CuratingMi

29 March 2018

finding independents!

If there is one thing I love about Instagram it's that it exposes you to lots of lovely brands and boutiques (be that online or on the High Street) that you otherwise might not be aware of. There are many little treasures just waiting to be found if you are looking for something a little different from what's on offer from some of the retail giants. I do love that saying "every time you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance!" The lucky people of Kingsclere, Hampshire are lucky enough to have access to this gorgeous little store No.1 George Street, thankfully they also have an website where you can peruse a bit of fashion, some lovely accessories as well as gifts and homeware. Fashion first! I've styled up a couple of pieces I chose - which was pretty tough to try and reign myself in as there are so many tempting items. Alas, you can never go wrong with a variation on a classic, so I went with a crew neck denim jacket and scarf with a little injection of red.

Denim jacket, gifted

Scarf, gifted

what's in my bag!

A short and sweet Sunday night treat (admittedly I'm a tardy blogger these days!)! I haven't done one of these in a long while so I thought I'd share the contents of my favourite bag that is superb for holding all of my essentials. The Hermosa bucket bag is so lightweight......and it's a proper Mary Poppins bag! It's a right little Tardis!

Hermosa London bag, gifted

Sienna Jones purse, gifted 15% off with code MFF15

Prada sunglasses

L'Oreal Lipstick - Pret-A-Porter

Lulu Guinness umbrella, gifted

Soda Stream Fizzi (sparkling water) bottle, part of package, gifted

one for the in-between-y weather!

What a difference a week makes! We've gone from Siberia-like conditions to double digit temperatures in a matter of days. The trusty parka got a slight reprieve from the wardrobe change-over......to be fair I am just so over wearing coats......I can't wait to shed them. What to wear in between though? I know just the thing! Still a cosy layer as it's a hybrid between a coat and a cardigan......the coatigan! I've got a brilliant one that's a few years old from Zara (more on that one later) which is on the dressier side and that I tend to wear for work. The latest addition to my wardrobe suits my more casual clothing......obligatory Breton or slogan sweatshirt, jeans and hi tops that make up my transitional uniform. I received this Noisy May one from a lovely little independent sore called Livia's Boutique on Saturday and have worn at some stage or another, each day since I got it.

Noisy May Coatigan via Livia's Boutique, gifted 10% off with code MYFASHIONABLE40S

H&M Breton, past season - similar here

Gap Original Fit Jeans, past season -similar here

Converse - similar here

Hermosa London bag

notching up a few more of those spring purchases!

I shan't dilly dally on this post.....I've overindulged this week and it's only Wednesday. This is for purely for confessional purposes (the DH is glad I'm at work for the next two days!). My love of red footwear shows no signs of abating. I stalked these Topshop shoes online for a few days whilst we were snow-bound as they were out of stock in my size. However the shopping fairies were smiling down on me when I visited my local Outfit store on Monday as there they were......just willing me to buy them! I wore them today which wasn't a great idea as although with the sun shining it looks as though Spring is on the way......the freezing cold feet say otherwise.

Topshop shoes

talking transitional trews!

Basically this is what'll be wearing in the coming weeks on my bottom half! These are the pieces that work hardest in my wardrobe, the foundations of any outfit. I'll dive straight in as it won't come as any surprise that my everyday go-to like most of us (all year round judging by my Instagram feed) is a pair of jeans of one style or another. I even wear jeans to work which is great as I don't have too much time to dilly-dally on the days I need to dash out. I have invested in a couple of new styles of late but my steadfast is always a skinny. They've had a real renaissance in my wardrobe recently as after spending the winter months in straight jeans and boots I find myself favouring my hi top trainers again. There is so much evidence of my jeans obsession documented on Instagram......as you are about to see.
Proving that it is indeed all about the skinnies at the moment, all of these pics have been taken in the past couple of weeks, all with the aforementioned hi-tops. These are all from Topshop, black here & the blue, here. If you caught my last blog post you'll know that I've also recently discovered F&F skinnies which are a brilliant more purse friendly alternative to the Jamie's.

Left and right Topshop black Jamie jeans

Middle Topshop blue Jamie jeans

I've been stocking up on the straight styles since September last year when I discovered M.i.h jeans, two out of three here are pairs I bagged at Kilver Court designer outlet. I love Gap for their real straights (I'm currently coveting these and will also be trying these white ones) and more recently been waxing lyrical about Topshop Straights as well.

Gap vintage straight, past season - alternative here M.i.h Paris jeans - mine are via Kilver Court M.i.h Halsy, kolonger available - High Street alternative here

And finally on the jeans front is an old favourite that come into their own during the transeasonal weather. The boyfriend. Levi CT's 501 are firm favourites, two out of three here again (sadly they don't seem to be widely available anymore) alongside a very old Gap pair, called Original Fit, Best Girlfriend looks very similar.

Left, Levis CT's 501, blue - alternative here

Middle, Levis CT's washed black - alternative here

Right, Gap Original Fit - similar here

Next up is something relatively new to my wardrobe....a smarter trouser. I have abandoned these really since leaving my previous job in 2015 as for everyday they seem a bit to worky for my lifestyle. However since finding an excellent wide leg navy trouser in good old M&S, they have been swiftly followed by a little black ankle grazer which is set to become the holy grail of pieces in my Spring wardrobe! By goodness, I've had a play around with styling them (check out the highlights of my Instagram stories on my bio if you want to see what I've done with them - M&S #LBT) and the opportunities are endless! It's great to have found an alternative to my beloved jeans and I can't wait for some better weather to start wearing them. Both pairs are true to size in my opinion!

Left, M&S wide leg trouser

Right, M&S mid rise ankle grazer

Another of my transitional staples is an army style trew. I've had a Zara pair for years which I still get asked about. I adore them and it will be a sad day when I have to replace them. I've found a couple of pairs that I intend to try out as a second pair wouldn't be a bad thing as I find them so useful! ;0)

Zara trouser, past season, alternatives here & here

What's next? Chino's and khakis. Gap are brilliant for these although I picked up the chinos in H&M last year for the princely sum of £19.99. I *must* have these Uniqlo ones and may order them in a couple of colours!

Left H&M chinos, last year - alternative here

Right, Gap wide leg crop, last year - alternative here

Wardrobe curve ball. My crossover wardrobe just wouldn't be complete without a nod to my dungarees and another firm favourite - the jumpsuit. Both deserve a mention, they are so easy to wear

Left, ASOS dungarees, still in stock

Right, Mango jumpsuit, past season but I have this denim one ready to break out asap!

And finally. I am longing for some warmer temps so I can wear a skirt. I love a skirt styled with a trainer......as you can see. You can't beat keeping it simple and just wearing with a classic crew neck sweater. I am currently eyeing up this beauty in my favourite colour to add to my collection.

Left, H&M skirt past season - alternative here

Middle, Pure Collection skirt

Right, H&M skirt, past season -alternative here

Anything I've left out here? What are the staples you put your hands on at this time of year?

After a funny old week weather wise I'm hoping the cold weather will now remain firmly behind as we are all desperate to break out some of our spring purchases. I shall leave you with what I've been wearing these past few days......what a mixed bag!