Wearing My Sunday Best

Lace Fluted Sleeve Top: Topshop
Double Strap Cami: Topshop
Premium Suit Trousers: Topshop
Madness Grey Mules: Office
Hibiscus Blossom Bag: Mulberry
Rayban Round Metal Sunglasses: Sunglass Hut*

For me Sundays are all about the laid back life - family walks, leisurely breakfasts that become brunches and necessary errands (hello wash basket) but sometimes the seventh day of the week has a fancier line up that requires more than just my favourite jeans. Yesterday Craig, Sadie and I donned our Sunday best and dived into the car with our toast in hand (peanut butter for the girls and jam for Craig) as we made our way over to Doncaster to celebrate our God son Henrys christening. It's rare that team Wild are up, dressed and out of the house for 9.25am on any day of the week, let alone a Sunday so you know it was a seriously special occasion. After my personal shopping sesh in Topshop I had my outfit hanging on the front of my wardrobe which FYI is the ultimate time saver (wouldn't it be ace if every morning was like that?) and I must admit this is one of my favourite ensembles ever. The coral pink suit trousers make me feel far cooler than I am and the cut of these trousers is second to none - I've now seen there's a matching jacket and my god do I want it. How fly would it feel to own not only my first suit but a pink one? I need it right?

The lace fluted sleeve top is another absolute dream of a piece, I tried this in store with skinny jeans and the studded Amy boots and it looked just as on point as I think it does with these smart trousers. The flared sleeve makes me feel part Kate Bush part Austin Powers and who wouldn't want to feel like such swooshy sleeve royalty? To maintain my modesty I paired this with a cami as who in the right mind wants things to look chesty in church? While we're on the subject of being appropriate let's discuss acceptable church attire, with another christening taking place at the same church I noticed a few questionable outfits which makes me wonder whether my Sunday best view is becoming archaic? I might sound old fashioned but I believe you should say see ya to knees and boobs when in church. Tell me you agree? With a toddling bambino in tow my footwear has to be the type you can run in so with Gazelles out of the question my Office mules came out to play again. I literally cannot sing the praises of these babies enough, not only do they look chic but they're so damn comfortable. 

Thanks to the sun rays the afternoon was renamed iced latte o'clock, presenting the perfect opportunity to pull out the Raybans*. I can't tell you how long I've admired the Rayban brand for yet I've never been able to find a pair that suits me, until the new round mirrored style were introduced to Sunglass Hut that is. These rose gold babies let me pretend I'm some sort of rockstar and who wouldn't be ok with that?

What's your thoughts on dressing in church? What do you make of my Topshop heavy attire?

*PR Gift.

Jeans, A Tee And A Baby

Slogan Tee: Whistles exclusively for ASOS
Stepped Hem Orson Jeans: Topshop
Madness Grey Mules: Office
Tortoise Shell Sunglasses: Tom Ford
Sadie is wearing a Baby Boden vest and a H&M all in one

So the title might be a touch misleading because not only is there jeans, a tee and a baby but a balloon too which isn't just an entertainment aid for my thirteen month old but a celebratory birthday gesture for Cagney and Lace as last Saturday C&L turned four. I'm so proud to say I've been blogging for over four years, I can't think of any hobby that's lasted so long except for piano playing but I didn't really enjoy that towards the end (sorry mum and dad!) Cagney and Lace began as a way for me to keep my toe in the fashion arena as I decided to change career path and I love how it's evolved into an almost online diary, albeit a stylish one (I hope?) To celebrate I've given Cagney and Lace some much needed R&R and I hope you'll agree she's looking pretty snazzy and a lot more profesh. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments...

Celebrations aside lets talk about how I almost had all of my wardrobe on the floor, bed and on top of the floordrobe this morning when I spotted the sun had made another appearance. Now don't get me wrong I love me some sunshine but it's not half difficult to dress for when you have an on the move baby to look after - my once faithful sundresses make me feel incredibly exposed not to mention the body maintenance to wear one of said dresses. After trying on almost my entire clothing stash I resorted to a Cos dress I've had for yonks for an al fresco dining sitch at my parents abode before coming home and changing into jeans and a tee because didn't it get real windy? I've had my Whistles tee for quite a while now but this is its Cagney and Lace debut, as with all Whistles jersey you really do get what you pay for and while I might wear this tee with everything from a leather pinafore dress to grey jogging bottoms its definitely still the softest thing I own.

My jeans and mules are both purchases initiated by Lucy, the personal stylist at Topshop Meadowhall. I don't want to waffle on for too long about this as I'm planning a separate post all about my experience but I will say I'm thrilled to own a pair of stepped hem straight legs. I've been eyeing up this style of jean for so long but hadn't taken the plunge/found a pair that suited me so all hail the joys of someone pulling clothes for you. If you've peeked in the description box you'll notice these mules aren't actually Topshop but are from Office - within five minutes of meeting Lucy I was asking where her shoes were from so you can imagine my delight when I discovered they were just £28.50 on offer and real suede. Two hours later and a quick Office dash with a sleepy Sadie and they were mine. Don't you think they just add a little somethin' somethin' to a simple outfit? I love them. While we're on the subject of newness I ought to mention my recently refreshed locks, I usually hate my hair straight but it's actually growing on me, who'd of thought it? Things are a little shorter and I no longer have ghastly roots so hooray for Jennie at Volt. 

Now I must dash as I'm dying to watch The Hills: That Was Then, This Is Now programme with the one and only LC before I find myself using matchsticks to prop my eyes open. Wish me luck.

Have you been enjoying the sunshine this weekend? Fingers crossed you haven't been struggling with what to wear too.

Always & Forever, Said The T-Shirt

Slogan T-Shirt: Topshop
Navy Quilted Skirt: Hobbs
Jewel Drop Necklace: Primark
Friendship Bracelet: Links Of London
Electric Blue Sandals: Office
Cutest iPhone Case Around: c/o Iconemesis

Just as the suns takes it's final curtain call Sheffield got a random burst of heat so please excuse my now uber unseasonal footwear. You could say I wore my electric blue sandals to prepare myself for the next couple of days as I'm hopping on a jet plane to Italy with work! Even though it's a business trip (I'll be mostly dashing around appointments at an exhibition) it's fantastic to be able to go abroad and experience the beautiful country that's Italy. I bet you'd never guess that my mum is actually half Italian, sadly I didn't get her beautiful olive skin but instead have my fair-haired-English-rose-complexion-dad to thank but hey I'm not complaining. Another highlight to my Italian jaunt is that the boyf is coming too - we actually both work at the same company so I'm even beyond excited about travelling with my beau. 

I am in L-O-V-E love with this relaxed slogan tee - the material is super lightweight and soft to touch and don't even get me started on the typography, j'adore. I couldn't believe my luck when I spotted this in Topshop for a mere £14, not only is this a bargain by Topshop standards but it's actually a decent price when you compare it to similar offerings from brands like Wildfox. Taking the tee out of it's casual comfort zone I decided to pair it with a statement necklace, my aforementioned sandals and arguably the piece de resistance, my new quilted skirt from Hobbs. Doesn't this just have Autumn Winter staple written all over it? I'm a huge fan of how this skirt can go from lady like to casual with just a few easy changes and I can already  envisage wearing this with black opaques, ankle boots and a fluffy pastel sweater. Dreamy non?

The finishing touch to my laid back attire is my rather fabulous Fifi Lapin iPhone 5 case from Iconomesis*. It's amazing how you never really notice phone cases until you get your first one and then you're hooked. After swooning over the Fifi Lapin designs for longer than I dare to admit I was beyond thrilled when the lovely Ashleigh asked if I'd like one if my life, hell to the yes. This swoon worthy design has been hanging out with my iPhone for the last couple of weeks so I thought it was time to profess my love. Not only is it super cute, have you seen those rabbits but it actually protects my phone too. If you're lucky enough to order one of the new iPhone 5S' then you'd better get yourself over to Iconemesis who have some awesome designs, don't say I didn't warn you.

Have you been investing in staple Autumn Winter pieces? What do you think of my adorable iPhone case?

*My iPhone 5 case was kindly sent to by Iconemesis.

Three Ways To Style A White Tee

White Tee: COLLECTIVE* (same throughout all outfits)
Leather Jacket: Zara
Neon Skirt: Sportmax Code from mywardrobe.com
Embellished Necklace: Accessorize
Friendship Bracelet: Links Of London
Raffia Clutch: Primark
Silver Sandals: Zara 

I'm not a believer of fashion rules (there I said it) I think fashion should be something you can enjoy and have fun with, an extension of your personality, an outlet for your creativity. If you want to rock clashing patterns and prints, wear sequins all day long or try black and blue together then I salute you - fashion should be something that makes you feel good. That said I do think every wardrobe should include a few basics, essential pieces form the foundation of any great wardrobe and for me a white t-shirt is one of those necessities so when the lovely people at COLLECTIVE got in touch asking me to style one of their premium white tees in three different ways I was more than game.

My first styling thought was to take the white tee into the unknown and dress it up - typically the white t-shirt has a reputation for being a casual number, not on my ship. For this outfit I went for a smack-you-in-the-face pop of colour with my newly acquired Sportmax Code mini skirt, I adore the vibrant neon shade of this skirt and the super cute black piping. The place of statement neck wear was taken by this silver embellished pendant necklace from Accessorize - bringing the outfit to a close I added my beaut Zara heels, a raffia clutch from Primark, my Links of London friendship bracelet and a trusty leather jacket, definitely another wardrobe essential which can ward off the evening chill.

Rose Gold Necklace: Lux Boutique, Bath
Willow Bag: Mulberry
Multi-coloured Bracelets: H&M
Gold Ring: Astley Clarke
Paisley Jeans: Zara
Sequin Converse: mywardrobe.com

Look number two is a casual look, something I'd wear at the weekend to run errands and possibly eat cupcakes in - although this look is a fairly simple ensemble it has got a few eye catching elements which make it a very me outfit. My COLLECTIVE tee has a lovely loose, relaxed fit which led me to pick a more fitted bottom half in the shape of my beloved paisley blue and white skinnys which are perfect for this in between weather we're experiencing right now. My footwear of choice? The magpie in me had to pick my navy sequinned Converse, which are practical and also make me smile all day long. Finishing touches to this casual get up include a delicate rose gold necklace from Lux Boutique in Bath, a collection of bracelets from H&M, my never-leave-the-house-without Astley Clarke ring and last but never least my Mulberry Willow bag.

Straw Trilby: c/o Swimwear 365
Sequin Blazer & Pink Maxi Skirt: Zara
Gold Band Necklace: Warehouse
Blue Sandals: Office

With the sun making a few cheeky appearances this weekend my final look just had to be a Summer appropriate one - this outfit is something I'd wear to a festival (why oh why do I not have V Festival tickets?) or to a friends BBQ. My COLLECTIVE tee is perfection for the hotter weather we've been experiencing as it's made solely from organic cotton and tencil which are 100% biodegradable and fully recyclable so not only is my tee lightweight but eco-friendly, easy brownie points for me.

I created my favourite look of the day (well it was inevitable) by tucking my white tee into a blush pink maxi skirt from Zara with cheeky side splits before adding this show stopper of a jacket, courtesy of my mums wardrobe - in my defense she barely wears it! Keeping things bright I added a pair of elasticated electric blue sandals from Office, a simple gold band necklace from Warehouse and my straw trilby from the kind folk at Swimwear365 which is fast becoming my new favourite accessory. 

How would you style a COLLECTIVE white tee? Which outfit is your favourite?

*The white tee was kindly sent to me by COLLECTIVE.