Spring/summer capsule wardrobe for boys

Alfie is getting to that age now where he's starting to enjoy picking out his own clothes & when he chooses an outfit, it doesn't look like a complete mish-mash of things anymore!!  There are some great items in the shops right now so I thought I'd do something a little different & do an outfit post for little dudes, with my own special dude modelling!

I made a set on Polyvore of the sort of basic items I keep in his wardrobe & just add new t-shirts or jeans as & when he needs them.  I tend to stick to shopping in Next, H&M, George at Asda & Fat Face (sale!) as I find the clothes reasonable & they wash really well because let's face it, that matters!   I think he's gone past the dungaree wearing stage now though *sob* but trust me, if I could get him to wear them again, I would as I love seeing kids in dungies!!

The shops are filled with fab destination t-shirts at the moment, which we both love & he's very keen on Hawaiian shirts too (he wants to match his dad!!)  The converse-lookalike hi-tops from H&M are fantastic as not only are they a bargainous £6 a pair, the laces are elastic too as he is waaaaay off being able to do his own laces yet.  He's been wearing these for a couple of years now & I've converted quite a few friends into buying these rather than the real thing!  But the fact I've chosen skinny fit trousers for him is not a 'fashion' thing, it's because he's such a skinnymalink that normal trews just drown him, bless him!!

If you click on the Polyvore link above or on the right, you'll get links to all the pieces on the board but I have to say, George at Asda has some particularly great bits in at the moment for boys, absolutely tons of choice, as does Next.  

Here's the wee man showing off some of his new threads!!

Set Sail t-shirt

Cargo check shorts 

Blue hi-top sneakers

Shirt Sainsbury's A/W 14, similar here

Denim shorts Sainsburys S/S 14, similar here

Blue hi-top sneakers, as before

Rust hoodie, Sainsburys current, similar here

Las Vegas t-shirt

Skinny jeans

Navy hi-tops, Next A/W 14, similar here

Lightweight bomber jacket

Stripe t-shirt, Primark current, similar here

Skinny jeans, as before

Hi-tops, as before

(Excuse the unfinished porch tiling!!)

I think I have a future Zoolander in the making!!! And do you see what I mean about his super-skinny sparrow legs, bless him!

I hope you've enjoyed this slightly different post, I know Alfie loved posing ;)

Marrakech ~ travel outift

I find choosing outfits to travel in so difficult when you're going from the cold to the (hopefully!) heat.  I'm getting picked up by my friend at 7.15am & judging by the current temperatures, it's going to be baltic again so I've got to be warm this end but not so much that I'm going to swelter within 3 minutes of getting off the plane because let's face it, with 25°c plus temperatures & menopausal hot flushes, this is very possible!

So I had a trial run & this is what I decided on in the end.  The jeans are the relaxed skinny by Next which I love the look of but I'm having a wee problem with them.  When I tried them on instore, they fitted perfectly so I bought them & put them on the next day.  By the end of the day though they had really stretched & I mean really - I could pull them down without having to undo the zip or button, surely not right after one wear?!!  So I'll have to pop back to town & either get a smaller size or swap for a different style.

The navy longline tee shirt was bought in Gap last year but this is similar & let's face it, anything that covers the arse is a good thing in my book!  The open jacket I bought in Next a few weeks back but I can't find it online so it must be last season stock - this is a great alternative.

You may have seen my coral Freckle Ice shoes from Clarks on Instagram the other day.  This is my fourth pair of these now, they're so comfortable - please don't ever discontinue them Clarks!!  And the saddle bag is also from Clarks but is now sold out - this one is similar.

Accessories wise, there's no point wearing loads of things that'll have to be removed at security so I'm just sticking to my gorgeous burnt orange leopard scarf from Alice's Wonders, handy for chilly mornings & planes, and my turquoise stretchy bead bracelets from Accessorize.  I can't find these online but layer up a few of these & you get the idea!

This is a close-up of the jacket, which I'm really pleased with.  I can wear it over any of my holiday outfits, it's especially handy for night time & I'll also be taking it to New York next month.

So there we have it, nothing exceptional or fancy but it's comfortable & practical - oh god, I sound like my mum.....!!! ;)

What's your favourite thing to wear when travelling?

Sales stash!

Today is Day 5 of the #mystylephotochallenge on Instagram, which is Sales Stash.  I have posted a picture but I thought I'd talk you through the pieces I've bought!

I have been known *ahem* to go a bit mad in the sales before, just buying anything because it has a really good reduction but I've decided that from now on, I'm going for quality over quantity.  I've bought too much crap in the past that's only lasted 5 minutes so I'm going to replace these pieces with wardrobe essentials that will mix & match with each other.  That's the plan anyway.....

I know a lot of people moan about the Next sales in that they bring out a load of old stock to shift & although there are sometimes some questionable pieces for sale, generally I've always dropped on in their sale.  I had every intention of getting up early this year but yet again, this didn't happen so I didn't get to the store until 11.30am.  I wasn't expecting to find anything so I was pleased to find 3 items that I wanted, all half price!

First off, these denim leggings at £12.  I've got 4 pairs of these now in varying shades of denim & I swear, they are the most comfortable 'jeans' you'll ever wear.  They have a zip fly & waistband so essentially, just look like a pair of skinny jeans but the comfort factor is fab-u-lous!  They're called a legging so as you'd expect, are super stretchy & for me, they fit really well.  The solid black pair are next on my list to get.

I also picked up a v-neck fit & flare knitted dress in the berry shade.  I bought this in black a couple of months ago & it's a great day dress.  I like to wear mine with opaques, denim jacket, oversized scarf & my biker boots.  Then I found a navy long belted cardigan too.  This, I was in two minds whether to keep as I honestly think it would look much better on someone a lot slimmer than myself & it does have a hint of 'dressing gown' about it but, but......the more I tried it, the more it grew on me. Then Hubble pointed out to me that I'd pay £13 or more for a crappy cardigan in Primark so I'm keeping it.  I can see myself wearing this in the spring with a breton top, skinny jeans (see above!) & my Converse.

Next up is a blazer that I've had my eye on for a while in Debenhams.  I tried it on a while back & was surprised that it fitted quite well & would actually fasten over my boobs so when I spotted it half price at £27 & it was the last one left.....in my size!.....then I had to have it!  A couple of friends of mine have lovely tweed blazers & always look so classy when they wear them - I'm hoping I'll exude the same air of classiness wearing mine, pfffttt!!!  You can find a similar one here.

The next shop that I always go to the in sale is Gap, but usually to buy my son clothes.  After picking him up some pieces, I spotted a rack of scarves & this super-soft winter white & navy check one just called my name.  It was down to £10 & is ridiculously warm & snuggly, a fabulous buy.  They also had some rain macs down to £24.99 but Hubble was losing the will to live at this point & I didn't want to push it so I left!!  I might pop in tomorrow though & see if they have any left.

Last, but by no means least, I bought these gorgeous boots at the end of November.  They are the Kendra Aviva but are not available in Clarks anymore although there are some on eBay. They fit like a glove & are immensely comfortable due to the extra padding round the balls of your feet & arches.  I danced happily for hours in them & my feet were very happy!

What did everyone else manage to get?