Frills 'n' Spills

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... 

Anyone who has read this blog for more than five minutes knows that pretty dresses are my favourite thing to wear and this Whistles dress is a welcome new addition to my wardrobe. I love Whistles clothes and stalk them on eBay (obsessed, moi?!) and was super thrilled when I won this one. I told you that coral was a huge part of my wardrobe, wouldn't this look ace with nude tights and my new favourite shoes? I will take any excuse to get all dressed up and weekend errands are way more fun when you are wearing such a fun dress! It was super windy when we were taking these pictures, hence my slightly worried face, I was trying to make sure I didn't inadvertently flash my neighbours, haha!

I really love the tulip (?) print on this dress, it reminds me of Art Deco prints which are super fun. The colour combination is fairly unusual although it does make matching accessories and make-up much easier- always a win in my book! I have been trying to use less product on my hair recently and without conditioner to weigh it down, my hair is fairly unruly but it feels much better overall. 

The dress even has pockets, what more could you ask for?!

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 post contains jeans that were sent for review

When House of Fraser got in touch to see if I was interested in styling some of their jeans, I jumped at the chance. I have been looking for a replacement pair for these leather look trousers for a while so thought I would take a risk on these coated Biba jeans for a similar look. Imagine my surprise when they arrived and looked more like a pair of sexy waterproof trousers than waxed jeans! Once I had got over the shock, I tried them on and they actually fit really well, something I was worried about as Biba usually runs pretty small for me. Paired with a swooshy tunic top, I was sold and I wore them out for dinner and drinks with Mark. 'Date night' is one of those things that can feel a bit contrived (especially when you live together!) but it's nice to have an excuse to get all dressed up and trying good food and drink is a great way to spend time together. I always hate the idea of going out but we always have a lot of fun when we force ourselves to get out of the house, I just need to tear myself away from Netflix for more than five minutes...

This outfit has been a long time in the planning. Mark bought this skirt in the H&M sale for me last year for my birthday and I have been waiting a long time for the weather to be bright enough to wear it. It doesn't look like it in these photos but it was super sunny here, hence my lurking around in the shade! I wasn't sure how to make this less 'work-y' for the weekend but bare legs and coral accessories brightened it up no end, The stripes on this skirt are a very dark navy that looks black in some lights and blue in others so matching them are nigh on impossible. A white top would certainly be easier but I am obsessed with navy at the moment, it could be a bit gloomy for summer but paired with white and coral, it looks fresh rather than fusty. 

This Clarks Timely Love bag is a recent addition to my wardrobe and I love it. It isn't the biggest bag I own but it is certainly one of the most fun! It is a gorgeous bright coral (yes, I am predictable!) and is roomy enough to fit my purse, bloods stuff and even my keys, not bad for something this petite...

I love the length of this skirt (just above the knee is definitely the most flattering length on me) and the mini pleats are super fun- what more could you ask for in a summery skirt? I fell in love with these shoes when I saw them on Gillian at the beginning of the year. You know how much I love coral and these shoes are like the summery version of my favourite pair- there's no way I could leave them in the shop!

What colour combinations can't you resist?

I even dug out some eyeshadow to wear with this outfit. I have a gorgeous eyeshadow compact with gold and olive shades in that were ideal for a daytime appropriate smoky eye. Another outing for this lovely neutral lip stain too, I promise I don't always wear bright colours! ;) This necklace is slightly lower than I would usually go for but it helps to break up the print a little and makes me feel sassy rather than schlumpy under so much material...

I love the waist tie that came with this too, I am never happy unless I can nip in my waist with a belt, I am worse than Gok Wan! I'm wearing Essie Russian Roulette again here, I seem to just switch between that and Essie's Spin the Bottle at the moment, I'm going to have to branch out soon...

Are you a fan of palm prints? How do you turn your brain off and unwind?

It has been a little while since I last wore this green and white French Connection dress but I caught sight of it in my wardrobe the other day and I remembered how much I loved it. The weather was a lot colder last week than it was last summer (although I've gone from bare-legged to bundled up in a matter of days) but thank goodness that this dress works equally well with black tights as it does with bare legs! Saying that though, I wear the majority of my clothes all year round and just add or remove layers- I like all of the things too much to just wear them for a few months of the year! I am sure that I have managed to shrink this dress since I last wore it as I don't remember it being quite this short, I guess I can either wear it with thick tights like I have done here, or get used to flashing a lot of leg :)

Yes, it's another day with coral make-up! I treated myself to the Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm in 'Charming Coral' last week and it is one of my new favourites. I haven't managed to build it up to the colour promised in the adverts yet but layered over Allure, my favourite peachy lipstick from the Poppy King x No.7 range,  it is the perfect daytime shade. My hair is looking particularly wild here, luckily I have finally manged to get it cut and I now look less dishevelled of a morning. I am really low maintenance with my hair and make-up, especially in the week,  so anything that makes my life easier is a plus!

I try not to get too hung up on the number on the scales but I think you can finally see that I have managed to lose some weight recently. I had been unhappy with how I felt for a while but I finally decided to do something about it and have been tracking my food and exercise with Noom Coach for a few months now. Life's too short to not eat delicious food and I am not going to deny myself but anything that gets me moving more can only be a good thing, right? I rediscovered Essie Russian Roulette when I was sorting through my nail varnishes the other day and remembered why I love it so much, it really is a perfect classic red. 

 

What do you wear in gloomy weather?

Subtle they ain't but I can't resist the millions of layers of petals!

What are your favourite flowers?

P.S. Debenhams Flowers sent me these peonies to review but if I didn't love them, I wouldn't feature them. If this has tempted you to order some next day flowers, use code DFBLOG25 to get 25% off any bouquet except the flowers by post range :)

P.P.S. Want peonies on a carnation budget? Click here for an ace tutorial which I will definitely be trying soon!

Yes, the leopard print curse strikes again! I found this gorgeous leopard print dress on the sale rail in my local Tesco (always a lethal place to look!) and I fell in love. The combination of batwing sleeves and the print felt very 1980s to me and the fact that it was a mere £6 (!) sealed the deal; it has to be one of the most flattering dresses in my work wardrobe. I think you can see how happy I was here and I felt really sassy in this outfit. The dress is made out of a really thick jersey that is super flattering and also meant that I didn't need a cardigan or jacket which is always a winner in my book. There's nothing worse than having to carry a jacket around, especially when you don't need it after first thing in the morning. Batwing sleeves can be a real pain to wear and that much material can be overwhelming but they are super fun and I really love them... I am always super impressed with Tesco, some of my favourite ever dresses have come from there!

I straightened my hair because it was absolutely huge when I woke up and a sleeker look meant that it wasn't competing with the print on my dress. I don't tend to go for nude toned lipsticks but this rosy brown colour was the perfect shade to make me feel pulled together without needing much effort. 

I love a nipped in waist and this D-ring belt helps to define mine. I bought Essie Ballet Slippers in a duo set with Spin the Bottle a while ago and although it is pretty pale on me, with a few coats it makes my nails look super sophisticated. 

I was originally going to wear my beloved rose gold heels with this dress but they made it look a bit too 'done' for a Friday at work. I went for this chunkier heel instead which gave me the height without feeling too dressed up.

Are you a fan of supermarket clothing? Which clothes put a spring in your step?