So what is it that makes jeans so wearable? Well to start off with, the right pair can make a real difference to the length of one's legs and the size of one's bottom. Not only that but with a bit of stretch they can be very comfortable, they go with everything and they can be worn pretty much anywhere. So why would we need anything else when it comes to trousers? Well the answer is that we don't really, not unless there's a smarter work or formal event that requires them.  Sometimes though even I fancy a change from jeans and I think that I've found them in these crepe tapered trousers that I bought from Jigsaw at the end of the summer.

I had worn them once or so and for some reason I had it in mind that they were a bit scratchy but actually they're not at all. Crepe is a lovely fabric - easy to move around in and not at all constricting - a very important consideration when I need to spend a lot of time in front of the washing machine, as I do today, nor is it bulky so it's a flattering fabric to wear.  I can't believe that I'm advocating an elasticated waist band I must admit that I am - it's super comfortable and I like the fact that it means that they can sit either higher, or a bit lower (not quite of the MC Hammer proportions but getting there) on the waist depending on how you feel/the height of your heels/the occasion you're wearing them for. These trousers can either be dressed down with trainers, or up with heels, so they're pretty versatile too.

As for a couple of options for crepe trousers, there's these sporty crepe trousers Whistles (£120) - wish they were in the sale so sorry about the price! There should be a Grazia offer in February so it may be worth holding out for that if they appeal.


Or these crepe trousers are on sale at Me & Em reduced to £30 from £148 but they are only available in a size 12 - sorry can't do much about that either!


Jigsaw have these tapered leg crepe trousers for £110. I'm not sure if it's the height of the model but they look slightly shorter in the leg which is fine but it can make them a little less versatile.


And finally Cos have these tapered crepe trousers for £59. They don't have an elasticated waist band but the close up shots on the site do make them look an attractive option.


Now I must admit that despite the trousers being an existing wardrobe item, the toasty roll neck jumper from Boden (£48.30) is a new addition. My only other roll neck - which is what I like at this time of year - is a navy Cos one which is slightly short in the body and also on my gorilla like arms. And anyway if Mr SG will insist on making me go skiing, he's got to expect that one or two new jumpers will be purchased. When I first opened it I wasn't sure that it was as chunky as I was hoping for but having worn it for several hours, I'm finding it pretty warm.

And finally, I bought these Grace high ankle boots from Whistles (reduced from £185 to £55) in Selfridges last week. Some Christmas money that I had squirrelled away came in very handy for these brilliantly priced boots. I can't see them online any more but there may well be some lurking in the stores.



Now I've discovered that my scratchy trousers aren't in fact scratchy at all, I'm going to wear them lots and lots. Now there's an idea. Anything that you own that you think is a bit stiff, scratchy, tight or not quite right, how about digging it out and giving it another go? You never know you might just discover a wardrobe hero. If not, it's time to get rid!

Carrying on with my plan to wear everything in my wardrobe, a pea coat is a style of coat that never goes out of fashion. It's a timeless classic and if you're thinking of investing in any type of coat, this is one that will last for years - along with a biker style jacket, a leather jacket, a trench coat or a camel coat. Other styles come and go and they are nice to own in an exciting, heart missing a beat kind of way, but as they may only last a few seasons they are probably more of a Zara/Topshop buy.

I had my first pea coat when I was about 23 and wanted to replace it after it had served me very well. This one from Reiss I bought in their post Christmas sale about 4 years ago now and provided that I don't grow out of it, it should last me for many years to come.


Now I may be a bear of very little brain but it just can't deal with this picture. It keeps trying to make it into Victoria Beckham. The similarities between her and Catherine ZJ are starting to become a bit spooky and my little brain finds is very confuddling.


Although in fairness I can't really comment about people coveting other people's looks because if I had hair that I could cut into this choppy bob, I so would. As it is it would take me forever to grow my short style out and knowing me after a few months I would cut short again so there's no point in even going there - but somehow I can't stop thinking about it which is always a bad sign.

I've tested out the vests and one of the cropped tops and so far so good. My temperature seems to have gone haywire when running of late - I think that my jacket has been too warm and the heat hasn't been escaping so I have felt as though I was being basted like a turkey in the oven. However with a cropped top, a vest and one of the Primark hoodies (so good that I returned the Sweaty Betty one that I had ordered and which was 7 times the price) it all seemed a bit better. Anyway, we'll see.


I should add that I've only tried one pair of the bottoms but they were just too low rise. Personally I prefer the thick cotton GAP ones as they offer more support for a bum that's heading south and thighs that are heading both east and west simultaneously - although I will try some other Primark ones but only when I can face taking my trousers off in a Primark changing room. Not that I can quite imagine when that will be.

When it's cold, and when it's a weekend - with all that entails between myself and Mr SG in the battle of the thermostat - there's only one jumper for me to wear, a thick navy one from Cos, who are definitely one of the best brands for warm knitwear. With a vest and two long sleeved tops underneath plus a scarf, all was good on the chilly front. The scarf, bag and Ash wedge trainers delivered the little bit of burgundy that I was after to go with the navy, for my trip to.....the shoe shop for school shoes. So glam! When I've got so many layers on and my torso is warm, I can get away with my sleeveless Zara coat which is sort of liberating on the arm front. I know, fancy that, a sleeveless coat in the middle of winter. Living life on the edge again.

Speaking of thick jumpers, I have been after a cable knit/fisherman's jumper for a couple of winters now and then when I was on the J Crew site the other evening, I came across this Aran sweater (£60) which was just what I was after but which kind of flummoxed me because I couldn't work out why it was £60, given that it was made of merino wool and given that it was on the J Crew site. Anyway, I finally bought it on Saturday morning but I remained intrigued as to its cost so I dug a bit further and realised that it must be to do with the fact that it was made by Aran Crafts (TM) who, it transpires have their own site where they stock.....


...the very same (I think) Aran Crafts sweater for £57.11. (Really sorry about the pic, I can't get a better one but if you go to the site you can have a closer look.)


So given that J. Crew have practically sold out, it might be possible to get one direct from Aran Crafts instead, which would be a good thing on many levels. It's great that J. Crew are stocking the sweaters and it's good to see that there isn't a huge mark up compared to the Aran Crafts site but sometimes it feels right to buy direct from the company who makes them (and who has been since 1856, apparently). I'll report back when mine has arrived....

I love a bit of cobalt blue and black together but cobalt can be hard to find in the winter. In fact any brighter colour can be hard to find in the winter, although Boden, J. Crew and GAP (particularly in the sale) are always a good bet for a splash of something other than grey or navy in the jumper department.

The Zara pleather skirt that I bought a while ago is turning out to be a bit of a favourite of mine after all. I wasn't so sure when I first bought it, which is why I headed to Zara rather than Whistles where you can now buy their version for £40 instead of £135. Sizes are limited but not so limited that it's not worth telling you about! If I didn't already have the Zara one I would buy the Whistles one too...


....or this one which is currently on sale in Jigsaw for £42 rather than its full price of £139. They're not available on line but the Birmingham store had some very similar to this when I was in there the other day. Give them a call and I'm sure that they will be very happy to help....


I suppose that it might be helpful to explain what it is that I find quite handy about them. First, the volume in the skirt means that it's not restrictive, which is good if, like me, you don't like to be slowed down by your clothing. Secondly you can pile thermal tights and long johns underneath and no-one will be any the wiser. Thirdly the style and fabric are a bit dressy without being too over the top so it's one step up from jeans without being either work like or too evening like. Anyway, that's where I'm coming from, so maybe it's something to ponder.

There, I did it. Hardly a great achievement is it, waking up in the morning and deciding to wear a dress, especially of the jersey variety, but habits can be hard to break and I have definitely been in trouser mode of late.

Easing myself back into this dress malarky I wore this Jersey striped dress from Jigsaw (£63 but only available in M and L although there's this alternative striped tunic dress from Per Una which is £39.50) with a white shirt layered underneath and a black Reiss jacket. The white shirt just softens the dark colour of the dress against my "winter skin" plus of course it also adds a layer of warmth. Thick black tights and Whistles pony hair loafers meant that I was totter free zone.


So has anyone else ventured into dress territory of late? The smattering of snow that greeted us this morning meant that it was back to trousers today but I live in hope of a little spring sun sometime soon.

I had a little bit of a navy thing going on today - not too hard give the amount of navy that I wear. It was throwing it down when it came to pick up but I couldn't be faffed with a brolly so I wore this navy metallic beanie from Topshop that that my Mum gave me for Christmas and which I keep in the car for such emergencies. OK so my jacket was less than a wise choice given the rain but the rain sort of appeared out of nowhere.


The rest of the navy ensemble was made up of Cos cotton trousers, a white GAP shirt, a sparkly navy GAP jumper, a Boden jacket and Adidas trainers. I could quite happily wear this kind of thing every day - not jeans but not far from it with lots of navy and a bit of sparkle. Tomorrow I fear it may be a dress kind of day. I can't quite remember when I last wore a dress - New Year's Eve I think, so it's time to be brave and get those legs out. Anyone fancy joining me??? Please say yes!

A few days ago now we were celebrating the birthday of our youngest, who is now a very grown up 7. In keeping with a family tradition, we all piled in to Pizza Express. Obviously my finest glad rags were not required but I thought that the age old cheat of wearing some bling, putting on a bit of a fancy top and chucking in some colour would do - hence the double rose gold necklace from Livto (£27.99) - currently sold out but I'm pretty sure that there will be some back in stock soon - a leather top which was a birthday present and a yellow Kate Spade bag. Luckily a little effort on the top half meant that I could get away with my super stretchy Whistles jeans so there was plenty of room for pizza (and for breathing). Always handy.

I've got to be honest, I'm not feeling the love for the shops, or clothes, at the moment which is so unheard of for me that it must mean that I've been taken over by an alien.  I've trawled my usual favourite sites and I'm feeling distinctly uninspired. In fact I even resorted to reading the "Runner's World" website and an article on tapering before a big race. That's how bad things are.

The majority of the new season's stock looks exactly the same as that from the last two seasons - a bit drab, a bit loose, very comfortable (not that I'm knocking that) but nothing that makes me sit up and go "Yes, I will happily do whatever it takes to get my cheeky little mitts on one of those."  The joy can come just from thinking about such things as much as owning them. And I miss it!

Now in some ways this is good because it makes it easier to stick to my policy of wearing what I own already. On the other hand I feel bereft. Like a part of my soul is missing. I've always said that I would hate to win the lottery. Where's the fun in life in being able to buy every thing that you want? Nope, a little retail lust goes a long way - even a little £5 retail lust can go a long way. And I'm hoping that one day very soon - Tuesday would do - it will return.

Until then I am going to share this outfit with you - a Jesire (anyone remember them? I really liked them until they went under) leopard print grey jumper, Cos grey jeans, Zara boots and a Miss Selfridge fur scarf. Cosy, comfy and arguably a bit drab and a bit loose. Oooops! But at least there's nothing better to tempt me. Well, not for now anyway.....

When I was in a particularly hallucinatory tonsillitis induced state the other day, I dreamt that Martin Lewis, the money man, was talking to me. He was trying to hypnotise me into thinking that the Adirondack II Ugg boots that I have my eye on would be better off left on the shelf.


He told me that I should imagine looking down at them on my feet and that I should think how much happier I would be if they weren't there, that the money would be better off in the bank and that I could manage with some old boots that I have. He then asked me what I thought of what he had said to which I replied "Don't be such a flippin (actually it was a ruder version of that word) idiot" and I walked off. I used to quite like listening to what he had to say. Not any more.

I think that all of this came on the back of plan - not a resolution because they're a bit looserish - to wear everything that I own in my wardrobe before adding to it any further. There will be exceptions - new boots possibly being one of them - and no-one likes to live by a strict set of rules but I figure that there are probably one or two new outfits that I could make out of what I own already.

So taking things to the extreme, the coat that I am wearing above is 10 years old. I bought it when our eldest was in year 1 and  in two weeks she will be 16. Argghhh. The Jaeger scarf is a couple of years old and I'm wearing a Whistles tube skirt,  Zara boots and a Marc Jacobs bag because I realised that if I didn't get out of sloppy stuff sometime soon, not only would I have my own TV series about never leaving the house, I would also have a parallel one about always wearing the same outfit.

And I thought that on such a dull day, it would be nice to share with you all a bunch of flowers. Hope that you like them!

I like to think of myself as a sunny(ish) kind of soul but today oh flip me, the sun was not shining. All three children were back at school and I missed them. The house was quiet, I still felt pretty rubbish and with a tax return to face, all was distinctly not well with the world.  However, when the new Boden catalogue arrived things started to look up. Not only because it meant that I could procrastinate even longer before starting the tax return but because it gave me a major injection of spring and summer - something that was sorely needed.

I'm more than prepared to accept that in months to come I may well look back and wonder quite what I was suffering from when I decided that I liked these things. However for now, I'm happy to live in a bright, striped, spotty and printed state of oblivion.

Marti dress (£79) - Now obviously I wouldn't wear all of these things together at the same time. One of them would be more than an  enough in an outfit but I love the colours in this dress and its Marni type feel. Its sleeves and looser shape make it more wearable than a more fitted shape.


Alice high heel - These shoes definitely have a touch of Sophia Webster about them. At 8.5 cm the heel isn't too high and the colours would do a fab job of livening up a fairly plain wardrobe.


There are spotty versions too - pink or blue. The obvious way to wear them is as part of an "outfit" - perhaps a wedding type affair - but I prefer the idea of them with boyfriend jeans and a fairly plain T-shirt.


Eliza top (£69) - This top also comes in a few different colour ways and it's a great top to wear layered now, with a cardi or jacket over the top or, wait until the weather warms up and show it off in all its glory.


Great timing by Boden to cash in on our January blues. Repeat after me: "I will not fall for it. I will not fall for it." OK, I'll just take a tiny peek then....

I should know myself by now. I should know that when ever there's a big event coming up - a birthday, the day before Christmas, the day before we go on holiday, the day before the NEW YEAR that I get this sudden urge to clean. "Oh" I think to myself, "wouldn't it be lovely to go to bed in clean bedding, to wake up to a newly cleaned kitchen and fresh bathrooms, to have cupboards that are neat and tidy and full of folded clothes." I should know that the tidal wave of needing to clean is on its way but I never anticipate it until WHAM, it arrives and then it's too late. I just have to get on with it.

Which is why I found myself doing all of those jobs this afternoon. I scrubbed the kitchen island to within an inch of its life. I even turned the toaster upside down and shook it over the sink (unwise unless you want a blocked sink), plus I emptied out the crumb trays, cleaned behind the bread maker, took all of the rubbish out, polished the kettle, washed the tea pot and wiped out the fruit bowl, all the while thinking that I needed to be ringing friends and family to wish them a Happy New Year.

We went over to some friends for the New Year and as we were walking there and as it was cold, flimsy glamour was not the order of the day - or night. I've only worn this Hush dress once but it's really warm and with a jacket over the top it gave me the warmth that I needed. OK so the boots are more practical than glam but the pavements were hideously slippery.

I should have pre-programmed a twitter message to go out and I should have written something on facebook to wish you all a Happy and healthy New Year but I didn't get around to it, so I apologise to you, as I do to all of my friends and family for not getting in touch but I'm sorry I was cleaning....

Given the cold and frosty weather of late, I thought it fitting to finish my 12 outfits of Christmas feature with something warm and toasty - and a ridiculous grin too but then again it was spectacularly cold!

In a post many moons ago, I referred to Cameron Diaz's outfits in "The Holiday" a film which we watched (again) on Christmas Eve. For one who was supposedly unfamiliar with UK winters, she cracked the casual/cashmere/stylish/ look with aplomb. I noticed her beautiful cable knit jumper when watching the film on Christmas Eve and then, on Christmas morning, I opened a present from Mr SG which contained this great cable knit hat - the starting point for my skiing wardrobe which is going to be a whole new area - quite possibly a disaster one at that, although I have good friends to advise me on the way. Left to my own devices I would quite happily wear a 1970's style all in one with a zip up the front but apparently that's not the done thing these days.

So on to the outfit, this is what was going on underneath, let's count the layers:
M&S vest,
M&S long sleeved top,
Warehouse lace top,
Boden Barcelona cardigan - I'm hoping that the navy one will be reduced even further in the sale soon,
2 pairs of socks - one Pringle and the outer ones are from White Company,
Whistles grey furry gloves (no longer on the site so I can't link - sorry)
North Face hat (it would be wrong to link to this given it was a pressie!)

And this is just what I wear inside! To anyone with snow, I hope that you're having a huge amount of fun in it - wish we had some. x

A pair of comfortable and smart(ish) flats are a weapon in your arsenal of essential wardrobe items. Getting the right pair can be tricky as flats aren't always the most flattering of styles. For those blessed with slim ankles they can look just fine but for those with cankles or heavier calves - which probably accounts for about 90% of us - they can be more of a challenge. A small block heel is quite often the best fix but a pointed toe or a kitten heel can work wonders in balancing proportions or adding just a weeny bit of height. Toning them in with the colour of your tights elongates your legs and a shorter hem length can have the same effect, hopefully avoiding that Miss Marple look.

I wore this Warehouse dress yesterday when we largely spent the day at home. I bought the dress last winter and it's great because although it's a neat fit over the shoulders, it's fairly straight up and down so it's an easy style to wear. No clinging, no tight waistbands - perfect for this time of year plus the print keeps the eye on the move so whatever lumps and bumps may lie beneath, no one would ever know.

For a similar style, the Boden printed Beaufort dress is a very nice little number. A friend of mine has one and it looks fantastic, it's a real winner and definitely worth a shot in the sale. It's £69.30 and there's a blue print which is also in the sale, for £49.50.


I'll be back tomorrow with my last outfit of my 12 outfits for Christmas. They have been a little sporadic and I've not always managed to include a gift but I hope that you have enjoyed them. x

With ten of us for Boxing Day yesterday, I thought that it would be a great idea to encourage everyone to wear their Christmas jumpers. Oh and how the family loved me, joining in with great enthusiasm.

I was given this fantastic Christmas Tree jumper (Topshop) by a friend as a Christmas present a few weeks ago now but I wanted to save it for a truly festive occasion, which presented itself perfectly on Boxing Day. Although it's now out of stock (that girl has great taste!) I've linked to it for anyone who may want the details for future reference.


For our walk after lunch, I wore the Claudia coat from Boden in jelly bean (it also comes in grey and navy), which I bought in the sale.  I love a pink coat and the one that I have from Benetton is many years old now so it's looking a little worn and it's a little on the large side so I always feel a bit scruffy when I wear it. This is a lovely coat and when Mr SG saw it he commented how he liked it and how I should keep it. Not one to argue with the fashion guru, I obediently hung it up in the wardrobe. Actually I hung it up in his wardrobe to be precise. Mine is a little full. A bit like me after Christmas really....

Happy Christmas to everyone! Hope that you have had a fantastic day. I thought that I would do a quick outfit post today as deciding what to wear on Christmas Day can be a tricky one I think. On the one hand there's a feeling of wanting to look slightly more dressed up than usual but on the other hand, tottering around at home whilst dressed up to the nines just doesn't feel right.

I think that I finally decided what to wear today just before I went to sleep last night. Clearly I was pondering the important issues on Christmas Eve!

So here I'm wearing a sequin heart sweater from Whistles (£70 down from £125) which I bought in the sale last week. I'm also wearing some luxe joggers from Topshop (these are similar and are in the sale for £20). Don't tell anyone but I have some Uniqlo thermals layered underneath them. I'm also wearing a grey shimmer crew t-shirt from GAP (£11.99) and silver Zara shoes which are just on the right side of high.

I have to admit that the shoes have now been swapped for woolly grey socks with silver spots on them and the luxe joggers for my comfortable fleecy ones. But I haven't been separated from my sparkles!

Yesterday we went to see my Mum for a Christmas visit. In a very generous and giving type fashion I took our recycling to put in her (relatively empty, or it was) bin, pinched a "Snowman" kitchen roll and loo roll, scoffed her choccies and mince pies and left. I know, such Christmas spirit!

 I wore this & Other Stories pleated dress now £33, which I bought when we were down in London a couple of weeks ago now. It's a man made fabric but it's quite silky and also fairly thick which is good for me. With its three quarter sleeves, just above knee length and nipped in waist, it's an easy to wear day dress.

And as for a couple of other outfits - this is my favourite New Look "Love" jumper, with just a white shirt layered underneath to break it up a little.


And this is a chunky Jaeger scarf that I've had for a couple of years now, with an M&S coat that I bought new this winter. A great cover up for when whatever lies beneath needs a little work!

So when I agreed to a party for 35, fifteen and sixteen year olds tonight, I didn't realise that not only would my phone be confiscated as it was needed to play music through but also that there would be so many people trying to use the wifi that the internet would crash. The rest of the family and I have been confined to our bedroom whilst the house shakes around us.

I'm hoping that I can load several more outfits as this post was going to be about outfits that I have worn casually recently. Nothing particularly special, just a few different outfits which may offer some ideas. I'm not sure that it's going to work though....the internet is still not happy (and nor, it has to be said, is Mr SG who is complaining, at 19.36 I have to add, that he has to go to work tomorrow, that everything will be broken, that there will be lots of clearing up to do and that no more parties will be allowed. Party flippin pooper.)

Now you've all seen this Whistles dress many times over but it's a favourite of mine and here I'm ringing the changes slightly (I know, how many ways can you wear one dress but I need to get the cost per wear down) with red Kurt Geiger shoes and a coral H&M necklace.

Sadly the rest of the photos won't load - in fact I don't know whether this post will even publish but I'll have a go and bring you the other photos once calm has been restored.

"Are those jeans new?" Mr SG asked me a couple of days ago. To which I replied "Yes."
"What you bought them with those holes in? Please tell me you're joking."
"Yes I did and no, I'm not." The poor man was at a loss for words - incredulous and utterly confused by the whole thing but I think that it's fair to say that, on occasion, I suffer at the hands of his sense of humour so I didn't feel too bad.

As we all know, a new pair of jeans can work wonders at breathing life into your wardrobe. I saw these jeans in a magazine a couple of weeks ago so went to try them out in Zara (£29.99) earlier this week. They're a low rise but not ridiculously low and they're actually very comfortable plus I liked the frayed hem. I haven't bought any trousers or jeans from Zara for a few years now, since a pair I bought ripped right where you wouldn't want them to but I thought that they deserved another chance.

With this new blouse from & Other Stories (£45) which I bought in London last week, I was sorted for a day of Christmas jobs. As an aside, the fit of this blouse is lovely - not too tight and I also managed to get a long sleeved cotton T underneath as an extra layer.


More of a decoration than a gift, I'm currently loving Eric, our stag head from Cox & Cox (£25). He's probably the most decorated (and camp looking) stag that there is, adorned as he is with Monsoon Christmas glasses and decorations from Selfridges and John Lewis. When you have to relinquish control of the the tree to the children, you need a little bit of something to call your own - and on reflection, if this is what I do to Eric, it's probably just as well that I'm not in charge of the tree.

...and I can put a fur gilet over the top which makes it even toastier, which can be great on these chilly nights.

A relaxed shape such as this sweatshirt style dress but with some sparkles or a print is a good way of being slightly glam but in a comfortable way. Looser shift style dresses and dropped waist dresses are also a great way of achieving this. What they lack in a fitted shape you can make up for by adding in some heels.

See you tomorrow! x