Making Statement Sleeves Wearable.

Statement sleeves are EVERYWHERE.

In every shop.

At every price-point.

Available to us all.

And there is no denying that they look cool.

Quirky.

Edgy.

Fun to wear.

BUT...

Statement sleeves are not very practical are they?

They trail in your lunch.

Dip in your tea.

Dangle in the washing up.

And forget about cooking the dinner... unless you fancy a trip to A&E!

How can we make them work for real life?
You could nod to the trend by wearing a smaller version of the sleeve, or an elbow length version, which is definitely more practical.

{Unless, of course, you have a butler and you never lift a finger around the house. In that case the bigger the better!}

The blouse I am wearing today has HUGE pleated full-length sleeves.
These sleeves look great but are totally impractical.
Long.
Wafty.
And, probably completely flammable.

Luckily, many of the current statement sleeve styles are tied (or banded) below the elbow (or on the forearm) so I DIY'd this top in order to make it work for me and my butler-free life.

{Although my husband might argue that he is the unpaid butler in our house. 😊}

In order to make the sleeves less 'wafty', I tacked a narrow ribbon to the inside of the sleeve, then tied the ribbon in the right spot.
The thin ribbon helped pull the sleeve just short enough to stop it trailing in my coffee, but long and puffy enough to still look like a 'statement'.

The top is actually tunic-length but is lightweight enough to tuck into these cream jeans.
Adding cream, pink and nude colours makes a soft-toned outfit, perfect for Spring!

Do you like the look and feel of statement sleeves?

How do you make them work for real life?

Or, do you just let them dip in your dinner!? 😀

JEANS: c/o Bonmarche
SHOES: Vagabond
BELT: Boden
TOP: Old
BAG: Cambridge Satchel Company
EARRINGS: H&M

SHOP for STATEMENT SLEEVES

8 Ways to be a Princess (yes, Really!) Over 40.

Welcome back to The fab 40's.

The fab 40s Dress Like Princesses.

Erm...
Really?!

{Yes, That was my initial reaction too.}

When this month's theme was announced I thought.....
What?!

My youngest daughter thought it was a great idea.
My 12 year old rolled her eyes and said...

"Oh Mum...please don't embarrass us!"

This month it was Sheela's turn to choose what the Fab40's would be wearing, and she wanted to follow last month's tricky 'Pop Art' with something equally challenging.

{Not half Sheela!!}

However, I am always up for a challenge and with such a diverse group of creatively minded women I knew great things could happen.

So, with some trepidation I took Sheela's Challenge and ran with it.

Princesses.
Over 40?
Can we handle it?
Let's find out....

With Princesses as a 'theme' I was expecting one (or more!) of 4 things to happen...

• Lots of Barbie pink.
• Layers and layers of frothy tulle.
• Sparkles, glitter and more sparkles
• Maybe a tiara or two.

Scary stuff for real life, especially over the age of 5!

Once I had decided that the Disney princess I most admired was Elsa, the rest of my look came together easily.

Elsa is the perfect princess.
She is powerful and feisty.
Yes, she had some serious issues... a troubled childhood and more than her fair share of woes.
Life puts pressure on her and she flips out, going crazy...(we've all done that from time to time haven't we? PMT anyone?)
BUT, at the end of the day she comes good.
All without the need for a "Prince Charming" to save her.
She doesn't need a man to complete her.
She just needs the love of her sister.
Girl power all the way!

This outfit was easy to wear, and lots of fun too!
The main focus of this look (for me) was this icy-inspired top and these gorgeous tights.
The tights are so well made and evenly opaque to the waist, so the slit in these jeans (at the top of my thigh) does not flash a reinforced area (yuck).
This sequined top is quite bold and eye-catching so I toned it down (very slightly) by adding a blue blazer.
I would have worn the top on it's own but the material is irritating, and it was pretty chilly, so this cream polo-neck was perfect.
Elsa-ish and cosy!

White and silver brogues finished things off nicely.

{My wee bag was just for practical purposes (keys, phone etc) but I forgot to take it off!}

JEANS: GAP... these are cool!

SHOES: Aldo...similar

TIGHTS: Zohara c/o MyStockings

TOP: Topshop...mine was a pound! This one is similar.

BAG: Vintage...similar.

BLAZER: Monsoon...this one is bold.

EARRINGS: Vintage

Normally I like to talk about each of the outfits worn by my fellow bloggers, but not this month.
I wanted you to have fun trying to guess who inspired their inner Princess!

Pop over to the blogs (links are in the headings) to find out the full story.

Our Guest blogger this month... 

Shelbee from Shelbee on the Edge.

This one seems obvious to me... but then I am here in Scotland!

Sheela from Sheela Writes.

Sheela's princess is a very popular one, can you guess who?
(Think inside the box, or case..in this case!)

Ann from Kremb de la Kremb

Ann's Princess is slightly different ...

Pop over to her blog to find out the full story.

Jennie from A pocketful of polka dots

Jennie is the most obvious princess of all... if you don't get this one I will be VERY surprised.

She has been busy DIYing and even her hair is in character!

Diane from Fashion on the fourth floor

Diane has gone down a different route.

She is a tomboy at heart so had to make a few tweaks.

Mary from Curlybyrdie Chirps

Mary is channelling her inner princess, and celebrating her heritage! 

Veronica from CID Style file.

Veronica has gone all girly! 

She is inspired by a not-really-a-princess-type-princess, but who?

Which of our Princess-inspired outfits would you wear?

Please let me know your thoughts by leaving me a comment.
Or contact me!
I love hearing from you.

SHOP the LOOK

Why I Grew Out my Pixie...then Chopped it off Again!

Let's talk about hair...

Hair can be a wonderful thing.
You can cut it.
Colour it.
Grow it.
Style it.
Play around and have fun with it.

If you love your hairstyle, it's easily maintained.
If you get bored easily, your hair can change with a few snips!

Mother nature decides how you look, and sometimes she doesn't share out the attributes too fairly!

You can't do anything about your face.
{Without resorting to dramatic medical procedures}

You can't do anything about your height, and very little about your body-shape.

BUT...
Your hair is something special.
Your hair can be a whole lot of fun!

If you have been following my blog for a while you will have noticed that I have recently been growing my hair (again!).

My hair has been most colours over the years, from black to (almost) white to green!
It has been in just about every style from waist long hennaed braids, to peroxide and shaved.
I LOVE experimenting with my hair.

Last year I got bored and decided to grow out my pixie cut.

See part one of the Pixie grow-out HERE.
And, part two HERE.

Growing out my hair was fun while it lasted (I loved some of the stages) BUT as my hair crept down I felt my face was being dragged down with it!

I felt frumpy and dowdy and generally "meh".
Syling became a chore.
Washing was a bore and I felt like I had aged 10 years!
Then I saw this....

Short.
Sassy.
Full of attitude.

As I headed to the hairdressers for a "tidy-up and a trim" I found myself asking her to cut it all off.

"Give me back my pixie cut!"

My hairdresser laughed...she knew this was coming!

It feels GREAT.

Four minutes in the shower.
One minute with the hairdryer.
Leaving Ten minutes to do the most relaxing and enjoyable part of my 'getting ready' routine...applying some makeup.

{I find it so relaxing and calming.}

And the best part?
I feel like ME again!

GET SOME HAIR GOODIES...

Tell me your Hair story...

Do you change your hair regularly?
Do you have a style you love/hate?
Are you growing yours out, or tempted to chop it off?
What are your hair issues?

Please share your story in the comments.
I would love to hear your thoughts.

White Jeans & Spring Layers, over 40.

White jeans can be tricky to wear can't they?
I love the look of them, but they aren't very practical for 'real life'.
White jeans are undoubtedly a dirt magnet, and certainly can't be worn more than once before heading into the wash.

White jeans can also be unforgiving, showing your underwear (VPL...yuck!) or highlighting any lumps and bumps.

BUT...
White jeans look so fresh, clean and modern!

Wearing white jeans is a great way to look spring-like without losing the extra warmth that denim provides.
They also give off the impression that you are an organised and "pulled together" person.

{Subconsciously people assume that you must be organised...see THIS POST about the messages colour can send.}

White jeans are the perfect transitional piece.

See more white jean outfits...
HERE...in Winter, with a furry hat.

HERE, with green nails!
HERE, in an (almost) all-white outfit.
And HERE....with matching accessories. Frumpy or not? You decided.

These white jeans are straight legged and give off a slouchy, laid-back vibe on my narrow frame.
I cuffed the ankle to add to the casual feel... and show off my shoes!

Straight leg jeans are probably the most versatile of all jean styles.
They work for most body shapes and can easily be made to look smart (or as smart as jeans can look!) or very casual, depending on your mood.

This pair are a true (blueish) white that looks bright and crisp against other colours.

I decided to keep the colour palette cool and subtle, although this shirt is a warm shade of blue and the peep at the collar is just enough to make these colours "fit" my warm colouring.

Bright white is not a colour I suit.
It makes me look washed out and dark under the eyes, but I still wear it anyway!
Wearing a 'tricky' colour on your bottom half (away from you face) is a great way to make it work for you.

This outfit was originally supposed to include bare arms and sliders!
Unfortunately, the weather turned a little cooler, so I added a knit and shoes with a little more cover.

These shoes are still sandals but there is much more leather covering the foot AND I can add a little sock for extra warmth.
{Even a thin sock, like this one, works wonders.}

These photographs were taken at the weekend and although the weather was cool, it was mild enough for (almost) bare toes.

However, today it is frosty... the weather is cooling down again (we had snow yesterday) so my thick socks and chunky boots are back on!

Has the Spring weather stalled where you are?
Do you wear/like white jeans?
How do you keep them clean?
Please share in the comments, I love to hear from you.

Jeans, shirt & bag: c/o Bonmarche
Jumper: Isle
Scarf: A gift
Shoes: Allsaints
Socks: Topshop (old)

4 Ways to Wear Fishnets | PPP gets a Make-Over!

Welcome to the first of the new (and improved?.. you be the judge of that!) Ping Pong Posts.

After 12 months of sending clothes backwards and forwards, we have decided to change things up a little.
Each month Anna, Ann and I are going to style a "classic" item.
An item that many of us will have lurking in our wardrobes.
Items that we might be tired of?
Or, items we always seem to wear the same way?

This month we are styling fishnet tights.

Do you own a pair?

Confession time....

Despite wearing (almost) fishnets in THIS POST I don't actually own a pair of fishnet tights because I really don't like them.
I don't like how they look on my legs.
I don't like how they feel on my toes.
I don't like the vibe they give off.

They are not for me at all.

So, when the ladies dropped the fishnet bombshell my heart sank.

However, I do love a challenge so I waited for inspiration to strike.

{Come on inspiration...hurry up!!}

I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a pair of fishnets because I knew I would never wear them again.
{Maybe I could get one of my girls to draw the design on my legs? 😛}
Luckily, I happened to come across a pair during one of my charity shop visits and snapped them up.
New, with a 50p price tag... result!

These fishnet tights are a soft khaki colour which were much easier for me to style than the classic black.
I decided the only way to wear something I am not comfortable with, is to team it with things I am very comfortable with.

So, a simple t-shirt and my striped midi skirt came out to help (see this skirt HERE and HERE... and the black version HERE).
The leopard top and stripe skirt acted as a security blanket for my awkward limbs!
My trusty chunky brogues helped make this seem even more like "me".
A plain bag, and statement earrings, finished things off nicely.

My husband said I looked like a character out of an old French Film... I'm not too sure if that was a compliment or not... 😕... Hmmmm.

Unfortunately (?) my fingers went through these tights when I visited the loo, so my spare (opaque) pair had to come out of my bag.
Unsurprisingly, I got over this accident quickly!

I must admit that I am glad to move on from my brush with fishnets and hand you over to some fabulous ladies who certainly know how to rock them!

First, can I introduce you to our guest this month....

Mary from Miss Mary Powers

Mary's blog is full of all things pretty, feminine and stylish.

{After seeing her fishnet outfit I wanted to pack up and go home!}

Blending black and tan effortlessly (with a touch of grey to stop things looking too matchy-matchy) This outfit is the perfect way to make fishnets look casual, and cool.

Strikingly simple but with all of the WOW needed to turn heads.

Be sure to follow Mary on Instagram for more inspiration.

Anna from Anna's Island Style

Anna has taken to this challenge like a duck to water!
{Well, she does swim in the sea everyday... hence those amazingly toned pins}

Of course Anna's fishnets are far from ordinary... they are electric blue!
Mixing blue and green (naughty girl, has she read the rule book?) for a fun and flirty look.
Anna has made these fishnets fit in to her colourful style.
Pop over to her blog for a closer look at those shoes.
Bravo Anna!

Follow Anna on Instagram

Ann from Kremb de la Kremb

How sexy does Ann look here?!

There is something about ripped jeans with patterned tights peeping through....Va va voom!! 

Ann has kept her look simple, casual and fun.

Jeans, a leather jacket and a cheeky t-shirt.

What could be simpler?

Did I mention those SHOES....sigh....I love Love LOVE!

Follow Ann on Instagram.

What do you think of our new format?
Is there a classic item you would like to see featured?
What about Fishnets...Do you find them easy to wear?
How do you style yours?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.
I love hearing them!

SHOP FOR FISHNETS

Soft Blue, Nude and Peach | Spring Culottes Outfit

I've finally found a pair of culottes I really like.
I love the look of culottes on other people, and have always wanted them to look good on me....but I have had more than my fair share of issues with them!
See my culotte disasters HERE, HERE and HERE
Culottes have caused me a few problems to say the least.

These culottes were hanging sadly on the "Everything for a Pound" rail at my local charity shop.

All crumpled and pathetic looking.

Once I had freshened them up (with a wash and iron) they were as good as new.

The handkerchief pattern was a dream to mix and match with these spring colours.

A soft blue and a peachy tone.

Adding touches of black to pull everything together.

These nude sandals are so sneaky.

They are designed in such a way that I can slip a sheepskin liner into the toe...soft as a cloud, and cosy too.

Perfect for days when you want to pretend it is spring but the thermometer is not so keen!

My nude/blush leather jacket finished this look off perfectly!

CULOTTES: River Island... These are gorgeous...so are these!
SHOES: Vagabond...similar.
BLUE TOP: Vintage... this is nice.
PEACH TOP: Urban Outfitters...this peach shirt would work beautifully.
NECKLACE: Tatty Devine
BAG: Topshop...similar
JACKET: Superdry

GET THE LOOK

How to Style an 80's Shirt Dress in 2017.

This 80's shirt dress couldn't be more typical of the era.
The midi-length full skirt.
The shoulder pads.
The self-coloured belt.
The "wacky" pattern.
The Navy and Jade colours.

It is as typically 80's as an 80's dress can get!

So, how can I wear an 1980's dress in the 20-Teens?

Wearing vintage is much easier when you are in your teens, and 20's.
Vintage style on a young woman looks ironic, edgy, quirky and fun.

Much as I love a full-on vintage look, vintage style on an older women can be dangerous territory.
No one wants to look like an old frump in an old dress, do they?

This 80's shirt dress is a lovely quality, and a distinctive shape.
Styling it in a traditional way gives the whole outfit a very 80's feel.... all I need is a brushed back perm and some blue eyeliner!

The plain black courts (and matching satin clutch) are the way my Mum would have styled this, back in the day.

{I know that navy courts would have been more authentic but I don't own any!}

Green tights would have been another 'must have' for a co-ordinated 80's outfit.
The necklace at the collar was a typical finishing touch.... although, perhaps a brooch pinned there would have been better?

Maybe some big plastic clip-on earrings and matching bangles would have worked too?

What would you have worn to make this more 'authentic 1980's'?

I love how Jake looks slightly embarrassed by this ensemble!

In order to make this dress feel a little more 'me' (and a little more 2017) I decided to open it up and layer a striped top underneath.

Turning up the sleeves gave the dress less of a matronly shape, and more of a casual feel.

Removing the green coloured tights was a relief, but it was still chilly so I popped on a pair of nude tights for a little warmth.

{These chunky vagabond sandals now have a sheepskin liner in the front, and my toes were snug as a bug in a rug!}

Removing the self-tie belt and adding a wide one, with a zebra design, brought another pattern into the mix.

Which is always a good idea in my book!

Plain, but chunky, earrings finished things off nicely.

Jake seems happier too!

How would you style this dress to make it feel more modern, and more 'You'?
Please share in the comments, I love hearing your thoughts!

DRESS: My MIL's...vintage 80's... she is 4'9", imagine the length on her frame!
SHOES: Tkmax & Vagabond
BAGS: Vintage & Vintage!
UNDERTOP: New Look
TIGHTS: Charity shop find (they were in their packet) and Wolford.
BELT: Karen Millen (found on eBay)
EARRINGS: H&M

Bralet over a Shirt | Leopard, Snake and Satin, over 40.

Bralets (worn over blouses and shirts) were all over the magazines recently, and I must admit to liking the look!

Much like the corset-style wide belt, a bralet worn over a shirt (or blouse) is pretty sexy...without actually revealing any flesh at all!
Your bra is on show but no midriff, or even cleavage needs to be exposed.
You can even wear your own (supportive) bra underneath.
Perfect.

Being over 40 is no excuse for not giving mini trends a go, so tonight I decided to wear this leopard print bralet over a sheer snake-print shirt.

{There's nothing like a spot of pattern mixing when you are nervous of a trend 😝.  I always think that if you go for it full-on you can bluff your way through anything!}

My wide leg satin trousers {Last spotted HERE} seemed the perfect partner for this bralet/shirt combination.
These trousers are comfortable, high-waisted and offer full coverage.
Adding a nice swoosh, as well as an interesting contrast to the lace and chiffon.

Prim and proper brogues, a neutral clutch and some bold (but simple) earrings finished things off nicely.

Are you going to try / Have you tried this trend?
Do you like it?
Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.
I love hearing from you!


BRALET: La Senza (this is nice.... so it this one)
SHIRT: French Connection (very old) ...this would work beautifully!
TROUSERS: Finery...these velvet ones would work.... these are nice too.
SHOES: Clarks... these are cool!
BAG: Tkmax... this one is nothing like mine, but would have looked great!
EARRINGS: H&M...these are lovely.

GET the LOOK