10 Forever Wardrobe Pieces

Hi there!

I've been browsing websites and magazines for the last 2 weeks whilst off and have been loving catching up with celeb gossip and changing fashions. It's got to the point when I read them and think 'who on earth is this?!' My celeb radar has clearly been off for a while!

Whilst browsing though i have come across an interesting article on Cosmopolitan called '10 Forever Pieces you need in your Wardrobe' It's pretty self explanatory but I wasn't sure about some of their choices.....so decided to make my own list.

1) Leather Jacket

There really is nothing better than a leather jacket. I would absolutely die and go crazy if I got my hands on a 100% soft buttery leather jacket in a timeless style from somewhere like All Saints. I'd love one, although I'd be wary that my long body would not allow one from there to fit me....sigh.
If I could pick though, it would be something like this:

Unfortunately I don't have £358 lying around tho. Sob.

2) Jeans

You absolutely cannot go wrong with some well fitting dark indigo jeans. I've found a perfect pair for me recently, having started my gym life a few years ago my glutes have suitably increased in size (Kardashian level not quite reached yet though). My current faves are therefore Levi's curve ID jeans in Demi curve which fit my derriere quite nicely.
I think in future a few more colours will be necessary but currently the dark indigo colour is perfect.

3) LBD
A Little Black Dress is a staple that no one would deny. Whatever your shape there's one to suit you, in fact there's probably 10 to suit you and that's the best part. I have a few faithful ones but it's going to be time for me to get a new one soon. A lot of dresses recently have been quite high neck so I think it's time to show a bit more cleavage, though I do really like a shift dress for simplicity and comfort!

4) LCD

Sometimes you just get fed up of wearing black. I've worn black dresses for about 10 years and I'm trying to add a bit more colour to my wardrobe, not least because it's boring to wear the same thing all the time but also because coloured dresses look awesome! not only that but as well as colour blocking which was what got me into wearing colour again, there are some amazing patterns to get your hands on.

The three above are all from Warehouse, would suit most shapes and are all under £50. Might have already picked up the bottom one....

5) Blazer

I'm in love with my blazer; a beautiful black Ralph Lauren military style blazer with emblem and gold buttons on the sleeves and the front. I couldn't be without it and it goes with so many things and gets me so many compliments - because it's so beautiful not because I'm wearing it. If it's good enough for Kate Middleton....

6) Handbag

The handbag is a tough choice for me. Having been a black leather lover all my life I've recently found myself branching out and had a dusky pink one for my birthday that has shown me the lighter side. Regardless, you need a fairly sizeable bag for daily life and here's a few on my wishlist:

 

You cannot beat simplicity.

7) Heels/Wedges
I could gaze at heels for hours, but as a lady of 5'9 and a very short patience span they just don't work for me. I found wedges about 2 years ago and haven't looked back. They allow me to gain some good looking leg muscles plus some extra chic points without crippling my feet (once they've been broken in obviously). They're like magic shoes!

 

Oh come on, who on earth wouldn't go for Louboutins by choice??

8) Flats
Following on from above it means I also clearly wear a lot of flats. I have an amazing pair of black brogues from Clarks that are so perfect for work and after a year still look new without any polishing whatsoever and I could cry with happiness at finding them. That aside, I love trainers too and am very much lusting over some new 'kicks' with some bright colours, or something that comes up with a high top like these:

I just need another spare £100 to snap them up!

9) Shirt/Blouse
Cosmo have a white shirt on their list. Whilst I love them....they don't love me. My boobs tend to get in the way of that and I can never find ones to fit, not that they're even that big which is why it's so frustrating. I've been wearing my black sheer loose fitting blouse for years and its so perfect for work, interviews and the pub with jeans. Sheer shirts like this are my haven, they skim over everything and flatter and hide in all the right places. Winning.

This ones from Zara for £30.


10) The coat.
I'm quite a fan of a coat. There are so many styles that part of me thought maybe this also included blazers and leather jackets but lets not include it for now.... I always think that nobody of any age or body shape can go wrong with a trench coat style or any style where the coat is above knee length and belted at the waist.This year I'm on the hunt for an emerald green coat so hopefully one will appear in the next few weeks. I've spied this one from Nina Ricci:

Stunning green and a leather belt at the waist.
But let's face it; if I can't afford the £100 for some trainers the £1880 price tag for this beauty certainly isn't happening. But if I win the lottery......? First on my list!!!


So what do you think? Are your top 10 classics similar to mine?
The only category I'm doubtful on is the trainers.....but even those will come back around again in the vintage category!

If you make your own lists let me know, I love reading them!

L xxx

New Look Wedges

Hi all!

Firstly I'd like to apologise for my shoddy lack of posts. I've had a few dramas in my life and this has resulted in me handing in my notice at work and selling my absolute favourite thing - my car (SOB!). I've made the decision to go travelling with a friend which is very exciting but also scary as I've no idea what I'm going to come back to and what I will end up doing. I've written a bit more in my life update post you can find here if you'd like to know more.

Other than that.....let's get back to SHOES!

I've been quite poor for a while. Add to that my stint working at Boots which obviously didn't help my bank account much (hello discount!). I've been living in the same tan wedges and black wedges for a while now with no other heels in sight. Long story short my black wedges are no more and I just HAD to get a new pair to get me through. Cue a trip to New Look with M and low and behold........I came out with a new black pair...and a coral pair. M is dangerous!

These beautiful wedges came in at £20 and are extremely similar to a pair of Kurt Geigers I used to have and had to sell. Getting these were the perfect replacement for my previous wedges and a nice little nod to my beloved KG's that I do quite miss a lot (even if I did only look at them in my wardrobe).

They are quite high but hey, it's a wedge and its a fully enclosed shoe with a wraparound design over the main part of the foot. The zips at the back look cute and help to get the shoes on and off easily, and the platform at the front makes them a whole lot comfier for those long wedding days and even longer evenings over the summer!

I knew they'd be perfect for so many evenings I just couldn't leave without them...especially when they were not only the only size 6 in the shop but the only shoe in the whole shop! MINE.

In my search for black wedges I cam across a super cute pair of coral wedges too. I mean it would have been rude not to try them on wouldn't it?

The colour is gorgeous, and one that suits my pale skin and dark hair. I love the adjustable straps on the ankles as I have skinny ankles (the only part that is skinny!) and need these to be able to wear heels more comfortably.

The platform with the wedge allows me to wear heels without actually killing my feet.

They're a very cute and feminine pair of shoes and I will look forward to wearing this at many an afternoon at the pub and evening with the girls.
This colour seems to go with everything too, it can be a pop of colour with a black or white dress and complement my many beige, coral and patterned items of clothing that are hiding away in my wardrobe. (stay tuned for a gorgeous maxi dress that fits this bill!)

I have only worn the black wedges so far and that was on my recent trip to Edinburgh and involved a lot of karaoke! See below for a cheeky snapshot of me belting out Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody with a friend!

As a tall lady I often look at heels and wonder a) why on earth I wear them and b) if they make me look stupid.

In wedges I feel comfortable, not clumpy and actually....quite elegant!

I do love the ability to run around in the chunky heels without fear of flying and going flat on my face or bum.

How much do you love wedges? Are you a fan or are you a sky scraper stiletto kind of girl?

L xxx

Spending Ban Update 10

It's April already. How quickly is this year speeding by. My spending ban will soon be over officially but let's start by saying this week has been a really bad week for me!! I've been naughty with spending. The ban is almost over and I really need to add on a few extra weeks.

This week was L's birthday. I already had a dress so thought I'd get away without spending money! After searching through my shoes I really wanted a new pair that was actually going to be comfy. On Thursday it was ladies night in our local shopping centre. Loads of the shops offer discounts and there were cute stalls all around offering things like Pimms and Snow Cones. New Look had 25% off and knowing there shoes are usually comfy I headed there.

I picked up these wedges for around £15. They were so comfy. I was in them for around 8 hours in the end and did plenty of dancing and had no blister. I want them in all colours now!

I had planned on neon accesories and was borrowing a bag off L and her nail varnish so wanted a bracelet to tie it all together. I love the bright colour on this one and with discount it was only £3

While in there I couldn't resist one more bracelet. This leaf one was under £4 with discount.

Also on ladies night I popped into River Island. I had a voucher left over from Christmas so didn't actually break the ban for these. I had literally just been talking to L about this necklace before we walked into the shop. I had this necklace around 5 years ago and wore it till it fell to pieces. I took it as a sign and bought it in Silver and Gold, They were £6 each and are a great easy to wear statement necklace! I've still got a bit on my gift card and I'm currently eyeing up a jumper I've seen.

Lastly we had our Mac makeovers ready for L's night out. ~I stated in a previous spending ban I'd spent £30 on this. So on the day I only spent an extra £2.60 so it wasn't too bad (luckily it was a 10% off time). There was so much more I wanted to get but I tried to be good and get sensible purchases.

Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch for £12. This was to replace Bootycall in my Naked 2 palette as I've hit pan on it.

I also picked up a Shine Supreme Lipstick in Fashion City. These remind me of the Revlon lip butters. They give a glossy finish with a moisturising colour. It was £14.50. Which is more than a normal lipstick but you do get 3.6g of product instead of 3g.

I love the finish of these and will definitely be looking at what other colours they do.

So that's my very naughty week. Though I only spent around £28 so not quite as bad as it seems. Need to get back on my spending ban and back onto saving. I definitely think I'll stick to it for a bit longer.

How are yours going?

Love M

xxx

Birthday Shopping and OOTN

So it was my birthday on Tuesday and I was lucky enough to book the week off work to chill out, and get some fun stuff done including some shopping!

I've been really good recently and although I've been buying things they've been better quality items and I've brainwashed myself into buying less....sort of.

Up until last year I'd never owned wedges and it was like an epiphany when i finally purchased a tan pair with cork wedge. They were so comfy and went with everything so I promised myself I'd have to buy some black ones and then I'd have heels and comfort every time I went out.

It's taken me til now though to find a pair I liked so I literally snapped these up from New Look when I saw them. They were only £25 and not only were they a black wedge but they also have ties for your ankles so my weirdly thin feet won't go sliding around all over the place!

I also picked up the nude clutch bag from River Island which should go with absolutely everything I own!
I was surprised that this was only £18 as their bags are normally more.
It's a decent size, has a hand clasp and a strap inside the bag and a zipper closing which means I can rest assured my stuff isn't going to fall out. I've lost far too many lipsticks this way!

These tops are from Zara, the ones on the right and centre are only£9.99 and perfect to wear underneath layers. The neon pink top on the left will be perfect to wear out with the girls and to the pubs in summer.

It's really bright and makes you happy to look at it! It also has a split at the back but this doesn't go up too far, it's more like an overlap of the material which will help keep you cool in warm weather and look chic!

I love showing skin in places other than the obvious cleavage/legs areas. Showing some back cleavage has become the latest in thing to do and it's definitely a more subtle way to show some skin.

I absolutely love blazers and macs, so picking these up was the icing on the cake!
The mac was from New Look and will be replacing one I've had from Zara for a few years which is slowly falling apart.

The orange blazer is from Zara and I cannot wait to wear it out!
As I'm going out tonight for birthday drinks with the girls I needed a dress (shown below) and the blazer will be the perfect layer to cover me up from the wind chill.
Apparently it's supposed to be -1 so it probably won't help too much but at least I'll look good right???

This dress was a bit of a different choice for me as I've previously avoided body con.

However I saw this in Lipsy and couldn't resist, so I tried it on and couldn't believe how comfortable it was and it sucked me in in all the right places!



I've recently got down to a size 10 so it was lovely to find something that fitted really well, as I still have a bit of a pooch at the front but the material on this dress seems to make it flatter!



Here's the dress with shoes and bag, what do you think???

I'm wearing them out tonight so any hair and make up suggestions would be lush!

I've been tanning all week in a bid to make myself lean and bronze so fingers crossed it will all work out!
The dress is VERY short so I am hoping that as long as my legs are brown all will be ok (and that i don't fall!)

What's your favourite part of a Saturday night out?

I AM SO EXCITED IT'S UNREAL!!!

L xxx