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Saturday 27 September 2014

Save the date - you are all invited!

 
You are invited to a style event at Jigsaw, Birmingham!
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Save the Date!

On Thursday 9th October I will be holding an event with Jigsaw Birmingham.

Come along from 6.30pm for fizz, canapés, a style presentation of the new season's trends, plus a 10% discount on all purchases.

There will also be a raffle with fantastic prizes, the proceeds of which will go to Edwards Trust.

Places will be limited so to get your name on the guest list, please drop me a line at style@bethgoodrham.com

Can't wait to see you there!  


 


 

Copyright © 2014 Beth Goodrham - Personal Stylist, All rights reserved.


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Friday 26 September 2014

A very naughty Whistles purchase....


Everyday autumn/winter dresses are tricky, tricky, tricky. Unless they're really thick, even the wool ones aren't warm enough for me so I'm cold in them - and they can be a bit itchy. And the silk/viscose ones are as thin as tissue paper and I need two layers under them, two layers over them, and it's all a bit of a dog's dinner really.

A fur dress might offer me the warmth that I need but I would probably look slightly odd in it. A leather one might be good too - but I might just look like a chair or sofa and someone would probably try and sit on me. Neoprene works for wet suits but to be honest I've never been convinced when it comes to "proper" clothing. However thick (soft) denim - aha, now we're talking!

My mistake was trying this dress on because as soon as I did, I was hooked! It was warm, soft and comfortable. The sleeves were a good length, the skirt was a good length and I liked the shape of the skirt part of the dress.


I first spotted this Hannah utility dress from Whistles (£*) online a few weeks ago now. It then appeared in our local store but only in larger sizes. However the lovely girls there nipped over to Selfridges, picked up my size, whizzed it back to the store and held on to it for me until the Grazia offer started a few days later.  Now that's pretty impressive service.
 
 
The reason for so many pictures of me wearing it (note that one was taken on a sunny day and one on a not so sunny day)? To justify its very existence in my wardrobe. I've worked out that I probably need to wear this dress every day for about the next five years to justify buying it - which could prove problematic when it comes to trying to offer new outfit ideas to people. But hey ho, I'll just need to get inventive.
 
(£*) I haven't included the price of this dress because my Mum reads my blog and if she had any idea just how much it cost it wouldn't be good for her health - and whatsmore she would probably chase me with a wooden spoon and give me a whack.

Thursday 25 September 2014

A nod to the sixties with Dune patent shoes and a Jaeger Boutique dress

 

We all know that there's a bit of a 60's thing going on at the moment and it's an easy trend to tap into without looking too try hard. Many will already have some block heeled shoes and if not, there are plenty of them around this season. One option is to wear them with some cigarette pants and a fitted jumper, maybe with a Peter Pan collar or, as I'm wearing above - an A-line dress which is slightly above the knee.
 
Here's how to re-create the look:
 
Take one Boden Ottoman shift dress...


add in a Cos rounded collar mock shirt (£29) - which will give any round neck dress, or crew neck jumper, a 60's feel (don't tell anyone but I was in Bon Marche today with my Mum and they had some lovely crew necks - 2 for £20 no less! Oh and did anyone else realise that David Emanuel, as in Princess Diana's wedding dress designer, did a range for them?? Random!)


and the Dune Affina court (which has a little block heel)....and there you go. Job done!


Of course I appreciate that this look may be the last look that anyone wants to recreate but I wanted to copy one of those recipes at the back of the Saturday supplements which show you how to take three ingredients and cook a five course gourmet meal for 25 people in 10 minutes and you think "yeah right, do us a favour" - but seriously, my version is actually achievable!




Monday 22 September 2014

An outfit for a black tie do.....

 

I realise that I blogged about pleated skirts only a few days ago but I thought that a little update may come in handy. Sometimes seeing something on a "real life" person makes it easier to relate to - either as a way of giving it the thumbs up, or as a way of confirming any "not in a million years" thoughts that you may have been harbouring!  

As I mentioned on Saturday, Mr SG and I had a black tie event to go to. Initially I was offered a choice of dresses by a dress hire company and that would have been great but then a week or so beforehand there was a problem with their system, so all blogger bets were off.

Being busy with work and other things, I didn't really give it any further thought until Thursday morning when I dug the sparkly Dune shoes out. Then I got to thinking about what to wear. I didn't really want to buy a new dress of the "black tie" variety because I knew that I probably wouldn't get a huge amount of wear out of it. In fact much as I was looking forward to the event, I didn't really feel like wearing an outfit of the "black tie" variety at all, which was all well and good but it didn't leave me with any answers. (Also, funds have already been committed to a Whistles dress which is currently on hold for me - more about that another day.) 

But then....well, you know how it goes....whilst in Topshop on Friday, I saw a beautiful white sequinned top which would have worked really well with a high waisted H&M midi skirt that I have and which I half had in mind to wear. The top was similar to this Whistles one (£135).....


...but at £48 it was much more within my price range and as I could have worn it again, I could have justified it.  However all of the ones on the shop floor were damaged - to the point that they shouldn't have been there really. Neither was it available on line and in other stores it was only available in a size 12. So that put me back to square one - minus a bit. And by now it was late Friday afternoon.

Saturday was taken up with an early morning run, followed by a 5k race with the children plus the usual Saturday jobs and with only five minutes before the taxi was due I decided to try the long pleated Zara skirt with an Oasis beaded top. And that was about as far as it went. I'm not sure that I even got a chance to check it out properly. In an ideal world I would have preferred a shorter top but I'm happy not to have made a last minute rushed purchase as they can be the ones that gall most if they're not right.

So, this was the Zara long pleated skirt (£39.99) that I wore and which I will continue to wear during the winter with shorter fitted jumpers, longer line chunky ones and block heeled ankle boots.


I also have this pleated midi skirt Zara (£39.99) at home which is a great option. It's shorter than the other one so probably better on someone who is on the petite side. Having said that, I sometimes think that the "drop" on longer pleated skirts helps the pleats to fall slightly better.


There's also this Whistles faux leather pleated skirt (£135) which I haven't tried, largely because the Zara options are so good but also the pleats in this skirt are sharper, which somehow makes it a little too structured for what I am after.  Nonetheless there will be some who prefer the sharpness of the pleats so it's worth a closer look.


So are any of you tempted by pleats or do they just bring back the horrors and memories of your school uniform?!

Sunday 21 September 2014

Mustard, mustard, mustard - one way or another it's going to get you!

This season it's out to get you. Unless you try really hard, one way or another, mustard is going to feature somehow, somewhere, in your wardrobe. It is literally everywhere. I don't think I've seen a colour come from nowhere and dominate the High Street since brown did it in about 2002/3 (and wasn't that a season to remember?)

For me it started with a Topshop T-shirt that wasn't actually mustard at all, but when I was trying to find a jumper in the same colour, I held up a mustard coloured one and you know, it looked OK. Being of a slightly brighter hue it works with black, navy, grey and even purple, plus white. And you know, it's just nice to have a change.

The jumper in question was the textured sleeve jumper by Warehouse (£36). See how good it looks with denim? And let's face it, we all have denim don't we?


This Zara printed T (£19.99) is a subtle way to tap into the colour. Admittedly it's not so subtle on the 1960's design but if you like the 60's trend, it too is a great way to tap into that. Mixing mustard up with other "safer" colours makes it more accessible for those mustard newcomers out there.


The geometric print trousers Zara (£19.99) are also another good way of wearing mustard for those who don't like the colour next to their face. The print will attract attention to the legs so for anyone with great pins, these could be for you. I also like that it's mixed up a little with black and white, rather than being a block colour.

These trousers look great on but they do have a couple of small pleats at the waist band (you can see them more clearly on a close up photo on the site.) They do sit pretty flat  and as they're so high up a jumper would cover them but they won't to be everyone's taste. There's also a top in the same print.


For those who like the comfort blanket that grey offers, mixing mustard with it as in this Boden woven front jumper (£70.31) makes it much easier to wear. The sweatshirt styling and raglan sleeves also keep the look fresh - much more groovy than granny!


And finally I loved this Zara printed shirt (£25.99) so much that I made a special trip into town on Friday to take a closer look. The royal blue works really well with the mustard and being a fan of blue I could imagine feeling happy with this colour combination. Sadly the background was too grey for me but on some else it could look fab. It has small ties up the back but in the grand scheme of things, these are pretty insignificant.


So, is anyone tempted to go there? For many I think that it may well only be a matter of time.

Saturday 20 September 2014

And tonight, I will be wearing my....dancing shoes


Remember these days?

Mr SG are off to a black tie event tonight so yesterday morning I pulled out a couple of things that I had it in mind to wear - one of them being these Dune sparkly shoes.

Remember how a couple of days ago I said that there were certain things seemed to go down well with lots of people? Well when these were produced, the girls were like bees around a honey pot. No sooner had I prized them off the feet of the six year old, when the fifteen year old appeared and put them on.


Then there was some sisterly sharing where they opted for one each...

 
Before admiring themselves in them. See what fun we have in the mornings (!!)
 

Personally I would be equally happy in these - my new Saucony running trainers.  Although I have to admit, they're not as sparkly.

Friday 19 September 2014

Something for the weekend (and the dark winter nights)

For a while now I've been doing a little bit of groping - of the acceptable variety I hasten to add. Whenever I see a pair of joggers I have a good feel of them, not only of the outside but more importantly, the inside. I've felt the ones in GAP, Whistles, H&M, J. Crew, Banana Republic, White Company and Cos, to name but a few but today? Oh today I came across the best by far.

I was taking a little jaunt around Topshop and I came across these Topshop neppy joggers (£25) in the petite range - which is also a bonus in my book. I then came across them elsewhere in the store, although sadly not in my size. However, I will be going back because they are really, really soft inside and this is borne out by the reviews of them online which are fantastic. If I thought about it too much, I could be slightly put off by the white cord - so I'm just not going to think about it. These things can always be dealt with somehow.  The colour is good too. The black ones I have come across are too dark, some of the grey are too light but these are just that perfect in between shade.


The bottoms are also accompanied by the Topshop neppy hoodie (£22). So, for the sum of £47 you could have your "at home" winter wardrobe sorted. I'm sure that the various cashmere options out there are truly wonderful and for someone with another life, maybe. But to be honest, right now, I would so love some of these in my life!

Thursday 18 September 2014

The juxtaposition of a smarter jacket with jeans and trainers


Outfit: Mango jacket, Nike trainers, New Look skinny jeans, GAP clutch
 
Golly I've got gremlins in my computer today. Nothing is loading properly, things keep on crashing and it's all generally a bit of a dog's dinner but nevermind.
 
I was in town for most of yesterday working and (as usual) I wanted to be able to dash here there and everywhere.  Compared to shoes, trainers are just a million times more comfortable and I hate my speed being impeded by my choice of footwear, so the Nikes made another appearance.
 
For something similar, I really like these New Balance 574 pop safari trainers from Schuh (£70) and even more I love their year long returns policy, which is great for those who are indecisive/live a long way from town/need a while to locate their lost receipt. These trainers also come in more muted colours as admittedly these aren't for the faint hearted.
 
 
The Mango jacket that I am wearing was nearly returned several times but now the jacket and I are good pals. It doesn't get a huge amount of outings but whenever it does, people always comment on it (usually in a positive way!) It just seems to catch people's eyes and I always find those things really interesting. Whenever I do an event there are always a few things that pretty much everyone, without exception, gravitate towards. Anyway, that aside, I like wearing a smarter jacket with trainers - it's that whole juxtaposition thing that it so big right now - and more importantly a smarter jacket stops me (well almost) from feeling such a scruffy bum!

Wednesday 17 September 2014

When there's a hair disaster there's only one thing for it.....a hat!

 

Outfit: Whistles Ella jacket, Hush jumper, New Look jeans, Aldo shoes (I'm sure I'll write Aldi one of these days!) Oushka bag

I think that "disaster" is probably too strong a word to describe my super short hairstyle but whenever I look in the mirror I do think to myself "Ouch, that's short." And then to top it off I decided to colour it but to pass the time quickly I blogged at the same time, leaving it on for much longer than I should have done - so not only is it slightly shorter than I would have liked but it's slightly darker too. Having said that, I did ask for it to be cut shorter partly because I seem to have to get it cut so often and also because I'm running/swimming a lot at the moment so it's constantly being washed or getting wet.

So, when it came to the blog I had two choices. First, to disappear for a few weeks until it had grown and lightened OR to share it with everyone and just get over it. I decided on the latter a) because I like blogging and b) because....actually I don't think that there is a b).

Anyway, I decided that now is probably a good time to have a hair disaster - well a couple of months time might be even better - because there are so many lovely hats around this season. From the Reiss Ava and Hattie (is that a great name for a hat or what?) (£69) to the Fedoras at Topshop, which at £28 are a good place to start for anyone heading (get it??) for the first time into trilby/fedora territory, to the Zara wide brimmed felt hat (£19.99) or the trilby (£25.99).

The Jigsaw bridget fedora (£39) is also a great choice...


as is the Jigsaw Isabella trilby (£39) which comes in a variety of different colours.


Hats really are just one of those things that you have to try on and just because one brand doesn't work, it doesn't mean that another brand won't. Often it comes down to the colour, the width of the brim, the height of the hat - and confidence too.

I saw this "Love You" beanie in Zara (£12.99) today and I think that it would look great with my New Look jumper which has "love" written across the front. It would take matchy matchy to a  whole new level.


The Hush star jumper (£75) that I am wearing is from the summer collection but they have done this winter version, for anyone who fancies having a star plastered across their chest.


I am also wearing the Ella Ponte jersey jacket from Whistles which is £45 or £95 depending on the colour. If you're tempted, do have a hunt around the site for a bargain. For anyone unsure, they do tend to come up quite large so if only the size below yours is available, don't be put off. It's a jacket that I find hugely useful and easy to wear, largely because it is made of jersey.

 
So, although it's only early I'm off to bed - I think that hair grows more quickly when you're asleep!

Monday 15 September 2014

A trip to London, a peruse around J. Crew and some cheaper alternatives.....


On Saturday I went to London to meet my friend who lives in Brighton. Whilst there, I tried on this Reiss quilted jumper in ivory (£79) (below). We both really liked it but, after thinking about it, I concluded that it was too much to spend on a top that I would probably wear in a really casual way and anyway, I already had a white sweatshirt  (above) which would do much the same job.


Roll on Sunday and I decided to wear my white sweatshirt just to see what I thought. As the end of the day was nearing, I concluded that the Reiss one would, in fact, be very handy to have and as it was a bit smarter than mine I could wear it in a slightly different way.

So we sat down to our evening meal of home made burgers, home made rolls, salad and home made ice-cream (all thanks to Mr SG), the latter of which I doused liberally with salted caramel sauce (the ice-cream that is, not Mr SG). The trouble was that before it even reached the ice cream, I doused myself in it - and what I mess a made. And then, in taking the sweatshirt off to give it the fairy liquid treatment, I managed to get the sauce everywhere - up the sleeves, down the back, on the inside. By the time I had finished with it the top looked like a baby had projectile vomited (and the other) simultaneously and it was at that point that I realised that for once, just for once in my life, I had actually made a very good decision in not buying the Reiss top for had I done so, I would most definitely have been wearing it at that point.

Obviously whilst in London, a visit to J. Crew had to be on the agenda. Now I don't want to be a party pooper, and more than anyone I understand the joy that clothes can bring, but we did enjoy our game of spotting where else we could find less expensive alternatives to what they had on offer. Banana Republic, GAP, Zara and Topshop featured. Of course some of the things are lovely and it's great to see a successful brand but as with anything that has such a strong brand identity, it's important not to get seduced by that, rather than the clothes on offer.

Now one of the items that has featured quite a lot recently is this J. Crew jewelled bib shirt (£495). It's pretty much sold out on line so there are obviously plenty of people who can get their heads around spending that much on a shirt and I have to say, not being one of them, I'm pretty impressed by that.


But for those who can't imagine spending that on a shirt, this H&M  embellished shirt (£29.99) would probably do just fine.


You could even sew a few more embellishments on it to make it sparkle a bit more AND, it would leave £465.01 to put towards this Dulcie coat from Shrimps (£595) which is very covetable.


Anyway, whilst in London I wanted to try this H&M beaded sweatshirt (£29.99) which I had seen in the window of our local store last week but which I hadn't had time to try. When I put it on my friend said "Oh my God, you look like you've been inflated." Which naturally left me very deflated but on looking in the mirror I couldn't argue. The fabric was stiff and the shape wide but on others I wouldn't rule it out - it just might work.


And whilst I'm on the subject of embellished bits and bobs, this H&M  grey beaded sweatshirt  (£24.99) could do a good job of adding a bit of bling as the nights draw in.

Friday 12 September 2014

Now these Boden waxed jeans are a pair of jeans that I am very happy to wear again...

 

Outfit: Boden waxed jeans, Whistles jumper, La Redoute jacket, Oushka bag, Mango shoes

Subsequent to deciding that there was no way that I was ever going to wear my Primark coated skinnies again, I needed to find an alternative. I like coated jeans as a change from blue denim and being black, the coating adds that little bit of texture which stops them from being too "flat".

Yesterday the super skinny waxed jeans that I ordered from Boden arrived and today I tried them out. I've concluded that wrinkles in coated jeans are unavoidable but I've also concluded that there are more important things in life to worry about! So, moving to the jeans themselves, they are generous in the leg length and the rise on them is also good which means that they don't fall down (that's the Primark problem solved then!) I like the addition of the ankle zips and zipped pockets on my Primark ones but you know, sometimes you have to sacrifice a bit of zippage for comfort.

The reviews about this style of jean on the Boden site are really good and I have to say, so far so good. Of course the problem with jeans is that they don't always reveal their true selves until after you've spent a bit of time with them (a bit like boyfriends really - from recollection at least) by which time they can't be popped back on the shelf unless they are faulty (unlike boyfriends, which can quite easily be popped back on the shelf from which they've fallen).

I can't vouch for the other finishes in this style but for anyone who struggles with getting skinny jeans to fit, I would definitely consider giving them a go.  

Wednesday 10 September 2014

My pick of the High Street prints

 
Outfit: Jigsaw jumper and printed trousers, Topshop shoes
 
Prints - we either love them or hate them, pretty much instantly. They can remind us of our grannies' curtains, outfits we wore as children, or something the cat brought up. But equally they can lift our spirits, change our look and give us a new lease of life.

Some shops are known for their prints - or indeed for their lack of them. Zara always has lots of different prints (although it's better not to go in there after 9.35am because it looks like a jumble sale). Warehouse is always strong on both print and colour - plus the quality is better than Zara too and walking in there is so refreshing, compared to some other stores. Both the Monsoon and Boden prints stand out a mile away - and not always for the right reasons. Whistles has great prints each season which they usually also do in a scarf for anyone who just fancies a touch of one. Sometimes it's just about giving them a go.

I always like Great Plains. The price point of the brand is good and they often do more than one piece in a particular print. The Hoxton top from Great Plains (£40) is a nice fit and is a non scary print type option. It also comes in a long sleeved knee length dress.


Despite being largely a dark print, the blue in it is really vibrant and it looks great on people with blue eyes.


The Great Plains City Scape trousers £60 are a good place to start for anyone tempted to try a print on their bottom half. The print has a dark background and can be worn with black, navy or grey. Also they're smart enough for work with a blazer, or relaxed enough for out of work with a jumper, so they're pretty versatile.


The French Connection wilderness bloom comes in both a pencil skirt (£75) and a fitted dress with a zip up the front. Made of cotton and with stretch in it, it also straddles the work/casual boundary really well. It's easy to pick up the navy, cream or burgundy in a top. The model used is 5ft 11" so on most people it will come up longer.


Generally known for its very plain and slightly more architectural pieces, each season Cos does a couple of prints. This one has been around for a while and Cos have done this print in both a bomber style jacket (£79) and a pencil skirt.


This Warehouse floral jersey tee (£28) is good for a first foray into the world of prints. It's plain grey on the back but with nice shaping down the side and the print is modern but subtle - it's the kind of top that could work its way into your wardrobe and sit their quite happily amongst those black and grey pieces until it's required to give the a bit of a lift. Do suss out Warehouse if you're after a printed top.


And whilst this isn't my favourite print of all, LK Bennett can always be relied on to do a couple of striking prints each season. The Joe Rose print full skirt (£195) has a graphic floral print which is great for a winter wedding.


At this time of the year the stores can start to look a little dark and flat and I think that can be true of our wardrobes too, so it's good to pick up a print every now and then, just to keep everything balanced.