Fashion Archives - Page 10 of 11

Back to School 2015 – M&S Sports Kit Review

10/08/2015 by Louise 27 Comments

With the new school year starting in just a few short weeks, you might be starting to think about picking up some new school uniform. So today I thought I’d talk to you about the wonderful Sports Kit that M&S kindly sent over for the kids to try.

Girls school uniform and sports kit at M&S goes up to age 16, which I was really impressed with. A lot of the places I usually shop only seem to cater for children who are still at Primary School, which is super annoying!

We picked out three things for Stacey to try : a pack of two white t-shirts, a pair of joggers and a hooded sweatshirt. The trainers with velcro straps she’s wearing in my pictures are from Shoe Zone.

2 Pack Unisex Pure Cotton T-Shirts – from £5.00
I think this 2 pack of PE T-shirts offers great value for money. They are available in 3 different colours – red, white and blue – and have short sleeves and a crew neck. I think they look really smart, and even after a couple of washes they’ve stayed white and haven’t gone dull or grey-looking. I think this shows that they are really good quality t-shirts.

Stacey is quite tall for her age – and these fit her really well, as you can see -but they may come up a little too big on smaller children. It’s not something that would bother me, as I always like her school uniform to fit for the whole year, and not just for the first couple of terms, but I realise that not everyone is the same so I thought I would mention that.

Girls Navy Cotton Rich Joggers – from £7.00
Now, Stacey isn’t usually a fan of jogging bottoms (or any type of sports wear if I’m being 100% honest), but she was over the moon with this pair of navy joggers. She’s actually worn them quite a lot this past week! Available in black and navy, these joggers are perfect for school, and running around at home. They have an elasticated waist, 2 pockets and wide waistband.

Again, I’m really impressed with the quality – the joggers are lovely and soft, and they must be comfortable because Stacey’s not complained about them once, and she always makes it known when something isn’t comfortable! I noticed that a lot of people on the M&S website were complaining that these were way too big, but I think they’re perfect. I always find that when I buy Stacey trousers or sports pants in the correct size they tend to fit nicely around the waist, but are a few inches too short, but the next size up swamps her, but these fit amazingly well – the length is just perfect for her.

Girls Navy Cotton Rich Hooded Sweatshirt – from £8.00
Stacey’s favourite item of clothing we tried out for M&S is most definitely this hooded sweatshirt. She has said that it’s super comfortable, and looks great as well. It’s available in 3 different colours – navy, black and red – and has long sleeves, a zip fastening and a ribbed trim.

I think that the sleeves on this are the perfect length, but it could do with being just a little bit longer in the body. I’m sure you’ll agree that it looks lovely on though, and the quality is just as good as the other items I mentioned above.

I also managed to find some sports kit for Oscar to try out as well, and we picked up some bits for him to try in a 2-3 years. As you can see, they are a little bit too big for him, but he’s only just turned 2 and is quite small for his age so I’m not worried about that at all. He’ll grow in to them soon!

Again, we picked out 3 things for Oscar to try out : a pack of two blue t-shirts, a pack of two joggers and a hooded sweat top. The grey canvas shoes he’s wearing in my pictures are from Primark.

2 Pack Unisex Pure Cotton T-Shirts – from £5.00
These t-shirts are the same as the ones I mentioned above, so I’m not going to go into too much detail, but I wanted to say that I think these look just as nice on Oscar as they do on Stacey, which I think proves they are designed for both boys and girls.

I ordered an age 2-3 for Oscar, and you can see from my pictures that they’re quite big on him. He doesn’t seem to notice though, and loves them. They certainly get a big thumbs up from us!

Navy/Mix 2 Pack Cotton Rich Joggers – from £10.00
This two pack of jogging bottoms comes with one navy pair and one grey pair. They have cuffed hems and elasticated waists, and I think they look really nice on. Again, they’re a little bit long on Oscar, but I quite like the baggy look on him.

The joggers are really good quality and Oscar certainly put them through their paces when we tried them out – he was crawling round on the floor outside, playing in the bushes and even spilled fromage frais down one pair and milk down the other! I’m pleased to say that they washed up fabulously though, and you can’t tell that he got them dirty at all … they look as good as new! I’m so impressed with these and definitely think I’ll buy them again in the future.

Blue Cotton Rich Hooded Sweat Top – from £12.00
And last but certainly not least, Oscar tried out this hooded sweat top in the most gorgeous of blue colours! This particular top has long sleeves and a zip fastening. It’s plain blue on the outside, and then has a pattern on the inside which is really cute.

Of all the sports kit that Oscar tried out, this definitely fits him the best, yet it still has plenty of room in it for growth. I think the colour really suits him, and everyone who has seen him wearing this has commented on how nice he looks and asks where it’s from. Again, the quality of this hooded top is fantastic and I think he’ll get a lot of wear of it over the next year or so.Last weekend the kids really put the M&S Sports kit through its paces – they used some of their outdoor toys to have a mini sports day in our back garden. There was lots of running, jumping, skipping and stretching and, they came in at the end of the afternoon looking just as smart as when they went out (although Oscar was definitely a lot dirtier after all that crawling around on the ground).

Overall I’m really impressed with the M&S Sports Kit. All of the items we tried out washed really well, and nothing shrunk, faded or lost it’s shape at all, which I was really pleased with. They iron super easily as well. I’ll definitely be buying from them again. Way to go M&S!!

Have you guys ever bought any Sports Kit from M&S for your kids before?
I’d love to hear what you thought about it if you did!Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | YouTube

*All products mentioned sent for review consideration

Summer Wedding Outfit Ideas 2015

03/08/2015 by Louise 31 Comments

If you’re heading to a Summer Wedding this year you might be wondering what to wear. I’ve put together 5 outfit ideas to help make that decision just a little bit easier, and a lot of the pieces I’ve chosen have actually gone on sale recently, so if you like them to may be able to pick them up at a bargain price! I hope you like them …

Dress / Bag / Shoes / Ring

The first outfit I’ve put together is very feminine. It consists of a gorgeous floral print skater dress with a lace panel at the front and back. It has a black band around the waist and a rounded neckline. I’ve teamed this with a pair of nude patent court shoes with a rounded toe and stiletto heel and a cute stone coloured bag that can be used both across the body and as a shoulder bag. To accessorize, I’ve picked out a beautiful sterling silver stacking ring from Pandora, which has a white enamel daisy sitting prominently on it. I think this compliments the dress wonderfully, and adds to the very girly feel of the outfit.

Dress / Bag / Shoes / Bracelet

The next outfit I’ve put together is probably my favourite of the 5! It consists of a dramatic black, white and pink printed shift dress from Warehouse with a rounded neckline and lace detail around the waist and across the front. It has an exposed zipper at the back and I’m sure you’ll agree that it looks absolutely stunning. I think this would look great with a pair of black, strappy, open toe boots and a dainty black clutch bag. And I’d finish the look by adding a beautiful silver bracelet from Jools by Jenny Brown. The one I’ve picked out features 10 dainty little flowers, each set with cubic zirconia stones. I love it!!

Playsuit / Bag / Shoes / Ring

You might recognize some of the pieces from the 3rd outfit I’ve put together, as I featured them in my post on Festival Outfit Ideas! I mentioned that I loved this cream floral print playsuit from Quiz, which is made from a crepe style fabric, and has an exposed zipper at the back, and I’m pleased to say that I still do. I actually bought it for my holiday back in May and I’ve worn it loads since then. I think a playsuit is a great alternative to a dress, and they can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. For a wedding, I would team this playsuit with a pair of pink peep toe heels and a coral handbag as they match the colours in the print just perfectly. The heels I’ve shown above also have a gold chain across the ankle strap for added bling, and I’d keep accessories to a minimum, just adding a statement ring like Pandora’s rose gold feather ring with 138 delicate cubic zirconia stones.

Dress / Blazer / Bag / Shoes / Necklace

A while ago I saw vlogging sensation Fleur DeForce wearing this orange hanky hem pleated midi dress from Warehouse, and I remember thinking how pretty it looked. It’s not something I would have picked out had I not seen what it looked like on, but I think it’s just perfect for wedding season. It has a high neck with a tie fastening, tie waist and pleated midi skirt with a hanky hem design, and I believe you could dress it up in so many different ways. I would wear this with a 3/4 sleeve, off-white open front blazer from Quiz, nude strappy sandals and a nude, boxy clutch by Miss KG Hetty which has silver sparkles all over it. Again, I would keep accessories minimal, adding just a necklace from New Look with 5 mint green triangles set inside a row of semi-circles. I haven’t seen anything like this before and would love to add it to my ever growing collection of jewellery.

Top / Trousers / Bag / Shoes

And last but not least I have trouser option for anyone who doesn’t like wearing dresses or playsuits. I went for a pair of elegant-yet-casual white linen trousers from Next, and teamed them with a gorgeous black and white floral print top with a chain around the neckline. It’s lovely and loose fitting as well, so would be perfect for warmer Summer Wedding days or mums-to-be. For shoes, I would go for a pair of simple white heels like these ones from New Look, and I’d finish off the look by carrying a black and mink clutch with a metal bar detail.

And there you have it, 5 outfit ideas that I think would look wonderful at a Summer Wedding this year. I’d love to know what you think.

Are any of you guys heading to a Summer Wedding this year?
If so, let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading.

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Affordable Earrings from the Body Jewellery Shop

13/07/2015 by Louise 1 Comment

I remember having my ears pierced for the first time like it was yesterday. I was 10 years old and my mum had persuaded me to have them done. I remember picking out a pair of gold studs with a little pink gemstone in them. I loved to wear them, and over the years I added more and more pair of earrings to my collection.

I stopped wearing earrings on a daily basis when I had Oscar back in 2013 as I was worried that he would tug at them and damage my ear lobes, and then when we moved house last year the majority of my jewellery collection went missing. I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but I’m guessing that a box of personal belongings got taken to the dump by mistake with some of the junk we’d accumulated over the years. Oh dear!

Anyway, a couple of months back I decided that I wanted to start wearing earrings again, but I didn’t want to spend a fortune replacing my old ones incase I ended up not being able to wear them. It was then that a friend told me about the Body Jewellery Shop, an online retailer of all things piercing related at super affordable prices. And they looked so good that I decided to give them a try!

I picked out 2 pairs of earrings with a clear jewel in them – one pair that’s shaped like a heart and the other that’s square shaped. They are both on a traditional ear stud, and come in 2 parts – the earring part that sits at the front of the ear lobe and a butterfly fastening that sits at the back.

Clear Jewelled Heart Earrings
The clear jewelled hearts that I picked out from the Body Jewellery Shop are absolutely beautiful. They are made from silver and the stone is 5mm in size. I was worried that they would turn my ear lobes green with them being so cheap in price, but I’ve worn them quite a bit now and so far I haven’t had any problems with them (and there’s certainly been no greenness). I think they look really pretty on, and other than pinching a little when I first wore them (I think I’d pushed the butterfly on too tight) they’ve been really comfortable to wear. I love them!

Clear Jewelled Hearts – £1.99 ||link||

Clear Jewelled Square Earrings
My favourite pair of earrings from the Body Jewellery Shop though just have to be the clear jewelled squares. They are right up my street!! Again, they are made from silver, but the stone on this pair is 4mm in size. I’ve worn this particular pair most days over the last couple of weeks, and they are super comfortable to wear and look stunning. Just like the clear jewelled hearts I mentioned above, these haven’t caused me any issues with my ear lobes going a funny colour and I love how super affordable they are at just £1.99! I definitely need to get myself a spare pair of these incase I ever misplace one.

Clear Jewelled Squares – £1.99 ||link||

Overall I’m really impressed with these two pairs of earrings and the prices of the goods on sale at the Body Jewellery Shop. The only thing that bothers me about them is the fact that they accept all unwanted goods on their returns policy within 7 days as long as they go back in a new and unused condition. What worries me about that is that someone could try on a pair of earrings or body bar, decide they don’t like them and then send them back. They will probably look brand new and unused, but could easily transfer an infection from one person to another. I would love to see their returns policy updated so you can only return goods that aren’t piercing related for my own piece of mind. But other than that I think the Body Jewellery Shop are doing a fabulous job. Well done guys!

Have you ever bought anything from the Body Jewellery Shop before?
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*Products kindly sent for review consideration

Outfit of the Day – Summer Brights

29/06/2015 by Louise 16 Comments

Summer has arrived! I know this because it’s been around 32° in the little town where I live recently. And since the sun has been out, I thought it was time to get my legs out as well … ooh err!

Today I thought I would show you what I’m wearing, as I think it’s perfect for summer, and all the items are from the high street so it’s a super affordable outfit as well. I hope you like it!

Vest Top
As I’m quite aware of my mum tum, I love tops that I can hide it under. This apricot coloured vest top from H&M is perfect for that as it has a rounded hem that ensures it’s covered up! It also has narrow shoulder straps and a V-neck at the front and back. Usually when I buy vest tops they tend to have round necks, so this makes a lovely change.

I wear a lot of grey and black during the autumn and winter months, so when I was shopping for my summer wardrobe I wanted to make sure I incorporated lots of lovely bright colours, and this is by far my favourite of all the ones I’ve picked up. It’s super comfortable as well and I don’t feel at all self conscious when I’m wearing it – winner!!

Apricot Vest Top – H&M – £7.99

White Kimono
If you follow me on social media you’ll have probably noticed that I have a lot of kimono’s in my wardrobe. However, they’re all ones that seem to have a lot of material to them. And although this is fine most of the time, when it’s as warm as it is outside at the moment I find they end up sticking to me and making me even hotter than ever.

After weeks of looking for a plain white kimono that I could wear over the apricot vest top, I finally came across this beautiful lightweight one from Boohoo. It’s lovely and comfortable to wear, and I love the style of it. In fact, I’m tempted to get it in a couple of other colours as well!

Frances White Kimono – Boohoo – £15.00

Denim Shorts
Something I haven’t worn for years is shorts, so I really surprised myself when I found myself picking up this worn looking pair of denim ones from H&M recently! They have a fairly high waist, and are a lot shorter than any I’ve ever worn in my life. I love the frayed detail on the hems, and I actually think they look quite nice on, despite me not having the nicest of legs. I think I probably need to find a shorter, less rounded hem top to wear them with, but I’d still pair them with this one as I like the look I’ve created on the whole.

Worn Denim Shorts – H&M – £19.99

Fringed Shoulder Bag
I couldn’t resist picking up this brown, fringed shoulder bag while I was in H&M filling up my summer wardrobe. It has a zip closure, 3 inner pockets, and the long shoulder strap (which can be taken off) is long enough to wear across the body. My mum was saying that she thought it looked really small when she saw it, but I can actually get lots of things in it at once. I usually have my sunglasses, purse, phone and some makeup as a minimum, and there’s still space for more.

Brown Fringed Shoulder Bag – H&M – £19.99

Wedges
It’s been a few years since I last bought any wedges, so when I saw this gorgeous pair in Quiz I just knew I had to treat myself to them! They are a beautiful beige colour, and the cork style wedge is covered in a delicate looking lace. I wasn’t sure how much wear I’d get out of them when I first saw them, but I actually wear them with most of my summer outfits, such as playsuits, dresses, jeans and shorts.

Beige Lace Cork Wedges – Quiz – £29.99

Star Charm Necklace Set
I love layering necklaces, so when I saw this set from Forever 21 I just knew I had to get my hands on them! They feature rhinestone-encrusted and cutout star charms in a lariat design. It’s lovely and delicate and I think they look gorgeous with brightly coloured clothes like the ones in this look.

Star Charm Necklace Set – Forever 21 – £6.00

White Gold Rings
The rings I’ve had for years, and both were gifts from Nathan. They are white gold with diamonds and I never take them off. They could do with re-plating though so I may have to bite the bullet and get them done soon!

Nails
And finally my nails are painted in Crabtree & Evelyn’s nail lacquer in ‘Clementine’. I’d never tried Crabtree & Evelyn products until recently when I was invited to an event in one of their stores, but I’m super impressed with the brand. This nail lacquer actually has one of the best formulations I’ve ever used, which is fantastic for a product that costs just £6.00! When I paint my nails with this it takes just one coat to achieve full opacity, and they remain chip free for at least 3-4 days. I got this particular shade in a goody bag and I absolutely love it. It’s perfect for summer!

Clementine Nail Lacquer – Crabtree & Evelyn – £6.00

And there you have it, the first of my summer outfit posts.
What do you guys think of it? And what have you been wearing recently?

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*Unless otherwise stated, all items mentioned were purchased with my own money

Bobux Soft Sole Shoes

15/06/2015 by Louise 13 Comments

This review of Bobux Soft Sole Shoes was originally published on 15th December 2014, but I wanted to re-publish it for you today just incase any of you were after some shoes for your own little ones.

Despite lots of disapproving comments from friends and family members, I have always insisted that Oscar didn’t need to start wearing shoes until it was absolutely necessary. When this would be, I had no idea, but up until recently I was adamant that ‘now wasn’t the time’.

A couple of weeks ago though, Oscar started taking a few tentative steps all by himself and I decided that maybe now was the time to buy him some shoes that were appropriate for his age and stage. And it was then that I remembered we’d been sent some beautiful shoes to try out by the lovely people over at Bobux.

Bobux are originally from New Zealand, but they now sell their innovative range of baby and toddler shoes all over the world. I had originally thought that they only sold shoes online, but have since discovered that they’re actually available in many a shoe store up and down the country (although sadly, none are located anywhere near me).

I found the shoes out one morning before we were due to head out for some food and Oscar wanted to put them on straight away. As I’d never tried him with shoes before I was really surprised by this. I started by letting him hold them and he tried to put them on by himself, then I put his feet into them and watched as he squealed in delight and started kicking his feet up and down. He then had a good look at them, pointed and said “There”.

The shoes themselves are really good quality and are made from eco-leather. They have a soft, non-slip suede sole and the top part is elasticated, which is great as it means the shoes are lovely and secure but will also allow them to ‘grow’ with your child’s feet.

The range of soft sole shoes at Bobux is immense. At the time of writing this there were 69 different pairs available in the boys section, and even more in the girls! Each of the shoes features a beautiful eye-catching design. I’m sure you’ll agree that the ones we were sent are lovely. They are beige with a brown fox on the upper part of the shoe, and Oscar spends ages looking at them every day!Bobux soft sole shoes also come in a wide range of sizes, starting at 0-3 months and ending at 2-5 years. I would definitely consider buying these shoes in bigger sizes once Oscar can walk independently as they are a great alternative to slippers due to them offering barefoot comfort and protection for developing feet.

If, like me, you’re not sure what size feet your little one has, Bobux suggests you can measure them at home by following these 4 simple steps:-

Ask your child to stand on a piece of paper (I got Nathan to hold Oscar while we did this part as there’s no way he would have stood still).
Draw around both feet with a ballpoint pen or pencil.
With a ruler, measure the length of both foot outlines.
Write down the measurement of the longest foot in millimetres.

You can then use their handy chart to find the correct sized shoe. I loved this feature as I was worried about choosing shoes that would be way too big or small.

Overall we absolutely love Bobux shoes. Oscar wants to put them on as soon as we get up in a morning and he leaves them on all day. They will definitely get a lot of use over the next few months, and I think they’re great value for money.

When Stacey was a toddler I didn’t know of Bobux, so I used to buy her shoes from Clarks. And if I had to choose which of the two I thought was the best then I would 100% say Bobux. They’re just wonderful.

As I mentioned before, there are loads of other fantastic designs available and I’m hoping to order Oscar a new pair after Christmas as we love them so much. I’ve narrowed it down to six pairs to choose from, but I love them all so much that I just can’t decide which ones to get!

Bobux Soft Sole Shoes – £20.00 ||link||

What do you think of Oscar’s new shoes?
Would you buy from Bobux?

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*Product kindly sent for review consideration

Tween Outfit of the Day – Denim Dungarees

08/06/2015 by Louise 10 Comments

You may remember a few weeks ago Stacey and I posted a tween fashion wishlist, and today we thought we would show you one of the outfits from it that we eventually purchased.

This one was the very last outfit we showed you, but was actually one of Stacey’s favourites from the whole list. It consists of items from BHS, New Look and Next, and if you read on we’ll be talking about it in more detail …

Denim Dungarees
It’s been a long time since I’ve bought denim dungarees for Stacey. When she was a toddler I used to shop at Adams Kids (I miss their stores so much) and they always used to stock lovely dungarees. Since they closed down though, I’ve never found anywhere that sold ones I liked … until now that is!

We came across this gorgeous pair on the BHS website while we were searching for something else, and I just couldn’t help but add them to my basket! They are from the #TammyGirl range, and are mid stonewash with a rip and repair style front and adjustable straps for the ideal fit. When they arrived I noticed that they were a lot darker than they look online, but Stacey loved them anyway so we kept them anyway.

This particular pair of denim dungarees have a side zip fastening, and since Stacey wants to wear them with everything, I’m guessing they must be nice and comfortable!!

Denim Dungarees – BHS – £15-£19

My Unicorn Made Me Do It T-Shirt
One of my favourite places to shop for tween fashion is New Look. Everything they sell is bang on trend, washes well and, most importantly, is affordable.

When Stacey and I came across this bright pink t-shirt with a unicorn slogan across the front I just couldn’t resist picking it up for her! It has a round neck, roll sleeves, and a gorgeous lace design on the shoulders. Online it comes up as ‘casual fit’, and I would definitely recommend picking it up in a bigger size than needed if you’re after this as I we’ve found that it’s quite short. That’s fine when Stacey wears it with her denim dungarees, but not so good when she wears it with other things (unless we pop a vest top underneath).

T-Shirt – New Look – £9.99

Sparkly Bracelet & Pandora Ring
My mum picked up this gorgeous stretchy bracelet for Stacey when we went shopping at the end of May. It has three rows of sparkly stones and looks a little more expensive than it is! Stacey loves it and has worn it with pretty much everything she’s worn over the last couple of weeks.

And the ring is a sterling silver Pandora ring in the shape of a princess tiara, with a small cubic zirconia set within it. Stacey saved up her money and bought this herself, so it’s extra special to her!!

Sparkly Bracelet – BHS – £5.00
Princess Tiara Ring – Pandora – £40.00

Pink Converse
One of Stacey’s friends had outgrown her converse, so she asked Stacey if she would like to have them as they were in her size. And of course Stacey said yes, as she’d been begging for some for ages. (All the tween girls have them, apparently).

This pair are pink, and they have a lace up front, and the ‘All Star’ logo on the inside of each shoe, and at the back. I’d never been sure about whether or not I like converse, but these really suit Stacey and I’m actually considering buying her a pair in a different colour for her birthday in September. It just goes to show that you can change your mind about what you do and don’t like over the years!

Pink Converse – Next – £27-£53

And there you have it, our run down of one of the outfits that we featured in our Tween Fashion Wishlist post a few weeks ago. We hope you enjoyed reading and we’ll be back with another tween fashion post soon.

What do you guys think of this outfit?
Would your own tween daughters wear denim dungarees and converse?

Thanks for reading.Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | YouTube

*Unless otherwise stated, all items were purchased with my own money

Lorraine’s High Street Fashion Awards 2015

25/05/2015 by Louise 16 Comments

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now you’ll know that I am a big fan of High Street Fashion, and last Tuesday it was the annual High Street Fashion Awards, hosted by the lovely Lorraine Kelly.

This year there were eight categories in total, and today I’m going to be sharing my thoughts on each of the winners. So why not grab yourself a cuppa and a biccie and make yourself comfortable, and I’ll tell you all about it …

Best Affordable Fashion

Forever 21
George at Asda
Matalan
New Look
Primark

My thoughts …
With so many fabulous high street stores being nominated for the ‘Best Affordable Fashion’ award this year I have to admit that I was surprised to see Primark win. It’s not that I don’t think they deserve it … far from it in fact. It’s just that my local store never seems to stock any clothes that I would wear. The bigger shops in the cities do, but it’s disappointing that the smaller ones don’t. I thought that maybe other people would feel the same and that someone else might walk away as the winner. I was personally torn between voting for New Look or Forever 21!

Best Curvy Collection

ASOS Curve
Boohoo Plus
Evans
Simply Be
Yours

My thoughts …
I’ve never shopped at Simply Be before, but I always think their clothes look amazing. They prove that you can look good no matter what your shape or size, and that can only be a good thing. Way to go, Simply Be!

Best Department Store

Debenhams
House of Fraser
John Lewis
Marks & Spencer
Next

My thoughts …
Ooh, I do love a trip to Debenhams … I could get lost in there for hours! I find that they have something for everyone, no matter their age, shape or size. I usually buy things for myself and Nathan from Debenhams, but have also shopped there for kids stuff on the odd occasion. I also like that they stock a lot of brands I love, such as Quiz, Warehouse and Oasis. What’s not to love?!

Best Maternity Wear

ASOS Maternity
Dorothy Perkins
Next
Red Herring Maternity
Topshop

My thoughts …
Next are a store who are really impressing me at the moment, and the wishlist of things I want to buy from there seems to get bigger by the hour. What I didn’t realise until recently though was that they had a maternity section. I would definitely have checked it out when I was pregnant with Oscar if I had. I loved both outfits that the models wore at the High Street Fashion Awards, and I think Next deserved to win. Oh, and a big thumbs up to Lorraine and the team for adding a maternity wear category this year!

Best Online Retailer

ASOS
Boohoo
PrettyLittleThing.com
Stylistpick.com
Very.co.uk

My thoughts …
Boohoo are one of my favourite online retailers, so I wasn’t at all surprised to see them win the award for being the best! The clothes are always on-trend at great prices, and what you see on screen is what you get, which is a big bonus. I hate it when I order from online retailers and the item(s) arrive and look nothing like they did on my laptop! Boohoo also offer free delivery on a regular basis and if something doesn’t fit they make it easy for you to send it back for a refund or exchange.

Best Premium Brand

Coast
French Connection
Reiss
Ted Baker
Whistles

My thoughts …
If you guys read my review of Ted Baker’s Regency Romance Collection, then you will know that I am a big fan of this brand. I’ve never actually bought any of their clothes before, but I do have a Ted Baker scarf that I’ve been wearing loads this spring! It’s fantastic quality and looks amazing on. No wonder they walked away with the award for Best Premium Brand.

Best Shoes

Dune
Kurt Geiger
New Look
Office
Schuh

My thoughts …
I wasn’t at all surprised to see New Look walk away with the award for ‘Best Shoes’. After all, their collection is pretty immense! I buy shoes from them most months, and find them to be stylish, affordable, and super comfortable. What more could a girl ask for?!

Best Trendsetter

ASOS
H&M
River Island
Topshop
Zara

My thoughts …
In my younger years I shopped at River Island a lot. I would come home most weeks laden with bags full of tops, bottoms, dresses, jewellery, shoes and handbags. Over the years my style (and budget) has changed and I haven’t shopped there much at all, but after seeing the outfits the models wore at the High Street Fashion Awards I think I’ll be heading back in to have a look for holiday outfits next week! Well done River Island.

And there you have it, all the winners from Lorraine’s High Street Fashion Awards 2015.

Would you have voted for any of the winners?
Why not let me know in the comments below?

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*Images kindly provided by Peter Gray at ITV – peter.gray@itv.com

Bra Fitting Tips for Beginners

18/05/2015 by Louise 28 Comments

Did you know that across the UK the majority of women are wearing the wrong size bra? When I was told this I have to admit that I wasn’t surprised. After all, I’d been buying the same size bra I’d bought as a teenager for most of my adult life. Needless to say, they were the wrong size and ridiculously uncomfortable. Looking back I can’t believe that I didn’t do something about it sooner.

But not only can wearing the wrong size of bra be uncomfortable, it can also be unflattering, cause bad posture and sagging, and even have an impact on your long-term breast health.

These days I’m much more clued up on how to check whether or not a bra is the right size for me or not when I’m out shopping. And today I’ve teamed up with the lovely people at Playtex to share some hints and tips that I’m sure will come in useful at your next bra fitting …

No slack in the back
The main thing to remember when you’re having a bra fitting is that the main support comes from the under band. Your bra should fit firmly around your body without digging in or being too slack. A good way to check this is by sliding two fingers under the back band once it’s fastened. If you can’t fit them under then it’s too tight, and if you can get more than two under there it’s too big! For maximum support the back band should be horizontal across your back, and not sliding up.

Be strap happy
Just like the under band, the straps of your bra should be firm, but without digging in or being too slack. You can easily adjust them so they sit firmly in place, but if you find yourself needing to tighten them a lot it may be worth double checking that it’s not too big at the back.

Fill your cups
Your breasts should be comfortably encased in the cups of the bra, and feel fully supported. If the cups are loose, with excess material then the cup size is too big, and if your breasts are over-spilling then it’s most definitely too small! At the front, the centre of the bra should fit flat against the chest. If it doesn’t, it’s another sign that the cups are too small.

Check your wires
Make sure the underwire sits flat from under your armpit around to the centre. It should follow the line of the bust and sit behind the breast tissue, not on it.

And remember, there are plenty of places on the high street who can measure you properly and give you fanastic advice about getting the perfect fit. My personal favourite is Debenhams, but you might have somewhere else in mind.

I hope you guys found this guide useful, especially if you’re planning on buying a new bra soon. And if you have any suggestions for other ‘tips for beginners’ posts then please let me know in the comments below. Maybe you’d like to take a look at my Shoe Shopping tips while you’re here?

Do you have any other bra fitting tips you would add to this list?
Be sure to let me know if you do!

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Tween Fashion Wishlist – Spring/Summer 2015

11/05/2015 by Louise 25 Comments

I love shopping for tween fashion pieces. Well, I love shopping full stop, but there’s something extra special about picking out things for other people.

Stacey’s at that age now where she really appreciates being bought nice things, and together we’ve come up with a little wishlist of 4 outfits that we hope to be able to buy for her very soon. We hope you like it!

The first outfit is made up from 4 pieces from New Look and H&M, and it’s ideal for those cooler summer days as it consists of a sweatshirt, trousers and basketball shoes. We were thinking that this would be the perfect outfit for Stacey to wear whilst travelling to Great Yarmouth later on this month, as we tend to leave quite early in the morning and it’s usually quite cool.

H&M Sweatshirt with Lace – £5.00
The sweatshirt is a lovely, short style with lace detailing on the shoulders. The back section is slightly longer than the front, and the sleeves have sewn-in turn-ups. I think it would go with lots of different bottoms, like the beige trousers we picked out above, denim shorts and even jeans. It could be a real summer staple!

New Look White Roll Sleeve T-Shirt – £4.99
Stacey loves roll sleeve t-shirts, and this cotton one from New Look is a casual fit with a round neck, so I think it would be great to wear underneath the short sweatshirt. And if it warms up and the sweatshirt needs to come off, the tee will look great on it’s own. Stacey also has lots of other things in her wardrobe that would look good with this.

H&M Beige Stretchy Trousers – £9.99
It’s been a long time since I last bought Stacey any beige trousers, but as soon as I saw these stretchy ones from H&M I just knew that we needed to add them to our tween fashion wishlist … they’re just gorgeous! They have 5 pockets on them, zip fly and up until age 12 they have an adjustable elasticated waist. If we only buy one thing from the list this year it just has to be these.

H&M Patterned Basketball Shoes – £6.00
Stacey’s really in to basketball shoes at the moment, and I have to agree that they look fabulous on! I saw these leopard print patterned ones on the H&M website and wasn’t sure if she’d like them or not, but she really does! These particular ones are lace ups and and they have rubber soles. I think they’d be great for wearing this summer, and they’re on sale too!

The second outfit features 4 pieces from Forever 21 and Next, and again this is definitely something for those cooler summer days or nights. You might think we’re crazy for choosing things like these at this time of year, but living in the UK you have to be prepared for pretty much every type of weather!

Forever 21 Bow Print Top – £5.00
I added this gorgeous bow print top to our tween fashion wishlist as it reminded me of one I’d seen and loved from J Crew a few years ago! At £5.00 though, this one is considerably cheaper. The top is made from soft and stretchy heathered cotton jersey and has slightly puffed long sleeves and a gorgeous cascading bow print all over it. It’s just lovely.

Forever 21 Navy Jeggings – £10.00
If there’s one thing that Stacey just has to have in her wardrobe, it’s jeggings! She likes them as they look a lot like jeans, but are more comfortable. We love this navy pair from Forever 21 as they look like they would go with absolutely tonnes of tops that we already have at home, so she would be bound to get a lot of wear out of them. They have a mock fly and front pockets, and proper ones at the back … perfect.

Forever 21 Hooded Denim Jacket – £19.00
We love this denim jacket from Forever 21 as it’s very different to the other jackets that Stacey has in her wardrobe. It features sweater-sleeves that give kids a little extra mobility compared to regular denim sleeves and has buttons down the front. There’s also a hood which is a bonus. After all, how many times have you gone out on a sunny day only for it to start raining unexpectedly?!

Converse Chuck Taylor Hi (Unisex) – from Next – £27.00-£53.00
Stacey’s friend recently passed on a pair of pink converse trainers like these that she had outgrown, and Stacey absolutely loves them, hence her wanting another pair! This time she’s chosen a navy pair, and has also gone for the same style as she knows that they’re super comfy and look great.

The third outfit we’ve picked out for our tween fashion wishlist is a little more grown up than the others, but I think it would suit Stacey fantastically. It features 4 items from BHS, New Look and Accessorize, and is great for the warmer summer nights.

BHS Black Lace Back Tee – £8.00-£10.00
I don’t think you can ever go wrong with black, no matter how old you are. And one of the loveliest black tops for tweens I’ve seen this season is from BHS. It’s plain black at the front, and then the shoulders and back of the garment is covered in a gorgeous black lace. It has short sleeves with turn-up cuffs and a round neck. Very glam!

New Look Blue Authentic Ripped Denim Shorts – £12.99
It wouldn’t be a summer tween fashion wishlist without featuring a pair of ripped denim shorts, and we absolutely adore this pair from New Look. They’re a casual fit with zip and button fly fastening, belt loops and ripped detail down each side. We both agree that they would actually look really nice with most of the tops we’ve mentioned in this post, so they’d be bound to get a lot of wear if we were to buy them.

New Look Black Leather Chelsea Boots – £34.99
Chelsea Boots are still very much in fashion this year, and we love this black leather pair with a gold side buckle. They’re quite pricey compared to the boots I usually buy for Stacey, but I think they compliment this outfit really well, and once she moves to secondary school in September she will probably need a better quality pair than we usually go for anyway. I buy a lot of New Look shoes and they always last for ages.

Accessorize Ornate Cut Out Shield Pendant Necklace – £6.00
I think a more ‘grown up’ outfit most definitely needs some cute accessories to go with it, and we love this simple but elegant necklace with an ornate shield pendant with small resin stones, diamante detailing and intricate cut-out parts. It has a long chain as well, which is perfect for the upcoming festival season!

And the fourth outfit is one that I think is wonderful for sunny days out at the park! It is made up of 3 items from BHS and New Look and has lots of Stacey’s favourite colour in it: PINK!

New Look ‘My Unicorn Made Me Do It’ T-Shirt – £9.99
With Stacey still being as crazy about pink clothing as she was when she was a toddler, I had to make sure that I suggested something that represented that. And what better than this adorable t-shirt from New Look with the slogan ‘My Unicorn Made Me Do It’ on the front?! It ticks loads of boxes for me too as it has roll sleeves, a round neck and gorgeous lace detailing on the shoulders. What more could a mummy and daughter ask for?

BHS Mid Stonewash Denim Dungarees – £15.00-£19.00
Aww, I used to dress my little Stacey in short denim dungarees every single Summer when she was younger, but over the past few years I’ve not found many styles of them that I like. These ones from BHS are right up my street though, and I think they’d look fantastic with the unicorn tee! They feature a rip and repair style on the legs, and have adjustable straps for the perfect fit. We love them.

New Look Pink Double Tongue Lace Up Trainers – £10.99
I know, I know, we’ve already picked out two pairs of trainers similar to these in this post, but these ones were too cute not to feature! They’re from New Look so they’re super affordable and they are pink on the outside and have a floral print lining. Another perfect shoe choice for the summer months. Just gorgeous.

And there you have it, our tween fashion wishlist for Spring and Summer 2015. I hope you like all the items we picked out as much as we do. And if you’ve seen anything else that you think Stacey would like please make sure you let us know in the comments below.

What do you think of our tween fashion wishlist?
Would you wear any of these outfits? I know I would!

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Tween Outfit of the Day – Totally Tribal

04/05/2015 by Louise 23 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I published a ‘Tween Outfit of the Day’ post where my beautiful daughter Stacey showed off a gorgeous coral combo that she’d been rocking. And since it seemed to go down really well with you guys, today we thought we’d do another one!

Today’s outfit is one that I treated her to ready for our annual holiday to Great Yarmouth at the end of the month, but she loved so much that she just couldn’t wait to wear it … tribal print.

So, without any further ado, let me tell you all about this weeks tween outfit of the day!

Belted Tribal Print Dress
I actually came across this gorgeous girls belted tribal print dress by accident. I was browsing the Forever 21 website for some new clothes for myself, and when I couldn’t find anything I liked I decided to have a quick look at their kids section and it jumped out at me straight away! I’d never bought anything for Stacey from there before so I was really pleased when it arrived and was just as good quality wise as their ladies clothes are.

The short sleeved dress is white with an all over tribal print in lots of different shades of pink, purple and orange. It’s really vibrant and when she wore it earlier people commented on how lovely and eye-catching it was straight away. It has an elasticated waist and there are three buttons sewn on to the left shoulder for detail. It also has 2 front patch pockets and comes with a skinny faux leather belt that I’m sure you’ll agree looks lovely. Stacey’s not usually one for wearing belts, but she seems to like this one.

The dress is fairly short and I can see this being something that Stacey wears a lot over the next few months as the weather (hopefully) gets a lot warmer.

Belted Tribal Print Babydoll Dress – Forever 21 – £12.00

Sandals
You might remember I recently mentioned that Stacey was in need of some new sandals? Well, last week we found a pair that she absolutely loved in Primark. They’re not really the sort of thing I usually buy, but they suit Stacey’s style and actually go quite well with the tribal print dress!

The sandals are a similar style to a gladiator shoe, and have an elasticated rose gold ankle strap, snake print straps a little further down the foot, and a glittery, textured toe strap. They slip-on easily and zip up at the back. I know they won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you’re after something a little different for your tween this summer then they’re absolutely perfect.

These sandals are from the Young Dimension range at Primark.

Sandals – Primark – £8.00

Pandora Ring
To finish the look, Stacey chose to wear her Princess Tiara ring from Pandora. If you read our last tween fashion post then you’ll have already seen this one before, but just incase you missed it, I’ll tell you a little about it …

The ring is made from sterling silver with a tiara and cubic zirconia set within it. I think it looks absolutely gorgeous on its own, but it’s actually designed so you can wear some of the rings from their stackable collection underneath it. Stacey only has this one at the moment as she saved up her birthday and Christmas money to buy it, but she has her eye on loads of others, so it probably won’t be long until she has more!

Princess Tiara Ring – Pandora – £40.00

What do you guys think of Stacey’s tribal print dress?
As always, I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading.

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*Unless otherwise stated, all items were purchased with my own money