I love a bit of cobalt blue and black together but cobalt can be hard to find in the winter. In fact any brighter colour can be hard to find in the winter, although Boden, J. Crew and GAP (particularly in the sale) are always a good bet for a splash of something other than grey or navy in the jumper department.

The Zara pleather skirt that I bought a while ago is turning out to be a bit of a favourite of mine after all. I wasn't so sure when I first bought it, which is why I headed to Zara rather than Whistles where you can now buy their version for £40 instead of £135. Sizes are limited but not so limited that it's not worth telling you about! If I didn't already have the Zara one I would buy the Whistles one too...


....or this one which is currently on sale in Jigsaw for £42 rather than its full price of £139. They're not available on line but the Birmingham store had some very similar to this when I was in there the other day. Give them a call and I'm sure that they will be very happy to help....


I suppose that it might be helpful to explain what it is that I find quite handy about them. First, the volume in the skirt means that it's not restrictive, which is good if, like me, you don't like to be slowed down by your clothing. Secondly you can pile thermal tights and long johns underneath and no-one will be any the wiser. Thirdly the style and fabric are a bit dressy without being too over the top so it's one step up from jeans without being either work like or too evening like. Anyway, that's where I'm coming from, so maybe it's something to ponder.