A New Coat...

I know, I know, I said I wasn't going to buy one this year (except maybe a camel coat in the sales) but it was the biggest bargain ever and I didn't even buy it myself! It's a navy blue pea style coat from Mango and is going to be super useful as I don't have one, or any kind of navy coat for that matter, except for a very practical parka, but nothing as versatile as this, that can bridge the gap between smart and casual:

Double-Breasted Coat £39.99

I love the length and it's a really great price, even better in Spain, where Mr DF paid around £30 for it a couple of weeks ago! It will go with almost everything, but I love this classic combo of jeans and check scarf:

Coat - Mango (AW14)

Scarf - Zara (AW14)

Jeans - Maison Scotch (SS 13)

Boots - Office (AW12)

Have you found any fabulous coat bargains this year? If so, I would love to know about them, especially any discounted camel coats!

You may have noticed I haven't been around for the last couple of weeks - this wasn't intentional, but was kind of inevitable! I turned 40, so have been partying and celebrating and been generally spoilt by all my loved ones, plus a little trip to Barcelona, which was amazing! I have lots of outfit posts to share with you, or bore you with, in the coming days!

Abbi x

Autumn Essential: Shirt Dress

The one good thing about the falling temperatures is that it's finally cold enough to wear tights with all my favourite autumn/winter dresses. I'm a huge fan of jumper/sweater dresses in the winter, so easy and cosy to wear with flat boots and scarves, but before it gets really cold, a shirt dress is a great trans-seasonal item. I bought this one from Hush ages ago (August) but have been waiting for colder weather to wear it with tights:

Iris Shirt Dress £79

It's first outing was to the theatre during half term to see Charlie and The Chocolate Factory en famille in London:

Dress: Hush AW14

Boots: Ash AW13

Scarf: Becksondergaard at Yard AW12

Vest top: Boden SS12

Backpack: Mint Velvet

It's so versatile, easy to dress up or down, and it's quite a relaxed fit, so perfect for layering over a long sleeved top on a chilly day. I would also style it with biker boots and leggings for a grungier, more dressed down look.

And here are some other shirt dresses that I like:

Love this check one from Mango, and its such a great price:

Check Shirt Dress £19.99

And fabulous animal print one from Baukjen, that could easily be dressed up or down:

Felsted Shirt Dress £119

And a denim one is perfect for every day, to wear over tights or leggings. This one from Boden is reduced:

Casual Shirt Dress £47.40 from £79

Are you a fan of the shirt dress? 

Abbi x 

Accessories: Faux Fur

So, earlier this week I had the lovely unexpected bonus of a fabulous faux fur coat given to me by my Mum, see here) but that hasn't stopped me coveting some of the gorgeous furry accessories around at the moment. They are also the perfect way to inject some fur into your wardrobe if the coat trend is too full on. Here's my favourites, starting with this gorgeous faux fur clutch from Topshop, I like it as it's quite big for a clutch bag, although Mr DF has just pointed out it wouldn't be very practical in the rain!

Topshop Faux Fur Roll-Top Clutch £32

and in black

And there's nothing cosier than a fur snood, I love this one from Oasis:

Faux Fur Snood £25

A little smarter from Jigsaw, I love how this would look over a plain coat:

Fur Tippet £39

and a plain black one from Accessorize:

Faux Fur Square Edge Tippet £29

Also from Accessorize, I love these fur hats, very Julie Christie from Dr Zhivago;

Vixen Faux Fur Cosack £25

There are lots of furry scarves around, my favourite is this one from ASOS:

ASOS Faux Fur Colour Block Scarf £35

It's a little bit like this one don't you think?!

Atterley Road Helen Moore Striped Blue Vixen Scarf £120

And for my favourite fun fur accessory - I would really love one of the fur pom pom key rings that I keep seeing everywhere! These are from local boutique Yard:

And I'm wearing a little bit of faux fur today with this fur and shearling gilet from Mint Velvet last year:

Gilet: Mint Velvet AW13

Scarf: Becksondergaard at Yard AW12

White Top: Zara AW14

Jeans: Mint Velvet AW13

Boots: Jigsaw (ancient)

Do you like any of the furry accessories around at the moment?!

Abbi x

Classic Item: The Trench Coat

Way back in the spring I was looking to replace my ten year old trench coat (see here) and despite an extensive search I couldn't quite find one that ticked all the boxes. I think the main problem was that most of the ones I tried were made of a fairly stiff material and felt quite formal, which is fine if you need to look smart for work, but I wanted one that would look just as good dressed down with jeans and trainers. I obviously abandoned the search in the summer, but happened to see this one in Paris in August, when I wasn't looking for one at all:

Zara Flowy Trench with Camouflage Lining £59.99

I knew straightway that it was THE ONE. For a start, it's a proper camel colour which I prefer to all the lighter beige trench coats around, and more importantly the material is flowy so it feels more casual and easier to wear in a variety of different ways. I also like the modern twist from the camouflage lining:

With hindsight, I'm so glad I've bought it, as with the unbelievably mild autumn weather I've worn it so much and have decided not to get a new winter coat this year, or maybe get one in the sales as I'm sure there will still be lots around. This is how I've worn it dressed down, for a walk at Stourhead en famille this week:

 Scarf - Zara AW14

Trench - Zara AW14

Grey Sweater - American Vintage AW13

Jeans - Zara AW13

Trainers - Stan Smiths

Rucksack - Mint Velvet AW14

And slightly more dressed up for a meeting the other day:

Trench - Zara AW14

Scarf - Zara AW13

Grey Jeans - Zara AW14

Boots - Office AW12

Rucksack - Mint Velvet AW14

And if you're looking for a slightly more structured/smarter trench coat this Topshop one looks really good on, it's a really thick material but isn't stiff:

Topshop Premium Trench Coat £150

And if you do like a trench coat to have a stiffer material I would still recommend this one from Marks & Spencer which has excellent reviews and is a proper camel colour:

Buttonsafe Pure Cotton Belted Trench Mac with Stormwear

Do you have a classic trench coat in your wardrobe and where do you think is the best place to buy one?

Abbi x

An Alternative to Jeans: Hush Zip Cargo Trousers

If you end up wearing jeans a lot, as I do, both for work and play, it's sometimes good to have an alternative that works just as well for everyday. For me, it's the zip cargo trousers from Hush, which I've had for a while, but I don't think they've featured on the blog before. Beautifully soft and a lovely slate grey colour which goes with almost anything, they are easy to throw on and look equally good with heels or dressed down with trainers. I'm mentioning them now as Hush are having a mid season sale with 25% off 25 different styles until the end of the month:

Zip Cargo Trousers £59.25 from £79

And here I am wearing them yesterday for an annual shopping trip to buy clothes for Mr DF:

Zip Cargo Trousers - Hush

White Top - Zara AW14

Gilet - Mint Velvet AW13

Blanket Scarf - Zara AW14

Grey Boots - Ash Jalouse AW13

There's a couple of other gems in the sale that are worth looking at too. I have the Rosie dress in navy from last year and it's such an easy dress to wear casually with tights, boots and a scarf over the top:

Rosie Dress £48.75 from £65

This shirt is now a great price - I love the teal colour and it would look effortlessly chic with jeans:

Iris Shirt £36.75 from £49

And I know it's another grey jumper, and I am addicted to them, but this one has a really unusual texture and pattern:

Diamond Knit Jumper £56.25 from £75

And a great wardrobe staple - a slouchy blazer for the colder months in a soft jersey that is both warm and comfy:

Winter Shawl Blazer £44.25 from £59

And there's also 10% off everything else at Hush with the code OCTEVENT

Do you have a great pair of casual trousers that you wear instead of jeans?

Abbi x

Style Trend: Faux Fur Coats

Faux fur is one of the biggest trends for autumn/winter 2014 and it was literally everywhere on the high street when I went shopping last week, from coats to jackets, bags and even shoes. A couple of months ago I had my heart set on a faux fur coat, especially after seeing a picture of this gorgeous one from Whistles, I thought it looked very old Hollywood glamour and the lilac colour gave it a vintage feel:

Kumiko Faux Fur Coat £275

When I finally saw it in real life it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It's a beautiful coat, but I didn't feel it was special/different enough from some of the less expensive ones around. I also knew I wouldn't get the wear out if it to justify such an expensive price tag. I'd love one to wear with evening outfits over the party season, and although I would wear it dressed down with skinny jeans and biker boots, I could see it was only going to be an occasional coat. So, I decided I wouldn't get one at all, until my Mum casually mentioned that she'd bought one last year from Marks & Spencer (she's so fashion forward!) and had hardly worn it and I could have it for the winter. What a result, the perfect solution! Here I am trying it on, not necessarily what I would wear it with, just what I happened to be wearing when she dropped it off:

Faux Fur Coat - Marks &Spencer AW13

Black Jeans - Mint Velvet AW13

Black Boots - Jigsaw (Ancient)

So, let's have a look at what Marks & Spencer have on offer this year. First up this classic black one, actually the best black one I've seen:

Faux Fur Coat £89

And very chic in cream:

Faux Fur Coat £89

And this one from ASOS was in and out of my online basket as I love the stripes and think it would look fab with an all black outfit:

ASOS Faux Fur Coat in Mono Stripe £85

ASOS has a really great selection, I also love the vintage look of this fur coat:

ASOS Vintage Faux Fur Longline Coat £90

And a shorter one in a gorgeous grey colour:

ASOS Vintage Faux Fur Coat £70

There are lots of leopard fur coats around, these are my favourites, although I can't do this much leopard myself, but do think they look amazing on other people:

River Island Faux Fur Leopard Jacket £100

And this one is such a fantastic price and is as good as some of the more expensive ones:

New Look Leopard Print Faux Fur Coat £41 from £54.99

Topshop also has some gems, starting with this black one:

Crushed Faux Fur Throw On Coat £125

And for a real statement fur coat, I absolutely love the colours on this patchwork one:

Topshop Patchwork Faux Fur Throw On Coat £89

So, are you embracing the fur coat trend or do you already have one? If you don't like faux fur coats, look out for my post later this week on fur accessories!

Abbi x

Stocking Up on Cosy Knitwear at Yard

With the clocks set to go back it's the perfect time to stock up on cosy knitwear, and my favourite place to do this is at Yard, my lovely local boutique. Whether you are looking to update your wardrobe basics or invest in something really special, Yard has everything from oversized cardigans, modern sweatshirts, perfect chunky knits and classic luxe pieces that will last you for many winters to come. It was so hard to choose as I think this is their best collection yet, but here are my picks:

A classic grey jumper is the easiest way to stay chic this autumn. This one is a mohair mix, so is lightweight but super soft and cosy. I love the twist from the subtle silver sparkle around the neck, which I have actually covered up with a scarf, but couldn't resist my favourite star scarf in these fabulous colours:

Grey Jumper: Des Petits Hauts £135

Scarf:  Becksondergaard £69

Jeans: Maison Scotch £115

Boots:  Alpe £95
Grey Bag: Nat & Nin £150

Sweatshirts continue to be a huge trend and they are so easy to wear. I love them layered over shirts - this slouchy one from American Vintage has been very popular (it also comes in charcoal grey)

Pale pink sweatshirt: American Vintage £85

Grey Jeans: Maison Scotch

Boots: As above

Bag: Nat & Nin £180

Oversized cardigans are a huge trend this season, and can also be worn between seasons instead of a coat. I love the striking colours of the one below - just wear with skinny jeans to balance out the proportions. I've also included this fabulous leopard print sweater (which has faux leather star patches on the elbows) - it's always such a stylish print and goes with almost anything!

Maison Scotch Abstract Print Cardigan - £190

Maison Scotch Jeans - £125

Becksondergaard Star Tan Belt £49

Maison Scotch Animal Print Shirt £70

Maison Scotch Leopard Print Sweatshirt £89.95

Next up is Kathryn, looking gorgeous in her choice of  a classic, dark bottle green fine knit with a beautiful scarf in green and blush tones:

Scarf: Becksondergaard £85

Jumper: Marie Sixtine £69

Boots: Seven Boot Lane £160

Jeans: Amazing Woman £90

Bag: Becksondergaard £45

And in the picture below, Kathryn is wearing an oversized lightweight cream jumper by Great Plains - a best seller and a practical wardrobe staple, ideal for layering:

Jumper: Great Plains £70

Jeans - as above

Scarf: Great Plains £35

Boots: as above

Another of my favourites, this  striking mohair jumper in classic Breton stripes, it's so beautifully soft, I didn't want to take it off! Perfect for frosty mornings or winter walks and has a cute matching scarf!

Jumper: Des Petits Hauts £150 

Scarf: Des Petits Hauts £70

Black Jeans: Maison Scotch £115

Navy Bag: Peach Pink £199

And I haven't mentioned the C word on the blog yet, but the Christmas collection will be in store soon and here is a sneak preview - this stunning jewelled shirt featuring sheer back and sleeves, perfect for wearing in the evening with jeans and heels.

Blouse: French Connection £125

Black Boots: Hudson £110
Jeans - Maison Scotch £115

Have you got your eye on anything from the autumn/winter collection?

Have a lovely weekend and half term!

Abbi x