What's in Store? Marks and Spencer

This is the first in a new series of "What's in Store?"  where I will be taking a regular tour (mostly virtual) of the high street shelves and rails and reporting back to you on my findings with my top 10 picks.

First up is Marks and Spencer.  They're always worth a peek, as among the more humdrum offerings there are often a few beauties which warrant a place in your wardrobe.

Here goes (in no particular order):

Number 10:

Pure Cotton Midi Dress £65

I love the pink shade of this dress and the ruching detail. If I didn't already have the blush pink Warehouse dress from last Summer I would definitely be purchasing this one.


Number 9:

                                                                            

Frill Hem Wrap Skirt £32.50

Loving this skirt - the ruffles are gorgeous.  Again I have a similar navy one from last year which I adore and would definitely recommend this style. It's easy to wear and can be dressed up with heels and a going out out top or down with a tee and sandals/trainers. Go on - try it!

Number 8:

Spotted Long Sleeve Shirt £19.50

Polka dots are a classic, so this one is well worth a try.  It will work well with both workwear and jeans.

Number 7:

Gathered square neck blouse £39.50

Love the style of this - I may have to purchase to check it out IRL.  Some reviews are critical of the fabric but it's a fab take on a classic black top.  Too good not to try for myself.

Number 6:

Pure Cotton Striped Shirt £27.50

A striped shirt with a quirky sleeve to give an edge to a classic style.  Love the pop-over feature as well. Great with jeans/shorts or a more formal outfit.

Number 5:

Pure Cotton Printed Tee £8.50

Probably a bit marmite but this little tee caught my eye and at £8.50 it looks well worth a try to me - pair with white or blue jeans to give your outfit some patterned oomph.

Number 4: 

Pure Cashmere Striped Sweater £99

Love Cashmere.  Love Bretons.  This has been added to my wishlist for the next 20% off code.

Number 3:

Faux Leather Circle Handbag £39.50

A great sized bag with designer features at an affordable price.  Again great for formal or informal occasions and plenty of room inside for all your belongings/kids' c**p.

Number 2:

Relaxed slim leg mid rise jean £25

Fabulous price point for a pair of jeans in a great shade of blue.  Jeans are difficult to buy but these are a must-try at £25.

Number 1:

Pearl Effect Multipack Bracelet £7.50

And finally just a little bracelet stack to accessorise your outfits for Spring. Wear with silver/gold bracelets from your collection to mix up textures and colours.
To be honest I have struggled a little this evening to pull this post together as there weren't that many gorgeous things to choose from at Marks and Spencers.  Fingers crossed they find their mojo in time for the warmer weather!

Back soon,

Sue xxx

TopShop Picks Spring/Summer 2017

For this post I have enjoyed browsing all that TopShop has to offer us this Spring, and have come up with this selection for you, all of which I would gladly welcome into my wardrobe.

1.Stripe Shirt, £32 A great basic for wearing at home or away, with jeans or shorts, or on it's own over a bikini and a tan.

2. Swirl Drop Earrings, £7 Jazz up a plain tee and jeans combo or a dress with these edgy earrings. Remember bigger is better this season.

3. Poplin Tie Waist Playsuit, £39 This playsuit is perfect for warm Summer days (when your legs are already tanned). The navy presents a chic silhouette, off -set by the ruffled edges. Wear with sandals or trainers.

4. Ball Drop Earrings, £10 Perfect for work or play.

5.Stripe Off Shoulder Top, £32 This is on my wishlist to wear with blue jeans or the poplin trousers above. An easy to wear, slightly different take on the Bardot top, and the stripes keep it looking chic.

6.Flute Ruffle Poplin Top, £29 A perfect Summer top in lightweight fabric and chic colourway.

7. Kara Pointy Flat Mules, £42  I love the bow on these shoes and this colour is perfect with white, black, blue... I need these in my life!

8. Kick Softy Ballet Pumps, £35 I have these in my life!  They are soft and comfortable, highly recommended.

9. Gina V-cut Flare Block Heel, £56  These would inject a gorgeous pop of colour to any outfit, smart or casual, plain or patterned.

10. Pompom Drop Earrings, £12.50  Some cheeky, colourful fun for your earlobes.

11. Tulle Ruched Tee Tunic, £22  This would be great worn layered over a tee and blue jeans/shorts.

12. Stripe Ruffle Wrap Dress, £48  I have my eye on the very expensive Isabel Marant Etoile Delicia Dress which is somewhat out of my price range, so this would be a fab alternative.

13. Poplin Bow Trouser, £39 I've never really got on with chinos, but I'm prepared to give them another go with this pair.

I'll be back soon with my top Spring/Summer picks from Mango,

Sue xx

Top 10 Picks from Zara

Well, hello little Blog, it's been a while.  I will try to fit you in to my increasingly busy life more often in the coming weeks, I promise!

Let's start with a look at my current Top 10 picks from Zara..
1. 

Top with Frilled Sleeve £17.99

A useful little top with the added frill detail.  Looks just as good with tailored seperates as it does with jeans and shorts. Bonus!

2.  

Gingham Dress with Ruffled Sleeve £39.99

I'm loving the gingham trend at the moment.  I have invested in a couple of black/white pieces this season and think this red/white dress looks excellent and not too much like a tablecloth from an Italian restaurant.
3. 

Backless Jumpsuit £25.99

This is a versatile piece for layering over a tee or wearing on its own over a bikini/swimsuit for holidays.

4.

Polka Dot Jumpsuit £49.99

Love everything about this jumpsuit - the cropped length, polka dots and navy/white colourway. Great for a night out with heels or with trainers for the day.

5. 

Trousers with Frilled Waistband £39.99

Love the update to the chino style here.  Fab with a tee or a shirt.

6. 

Ribbed Jumpsuit £17.99

This jumpsuit is perfect for hot Summer days at home or on holiday.  I'd wear with tan sandals or trainers.

7.

Crossover Striped Blouse £29.99

I've tried many a boho top but have returned them all...this one however looks that little bit different with the tie giving it the shape the others lacked.  Wear with white jeans or denim shorts.

8.

Printed Poplin Top £25.99

Just gorgeous to give your denim a Spring pick-me-up.

9.

Pompom Basket £19.99

I have bought a couple of baskets over the years and find myself falling for this one too along with this one too.

10.

Slides with Tassels £49.99

Okay, so they're not very practical and wouldn't work so well on a sandy beach, but I adore these slides for wearing with a dress, boyfriend jeans or shorts when the weather warms up.

Back soon with my Top 10 from another high street favourite...

Sue xx

Sequins

The next key trend in Highstreetedited's round up of Autumn/Winter 2016 trends is Sequins. Sparkly, glittery little shiny circles that really make an outfit shine.  They will add glitz and glamour for an evening out or sparkle to an everyday outfit, if you're feeling brave enough to don them in daylight. I'll definitely be pushing the boundaries with mine this year as I only wore my sequin top a sum total of once last season.

A Few Last Minute Holiday Bargains

Last week my internet browsing took me to Zara. Online of course as I don't enjoy the scrummage that is the actual shop these days. Plus when ordered online the clothes arrive in some semblance of neatness and I can kid myself that they haven't been tried on by hundreds of other hopeful shoppers. My order took a few days longer to arrive than usual, but arrive it did (after a week or so), and in time for my long-awaited holiday!

Here are my last minute holiday arrivals from Zara ,

Similar here, here, here and here

Back on my Radar, Part II

...in the form of Great Plains.  Now this used to be a favourite online haunt of mine when I was at home with 3 small boys, but it slipped off my list for a while and has just been brought back to mind.  Believe it or not I was browsing the Boden Sale and somehow I ended up on the Great Plains website, goodness knows how I did that, but I'm so glad I did as I spied this cashmere hoody (reduced)