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

Introducing Oliveira Shoes

Last week I was contacted by Maria Oliveira, designer of a fun and sophisticated collection of 'toe post' shoes, to choose a pair to review. I don't wear heels that often, so was really excited to be able to choose something different, and the Oliveira designs are totally unique as well as stunning! They are currently sold online at http://www.oliveira.uk.com, with free delivery and free returns.

The company was launched two years ago after a trip to Sri Lanka inspired Maria to design her own shoe collection.  Combining elegant style and comfort, Maria designed a range of toe posts and had them made in Sri Lanka, working with suppliers who meet all ethical standards, as she wanted to give something back to the country that gave her the inspiration.

The shoes arrived beautifully packaged, in a specially designed box made from clear plastic with a drawer that opens at one end:

I now want to keep all my shoes in boxes like this - I might actually be able to find them! Luckily, you can order extra shoe boxes from Oliveira, perfect if your shoes are currently in a big heap at the bottom of the wardrobe, like mine.

So which ones did I choose? There are so many different styles in the collection, I was spoilt for choice! In the end, I opted for the Rosario in red to go with a sundress that Allium B sent me last week - as you can see the colour matched perfectly:

Rosario shoes - Oliveira

Orla Sundress - Allium B

White Cardi - Uniqlo

Marbella Pendant - Stella & Dot

Bag - Nat & Nin at Yard

The shoes are handmade in the softest leather and are so comfortable - the heel (three inches) isn't too high for me, so I would actually be able to wear these all day!

And here are some others that caught my eye, starting with these gorgeous sparkly ones that would be suitable for a more special occasion:

Columbo

And I'm sure I could find a home in my wardrobe for some more leopard print:

Lisboa

These are such a fun alternative for the beach, I would get lots of wear out of these in the summer holidays when we tend to go to the beach most days:

Galle

And finishing with my absolute favourite, the Olivellies in leopard! How perfect would these be in autumn/winter for all the Dorset beaches and woodland walks?

Olivellies Leopard

Check out the collection at http://www.oliveira.uk.com

Maria has very kindly offered my readers a 10% discount across the entire range. Just enter ABBI at the checkout.

Next time on the blog: A review of a stunning collection of Stella & Dot jewellery.

Thank you for reading!

Abbi x

Outfit Post: Allium B Sundress

I love it when a plan comes together, and it did last weekend when Allium B sent me one of their sundresses to review, on the hottest weekend of the year so far!

For those of you who don't know the brand, Allium B was created just over two years ago by sisters Clare and Mary, who joined forces after years of working in the fashion industry to make a collection of beautiful, well cut dresses in flattering colours.

I chose one of their gorgeous Liberty print dresses - the Orla

It really is the perfect sundress - the crisp cotton fabric and ditsy print give the dress a cool, retro feel and the straps are wide enough to hide your bra! It's a timeless dress that could be worn year after year and never date. I also think I could wear this dress anywhere - to the beach worn with flip flops and a simple tote bag, with pumps and a denim jacket thrown over for the school run, or dressed up with a little cardi and elegant jewellery to go out for lunch.

As the weather was so fabulous at the weekend, I headed to West Bay beach, just a mile from where I live, to take some photos. The dramatic, towering cliffs are easily recognisable as the stunning setting for the BBC drama Broadchurch:

The sundress is perfect for wearing to the beach, it's not too long or too short:

Pair with a denim jacket if it starts to get to chilly:

Dress up with glamourous heels, a jacket or cardi and elegant jewellery to go out for lunch:

Sunglasses: Oakley SS14

Cardigan: Uniqlo SS14

Cross Body Bag: Nat & Nin at Yard

Watch: Olivia Burton at Yard

Amelie Sparkle Bracelet and Mallorca Pendant c/o Stella & Dot 

Rosario shoes - c/o Oliveira

I am already planning to wear this dress on holiday in August and to my Dad's 70th birthday lunch at the end of this month at a restaurant on this very beach!

Thank you so much to Clare and Mary for sending it to me! They are also offering an exclusive discount for all my readers - 20% off all dresses (excluding sale) until 30/7/14. Just go to www.alliumb.com and enter DORSET at the checkout.

To help you, here are some of my favourites:

This one is so pretty, in another gorgeous Liberty print:

Eliza Dress

And one that could easily take you from day to night, in a stunning inky midnight blue. I love the sheer sleeves and vintage style beaded collar:

Alexa Dress

And finally I adore the cobalt colour of this beautiful dress and the detailed statement neckline:

Catherine Dress

Coming up on the blog this week:

A review of a fabulous range shoes of shoes by Oliveira and a review of a stunning collection of jewellery by Stella & Dot.

Big thank you to my brother-in-law Ed for taking the photos, not sure he will be volunteering for that job again!

Thank you for reading.
Abbi x

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