[Some affiliate links used. Gifted items marked]
At last, another outfit catch up post. I try to do these every fortnight but I swear the time between those two weeks seems to get shorter and shorter! I think the combination of a busy period in work and 4th year exams both played a part this month. Work is still busy but the exams are all done now...roll on the GCSE's!!
Before I share the outfits, I want to thank everyone who got in touch with ideas and suggestions for London. I'm so grateful and thanks to all your messages, we now have a jam-packed itinerary for each day, discounted tickets to a show in the West End AND a couple of amazing view options without the cost of the Shard or the London Eye. I will blog about it all I promise...I know lots of you will find it really helpful too.
So what have I been wearing...here goes and in the words of Dermot O'Leary, they're in no particular order - just how the phone uploaded them. I wore this first outfit to the Museum and Botanic Gardens at the weekend. Can't go wrong with a blazer and jeans and these (and the t-shirt) were picked up in the sales - where I seek out all my basics. The t-shirt was actually from the menswear department in River Island - I'm wearing the size Small and the cotton is far superior to anything I saw in the womenswear section.
I'm asked a lot about how how I decide what I'm going to wear each day. I always just try to get a balance of casual/smart. The jeans are distressed and the t-shirt is very casual, so the dressier blazer lifts the outfit a bit. I tried wearing trainers but the whole thing went too far down the casual route and the blazer started to look out of place so I chose the pumps instead. And I think it worked? It's a bonus that the shoes pick up the purple in the t-shirt - brings things together without getting too matchy matchy. As it's all past season, I've linked to similar items here....and throughout this blog post. Really trying to work the wardrobe and buy less.
Blazer - M&S (AW18 sale)
Jeans - H&M (AW16 sale)
T-Shirt - River Island (AW18 sale)
Bag - Boden (so old I can't remember)
Next up and you know you've lost the plot when you're taking blog photos in Ikea..but I saw another blogger do it and it looked cool but this just looks #awkward. And I got even more looks than I usually get....hey ho. Again, like I said above, it's the balance here - a formal coat with trainers - takes the corporate look off the mac but takes the scruffy look off the trainers!
Coat - Hobbs Outlet (Christmas present from husband!)
Jeans - Tesco Premium (don't bother - they are too annoying to wear as they continually fall down)
Trainers - New Balance (many years old)
Bag - Biba at HOF (SS18)
I've ignored the balance of smart/casual on this one and just gone full on casual! Lazy Sunday mooching around the house in a T-shirt and the comfiest trousers ever. I've raved about these before. They're Per Una but don't let that put you off...
Jacket - Abercrombie & Fitch (preloved)
T-Shirt - Loreak from Honey boutique, Lisburn Road
Trainers - Dunnes (recent sale purchase)
Straight from casual to glam and this is what I wore to a gifted rooftop coffee experience courtesy of Hastings Hotel and the Henderson Food Group in the Grand Central Hotel Observatory, which has the highest views in Belfast. Such a stunning venue and this picture, taken by my friend Emer, won me a prize of Afternoon Tea for Two in Grand Central - which I gifted to my sister and mother in law. They're forever helping me out with childcare for events like this and neither of them have been in the hotel before so I'm excited to hear how they get on.
It's hard to see the outfit but it's a jumpsuit that I've had for a couple of years now. The best fit and so comfortable to wear (and take off when nature calls). I wore it with a red cross body - great for lifting a black outfit. I use this bag so often. I've linked to a few similar ones below as mine is a past season one I bought preloved from a friend.
Jumpsuit - Warehouse
Bag - M&S (preloved - similar here & here)
Back in the M&S blazer again for a jaunt into Belfast to have my hair done. You can't beat the feeling of freshly coloured hair..
Shoes - Dune Guilt (love these leather ones from Topshop too - better priced)
Top - Masai from Berlin Boutique
Bag - Mulberry (preloved)
A gorgeous dress for a gorgeous day next. I bought this one last summer in Debenhams - it's from the Studio by Preen range. It was pricy at the time (£95 I think?) but I've worn it several times and each time, I love it even more....and it always gets compliments and questions...everything else has been seen before:
Jacket - Reiss (preloved via eBay)
Trainers & Bag as above
This is what I wore to a try-on at Bangor based boutique, Moi. An absolutely stunning wee shop that you need to call into if you're in that part of the world...she has a website too on the link above. Bag, denim jacket and trousers are as before..
Trainers - JD Williams (gifted) - on sale now!
Last photo isn't stylish but I am very proud of the fact that I ran a competitive 400m on the Mary Peter's Track in Belfast last week. It was part of a running evening that the Mary Peter's Trust organised and I was asked alongside Jeff (Belfast Times) and a few other local media people to run a circuit, with Mary herself, who turns 80 this year. Some people ran, some people walked. Carrying a hip injury, I did struggle. I didn't exactly come last because I got in faster than the walkers...sure it's the taking part that counts eh?
And there you go - all up to date. I'm short a few photos as some days just pass without the opportunity. You know what it's like yourself.
Back soon - I have quite the blog backlog that I need to clear..
Ax
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