Coachella Calling

July 24, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

Do you ever buy something, after you’ve fallen in love with it but not know exactly what how you’ll be wearing it? Well I fell in love with a H&M beach cover-up dress when I was in Copenhagen and just knew I had to have it. It was only £14.99 so not a huge investment and I figured I’d work out how to style it later.

Well, here we are a few months later and I haven’t worn it yet and its breaking my heart! I decided to come up with a plan asap and luckily it coincided with a spell of very warm weather (well for the UK anyway).

The main problem was it was totally see through. While doing my food shopping I noticed George at Asda were selling very basic jersey mini dresses for £3 – basically long vests. I grabbed a black one (in a size 12 so it wasnt skin tight) and made it into an underslip for the dress. Voila, my dress was now wearable away from the beach!

The dress itself is from the ‘H&M loves Coachella’ range. I am wearing a size small which would fit UK 10/12 but it is sized from size XS to XL so UK 6/8 – UK 16/18. It is absolutely lovely and the crochet is beautifully done. This is from a new capsule range bought out to coincide with the Coachella festival in California which H&M has sponsored for the last 6 years. It has a bohemian, laid back, festival vibe to it, perfect for summer.

Make-up was all about a bright coral red lip colour with low key eyes and my hair was just its natural wavy self – I’ve been a bit lazy with the straighteners lately as my hair has been so dry in the sunny weather.

On my feet, gladiator style sandals in the same bright colour plus red painted toenails.

And if bare legs are a bit too much (and lets be honest bare legs and mini dresses are only going to work on a very hot UK day) , just throw on a pair of leggings – here I’m wearing my cropped black ones from Matalan. All of a sudden a dress becones a tunic top.

Why save your beachwear for the beach? Mix it with your daywear and enjoy it wherever you are…!

Dress – H&M Loves Coachella @ H&M

Vest dress – George at Asda

Necklace – Forever21

Leggings – Matalan

Sandals – Evans

SkinnyDip London

July 21, 2015July 21, 2015 | blueskygirlie

So, who has seen this bag everywhere from the arms of fashion bloggers to the pages of glossy magazines? Its the fabulously named Unicorn Tears Cross Body Bag and at £28 it wont break the bank either!

Its by Skinnydip London – an accessories brand launched in 2011 which has managed to open more than 100 concessions in over 60 countries in the last few years, whilst getting on every fashionistas wish list.

And now the first Skinnydip flagship store has opened at 10 Foubert’s Place just off of Carnaby Street in London selling exclusive products as well as the regular range.

I had to check it out and it doesnt disappoint! The products are wonderful, well made and lovely quality plus there’s photo booth to jump in and record your visit.

Its range is so fun and innovative too. One of the best selling ranges are the customisable products where you can buy a purse, bag or phone case and then add ‘plushie’ stickers to them to make them look however you want. Stickers start at £4.00 and you can buy everything from letters to spell words to emojis, fruit and retro badges and symbols.As well as the fab new store the range is available as before via Topshop, Debenhams, River Island, Selfridges and ASOS.

What would you buy? And if you’ve already fallen in love with Skinnydip London how have you styled your purchases?

M&Co. multiway maxi dress

July 17, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

A little while ago I entered the M&Co. summer blogging competition on holiday style (read it here) and came runner up. As a prize I was asked to pick one of items I blogged for a gift and I chose the Petite multiway maxi dress.
I thought it was a very wearable dress for summer – today I style it up for wearing on holiday and give my review on it. So the details – this dress is part of the M&Co. Petite range and is currently in the summer sale reduced to £16 from £29. It is available in sizes 8-18. Its made from a lightweight, silky material with smocked elasticated waist and slightly blouson top which has a tightly elasticated top seam.

The dress has multiway straps (a bit like a bra) which means you can wear it with straps, strapless, as a halterneck or crossed over. The straps themselves were a little fiddly at first and hard to get into place but once set worked well (although I found the end hooks came out of the dress a couple of times which was a little annoying). However a bit like a multiway bra, practise made perfect and I soon got them how I wanted them!
I ended up with a size 12 after the 10 was too small across the bust and had to be returned. My advice is to go a size bigger than your normal size in M&Co. (which is usually quite generous) if you’re buying from the Petite range and are quite curvy. At 5’2″, the length was just skimming the floor with flat sandals on, which is how I like a maxi dress – this range is for 5’3″ or below and I’d say just right length wise.

I teamed it with my cropped white denim jacket bought from M&Co. last season and Accessorize camera novelty bag. A perfect look for a bit of holiday sightseeing maybe?
Pinned back wavy hair, red lipstick and my favourite lucky sixpence coin necklace (£1.50 from Primark!) completed the look. All in all, I found this a versatile dress and liked it particularly as the strapless version – after all who wants strap marks as part of your holiday tan!!!

Are you going away soon? Do you plan your outfits beforehand? Let me know what your summer holiday styling looks like.

Maxi dress – M&Co. Petite*
Denim jacket – M&Co.
Necklace – Primark
Bag – Accessorize
Sandals – New Look

Wearing Teen Ranges

July 14, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

If you follow my Instagram you’ll probably of noticed I wear quite a lot of kids clothes. This has started in the last few years or so.

Being 5’2″ in height, teen ranges often fit my height much better than any main range, and petite ranges are not as common as you would think. After losing weight a few years ago I realised that my size 10/12 frame seemed to fit a lot of the older sizes of some kidswear ranges and to be honest I kind of like some of the clothes better!

So can you get away with wearing a kidswear piece of fashion when you are 40 plus?
I think you can! You need to follow a few rules though and here are my 5…

1. Can I pull this off? Just as you’d look at a piece of main range fashion you need to ask yourself if the design is appropriate for you. Sadly for me now in my 40’s, certain super cute prints like Hello Kitty that I wore in my 20’s now look rather out of place, however each to their own and if you love it, then go for it! I’m still rather partial to a fun print t-shirt though and find more ‘classic’ designs like Disney, smiley faces, retro logos etc all work really well – if you feel great in it then do it!

2. Will it be too short? Its great to not have to alter stuff but then again wearing a dress that is super short is probably not the best idea. Consider wearing it as a top or with leggings underneath instead.

3. Will my boobs fit in it? The amount of items I’ve had to pass on because of my D cup bust! If you are busty you may have to look for items that are more stretchy instead.

4. Not all ranges are created equal. Make sure you try everything on. An age 13/14yrs might fit in one store but be tiny in another, the same goes with length. Most teen ranges go up to 15/16yrs so make sure you shop around.

5. Stick to certain types of clothes. Unless you are very petite, skinny jeans and other very fitted items are a no no. Look for items where the design makes them boxy or more voluminous. Also look out for shoes and boots which often go up to a size 5 or even 6.

And as a final plus, in the UK its all 20% cheaper due to being VAT free!

And here are a selection of some of the teen ranges I’ve worn.

Tammy Girl cropped t-shirt – a boxy shape means a easy fit regardless of it being size 152-158 (12/13yrs) and I love that this is actually cropped on me whereas most adult cropped tops sit on my hips in the most totally unflattering way.

Love Australia UGG boots – When I wanted a pair of Kensingtons I realised the kids size 5’s where over £100 less in price! And the only difference? They are a tiny bit shorter (as am I!) and have a zip, which I actually prefer.

Tammy Girl strapless maxi dress – I love maxi dresses but often they don’t love me – to buy a dress and not have to shorten it is a dream! A stretchy strapless dress like this in size 164-170cm (14/15 yrs) fits perfectly.

915 for New Look shoes – as a size 5 most kids ranges have shoes in my size. I hate high heels so its a great way to find dressy low heeled shoes and sandals. I might not like high heels but I do love a party shoe!

M&S indigo jumpsuit – A great length, although it was a little tight on the bust at first. Being cotton it had give in it so after a bit of wear (and slight stretching!) it was perfect. This one is age 13/14 years.

M&Co. Kylie necklace – obviously this is one size but kids jewellery ranges have some nice little pieces and my nickname is Panda!

915 at New Look jumper – age 14/15 years. This was an example of trying items on as some of the range came up very small.

Store Twenty One Christmas tops – Both in age 11-12 fitted me at a size 10-12! The green top is a boys one so dont forget to have a look in the boys ranges too!

So, are you ready to have a browse in the kids section the next time you go shopping?

All these photos are from my Instagram – Follow it here for fashion, style, my life and loves and all the things I find beautiful.

Totally Tropical Taste

July 7, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

I’m partial to a jumpsuit. I blogged about styling a more formal one here recently and have quite a few in my wardrobe.

Today I’m wearing a rather bold one from Primark. This is the kind of piece you can only get away with on a sunny day. But hey, its summer and its fantastic to be able to wear bright colours and bold prints.

For sizing I’m wearing a 10 but like most Primark clothes they are available in size 6-20. The print is strong but the background of navy blue keeps it from looking too bright.

I’ve teamed it with a vintage green leather belt and wedge sandals for a bit of height. I find a jumpsuit or playsuit always looks better when worn with a heel, even a low one. (I hate high heels!)


As ever this jumpsuit was far too long on me so I have shortened it and added another press stud to the cross over front where it gaped on my shorter frame. Ah the joys of being 5’2″!!!

As an extra bit of co-ordination I’ve added these palm leaf earrings from Primark. They are available instore now reduced to just 50p and perfect for hot summer days!

All I need now is a Pina Colada and a hammock and I’ll be sorted! Are you embracing jumpsuits this summer?

Jumpsuit – Primark

Earrings – Primark

Belt – vintage

Sandals – New Look

Walls Ice Cream does fashion…

July 2, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

I love a great collaboration and when I heard ASOS were working with retro favourite Walls Ice Cream I knew whatever they would create was going to be lots of fun.

The result is a 16-piece collection inspired by our favourite retro ice lollies, including Twisters, Rocket lollies, Feasts and Mini Milks.

It launched the first week of June and features crop tops, sequinned mini-dresses, jumpsuits, phone cases, novelty clutch bags, shoes and nail art.

My faves :

Embellished shirt (currently sold out) – £85.00
Crop top – £22.00. Mini skirt – £25.00

Feast clutch bag – £20.00. Beaded rocket lolly bag – £35.00

Phone case – £12.00 Twister socks – £4.00. Shoes – £50.00 (currently sold out)
All photos via ASOS

If these are a bit above your budget how about these other Walls branded beauties?

Primark are selling these Lip Smackers lip balms for just £2.50 each.
source

Tesco Direct have napkin, plates and cups perfect for a summer party or BBQ starting at just £1.52 source

And while I await my fashion treats, I already have some fabulous Walls homeware items myself including fridge magnets and cushions as seen below… This summer is truly the summer of the ice cream! Are you as in love with the Walls Ice Cream ranges as I am?

Suns out…Sunnies on!

June 30, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

I do love a pair of sunglasses. I have quite a lot of them and use them as you would jewellery, changing the style to suit my fashion look. I like to have a some cheap and cheerful pairs which I add to when new trends occur and one or two more premium ones in classic styles that wont date.

When www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk recently asked if I would like to choose a pair from their range I immediately fell in love this this Michael Kors pair. Sporty and cool looking they are very different from the normal cats eyes styles I go for, but at the same time very classic looking. They were also discounted from £84.00 to just £49.99!

There have some lovely little details such as the Michael Kors name in silver simply on the side and an MK logo on the inside base of each arm. The quality shines through and you really notice it when wearing them in bright sunshine – the glare protection is amazing. And best of all I couldn’t believe I could get a pair of Michael Kors sunglasses for under £50!

I styled them with skinny jeans, a bright tee and my favourite Cath Kidston ‘Cloud’ trainers for a laid back casual look. What do you think?

I love this t-shirt. Look at the back detail…
T-shirt – La Redoute
Sunglasses – http://www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk*
Jacket – F&F
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins
Trainers – Gola at Cath Kidston

I’ve been wearing them quite a bit as its been lovely and sunny here in the UK. I think they work just as well with a more formal look too…

Jacket – M&Co.
Skirt – Monsoon
Sunglasses -www.discountedsunglasses.co.uk*
Sandals – Matalan

Do you love them as much I as do? So far I’ve hardly took them off! Check out the rest of the range and grab yourself a designer bargain here.

Saturday Styling

June 25, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

Last Saturday the boyf (now fiancé) and I had a lovely Saturday of us time together. No kids and free time meant we could do what we wanted! After a glorious lie-in, we decided to go to a really lovely local market town to potter round the vintage and farmers markets, admire the ancient architecture and then get a late lunch in a nice bistro. It was just lovely.

So enough with what we did…the big question is what did I wear???

Well I wore this little ensemble! The skirt is a Monsoon beauty which can just as easily be dressed up as it can be dressed down and by wearing it with a simple white tee the whole look is clean and simple and the skirt, with all its embellishment and subtle sparkle gets to shine. So easy to style, yet somehow looks like I tried a lot harder!

Jewellery was a white beaded wrap bracelet and on my feet, a sparkly pair of sandals. As the skirt is grey the metallic elements were all silver based. When we were out I also wore a white denim jacket.



The skirt itself is just a beautiful piece and is heavy with embellishment. The wide waistband and box pleats are flattering and the dove grey colour so elegant. Although its a recent edition to my wardrobe (a Monsoon donated head office sample bought via the Cancer Research charity shop…yay!) its become one of my favourite skirts. And yet again heres a reason to have a good quality white slim fitting t-shirt on your wardrobe as they make any outfit look crisp and clean.

Theres nothing like a great statement piece to make you feel great. I felt fantastic in this outfit – thats thing about fashion, it is so much more than just clothing.
So, have you got plans for the weekend? Is your outfit ready? Whatever youre doing, enjoy…and don’t forget to be stylish!

T-shirt – South at Very.co.uk

Skirt – Monsoon

Bracelet – Matalan

Sandals – Matalan

Lady in Red

June 23, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

Todays outfit is a dressed up look for an evening wedding reception we were invited to recently. I chose to vamp it up and go all lady in red…

I decided to be brave and wear a chiffon bias cut floor length dress with a low front. Bias cut is a hard one to wear and I’ll be honest, I felt quite pear shaped in it. However, I got lots of compliements during the night so I soon felt OK. Thats the thing with losing weight, you still can feel like the old version of yourself. I added black sandals and a large clutch bag and kept it simple with just some statement earrings for jewellery.
Make up was all about the black winged eyeliner and red lips. Accessories were all black apart from diamanté starburst earrings.