Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts

WANTED: Fashion advice please!!

It's not often that I get to seriously dress up but Crimbo is coming which means parties and events are heading our way too! 

Our work's Christmas do is going to be at ACC in Liverpool for the exciting Cirque de Lumiere event. There's going to be aerial dancers, light-shows that promise to be spectacular, a tantilisingly tempting 3 course meal, complete with bacon butties at midnight to soak up the bucket loads of alcohol undoubtedly consumed! Oh, I mustn't forget to mention the dodgems and waltzers too!!

This is a classy affair, so that means no jeans or the tunic/leggings combo. Now, where this easy for the men; chuck on a classic 3 button suit and boom, sorted! It's a tough one for me, who usually does just wear trousers to the office. 

I've managed to order an amazing peplum tuxedo dress from Scarlett & Jo that looks AMAZING (without blowing my own trumpet, like!), but my question to you guys is... what shoes??

Can you come up with anything better?

The model on Scarlett & Jo's site looks awesome with her t-bar style shoes but I'm not sure this would suit me. I'm way to short for this. I was toying with the idea of a classic pointed court shoe but thought it would look slightly outdated?  Strappy shoes could work but they tend to have very slim heels and I would much rather a platform or chunky heel for comfort. Not wearing heels all that often means that when I do, I hurt, and I hurt badly, on the balls of my feet!! 

Another thing... colour? Do I go for black, as per the dress, and team with festive gold accessories? Or do I go for something to make my outfit 'pop', like an emerald green shoe and/or bag?

Tights or bare legs?

OMG, someone help me. One thing I'm certain of though is that my hair will be up and out of the way, although all advice is welcomed, you guys!!
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The Summer Sale’s Autumn Wardrobe.

End of summer sale shopping. Now is the most perfect time to be stocking up. Not quite winter woolly weather, the summer ranges on offer are still great for layering during the autumn season. 

A couple of weeks ago, my mate Steph was telling me how managed to get a whole wardrobe of stuff from New Look for just thirty odd pound. "Most of them were a quid" she smugly advised. All I could think was - how is she finding these sale items?! I even laughed it off and suggested it was merely 30 pairs of knickers she managed to bag! I can't be the only one who's noticed that the sales never end when it comes to knickers? Nope. All legit outer clothing.

Myself and Steph

Whilst this excites me, (seriously, fill my wardrobe up, right now) half the battle is thinking of which online shop I want to browse in, never mind heading to their clearance section and drilling down to items or size required etc. By the time I find a shop's range I like, I've been way too late to join in with the fun, with the most unpopular sizes of items left in stocks.

 So, how do we 'do' the Autumn wardrobe easily, which a) won't cost the earth, or b) waste hours of your life whilst trying? With these 3 simple rules, that's how...

Layering

Firstly, use what you have in already. Simples. All them vest tops - use them! With the likes of cold shoulder shirts that were rocking the summer looks, they will give that extra body warmth needed, without being swamped in woollens. If you don't have enough (seriously?) use something like Lyst to find the cheapest 'on sale' available online - don't browse individual stores sales sections. Why pay a fiver a pop when they're available elsewhere for a quid? A vest is a vest, it doesn't require serious investment.

Layering scarves, vests, net jumpers: perfect Autumn style!

Scarves

Using scarves keep the chill off of your chest, and they're much easier to take off if you do get too warm. Better than this though, you can completely change the look of one outfit several times over, just by changing the scarf you wear with it. I'm not talking about woolly ones here either, go for a lightweight, brightly coloured or printed one like these from Accessorize.

Wingz AND a scarf!


 Wingz

This is the third time I've mentioned Wingz on my blog. I posted about them this time last year and they still remain one of my go-to items, transforming short sleeve shirts into layered looking long sleeve tops. So versatile, from plain black jersey style like mine in the picture above, to red chiffon angel sleeves to add a touch of glamour, there is definitely an option for you. 


I’ve written time and time again about how Autumn is my favourite fashion season and it’s all down to the fact that you don’t need a new wardrobe.  Just recycle, re-vamp and revitalise the summer pieces!

What’s your favourite fashion season and how do you prepare for it? 


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Boohookids - Our Review

Having recently been asked to work with Boohoo Kids, it's safe to say that Carson is feeling a bit spesh this week and, boy, do I know about it.

This week has been all about 'look at me mum' and 'is this a good pose mum?', not to mention the bazillion photo's and selfies being taken, deleted, re-taken, filtered and edited.

You may detect a hint of annoyance in my tone but, in reality, I love it. I've got such a lovely little man in the house and who cares if he takes himself a little seriously like when he does Carson's Corner? I think that's awesome (albeit in small doses!).

Anyway, first up is outfit number one...


The Smart Look.

We ordered a striped polo (£5) and some skinny jeans (£14). From a mum's point of view, they feel good, look good and wash well. The jeans are very, very long conpared to others I've ever bought in his size but we fashioned that out by adding the turn-ups to his outfit.



On to outfit number 2...


The Casual Look.

Here, being the Halloween week when we ordered, he opted for a skull tee (£4) and space dye joggers (£10). Again, the quality is second to none. Really pleased with the look and feel but the tee did come up quite short for the sizing. So it seems to be a bit of a running theme in that the sizing isn't streamlined. That being said, Carson was able to just about get away it and it didn't interfere with his street cred!



All in all the order amounted to £33 and I'm genuinely chuffed with having two full outfits out of it. Delivery should have been £4.99 however there was an offer on when I ordered which gave me next day delivery free of charge. Bonus! 

Carson's parting view...

"Brilliant. The striped top and jeans were comfy and felt really good. I liked the joggers, they were warm and let me run around easily. The skull top was a bit itchy feeling but I think that's because it was shorter and tighter than normal to be honest. I have been very happy working with BoohooKids thank you to them, and I want some more of their stuff now please Mum, haha! Bye bye" 


Happy mum. Happy Carson! 

boohooKids is all about fun and stylish age appropriate fashion for children from ages 5-6 to 11-12, across both girls and boys clothing.

Have you shopped the range before? What did you think?


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Why Autumn is my favourite fashion season.

That heatwave ended pretty dramatically didn't it? Some of those storms were absolutely incredible, if a little terrifying I must admit. So summer is drawing to an end and it's nearing my favourite time of year - Autumn.

Breathing in the crisp , fresh morning air whilst crunching the fallen auburn shaded leaves underfoot. Oh, and layers!

This time last year, blouse and jumper time!

Ahh yes, layers, my absolute favourite way to dress. There's no need for the winter coats yet, people. Unless, of course, the flushed and melted make-up face is the look you're aiming for? You see for me, autumn isn't necessarily cold, but definitely changable. More winds, more rain, but definitely still pretty decent mid-teen temparatures.

Layering is the ultimate in practical versality, keeping you warmer when those winds are blowing a gale but giving the freedom to cool down discreetly and stylishly when required.


One of my favourite ways to do this is by investing in one or two staple knits and pairing them with vests or a tee underneath. Opt for a blouse for a more professional outfit at the office. Choosing high quality knitwear will last throughout the season without bubbling or stretching. *Hint* if choose single coloured styles they're super easy to accessorise and for dressing both up and down.

All the layers! Vest, net knit and scarf

Dress scarves are also incredibly handy when it comes to layering. Drape around the neck, un-fastened for a cool accessory-like feel, or loop around for some extra warmth around the neck and chest areas.

Another of my favourites is something I've blogged about before - Wingz. If you can't bear to part with your summer wardrobe just yet, then wingz add sleeves to any top, instantly. There's so many styles to choose from that you will never have a problem matching them to your favourite dress or swing vest.

So many options!! I'm looking forward to the cooler days now, I really am. I can't be the only one either, surely? Tell me how you feel about losing the warm weather.

Do you have any tips of your own to get through Autumn that you'd like to share?


*A collaborative post, in partnership with David Nieper
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Plus Size Skater Dresses from Simply Be

Sometimes it's all about knowing what clothing makes you comfortable, others it's about what looks great, all too throwing comfort way out the window. For my size, it's not often I get to have both at the same time, I must confess.

JD Williams asked me if I'd like to try a size 18 outfit to feature on the blog and that I could choose what I wanted as long as it included a skater dress. Now I love a skater dress as much as I love a challenge so I wasn't about to turn this down. Off I headed to have a nose...

Photo: Simply Be
The problem with high street shopping in the summer is that the ranges tend to offers items without sleeves and at shorter lengths. Not at Simply Be, part of the JD Williams group.

This particular skater dress just absolutely jumped out at me. Long bubble sleeves to hide my arms, the length is perfect to wear with leggings or, if I'm feeling incredibly brave then also with bare legs. Given that the model is wearing this with tights and boots, I'm figuring this dress to be a versatile and, no doubt, staple piece. It's currently on sale from £45 to £31.50.


To style this dress for the summer months, I opted for a pair of full length, high waisted, leggings and the beautiful flats pictured on my instagram above.  I have fallen in love with these shoes, so very badly, and they really do look lovely with the dress. Perfect for an afternoon drink out and about, or even for the office. They took a few outings to wear in though (thank you Compeed!). These beauties are currently £28.
"Woven material pumps with statement jewelled embellishments on the toe cap. The golden heel and pointed toe offer an edge that simple ballerina pumps can't." 
SOLE DIVA POINTY TOE PUMPS EXTRA WIDE EEE FIT.
An alternative styling suggestion would be to team the dress with 3/4 leggings and some spangly sandles. Comfort at it's best, I can do my shopping in style, walk along the prom with the kids without worrying that the breeze coming at me head on is making my muffin top all the more obvious, and I can keep my cool. Hot feet are just the worst aren't they?
Photo: Simply Be

In a stunning rose gold colour, I managed to obtain 4 compliments in my first 2 outings wearing these sandles. The sun catches the curves of the beaded detail and adds an awesome sparkle to your feet. They're currently £20.

Unfortunately for me, the sole of these particular sandles came away completely during the 3rd wear and looking at their reviews on the site, it would appear I'm not the only one to have experienced this. That being said, let's not allow this to take away from such a beautiful piece of clothing in the dress.


I've described two ways to wear it in this post, plus the way it's styled in the catalogue image too. So... I'm off to find some knee highs now!

To check out the full range of plus size skater dresses head on over to Simply Be now.


So, what do you think?


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No More Bingo Wingz This Summer!

Yes, the summer season means getting my 'bingo wings' out or risk sweating to death. Okay, so I exaggerate... slightly. 

Seriously though, I do have flabby arms and a rather unsightly birthmark there too. It makes me feel self conscious in vests or short sleeved tops as it is, but if I threw a cardigan on to hide myself, I would literally be a soggy sweaty mess. Eww!! Sometimes you just want to cover up without the heat of the extra layer, which is why I jumped at the chance to review some white, half sleeved Wingz.

I reviewed Wingz last year, but they were the black, long sleeved ones so not particularly suitable for a scorching hot summer's day. I've been keeping those for chilly evenings or, quite simply, adding full coverage to a sleeveless garment.

Feeling fresh but a little exposed with my arms on show.

At first I was apprehensive when it came to checking out my wardrobe for what would 'go' with my new Wingz. Could anything other than a vest 'use' white half sleeves? Well... as you can see from the image above, I jumped straight into the deep end and tried my capped sleeve top on and took the before picture. I'll be honest that, in my mind, the Wingz wouldn't go with this style tee. 

I Speak Fluent Chic!

I was sooo wrong! It seems that Wingz will literally go with anything, regardless of how you imagine it to look beforehand. So far as overall quality and comfort go, my view remains the same as last year: comfortable, stylish, no digging in or obvious lines across the back. It's really not much different to wearing a bra. 

For just £9, these white half sleeved Wingz are truly an essential fashion accessory, boosting the versatility of anyone's wardrobe. Less than a tenner, people!!


If you don't like tight monochrome coloured sleeves, Wingz offer a huge array of flared, coloured/patterned or even lace designs so it's worth checking them out over on wingzfashion.com.

Wingz are also on facebook and twitter so go check them out for news, reviews and offers.

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Win a Pair of Wingz!

I told you all about the ability to transform your summer wardrobe using just one fashion item in my recent post "Transform short sleeves to long with Wingz"

I have teamed up with Wingz to offer one of you lovely readers a pair of your choice (max value £20). Can I get a whoop whoop!

Image: Wingz Fashion.
There are so many to choose from including bat winged, lace, chiffon, 3/4 or full length, the list goes on and on.


From UK sizes 6-28, they cater for a variety of women. So instead of buying an entire new winter wardrobe, how about just using what you have, with the help of a pair of Wingz?

Enter via the rafflecopter widget below - Good luck!!

Complete all entries to unlock a free entry that can be entered daily!
All entries will be checked and verified. 
Any entries deemed to be false will be removed prior to the draw. 
Closes: 07/12/2014 at 11.59pm. 
Winner agrees to details being passed to Wingz in order for the prize to be fulfilled.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com -
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Transform short sleeves to long with Wingz.

Just because it's getting a little colder, doesn't mean you need an entire new winter wardrobe? Subtle additions mean you can still wear your fave summer pieces, even on a cold day.

I'm talking about Wingz; an innovative new product providing arm coverage for almost any sleeveless top or dress. 

My fave summer top has no sleeves, it hangs beautifully covering my 'mum tum' and has a cute crocheted peter-pan collar but I truly hate my flabby arms. So I end up wearing a jacket meaning you can't see much of the collar detail. A shame, but it was something I was used to and just accepted that my arms wouldn't be on show. 

Wearing Wingz the other night for a family meal, you can see that it looks like a long sleeve top and that the back of the collar is visible! My mum thought it was a new top all together and couldn't believe how a top can change so much with the addition of sleeves. 

Top: With Wingz (mum & sisters too!) // Bottom Left: Same top without Wingz
The fact that Wingz are worn under your clothes is fantastic for the colder months because you can still layer your clothes. 

Take this morning for example, I took Carson to school wearing the outfit below left, with a cardigan and a shower-proof jacket. Don't know what I was thinking, it's far too cold for that today! So I got home and added the Wingz, it really adds extra warmth without hindering the opportunity to layer with other over-garments.



The under-bust elastic was comfortable, didn't dig in and was barely noticable. I found that when wearing with a deep bra (i.e. 3 or 4 hooks deep as opposed to 1 or 2 hooks deep) it posed a couple of slipping issues at the back however I figured out how to overcome this - Put your bra on over the top of the Wingz, so you're enclosing the elastic inside. (Or just don't wear deep bras, simples!)

I chose the Black Stretch Full Length Fitted Wingz (£16.99) to review but there are so many options from bat-wing, to chiffon, to cotton, to lace. Whatever your summer dress or top, you're sure to be able to find a style that suits. 

Retailing from £9.99 I would say they are good value, nay, great value. You're adding a new dimension to an already-there wardrobe for less that twenty quid, rather than going out and buying a whole new winter wardrobe.

You can find Wingz on facebook, twitter or at their website www.wingzfashion.com 


*I was sent the above sample free of charge for purpose of review.
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Tiffany Rose: Not Just For Bumps! #WIN

You may remember, I was lucky enough to choose and review a Tiffany Rose dress of my choice when I was feeling pretty down on how my bump was hard to style. I'd never felt more glam, despite that 'ready to burst' inevitability. Check out the original review here before reading on.

You're probably wondering why I'm still buzzing about their beautiful range of dresses, given that I've not been pregnant for nearly 5 months now. Well, as my husband predicted in my first review, you really don't need to have a bump for these dresses to look incredible. The fact that they are 'no fuss' in terms of zips/buttons etc, mean they can comfortably mould to your shape, without exposing any unwanted lumps/bumps due to the high quality modesty lining.

Check this picture out below, the Eden Gown in Arabian Nights (RRP £169) both with and without a bump.


I adore my gown and I'm waiting for an occasion to wear it again. (What can I say, it's too good for the grocery shopping) I have a very important meal to attend towards the end of October so I'll wear it then. I'm going to feel and look just as good as I did at 35 weeks pregnant... Only this time, without the waddle and the ability to strut my stuff!

The New Arrivals are in at Tiffany Rose and I have been super lucky enough to offer one of my readers a prize. Not just any old prize, oh no.... One winner can choose a dress of their choice to the value of £180. Yep! One of you lovelies can get your hands on one of these brilliant gowns. All you need to do is complete the following via the Rafflecopter widget below:

Visit Tiffany Rose and comment on this post with the link/title of the dress you wish to receive should you be the luck winner.
Please also tell me why you have chosen that dress. 
THIS ENTRY IS MANDATORY. 

Amelia Dress (£169)
My fave from the new arrivals would probably be this beautiful Amelia Lace Dress, in black. A timeless classic for any event. Just gutted I can't enter this giveaway myself now!

Extra entries can be gained for the following:
1. Like Tiffany Rose via Facebook
2. Follow Tiffany Rose on Twitter
3. Like Coming from Carson's Mummy on Facebook
4. Follow me on Twitter
5. Comment on the original review with your thoughts on the Eden Gown
6. Tweet about the giveaway
7. Share the giveaway
8. Follow my blog for more news, reviews and general excitement.
9. Follow Tiffany Rose on Pinterest
10. Follow me on Pinterest

Winner's details will be passed on to Tiffany Rose in order for the prize to be fulfilled. Giveaway closes at 11.59pm Friday 24th October. Any incomplete entries will not be counted. THIS IS OPEN WORLDWIDE!

Good luck!






OfferOasis.co.uk - Competitions and Freebies in the UK Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com - Competitions UK at AllUKCompetitions.com
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Keep ya' pants on and WIN with Easybelts

Carson is more academic than a physical kind of boy! He was the last in his class to learn how to jump or zip his coat and he battles with buttons too. So, complex fashion accessories like belts are an absolute no-no for this little dude.

Until, that is, we heard about Easybelts. A velcro belt that's fit for little hands to do do up themselves.

We were kindly offered the chance to take a look at one and were asked to choose a design we liked, so I called Carson to the lappy and let him browse the styles. They're available in a variety of designs and colours - from plain black to multi-striped with a feature image such as footballs or racing cars. He spent AGES looking through and eventually decided on the brown striped racing car design. Unlike clothes, these belts don't come in age sizes, but waist sizes. This makes perfect sense as, if your littl'un is anything like mine, there's always issues with leg:waist ratio in clothes! There is also an option of a standard or larger D-Ring, depending on how much ease the wearer needs in getting the belt through.

As soon as it arrived, it was like a party in our house! Never seen Carson so excited, LOL. He's got to review this belt for "the internet friends" of mine! He chose his outfit that would match the brown stripes of the belt and got started, all by himself. Funnily enough he chose a pair of shorts that are drawstring which always fall down - the reason they do, is because I can't tighten them for him as he can't undo knots, meaning a potential disaster at toilet time!!

Check out his handy work with the Easybelt...


Apart from him being ridiculously proud of himself for doing it up by himself, he was thrilled about the car design too, asking me to make sure his top was tucked in for all to see.

Moody Catalogue Pose!
And cue the "Am I Handsome?" pose too...

Handsome?
I asked Carson for his review and these are his actual words...
" It was quite good you know. I put it through the hole (D-Ring) and tightened it up and fastened the velcro myself. The style was a car and I thought it was going to be a tiny car when I chose it on the computer but really it was gigantic so I looked very swish indeed. I thought I couldn't really do a belt but I could with my car belt. With that belt now, all the ladies will love me." - Carson, age 5.
Big head!

Seriously though, I'd recommend Easybelts for any young child. They're thick so not likely to snag or fray and they are easily wiped with a cloth to clean too.  They also offer teen and adult sizes for those with difficulty in buckle & pin belts in general. Handy for any arthritis suffers, or similar.

Easybelts retail at around £6-£7 each and you can view the entire range HERE at Easybelts website. They'd love you to follow them on Twitter or like them on facebook too, I'm sure. Go say hi!

In conclusion, I think they're brilliant and I think you get the picture that Carson does too.

What do you think?

We've been given the opportunity to offer 3 of you lovely lot a chance to win a child's belt of your choice, simply enter via the rafflecopter widget below to register your chances and keep those fingers crossed! Competition closes at 11:59pm on 22nd August. GOOD LUCK GUYS!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER: Carson was offered a belt free of charge for the purposes of review. All opinions stated are my own - honest and open as always, and Carson's - fishing for compliments, as always!

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com
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