Leather Leggings for Daytime

Leather leggings and skinnies are so versatile, I can't imagine my wardrobe without a pair! They can be worn from season to season, and have always been my favourite item for an evening out, teamed with ankle boots in autumn/winter and a little jacket. They make a great alternative to jeans and look equally as good  dressed up with strappy heels (I love them with leopard print ones) for a more summery evening look. Lately, I have been wearing leather trousers more during the daytime, teamed with an oversized shirt or a cosy sweater and Birkenstocks or sneakers, depending on the weather.

Here are some looks from Pinterest that show how to do dressed down leather trousers/leggings:

I love how the sneakers make the whole outfit more casual:

Dress down leather trousers with denim shirts and jackets for daytime casual:

I love the look of an oversize shirt and Birkenstocks as a more modern way to wear leather trousers in spring/summer:

And here are my picks of the best leather trousers/leggings, to suit all budgets:

I've had my faux leather skinnies from Zara for about three years and they wash so well and still look amazing. Here is Zara's latest version of them:

Zara Leather Leggings £29.99

I would LOVE to buy these, but the budget doesn't allow unfortunately:

Baukjen Liv Leather leggings £299

If I were to upgrade to real leather, I would get these as I have tried them on and they are perfect:

Marks & Spencer Autograph Slim Leg Leather and Ponte Jersey Trouser £99

Fantastic for getting the look at a bargain price:

ASOS Leather Look Leggings £13.50 from £18

And this pair from Topshop is worth a look as the material is quite thick and they are super flattering:

Topshop Textured Leather Look Leggings £22.99

And here is how I have been wearing my faux leather skinnies from Zara this week:

Faux Leather Skinnies - Zara

Black Arizona Birkenstocks

Floral Oversized Shirt Ltb at Yard (SS13)

Black Bag - Yard

Faux Leather Skinnies - Zara

Black Arizona Birkenstocks

Grey Vest - Boden (SS13)

Star Jumper - Hush

Black Bag - Nat & Nin at Yard

So are leather leggings/trousers a style staple in your wardrobe and do you wear them all year round? What is your favourite way to style them? As always I love to hear from you...

Next on the blog: My outfit to go out for lunch for my Dad's 70th birthday!

Until next time!

Abbi x

Outfit Post: Drystar Waterproof Jacket

Last Saturday was so wet and windy in Dorset, and while I would never wish for this sort of weather, it was very timely for the arrival of my new waterproof jacket.

When Drystar got in touch last week to see if I would like to review one of their raincoats I didn't hesitate! The brand was born after the founders, Jo and Helen, spent hours and hours shopping for the perfect waterproof for festivals, but decided to design their own after they were all either too short, too shapeless, too noisy, too sporty or too flimsy.

The result is a lightweight raincoat  at a very reasonable £59.99, that is both practical and super stylish - they are beautifully designed and come in a fabulous choice of metallic colours:

I found it really hard to choose a colour as they all gorgeous, but my love of all things pink won in the end:

Waterproof Jacket - c/o Drystar

Spotty Chambray Shirt - GAP (SS13)

Star Print Jeans - Karen Millen (SS14)

Logo Sweat - Whistles (SS14)

Victoria Pumps from Yard

The jacket arrived in the post, just as I was leaving for work in torrential rain, so I immediately swapped my navy blue winter raincoat for my shiny new summer one! Not only can I confirm that it's 100% waterproof, but I was also impressed with how incredibly lightweight it is, perfect for staying dry at summer festivals in the event of a downpour, and easy to pack for camping holidays.

This is how the jacket looks zipped up, I love the flattering shape:

It also has a stylish collar and hood - perfect to throw on for the school run if it starts pouring:

They have thought of every little detail - I love the roll-back sleeves and rose gold zip that matches my Olivia Burton watch:

I also wore it later that day to take my little boys to see the cygnets at Abbotsbury Swannery, just a few miles up the coast from us. I love this photo that my husband took:

The jacket also matches the pink in my wellies:

And wearing it again over the Bank Holiday weekend with boyfriend jeans from True Religion, stripy tee from Gap and Hush scarf:

I have worn the jacket every day since it arrived on Saturday, so I think that tells you how much I love it! Waterproofs are usually so functional, but with this one you can look good and stay dry!

So would you wear one of these jackets to a festival this summer? Which is your favourite colour? If you want to check out the collection, you can go to www.drystar.co.uk

As always I love to hear from you!

Abbi x

Style Trend: Ladylike Lace

I was working in London last week and staying in a hotel just off Oxford Street, the perfect location for a quick whizz round the shops. What surprised me most was the amount of lace on offer - I knew it was a big trend for spring/summer, but it seemed to be literally everywhere from tops to jackets and trousers to accessories! I had something to exchange in one of my favourite shops Anthropologie (and I could only exchange!), and fell in love with this irresistible top:

Anthropologie Pieced Petal Top £108

Even though it was chilly all weekend I just had to wear it out on Saturday evening, when we met friends for dinner in Lyme Regis, and paired it with my cropped faux leather trousers from Zara and leopard print heels from Boden (ancient). It's such a feminine top, so wearing it with leather trousers or ripped jeans toughens up the overall look:

I adore the delicate sleeves:

Annoyingly I later this saw very similar one in Zara. I keep telling myself that mine must be much better quality and will last so much longer, but actually there is hardly any difference:

Zara Guipure Lace T-Shirt £29.99

I also liked this versatile lace top from Mint Velvet that could be worn casually during the day or dressed up for the evening:

Mint Velvet Cream Teardrop Lace Tee £69

And a gorgeous pale pink version from Boden, currently reduced in price (it also comes in navy):

Boden Sophie Lace Top £50.15

If you prefer long sleeves, Topshop has this simple sweater for a relaxed off duty look:

Topshop Lace Sweat £40

And another gorgeous version from Warehouse:

Warehouse Lace Sweat £38

And I adored this vest from New Look which I would wear under a blazer paired with boyfriend jeans:

New Look Cream Crotchet Vest £17.99

For something more sophisticated I adored this lace pencil skirt from Topshop, which would look amazing with a white cotton or chambray shirt tucked in, to dress it down:

Topshop Lace Pencil Skirt £60

And if you like to show more skin, this sheer fabric is a good way to do it, while still staying stylish:

ASOS Midi Skirt in Floral Lace £50

And a sheer midi skirt in white stripy lace from Warehouse:

Warehouse Lace Stripe Skirt £50

There are also lots of lacy trousers around and I kind of like them! I loved these jeans from Karen Millen as the lace print is so subtle:

Karen Millen Lace Print Skinny Jean £99

And finally, I saw so many lace clutch bags, but this one from River Island really caught my eye, it would add a fabulous pop of colour to a neutral outfit:

River Island Lime Lace Box Clutch Bag £30

So have you been tempted by anything lacy this spring? As always, I would love to hear from you!

Next time on the blog, a review of a fabulous waterproof jacket!

Abbi x

Style trend: Slogan Sweaters

Slogan tees and sweatshirts are around for another season and as the last couple of days in Dorset have been so chilly, I've had the perfect chance to wear my new Logo sweater from Whistles:

They are a total marmite fashion item but I am beyond pleased with it, and am wearing it here with a chambray shirt from GAP, patchwork jeans from Karen Millen and Victoria pumps from Yard. I'm particularly pleased with how they look with the patchwork jeans, as they have been harder to style than I thought! It's a great off duty look for the weekend, but I think it would also look great with a midi skirt and heels. A couple of others from Whistles also caught my eye:

Whistles Je Ne Regrette Rien Sweat £75

And I love the colour of this one:

Whistles Je Voudrais Sweatshirt £75

I was working in London this week and saw lots of Logo sweats and tees on my travels. If I could choose another one it would have to be the one I spotted in the window of J.Crew:

J. Crew Mon Cheri Sweatshirt £65

And I love everything about this next one by Zoe Karssen - the colour, the ombre effect, the shoulder detail:

Zoe Karssen Sweatshirt £105

And a cheaper option in a beautiful pastel blue colour:

Dorothy Perkins Blue Love Sweater £18

Topshop also have a fantastic selection - starting with this grid stitch sweater, I adore the lilac colour:

Topshop Daisy Motif Jumper £36

And this one in grey is gorgeous:

Pretty Motif Jumper £36

Zara has this lovely pale pink one at such a fantastic price:

Zara Sweatshirt With Text Design £19.99

And a tee from Zara that would be fantastic to wear on our little boat in the summer:

Zara Printed T-Shirt £12.99

And I really like this understated but chic sweatshirt from Mango - would look great at the weekend with harems or boyfriend jeans:

Mango Fine Day Cotton Sweatshirt £29.99

And finishing with a very appropriate T-Shirt from New Look - I want it!

New Look Grey fashion Blogger Slogan T-shirt £7.99

Hope everyone's having a lovely weekend

Abbi x

My week of wearing Stella & Dot Jewellery!

I had heard of Stella & Dot jewellery and admired it a couple of times in magazines, but had never seen it in the flesh, so I was thrilled when Jacqui, a Stella & Dot stylist for the Dorset area, got in touch with me to see if I would like to borrow some pieces from her collection. Hmmm, let me think about that for a second!

Obviously I said yes, and have had a wonderful week trying them all out, even if I have looked a bit overly blinged for things like the school run! Luckily, I've also had some occasions to wear it properly and the first was last weekend when I styled a gorgeous dress that I had been sent to review by Allium B. Jacqui suggested the Mallorca Pendant (£65) to match the dress and she was right, the boho style of the necklace ties in beautifully with the retro Liberty print:

I also selected the Amelie Sparkle Bracelet (£35) to match my beloved Olivia Burton watch. Don't they look perfect together? I really won't want to give this back at the end of the week!

Another gorgeous bracelet is the Renegade Stretch Bracelet (£45). I am wearing it in gold below but it also comes in rose gold, which would look stunning stacked against the Amelie Sparkle:

The Nancy Studs (£19) also match the Amelie Sparkle bracelet beautifully:

My well known love of statement necklaces also led me to choose the colourful Elodie Necklace £75

I love bold necklaces with stripes and I wore it for a barbecue on Sunday with my striped midi dress from Whistles last summer:

The colours in the necklace are so pretty and I teamed it later in the week with a grey ruffled tee and green chinos:

Another stunning statement necklace that Jacqui showed me is this one from the summer collection:

Coral Cay Necklace £80

It has matching fan earrings where you can remove the bottom tiers and wear them as a single drop:

Coral Cay Earrings £45

I also fell in love with the Sutton Necklace (£110), a more modern statement necklace - I adore the
sparkle on it!

This is actually an incredibly versatile necklace as it can be worn as a statement like I am wearing it above or it can be worn long like this:

You can also wear it long or short without the sparkle strand or the sparkle strand can be worn alone like this:

For those who prefer something more delicate, Stella & Dot has some really unique pieces and there are so many to choose from. I loved wearing these two silver bracelets together - the Arrison Stretch (£25) and the Radiance Coil Bracelet (£25).

And for a daintier necklace this one is really cute, either worn on its own or layered with a longer chain:

On The Mark Necklace £40

After studying the entire collection (at length!) I have also got my eye on the two statement necklaces below, both stunning:

Pegasus Necklace £170

I would like to wear the Pegasus above with a black jumpsuit that I may have purchased for a 40th birthday party next month!

And I'd love this one below to take on holiday:

The Stone Sutton £145

The Stone Sutton can be worn in multiple ways like the Sutton necklace featured previously. It would be perfect worn long over a maxi dress!

I could literally go on and on about this fabulous jewellery, but that is probably enough from me! I do get to keep a little something from the collection though and will report back (still deciding!).

Do you have a favourite? I would love to hear which one..

A huge thank you to Jacqui for lending me her collection. If you would like to order any Stella & Dot jewellery please go to www.stelladot.co.uk/jacs
If you would like to host a Stella & Dot party at your home and enjoy free shopping, you can get in touch with Jacqui at jacquiemma@gmail.com. It's a bit like a pop-up shop at your house combined with an online shopping event, where Jacqui would bring her display and style tips for a fun and casual evening. All you would have to do is invite your friends!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Abbi x