Keep shining

Right, last outfit posting for the week. Here's a selection of my recent summer-at-work outfits, featuring a handful of seasonal trends: the maxi, a dash of double denim, floral flippy skirt and shorts (apologies for dodgy mobile uploads. Not the best quality but I quite like the homey, grainy, spontaneous quality of them sometimes. Plus, I feel like it's becoming a bit of a trademark, my Mirror Me shots!).

Clockwise from top left: silk maxi dress, Topshop Boutique; turquoise ring, Miss Selfridge; belt, Primark. Denim jacket, Select; tunic, Matalan; jeans, Dorothy Perkins; wedges, Matalan; ring, as before; pendant, Primark. Black vest, Topshop; floral satin skirt, H&M; gladiators, New Look; long necklace, Banana Republic; chain link necklace, vintage. Waistcoat, Topman; white vest, M&S; shorts, Zara; gladiators, as before; sunglasses, Primark; chain necklace, vintage

Going for gold

Interrupting my recent summer workwear broadcast for a snippet on fine gold jewellery, as mentioned in my last post. I've recently become a little obsessed with Cougar Town on Living, starring Courteney Cox. It's one of my guilty pleasures (along with The Rachel Zoe Project and Gok's Fashion Fix. Come to think of it, most of my viewing choices have Guilty Pleasure written all over them. I really ought to add a dash of highbrow to my televisual repertoire...). But I digress. So, Courteney plays Jules, and Jules is always sporting some covetable fine gold necklaces, usually at least two, which she layers up to stop it from looking too pedestrian and safe.

After a little research, I discovered she tends to favour jewellery designer Jennifer Meyer, and my favourite of the chains she wears (the long one with teeny gold discs) actually comes in at an eye-watering $3,500. Not having a spare trust fund to hand, I've been on the lookout online for some more affordable fine gold for summer and have found a few I like (including a not-so-cheap Shelley diamond disc pendant, but I hearted it and just needed to put it on the page as inspiration for beautiful delicate necklaces - can you imagine it on a plain black maxi? Divine.):

From top: Disney Couture at Asos.com, £17; Oasis lariat, £14; Shelley, £1,400; Oasis, £12 

It just feels too warm right now for heavy, statement jewellery. Normally, I'm a big fan of cocktail rings and chunky chain bracelets and big necklaces (not all worn at once you understand). And I think this works well in winter when it's all grey and dull and the colour palette is darker and more jewel-based. Summer dressing calls for delicate gold jewellery. It's lighter, therefore easier to wear, looks lovely against bronzed skin and coral-painted nails and it's nice to change your accessories for the season as well as your wardrobe I think.

And I'm really into the whole layering idea, to give it some edge. A thin white jersey vest and cut-off denim shorts combo suddenly becomes something special with two or three fine gold necklaces layered over it. See what you think.

Shine on 2

As promised, here's a shot of today's summer-at-work outfit choice. I'll post a couple of pics of some other outfits I wore this week later on. My plan is to put together a lookbook of my own outfit ideas each season for me to reference, to make that morning 'What shall I wear?' moment a little easier every day. So I thought I'd start by blogging them, then I have a record in the meantime!

Today's get-up is a thin cotton white T-shirt with chinos and gold jewellery. I'm really getting into the idea of wearing fine gold jewellery in high summer, as it just seems right not to overload yourself in heavy statement baubles when it's hot. Plus gold against a tan (when I get one) looks fab. But more on delicate summer jewellery in a later post. For now, here's Friday's outfit. Happy Weekending!

T-shirt, Banana Republic; chinos, Gap; wedges, Peacocks; necklace, Banana Republic

Shine on

So it looks like the UK is finally having a summer! Long may it last (although, let's face it, it'll probably all be over again by next Monday). In the meantime, I've been putting together a few summer work outfits - not an easy feat. You want to be cool and comfortable, but you still want to look nice. Summer dressing often has its pitfalls: too much flesh on display can either make you look trashy and inappropriate for work, or feel fat, as it's too hot to cover up your bingo wings. Heeled shoes can rub as your feet swell up, but if you go for flats, you get dirty feet with rough heels and the chance of toe-post chafing from your flip flops. Minefield, ladies, utter minefield. And don't even get me started on how wrong men can get it, bless them. Socks and sandals? Sporty trainers with socks pulled too high? Or sporty trainers with no socks - the stench on the train from men's feet in summer, yeesh...

But rather than dwelling on men's summer faux pax, I thought I'd upload a few summer outfits I've been wearing to work that I hope tick a few boxes: cool, seasonal, work-appropriate (if you work in a creative office – I freelance as a magazine journalist when I'm not styling) and figure-flattering. Today's is a floaty tiered sleeveless top with a Stella McCartney-esque denim pencil skirt and Prada-style mink patent courts (which, yes, you have seen on the blog before, Look fans). I feel smart, summery and ready to face the sunshine this lunch break. I'll post a few pics of other outfits I've worn this week, for your perusal.

It wasn't my plan to start uploading regular pics of myself in outfits, but as it has a seasonal theme, I thought it made sense. I don't want to be another one of those look-at-what-I'm-wearing blog bores, so let me know if you want less or more of this!

Top, Jeff Banks for Matalan; skirt, Miss Sixty (bagged from the charity shop - £3.25!); shoes, Portfolio at M&S

All dressed up

On Saturday night we celebrated 100 years of Emanuel Rugby Club (formerly Old Emanuel) with a fabulous centenary dinner dance underneath a marquee in the club grounds, complete with sparkling chandeliers and buckets of champagne. As this is a style blog, I won't start waffling on about rugby or anything else sport-related, but I shall just explain that the reason I was there was because my husband plays for the club and we've made many lifelong friends through belonging to it. And the club's social events are always great.

But the main reason for this post is that, with it being a black-tie event, I couldn't let it pass without taking a few snaps of myself and the girls in all our finery. I think you'll agree, we did ourselves proud. And when it comes to a man in a tux... Well, it never fails.

My red halterneck dress, vintage, Beyond Retro; bronze platform sandals, Pura Lopez; metallic clutch, Primark. Catherine's pink vintage-style dress with white hearts, belt and corsage, all Vivien of Holloway; black patent shoes, New Look

On a shoot

Last week I helped out as a styling assistant for a Red magazine shoot in East London's Blossom Street Studios. It was great fun to see how it all works. The shoot was for a feature about summer wardrobe dilemmas, and the stylist, Rachel Ingram put together three outfits each for three Red readers, all of which looked fantastic - nice work, Rachel! I haven't included any pics of the outfits, with it being for a future feature and all. Check out the August issue to see for yourself. Sexy city shorts, lightweight blazers in juicy summer colours, sheer trench dresses, sexy-casual J Brand Houlihans... Fab.

I took a few 'behind the scenes' snaps on my BlackBerry of some of the accessories, shoes and make-up that were used, as well as a shot of the 'catwalk', where the girls were photographed modelling their looks, and the beautiful Oriental screen for them to change behind. The jewellery table - glittering baubles from Butler & Wilson, Kara Ross – was a magpie's heaven. And it would have been rude not to have tried on some of the delicious footwear myself - when a girl's faced with cases of new-season shoes, what else to do?! And these blue suede - ridiculously high - Louboutins were begging to be tried on. Just thought I'd share.