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...and it's no secret that I have said for a long time that one of my favourite neutrals is leopard.  And there is no better time of year to get your leopard love on.

If your husband is anything like mine he will absolutely hate it and will mumble something along the lines of Bet Lynch, barmaid, Pat Butcher blah blah blah.  Speak to the hand mate as I can't hear you as I'm too busy looking for a new leopard print dress.  Ok so I will admit I don't actually need one (need/want - it's such a fine line... ), I have a couple of fabulous ones, not to mention a leopard print skirt which will serve me exceptionally well into the Winter months.  Oh and *may* have also bought a new full length leopard print coat (which he wasn't yet seen but I can already predict eye rolling on a "seriously, are you auditioning for The Exorcist" level.

Ignore anyone who tells you it isn't a supremely SUPERB print that can be worn at any age for any occasion.

And the joy of a dress is that it's just one item you can throw on and that will work for all of your Autumnal favourites.  Black, camel, khaki and I actually also love it with navy (whilst we're on the topic of random - my absolute fave colour to team it with is lilac.  Trust me - it works!  Or go with pale pink if you're not feeling overly ambitious...) 

A classic dress at ASOS.  Perfect for dressing up but at the same time would work with trainers for Autumnal days.  I'd also team with knee high boots in the Winter.

ASOS DESIGN high neck pleated dress with puff sleeves in leopard print was £40 bow £32

Another midi dress from hush which is perfect for warmer Autumnal days or team with a jumper over the top for heading into Winter.

Kensington Midi Dress from hush £75

Although there is similar in the sale now at Topshop.

Natural Animal Print Kimono Dress in Regular was £39 now £20

And in the Tall, again at Topshop was £45 now £20 

And again in the Petite at Topshop was £45 now £20

A midi shirtdress at Mango - keep the fabric belt or swap for a black or brown one (fabric or leather).

Animal Print Dress from Mango £59.99

Vianne maxi shirtdress at Anthropologie £148

Another maxi shirt dress from Somerset by Alice Temperley at John Lewis £130

A midi shirt dress with a brown base in the sale at Jaeger.  WITH POCKETS!

Jaeger Volume Leopard Print Shirt Dress was £175 now £99

Two in one at AllSaints.  Wear with the jumper over the slip or wear the jumper separately and the slip as an evening dress or in the Summer (ideal for Winter parties with a tux blazer over the top).

ASOS DESIGN Tall exclusive trapeze maxi dress with puff sleeves in monochrome leopard pring £38

This is a great option for those of you who love a looser dress.  Not everyone likes things belted or fitted and this is perfect for those who love a less structured shape.

Midi Shirt Dress in leopard from Vero Moda £48

And another loose dress - this time in a smock style again at ASOS. 

ASOS DESIGN button through tiered smock maxi dress in leopard print £38

Hilja Frill Dress from hush £110

And then we have the shorter ones.  As much as I personally shy away from shorter dresses and skirts in the Summer, when to comes to the Autumn and Winter, BRING THEM ON.  There is something about a shorter dress with ankle boots and bare legs that doesn't seem quite as harsh as bare legs with sandals.  Primarily that could be because I can slap on the fake tan on the interim flesh on show... it all goes a bit Pete Tong when you have feet to contend with.  Feet and fake tan are a tricky thing to get right. 

Alternatively as soon as the weather gets a proper nip in the air then the opaques are your friend.  And there is nothing more flattering than legs encased in dark, thick lycra.  

Leopard print dress from Mango £49.99

And now a shorter version which is ideal for those of you who love navy and aren't fans of a leopard print with black as a base.  However this would also work super well teamed with black tights.

Emmanuelle Dress from hush was £65 now £45

In the at Ganni at The Outnet.  This one is shorter but I'm pretty confident the model is actually a gazelle...

Animal print Minion ruffled leopard dress from Ganni was £200 now £110

Not a classic leopard but still a neutral theme in khak - these are super useful for wearing with black, tan, camel or cream.

Jolie Moi Crossover Front Leopard Maxi Dress in green and black £89

Liquorish kimono sleeve midi dress from ASOS was £55 now £38

Khaki again in curve at ASOS DESIGN was £38 now £30.40

And something a little but different - eschewing somewhat the neutral theme here but still leopard nonetheless.

Liquorish ombre leopard print dress from ASOS £55

And the final one from French Connection in the sale at John Lewis - was £110 now £45

And here I am in one of mine - I have a couple and have had them for years.  This one was worn in the Summer and will be well worn into the Autumn with boots and leather jackets like here.

Now I do know that some of you may not be a fan of leopard print so fear not - on my hunt, I have come across a LOT of animal alternatives - so will be bringing you them soon. 

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So this wasn't what I was planning on writing about for the next blog post but after wearing a dress out last night that is essentially an "occasion" dress and thinking - THIS is what everyone needs in their wardrobe.  That dress that you could dress up to wear to a wedding, to Ascot, to any dressy occasion - essentially all those things that right now, aren't an option at all. 

BUT - they WILL come back and the joy of these dresses is that you are able to wear them on a day to day basis.  Dress them down with sandals or trainers - ankle boots as soon as the weather changes.  But WEAR them. 

The point of this blog post is two fold.  One - to encourage you to hunt those dresses out that you already have in your wardrobe like that and WEAR THEM!  And secondly, if you are looking to add something to your wardrobe, a dress that works for every occasion is always a good idea.  And I've hunted out the best on the high street for us to invest in. 

First stop is the sales.  The best place to bag a bargain and invest in a dress that would normally cost a lot more. 

This is the most similar to the style dress I had on.

AllSaints Tage Evolution Silk Blend Dress in Black was £248 now £99.20

And this is very much a variation on the theme at Jigsaw in the sale.

Chinoiserie Floral Wrap Dress was £185 now £74

But now moving on from my obsession with green to a love in with red.  Works perfectly for a bright Summer colour but I adore it in Winter.  Looks amazing with black but ring the changes by teaming with camel or khaki.

Red Frill Sleeve Button Dress from Whistles was £119 now £85

ASOS DESIGN textured dobby button through tea dress in red £42

Ghost Logan Dress in Red £169

A different shade of berry now in the sale at Me+EM.  The perfect styling example of dressing down with trainers but this sort of pared back simple dress could easily be worn to work with a more formal shoe.  Alternatively, a pair of strappy shoes or dressy courts make it ideal for a night out or a party.

Tie Front Cap Sleeve Dress from Me+Em was £180 now £54

And they're not all long! 

These are the perfect length dresses for those of you who don't like midi or maxi but don't want a super mini.  They're the ideal shape of dress for this length.  Super flattering and yet again will work for a myriad of occasions.

Sculptural hem dress from Me+Em was £195 now £62

And also available in a jewel green again in the sale from Me+Em - was £195 now £77

Speaking of green - this is a super price from Whistles.

Green Penny Belted Dress from Whistles was £149 now £44

AND they also have the knee length dress at Me+Em in black!!  (limited sizes)

Sculptural Hem Short Sleeve Dress was £199 now £59

And then it's all about the print.  These work now in Summer but will happily take you into the Autumn with a pair of chunky boots, or knee high heeled boots or my personal favourite, the cowboy boot.  Alternatively team with heels for a dressy night out.

This has all the Rixo vibes for a lot less ££.

Closet London print midi dress £95

French Connection Claribel Floral Maxi Dress was £125 now £62.50

Green again at Whistles - Blotched Animal Dress was £169 now £99

Animal Floral Ruched Tier Dress from Jigsaw was £120 now £36

ASOS DESIGN Button through maxi tea dress with shirred waist £35

Ted Baker Posy Floral Print Wrap Dress was £179 now £75

Monochrome for those who perhaps aren't into full on print... 

Large Dot Keyhole Dress + Tie from Me+Em in the sale was £270 now £108

Another print that's not a floral in a jersey fabric.  These dresses are superb for offering style and comfort.  

Jolie Moi Cross Front Jersey Dress £85

Not monochrome but a variation on the theme.  I LOVE this dress. 

& Other Stories Belted Midi Print Dress £95

I'm always being asked for other options and came across two perfect Curve dresses - both for great prices offering versatility and wearability.

Live Unlimited Clustered Spot Dress was £69 now £46

ASOS DESIGN Curve satin wrap dress tiered maxi dress £48

And here is the pic fir the inspo...

Dress - Temperley London from Matches (in the sale ss19)

Sandals - Zara (ss20)

Bag - Stella McCartney from The Designer Exchange (preloved ss20)

And I will be back with those sandals that I promised.... those man repellers. You know you want to...

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Ok not envy per se but definite obsession.  For green.  I love green.  I also love blue.  And red.  And pink.  And I think I might love lilac but for now, I am obsessed with green.  It goes with everything.  Think of nature.  Any colour that you think of that you can get in flowers and plants, works with green.  TA DAH!!  As weird as it sounds, try it.

It's also a really timeless colour.  Although having said that, everything works at the mo.  Gone are the days when it's all about the rust tones, or the plum colours, or a specific shade of blue.  Anything goes. 

And when it comes to green, it's emerald that gets my vote.  Every time.  Is amazing in the Summer and also works in the Winter.  

I did *try* and wear a green outfit yesterday but it's not the best for sweat patches (see pic below).  BUT ignoring all that (because let's face it - we only get days of 30 degree plus a couple of days a year and there's no abroad holiday for us this year) I am all about the green and wanted to see what else there was out there.

Without further ado... 

Starting with my favourite shade.   LOVE love love these.  Would happily wear them into the Autumn with trainers and knitwear.

Super wide leg trouser and belt from Me+Em was £185 now £55

And the matching cap sleeve top also from Me+Em in the sale was £115 now £57

Skirt of perfection.

Bow Midi Skirt from Mango was £35.99 now £19.99

A blouse in the same shade... this would work with absolutely any floral skirt.  This shade also looks great with jeans. 

Ruffled sleeve cotton blouse from La Redoute was £33 now £14.85

And a Summer dress (you probably couldn't wear this into the Autumn to be honest BUT it's a classic dress that you will have for years.  Plus it can be dressed up and down depending on your shoes and accessories).

Cotton dress from La Redoute was £52 now £28.60

And another one in a similar shade (alas the belt isn't included - I will do something on belts VERY shortly).

Linen Sleeveless Maxi Dress from La Redoute was £52 now £33.80

But one that could take you into the Autumn. 

Tie Front Cap Sleeve Dress from Me+Em in the sale was £180 now £72

Shorter in pure emerald. 

Whistles Alba Shift Dress in Green £79.20 WITH POCKETS!

Now a shade that you could actually wear on sweaty days as the pattern hides a multitude of sins. 

LOVE this dress.

Brora Star Silk Embroidered Maxi Dress from John Lewis was £319 now £149

Slightly shorter at hush, new in.

Long sleeve Kensington Dress from hush £79

Frill cotton dress from Mango was £59.99 now £39.99

Another green print dress that will take you from cooler days in the Summer straight into Autumn. 

Pauline buttoned maxi dress from La Redoute £135 £108 with the code NEW

And a shorter one... 

Belted hidden button shirt dress from Monki £30

And the same print but in a top, again at hush £49

Another shirt dress but this time slightly darker...

Cotton Midi Shirt Dress in Dark Green from La Redoute £48 with 25% off with the code NEW

Skirts now... 

Wrap Midi Skirt from Monki £30

And a dark green skirt...

Full maxi skirt from La Redoute £24 with 25% off with the code NEW

And while we're talking about darker green, I have to just throw this in as it's not cheap but it's a good reduction and the shape is utterly gorgeous. 

Silk Swing Blouse + Tie from Me+Em was £250 now £125

And another print blouse from Winser London where my absolute favourite silk blouse is from.  Again, they're very much an investment but they are timeless. 

Winser London Rose Print Blouse at John Lewis was £189 now £99

And yesterday, everyone thought my outfit was a jumpsuit - it wasn't but I found this instead!

Long Printed jumpsuit from Mango was £49.99 now £25.99

And SHOES SHOES SHOES - 

Hale Mules from hush were £159 now £55

And thinking forward to Autumn... GREEN BOOTS! 

Chio extreme chunky ankle boots £95

And here I am last night in an outfit from Me+Em two years ago that I LOVE but OMG check out the sweat patches on the front.  Alas had to change but will keep for a cooler day (next week!)

Still got those sandals on my mine - the chunkier the better, so will be back with those shortly.  And belts - must find new belts!