at first sight. I  think I suit Autumnal colours and I love all the different colours in the pattern and the gorgeous scalloped layers of the skirt.

I even managed to match my lipstick! I am wearing the Max Factor lipstain in the corally orange shade which adds a lovely bright colour to lips, topped with my beloved Ballistic lippie!

Rather boringly I went for grey accessories and the length of this blazer was lovely with the knee-length of the dress. This Topshop necklace was also a nice lengthening device, something I am always keen to do with my (rather stumpy) frame!

I love these heels and I am wearing them with yet another Autumnal outfit here! They really are the perfect height to wear all day and the grippy sole meant that I didn't fall flat on my face- perfect for when you are trying to stay incognito!  

How long have you been blogging? What do you do to stay inspired?

 As soon as the top arrived, I knew it would be perfect for pairing with my beloved denim dress. I am always on the lookout for nice printed tops for layering with and this is lovely. The cotton is light but still warm; and best of all, this t-shirt holds its shape when you wash it, which my cheaper t-shirts definitely don't. 

I also dug out my brown 'riding boots'. I got these as a present after doing well in my GCSEs (all those years ago!) and although I wear them most winters, I'm never sure what to pair them with as they are quite a statement piece. The knee high socks added some warmth and I was able to live out another Clarks shoes fantasy- I LOVE the advert with the socks layered under the boots!

Isn't this just the cutest print?! I can see it paired with my green maxi skirt and my fur gilet, something I can definitely imagine Stevie Nicks wearing. Or maybe it's just having Fleetwood Mac playing in the car over the last few weeks that is just making me think that!

What's your favourite seventies look? How would you style my boots?

 

As soon as the dress arrived though, I knew it would match perfectly with these shoes. I got the shoes for a mere £3.99 on eBay a few years ago and replaced the original shoe laces with some cream ribbon, much prettier, don't you agree?

Obligatory twee collar shot. Although I often fall foul of a blogger cliché or two, this is actually the first dress I own with a peter pan collar, where do I hand my blogger membership in to?! I know quite a few people who have snapped up some pieces from the collection and both Jen and Kristabel have this dress and have definitely given me some inspiration for how to wear it once the weather cools down...

You can't really see it in any of these photos but I managed to get my hands on the berry shade from the Kate Moss matte lipstick collection which I love, it is perfect for Autumn and I will be doing a proper post on it soon!

Do you like designer collaborations? 

In theory I should love it. The colour is just perfect and it is lovely and warm but I think the design of the coat just looks all wrong on me. I don't think I have a long enough neck to pull off a collarless style and buttoned up is the only way of wearing it without looking completely shapeless. 

I felt slightly like I was wearing a school uniform with this jumper (maybe due to the scratchy navy wool?!) but I certainly never had such a cute spotty shirt for school. I wore this outfit to my first car boot the other weekend and felt slightly twee but oh so warm...

Have you ever shopped on Simply Be? How would you style a collarless coat?

Who would have thunk it?! I cannot believe that Frills 'n' Spills is 3 years old today- this little corner of the internet has gone through many changes and has provided me with so much fun and inspiration over the past 3 years. It has given me so many opportunities (which I am so grateful for) and I have met some really amazing people. Thank you for all your views, comments and tweets, here's to many more years! ♥

P.S. Apologies for the gushiness ;)

 I kept the rest of the outfit simple (and wore this dress backwards to make it a bit more wearable!) and let the panda print do all the talking, it is definitely a worthy addition to my #wardrobezoo...

Aren't they just adorable?! Everyone thought that it was a geometric or floral print until they got close up and saw these little fellas in all their glory. This blazer is really cute and I think I was subconsciously influenced by the WWF's guerilla (or panda, har har) marketing campaign which I had seen a few days earlier! 

Now I will never look as good as Michelle in cute socks and ankle boots but I will give it a good go, especially now the temperature is back down to single figures again, I am not a fan of the frosty mornings, it feels far too much like winter already :( I want it to be warm again, like the weather in my last outfit post! 

Do you have a wardrobe zoo? How do you make your simple outfits not feel boring?

I wore this dress to celebrate my Grandad's birthday and although it was perhaps a silly idea to wear a cream dress when eating curry, I did appreciate the elasticated waistline ;) A new photo location too, my grandparents really do have a beautiful garden...

I love the wooden heels on these boots, I do wish they were slighter higher but actually, being flat, they will be much more practical once the weather gets worse.

I would never have usually chosen boots like this in the past but recently I have found myself drawn to things that are slightly edgier than I would usually pick and these boots are a perfect example of how my style has changed since I started blogging. 

How has your style changed? Have you been making the most of the sunshine?

P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Spartoo

A little while ago I was offered the opportunity to review something from Next after being sent a voucher to use in store. I am always in two minds about Next if I'm honest, I love seeing the pictures from their press days and inevitably end up craving absolutely everything but so little seems to filter down to the store near me, one of the perils of being a country bumpkin I guess! Thank God for out of town retail parks though, as the one near me has a huge Next store which had so many nice home-ware pieces and more than enough clothes. I managed to get a top and a skirt for just over £40 which I think is pretty reasonable especially when places like Topshop charge that for just a skirt... I love the slightly longer sleeves on this top and polka dots will always be a winner in my book! It was a bit of a culture shock coming back from blazing sunshine but the new clothes are helping to cushion the blow as I ease myself back into my work routine... (first world problems, I know!)

  I paired this top with my denim ASOS skirt which I bought in my first year of uni (it seems so long since I was a fresher, *sob*), a skirt which went on the eBay pile a while back but never quite got sold- sounding familiar yet?! I tried it on again and I have fallen back in love with it, I think it will be getting a lot of use with my new boots, thick tights and jumpers this winter...

I love the length of the sleeves on this and of course polka dots will always be a favourite and I know that this will also get a lot of wear...

My new favourite accessory! I won this beautiful Guess watch off the lovely Sherin and although I was a bit unsure about the blue colour, I actually love it and it has proven a real talking point. I think when you wear something every day, you have to love it and my heart has definitely been stolen by this little guy. All of my favourite watches have been Guess ones so definitely check them out if you are on the hunt for a new watch!

Which brands are you always a bit unsure about? What clothes can you not bear to part with?

Patterned skirts/shorts and plain sleeveless tops- the pattern on this skirt incorporated a few colours making it extremely versatile and the light cotton of both the top and skirt was ideal for keeping me cool as I was sight-seeing. I have this Gap top in at least 5 colour-ways and the fit is second to none. I don't know what it is about these ones but they hold their shape after wearing and washing and the ribbed fabric is way more flattering than a plain style... I also had two amazing pairs of patterned shorts but I didn't get any pictures, I will have to dig them out again!

High waisted shorts and neutral colours - These high waisted shirts from Miss Selfridge proved to be a life-saver, the denim is super soft and stretchy, much like my favourite jeans and the higher waistline meant I could eat as much pizza and pasta as I wanted without feeling self conscious. The draped top from H&M also skimmed over any potential food babies whilst paying homage to the wonderful drapery on the local statues and the stripey top is exactly the same top from Gap but in a lovely pale stripe. 

Midi length skirts and dresses- This gorgeous bright skirt has been with me on all of my trips to Italy, the length means that it is suitable for all sights, including the Vatican. Many places won't let you in unless you are dressed appropriately so a longer length skirt or dress is ideal as you just have to wrap a scarf around your shoulders to get in. This River Island dress I found so easy to wear as it is so light and also covers most of my legs, again ideal in the scorching heat. My favourite vintage dress also came along for the ride and again, the colour and cotton combination meant it was perfect for the sunshine. 

Hard working accessories and well fitting shoes: I wore these sunglasses and this bag, every day when I was away. I love the slight cat-eye on the glasses and the bag was the perfect size for fitting in my diabetes essentials and the aforementioned scarf whilst being able to keep a tight grip on!.  also wore my two pairs of Keds (these and these) but typically I don't have any pictures of me wearing them! I cannot stress enough how important it is to have shoes that fit well and I will always love Clarks and Keds as they support my feet whilst still looking pretty, no mean feat, I think you will agree!

My photo pose has become a bit of a running joke with my friends both online and off and now Mark is trying to get in on the action, do you think he is fashion blogger ready?! 

A nice natural photo of the two of us, I definitely need to get this printed off, I have so many photo frames to fill! As you can see I wore a lot of red on holiday (why deviate from a colour I love?!) and hopefully my holiday wardrobe isn't so wildly different to my normal one, just slightly more leg on show ;)

What do you wear on holiday? Do you have a signature pose?

P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Spartoo