Uniqlo/Marimekko collaboration

Sometimes theres just a coming together of two favourite brands that you cannot ignore. This happened recently when Uniqlo announced that their next designer collaboration would be with Finnish design house Marimekko.

For those not familiar with Finnish design house Marimekko, their style is bright, fun and vibrant and having started in the 1950’s has a very retro feel.  They create fashion and homewares and their fabrics are often used within interior and retail design projects.

The collaboration itself is a range of 6 different prints repeated into dresses, tops, trousers, bags and shoes with all the price points sitting within Uniqlo’s affordable set pricing structure.

After visiting the store and trying on a few pieces (being a Japanese brand I find Uniqlo clothing can come up a little on the small side) I settled on two t-shirts and a dress. I could of bought lot more but was strict on myself as my wardrobe is already bulging at the seams.

This is what I bought…

Dress – £19.90

Uniqlo Marimekko fashion range via www.AlwaysaBlueSkyGirl.com / Blueskygirlie

The print itself is named Polle (Horse) and is based on an image the Marimekko design team took of what they describe as the “round hoof prints left by a plump small pony.” so I’m already in love this print!  This is a comfortable slightly A-line fit, t-shirt dress and I went for a small which would fit a 10-12 fine. Its sizes run XS – L, is 100% cotton and costs just £19.90. Oh and did I mention it has pockets!!!

T-shirt – £12.90

Uniqlo Marimekko fashion range via www.AlwaysaBlueSkyGirl.com / Blueskygirlie

A boxy shape, I went for a size medium for a slightly roomy fit. It has all its print to the front, is available in sizes XXS – XL, is 100% cotton and costs just £12.90.  The Pompula (pompom) pattern depicts flowerpots. According to Marimekko, its been used as flowers are a warm way to remember friends, family and loved ones on different occasions.

T-shirt – £12.90

Again a boxy shape, I went for a size medium for a slightly roomy fit. It is white with just the print on an oversized chest patch pocket featuring that aforementioned plump pony print! It is available in sizes XXS – XL, is 100% cotton and costs just £12.90. Perfect with jeans and trainers I loved the cute simplicity of this tee.

All the items are all beautifully made and fantastic quality for the price.  Sizing can be a little confusing and I’d recommend a try on session but as ever Uniqlo has come up trumps.  It even comes in its own lovely paper carrier bag…

The range is available now in selected Uniqlo stores now and online here.

COLOUR POP: Red & Pink

When I saw this blouse in Zara the other day, displayed with a whole red and pink theme I just had to have it. Its rare I feel like that while shopping these days so didn’t hesitate in buying it.

Blouse/ £25.99 Zara

From the Zara Basic range it is made from a lovely silky material, with a hidden placket front, shaped shoulder pads and cuff button detail. At £25.99 it is a complete steal and looks so much more expensive than it was. Their VM fuelled my already slightly obsessive love of red and pink together and I also picked up a pair of pink Zara cropped wide leg trousers for £29.99 (although I think a pair of red peg leg trousers may be next on my shopping list – the Zara ones the model is wearing were about 6″ too long, so searching the petite ranges it will have to be!).

So instead heres how I styled it…

Size wise, I went for a small in the blouse and it fits well – fitted on the shoulders but loose enough on the hips to be worn longer with jeans. I was feeling smug about buying the small at Zara but had to size up to a large in the trousers as they are a pull on style so that soon put me in my place! Urgh, Zara sizing…

To complete the look I added some bright red sling-back flats from Primark…

…as well as a bright pink lip colour.

I really loved this outfit and will definitely wear it both for the office and with heels and tassel earring on a night out. I have SO many different red and pink items in my wardrobe this blouse has encouraged me to mix a few of them together. I cant wait to see what looks I can create next – I really think its the perfect bright colour combo for Spring/Summer!

Not quite your style? Heres some more red and pink Zara shopping inspo….theres something for everyone!

Red blazer /  trouser  Sleeve detail top  Ribbed t-shirt

Two tone bodysuit  Flower earrings    Floral wedges

Blouse / Zara (in store now)
Cropped trousers / Zara (in store now)
Shoes / Primark (old season but similar available in store now)

Hankies at the Ready…

I do like to find a piece of clothing that has something about it thats a bit different – a detail, a print or a cut. Style is about finding your voice and the clothes you pick are a great way to do that.

I found this dress by chance when popping into the George clothing section in Asda a few weeks ago. It was crammed on the sale area, all on its own between jumpers and jeans just asking to be looked at. It didn’t look that much in the hanger but I loved its hemline – it was so unusual with it handkerchief hem I just had to try it on. It was a size bigger than I usually buy but I often size up with George and wanted a kind of boho looser fit which when I tried it on it was. And the price? Just £10!

George at Asda snakeprint handkerchief hem dress via Always a Blue Sky Girl aka blueskygirlie fashion style blog

George at Asda snakeprint handkerchief hem dress via Always a Blue Sky Girl aka blueskygirlie fashion style blog

George at Asda snakeprint handkerchief hem dress via Always a Blue Sky Girl aka blueskygirlie fashion style blog

It had a matching tie belt but to make it look more premium I replaced that with a dark silver belt and matching ankle boots. And due to always feeling cold I added a roll neck bodysuit (great if you want to layer without lumps and bumps under your clothes)

George at Asda snakeprint handkerchief hem dress via Always a Blue Sky Girl aka blueskygirlie fashion style blog

Its the hem that makes this dress though. Unusual without being too quirky its one of those items you can dress up or down, layer up in cold weather. Plus for women over 40 like me – it has long sleeves – always a winner.

I absolutely love this item and am so glad I found it…isn’t it funny that sometimes the random things you chance upon become favourites? I probably wouldn’t of looked twice at this if I’d of seen it in a magazine. Its sold out online but have a look in your nearest store – I’ve seen them in a few stores since and it been reduced to £7 – thats practically a steal!

George at Asda snakeprint handkerchief hem dress via Always a Blue Sky Girl aka blueskygirlie fashion style blog

Dress / George at Asda
Roll neck bodysuit / New Look
Belt / Dorothy Perkins
Boots / Primark

Prince of Wales check – vintage style

Sometimes a fashion item is just EVERYWHERE. Now, I love to update my wardrobe but I also love a bargain. When everyone started wearing Prince of Wales check blazers I wanted one too. I tried on the £17 one in Primark but it looked terrible on me, I tried on the £65 Topshop one but couldn’t justify the money. So what is a girl to do?

Well in the case of an item which is a re-do of a style from the past you choose vintage!

This whole trend is a re-hash of an 1980’s look so I set my sights on sourcing a vintage 80’s ladies suit jacket and after about a month of searching I found one! Often true vintage will need a little updating and in this case it was a case of removing a set of shoulder pads but then it was ready to go.

This is the result – for a £3 spend I think it works pretty well. £3 – can you believe it? Another reason I love to look for vintage items…

Vintage prince of wales check jacket blazer via Always a Blue Sky Girl blueskygirlie fashion style 40plus blog

Vintage prince of wales check jacket blazer via Always a Blue Sky Girl blueskygirlie fashion style 40plus blog

Styling-wise I went for a smart casual look, wearing a slim fitting roll neck underneath then rolling up the sleeves. Jeans made the whole look more modern, as did a pair of silver boots.

Vintage prince of wales check jacket blazer via Always a Blue Sky Girl blueskygirlie fashion style 40plus blog


I love the more relaxed look of boyfriend jeans and western boots. These silver boots are currently in the Primark sale at just £3 too! They are really comfortable too so definitely worth grabbing if you see them.

Vintage prince of wales check jacket blazer via Always a Blue Sky Girl blueskygirlie fashion style 40plus blog

Jacket / Cancer Research UK
Roll neck / M&Co.
Jeans / TU at Sainsburys
Boots / Primark

So would you rummage through a charity shop or two to save yourself some money? Eco friendly, charitable and gives you more money to spend on other things…I think its always worth a look!

#AD Getting back into watch wearing

I used to wear a watch.  In fact I wore a few.  I had Swatch watches in the 80’s and 90’s, a G-Shock in the 00’s and by my thirties I had worked up to designer brands.

And then I got a smart phone. 

Technology is great, and yep, your phone tells the time but its usually in your bag, or the batteries dead or (worst thing ever) you’ve left it at home. I am forever asking my boyfriend (who sensibly wears a watch) what the time is and I realised that smart or not, my iphone was really not doing it for me anymore.

Step in Plus Watches.  After a quick look round their website I fell in love with a gorgeous, classic watch which I thought had a timeless style and would go with anything. It was from the Marc Jacobs section, a brand I have always loved and thought suited my style (which has evolved slightly since wearing a Casio G-Shock back in the day, thankfully).

It was gold with a off-white dial, a real leather strap and said ‘designer’ without screaming it. Understated style with a luxury feel – thats what I wanted in a watch so I picked this Marc by Marc Jacobs beauty…

Find it here

It was a bargain too – reduced to £112.99 from £199.00 which I thought was a really good price for a watch of this quality.



Delivered really quickly and securely (and for free – I do love free delivery!) it arrived in a lovely gift box which would make it perfect as a gift too. It has a Quartz movement and is water resistant to 5ATM (50m), but the thing I liked the most about it is its tan pigskin leather strap.  I have really small wrists and most watches swamp them or if they have link straps have to have links taken out. With this being a traditional style strap, it fitted my wrist perfectly…and didnt look out of proportion either.  Its perfect.


With it being quite neutral in its colour mix, it goes with so many of my other accessories particularly things I like wearing in the Autumn. I will layer gold coloured jewellery with it to create a strong Autumn/Winter look.  By Christmas I will add brooches too all with the same golden theme.


I have hardly took this watch off since I received it.  I have worn it most days and it really has gone with everything I’ve worn. 

I guess I’m back in love with wearing watches!

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Marc by Marc Jacobs watch / via Plus Watches.

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

10 days, 10 outfits: what I wore on my summer holiday

For me a summer holiday is an excuse to dress up. As a working mum I dont get a lot of nights out and my summer holiday gives me 10 in a row! Fashion is ‘my thing’ so a trip away is perfect to have some fun, style wise.

I thought I’d round up some of the looks I wore with some details of where the items came from. Want to take a look…?

Look 1: Baby steps with swimwear – I wasnt hugely body confident on this trip. I’m a bit heavier than I was last year and was a little self conscious of my figure. I took lots of cover-ups and soon all that fear slipped away….I found George at Asda great for swimwear with secret support and stuck mainly to one pieces apart from a few days where I braved wearing a bikini!


Bikini top / George at Asda, cover up / ASOS 

Look 2: the off the shoulder maxi dress – I found this dress in Primark for £5 in the sale and then paid to have it altered. Getting a dress that fits you perfectly is worth every penny and I found this was an easy dress to wear both daytime & evening.


Dress / Primark, sandals / Peacocks

Look 3: a slogan sun hat – if you didnt do a photo like this only holiday can you even call yourself a fashion blogger?!? Joking aside, hats saved my life on holiday and this £8 TU one actually fits my enormous head/thick hair!


Sun hat / TU at Sainsburys, Swimsuit / George at Asda

Look 4: the bargain daytime outfit – This dress was £12, the bag £9, sunglasses £3 and sandals £4. I just wore my swimsuit underneath.  Primark, you are a fashion loving holiday makers dream…


Sunglasses/dress/sandals/beach bag – all Primark

Look 5: Saturday Night – I didnt bring a lot of really dressy clothes and I’m glad as it was far too hot to get really dressed up, but this embroidered dress is one of my favourites and worn over a slip was perfect for a night when I wanted a bit of extra glamour.


Dress / Zara, Slip / M&S, sandals / Very.co.uk

Look 6: covering up as I mentioned before, in the day I wanted a stay a bit covered up when moving around and I found a playsuit was perfect for that. This £7 Primark bargain had the cutest tie front and frilled shorts and made me feel very feminine.


Playsuit / Primark, Sunglasses / Esprit, Hat / George at Asda (menswear)

Look 7: Retro vibes – when I saw these retro telephone booths in our hotel I knew I had to pose in them wearing this dress! Its not my normal style but holidays give you the chance to be someone else for a while and I decided to channel my inner Mad Men character. This dress was a ‘new to me’ charity shop buy so a real bargain too.


Dress / Oxfam, sandals / Primark, Bag / Next 

Look 8: Palm print lover – I wore this culotte jumpsuit ALOT while away as it was so comfortable and light. Apart from one night when someone else was wearing the exact same thing (the horror!) it was the perfect evening holiday piece…and I picked it up in the sale!


Jumpsuit / New Look, bag / Next, sandals / Primark

Look 9: boat trip chic – I bought quite a few pieces from Primark for this trip and this dress was one of them. I had been a bit afraid to wearing off the shoulder items as I do like to keep my ample bosum tightly contained (!) but a strapless bodysuit worked really well…I just couldnt do any trampolining!!!

Dress / Primark, bag / Bohema Design, sunglasses / New Look, Sandals / Peacocks

Look 10: Feeling tropical – I do love wearing print and leopard print seemed apt in the hot weather. All over print is too much for curvy, petite me, so a cute black one shouldered top from New Look toned it down.

Top / New Look, skirt / Primark, bag / Next

So what do you think? If you like my style make sure you follow my Instagram here for daily inspiration.

Palm Power

As it is now summer (hoorah!) its time to embrace all those colours and prints you wouldn’t normally wear any other time of the year.  There’s something about a tropical print that always feels really summery and I am quite the slave to the palm print in both fashion and home.  

So when this little gem caught my eye in the TU clothing department in Sainburys for just £20 I thought it was a really wearable summer staple and snapped one up.  

It is described as a jumpsuit but I would describe it more as a culotte dress. I’m 5’2″ and its length sits like a midi dress on me. It is a fitted shape with square neckline and short sleeves and zips up the back and for those who hate summer and the nightmare that is thigh rub this is the perfect solution!  Overall the shape is very retro and flattering and the wide cullottes balance out the fitted top perfectly.

Sainsburys TU palm tropical print jumpsuit culotte dress via Always a Blue Sky Girl Sarah Gorlov
I co-ordinated my new buy with some amazing OTT palm leaf acrylic earrings I got from New Look many years ago because, well, I love a Palm! I always wear these earrings in the summer and they have been a great buy.Sainsburys TU palm tropical print jumpsuit culotte dress via Always a Blue Sky Girl Sarah GorlovThe tie waist adds an extra flattering element meaning you can pull the waist in if you wanted a looser fit (I chose to wear mine quite fitted) and the fabric has some stretch to it as well as being a vibrant mix of greens, black and beige highlights.  I feel really great wearing this, have so far worn it to the office and can’t wait to wear it on holiday too.

Sainsburys TU palm tropical print jumpsuit culotte dress via Always a Blue Sky Girl Sarah Gorlov
Its available in store now but will sell out fast so grab one while you can!

Culotte Jumpsuit / TU at Sainsburys
Sandals / Primark (past season)
Earrings / New Look (past season)

The thing I fell in love with this week

H&M ❤ Coachella star earrings / £6.99

I love stars. Simple as. Oh and I love H&M. So when I saw these earring I just had to have them!  Statement earrings are back in fashion and these chandelier style earring definitely do that. They are lightweight and have a mix of black, glittery midnight blue and lilac in them which pretty much works with most outfits.

H&m coachella star earring Always a Blue Sky Girl fashion blog BlueSkyGirl Sarah Gorlov
And finally the price – at only £6.99 they are an absolutely bargain. I have worn mine with my simplest outfits and they really take the outfit to another level. Grab a pair now before they sell out! 

Available in store now – £6.99
 

THAT Next Peasant Top…

You might remember me saying I had treated myself to the Instafamous red Next peasant top as part of my birthday spending last month. I had seen this top on A LOT of bloggers and had fallen in love with it knowing it would be a great summer staple but also something that was a bit different from my other summer tops.

Now we all know seeing something on Instagram and wearing it in real life are two very different things. For a start I do not have the body of a typical Instafamous blogger type – I am over 40,  5’2″ and curvy so not all ‘it’ items work for me…in fact many dont 🙈.

So what did I think? Well I really like this top.  It is priced at £40 and well worth it in my opinion – it’s great quality (a thick, quite boxy, cotton) with lots of embroidery and a tassel tie collar.  The red is REALLY red and it looks great with denim (and hopefully a tan when I finally get one!).

Next red peasant blouse top Sarah Gorlov blueskygirlie Always a Blue Sky Girl fashion blog blogger
A word of warning though – it is quite short in the body. I think it was designed to skim over the waistline, or be tucked in and for someone my height it hangs longer to my hips which works for me. But if you are taller you might want to size up.  The sleeves are also designed to be slightly shorter – a bracelet length but with them being bell shaped I think that looks ok.

This top comes in sizes S – XL and I went for a medium. It’s loose but not too baggy on me and has that bit of extra length to it.

Next red peasant top blouse Sarah Gorlov blueskygirlie Always a Blue Sky Girl fashion blog blogger

Ultimately though, this top is all about the sleeves…the embroidery is really nicely done and you feel like this could be a designer top.  Its material has weight to it and the tassels are heavy making it feel very authentic.


For todays post I co-ordinated it with this bargain Primark sandals and bag combo  – the sandals are just £4 and I recently grabbed this red pair and a denim version in store. They are really comfortable with an elasticated back and wrap over fabric front. The cross body bag is just £7 and looks much more expensive – I love the navy and red strapping. Its a good size too if youre like me and carry far too much stuff with you!

Primark red £4 sandals Sarah Gorlov blueskygirlie Always a Blue Sky Girl fashion blog blogger

Primark saddle bag and red sandals Sarah Gorlov blueskygirlie Always a Blue Sky Girl fashion blog bloggerTop –  Next – available here.
Jeans – Very.co.uk
Sunglasses/Sandals/Bag – Primark

Oh and if you REALLY love this blouse but red is not your thing – it comes in blue too!


Youre welcome 😉