Still sweet on Suede…

I do like wearing real suede and leather. Wearing them always creates a luxe look that you just cant get any other way – however this makes the items expensive.

I wasn’t  planning on buying a suede skirt but it just happened…it was a bargain in the Debenhams sale for 70% off and I couldnt say no!

The skirt is from the Red Herring range and I’m wearing a UK12. To be honest it was the only one left so I didnt get a choice. Size wise its a little loose around the waist but pretty fitted on the hips so I’d say its true to size.


With a skirt like this I find it best to make it the focus of the outfit. I’ve done this by co-ordinating it with just black…this also makes it a more flattering look as the bulky suede plus the buttons is not the most disguising for my rounded tum! An M&Co fitted roll neck jumper, plus black tights and boots create a slightly retro, 1960’s look I think looks pretty stylish.



As I was at work that day, my hair and make up was a messy (ish) bun and relatively neutral make-up with just a splash of bright colour on my lips.I like a bun for days when I haven’t washed my hair or can’t be bothered to straighten it (hey, I am a working mum with a business on the side!) and use a bun donut underneath to create a more striking look. These can be picked up really cheaply in Wilkinsons or Boots and make a real difference. Just pull your hair into a ponytail, add the donut and then use hair-pins to fix your hair around it.

This classic suede skirt is going to become a wardrobe staple I can tell…

Jumper – M&Co.

Earings – New Look

Skirt – Red Herring @ Debenhams

Boots – Store TwentyOne

The Vogue 100 Exhibition – National Portrait Gallery, London

As part of my birthday celebrations myself and my boyfriend had a great day out in London recently and I got to do one of the things I love doing – visiting art galleries.  The Vogue 100 exhibition had been on my ‘to do’ list since it opened in February and I was thrilled to be able to go and see it.  But the question is, is it worth seeing?

Once you enter the exhibition through pillars of different Vogue covers you are faced with this huge image of the late great Lee McQueen and a stark room with a  small selection of the past 100 years most iconic images from which you can then access the different areas grouped by decade.

The layout is quite a strange one as it doesnt run in chronological order so I made my way to the ‘century of magazines’ area first and then worked forward from the 1920’s finally ending in the film area.

I went into to one of the end rooms first  – The ‘Century of Magazines’ room

This room showed a copy of Vogue from every year of the 100 years it has been in publication…including the very first copy (pictured). It is breathtaking to see how a publication can represent its era, carry on through two world wars, touch politics, feminism and the changes to the world that happened during that time but still be a great fashion magazine.

 Another great room was ‘The Planning Room’ 

In this room you entered a darkened space with negatives from all eras presented on top of light boxes and series’ of shoot images being projected on the wall showing how many shots the Vogue team would see before they picked ‘the one’.

  

And then there were the rooms of the different decades…

My highlights

The 1920s/30s –

Aristocracy mixed with silent film stars and glamour girls. Many of the images looked as modern now as they did 100 years ago…


The 1940s – against all the glamour the starkness of these reportage shots from the WW2 really made you realise Vogue was never just a frivolous fashion magazine…

And seeing key fashion illustrations in real life, remembering they had been done at the time and were of the most contemporary fashions.

The 1950’s – this room held some of the most glamorous photos including original by Cecil Beaton and Norman Parkinson…

The 1960s – Probably my favourite era, style wise, I loved the tone of this room with its retro textured wallpaper and full wall shot of David Hockney, his assistant and glamorous model Maudie James in his studio by Cecil Beaton…

 

The 1970’s – a strange mix of glamour, sexist sterotyping and the grungy beginnings of punk rock. Probably my least favourite of all the rooms although this Helmut Newton pic taken the year I was born stood out…

The 1980s – Big, brash and bold was the order of the day in this room…

The 1990’s- a key time in British fashion with film stars and artists suddenly taking up as many shots as the models and the grungy ‘Heroin Chic’ style starting to appear…

The 2000s and onwards – it is quite breathtaking to see so many iconic images in one place – the curation was perfect and you really ‘felt’ each decade and its subtle changes…

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And finally (of course!) the shop

Look at these amazing Biscuiteers biscuits!  The Vogue 100 book was great too but I’ve got to be honest I’m not going to buy it for a ‘special price’ of £35 in the gallery when Amazon have it for £26. The vintage copies of Vogue on sale (from £35) were tempting though… 

I just adored this exhibition and would definitely recommend a trip. It runs until 22nd May 2016 and adult tickets are £17.00 each.  If youve been I’d love to know your thoughts…

National Portrait Gallery

St Martin’s Place
London
WC2H 0HE
020 7306 0055

Opening hours

Daily 10.00 – 18.00
Thursdays and Fridays until 21.00.
Last admission to the exhibition is one hour before the Gallery closes.
Exiting commences ten minutes before the closing time.

ASOS Bridal

Regular readers to this blog may know I got engaged last year and am currently saving up to get married. As this is my second time around I am definitely not planning to spend as much money on a dress as I did in my early 30’s (over £1500 not including accessories and definitely not including underwear) so when I heard ASOS were introducing a Bridal section I was interested to say the least…

Then I saw this Instagram post and I was REALLY interested! Lots of embellishment, with a boho vibe, yet still fashionable and stylish – the first collection is looking perfect for brides like me who want to look fashionable on their wedding day too.

In todays blog I show you my top 10 picks from the range – ASOS has grown up and is ready to commit and and its looking fantastic!

Lace Panelled Maxi Dress – £120.00  Kimono Deep V Fishtail Maxi Dress – £120.00

   Chi Chi London Bridal Tulle Maxi Dress – £65 

To liven things up how about wearing a jacket over your wedding dress?  I love this look particularly for a bohemian style outdoor wedding.

A Star Is Born Bridal Embellished Trophy Jacket – £160.00


And then there’s the shoes…

ASOS PASSIONATE Heeled Sandals – £45.00   

ASOS PRICELESS Embellished Pointed High Heels – £50.00   

And you can’t forget to buy some special underwear…yes this set is expensive but its just beautiful and you have to bring out the big guns for your wedding night!

Skivvies For Love & Lemons Ophelia Bra – £100.00
Skivvies For Love & Lemons Ophelia High Waist Brief – £130


And maybe add some cute (but sexy) nightwear too…

Bluebella Julianna Pyjama Set – £44.00

And finally a bag is handy to keep a lipstick, mirror and probably these days a phone…

ASOS Flower and Pearl Box Clutch Bag – £40 ASOS Flap Over Embellished Clutch Bag – £32.00

So what do you think? Prices range from £8 to £350 and is sized from UK4-18 plus theres some Petite and Curve options too.

Look out for more gorgeous styles to come too.  These are the images Hello Fashion Monthly shared… 

I wont be choosing my dress for a while yet but ASOS will definitely now be somewhere I will look when I’m ready.

All photos via ASOS – find the full range here.

Birthday Buys: BooHoo jersey draped dress

March is my birthday month and I usually spend it shopping!

Ah, if only! However I do get to choose a few bits as presents plus spend any birthday money on some treats for myself and over the next few weeks I will share some my the choices I’ve made this year…dont tell anyone but I turned 43 🙈.

I picked this dress (the Carolina) as a dress I could wear to the office and also dress up for an evening look. The chesnut colour is really nice – a burnt orange/reddish brown and it is made from a mid weight jersey. For sizing I went for a UK12 so it wasnt too tight as the jersey is quite unforgiving to lumps and bumps. 

The main design feature that made me choose it is the unusual handkerchief design skirt. The tight, high-necked top half is perfectly balanced by the flowing skirt and the tie belt cinches your waist in nicely – perfect for a curvy petite girl like me!    I wore it here with knee length boots and statement earrings both from Primark and pulled my hair back,finishing it with a plait.       

It does have a couple of downsides – as I mentioned the jersey is quite unforgiving so lacy underwear is out – a t-shirt bra worked fine though. I love the high neck but being jersey once you’ve pulled it over your head (the dress has no zips or fastenings) it stretches a little and isn’t as snug around my neck as I’d like. This is easily fixed though with a tiny safety pin in the back of the collar pulling it taught.

I’ve already worn this dress both to work and for a night out and it’s got lots of compliments.  For just £10 (its been reduced from £15) its an absolute bargain!  Find it on the BooHoo website here and its also available in black or khaki.

Look out for my next ‘Birthday Buys’ blog coming soon!

Dress – BooHoo.com
Earrings – Primark
Boots – Primark

The thing I have fallen in love with this week: Hello Spring!

Over the last few days it feels like we’ve finally left winter and slowly moved into Spring. Ok, its not totally here, but the suns been shining, there’s flowers blooming everywhere and Easter and all its sweet treats is on the way.  

I need some inspiration – I need bright. I need cheerful. I need cute!!!

In todays ‘The thing I’ve fallen in love with this week’ blog I share the things that are making me smile so far this March. I couldn’t pick one thing so I’ve gone for a few (I do love doing a flat lay!). Bright, fun and sweet is the name of the game…

 

Clouds zipped purse – Cath Kidston
Vintage coral necklace – Etsy
Purse and brooch – New Look
Nail polish – Superdrug
Hello Fashion Monthly – subscribe here
Pineapple dish – Debenhams
Vintage Mother of Pearl necklace – Etsy
Pineapple vase – Store TwentyOne
Scarf – Echo
Love Sick book by Jessie Cave – Amazon
Vintage glass dish – Etsy
Mike and Ike American candy – B&M stores
Mason Jar cup – Poundworld
Face pot stand and beaker – Tiger Stores
Twizzlers American candy – B&M stores
Clouds Gola trainers – Cath Kidston
Hand Food hand cream & Butter Me Up body butter – Soap & Glory 

 

Bright colours and cute designs lift my spirits. I love the Cath Kidston cloud design (well I am the blue sky girl!) and my new Echo scarf is perfect for Spring styling. The yellow Pineapple vase from Store TwentyOne was a bargain must have and ‘Love Sick’ by Jessie Cave is a book of her doodles on love and relationships and it is very funny and VERY relatable…

 

Regular followers of my blog know I love Hello Fashion Monthly (a bargain at £1.50 each month) and I couldn’t live without Soap & Glory products – I can’t shower, scrub or cleanse with anything else! If you like a jelly bean (as I do), it doesn’t get better than American brand Mike and Ike and when I saw that Pineapple dish in Debenhams I just had to have it…

I feel more cheerful already! So, what are you loving for Spring?  

For more flat lay product inspiration follow me on Instagram – here.

My Limited Edition SS16 picks

I was in M&S the other day having a browse and as ever made my way to my favourite section, Limited Edition.

A fact about me – in my career as a stylist and visual merchandising manager I was part of the team at M&S who came up with the original brand concept (then Limited Collection) so it will always have a fond place in my heart.

The great thing about M&S and its ‘shop in shops’ is you can always find a sub-brand that you like and shop that area. For me Limited Edition is definitely ‘my brand’ – its trend led, stylish, aimed at a younger customer and always has an element of quirky styling that isn’t seen within the other M&S sub-brands.

In todays blog find my 5 favourite pieces all currently on sale in stores. Happy shopping!

Tie neck blouse – £29.50

This blouse is super pretty and perfect for dressing up or down. You’d need a camisole on underneath but I’d team it with skinny jeans or slim leg trousers and heels. 

Shoulder bag – £38.00

I’m a sucker for a cartoon or fun reference and I love the mix of classic design and quirky detailing. Its a size that will hold everything and the nude and black colourway will never clash with what youre wearing.

Dungaree style jumpsuit – £49.50

Pinstripes – check, Navy fabric – check, Tie waist – check, Utility details – check. This jumpsuit has all the style points and will look so stylish through the Spring and beyond. 

Flower necklace – £25

You can go wrong with a statement necklace and this oversized resin one would look perfect with a white skirt or t-shirt, white on white or to create a pop of colour over a bright top or dress. 

Bomber jacket – £55.00

Bomber jackets are EVERYWHERE for SS16 and this is a more premium, feminine slant on the ones I’ve seen. The oriental style quilting definitely makes this look unique and its flattering and easy to wear – perfect!

What do you think? What are your picks for the new season? All products (plus lots more loveliness) available at M&S now – for the online range click here.

The future is now

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.   white primark dress styled for winter via Always a Blue Sky girl fashion blogAlthough 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.  white primark dress styled for winter via Always a Blue Sky girl fashion blog   white primark dress styled for winter via Always a Blue Sky girl fashion blog

white primark dress styled for winter via Always a Blue Sky girl fashion blogUnderneath 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?

Dress – Primark

Necklace – Primark

Tights – M&S

Boots – Store TwentyOne

Denim for the office

Being extremely fussy about fashion probably like many of you, I choose the gifts I want and put them on a wishlist for people to buy from if they want to.

I was lucky enough of receive quite a few of these this Christmas and todays outfit features two New Look items I received as gifts.

Denim dress – £24.99, ankle boots – £24.99, both New Look.

New Look denim dress via Always a Blue Sky girl fashion blog

Denim is everywhere at the moment. I was reading the Metro on Friday and it had this spread…so at least I know I’m on trend!

The New Look dress is a really versatile piece – it has a button through front and D ring matching belt. The 100% cotton denim material is soft to the touch and has a slight stretch to it. It costs £24.99 and is available in store and online here. It is described as ‘slim fit’ and due to this I’d say the sizing comes up average/ slightly small – for comparison I am wearing the UK size 12 here.

New Look denim dress via Always a Blue Sky girl fashion blog  New Look denim dress via Always a Blue Sky girl fashion blog New Look denim dress via Always a Blue Sky girl fashion blogTo add some interest, instead of a necklace (which would of looked too fussy with its shirt style collar) I added a simple black neck tie tied in to a bow.

On my feet were my the ankle boots which are comfortable (they are from the wide fit range) but have a medium height heel and a soft pointed toe for a more formal look.  They are now sold out but find similar here.
As this was a ‘in the office’ day my hair was blow dried wavy and my make-up was a simple base with a dark blue eye palette and neutral lipstick.

This dress is the perfect day dress to dress up for the office or down for the weekend…especially if you love denim but can’t wear jeans for work! 

Dress – New Look
Necktie – Homemade
Tights – Primark
Boots – New Look

Dressing for the office

Business Dress.

Do those words fill you with dread or excite you into thinking up new smart outfit combinations?

I have just returned to an office environment after working freelance for the last few years and I have to say, I’m thoroughly enjoying dressing smartly each day. Here is five of my looks I’ve been wearing as featured via my Instagram…

Dress – BHS, Necklace – Primark. Jacket – Dorothy Perkins, Blouse H&M, Bow – home made, Trousers – Wallis, Boots – Next.

Pearl & sequin front jumper – George at Asda, Shirt – Matalan, Faux Leather skirt (just seen) – Dorothy Perkins.

Jumper – H&M, tassel necklace – New Look, Trousers – Monsoon.

Roll neck – M&Co., necklace – Topshop, Skirt – Monsoon.

Hey, lets make the office our fashion show!!!
Style tip: formal clothes can be expensive – look out for new or nearly new items in charity shops. The two Monsoon items seen in this blog were new samples bought in Cancer Research UK for less than £5 each. They still had the labels on!

To follow my Instagram for these sort of photos every day (plus a whole lot more) click here. Like these looks? Look out for more business dress inspiration blogs coming soon…