MSH Backup

As I touched on in my last style shaped post, by the time the week is winding down, I can usually be found in various different combinations of jeans and jumpers. With the weather proving so changeable at the moment, I’ve had to put the brakes on fully embracing any sort of spring style, and have instead reverted to combining some of my winter essentials with some fresh favourites. Again, it will probably come as no surprise that most of my go-to pieces at the moment are more or less various different iterations of blue- but as a practical alternative to darker hues, I’m all for it: Jumper- Mango  Jeans- Whistles  Coat- c/o Very  Shoes- Adidas (c/o Spartoo)  Bag- & Other Stories  This jumper from Mango is a piece which I snapped up towards the end of last year, and it’s served me really well over the last couple of months. Not only is it really cosy, but the vivid colour makes it the perfect piece for contrasting with lots of other day-to-day essentials to...

I don’t know about you, but I tend to find that by the time it gets to the end of the week (and as the prospect of a two day work-free window approaches!), I get quite lazy in terms of style choices. At the start of the week, I’ll tend to reach for dresses and skirts, but by the time it gets to Friday and the weekend, it’s very much a jeans and jumper situation. Luckily, over recent months, I’ve amassed a pretty solid combination of styles which are perfect for more dressed-down days: Sweatshirt- Kitri  Jeans- Whistles  Sunglasses- Ray Ban (c/o John Lewis)  Bag- & Other Stories  Shoes- Adidas  I love this sweatshirt from Kitri as it’s full of character without being too in your face, and it makes a welcome change from some of the slightly less subtle sloganed styles in my wardrobe. I love the sentiment of the graphic too, and have already been wearing this piece on a more or less weekly basis since I bought it. Here I teamed it with some of my favourite jean...

After a sudden burst of almost summertime temperatures, I’m finding myself pretty relieved that we’re now back to standard weather for the time of year- I don’t think I’ve ever celebrated it being under 8 degrees before but June weather in February is pretty scary! I’m also pretty chuffed to be back in my winter coat for the time being, and there’s no doubt that the topsy turvy temperatures can make it quite tricky to know what to wear from day to day, particularly if you’re leaving the house before sun-up most mornings. Luckily, over the last few weeks there has been a slow trickle of new season lines popping up in the shops, and it’s no surprise that Whistles (one of my long term favourites) have come up with the goods once again: Mid Wash Barrel Leg Jeans, £95/Fashion Detail Cotton Knit in Lemon, £99/Feline Leopard Logo T-Shirt, £49/Oversized Funnel Neck Knit, £119/Cat Eye Sunglasses, £49/You Got This Tote £35/Pink Cherie Embroidered Sweatshirt, £79/Multicoloured Feel Beautiful Tee,...

The start of the year, again! Time flies, doesn't it?! To be honest, the pre-Christmas weeks have all sort of merged into one in my very tired mind, but here we are again with the first few working days of 2019 under our belts- and a whole new year of potential ahead of us. I've got a fair few posts planned and scheduled already, and am really keen to get these pages redesigned at some point too- watch this space! Anyway, before I get ahead of myself, here's a little look back at my last outfit snap of the last year: Dress- Whistles (via John Lewis) Coat- c/o Very  Shoes- Gap This dress from Whistles is perhaps one of my canniest recent purchases, and a piece which I'm really chuffed to have snapped up during those Black Friday sales with 20% off- winner! The style and print instantly caught my eye and I'm really happy with how it looks on too- as well as being a really easy smart option, it probably goes without saying that I love the opportunites for swishing whic...

As I mentioned in my last style shaped post, my current default setting is to reach for all of the knitwear- partly in an attempt to avoid hauling out my winter coat for as long as it humanly possible! Whilst I know that I’ll have to cave in sooner rather than later, for now I’m quite content to live in a succession of one knit after the other, and, as someone who spent most of their formative years living in cardigans, I couldn’t be happier that they’re having something of a renaissance at the moment:  Cardigan- Marks and Spencer  Tee- Kitri  Jeans- Whistles   Trainers- New Balance (via ASOS)  This outfit was one which I rolled out on our final day in Ireland, as we visited Carrickfergus Castle before driving towards Belfast for a whistlestop tour before heading to the airport. With comfort (and warmth!) at the forefront of my mind, I reached again for this Marks and Spencer cardigan- a real new season hero piece if ever there was one. Here I wore it over ...

I think it’s safe to say that we’re easing into autumn now, and with the start of the new season comes the perfect opportunity for a bit of a reboot. I think it’s the habitual back-to-school feeling of this time of the year which affords the ideal chance to take a step back and remix things, in whatever capacity that might be. As well as taking stock of some other life bits and bobs, I’m thinking about making some strategic investment buys to see me through the coming months and beyond: Cable Slit Wool Blend Sweater, £59, & Other Stories/Ash Indigo Denim Jeans, £125, Toast/Merino Crew Neck Jumper, £55, Arket/Greyhound Jumper, £42, Warehouse/Oversized Structured Plaid Blazer, £129, & Other Stories/Kin by John Lewis Foldover Backpack, £55, John Lewis/Alex Monroe Gold Plated Alphabet Necklace, £135, Liberty/Pale Pink Mohair Sweater, £139, Whistles/Roman Coin Hoop Earrings, £26, Hush/ Get Your Sh*t Together Journal by Sarah Knight, £12.99, Oliver Bonas.  This boxy knit from ...

Now that the hot weather has finally abated, I’m trying to get a little bit ahead of myself in terms of autumn styling. At this time of the year, I always tend to find myself with a wish list as long as my arm of standout pieces in the shops, but this season I’m determined to take a slightly more sensible approach to my autumn wardrobe by taking stock of what pieces I can get plenty of wear out of over the coming months. With that in mind, I’ve been mindfully investing in the sort of staples which work all year round: Blouse- Toast  Jeans- Whistles  Bag- Olivier Bonas  Sunglasses- Warehouse This blouse was a piece which I spotted in the Toast sale at the end of last month, and so far I've been wearing it a more or less weekly basis. Not only is it ideal for this betwixt and between weather, it's also really comfortable and I love the ruffle detail collar- a touch which will make it wonderful for layering under knits as the weather gets chiller. These jeans from Whistles a...

This post feels a little bit out of date given that as I type this it's absolutely tipping it down outside and the heatwave feels like an entirely distant memory! It's also totally typical that the moment I snap up some warm weather style heroes, the skies darken and the temperatures take a ten degree dip, but I'm still holding out a glimmer of hope that I'll be able to share them with you before the summer is out completely. If I'm honest, dressing for the warm weather is always something which tends to nudge me out of my comfort zone, especially as I get quite irritable when I can't cool down! Planning what to wear from one day to the next was pretty tricky when it was warm, but there was one hero piece which I dug out of my wardrobe which well and truly came to the rescue before I melted into a puddle: Dress- Whistles  Bag- Cath Kidston  Sunglasses- Ray-Ban (c/o John Lewis)  Shoes- Gap Necklace- Olivia Burton This dress from Whistles has been sitting in my wa...

Phew! What a warm couple of weeks we've had! Don't get me wrong, it's lovely to see the sunshine after such a long winter, but any hot spell which lasts longer than a week invariably means that this country grinds to a more or less total standstill- especially as far as public transport is concerned!  As well as that, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has found myself panic purchasing some high summer wardrobe additions- I've even been rummaging around in  my long neglected summer holiday drawer for some weather friendly pieces! Before the heatwave took hold, however, I found myself living in a combination of style staples which are fairly recent additions to my wardrobe, but which are already well on their way to becoming real classics: Top- Comme des Garçons (via Dover Street Market)  Jeans- Whistles Shoes- Gap Bag- Cath Kidston Sunglasses- Ray Ban (via John Lewis) It really doesn't get much better than a classic breton top as far as style essentials go, a...

Whilst the weather is still a little bit hit and miss (and I'm contending with the most annoying hayfever I think I've ever had!), over recent weeks I've really been enjoying digging out some seasonal favourites and pairing them with some new purchases. Summer, perhaps more than any other season, lends itself perfectly to a slightly more relaxed, casual approach, which is perfect if you're prioritsing comfort and practicality. Recently, I've been keeping my daily combinations pretty simple: Jacket- Zara Tee- Bella Freud for War Child Jeans- Whistles Shoes- Gap Bag- Cath Kidston This jacket from Zara is a piece which I picked up about two years ago now, and it's a real summer favourite- especially as it's so light and easy to wear- perfect for those mornings and evening when there's a bit of a chill in the air. This tee is recent buy, and comes from War Child's latest series of designer collaborations- I love the colourful message in Bella Freud's...

In terms of clothes shopping, I usually tend to visit a series of stores on rotation, and predominantly out of habit. With ease in mind, I tend to alternate between the shops which I can easily flit to on my lunch break, which can sometimes mean that I get stuck in something of a routine of not shopping around to make my pennies stretch as far as they can. With that in mind, recently I’ve been making an effort to revisit some old fashion favourites- and top of the crop with a fantastic SS18 drop is Whistles: Merci Beau Coup Logo T-Shirt, £49/Easy Basic Vest Top, £32/Embroidered Floral Shirt, £109/High Waist Barrel Jeans, £95/Cordilla Pleated Skirt, £139/Vive Les Vacances Pouch, £35/Daisy Print Bikini Briefs, £40/Daisy Print Bikini Top, £40/Cara Slouchy Everyday, £199, all Whistles Slogan tees from Whistles are always well worth investing in, and the handful which I’ve picked up from Whistles in the past are still some of my most-worn items. This French fancy is perfect for stashing in ...

And just like that, we're back to truly unpredictable weather! Summer was nice whilst it lasted, wasn't it?! Jokes aside, this sudden change in temperature has caught me in something of a spin- no sooner was I sure that I wouldn't need my knits again until the autumn, than I find myself fishing them out of the wardrobe again. With skies flitting between grey and gloomy and blue and bright, I'm utilising lots of spring staples, and layering them up for maximum efficiency:  Coat- Whistles Top- Comme des Garçons (via Dover Street Market) Jeans- & Other Stories Bag- Cath Kidston Shoes- Gap Eagle-eyed readers will recognise this Whistles trench as a real perennial favourite which I reach for every spring- since snapping it up over five or so years ago I think it's probably become one of my most worn items- and certainly testament to a long-term investment paying off. This top from  Comme des Garçons is a purchase which I hope will attain a similar status in my wardro...

With temperatures soaring over the last week or so, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who had to have a bit of a radical rethink in terms of what to wear, suddenly shunning my staple work trousers for outfits which are much more at home in my high summer wardrobe. I always find summer in the city a bit of a headache at the best of times (especially on the Tube!), but really can't complain about how glorious it has been to see the sun after what has felt at times like a neverending winter! With a little bit of savvy planning, I managed to keep comparatively cool by digging out some seasonal summer staples and teaming them with some newer finds: Tee- Girls On Tops Tees Skirt- Whistles Bag- & Other Stories Shoes- Gap Sunglasses- Ray-Ban (c/o John Lewis) How much fun is this tee from Girls on Tops? I spotted it in the gift shop at the Barbican last week, and the fact that it was the last Sigourney style in stock seemed like the ultimate sign- especially as I'd reached ...

Now that the clocks have sprung forward, I think it’s ok to say that spring is finally here- and not before time! However, having glanced at the weather forecast for next weekend, I’m not getting my hopes up for a particularly mild Easter, and am instead injecting touches of spring into my everyday style choices whilst keeping as wrapped up as the unpredictable weather demands. Recently I feel like I’ve been living in more or less the same succession of outfits, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, as they say:  Coat- Whistles  Top- H&M  Trousers- Espirit (via ASOS)  Shoes- Marks and Spencer  Bag- & Other Stories  This Whistles coat which I picked up just before the end of last year is an investment which has well and truly earned its keep and become a real staple buy. It’s been essential during the last couple of chilly spells which we’ve had, and is wonderfully cosy to wrap up in on a frosty morning. Another recent favourite comes in the shape of ...

Now that it feels like spring is in the air at long last, I’m eagerly anticipating packing away my winter coats for another year, and rediscovering some fair-weather wardrobe favourites too. For now, however, we’re trapped in that tricky transitional limbo where it seems to be gloriously sunny one day, and tipping down with rain the next, making it almost impossible to plan what to deck yourself out in in advance. It’s at times like this that I’m always grateful for those wonderfully versatile style staples which lend themselves so well to switching up for all occasions: Jacket- Zara  Jumper- Whistles  Trousers- Espirit (via ASOS)  Shoes- Nike  Bag- Oliver Bonas  The first trip out of the house of the year sans coat always feels a little bit preemptive, but in an attempt to will spring on just that little bit faster, last weekend I threw caution to the wind and plumped for this check jacket from Zara. Slightly oversized, it’s perfect for layering-here I popped i...

As spring starts to peek tantalisingly over the horizon, I'm sure I'm not the only one who is looking forward to a little bit of a wardrobe switch-up. Having been more or less living in jumpers for the last four months or so, I'm really looking forward to being able to pack them all away again, and am already dreaming of those days of being able to leave the house without a coat..! Needless to say that, in preparation, I've been doing lots of window shopping, and Whistles in particular are proving to be top of the crop with their new season drop: Ellen Floral Shirt, £95/Black Wide Stripe Sweater, £119/Kiss Embroidered Stripe Knit, £89/Lips Print Top, £99/Cornelia Triple Clutch Bag, £150/Croissant Champagne Pin Pack, £29/Pink Mohair Knit, £119/Le Weekend Sweater, £99, all Whistles It's always really refreshing to see new season prints trickling their way into the shops, and this floral design is a great go-to new style for spring and summer- as well as being ideal fo...

Whilst braving the January sales can sometimes seem like a truly thankless task, if you're well prepared it's an endeavor which can yield some excellent rewards. I've posted in the past about how to be as sales savvy as possible, and the philosophy of bookmarking and buying at a later date is one which has really paid off for me over the years, ensuring that I only spend my hard-earned pennies on pieces which I've been after for a while. This year, it's a strategy which I've deployed to snap up some new essentials which are definitely pepping up my January wardrobe:  Coat- c/o Very Blouse- Whistles  Trousers- Espirit (via ASOS) Shoes- Adidas (c/o Spartoo)  Bag- & Other Stories  This blouse from Whistles is a piece which I spotted at the start of the autumn and have been keeping a beady eye on ever since...for good reason! Just before Christmas it made it into their end of season sale, so I snapped it up in a flash- at half price it was a no-brainer. The star...

There's no escaping the fact that things tend to turn a little bit starry at this time of the year, whether it's across your Christmas decorations, on cards and across all of your other festive favourites. Needless to say, I'm steadily counting down the minutes until I can pop my out of office on (so, so close!), and over the next week or so I'm really looking forward to what I hope will be some much needed rest and relaxation time after a completely topsy-turvy year. At the top of my Christmas holiday to-do list is tomorrow's trip to the cinema to catch The Last Jedi - the source of yet more suitably starry sartorial inspiration: Constellation Sweatshirt, £75, Whistles/Origami Star Tuck Neck Blouse, £18, Topshop/Blossom Scatter Dress, £75, Hush (via John Lewis)/Star Constellation Trousers, £75, Whistles (via John Lewis)/Crescent Moon Necklace, £17, & Other Stories/Lace Up Star Trainers, £29.50, Marks and Spencer/Missoma Cocktail Ring, £55, John Lewis/Star Ankle...

With the weather having been as chilly as it have over the last week or so, I'm sure that I'm not the only one finding it hard to resist the urge to stay hibernating under a pile of blankets at the moment! With the Christmas break within touching distance, this last push towards some time away from my daily commute is proving to be a pretty wearying one, especially with that infamous combination of cold weather and notoriously unreliable transport..! Anyway, in an attempt to keep as warm and cosy as possible I've snapped up a new essential which I'm already getting plenty of wear out of... Coat- Whistles Jumper- Zara Jeans- & Other Stories Trainers- Adidas (c/o Spartoo) This coat from Whistles is a piece which I spotted in store way back at the start of the autumn, and, luckily for me, last week it made it into their end of season sale-hurrah! With a saving of just under £100, it was far too much of a bargain to turn down, and thankfully my local store still had one...