For the guys: Barristers on a budget

We couldn't leave the boys out of this series. While there are obvious restrictions with your workwear, you can still try and be as creative as possible. We know decent suits aren't cheap, but there are some brands that offer a good cut and quality at a price that won't break the bank. Here are our suggestions:

The Three Piece Suit:
The three piece suit is stylistically considered to be the most contemporary and elegant look available on the high street. It is also incredibly flattering on all male body shapes if you get the sizing right. Debenhams brands consistently offer a superior cut and tailoring at the lower price point, and Red Herring is definitely worth looking into…….

The Jacket: Red Herring at Debenhams Navy Twill 2 button slim fit jacket £65

The trousers: Red Herring at Debenhams Navy Twill Trousers £34

The Waistcoat: Red Herring at Debenhams Navy Twill £35

Other great suiting destinations on budget are Marks and Spencer:

Grey wool mix 2 button suit £168.00 for all 3 pieces!

Or for the best quality and the lowest price do all of your suit shopping in the Sales!  House of Fraser run one of the best suiting sales and you can get it all under one roof!

Remember if you are buying a suit, make sure you get an extra pair if not two extra pairs of the trousers!  Rotating the trousers will give your suit much more longevity!

SHIRTS:

We know there are some elements of your wardrobe that you cannot cut corners on. Your shirts, tunics and collars are best bought from a legal clothing retailer who knows their stuff. T.M.Lewin are a great option for tunic shirt and do some great pieces to boot!

The shirt: T.M Lewin Tunic shirt £29.95 or £20 per shirt when you buy 5!  Bargain!

The collars: Ede and Ravenscroft Windsor Wing £7.25

The one you need in court……….

The tie: Next raspberry silk tie £12

Hallelujah for some colour! As with your fellow female barristers, colour is in short supply in your every day work wear, so make sure you show some personality with your tie selection. This is one of the only opportunities to make a small yet important statement about who you are, so keep away from dull, lifeless neutrals like grey and navy - give people something to notice about you!

Other colour options for those of you not as in touch with your PINK side!

Lilac tones against a Navy suit always looks chic and this £7.50 tie from Marks and Spencer is clean and simple (until you spill your coffee down it!  which reminds us.. always have a spare in your bag!)

Or this slightly more luxurious option £16.00 also from Marks and Spencer

The Cuff links: Debenhams Thomas Nash Jigsaw cufflinks £20

While adding a pair of cufflinks to your look will undoubtedly up your overall spend, it is another area where you can show a little personality. We don't mean run out and invest in a pair of "beer bottle" or "batman" types, rather go for something classy with a twist. These cufflinks from Thomas Nash do just that.

The shoes: New Look Black pointed brogues £19.99

Shoes can be hugely expensive and end up eating significantly into your work wear budget. If you need to go for a cheaper option such as these great value and stylish to boot brogues from New Look, keep them looking the business with regular cleaning and polishing, kits start from as little as £4.99 from Pavers.

The bag: River Island Brown Satchel £30

While we know you love to throw your bags over your shoulder (and this one has a strap to help you do that), you need to give your shoulder (and your jacket) a break from time to time. This River Island bag has a great "worn in" texture and comes with a handle so you can carry it as a brief case when you need to. It should also be big enough to accommodate a large case load!

The Glasses:

If you are a spectacle wearer... NEVER underestimate the power of a great pair of glasses!  Strong dark frames are the ultimate fashion accessory at the moment BUT if you are fairer haired opt for a brown or tortoiseshell finish!

We hope you found this useful and let us know if you have any other menswear work wardrobe conundrums we can solve for you!

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:

Accessorize Metal ring layered rope necklace £12.00

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!!!!!!

The cropped trouser

With this ever changeable climate I am trying to come up with fab new spring summer looks for my clients without them freezing to death, or looking overly summery on an over cast day!

If you are having the same quandary then look to a cropped or 7/8th's trouser.  It loos summery and fresh with out leaving you with blue legs from the cold!

My Top 3 on the high street or on-line are:

Oasis Navy crop trouser £35.00

Zara, Trouser with turn-up £29.99

or Isabella Oliver 365 Cigarette pant £95.00

Wear them for work with a vibrant print blouse, a blazer or on the weekend with a loose T-shirt and leather jacket.  You will look fabulous.  Just make sure you team it with a fab heel to elongate those pins, my top shoe choices would be:

This Next court for work £18.00

This Aldo wedge for weekend £70.00

Jean Genie!

At the moment my weekends are filled with Jeans! The boyfriend has even commented on my sleepy discussions on the benefits of a fit and flare jean to balance a bottom! But one thing I will say is that it is has been great fun and lovely to see so many women happy with their new denim purchases!

I am at the Watford Shopping Centre styling for the JEAN GENIE EVENT, where myself and fellow stylist Rachel Staveley are giving free style appointments to shoppers to help them find their perfect jeans..

This weekend I helped a granny, mother and daughter into jeans and got 2 yummy boxes of Thornton's chocolates... so despite blue denim stained hands, sore feet, and dreams of denim there are perks to the JOB!

High street Jeans that I think work for most shapes!

To hide a tummy but keep it classic opt for the OASIS - SCARLET Jean £45

The Oasis - Poppy jean £50 is a great summer option which looks fab with a denim on denim look. On a curvier thigh it appears more kick flare but on a slim leg has a real 70's look! Another bonus to these is the high waist is great to hide a tummy but also works well on a pare shape as it curves in over the bottom.
The Dorothy Perkins - Straight Cut £20 is my top buy of the week. I would opt for the Mid blue as it is more summery but the cut of the leg is great with a heel, but also works really well with a turn up! The only down side to this jean is it has a very low rise so if you have a bit of a tummy I would opt instead for an M&S option.


M&S Indigo Collection Slim Leg jean£19.50. Sorry for the small image can't find a better one but follow the link to check them out. This jean comes in 4 shades I would opt for the black or the white.

Another Jean which I have to mention is the Next Flare £25, I am not usually a massive fan of Next jeans but this shape is fab and great for an everyday jean.
I hope you like my top selection! I will be buying the Straight-cut dotty P's pair, styling my mum in the Indigo pair and my sis in the Oasis Poppy or the Next Flare.


I also have to mention the M&S - North Coast jeans £39.50 for men as they worked really well on the older gent.

and the Next - Dark Wash Hiro jean £32-£40 nice easy style without any fuss!

She Means Business Event 2010 and Goody Bag Competition

The SHE means business event was held at HSBC Towers in Canary Wharf and the event was a great success. Myself and Mrs Make Do Style where there with the NHJ Style team and decided to both blog about different elements of the evening, but i apologise if there is some cross over! I also need to apologise for some of the photography.. after a glasses of bubbles it would appear that our photographic hands are not quite as steady.

The she poster that MDS wanted to graffiti...

The Fashion Show Work wear

Outfit 1: Animal print Jaeger Top worn with cream cigarette pant trouser from Next
This is a really easy way to introduce print into your wardrobe and stay cool in Summer add big glasses and over sized bag to make it your own!
Outfit 2: Military Jacket M&S worn with top and bag from Next.
Well done M&S this jacket is a great shape and bang on trend!
Outfit 3: Grey jersey dress from Wallis and bag from Boden.
Really great idea for a throw it on dress for summer, i would add a statement necklace and a coloured wedge to make a little more exciting.
Outfit 4: Stripey jacket from Next, Polka dot dress from Planet, shoes LK Benett.
What a great little office outfit.. instead of adding the obvious red mix in green or acid orange accessories.

I also have to mention a fab outfit in their work wear section that we could not get a pick of which was a Mint Velvet dress with a zip detail on the shoulder worn with a next wedge looked great.They also had a fab Audrey Hepburn Esq Grey work dress from Austin Reed, so if your in the look out for one pop over to see it!

We then moved into Evening Wear

Outfit 1: Grey Zip detail top M&S worn with Next trousers and LK Benett shoes.
This outfit is great for relaxed office to pub, or site seeing chic and easy to achieve.
Outfit 2: Sequin dress Planet and nude shoes Pied a Terre.
This dress is not my cup of tea at all! I am all for summer sparkle but this looks like all the wrong kind of coloured sparkle on one ill fitting dress!
Outfit 3: All in One M&S and fab Red wedges which annoyingly I did not write down the info for!
I love love love this outfit and want it want it want it. I was wearing an All in one on the night and we have decided this M&S one or the Topshop equivalent are the best. I am also kicking myself for not noting down the shoes i will continue my search! MDS is going to buy this outfit and she is going to look fab in it!
Outfit 4: Black dress with cream bow detail from Burnshaw shoes Pied a Terre.
Again not my cup of tea as it is a little obvious but the bow detail is quite cute!

Other outfit to mention strapless all in one from next with beading detail really easy to wear in the Summer.


Evening and Weekend Wear Continued

Outfit 1: Red dress by Burnshaw and shoes LK Bennett.
They also showed a black and white version of this dress which i HATED! But this little number had the wow factor.
Outfit 2: Denim shorts, white 'T' and boots from Next and chunky Knit cardigan from Jaeger.
Loving this outfit.. could not pull it off myself but if you have an athletic figure and a small bust wear it with some retro Sunny's!
Outfit 3: Stripey 'T', blazer and zip detail skirt all M&S.
This is a great little summer outfit for work or weekend. Wear a coloured wedge and add a floral print bag and it would be even more adorable.
Outfit 4: White Jeans M&S, animal print cardigan by Boden, Bag by Next and shoes LK Bennett.
Easy way to introduce print and it looks pretty chic.

Weekend Wear

Outfit 1: Stripey 'T' by Dorothy Perkins, Cardigan by Boden, Jeans by Next, Bag from Jaeger.
Want this bag make it mine!!!
Outfit 2: Green silk shirt by Jaeger, jeans and sparkle bag by Next, shoes LK Bennett.
Also want this bag... but this one i can actually afford! yay
Outfit 3: Stripey top by Dorothy Perkins and shorts by Boden
Great look with no effort! If you have shapely thighs keep shorts long if you have skinny pins wear them short!
Outfit 4 : Peach vest by M&S, Jeans by Boden, Hat by Planet and Scarf by Jaeger.
How cute is this outfit.? A hat always makes a statement and this one is easy to wear in summer with a print dress, jeans or at the beach!

The event was good fun and we got to meet some lovely ladies from all over the UK! The gorgeous girls from the fashion department at SHE who did not seem to mind us quizzing them on the new dynamics in the fashion department. Nicky Hambleton Jones who looked fantastic as ever, no sign of baby destroying this fashionistas style! I also have to mention the lovely lady in the blue silk top, her Mum and her sister who were an absolute giggle. The stylish Laura Kate Scott with her gorgeous pill box hat. Beverley Webb from Beautiful Bras for being a SHE lady who meant business and who stocks some fab bras.

Here is a little pic of the models off duty... with their SHE goody bags one of which I have to give away in a competition!
Inside the lovely SHE Goody bag... is..

April issue of She magazine

A Simple wash bag with intensive lip moisturiser, eye makeup remover pads, anti wrinkle day cream and protecting moisture cream

Tie rack scarf with chain print

Kitten and Vixen cosmetics Bewitching Burgundy mascara and eye liner

Jo Hansford intensive hair mask

£20 Planet voucher

Clara Geraghty's new book "Saving Grace"

2 VIP Flourish Cards - Flourish Make-up

and all of this could be yours!

To enter the competition and be in with a chance to win this fabulous goody bag become a follower of this blog and leave a comment and a winner will be picked by random number generator. GOOD LUCK!