Boot(y) call

I absolutely do not have a job that requires me to wear heels. I am either running from one press appt to another prepping for a photo shoot, on my feet all day in a studio or in some ancient location with an uneven floor. And then there’s my other job of the school run, ferrying to friends, picking up from after school clubs and generally being on my feet. I do very little sitting.
But I do love a heel. It used to be sky scraper high but as my age goes up the heel height is coming down. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the high ones. And I would be doing you all an injustice if I just showed you what is available in a comfortable kitten heel kind of way.
It used to be that you had to spend a vast amount of money to get not only a well fitting pair of boots but also something that was a bit funky, a great shape, an incredible colour. But not any more. High street heels have come a very long way and below are my favourites boots of the season. All colours, patterns and lengths are covered from short ankle to thigh high. I may not be able to wear any of them for my day job but I’m making dam sure I have a good reason to wear them at night even if it’s just from the car to the bar.
Enjoy x

Boots: £119 Zara

Boots: £75 Topshop

Boots: £95.99 Zara

Boots: £89.99 Mistress Rocks @topshop

Boots: £79.99 Zara

Boots: was £110 now £45.98 Aldo

Boots: £119 Zara

Boots: was £45 now £27.99 Schuh

Boots: £79 Topshop

Boots: £119 Zara same style different colour

Knit Picking

The blog is back!
It’s been a while since my last blog but to be totally honest I have had a lot going on. Too many shoots to mention, renovations at home and kids that seem permanently off school. I blame the Jews!
Shoots still happening, house is a work in progress but kids thankfully have returned to education. That is until half term in 2 weeks!
Anyway shops are in full winter mode, even though our body temperature is still somewhere in the mid 70’s. I don’t know about everyone else but I leave the house freezing and fully layered up but by 9am I’m sweating in a really undignified way.
But let’s talk winter Woolies because surely at some point it’s going to get really cold. And when it hits I just want to feel warm, cosy and quite frankly hot. I hate the cold. Just ask The Great Dane (aka my husband). He turns the heating down, I turn it up. He takes a layer off, I put one on. He kicks the duvet off, I add another blanket. And so it continues until around April next year.
So imagine my delight at jumper season. There are some gorgeous knits in the shops in an array of fabulous colours. I’m a big fan of the fair isle sweater and the Massimo Dutti is the one i have kept out of all 10. Super soft, great colour combination and cashmere!
Buying knitwear on the high street can be hit and miss. Cheap fabric usually means bobbly jumpers within a couple of wears. But hopefully these will last you longer than that. I’ve chosen good quality and a real mix between high street and a couple of high end.
Bring on the snow!

Jumper: £139 Massimo Dutti
Super soft
Great value for 100% cashmere

Jumper: £29.99 Zara
Super cute
Great colours

Trousers: £29.99 Zara

Jumper: £39.99 Mango
Sooooo snug
Would look amazing with denim

Jumper: £!5.99 Zara
Down sizes as it comes up huge

Skirt: £150 Reiss @ John Lewis

Jumper: £250 Wyse
Such a great investment
Amazing quality

Jumper: £99.99 Zara
100% cashmere
Lovely slouchy shape

Skirt: £79.99 Zara

Jumper: £42 Topshop
Surprisingly soft
Love the colours

Skirt: £89.95 Massimo Dutti

Jumper: £39.99 Zara
The perfect weekend sweater
Lovely button detail on the shoulder

Trousers: £79.95 Massimo Dutti

Jumper: £38 River Island
Feels a bit itchy but you could put a vest underneath

Jumper: £75 Marks and Spencers
My favourite cashmere sweater that never fails to impress

Leopard print love!

I’m not entirely sure where my leopard print (lp) obsession came from but having casually perused through my wardrobe the other day I discovered none other than 12 pieces covered in the print.
3 dresses
2 shirts
1 camisole
1 coat
1 jacket
1 skirt
1 pair boots
1 pair kitten heels
1 pair trainers
Phew!

And let’s not forget I have an entire wall covered in LP in my bedroom and my eye mask may be silk but it’s still LP silk.

My husband casually references Bet Lynch whenever I wear LP but he knows better than to tell me what to wear! It’s an 80’s thing and he thinks it’s really funny.

Even though Summer is still lingering in the UK (apparently it’s going back up to 26 degrees next week) you wouldn’t think it from going into any store on the high street. Flimsy linen and pretty cotton dresses have been replaced by chunky knits and tartan. Sandals have been swapped for knee high boots and lightweight jackets for full on winter coats. Amongst everything, you will find an abundance of LP pieces. & other stories have a great skirt and a fab dress. Zara have too many pieces to mention and the same can be said for Topshop. It’s not going anywhere and there is a chance you may well be sick of the sight of it by the end of the season.

If the whole head to toe LP look scares you, then just go for the shoes with a plain outfit. Personally I put my boots with almost anything. (See previous pics on my grid). A print, a stripe, a plain jean, a dress. They have been a great purchase. Mine were bought last year from Debenhams but Hush have very similar ones this season.

As I mentioned I already have a lot of LP in my wardrobe so most of these outfits have been put together to inspire you. Some things I have had for years but I have tried to find as many similar pieces as possible and linked to those.

Happy shopping for the new season and wearing your new and existing LP with love.
Enjoy x

Coat: Ganni (similar style)
Top: Asos
Trouser: J Crew
Shoes: Louboutin

Dress: Topshop
Top: Asos
Boots: Zara

Jumper: Isabel Marant Etoile
Skirt: Zara
Trainers: Golden Goose

Sweater: Bella Freud
Skirt: &otherstories (in store only)
Trainers: Converse

Jumper (old sale purchase): Oscar De La Renta Zara (similar style)
Dress: Zimmermann
Trainers: Converse

Dress: Zara

Shirt(old): Lily and Lionel (similar style)

Jacket: Hush
Dress (old): Zara (similar style)
Boots: Zara

Shirt (old): Equipment x Katemoss (similar style)
Jeans (old): Asos

Shirt (old): J Crew Asos (similar style)
Trousers (old): Topshop Asos (similar style)
Boots(old): Hush (similar style)
Bag: Bell & Fox

My bedroom
Wallpaper: House Of Hackney

The Inbetweenies

Anyone with a teenage daughter (let alone teenage twins) will probably agree that buying clothes for them can be challenging. They don’t want to wear ‘kids’ clothes but they are too young for most of the adult shops and nearly all of the styles are just too grown up. It is more of an issue for Sienna, the more petite of my two, because although she is 13, she actually fits age 9-10 or 11-12 in most kids stores but the styles are too babyish for her. If they had it their way, they would live in the washed out palette currently available in Brandy Melville but let me tell you, it’s not cheap and that one size fits all business doesn’t work for us.
Being twins, I spent the first year of their life dressing them the same. To be honest, apart from the cute factor, it was much easier to go in to a shop and grab two of everything. Job done. But as they approached the age of two, their different personalities were already beginning to show so I decided to dress them differently. And it has been that way ever since.
So here we are, approaching the summer holidays, with the desperate pleas of ‘Can we go shopping mum?’ And although I shop/style for a living they are my hardest clients to please!
Together, the three of us have scoured the high street and the online world and hopefully brought to you a teenage holiday wardrobe that works for the summer including something for the beach, options for a day trip, and a night out on holiday.
They can’t wait to ditch their uniform and sleep in every day so In the words of Alice Cooper ‘Schools out for summer’ and so are we.
Enjoy xx

Playsuits: Billie Blush
Sandals: Asos
Trainers: Adidas

Playsuit: Miss Selfridge (similar style)

Dress: Asos
Sandals: Asos

Dress: Asos

Dress: Monsoon
Shoes: Asos

Playsuit: Missguided at Asos

Top: River Island

Top: M&S
Shorts: American Eagle

Playsuit: Asos

Top: H&M (white in store)
Shoes: Next
Shoes: Adidas

(Not) Lost for Words…….

In light of Melania Trump’s rather awful fashion faux pas a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would delve into the world of slogan tops. Let’s face it, there are so many other statements she could have made that day. But I’m not one for politics so let’s talk fashion. Slogan tops have been around for a while now and whether you want to make a full on feminist statement or simply a declaration of love, there is something for everyone. I particularly love the collaboration between Katherine Hamnett and Help Refugees which is available on ASOS. Not only is it reminiscent of a Wham t-shirt circa 1984 but the best thing is 100% of the profits help to raise funds and awareness for people caught up in the refugee crisis.

Most of these tops are ones I currently own and these pictures show you how I wear them to hopefully inspire you. They are now nearly all in the sale. I have then showcased some other slogan tops depending on whether you want to go all out ‘look at me’ or just quietly whisper your arrival. I know it’s about 100 degrees out there but we also know that it can be short lived and we may be back in a sweater sometime soon.

One of my favourite tops I ever spotted was in the kid’s department of Next last winter and it simply said ‘It’s Cool To Be Kind’. Something I try to teach my children on a daily basis. If there was more kindness in the world, I guarantee there would be more peace.

Enjoy xx

Sweater: Whistles
Skirt: Zara

Sweater: A Finer Thread

T-shirt: Zadig and Voltaire
Skirt: Hush

Sweater: Love Sweat and Tees

T-shirt: Topshop
Shoes: M&S

Jumper: Hush
Blazer: Topshop
Shoes: M&S

T-shirt: Asos

T-shirt: OM & AH

T-shirt: Asos

Sweater: Scotch and soda at Amazon

Kids T-shirt: J.Crew

Sweater: On The Rise

Kids sweater: Lingua Franca

T-shirt: Hush

T-shirt: Stella Mcartney

Sweater: Lingua Franca

Sweater: Donna Ida

Sweater: Chinti and Parker

Summer Whites

Did I mention that I love a heatwave!

I also happen to love a white frock. If it’s broderie Anglais then we are winning two fold. But I am well aware that white is not the easiest of colours to wear. First off, if you’re travelling by tube, the chances are it will be a lot less white when you arrive at your chosen destination. Brushing up against all sorts and potentially sitting on something that resembles an M&S sandwhich are obstacles we would all rather avoid. I’m also aware that a lot of you only wear black and to transition over to white is a scary thought. But nonetheless I am showing you ways to wear white and that’s not necessarily head to toe. Whether it’s to work, to a wedding, or to the beach, I hope I have covered all scenarios. My all time favourite white look has to be Bianca Jagger in a white trouser suit at her wedding to Mick Jagger. Super cool and undeniably super chic. The Topshop one in the pictures is rather amazing. The blazer has a masculine boxy shape and it’s fully lined. The trousers are high waisted with a long slouchy fit and pockets. I don’t often wear a suit but it makes a great alternative to wearing a dress all the time. This is a keeper.

Some of these pieces are in the sale but those retailers know what we are hankering after and have held back putting everything on a sale rail. After all, it’s only June. (Even though I saw new season coats already on display at Liberty yesterday!) That will be the crazy world of fashion, and they wonder why retail is struggling. I’m still searching for bikinis. 🙈

Enjoy xx

Kaftan

From Kirei was £130 now £78
Great embroidery details
Perfect over a bikini (slightly sheer)
Generous fit. This is XS
Cotton

Dress

From Anthropologie £148 (polka dot only in store)
100% viscose
Fully lined
Cute puff sleeve
Perfect for a wedding

Suit

From Topshop
Jacket £65
Trousers £49
So Impressed with this suit
Great price
True to size

Dress

From Asos by Mango £49.99
Can't wear a bra
Lovely back detail
Quite see through
Very light weight fabric

Blouse

From Zara
Was £29.99 now £19.99
Very useful top
100% cotton
Fabric has a cheesecloth effect
Great shape

Skirt

From M&S by Per Una £35.00
Will work with so many tops
Elasticated waist
Broderie Anglais detailing
Fab midi length

Dress

From Club Monaco (old)
Link to similar
Bag is from M&S (in store only)
My favourite white dress in my wardrobe
Has a Spanish feel to it because of the ruffle and beading

Denim

Dungarees From Topshop (Old)
Free People do a similar style, click on the link!
Super useful in summer and winter
Wear with a multitude of different tops
Dress up or down

Sun

dress

From Zara £39.99
One of Zara’s great summer dresses
This is a small and it’s a perfect fit
Linen mix
Part lined

Midi dress

From Asos by Paul and Joe Sister was £255 now £178.50
Ruffles
Broderie Anglais
Generous sizing

Welcome...

I am in my 25th year of this crazy industry we call styling. I worked on several magazines for 11 years as Fashion Editor and Fashion Director and have been freelancing for 14 years. I have dressed every body shape and every age from newborn to 101! I love my job and the ever changing landscape we call fashion and I am as comfortable styling an A list celebrity for a red carpet event as I am a new mum stuck in a rut.
When I’m not working, I am mum to three girls – twin teenagers and a 6 year old. Navigating through teenage life with technology and social media is a learning curve I could do without but unfortunately a necessary evil. I introduced a parental control app when they got their phones which, quite frankly, is one of the best things I did!
I hope my blog will inspire you and give you ideas, my aim is not for you to continuously spend money on new items (although I will be sharing my new purchases) but to add to your existing wardrobe and wear what you already have in new ways.
Some of my work and a bit more about me are also on this website so feel free to have a nose around.

There is no doubt about it, I am happiest when I am in a dress and sandals. I love the Summer. After all, I was born in the middle of Summer so it’s in my blood, right? There is less to think about when dressing in the heat. Apart from sunscreen and sunglasses, I just pop on a dress and head out the door. With some kind of warm layer of course! We are talking about a British Summer after all and at 8am, it’s still very chilly on the school run. I tend to dress for one season when I leave the house and by the time I get home at the end of my day, I am in an entirely different look. Less bulky generally.
So here are my Top Ten Summer Dresses under £50, the great thing is, the sales have started so lots of them are marked down. A couple have sold out already so I have put links to alternatives.

Would be great to get your feedback!