Outfit Post: Damart Spring/Summer Collection

A week ago I didn't really know very much about Damart, other than it's famous for thermals and has specialised in fashion for the senior market for over sixty years. So I was quite surprised when they got in touch with me, asking me to choose something from their spring/summer collection to review. That is, until they explained that while their core market is still predominantly the more mature age group, they are also trying to attract younger women. As part of this effort, they have produced a fabulous look book here which shows off some of the key pieces of the range, and many of them could be worn by women of all ages.

I was honestly spoilt for choice, and in the end I couldn't choose between a trench coat and a stripy Breton top, so Damart sent me both! Trench coats are perfect for this time of year, and this one is lovely and lightweight and comes in a black and white dogtooth pattern, perfect for nailing the monochrome trend that is so popular at the moment:

Damart Trench Coat £35

It is very reasonably priced, especially as you would get so much wear out of it - smart enough to wear to work but would also look fabulous paired with jeans at the weekend for a more laid back look.

Here I am wearing it for the first time yesterday:

Trench Coat c/o Damart

Pink top - Cos SS13

Pink bag - Nat & Nin at yard

Black Double Zip Jeans - Mint Velvet AW13

Silver Slingbacks - Next SS14

And here's how it looks belted:

I love the pop of pink against the monochrome trench:

Now for the Breton top! Everyone knows by now how much I love my stripy tops, but I don't have one in red, so this one really caught my eye. The jersey fabric is so soft and comfortable, and it's such a timeless classic to have in your wardrobe - I plan to wear it lots this summer with either red or white jeans. And even better, it's only £19!

Stripy top c/o Damart

Red Jeans - Topshop SS12

Grey pumps by Victoria at Yard

Here are some other gorgeous pieces from the range that I could so easily have chosen, starting with this stylish reptile print blouse:

And I adore this floral blazer, so on trend:

And back to my favourite monochrome trend, I love the pop of colour from the red shoes:

So, did you know that Damart are aiming for a younger market? They are on my radar now and it's definitely worth checking them out!

Next time on the blog I will be showing off a beautiful dress that I've been sent to review!

Have a fabulous weekend in the sunshine!

Abbi x

The Perfect Everyday Dress For Summer!

Apparently a mini heatwave is set to make its way across the UK this weekend, a chance to finally slip into the no-fuss wonder that is the everyday dress. A great summer dress is a wardrobe staple all season and makes warm weather dressing so easy, even if you just style it simply with sandals and a denim jacket. Light, airy and stylish, an everyday dress takes all of ten seconds to throw on, perfect if you are in a permanent rush like me!

It's also ideal for holidays, as it's a whole outfit on its own - just change the look of the dress with footwear, from wedges, to flip flops, pumps or strappy sandals.

Luckily, I already have my perfect everyday dress for the summer from Uniqlo, in a soft jersey fabric, and I'm so pleased with it that I actually did a little dance when it arrived! It's described as a maxi dress on the website, but it's definitely not as long as most maxi dresses and is more like a longer midi dress. Even better, it's a bargaintastic £14.90, so you could have one in every colour! Without further ado here it is:

Uniqlo Slub Short Sleeve Dress £14.90

The slubby cotton fabric would work well for casual days, but it could be easily dressed up with jewellery or a summer scarf for something more special. The tie at the waist gives the dress a lovely shape. It also comes in this gorgeous blue colour:

And in dark grey:

And here I am wearing it with a cross body bag by Nat & Nin at Yard, and silver slingbacks from Next:

And styled with a denim jacket from Topshop (ancient) and butterfly print scarf from Zara (old).

And adding a statement necklace to to smarten the look:

There is also a fantastic shorter version of this dress in the same material for those of you whose legs are ready to make their debut for the season:

Uniqlo Slub Dress £14.90

A fabulous dress to take on holiday, this also comes in black and navy.

So do you have a favourite every day summer dress?  I'm hoping to wear the navy one this weekend if the sun makes an appearance. As always I  love to hear from you!

Abbi x

Outfit Post: Mango Crochet Sweatshirt

Last Friday, after the school run, I set off to pick up my Mum and stepfather from their cruise holiday. The ship was docking at Southampton and I couldn't wait to see them! It had been a strangely quiet week with my Mum away and randomly my husband was also away with my Dad in Belgium!

I had to get ready in a rush and wanted to wear my comfy uniform of boyfriend jeans, sweatshirt and ballet pumps. I also had to go straight to a work meeting later in the day, so I decided to wear this new sweatshirt from Mango. Although it's a sweater, the crotchet sleeves elevate it to something a bit more special:

Mango Crotchet Sleeve Sweatshirt £34.99

Mango have an amazing collection this spring/summer and there are so many things that I could have bought, but this was an absolute must as it really stood out.

I'm wearing it with my True Religion boyfriend jeans, Hultquist necklace from Yard and yellow snakeskin ballet shoes from Topshop:

And here is a closer look at the pretty detail on the sleeves:

And a closer look at the necklace:

I can't wait to wear it on a more summery day with the white Mango distressed jeans that I featured on the blog last week here.

Have you checked out Mango this season and has anything tempted you?

Finishing with a picture of my 70s fancy dress outfit for a party on Saturday night:

Next on the blog: The perfect summer every day dress!

Abbi x

Finding the Perfect White Jeans

I  have been looking for some white jeans for the summer and recently ordered the distressed ones that I featured on my ripped jeans post last week here.

They are the Mango Boyfriend Lonny Jeans

I have always found white denim a bit too preppy looking, so the distressing gives them a more grungy feel. They don't have to be scruffy though - I will be teaming them with my pointy slingbacks and a simple tee or sweatshirt  for a laid back look.

Whether you prefer skinnies, boyfriends, ripped or cropped jeans, here are some others in white that will be perfect as the weather warms up:

First up is this fab pair from Uniqlo, a great shop for wardrobe basics:

Uniqlo Ultra Stretch White Jeans £29.90

It you are looking for skinny white jeans, then this pair from River Island are super flattering and really hold you in!

River Island White reform Amelie Superskinny Jeans £40

I love the ripped knees on this skinny pair from Topshop and would wear them with a grey tee for a relaxed look:

Topshop White Ripped Leigh Jeans £38

And I love the zip detail on this fabulous pair of white skinnies from Mint Velvet:

Mint Velvet Optic White Skinny Jeans £59

Moving on to the boyfriend style, I would really recommend this pair from GAP:

GAP 1969 Destructed Boyfriend Jeans £49.95

I have them in a dark denim wash and they are an amazing fit.

If you don't like rips in your boyfriend jeans, then this classic pair from Whistles still look relaxed, but is a smarter version. I would wear them with sneakers or skate shoes:

Whistles Tyler Boyfriend Jeans £95

And finally, if you prefer a cropped version, this pair from White Stuff would be my choice:

White Stuff Southern Ocean Cropped Jeans £45

And finishing with a picture of me yesterday, wearing the new distressed Mango jeans with a New look vest (old) and an American Vintage fine knit top from Yard (SS13). My pointy slingbacks are from Next and the grey bag is by Nat & Nin at Yard. The Oakley sunglasses were a present from Mr DF's company, when we went to Hawaii in February. 

Have a great weekend. 

Abbi x

Spring/Summer Dresses from Yard

With a number of 40th birthdays coming up in the next few months, a summer ball in July and two weeks holiday booked in August, I have started to think about dresses.

As I don't wear dresses very often, I haven't paid much attention to the ones at Yard, so while I was working last weekend I decided to take a closer look.

This year, they have got a really fabulous collection of maxi dresses, and I will definitely be picking one for my holiday in France. So, starting off with the one below by Abe Sera, this muscle back vest in dark grey is a fantastically priced £36. I was so lucky that Holly was working with me on Saturday and agreed to model all the clothes for this post. She looks amazing in all the dresses, but this was her favourite:

Holly is wearing it with a floral rucksack by American Vintage (£200) and grey and pink beads by Bee Jewellery (£25).

Now for my favourite! I'm still deciding, but one of these will be coming on holiday with me this summer:

From left to right:
American Vintage Maxi Vest Dress in Carbon £75
American Vintage Maxi Vest Dress in Oasis £75
Part Two Stripy Dress £74.95
Part Two Dress in Blue Graphite £74.95, layered over grey S'NOB vest £34.99

And another option is this black maxi by Soaked in Luxury at £59. It features decorative lace at the back and at the shoulders and has a defined waist:

Holly is wearing it with here with a bag by Nat & Nin (£100) and a coin and seed necklace by Azuni.

If you are looking for a maxi dress for a more special occasion, the one below is absolutely stunning and would be perfect for a lazy, hazy summer's day:

Lime Maxi Dress by Darling £69

Moving on to my favourite summer staple - stripy dresses. I already have a classic stripy midi dress from Whistles that I'm going to drag out again this year, but if I needed a new one then it would have to be this black and white striped maxi from French Connection. I love the tie dye print design, which makes it a bit different:

French Connection Maxi Dress £65
Becksondergaard Tote Bag £45

And Holly looks stunning in this short stripy dress, also in black and white, from French Connection.

French Connection Jersey Dress £60
Nat & Nin Bag £145

Moving on to sundresses, I love the beautiful Liberty print of this timeless dress by Allium B. It would be suitable for so many occasions from a trip to the beach or dressed up for a party:

Allium B Sundress £95
Bag by 1951 Maison Francaise £75

Staying with Allium B, I also love the retro feel of this Liberty print dress, and it would be perfect to take on holiday. There's also a really cute skirt in the same patten!

Allium B Dress £95
American Vintage Lime Vest £35
American Vintage Grey Knit Top £75
Allium B Skirt £85

For a very laid back look I love this stylish botanical print dress from Maison Scotch:

Maison Scotch Dress £112
American Vintage Rucksack £190

And lastly, some dresses for smarter occasions:

From left to right:
The first one by American Vintage is this summer's answer to the little black dress. Simple in shape, but a real statement with sheer sleeves and shoulders and a flattering waist tie. It would look fabulous with flat sandals during the day and swap for killer heels and lots of jewellery for the evening.

If you are looking for a shirt dress for the summer months, the one in the middle from Great Plains (£50) is really comfortable and easy to dress up or down.

The last dress is perfect for a chic evening look. I would team with metallic heels and a matching clutch. Twist & Tango Dress £90

So, I have made a start on thinking about summer dresses. Have you got any special occasions this summer and have you found the perfect outfit yet?

As always, I love to hear from you!

Abbi x

My favourite spring/summer accessory!

I was so excited to receive this beautiful scarf as a present from my Mum last week:

Hush Spanish Dancer Scarf £45

 My love of scarves is well known and I am always trying to find different and unusual ones to add to my collection, but this stunning one from Hush really stands out. I had admired it in the catalogue for ages and highlighted it in my Hush wish list a few weeks ago here, but it's so much better in the flesh! I love the ruching and the pretty embroidery with the fluro pink pom pom trim!

Because it is such a statement scarf, it looks best over a simple white tee and jeans, or neutrals including pale grey. For its first outing on Friday, I wore it with a pale grey fine knit jumper from Whistles (old) and my True Religion boyfriend jeans (available here). Also making their debut are these fabulous pointy slingbacks from Next (available here).

I think this scarf will be featuring heavily on the blog in the coming weeks!

Hope everyone is having a relaxing Bank Holiday weekend!

Abbi x

Style Trend: Ripped Jeans

A year ago I didn't own a pair of ripped jeans, as I'd always dismissed them as too scruffy. But my fashion fickle self has slowly come round to the idea that they actually make a lot of the smarter things in my wardrobe so much more wearable. A good example of this is the blazer. I have one or two (ok maybe more!) but rarely wear them these days as they can look overly smart and sophisticated, even with jeans. But wearing a blazer with distressed or ripped denim can make the look much more edgy and dressed down.

This was the only excuse I needed and so I bought my first pair in the Karen Millen sale last Christmas, choosing a skinny boyfriend style in a vintage wash with a slightly distressed look, nothing too drastic! They are no longer in stock, but Karen Millen have got this pair with a similar amount of distressing, perfect if you want to start with something simple:

Karen Millen Stonewash Boyfriend Jean £115

The high street is brimming with ripped jeans at the moment, from slashed skinnies to classic distressed boyfriends. Here is my pick of the best ones:

Gap 1969 Destructed Sexy Boyfriend Jeans £49.95

I wanted a slouchier pair of boyfriend jeans with bigger tears, and purchased the GAP ones above a couple of months ago. I love the fit and can't wait to wear them in the warmer weather with a basic tee and gladiator sandals. I also like the white pair below for the summer:

Gap 1969 Destructed Sexy Boyfriend Jeans £49.95

And I love the shredded look of this faded pair, but I think this a much younger look, and for me it goes over the line of acceptable ripping!

Gap 1969 Destructed Sexy Boyfriend Jeans £44.95

Moving on to another white pair, I love the subtle look of the distressing on this pair from Mango:

Mango Boyfriend Lonny Jean £34.99

If you prefer ripped skinnies, this pair from Topshop would be my first choice - they have just the right amount of distressing, which will make them last longer than an overly ripped pair:

MOTO Authentic Skinny Ripped Jeans £42

And this pair of skinnies from Zara for a more subtle version:

Zara Ripped Skinny Jeans £29.99

And a more casual boyfriend version from Zara if you want to show more skin! Again this is too much ripping for me but I still love them!

Zara Ripped Boyfriend Jeans £39.99

Just a touch of lived-in chic in this slimmer pair from River Island:

River Island Ripped Slim Jeans £40

And I love this pair from ASOS, just ripped on one knee:

ASOS Whitby Skinny Low Rise Jeans £32

And lastly, this fantastically priced pair from H&M:

H&M Jeans Slim Fit £19.99

So, do you wear ripped jeans and if so, do you like my level of distressing or are you braver?!

This pic was from yesterday, a horribly wet day in Dorset, wearing the Karen Millen ripped slim boyfriend jeans from last year, Hush stripey vest from a couple of years ago, grey American Vintage fine knit top, scarf and Victoria Pumps all from Yard last spring/summer.

Happy Friday everyone!

Abbi x