High Street favourites

With discounts.  What are you supposed to do when you get emails through saying 20%/15% off new season stock..?

Empty the dishwasher or change the beds is the WRONG answer.

Grab a coffee and sit down for half an hour and just check there's nothing you can't live without.   Aka writing a wish list and then spending the next hour trying to work out what you really need (need being code for want...).  But now is the time (if you can..) to get your head around what holes you have in your Spring wardrobe.  I've been really thinking about this before my talk tomorrow with hush.  I'm definitely going to bring you all my ideas from the evening but in the meantime, there are some very different styles on offer at French Connection and Mint Velvet. 

Both of whom have bombarded my inbox with discount codes.  Well it would be rude not to "look" wouldn't it?  I have certainly unearthed another sandal proposition to add to my sandal folder (this is basically somewhere on an overcrowded shelf in a dank corner of my subconscious.  I don't actually have a folder... although maybe I should).

French Connection is 20% off with the code FC20S (I think they do free delivery too)
Mint Velvet is 15% off with the code EXPLORE15 plus free delivery 

Moving on from the dresses of yesterday.  FCUK have always been pretty good on the frock front.   And they've kindly styled these down already, giving us the perfect idea of how they could look on off duty days (what the hell are those by the way?  "off duty days".  Oh how we laughed and rolled our eyes simultaneously.  This is a phrase only used by young fashion journalists who won't have kids.  And now me *shoots self*)

Lala Palm Printed Shirt Dress £120   Heels, blazer for work.  You know the drill.  Or ankle boots and biker jacket.. for on duty days that aren't work days (yes I've just made those days up).

Lala Palm Ottoman Maxi Dress £125  I will be frank and say I do look at this and my first thought isn't, lovely dress, it's OMG FAKE TAN MARE.  But in a matter of months that will be a mere part of my daily routine.  And it has pockets.  And it's properly midi (on some it would be maxi...)




Beau Lace Detail Dress £85  Now this could be longer.  Model here is 5.9, so on normal people, this should sit just below the knee which I think is a much better length.  These shoes ming. End of. (in my humble opinion that is.  Actually to be fair, with this dress I think they ming.  But with jeans they would look amazing).




But if we're talking too short, well hello this one.  However it's gorgeous.  It is so so simply perfection in a dressy dress.  (if you're either 24 or very small).

Evie Sparkle Embroidered Dress £180



Call of the dogs though.... here's a cunning plan.  Made all the more attractive with 25% off and you would end up with a completely unique dress.  Chop it off.  I know it sounds bonkers but this could easily work on this length and you would have the perfect midi dress.  Stan Smiths for during the day, gladiator heels for night.

Evie Sparkle Maxi Dress £250





Firmly back in my comfort zone and yes, comfort is the operative word here.  Adore this colour.  They call it green but is it really green?  Or is it grey... whichever, it would go perfectly with other shades of khaki (problem with wearing all khaki that is properly green khaki is that you may end up looking like Private Benjamin.  Although any comparison to Goldie Hawn would be greatly received.  The fact I was the same height as her when I was about 6, means this doesn't happen often.  The height of course is the "only" difference.  Other than that - clearly separated at birth).

Krugar Tencel Joggers in tribal green £75  You may have noticed that I have worn a pair of joggers once or twenty times in the past couple of weeks.  Well these would therefore be the perfect addition to my wardrobe heading into Spring (please god, Spring is on the way..) 

I saw these in the window of FCUK today (we may have been late for school pick up so couldn't pop in.. clearly I would have done but was in much more responsible company) and they are amazing.  On the model, they were actually rolled up and looked completely fabulous.  I am sold.  They also looked much more grey than green.  Goldie, you're safe.



A top now and a crepe top is my absolute favourite all occasion, go to top.  With jeans, with a skirt, with leather leggings, with joggers (!), this will see you through the whole year, to work, play and whatever you do inbetween or afterwards.

Arrow Crepe Top £60



And they also do this in a Summer white




This however is my perfect blouse.  I (yawn as you've all heard this before) have had one of these which is about the same age, if not older than my third child.  To be honest it's all starting to merge into one - suffice to say, it's old.  But it's up there with one of my most worn items of clothing.

Selena Pussy Bow Blouse £65




Love me a clutch and this is perfection.  Textured, not large, not small - the Goldilocks of clutches. 

Loki Leather clutch £125  Definitely worth using the 20% off at this price.  This bag will last you all year round.  




Shoe wise (clearly I am obsessed) I have found one of my favourite, so far, sandal options. 

Slightly influenced by a certain French lady with the initial IM I believe... but at a fraction of the price (and to be fair, I think hers were from last year).  I will say though, I had ones which weren't dissimilar to this from Zara about three or four years ago and I have literally worn them out.   Thong style with a chunky ankle strap.  I know they don't sound like they should work but they did.  They really really did and were my staple sandal for ages.  Somehow they were superb with a dress - long and short, jeans, smart trousers, pretty much anything for any occasion (bar a super smart one..)

Imanna Leather Gladiator Sandals £79 (remember this is pre the discount)




Or in the coffee bean (brown to you and me) LOVE. 



And now onto Mint Velvet.  Ok so my teensy tiny issue with MV is that we have one locally.  And we have pretty much squat else.  Which means that occasionally lots of people have the same stuff.  Which is one of the main reasons why I like discovering smaller retailers to mix in different pieces just so we're not all dressed the same (and on that note, I have some really interesting independents to introduce you to in the coming months). 

Having said that though, there are some classic basics which MV do really well. 

Starting with the classic skinny.  Firstly they do these in three lengths.  And secondly they are super super flattering, incredibly comfortable and a really good price. 

Dayton White Multi Zip Jeans £79 - now I haven't tried these on.  So I can't comment on any sausage/bursting skin issues that may or hopefully may not occur.   Certainly I have black skinnies from here (the same design which they used to call triple zip) and they're fitted and skinny without being spray on.




Actually I lied - these are the triple zip ones which they now call Phoenix jeans.  The ones above were always called multi zip and from what I can recall, the fit is pretty much identical, they just have one slanty zip less.  

Phoenix Black Biker Jean £69 (they used to be called washed black - the ideal combo of not quite black and not quite flat grey.  Perfect).  



Also in an indigo - and in three lengths.  Again only £69 pre discount.



And we all know my current love of a sports pant.  Crepe version in navy.  Can't say I'm mad about the styling but the trousers themselves are pretty epic. 

Navy Luxe Zip Sports Pant £69  They also do these in a mocha.  Personally I prefer the navy but if you're into fudgey colours then the mocha will work a treat. 




And what do they do incredibly well at MV?  Well that will be a biker.  Which is where your 15% off comes in super useful.  How perfect is this one for the Spring?

Nude Collarless Biker Jacket £259




And I could go on and on - haven't even begun to look at shoes - I know people rave about MV shoes.  Not to mention scarves and accessories but I've got to finish up the details for my talk tomorrow night so I will leave you to peruse FCUK and MV at your pleasure.  And tell me which gems I've missed. 

So I have had THE best day with some of my closest friends, on a swift jaunt up to the Kings Road for a birthday breakfast and lunch (we may have simply wandered from one to the other with a quick trip into the huge Anthropologie in between).  We went to a restaurant called Rabbit which is amazing.  Seriously the best food I have had in absolutely ages.