.......for me! Try as I might it does look as though I will be staying with my monochrome colour palette this season. The upside of this is that I think the more minimalist wardrobe I'm trying to achieve is more doable by keeping things simple colour-wise. However....the downside of this is that I may bore you all to death with my black and white outfits with the odd splash of grey or khaki, or maybe a bit of navy!! This Mango jacket has been on my radar for a while (Fashion Mum of 40 has featured it on her blog a couple of times) as I knew it would pull a few outfits together with pieces I've already got. So I took the plunge last week and ordered it.

It was love at first try....I've been itching to wear it ever since! It's the perfect smart but not too smart jacket. For the school run I can wear it with jeans, a tee and Converse, but I could easily dress it up for a lunch date with boots and my beloved Topshop Victoriana blouse or thrown it on for a night out over a jumpsuit, heels and a slick of red lipstick! It's going to be so very versatile!
Mango Jacket, current
here
Alexander Wang T-Shirt, similar
here
Zara Coated Chinos, past season
Anya Hindmarch Gracie Bag, similar
here
This purchase fared so much better than my *trends* try on!
First up is the maxi dress that I had such high hopes for and which I love in my picture, however in reality the sleeves are split from shoulder to sleeve :0( and the waist is in the wrong place for me, making it almost empire line which is most uncomfortable! I do love the look though so I am currently researching others!
DKNY Leather Jacket, ancient via T K Maxx
Mela Navy Floral Maxi Dress, current
here
I also tracked down and tried on the M&S blouse which is gorgeous....just not for me! This is a size 12 (all they had left in store) so it must be fairly true to size, I'd have bought a 10 and not my usual 8 in M&S. The fabric is quite creasy, it's a self embossed pattern but I think having a frilly neck and cuffs was just too fussy for me personally.
Marks and Spencer Limited Edition Romantic Tie Neck Blouse, current
here
Anyway, not to be deterred on the blouse front after reading this blog post by the lovely The Naughty Forty Diaries and a tip off from my fabulous friend Vik (as seen on her Instagram feed here) I was alerted to this Primark version of the Victoriana blouse which is a complete steal at a tenner!
This got the old cogs turning as I bought a similar shirt in Primark last year to wear under sweaters and so I turfed it out of storage, took myself off to my nearest haberdashery department for supplies and voila! Trend covered for 95 pence, the cost of a bit of velvet ribbon. This called for a try on.....I thought the shirt looked quite cute styled like this! I'm also going to try this with tights and boots once the bare leg weather is over!
Primark Shirt, past season with ribbon bought from Bath Guild Hall market
Dorothy Perkins Pinafore,
here in black which I feel I may also need in my life!
Topshop Finest Shoes, current
here
A quick word on the
M&S Limited Edition suedette waistcoat....it was nowhere to be seen! On reflection as with the M&S blouse, I am sure there will be more reasonable nods to that trend around. The M&S one was a whopping £49.50.....not quite the £39.00 that is was advertised in the brochure that I found it in!! If you should have seen any others please do let me know!
Just a couple of outfits from the past few days!
Uniqlo Breton Top, current
here
Dorothy Perkins Pinafore, current in black
here
H&M Sweater, current
here
Zara Pleather Skirt,
here
Topshop bag, past season via eBay
So, have you also found yourself sticking to a certain colour palette? Or have you found the holy grail of colours that will fit perfectly in to revive what's already in your wardrobe? Would love to hear your thoughts!