… and you could have been forgiven for thinking it was going to be sequins (fear not, I shall be doing them too!) but today it's all about the velvet.
We Three Kings and all that - we're talking flowing (ok not actually - less costume), we're talking easy to wear, we're talking throw on with jeans but also wear to work. Wear over a long dress, belt with a huge belt and throw on ankle boots or trainers. Ideal for over an LBD for a Christmas night out. These work for every single occasion - it's just where to get them from.
Coat or blazer? For me - It's all about the blazer but a longline one so essentially I want a cross between the two. I fear we're back in rocking horse poo territory and this is one of those blogs that I haven't seen something and then written about it. I've conjured up an image of something I would LOVE in my mind and am now trying to find it.
Hint - these never work well. Ever. BUT that's not to to say they won't ever work so here's hoping.
First off -
Velvet Blazer at Zara £69.99
I also love this one.. I am going to order the Zara one and will report back but I've been really disappointed with their quality recently.
Aaiko Valancia Blazer from Zalando £139.99
Velvet Suit Blazer from Mango £59.99 (on offer this weekend only - 30% off online).
Black Velvet at Topshop on offer was £69 now £45
Fashion Union Longline Jacket in Burgundy Velvet in Tall £45
Velvet Blazer from Mango in Dark Green £59.99
Bottle Green at Next - this is the sort that I love - the relaxed edge, slouchy style £50
Velvet tux blazer in blue from Reclaimed Vintage £45
Silver grey at John Lewis £130
But this one I think is AMAZING - from Massimo Dutti.
Massimo Dutti Velvet Coat £169 in dark blue
And here I am in not a jot of velvet as I am desperate for one in this shape but in velvet. I did buy one from Zara but it was SHOCKING quality. (one wear, one button less...).
I did however manage to track down THIS Zara skirt. Which is a large. Yes - a large is a large 10 or small 12. Which I think is shocking. But alas I did love the skirt too much to vote with my feet.
Jumper - Bella Freud from Black White Denim (current)
Skirt - Zara (current)
Boots - Isabel Marant from Harvey Nichols (sale 2yrs ago)
Bag - Hill & Friends (gift 2yrs ago)
Coat - Acne (sale ss17)
Sunglasses - Chloe from Very Exclusive
And just like that it's FRIDAY! I hope everyone has had a good week. I'm not doing a round up of all things Black Friday as I happen to think it just encourages us to buy things we don't need. I will be back over the weekend but it will be with the usual fare... focussing on specific things that we can add into our wardrobe that will be WORN and worn a lot. Not just bought as it's on offer. PHEW - got that off my chest.
So continuing my obsession with Spring, it's now time to focus on jackets.
You're not going to necessarily be wearing these tomorrow but they will be your bread and butter outerwear-wise come milder days (we do have them once in a while - I swear there was a hint of Spring in the air in the sunshine today) and in the coming months (after we've done the snow thing...).
And it's the PERFECT time to hunt down some sales gems. My tip for the sales is always to buy out of season - summer dresses, skirts and sandals all often have excellent reductions, as do humble blazers.
I cannot get enough of these bad boys. And I do wear mine all year round. I am a huge fan of a thin knit to layer underneath plus a whacking great scarf and gloves go a long way to keeping the cold out in the Winter. Ok, so you're not going to be going on a hike in these and if you are spending any excessive time outdoors then you're probably better hoiking on a coat. But if you're just hopping from car to location and don't have to spend a long time in the wind (or if it's a mild day - like I say, I was one step away from sleeveless in the sun today. Sort of) then you can definitely still get wear out of these.
I love them with all sorts of trousers and jeans and they've also become my go to jacket over dresses and skirts. The tiny fitted ones are PERFECT with all midi or maxi dresses, ditto skirts. The longer lines also work as well - it will take a bit more getting used to with the silhouette but it does work, I promise. Give it a whirl.
What better place to start than with my favourites - the ultimate in black blazers - but I've expanded into check, have thrown in some velvet options and finished with a bit of military. These are all in the sale (bar the Boohoo one but that's such a bargain and I can't find any like that in the sale so I've thrown it in) so I definitely have a new season post on them, up my sleeve.
Collarless in the sale at hush - Zadie Blazer was £95 now £70
BCBG MaxAzria Collarless Pointed Blazer was £128 now £80
Tux Style reduced at ASOS.
Selected Melanie Tux Blazer was £80 now £24
Striped 4 Button Blazer from M&S was £59 now £20
Boohoo Longline Blazer £30
Prince of Wales Blazer £69.99 now £49.99
Check in grey for a bargain price at ASOS.
ASOS Tailored Clean Mansy Blazer in Check was £55 now £33
Flecked wool-blend blazer from Mango £99.99 from £59.99
Thinking forward to the Summer - this is where the bargains are - great reduction.
Uttam Boutique Blazer was £110 now £25
Ecru Velvet Oversize Blazer £169.99 now £119.99 (this is definitely definitely my favourite.. seeing as I don't have one like this).
Velour at La Redoute in chocolate was £79 now £55.30
The same in black was £79 now £47.40
And in the red - again £47.40
Velvet military style jacket from £79.99 now £49.99 Actually no - THIS is my fave. It's GREEN!
Military again in navy and black at La Redoute from Maison Scoth was £185 now £111
And finishing with two textures that I have and love - sequins and boucle.
Storm and Marie Glam Sequin Collarless Sequin Blazer was £125 now £48 Do remember sequins are for life and not just for Christmas....
Boucle jacket with puffed sleeves from Mango £49.99 was £29.99
And here I am today - not in a blazer.. BUT I COULD HAVE WORN ONE!!
Jumper, coat and trousers - all M&S (c/o paid project last year)
Trainers - Rogue Matilda (gift this season)
Earrings - Topshop (this season)
Soho Disco Bag - Gucci (3 years ago)
Sunglasses - Tom Ford from Very Exclusive (this season)
Apologies for not being around yesterday - I was at Bicester. Where I bought.. drum roll.. NADA. Nothing, zilch, zip. Ok apart from some bedding which is so not interesting I can't tell you when we need to decorate the rest of our bedroom.
But we had the loveliest of days (girls' day out) - last day of the holidays for me - it was back to meetings this morning (although I did manage one last look at the sales and did manage to pick up a pair of shoes which I am SO excited about and will report back on tomorrow).
Hope everyone has a lovely Friday evening! THANK THE LORD IT'S FRIYAY!
So it has occurred to me that there is one item (ok so as I type here, I can think of many but for the purposes of this blog we are talking this "one" item..) that you can rely on come Winter and Summer to save your outfit bacon. One thing that can elevate a normal outfit into something that little bit more special.
All hail the Statement Jacket. You can throw this over a plain tee and jeans and suddenly you're Christmas drinks ready. A plain silk blouse and trousers can be transformed into Party Queen - or at the very least you will look like you've made a real effort. Whilst still feeling yourself. If you're not a dress person - and especially ones that are pushed at this time of year which are often very dressy, usually figure hugging and perhaps not the most versatile when it comes to wearing them again - then these could be the option for you.
Now I have done a post on sequin versions a couple of weeks ago here but there are definitely other embroidered, velvet and textured to add into the mix. Plus I bet there's more bling out there too.
Starting with ones that they will definitely see you coming in - but fear not, I have found a fair few that demonstrate less if more..
First up, one I saw online at River Island - this is ideal if you don't like sequins but do want something with more of a festive feel to it. Although to be fair if you think sequins are a bit much, this will probably have you running for the hills. Maybe this is for those who want sequins on speed? Personally I would dress this down with jeans. But then I'm not usually an over dressed person. I like to add a bit of bling as opposed to wearing it head to foot. Only because I'm a wimp.
Black RI Studio fringe embellished jacket £85
Staying with all things super statement now at ASOS.
ASOS Pearl Embellished Jacket £95
Lilian Jacket at Boden was £300 now £270
Pink three quarter sleeve fringe jacket from River Island £60
And then ignore the trousers below - statement blazers are the perfect option if a normal blazer is the jacket of your choice on a day to day basis. I always think a great tip on how to feel comfortable if dressing up is out of your usual comfort zone, is to find a version of your usual uniform in a different fabric, texture or colour.
Black and gold jacquard blazer from River Island £70
Jacquard Party Blazer at Boden was £170 now £136
A quick sequin fest but in a classic blazer shape.
Sequin Embellished Blazer from River Island £68
Blazers again at Boden and we're moving onto VELVET! And one that you could easily wear into the Summer with a tee or fine knit jumper underneath. Crown optional.
Velvet Emilia Blazer was £140 now £112
Velvet in a different shape at The Outnet. Again, one that has Spring written all over it.
Uta printed velvet jacket from Isabel Marant was £365 now £189
Orrr how about a velvet tux. From, yes, Missguided. It's always worth a trawl through the billions of random cut out, cropped and high shine numbers to find the odd gem.
Premium Black Velvet and Satin Tux Jacket from Missguided £45 Now... it also says you can get 50% off this item with the code DISCODIVA so fingers crossed They do often do these random codes. That's how I got my much commented on (positively) hooded tiger sweatshirt for half price. I was just looking online one day and the code popped up on the item. It hadn't been there the day before or wasn't there the day after.
Burgundy velvet also at Missguided and again, it does seem to be that you might be able to use the code DISCODIVA for 50% off. Also comes in black and a nude/champagne colour. It also has matching shorts. They didn't quite make the post but knock yourself out if they're your thang...
Burgundy velvet military blazer £35
Velvet Blazer from Topshop £120 I could not love the colour of this more. Sublime with denim, the perfect contrast with black and an amazing shade to take you into the Spring with a white tee underneath.
Cropped velvet at Topshop £45
And again at Topshop - a slouch midnight blazer. This is perfection and everything I would personally want in a party jacket.
Slouch Velvet Jacket from Topshop £49
However I've saved the best to last. It's statement with a small s. Subtle but dressy. THIS is the one I would be getting. Although I have to say the two velvet blazers from Topshop are edging their way onto the podium.
Vero Moda Jacket with Fluted Sleeves £50
Are you a fan of the statement jacket? I find them infinitely useful for those occasions when you really don't know what to wear and don't know whether to under dress or over dress. We could call them the Goldilocks option in your wardrobe. They also usually layer under heavier coats. Speaking of which - how did everyone get on with the aviator jacket? I thought I was OVER them until I saw someone last week in what looked like it should have been from Acne or Dries Van Noten and it was a faux one from MONKI!
So I had said I wasn't going to put anything clotheswise on my Christmas list but honestly, I think I am in love with this coat.
Speaking of coats that make a statement - this is actually from last Sunday. Today was the 2yr anniversary of my mum passing away so we did rugby (was really lovely to catch up with friends actually) but I have then come back, put the tree up and totally forgot to take a photo. I will say I am wearing essentially this though, except I had a parka on instead of the faux sheepskin. This is classic Sunday rugby fare.
Coated skinnies - New Look (aw15)
Faux patchwork sheepskin - Topshop (aw14)
Boots - Seven Boot Lane (gift new season)
Hat and scarf - Black (gift new season)
Tools Bag - Balenciaga (aw16)
We are going to have a lovely evening watching a movie - the husband is cooking dinner (YES!) and I NEEEEEEEEEEEED to start properly thinking about Christmas presents. The tree is up, the children no longer believe in Santa *weeps* so I reckon I can start putting their presents wrapped under the tree? What do you do? As much as a small part of me died when I realised the Santa era was over, there was another part of me that was giddy at not having to hide presents (badly... and then explain how I came to have the gift that Santa was going to bring them - blah blah blah...!). All ideas gratefully received.
And for everyone who has asked for warmer coats and jackets - they're on the way. As, I believe, so is the snow at the end of the week. EEK.
...velvet. I say first, as this definitely isn't the last.
It's a toe in the velvet water as I know I definitely want something "velvety" (apparently a word - who knew?!) but I'm not entirely sure what.
This is therefore not my definitive say on the subject - not at all - this is the tip of the velvet iceberg. Expect velvet in Titanic proportions in the coming months.
Do I want just a top? What do we think about trousers? Are there lots of skirts out there? Or top to toe in a suit?
Let the research begin.
If you're just feeling like a touch of the soft stuff, then maybe a top is what you're looking for. The easiest way for most to slip a little velvet into your every day outfits. These would also though, be perfect for a night out too. And we all know how I love a bit of versatility.
Here they've been mostly teamed with skinnies but tucked into a skirt would be, in fact, my first choice for a night out. Or actually a pair of loose jeans and heels. I was going to write killer heels but actually all heels in my book are killer heels. If they're not , they're flats. Heels for the day just don't seem to factor really any more.
Farrell Ruched Velvet Front Tee £39 from Finery London
Nicola Velvet Tee from Boden £90 in Iron Ore with 10% off at Boden with the code 6T2C.
Or in the black (but I actually prefer the pewter above) again £90 pre discount.
Long sleeved and print at Monsoon. This has A/W written all over it. Dare I say I look at this one and feel the need to get my tree out. Seriously a sniff of a sequin and I am going to cracking out the mince pies.
Monsoon Joanna Velvet Print Top £79
Speaking of things that you could also dress up - may I present one of my favourite shape of trousers that I discovered last year - the Peg Leg.
Alan Black Velvet Peg Trousers from Finery London £119
And then the classic and much adored wide leg. In velvet drawstring. Divine. Whilst being perfectly easy to dress down. I'm not going to say this looks like my burgundy velour tracksuit (leisure suit really as it had a v neck top I believe...) I had in the '70s as it doesn't (I may also have had one in this blue, I recall), because they had cuffed legs, but even if it did, that wouldn't matter as I LOVED it. Didn't *everyone* have one??!
Wren Velvet Drawstring Trousers in navy from Great Plains £85
More wide legged trousers and clearly I am in the minority styling wise in thinking that these look better full length.
Velvet Palazzo Pants in Maroon from Mango £29.99
And in the black again £29.99
Skirts and a bargain at ASOS with the Moss Copenhagen Midi Skirt was £49.95 now £28
Kadife Velvet Skirt from Anthropologie £98
This however, has my name ALL over it. Going to hunt it out tomorrow.
Monsoon Tilly Printed Velvet Skirt £69
Perhaps though the blazer is the classic way to ease velvet seamlessly into your wardrobe.
Velvet Blazer £89.99
Floral Car Coat from Anthropologie £168
Personally, I'm thinking I may well embrace velvet in the same way I have fallen for print. As random as it sounds, I find it easier to go full on head to toe in one theme, as opposed to adding a touch to an outfit. I know. Makes no sense. But if you think about - it's the lazy way out. As it gives no option for it not working. I reckon lots of outfits don't work as you have to put a couple of styles together, but if you just wear one style - how can it go wrong? Clear as mud?!
Here's an example. Give me all the velvet.
Hatfield Twist Front Velvet Suit from Finery £89
These I adore but I wish, oh how I wish personally that they were longer.
Elva Dress from Hobbs £269
Regalia Dress from Hobbs £299
However call off the velvet dogs. This. Oh this is completely and utterly sublime. I have ZERO occasion to wear - seeing as I have my leopard print Ganni dress which I splurged on for the Red party and have to wear to every smart event known to man, till I am 50.
Julia Velvet Maxi Dress from Anthropologie £350
But I have to say, I am veering towards the suit option. I know - as random as that sounds, I am hankering after a velvet suit. It's clearly my inner 70s game show host trying to escape.
Vero Moda Tall Jacket in Velvet £50
And the matching trousers, again in tall (oh be still my beating heart..) £34
Two other suit options at Monsoon and Boden.
Dress down chic at Monsoon. A suit with joggers. I'm not sure I could love this any more. Especially as it's green.
Alicia Velvet Joggers £59 and Alicia Velvet Jacket £79 (this also comes in black...)
Pink at Boden (don't forget your discount above).
Velvet Emilia Blazer in Rose Blossom £130 With the matching trousers - the Velvet Trousers in Rose Blossom £80
So do I go pink or green.. pink or green....?? Or black. I can't go black can I?
Here I am today in my usual A/W texture of choice, cashmere and leather.
Grey cashmere jumper - Me+Em
Grey blazer - Me+Em
Leather leggings - hush
Edie Trainers - Jones The Bootmaker
Half Moon Bag - APC
Have you broken your velvet cherry yet? Or are you a dyed in the wool 70s chic and a cord only girl? What will your velvet crush be this season? Sorry - that was terrible - I'll get my coat... actually you need your coat now as it's getting definitely chillier, I will be back tomorrow with more outerwear options.
