Frills 'n' Spills

I am jumping all over the place with my outfit posts at the moment. This one was from 2 months ago and I swear it felt more like winter then than it does now! Whilst the colour scheme is fairly muted for me, playing with textures and proportions makes it much more interesting.  I wore a pretty similar outfit a couple of years ago but I can't believe how different I look. I was in dire need of a haircut here but I love the outfit so much that I guess you will just have to ignore whatever is happening with my head in these pictures haha!

The silhouette of this tunic looks completely different without the blazer and I think I look pretty tall here which makes a nice change! I wish I had broken the line of the top up a little bit as it is a little bit difficult to see where the top ends and my pasty skin begins here. This lipstick is a firm favourite of mine and makes this monochrome look a bit more me. 

I really love this Radley bag (FYI it's the Berkeley bag in blue) and it is the perfect size for everyday use. I can even fit a book in there! I just wish the strap on it was a little bit thicker, it can feel a bit precarious when I have it jammed full of stuff but I guess I just need to learn how to streamline the junk essentials I carry around with me.

These glittery boots were in constant rotation in the winter of 2012 but I lost them in the back of my wardrobe for a while. Happily, they are now back and I have been reaching for them when I need a bit of cheering up, I never could resist such sparkly shoes!

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?

Dorothy Perkins is one of those brands that I always forget about (probably because I can't get it on ASOS!) but I had a mini spree in there to stock up on some new workwear and there is some gorgeous stuff in there. Until you are settled into a job, playing it safe is definitely the right idea and for most offices, monochrome is definitely that! The print on this skirt makes it feel more me though and it should be pretty versatile too. I can definitely see it being paired with this teal blouse or a cosy burgundy jumper and ankle boots come Autumn (yes, I sad the A word!) too.... Overall I really liked this outfit although I did think it needed a bit more jazz to it- perhaps a bright jacket or pair of shoes? I am notorious for over accessorizing though so maybe it's good that I didn't have any to hand! ;) I tried on a lot of tops before I settled on this old faithful from H&M  picked mainly because it is so plain. Anything with pockets that I tried looked too fussy and my plain t-shorts were too casual... Put it this way, as I stood in front of my wardrobe, I knew what Goldilocks must have felt like! 

This Bourjois lipstick was a welcome addition of colour to the monochromatic ensemble and it was nice to not wear a red lipstick for once! I am awful for getting stuck in a rut with what I wear and although it won't be long before I am back wearing red, hot pink is a fun, more summery alternative... My hair is looking a little unkempt in these pictures but I am managing to squeeze in an appointment this weekend and am hoping to go back to around this length. I do like having it longer as it gets colder (on me it looks better with hats and no one likes a cold neck!) but hopefully I have a few months before I need to start thinking about layering!

I was umming and aahing on this skirt for a while before I bought it as I can be pretty self-conscious about my tummy and wrap and pencil skirts just seem to draw attention to my diabetes 'salami sausage' but I really liked the shape of it and I was determined to make it work for me. I added my beloved lace trimmed cycle shorts under this and thank goodness I did as this skirt is pretty darned revealing! Don't let its modest length fool you, every time I sat down or even walked more than a few steps, I flashed a little more flesh than I would have liked. I think I'm going to have to either sew down the seam slightly or get a natty kilt pin to hold it together!

How would you style this skirt?

You have glimpsed this dress before, here but I loved this outfit so much that I thought it deserved its own post! My new dress code is a bit smarter than the one at my previous job (I can only wear jeans on Fridays for example) so although I despaired at first, it did give me a good excuse to go shopping and I can't complain about that too much! ;) I'm a great believer in the fact that classic doesn't have to mean boring and this cute monochrome dress is living proof of that. Although I never normally choose to wear black and white, I think the print looks bold, rather than plain, especially with the red lipstick. It has been quite fun picking out 'proper' workwear again and I'm looking forward to sharing some of the outfits I have worn to work here on the blog.

Black and white is not a colour combination I go for very often but monochrome does look very chic and these Uniqlo gingham trousers were just too good to resist! I have to admit that I do look more than a little pretentious in my sunglasses but it was so bright that it was next to impossible to see without them. With the cat eye sunglasses and the skinny gingham trousers, this outfit could have been quite 1950s in style but thanks to this oversized tunic top, it felt a little more modern. I have been scouring Pinterest for some sartorial inspiration and have a few ideas. Now I just need to feel confident enough to wear it with a white shirt knotted at the waist- wouldn't that look ace?!

I had been eyeing up these Uniqlo gingham trousers for a while but wasn't sure whether they would fit me. Luckily these are a trouser/legging hybrid and even have enough stretch to fit over my hips! ;) I never thought I would wear leggings so happily but paired with a loose blouse, they are surprisingly comfortable and I felt super sassy in them. I was worried that they would be super warm but they didn't feel too smothering, even in the heat. Now I just need to buy all of the different patterns and have them on permanent rotation... 

This skirt is a little bit longer than I would usually feel comfortable in but I think that is what makes it look pulled together- maybe I just need to rethink what hemlines I can actually pull off? Paired with the comfiest mid heeled shoes I own, I think this almost-midi-length looks pretty darned good!

Which Essie shade should I try next? Do you get all dressed up for Easter?

It's not often you will see me in (near) monochrome over on the blog as my default setting is bright colours but this oversized jumper was too good to resist. I spotted it in the Topshop sale when I went shopping with Hattie and it is one of my favourite things that I have bought this year. I have been trying to add some versatile basics to my wardrobe and this classic grey jumper is a great start. I love the relaxed fit of it and it is just so darned cosy! I wore this outfit on my first day back at work after Christmas and it was the perfect way to ease me out of pyjamas and back into proper clothes ;) My smug little face just shows how much I love this outfit, have you ever seen anyone look so chuffed?! 

I especially love the contrast of the sheer sleeves with the rest of the jumper (are you spotting a pattern here yet?!) I will be sharing my favourite lipsticks with you in a post soon but I have so many of them. Would you prefer it to be split into a few separate posts or have one huge one? 

I finally managed to get some replacement shoes for my beloved Clarks loafers. Although this pair are nowhere near as comfy as my old ones, they look a lot smarter and I'm sure they will soften up soon. Is there anything worse than breaking in new shoes?!

Would you prefer my favourite lipsticks to be split into a few separate posts or have one huge one? 

I'm not sure why, but I look really unsure in these pictures. I love this bright lipstick, it was another Tesco bargain and can brighten up even the dullest Autumn morning. This may be an unpopular opinion but I can't wait for the colder days, hopefully then my radiator-like temperatures won't be quite so ridiculous. Summer is pretty hellish when you are as warm as I am (I even overheated in my leather jacket when I wore this outfit!)

I told you I loved these shoes! They are just deliciously chunky and add the perfect amount of 'stomp' to any outfit. It's no mean feat to toughen up such a saccharine dress! My legs look super tanned in these pictures, which I love. My pasty pale legs make even natural looking tights look super brown on me which is no bad thing!

Anyone who has ever met me knows how easily I am persuaded to do something. My willpower is non-existent and as soon as I see sale signs, it is inevitable that I will end up purchasing something. This Warehouse dress was an absolute steal in their sale last month and I have been wearing it whenever I want to feel a little smarter at work. It is made of a lovely textured jacquard material and as the material is fairly heavy, it hangs beautifully. Warehouse is definitely one of those brands that I only seem to look at when there is a sale on as it is just that little bit too expensive. I mean the original price of this was £40 which I think is steep, but the £15 I bought it for is much more reasonable (at least that's what I am telling myself!) I am trying to cut down on the amount of rubbish-y clothes that I buy but I have still manged to add new items to my summer wardrobe. I just hope we get the sunshine I have been promised now so I can wear these dresses and shorts! 

I never used to like dresses with sleeves but I think this looks much better with the higher neckline and makes the dress much more elegant- hooray for fun, work-appropriate dresses! You can also see the texture of the dress better here, monochrome can sometimes feel a bit dull to me but the pattern makes it feel more 'me'. That and the swipe of red lipstick... ;) I have been really pleased with the improvement in my skin recently, I have been wearing Dr Jart+ Platinum BB Beauty Balm rather than foundation recently and it has really cleared my skin up. I loved writing a post on my make-up staples way back in 2011 (!) would you guys be interested in an updated version? 

I love how full the skirt of this dress is, it is deliciously swooshy and the sheer amount of material means that it skims over my ever-growing food baby. I really need to stop going out for meals, my figure is not thanking me for it, however delicious the food may be! I told you I was obsessed with these shoes, I should stop wearing them but they seem to be the perfect match to every outfit in my wardrobe...

Would you like an update on my beauty regime? How much is too much to pay for a dress? 

Not just the punchline to a bad joke (a newspaper being the answer!) but one of my favourite work outfits to date. Monochrome is a classic combination and paired with red, it always looks quite fun! Since wearing this, I have managed to shrink it somehow in the wash and it is now far too short but by swapping tights for leggings, I can still get away with wearing this into the office. I'm not sure what is happening with my posing here but I do look extraordinarily pleased with myself! I know some people are always a bit dubious about wearing horizontal stripes but I actually think they are quite flattering here, especially with the combination of a cropped cardigan and a slightly A-line skirt... 

I am envious of how lovely and clear my skin looks here! I need to step up my skincare regime again and try and combat the excesses of Christmas- do you lovely beauty bloggers have any recommendations for  something to combat dry, flaking skin? This necklace is 8 (!) years old and is starting to look a little worse for wear, but I can't bring myself to throw it away as it is just perfect for adding a splash of colour to an outfit. I guess I will just have to keep my eyes peeled for a worthy replacement!

This is possibly my favourite bag in the whole world- I love how red and shiny it is and despite being 'well used', it still looks as new as it did on the day I got it (all the way back in 2011!) Despite how small it looks it is surprisingly roomy and I manage to get my purse, keys, phone, diabetes stuff and passport inside it- no mean feat, I think you will agree!

There's something about dressing like a schoolgirl (not like that!) that I just can't resist (see here, here and here for proof) and this outfit felt like a rather strange mixture of Wednesday Addams, a Puritan costume with a dash of schoolgirl thrown in (I blame the satchel). I don't tend to wear monochrome outfits very often but occasionally something a little more severe helps to shake me out of my sartorial style rut...This green coat has barely left my back over the past two weeks, chilly rainy mornings have sent me running back to my coat collection faster than you can say 'back to school'.