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?

Guess what? It's Maria wearing stripes and red lipstick again! I know, this has been a bit of a uniform for me for many years now but when they look so good together, who can resist?! I picked up this cute striped dress on my lunch break (working in town is lethal!) and wore it into work the next day. I have no self control and new clothes are the hardest thing to resist. I love the 1960s shape of this and I felt pretty darn cool in this outfit. It was also super fun to wear which is always a good thing! I couldn't believe that I was resorting to thick tights so early in the year but I guess summer never really got started. Autumn is my favourite season (blogger cliché alert!) and I can't wait to try this with black boots and burgundy or green tights once the leaves start to drop! I really wanted to wear my favourite red bag with this outfit but a bag that small is just not practical for work, however cute it is! 

What's your uniform?

It seems like a long time ago now but I had a couple of days off a few weeks ago which coincided with the nice weather we were having. I have to say, there's nothing better than being a lady of leisure, especially in the week. It always feels like you are bunking off when you are wandering around a blissfully empty town haha! This dress was a bargain £5 in the Warehouse sale last year and I have been wanting to wear it for ages- thank goodness the weather played ball! You know how much I love maxis and this one is lovely. It is made from a lovely heavy jersey material and drapes really nicely. Cobalt blue is one of my favourite colours and is one of those that looks good on everyone as it is just so cheery! I felt really glamourous in this outfit and although I was just doing my shopping (Tesco has never looked so glam!) there's something about getting dressed up that puts a real spring in your step! 

I really love this bracelet and it was perfect for tying together the outfit without looking like I was wearing a costume. I don't usually wear gold jewellery (unless it is pale gold in colour) as it can look odd on me but I think the warmness of it here makes the whole outfit feel more summery

I did feel a little (read very) silly posing like this but I felt super slinky in the dress and I wanted my Angelina moment! ;) I rediscovered these wedges in the bottom of my wardrobe last year and they were the perfect match for this outfit. The wedge is comfy enough to wear all day (assuming that the straps don't rub your feet, sob!) and they added some much needed height. I'm not very tall so maxis are pretty long on me so I do need a helping hand sometimes, haha!

What is your most glamourous outfit?

Thank you for all of your lovely messages on my last post, making big decisions and changes can be overwhelming (understatement of the century!) but I am really excited to see what the future has to hold! As soon as my initial wave of enthusiasm subsided, my first thought was what on earth do I wear?! I didn't get much of a chance to scope out the office when I was in for my interview but that hasn't stopped me picking up (more than) a few pieces for my new working wardrobe! ;) I spotted this top in the Dorothy Perkins sale and although I have tried not to wear any of it before I start (it gives me something to look forward to!) this was the basis of a perfect date night look to celebrate. We had a pretty early dinner so I didn't want anything too fancy so jeans and a top were ideal. I really love the length of this top, it is super flattering and I feel really tall when I wear it which is never a bad thing! I have to say that Dorothy Perkins is not a shop I think to look in regularly but having a browse reminded me how good their clothes are, especially for work and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more bargains...

One of the best things about having had a blog for such a long time is that I can track how my style has changed (or not!) in the past five years from looking back at old outfit posts.Whilst I will never be someone who could commit to a capsule wardrobe, I have got a few common themes running through my mountain of clothes. I mean, pretty skater dresses will always be a winner for me and red and navy is a classic combination that I can't resist! Add in some coral, white, pretty prints and stripes and you basically have my wardrobe, haha! I picked this dress up in Sainsbury's sale a while back and I really love it. Dresses are so easy to wear and this one is perfect one for pulling on when I don't know what to wear. Not bad for £6 in my opinion!

Another outing for the Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm in 'Charming Coral'. It is such a lovely peachy shade and ideal for when the weather is hot, I can't be dealing with a full face of make-up when the temperatures reach the twenties! You also get a better look at the subtle stripe pattern here too, it makes the dress way more interesting and the double layering of the fabric also helps to make the dress less sheer too, win win! This necklace is one of my favourite things to wear in the summer and I love the fact that it goes perfectly with the rest of my coral accessories, I do like things to match ;)

This bag is just so cheery and the white makes that gorgeous coral shade pop even more! Isn't the patterned leather the cutest?!

This Max Factor lipstick (Bewitching Coral) is a lovely bright pinky-coral that is one of my favourites. I can't resist a bright lipstick and this one matches perfectly. Lipstick is definitely my weapon of choice for feeling pulled together- I knew I was feeling better this week when I reached for my bright lippie again!

I wish this skirt was a tad longer but beggars can't be choosers and everything else about this is pretty much perfect. I was going to wear my new coral shoes but it was too matchy matchy, even for me! ;)

Here I present you with the final outfit post with my old hair! This outfit is usually something that I would wear to work but I was so excited to wear it that I busted it out on the weekend instead. I rarely buy things at full price but when I saw this top in Warehouse, I couldn't resist, I told you that shop was lethal! I really like the length of this top and hides a food baby nicely ;) I'm lucky that I don't have a proper dress code at work  but if you do then I imagine you could swap these jeans for some slim black or grey trousers and add a smart blazer for a smart (and fun!) work outfit... 

I have raved about this bag a lot and you can see why- it is a gorgeous brown-y burgundy leather, it is the perfect size for all of my usual junk that I carry round and it even has enough room for a book, bravo Clarks, you have done it again!

What make-up looks would you wear with this shirt? How would you style this top for work?

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 was really keen to share this outfit, it is one of my favourites that I have worn recently but my exploring Cheltenham post was getting a little overcrowded so I thought I would save these outfit pictures for a separate post (lucky you!) These photos were taken with Mark's phone and they came out rather well I think! This was perhaps a bit work-y for a lazy Sunday but I loved all of the separate pieces so much that I ended up including them all in one outfit post instead... I've ended up looking like a flamingo in these pictures, I promise its my dodgy posing skills rather than a bad Photoshop job ;) As you know, I am a massive fan of bouclé and although this jacket isn't available anymore, there is a very similar one from ASDA here...

Every Monday morning I count my blessings that I work in an office where I can get away with wearing casual clothes, especially when I wake up with a very specific outfit in mind. This was what happened with this outfit and once I had visualised it, I couldn't wait to wear it (I know, I don't get out much!)  There was something just so fun about it and I felt super sassy for the whole day which is never a bad thing! I have big plans for this skirt in the spring, wouldn't  the gunmetal blue/grey look ace with this sheer blouse or this jazzy Monki one? Apologies for the slightly dark photos, I wanted to take outfit pictures but it was drizzling with rain so we decided to save the camera and stay undercover... 

I am a massive fan of Essie's nail varnish and Essie 'Aperitif' is my current favourite red. It is a bright classic red and immediately makes me feel more polished when I wear it- quite an achievement when you realise just how clumsy I am... I love the natty gold buttons on this skirt too, I can't resist shiny accessories!

Are you a fan of jazzy tights?

Recently you may have seen people sharing their first Facebook profile pictures and whilst mine isn't too horrific, (this one on the other hand...) it took me on a lengthy trip down memory lane. I have never been particularly cool (shock horror!) but this dress really reminds me of something I would love to have worn when I was 19 or so but didn't have the confidence. Warehouse is one of my favourite brands at the moment and I am powerless to resist their sales! This dress cost a mere £12 and is one of my favourites as it is just so darned comfy (and fun with it!) I last wore this for my Nanny's birthday meal back in December and it is the perfect dress for wearing to the pub or out for a couple of drinks, it looks pulled together but is still ridiculously comfy thanks to the soft cotton it is made of. I think it may be a bit short to wear to work, but I am sure to get plenty of wear from it at the weekend. All I need now is someone to invite me out for drinks! ;) 

I have been trying to experiment with my make-up more recently and I thought this turquoise Max Factor eyeshadow was the perfect match for the dress. Unfortunately it didn't photograph very well and has made me look a bit washed out in these photographs- better luck next time I guess! I really like the t-shirt collar on this dress, it just adds to cool factor for me and helps to break up the pattern too...

I love the contrasting hems and waistband on this dress, they help to add a bit of definition to something that could be overwhelming. It was a little short for my usual nude tights so these John Lewis velvet touch tights were the perfect accompaniment. I picked them up in their sale a few years ago along with a few coloured pairs and they have lasted really well, quality hosiery is well worth the money!