Outfit post: Boden Sweatshirt

Earlier this month, Boden sent me a £15 voucher to spend on their current spring/summer range, which seemed like the perfect time to splurge on this stripy sweatshirt in classic navy and ivory, which has been on my wish list since my very first post back in January.

I have countless Breton tops as I am never able to resist them, but not a casual sweatshirt version, and this will be so perfect for chilly spring days and will definitely be coming on my two week holiday to France in August to wear in the evenings. It arrived last week and is so super soft and will be a timeless addition to my wardrobe. I will be living in it through the summer holidays as we are only couple of miles from the beach in Dorset, and it will be great to throw on when I need an extra layer.

For its first outing today, I have styled it with red cropped jeans, bought a couple of years ago from Topshop, a chambray shirt from Gap (current season), Boden ballet flats (current season), and my beloved Boden Mya leopard print bag.

What did you buy with your Boden voucher? Have you bought a new Breton/stripy top this year? If so, which one? As always, I love to hear from you!

Abbi x

Flowy Trousers - the Ultimate in Smart/Casual

I love my jeans, but sometimes I need a change and these are the perfect trousers for days when you want something less body hugging, but don't want get your legs out! They are a dressed down alternative to tailored trousers, so they will fit in easily with your every day wardrobe. Undeniably comfortable, this style is also forgiving for every body shape.

Look for fluid materials, like silk or crepe, to create a beautifully slouchy drape. Pair with a top that's slim fitting such as a tee or vest to balance out the bagginess of the trousers. Biker jackets also look great with flowy trousers and for a more structured look pair with heels and a tailored blazer.

A couple of weeks ago I tried on these French Connection ones at Yard and I think they are still my favourite! The crepe material is really lightweight and flattering and I love the leopard print. I think they would look great with flats on holiday, but I would also dress them up with heels and a little jacket.

Here are some other fabulous versions of the slouchy trouser:

Topshop Mix Tribal Print Jersey Print Tapered Trousers £28

I love this version from Topshop. Jersey is ultra flattering and just so easy to wear and these are a great price too! I also like the print of these tapered trousers at the same price:

Topshop Mixed Tile Print Jersey Tapered Trousers £28

And in a fabulous floral print from ASOS:

ASOS Dark Floral Trousers with Piping £35

I like the bold all-over print on this pair from Warehouse and love how they've styled them with heels and a layered shirt and knit:

Warehouse Blurred Neon Print Trousers £42

Warehouse also have this fab tropical print version, which would be perfect for holidays to dress up or down:

Warehouse Leaf Print Trousers £38

And a monochrome version:

Warehouse Graphic Soft Printed Trousers £38

The next pair from Mint Velvet look so flattering on and I love the statement print:

Mint Velvet Alma Print Soft Trouser £69

The oriental print on this silk pair from Oasis is so beautiful:

Oasis Mini Fan Print Silk Trousers £65

These are quite quirky but I love these ethnic-inspired printed trousers from Mango. Perfect with a basic vest and flat sandals:

Mango Printed Flowy Trousers £34.99

And another stylish pair from Mango, I would love these for weekends, to wear with skater shoes and a jersey top:

Mango Tencel Baggy Trousers £34.99

A wider legged version from Zara, but I love the bold print:

Zara Flowy Wide Leg Trousers £29.99

And finishing with this statement pair from Wishbone, I adore the print and the floaty crepe material:

Wishbone Paige Printed Trousers £90

So that is my round up of all things slouchy in the trouser department.What do you think of this style? Will you be wearing them?

Finishing with a pic of me this weekend, on my way to a girls' night in with a lovely friend who cooked Lebanese food for us all, it was truly amazing. I'm wearing a Whistles sequin knit top which is a few years old but has been resurrected as the rose gold sequins match my Olivia Burton watch! Also wearing Gap sexy boyfriends and Office boots.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Abbi x

Outfit Post: Head to toe in Zara!

Last night we went out for a friend's 50th birthday dinner to a local country pub (The Half Moon at Melplash). If you are local or visiting Dorset, the food is amazing!

It was the first outing for my new Chanel-inspired jacket from Zara, bought in London on a recent work trip. I've just discovered that my friend also bought it last weekend, we could have shared it if we'd known! It's a very dark navy, almost black, and I think I will get so much wear out of it. It's perfect for an evening out with leather trousers or jeans and killer heels, but can look equally fabulous during the day with boyfriend jeans and ballet flats.

Zara Multicolor Woven Fabric Jacket £89.99

Last night I teamed it with my leather look trousers, bought from Zara a couple of years ago, and a striking cobalt blue blouse, also from Zara this season (here). The bag is the Boden Mya Bag, and has featured on the blog quite a few times now!

I also added my Links of London Sweetie Chain necklace, a present from my Mum a couple of years ago, star earrings by Hultquist at Yard, and my Links charm bracelet, all presents from Mr DF!

Happy Friday everyone!

Abbi x

Outfit Post: Neon Coral Jeans

Today was Mr DF's birthday and the boys had an inset day, so he let them choose where to go out for the day. They decided that we should go to the Sealife Centre in Weymouth and as most children had gone back to school it was really quiet! If you live in Dorset or are planning to come here on holiday, it's a great family day out.

I think the sunshine on Easter Monday spurred on today's outfit and I probably wouldn't have chosen neon coral jeans if I'd known it was going to be cold with lots of heavy showers! The coral colour is a LOT brighter than it appears in the photo below:

Luckily I had my Target Dry Parka with me which featured on one of my first posts here, and which is in my top ten purchases of all time! Anyway, the jeans (from Gap last spring) brightened up the day, and I teamed them with a chambray denim shirt from Gap, grey sweater from Topshop (still available here) and Victoria Pumps from Yard. The spotty tote bag is from Cath Kidson.

I also added a necklace and bracelet from Accessorize as afterwards we went for an early dinner with the boys, a last treat before school and work starts again in the morning. They are now tucked up in bed and we have opened some bubbles!

So, did you buy any brightly coloured jeans last year when they were everywhere? Will you still be wearing them this year?

Back soon with my bargain of the week!

Happy Birthday Mr DF, we love you!

Abbi x

Spring/Summer Essential: Striped Dresses

Over the Easter break we have been organising our summer holiday and it reminded me how much I lived in my stripey midi dress from Whistles last year. From soft and subtle, to a big and bold pattern, stripes seem to signal warmer weather and they always feel fresh. I will be wearing my Whistles dress lots this summer, but I would quite like another one for every day, maybe in a T-Shirt or tunic style. Here are my favourites:

The first dress is by Kate Spade and is probably the most similar in length and style to my Whistles one. It is more than I would want to spend on a casual dress ($180), but it's perfect for a spring or summer day and is made of a comfortable cotton linen blend. I love it dressed down with sandals but would also wear it with pointy flats and an envelope clutch to dress it up:

Kate Spade Saturday Side Snap Dress 

And look at the back - gorgeous!

For a shorter style, I adore this classic black and white striped dress from Hush which also ticks the box for the monochrome trend. I am very tempted to get this one for my holiday!

Hush Catherine Dress £45

I also love this one from Hush - so effortless, yet stylish - I would wear this to death with sneakers for a dressed down look, sandals on the beach or dressed up with heels and jewellery:

Hush New Scoop Hem Dress £45

This easy T-shirt style from Jigsaw is also perfect for every day and is so versatile:

Jigsaw Cotton Stripe T-Dress £49

And if you a prefer a sleeve and a longer length, this Vila dress is a great price:

Vila 3/4 Sleeve Striped Dress £25

The next one from Jaegar is an expensive option but so elegant and flattering, it is the height of nautical chic and I love the unusual print. This would be great for work with courts and a coloured tote.

Jaegar Placement Stripe Dress £180

This striped T-shirt dress from Hobbs is so flattering on and fits beautifully without being too clingy:

Hobbs Striped Imelda Dress £99

This simple, yet classic style from Great Plains is a perfect spring dress and such fantastic quality for the price:

Great Plains Stripe Pocket Dress £50

If you are looking for a sleeveless version, then this stripey dress from Boden can be dressed up or down and could be worn now with a little cardi and on its own in the summer:

Boden Easy T-Shirt Dress £49

Another sleeveless stripey dress by Kaliko, in the sale, this would be a smart option for work:

Kaliko Stripe Double Layer Dress £79.20 from £99

And I love the unusual design of this silk dress by Wishbone, with the block of lime green at the bottom and the curved hemline:

Wishbone Sophie stripe Dress £120

Back to a more casual look, this timeless dress from Joules has a lovely summery feel and I love the cute chambray trims and button detail:

Joules Jersey Dress £49.95

Another great every day dress that would be perfect to take on holiday is this one from White Stuff with draped boat neck:

White Stuff My Easy Stripe Dress £55

Also from White Stuff, I love this midi dress with a twisted textured knot at the front. It isn't too figure hugging and looks good on its own or with a cardigan or jacket:

White Stuff Go Crazy Midi Dress £45

The next one looks better in real life than in the picture, and is a great option if you like a shift dress:

Marks & Spencer Autograph Pure Cotton Woven Striped Dress £50

I love the bold stripes on this satin dress from H&M  - it would look fabulous with a pop of colour from some shoes or a clutch bag:

H&M Satin Dress £29

And lastly a couple of stripey dresses for the beach! This one from Marks & Spencer is such a great price:

Marks & Spencer Cowl Neck Stripe Beach Dress £17.50

And this one from ASOS would make a perfect beach cover up and could be dressed up in the evening:

ASOS T-Shirt Dress in Stripe £25

And finishing with a picture of me today, Easter Monday, out for brunch with my sister and family before they head home. 

American Vintage Sweatshirt at Yard - current season

Gap chambray shirt - current season

True Religion boyfriend jeans

Victoria Pumps

Oakley sunglasses

Hope everyone has had a fantastic Easter weekend!

Abbi x

Easter Outfits!

I hope everyone is having a lovely Easter weekend!

My sister and her family arrived yesterday and we have had a wonderful time as always - the boys adore their cousins and have been counting down the days!

Yesterday ended up being surprisingly sunny, so we walked through Langdon Woods, up to the highest point on the South Coast, Golden Cap. Following on from my recent post on cropped trousers here, I finally managed to find my navy and white spotty Gap ones from last spring/ summer and I am wearing them in the pic below with a navy knit top and statement necklace from Zara (current season):

I also added these bracelets, all from Yard:

The Easter bunny managed to visit the children this morning in time for their annual egg hunt, before the rain swept in for the rest of the day. We all went to Mums for a huge roast dinner, more Easter egg hunts, games, more chocolate etc etc

I wore my pink and grey Hush cardigan with a new white linen tee from Part Two at Yard, True Religion boyfriend jeans and black and cream ballet flats from Boden.

I also added this pretty heart necklace by Hultquist at Yard:

Now watching a movie and polishing off more chocolate! Happy days!

Abbi x

It's time for cropped trousers!

It's the perfect time of year for wearing cropped trousers, and they are all over the high street this season. They are ideal when the weather starts to get warmer and you want a change from wearing jeans all the time, but you're not quite ready to bare more than your ankles! They will take you from spring through to summer, and are both practical for the school run with flats or chic for work with an elegant pair of heels.

Here are some of my favourites:

Boden Bistro Crop Trouser Summer Floral

Boden do cropped trousers so well, they are actually my favourite. The Bistro crops featured below are particularly flattering and so comfortable. I adore the green floral print above, and love how they have styled it with a simple tee and sandals. I also really like the neutral bud print in the same trousers below - very versatile, it would be easy to dress them up and down.

Boden Bistro Crop Trouser Neutral Bud £59

The Bistro crop trousers are also available in some stunning colours, and in basics such as black, white and dark navy, which would be perfect for the office. The white pair below would be perfect to take on holiday:

Boden White Bistro Crop Trousers £59

Moving on to some fun and fabulous printed versions from Zara - these fruit print ones are crazy but I LOVE them (not with the matching top though! I quite like the idea of dressing head to toe in one print, but not this print!) Loving the trews though:

Zara Fruit Print Trousers £29.99

I'm really drawn to yellow at the moment and these printed trousers, also from Zara, are such a statement. I would wear them with a knit and sneakers on cooler days and a tee and sandals when it gets warmer.

Zara Printed Trousers £29.99

Also from Zara, these geometric print trousers are very eye-catching and offer your outfit a retro edge:

Zara Printed Trousers £35.99

Everyone knows by now how much I love the monochrome look and I think I would get so, so much wear from these Aztec inspired, printed capri trousers by Mint Velvet. 

Mint Velvet Stefa Print Cotton Capri Trousers £79

I also like the bold tile print of the Mint Velvet trousers below and I LOVE the matching top with them - it really works with this print!

Mint Velvet Melissa Print Cotton Capri £79

And finally if you like stripes, this cropped pair of trousers by White Stuff would look stylish with a classic white shirt for work, but just as good for an off duty look at the weekend or on holiday:

White Stuff After Dark Stripe Capri Trousers £49.95

Finishing with me today in an outfit I wore to work:

Maison Scotch Breton Long Sleeve Tee -SS13

White Vest - Boden SS13

Boyfriend Jeans - True Religion

Statement Necklace - Zara

Ballet Pumps - Topshop

Hopefully back tomorrow with my bargain item of the week!

Abbi x