It's that time of the season again

Thank you Grazia for the good old 25% off at Whistles. 

And interestingly, this provides the perfect antidote to the frilly disaster of yesterday's boho dress escapades.  

A breath of clean fresh air with smooth lines and cleverly cut, streamline looks.

The antithesis of all things boho and I'm going to start with dresses as this is where I have had most success with Whistles over the past couple of years.  I have two dresses, nay three actually, that I have had for three years now - that are perfect for dressing up for special occasions but with flats, I've done the school run in them.  And yes, they all go in the washing machine. (and one of them is silk and says dry clean only but comes up a dream)

Granted they're not that cheap, even with 25% off, but the beauty of them is that they are so versatile, they last for years and cost per wear, they do prove to be a really good investment. 

So for this year's offering (and I will say, I do think prices have gone up but.....) I am loving this pale blue asymmetric number.  As far away from Charlie's Angels as you can get. 

Asymmetric Drape Front Dress £140 pre discount.  The thing I love about Whistles dresses is that whilst they are loose, they manage to not be tent like.  They give the illusion of shape without looking like you're trying to hide the fact you're four months up the duff.  Which I'd like to point I am not and absolutely shall not be at any time soon or in the future.  Therefore, it's a look I'd like to avoid at all costs... nothing more soul destroying that someone giving you the "preggers" knowing wink, when you've just had a weekend on the takeaways. 

Now forget what I said about washing - I absolutely LOVE this but it's dry clean only and it's heinously expensive and it looks teensy tiny.  But they currently have free delivery and free returns so it would seem churlish not to scratch the itch and see if it does work.   Interestingly that's one thing I've found over the years with Whistles - you really do need to try things on, as what looks fab on the hanger and on the model can look like a bag of spanners on oneself and vice versa. 

Bamboo Print Dress £195 (gulp - but this is where the 25% discount comes into its own.)  And it's so versatile - could be worn with black, navy, nude or cream shoes.  Ditto a jacket or blazer.  This is the ultimate dress me dress me down frock - just the silk aspect does worry my inner creasy nazi.  One of my, not so irrational, bugbears is a dress that creases after having been sat down in it for 20 mins.....  ie you stand up and it looks like you've slept in it.  Why oh why oh why do retailers not do a crease test?  There is nothing that makes a dress look like it came from Primark more than a super creased crotch.   And price makes no different to this either - I've had some very expensive dresses over the years that were very guilty of this vile crime of fashion.



Similar print but in black and white.  With covered shoulders and tops of arms which I know lots of people prefer.  I shall be back to my kettlebells tomorrow (she says having done squat all last week and having made the same silent promise to myself for about six months now....I wouldn't bet against myself not doing this....) so sleeveless will be fine for me come the summer (SNORT).  I also do very much prefer the navy..... but this is a) cheaper b) despite it saying dry clean is the same fabric as the first one which is washable and the same as all my Whistles dresses which are washable and c) a classic monochrome for which I have loads of accessories already. 

Bamboo Overlay Dress £140



Evelyn Casual Dress in navy £95  This is a very useful number - perhaps not right for high Summer but if you have something in the next month or so, this would be ideal.  Plus, great for into the Autumn and Winter - absolutely no reason why you couldn't have opaques on with this. 



Again, blowing all semblance of a budget, but I absolutely love this.  I do though, have a Burberry dress which is very similar (well, as similar as a dress and a jumpsuit can be to each other...) so I'm not entirely sure I can justify it.  But I'm going to order it to try.... The difference I have hauled out of the ether, is that you could wear this during the day with flatties.  There is no way at all I could wear the Burberry dress which, albeit jersey, is definitely a DRESS.  For dressy things. 

Bakau Wide Leg Jumpsuit £170



Whilst we're here I just have to point out the shoes which have grown on me (like mould, I can hear The Husband muttering...) as I've drooled through the gems on offer on the Whistles website. 

The Rada Cork Sandal £160 (which I can't find in black online.  This now means that I Need these.  Why on earth is it, that as soon as you can't have something that you think you needed, the "need" aspect suddenly elevates to "must have or the world will fall off its axis" status?  Tomorrow morning, if anyone needs me, I can be found on the phone, ringing round every Whistles in the country till I track a pair of these down)

I do appreciate that there will be people vomming onto their laptop at the sight of these but I am suddenly in love with them (do I love them more than the Toga Pulla dinosaur feet sandals?  Hmmm not sure..... I'll let you know.)


I also love these - I have similar pairs in black and a lace up pair in cognac, both of which I have had for years now so I will definitely say you'll get more years of wear out of them than you'd perhaps think. 

Peep Toe Shoe Boots £165



Last dress I have to point out though is a fantastic bodycon print number.  This is pure occasion or evening out only.  Unless you do a different sort of school run from me that is... There is no casual shoe that could dress this down for rocking up with the kids in the morning as far as I'm concerned.  But no matter, this is stunning and would go with a whole host of different accessories to ring the changes.  I also think it would work in the Winter with sheer tights and shoots.  

Bodega Eva Bodycon Dress £140



Moving onto a versatile top now - the lace shirt.  I have a lace blog up my sleeve for the next week or so but with 25% off, I'm flinging this one in now. 

It says cropped..... I'm thinking (hoping..) it's not cropped cropped but just not normal shirt length, as in perfect for those high waisted jeans and skirts we are accumulating.... 

Chay Lace Cropped Shirt £145





And now I have burgers to make for dinner.  But I am on a top mission so there are definitely some more gems from Whistles that I will be pointing out in the next couple of days. 

So outfits from last week - what a difference a day can make with the weather.