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Showing posts with label Dorothy Perkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dorothy Perkins. Show all posts

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Barrister on a budget with a dress

This is the final instalment of our "Barrister on a budget series".

This post is about creating a great look with a dress, for less!  Dress's are the most versatile item of clothing to have in our work wardrobes. They can be so easily re-styled using accessories (necklaces, belts and cuffs) and alternative jackets and coats.

The Dress: Dorothy Perkins black textured dress £50
This dress flatters most figures and will work on any body shape. With its  ability to be dressed up to take you from day to dinner, it really is worth every penny.  You can also layer blouses underneath to give the look a little more excitement.


As a jacket is non negotiable in court, here we have found a longer length shape that will create a waist as well as a lean and professional silhouette. 



This fab belt will add interest, sparkle and shaping to the waist, lifting the all black ensemble perfectly. Remember you can also add a belt with a pop of colour for an alternative look.



You have told us many times you find all the greys, black and blues you have to wear dull and somewhat limiting, so make sure you inject some much needed colour into your outfit by investing in a bold, colourful coat.  This one is stunning and will really bring the black simplicity of the dress and jacket to life. At £28 the quality, cut and colour are unbeatable, it is also roomy enough to layer your suit jacket underneath! 



Now we know this won't fly during the day, but at night, when you're being called to a bar that serves cocktails rather than cases, a girl's got to style things up. Take the belt off (too much bling is never a good thing) and use this as a great trend piece that will make your whole look far more exciting. 




Style and price don't come much better than this. An elegant, chic court shoe with a perfect point to elongate those legs.

A fab bag to complete an elegant, ladylike day time look. Large enough to do the business, as well as having a flat bottom (not desirable for us but great for a bag) so it will sit happily on top of your trolley full of files!
Cost of outfit (minus the coat and statement necklace): £113.98
Cost of all items including investment coat: £156.98
We hope you've enjoyed the Barristers on a budget blogs. 

Give us a shout if you need any more advice on budget wardrobe pieces on twitter @waceystyle


Wednesday, 22 January 2014

Slouchy to Stylish - fashion tips 4 sofa time!

All of us need DOWN time.. and everyone has a different way of relaxing, whether its grabbing a cuppa and a good book / magazine or snuggling on the sofa to watch a favourite programme or film!

We all need that slouchy time and more often than not we are usually wearing equally SLOUCHY clothes to do it!  I have to admit that I am not a fan of Tracksuits and only ever wear my tracksuit trousers if I am heading to the gym (not very often).  But I do always have comfy clothing on when I am at home relaxing or doing the usual chores!

Michaela contacted me on the Facebook page with her style question which was addressing just this sort of clothing dilemma!


"Hi Claire, you asked for our styling problems on your you tube channel, I'd like to share mine: I spend a lot of time around the house and because I'm lazy I tend to only wear over sized Tshirts and sweat pants. Can you recommend some comfortable outfits that aren't as slouchy as my usual ones? I would love to look a little cuter but at the same time not being restricted by a jeans waist band. Thank you for your help. Michaela"

So I have put together this blog as well as a style video to address The challenge of Stylish slouchy clothes.  I hope you all enjoy it.
Click the picture below to see the style video:


VISIT THE YOU TUBE CHANNEL TO WATCH


So here is my choice of items on the high street that will fit in with this slouchy 2 stylish concept.  I am continuing the idea of leggings instead of tracksuit bottoms for all of these looks!

1st is this really easy to wear Oasis stripe dress £36.00, if you wanted to jazz it up you could add a coloured belt, but it does not need one if you wear the waist higher and then slouch the top over.

A more relaxed option is this Oasis Claret Sweatshirt dress £42.00, it wont give as much shape but if you add in a contrast coloured long sleeve T-shirt underneath it will add interest and slim down limbs!  I would also add a necklace to this which I have written about at the end of the post!





If Oasis is usually out of budget....  they still have some great buy's in the SALE, thisOasis floral stretch dress is only£10.00!  What a bargain!  The print on this makes it feel more dressy, but I think that with leggings and some over sized slipper socks this will be cosy but can also be dressed up if someone pops buy unexpectedly!


Stretch dresses aren't for everyone so here are a few looser tunic style options:

This Dorothy Perkins camel print tunic £35.00 has a great open neckline which really flatters bigger busts, but the print is also great at breaking up the body!  Layer a long sleeved T-shirt underneath to make it look more stylish and you have a great look.


Another great option for COMFORT....  Don't judge me ladies...  But it is a maternity top!!!  Dorothy Perkins Maternity top £29.00 could be worn with black leggings and then I would undo the top 2 buttons and layer an acid coloured cami underneath and change the belt to a black one. (my Reiss dress in the video could be worn as maternity.. so why not just buy maternity)


Another fun option is this ASOS crochet dress £31.50, the neckline is similar to the Oasis one and the crochet element makes it appear more styled and interesting...  I would again layer a long sleeve T-shirt under so that you had a contrast colour!


The last look is this ASOS contrast sleeve tunic £22.00, it's only available in size 16 but I had to share it with you because it is such an easy one to style add a contrast necklace and you are instantly looking stylish, what is not too love?


I mentioned a couple of accessories that will help finish the looks..... so here they are:




Slipper socks from Next £14.00

As one last parting tip... why not try a denim legging instead of a block colour one?  You get the denim look but without the un-comfort...  Marks and Spencer have these great ones £15.00.



But I would remind you that they are STILL LEGGINGS and should be worn with Tunics and dresses.  As in my book leggings are NOT trousers!!!!!!


Thursday, 28 November 2013

Polka Dots

Polka dots are huge this autumn/winter as was easy to witness from the Claridges, annual Christmas tree switch on!


Miu Miu's AW13 collection has several spotty items to get you into the mood.  But for a little more inspiration to go dotty this festive season find my top picks from the high street!



HIGH STREET PICKS




Thursday, 8 August 2013

Think Pink!

Dusty pink is set to be the hot colour for autumn/ winter this year, making a prominent appearance on the catwalks at London Fashion Week.



Here's some of my top pink picks from the high street at the moment. These are great pieces that can be worn in the remaining days of our summer but can also be carried through to autumn/ winter.




If the Mulberry coat is out of your budget than this Ted Baker one is a perfect cheaper alternative.

Check out my 'think pink' style video on YouTube.

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Heat Wave fashion fixes for the girls...

The sun has finally arrived and I am making the most of it by wearing as many of my summer looks before it disappears!

 For those of you who have the sort of legs that just keep going, today is the day to get them out!  This look has a real playful vibe and is perfect for a day at the common or beach with friends.  If you are wanting a more styled city look then change the top for a shell style top to make it more crisp.

Parrot Top, £28.00 from JOY

Lavender denim short, £28.00 TOPSHOP.

Colour Block Shell top, £30.00 TOPSHOP.

For those girls who are a bit more of a pear shape and are not blessed with the long legs, I would opt for a summer dress and this JOY option ticks all the boxes, as well as making me want to order a Pina-Colada every time I look at it!

Hawaiian print dress, £49.00 JOY.


A different take on the heat wave look, which is perfect for the paler skinned creatures among us.. is this jumpsuit from Dorothy Perkins.  I don't like to get too much flesh out for fear of burning, but a jumpsuit still works to keep you cool in the hot weather.

Polka dot jumpsuit, £38.00 DOROTHY PERKINS


More mature ladies often find separates a better bet in this heat and I have opted for good old M&S for this look.  I have seen a lot of badly dressed ladies over the last few days on south bank, with variations on the white trouser look.  So I have come up with my own version that should avoid the following - Muffin tops, camel toes, VPL's, dull colourless options.

Palm Print jersey top, £17.00 M&S outlet.


White 5 pocket cropped jean, £19.50 Marks and Spencer


PREGNANT ladies really struggle to stay stylish in this heat, so here is a pretty option for you.  I would normally say highlight your bump with a nice stretchy T-shirt dress, but they can make you feel hotter, so I have opted for the below and would highly recommend some Ray-Ban, Wayfarer's and some red lipstick to finish the look!

Maternity Hawthorn print dress,  £42.00 TOPSHOP


Enjoy the sunshine..x






 



Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Yellow Fever


The sun has been shinning,  which means I get itching to wear lots of bright colours and my colour of the week is almost definitely YELLOW!!

The obsession started with these shoe from Jimmy Choo, they are £450 called Aza and have a gorgeous ombre effect.  What a great summer everyday shoe!




Then this yoke striped top from Dorothy Perkins, just £25.00 caught my eye and I must say since buying it a week ago has been very useful!  

For those of you out there with amazing legs try these neon twill trouser from Zara, £35.99.  They will make you feel summery even if the sun goes in and the rain returns!


I then spotted this little  brocade shoulder bag from Juicy Couture £147.00, which is SOOooooo not my usual style, but I actually think it could be one of those really useful summer bags!

Fingers crossed the sun stays out so that we can stay infected with Yellow Fever!






Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Weekend wardrobe

A Trip to France last weekend meant an opportunity for a little parisian Chic... and buy some new outfits of course!!


The 1st purchase I made was this fab little dress from Dorothy Perkins £35, which I wore for dinner at our first stop off point Chateaux Montreuil where we had a fabulous dinner and stayed in the gorgeous garden room.

2nd Day was road trip and sight seeing day, so I donned my trusty French Connection Bretton stripe T £25 and my Levis denim shirt £70 with a slick or Red lipstick NARS (Cruella)


3rd Day was our friends wedding and in the morning I decided that I fancied a bit of shopping and bought this fab dress from Sandro €225.  It was a fab wedding and this dress was so comfy and chic that I danced all night without feeling uncomfortable!



So that was my Little French trip and my new favourite for the week is collars!  Would love to hear from people who have found other fab collar detail dresses.


Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Perfect Party dress Part 3 the Rhubarb

5 perfect dresses for our Rhubarb ladies


This lace dress £175.00 is from whistles and is great for creating more curves with its sweet- heart neckline in the bodice and the tiered skirt gives more of a hip.
This may not be a dress but it falls under party wear and this Dorothy Perkins jumpsuit £50.00 has a dropped waist, hip pockets and a fab frilled neckline all adding curves to your figure while showing off your slim limbs!



This dress is also from Whistles for £150.00, the draping at the front enhances a small bust and the waist panel creates a lovely hip line!



This dress From Zara £89.99 is great fun.  It cinches in the waist and the cap sleeves and full skirt create the illusion of a hourglass figure.



For a more glam dress try this Ted Baker number £119.00, the colour is great to make you stand out at a party and the cutouts and panels help to highlight your slender frame. 


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