Gudrun Sjoden – One dress worn 5 ways

Posted on July 12, 2015 by fashion-mommy

I have been a long time fan of Scandinavian brand Gudrun Sjoden. Gudrun’s designs are always beautiful and unique, clothes that are amazing quality and offer something that are so different from anything else you will find, High Street, Designer or otherwise. But I was recently set a challenge, could I show just how versatile Gudrun Sjoden pieces could be by styling one dress five different ways? I love a good challenge so I browsed the website, chose the perfect dress, and set about looking for accessories to make five different, but totally versatile looks.

Florencia” cotton/silk dress now £85

The dress I chose was the Florencia cotton/Silk dress which is still available in all sizes but is now reduced to £85. This is a gorgeous summer dress, almost paper thin, but with pretty back detailing – pinafore style straps and lacing detail. I think this is a dress that could work for work, for holidays, for casual days and evening for an evening out. This is how I styled the Florencia dress five different ways.

Look 1 – It’s holiday time!

The dress is so cool it is perfect for very warm, sun-drenched days. Teamed with a Gudrun Sjoden classic shawl to cover those shoulders and a pair of silver leather sandals ( a holiday purchase), this look is great for dinner and drinks.

Look 2 – Evening attire – UK Style

I think if you add a pair of killer heels and a pretty beaded clutch bag, this can work for a night out in the UK – the fit of this dress gives you curves, and the silk fabric makes it feel very dressy.

Look 3 – Casual Day with Joe

Add a side ponytail, vintage cardigan and pointed toe kitten heels for a more casual look.

Look 4 – Smart work look

A smart jacket, square-toed heels and a Chanel style quilted handbag (from Marc B at Topshop – so old it is almost vintage) and this could work for a meeting, or a more formal occasion.

Look 5 – thinking towards Autumn

A dress can be turned into a skirt very easily by adding a jumper or a top over it. I belted this New Look jumper and added an unusual Gudrun Sjoden necklace too. Pretty pink Next shoes picked out the colour in the flowers on the skirt.

So there you have it, one dress, five different ways of wearing it. I also think this would be great worn over leggings with flat ballerina pumps for yet another look. The possibilities are, quite simply, endless, making this a great piece to have in your wardrobe.

*With thanks to Gudrun Sjoden and Varg for the challenge!

High Street Outlet celebrate the Little Black dress

Posted on July 8, 2015 by fashion-mommy

Some people hold the view that Summer holiday dressing has to involve bright colours. Others use a suntan as a perfect base for white cottons and linens. But I truly believe that, even when the sun is blistering, nothing is chicer than a little black dress, whether it be midi, mini or maxi style.

High Street Outlet sent me a couple of beautiful dresses for my recent summer holiday in Menorca, and one of those dresses was indeed a black dress. The Ex M&Co black maxi dress is a stretchy maxi style dress with a simple yet elegant design. It has shoulder straps with a gold bar detail, making this metallic a great shade to accessorise this look with. The V neckline has a gathered detail on the bust and is great for enhancing cleavage, but is not too low to be too revealing of that tan (or white bits in my case!)

Ex M&CO Black Maxi Dress £17.50 click to visit High Street Outlet

This is a brilliant dress for holidays. It has no zips, fastenings or buttons – you simply put it on by pulling it over your head. The stretchy fabric is perfect if you’ve overindulged on puddings or cocktails, because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t when they’re on holiday.

Sandals from ShoeZone – review here.

One of the main things that appeal to me about this dress is the length. I love maxis, and dresses that sweep the floor don’t generally bother me as I wear fairly substantial heels. But on holiday, when I only wear flat sandals and flip flops, something a little shorter that is not likely to trip me up is a real bonus. This dress has a skirt that is just long enough to count as a maxi, but not long enough to send me flying across some Spanish Square.

This dress is another High Street Outlet bargain at just £17.50, and would most definitely work with heels for a night at the theatre or romantic dinner with the hubby, but I think it works really well as a holiday evening look.

Pick of the sales from Boden, Evans, Wallis and ASOS

Posted on July 7, 2015 by fashion-mommy

It’s the strangest of scenario’s. The schools have yet to break up for Summer. Most people are still looking forward to jetting off out into the sun for their holidays. And today, the sun is shining and it is turning into a glorious day. Yet the shops, both online and in store, are in the midst of some pretty impressive sales, selling off all those lovely summery buys and looking once again towards Autumn. Now is most definitely a great time to get yourselves shopping as you will certainly find yourself a bargain.

With any luck, we will have a summer like last year, which went straight into September and beyond, which will leave plenty of time to show off the summer statement pieces you can grab at the moment. We have a couple of pieces from Wallis, who have currently reduced everything on their site by at least 10%. Then there are some great bargains from Evans, including a lovely Scarlett and Jo skirt that I am totally tempted by.

ASOS has a huge sale that covers both men and womenswear and has some serious savings, although with the sale being so big it may be best to trawl by size rather than just taking a look. Finally Boden has a really great sale with many items now with 50% off. The shoes alone are enough to have me drooling, but the dresses are pretty special too.

Wallis