COLOUR POP: Red & Pink

April 26, 2018April 26, 2018 | blueskygirlie

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)

Prince of Wales check – vintage style

November 20, 2017November 22, 2017 | blueskygirlie

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…

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.

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.

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!

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

September 16, 2017September 16, 2017 | blueskygirlie

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.

Getting Ready for Holiday

July 12, 2017September 16, 2017 | blueskygirlie

I have less than a month before I go on holiday and I think its fair to say I’m starting to get excited. This is our first family holiday abroad as a blended family, and my first resort holiday in quite a few years – we are staying in an all inclusive family friendly resort in Majorca.

Holidays are great but you know what I like as well? Holiday shopping!!! Have a look at what I’ve been buying for the beach/by the pool…and you know me, they are all bargains!!!

Bikini top – £10/George at Asda
Bikini bottoms – £6/George at Asda

Swimsuit – £12/George at Asda

Sunglasses – £3/Primark
Sunglasses case – £2/Primark
Hard Sunglasses case – £3/Primark
Earrings – £8.99/H&M

Sun hat – £8/TU at Sainsburys

Earrings – £3, Necklace – £4/Peacocks

Playsuit – £7/Primark

Leather sandals – £20/Peacocks
Straw bag – £32/Bohemia Design
Sunglasses – £9.99/New Look
Hard Sunglasses case – £3/Primark
Beads – £1 (vintage)/Cancer Research UK
Lipstick/lip pencil – from £1.50/Hema
Hair products – from £1/Tresemme

Sandals – £4 a pair/Primark

Bikini bag – £1.50 / Primark

Straw bag – £9 / Primark

Bodysculpt control swimsuit – £12 / George at Asda

And of course a load of dresses etc for the evening but we’ll leave that for a different post!

Are you going on holiday this year? Have you bought some perfect pieces that you cant wait to wear in the sun? I’d love to know…

THAT Next Peasant Top…

May 4, 2017May 10, 2017 | blueskygirlie

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!).

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.

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!

Top – 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 😉

£20 Primark shop

October 21, 2016October 21, 2016 | blueskygirlie

So, I’ve been trying to ‘buy less and buy better’ as my wardrobe was bulging at the seams with lots of ‘bargains’ that really weren’t that great. This has meant an end to big Primark hauls and the beginning of more careful shopping…

…well kind of! The other day I allowed myself a visit with the rule I could spend just £20 and anything I bought needed to fit into my AW16 wardrobe.

So what did I get with my £20? Well a pretty wonderful mix of things if I do say so myself! Take a look…

Pattern shirt – £7.00

A shirt covered in pineapples, ladybirds, stars, butterlies, hearts, cacti, eyes and much more you say? How could I say no! This is an amazing price and they also do a cute dark blue stars version. I sized up for a looser fit and it looks great with a pair of skinnies.

Brogues – £5 (was £12)

A classic brogue will never go out of style and this shoe is perfect for Autumn. I loved the no laces (I hate messy styling) and the studs add a cool edge. Plus they are super comfortable.

Leopard print blouse – £3 (was £8)

I love a bit of leopard print and this top is effortlessly stylish. Easy to throw on, with a slightly dipped hem back and the exposed zip at the back adds that bit of luxe detailing.

Gold flats – £3 (were £8)

Party season is nearly upon us and I am not a heels lover. I looked at these when they were full price and passed but for the price of a glossy magazine? I just had to!

Sunglasses – £1/pair (were £3/pair)

Ok I know summer is over but you can never have too many sunglasses. As well as a couple of designer pairs (which I keep for years) I like to have a few cheap and cheerful pairs that I can leave in the car or my handbag and dont have to worry if they get broken/lost.

So thats my mini haul! I think I stayed within my rules and have already worn the shirt and brogues loads, so for me its £20 well spent.

All available now in store at Primark

Primark mini haul

June 23, 2016 | blueskygirlie

Whenever I’m in central London I always try and pop into one of the flagship Primark stores. They hold the most stock and give you the best chance of finding that item you saw on Instagram (but probably not).

My store of choice is the Tottenham Court Road branch – its less busy than Marble Arch with all those tourists trying to claim their VAT back and although smaller I think holds a better range (or maybe just the VM is better!). I didnt buy a lot this time as I’m trying to edit my overflowing wardrobe but the 3 things I’ve got to show you I think are Summer must haves!

Cotton embroidered Kaftan jacket – £16.00

I saw this in the window and my eyes popped out on stalks like a cartoon character! I’d been trying to justify the £50 Zara version (and couldnt) and this is so similar. I went for a size small as its open fronted with loose sleeves and its is perfect as a summer cover up either over swimwear on the beach or with a white vest, skinny jeans and sandals for a cute daytime look.

Khaki slim leg joggers – £8.00

All the bloggers keep telling me khaki is the new denim and I didnt have anything khaki! These trousers are flattering with an elasticated tie detail waist and slim leg although I found the calf area a little tight so went for a size 12.

Two tone esperadrille pumps – £8.00

When you want Chanel but can only afford Primark… Seriously though, these are a great summer shoe when you dont want to wear sandals and are a casual shoe that still looks stylish.

I also bought black leggings, white t-shirts and some sunglasses cases – you gotta have fresh wardrobe staples each year! But my favourite of the three has to be the shoes…when Primark gets it right, it gets it right! Yes the stores are busy, yes the queues are long but a flagship store is an Aladdins Cave of bargain fashion delights!

All available in store now.

Sightseeing in Budapest

April 19, 2016April 19, 2016 | blueskygirlie

Over the Easter break I took a wonderful 4 day trip to Budapest in Hungary.

It is an absolutely beautiful city and I couldn’t resist doing an ‘outfit of the day’ in such a stunning location – it certainly beats my kitchen/diner where I usually shoot my outfit posts!

The look…

I saw this cream tasseled jacket in the Primark Tottenham Court Road store and instantly fell in love with it. Priced at £20 it looks much more expensive than that. Size-wise I went for the UK12 as the 10 was a little tight across the shoulders on me. I love the tasseled 3/4 length sleeves and bib detail front and its a lightweight cotton thats perfect for hotter days.

I added a pair of trusty New Look ‘super skinny’ jeans and my look was complete. I love NL denim and these jeans are tight all over (hence the super skinny fit name because I’m definitely not!) yet highwaisted and very stretchy so quite flattering.

The details…

I added a pair of Primark tortoiseshell effect sunglasses (£3) and denim pumps (£4), along with a trusty GAP white tee underneath. The denim pumps elongate the look, meaning your eye is drawn just to the hero piece – that fabulous Primark jacket.

The jacket and pumps are both in store now – be quick though as Primark stock moves very quickly. I just love this look and know I will wear it quite a bit this Summer.

Now I just need to get back on holiday…

Credits
Jacket – Primark
T-shirt – GAP
Jeans – New Look
Sunglasses – Primark
Denim pumps – Primark

The future is now

February 23, 2016February 28, 2016 | blueskygirlie

Wearing white. Unless it is your wedding day it can have a lot of issues…Its typically a summer colour, it is one of the less flattering colours to wear (well it is the opposite of black!) and it marks easily. But…

…a white dress always looks cool and stylish! Dressing one for winter with a roll neck underneath and boots gives it a futuristic vibe which I’ve fully exploited in todays styling post. White is definitely is the colour to stand out in during the winter months and is great for looking a bit different.

The dress I’m wearing today is a Primark dress (last season but theres always tons of Primark on eBay) made from a thick quilted material with a half zip to the front. Although the quilting makes it a little bulky it also makes it very structured so it flares out beauifully at the waist (great if youre little and curvy like me). For size I am wearing the UK10 as it has some stretch to it.

Underneath I added a cotton roll neck, chain effect link necklace plus grey tights and boots. My futuristic look was complete! So do you think you’d give a white dress a go this winter?