Small and perfectly formed

Ah bags, my favourite subject.  How many hours of my life have I spent thinking about, talking about, looking at, saving for and of course, loving bags?  Many, far too many probably.  However as this trait shows absolutely no sign of abating I thought I'd tell what I'm loving at the moment and recommend some good investment buys.


Most recently, small (ish) cross body bags are really ringing my bell.  After years of using bags large enough to fit all my childrens' rubbish in, and the child herself in some cases, I am (THANK GOD) back to only having to worry about my own shiz which I find, without sounding like too much of a dick, rather liberating.


Cross body bags are super practical, don't give you back/shoulder/arm ache and look cool and chic to boot.  If you're considering sizing down to a cross body I'd say look at simple styles in classic colours - most of us need our bags to last longer than one season, much longer.  Below are a few that I like and own. Whilst some are more reasonably priced, a couple are on the more expensive side - I bleedin' love a posh bag.


If you're buying for the first time, the Gucci Disco is an excellent place to start.  It's not cheap, granted, but I guarantee you will use it endlessly.  I have one in red.  It's THE perfect size - large enough to fit the essentials without them getting squashed but small enough to look neat and feel compact on the body - and looks great with smart and casual outfits.

The bag I seem to reach for just as much as my Gucci is my Anya Hindmarch Gracie in black.  It's a past season style but you can pick them up on eBay at really reasonable prices.  They are made from beautifully soft leather and have an elegant, timeless style.  The black has neutral pewter hardware so if you're super fussy about matching your bag hardware to your jewellery, it will "go" with either.

 


Now, the Chloe Drew has been popular for a while and whilst I'm not usually crazy about a chain strap, I love how chic the strap is here.  They're on the smaller side and the shape would possibly limit how much you could get in there but they come in a huge selection of colours and they're all absolutely beautiful. My choice?  The grey - it's just divine with the gold hardware.

This Coccinelle is the grey bag that I do own (currently pimped with Anya Hindmarch rip off stickers from Topshop).  It's infinitely useful and great quality despite being on the cheaper end of the scale.  I bought this as I couldn't justify £800 or so (who can?!) for a Celine Trio.  Instead I found this at Bicester Village for a fraction of the cost.  With a detachable strap and pale gold hardware it's perfect for evenings too.  Coccinelle do variations on this style every year - they're brilliant little bags.

My most recent purchase is this little gem, the Aurora Willow.  Very similar to the Coccinelle, I couldn't be more pleased with it - it's gorgeous quality, comes with the option of personalisation and is a very reasonable price.  It's perfectly understated and they come in loads of colours with more dropping for Spring shortly I'm told.  The red is beautiful.

Still with understated, the APC Half Moon would be so useful.  Perfectly sized and perfectly chic, I adore how minimal it is - these lovely little bags are now firmly on my radar.

And I'll finish with a burgundy cross body bag conundrum that I'm currently having (not a sentence I ever thought I'd write.)  I've rationalised in my head that I "need" one and can think of little else.  If you wear a lot of black, grey and white (which I do) a burgundy bag (or oxblood if we're gonna talk fash-un) will lift your oufit beautifully.  The obvious choice, if money was no option, which unfortunately it is, would be the YSL Camera. 

I mean they're just delicious aren't they?  Back in the real world where I have a mortgage to pay and children to feed, it's not gonna be mine.  Cue much research until I thought I'd found a suitable and much more husband-friendly alternative in the form of the Cloud bag from Cambridge Satchel Company Cloud.  I was however, thwarted at the final fence as the very minute I made the decision to click 'buy', it went out of effing stock.  Back to the drawing board I went and several try ons later it was between the Blossom Pochette from Mulberry and the Gotham from Marc Jacobs.  The Mulberry was too small so the Marc Jacobs won and as is the way of the world, as soon as my eBay auctions finish, I had planned to buy it. 


However, it looks like the Cloud is now back in stock and like the muppet I am, I'm completely unable to decide between the two....

 

Block

Any fashion observer worth their Gucci will know that at the moment, it’s all about the low block heel.   As a lover of high heels but with an increasingly temperamental back (old age, you’re a bitch) I’m all over this style. 

The shoe of the moment and inspiration for a plethora of copies on the high street, the Celine glove shoe, I love in theory but would look beyond ridiculous wearing.  Enter stage right a million alternative styles.  Phew. 

For me the block heel journey started, as so many other things have, with a blurry pap shot of Kate Moss.  In true style stalker fashion, last summer I tracked down a similar pair - hers are Repetto, mine are good old John Lewis.

I think as this style can veer towards fugly and, let's be honest, a little frumpy, they work better with more casual, cool outfits - a leather mini, a pair of frayed hem jeans.  I'm looking forward to wearing block heeled sandals once the weather stops being so bloody wintery but in the meantime, here's a quick round up of what's on the high street: 

Gatsby mary janes - TopShop
Juno glove shoes - TopShop
satin and glitter mary janes - Next
Josephine flared heel shoes - TopShop
Joni velvet shoes - TopShop
slingback shoes - Zara

And here I am wearing my Zara sale bargains...

breton teeshirt - Uniqlo / blue jeans - TopShop / cream faux fur coat - Zara / red clutch - Marc Jacobs / gold glitter block heels - Zara

Work wear part 2

Mega soz for the lull in activity since the last blog.  Have been feeling generally a bit rubbish but onwards and upwards - let’s talk about work wear bottoms.

 

Mini skirts (I say mini, they hit around mid-thigh on me, we’re not talking bum skimming here, fear not) - now I know a “mini” won’t be for everyone but bear with…  I have a few wool mini skirts and they work so well with the aforementioned polo and crew necks and opaques in winter.  Go for ones with a very slight A-line shape (so much more flattering) and look for a heavier, woollier fabric.  If mid thigh is too short, try a skirt that hits just above the knee but keep that slight A-line shape.  I should say, for me, these are a winter only option as I’d only wear them with the safety net of opaques.  For those with longer/younger/generally nicer legs who can get away without tights, look for tailored, stiffer fabrics and perhaps a subtle ‘60s nod.  I love a bit of brocade on a mini skirt.  M&S do an excellent woolly version every year and Zara and Mango always have plenty of choice (just watch the length as some are rather short!)

black wool skirt - M&S
tweed skirt - J Crew
tweed mini skirt - M&S

pink mini skirt - Whistles
 

Midi skirts –  I LOVE midi skirts.  They’re so flattering, hide a multitude of sins and I adore that whole Dior “New Look” silhouette.  They can be pencil, gathered, pleated or A-line but make sure they’re midi and not knee length or even worse above the knee.  A proper midi should hit mid-calf although you can probably go a little shorter with a pencil skirt, say just under the knee.  I have lots of midi skirts, some plain some more statement-y.  I find that statement skirts (Wanky Fashion Term Klaxon -  sorry) work better in summer with a bare leg and the aforementioned grey teeshirt or white shirt.  My plainer, woollier ones, unsurprisingly, are more suited to winter and an opaque leg.  I always wear with a heel.  M&S, Whistles,  Zara, Warehouse and ASOS are all good starting places.  This one from H&M, modelled so perfectly by chloelovestoshop on Insta, is on my list.

floral skirt - H&M
lace skirt - H&M
grid lace skirt - Warehouse 

checked pencil skirt - Whistles

A final (important) note about skirts: ditch your bobbly, shiny, Nora Batty tributes and invest in some decent tights.  Tights made by brands such as Falke and Wolford are expensive but will last for years if you look after them.  Generally I don't really rate M&S tights (although my lovely friend and I did find a brilliant pair of cotton based ones last year that are slightly sheer and in no way shiny (The Actual Holy Grail of Opaques) - have we been able to buy more this year?  Of course we haven't.  Aaaaanyway...)  John Lewis have a great reasonably priced selection.

Trousers -  these are completely subjective as we’re all so very different as to what suits us.  Flared, tapered, straight, relaxed, peg, boot cut, cropped - Christ, it's almost as tiresome as buying jeans.  My personal preference is a slightly slouchy tapered leg as they're the most forgiving on my less than toned bottom half but get out there and try on as many different styles as you can.  Zara is a good place to start.  Sit, bend and walk in them to see how they feel.  A classic straight cut will always look stylish whereas I find flared or bootcuts have far too many late ‘90s poly trouser suit connotations and so I avoid these like the proverbial plague.  I don’t wear trousers to work that often so only have a couple of pairs but black is always going to be a winner.  I think with lighter fabrics you have to be reeeeeeeally careful that you’re not flashing the outline of your knickers/less than perfect backside to the world (although, of course, I always keep an eye out for that so far elusive perfectly cut, slightly relaxed grey pair).  

Richmond cigarette trouser - Boden (Boden also do their bestselling Bistro style which are very similar to these)
pleated cropped trouser - Zara


Next time, my favourites - DRESSES!