Genre mixing

I'm a bit transseasonal again today, I don't know whether that's due to another sunny day in London or just inspiration from yesterday's post. But as it is, I felt the need to dig out my satin floral skater skirt today. Eagle-eyed It's A Look readers might remember me wearing this with a vest and gladiators back in the summer, and it's equally wearable right now with tights and boots and a warmer top. Today I'm teaming it with my slouchy grey V-neck sweater, because I love love love mixing genres.

When I say mixing genres, I mean I always get the urge to combine more formal/dressy items with casual/slouchy/sporty pieces. By formal/dressy, this could either relate to the style or texture of something (think tailoring, eveningwear or satin, silk, sequins, velvet, lace). So I like wearing a tailored shirt with relaxed harems, jeans and a basic cardi with a sequinned vest peeping out underneath, or a silk dress with a big, chunky woollen cardi over it. Like a pairing of opposites, if you will. 

Call me contrary, call me confused. Just don't call me during Downton Abbey (no one interrupts down time).

Sweater, Gap; skirt, H&M; boots, Dune

Transseasonal dressing

I loved my maxis so much over the summer that I can't bear to pack them away for AW. So I won't. I will instead be utilising the clever process of layering, in order that I can drift seamlessly into the new season in one of my summer must-haves. Today I made my maxi AW-ready by adding a checked shirt over the top and knotting it in the middle, then wearing it with thin socks and ankle boots. Incidentally, it's my husband's Superdry shirt. Must get my hands on one of those babies myself, as I'm always nabbing his, poor soul. 

I also like the idea of layering with a thin V-neck sweater over the top, and with a long-sleeved Breton top either underneath (with a belt to avoid bulkiness) or over the dress. Or simply slipping a longline cardi on, leaving it open and belting it around the waist, to add shape (see 1 maxi, 6 ways). Ankle boots, long boots and loafers all work well with maxis when the weather gets cooler. 

Transseasonal dressing - it's just a case of clever layering.

Shirt, Superdry; maxi, Topshop Boutique; ankle boots, Peacocks

1 white shirt, 6 ways

Here it is! Apologies for some of the blurry images, but I did it in a bit of a rush before work this morning, as I didn't want to let you down, seeing as I'd promised this post for this week. One white shirt, six ways of styling it, starting with Monday's outfit:

Simple, Chloe-style  Shirt throughout, M&S; jeans and patent jazz shoes, Primark; ribbon, sewing box

The classic  Blazer, Principles; jeans, Karen Millen; kitten heels, M&S

Casual working girl, Stella-style  Denim skirt, Miss Sixty; belt and grey woollen tights, Primark; grey patent courts, M&S

Urban slouchy  Harems and tweed trilby, New Look; scarf, Avon; gold pumps, Primark

Preppy with edge  Waistcoat, Topman; faux leather shorts, Next; grey woollen tights and multi-buckle wedges, Primark

Grown-up boho with a dash of preppy  Silk maxi dress, Topshop Boutique; loafers, Primark

 What's your favourite?

Raindrops are falling on my head...

... and if they are, I want to make damn sure I'm shielding myself with something beautiful and stylish, and something that cheers me up on such a grey, miserable day (as this morning turned out to be). My run-of-the-mill standard black number just isn't doing it for me anymore, so I took a quick squizz on the fabulous Umbrellaheaven.com for a little bit of brolly inspiration. Can't decide which I love more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From top: £18.95; £17.35; £64.95; £19.45; £124.95, all Umbrellaheaven.com

White shirt Monday

I was inspired to wear my white shirt to work today, after finding an old pic of Jennifer Aniston rocking hers with a pair of fit-like-a-second-skin bootlegs and a classic black blazer. It's such an easy item to dress either up or down, and I've promised you a '1 white shirt, 6 ways' post very soon, which I will indeed write up this week. But for today's minimal-chic look – with a hint of Chloe in the ribbon tied at the neck – I've teamed my shirt with jeans, but skinnies instead of bootleg, patent jazz shoes instead of heeled boots, and gone sans blazer. Simples.

Shirt with black trim, M&S; jeans and shoes, Primark; ribbon, sewing box

Celebs who love the white shirt look:

 

 

From top: Alexa Chung, and again; Claudia Schiffer; Jessica Alba; Kate Hudson; Nicole Richie; Kylie

Celeb pics: Rex

Smart-casual, Aniston style

I tend to amass piles of magazine tears. By tears, I mean pages I've torn out of various glossies, usually because they'll have a picture of a celeb/model/person on the street wearing an outfit that inspires me (I also tear out recipes I tell myself I'm going to try, hairstyles I want to copy, websites I want to log on to... Seriously, I'm a walking fire hazard of paper trails). So today was one of my regular cull-or-file days, and I've spent a good few hours going through my piles, ditching anything non-essential/I'm now bored with and filing anything that still inspires.

While doing this, I came across a few outfits sported by everyone's favourite girl next door (I was always Team Aniston) the gorgeous Jennifer A herself. She manages to do the whole smart-casual thing so well, especially when she's airport-bound - no tottering across the concourse in a bodycon dress and sky-high Loubous, a la Vicky B, Jen knows that denim, a fitted T, a well-knotted scarf and shoes you can walk in are way more travel-friendly.

One of my favourite looks of Jen's, though, is her super-chic crisp white shirt, bootcut jeans and sharp black blazer combo. Classic, timeless, endlessly flattering and totally copyable. It's just so simple in its perfection, and it made me decide to pop out the white shirt look myself for work tomorrow. In fact, it got me thinking about how versatile white shirts are in general, so I shall be posting a '1 white shirt, 6 ways' post very soon. When it comes to Wardrobe Essentials, this one's way up on my list.

                          

Blog mogs

My cats seem to be particularly interested in what I'm wearing. I know this by the amount of attention I get when I'm trying to photograph myself in the mirror and one or other of them decides to get involved, rubbing up against either me or the mirror (in cat language, this is said to mean 'Love what you're wearing!'). But it's not just outfit pics they get involved in. They also like to have a snoop when I've brought a new purchase home, delving deeply into the shopping bag to check out what I've bought. And boy do they love it when I leave shoes or accessories out. They're also in raptures when friends come over and leave their handbags out for Style Kitty perusal. They'll show approval by brushing up against it, burying their noses in it to sniff the lining or, most likely, sitting on it. Ah, so proud of my furry little apprentices.

 

Stella gives me the once-over

'Ooh, look Dave, new shoes!'