Capsule Wardrobe| Re-Styling Most Worn Items From Summer To Autumn
End Of Summer
I cannot believe that its SEPTEMBER! Where did the Summer go? I have to admit I have been very unbalanced of late. With the children on their 6 week Hols, I have been neglecting our Blog, and have been spending some quality time with them. From Swimming, Bike Riding, Kayaking, Shopping, Walking, Dancing, and so much more. It has been such a fun 6 weeks, but alas its over and I need to get back to the grind. Not that I’m complaining, I, like many other people, love this time of year. For me its like New Year. New start to school term, the air is thinning due to change in seasons and its full of promise. Having some time away has recharged my batteries and given me a new focus. I have a load of new content coming up in the next few weeks. So look forward to seeing more make-up reviews, tutorials, Style, more Capsule Wardrobe, Hair tutorials and Vlogs.
I wanted to share my last outfit of the Summer, well not much of a summer in the North!. I like to layer anytime of the year, as you never know when you are going to be caught out. Having a capsule wardrobe means that most items have to be multi-purpose and this Zara Floral A-Line dress is just that. It works brilliantly as a light layer, using it as a long coat. A Band Tee and pair of Cons just tie everything together and I’m ready to face the day.
Zara Floral A-line Dress| Band Tee|7 For All Mankind Jeans|Black Converse
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Come and Say Hi….
Mules Are Back
Yes they certainly are, and I feel a little uneasy about it. I first wore this trend back in the late 90’s. I had a Mock Croc Pair, they were from Miss Selfridge and I loved them!. I have tried to resist this trend as you well know if you are reader of this Blog, that for me Fast Fashion is for those who have no opinion and when everyone is rushing out to buy the next trend I am slowly making my way too it as and when I see fit. However, this style of shoe has so many practical benefits that I can only ignore it for so long but for it needs to be part of my shoe family.
This particular pair were in the sale and I love the little quirky detail where it still has the back on so as to keep you guessing is it a shoe or is it a mule?? I picked these up in the Summer Sale from Miss Selfridge. I find this brand a little hit and miss. I feel overall that its lost its way a bit. I fear gone are the glory days (I used to be a Brand Manager to Miss Selfridge in the 00’s) when Miss S Dominated the young lady fashion of the day. Never the less when they do get it, they get it really right. These Mules are a testimony to that, they are a gorgeous rustic colour with a nice suede finish. The heel is slightly higher than I would normally go for, but I will let it go, as the price was far too good to pass up.
I have been wearing these with my Navy culottes and as here with my camel pair. I also love how the colour contrasts so beautifully with a dark blue denim….Lovely!! Such a great shoe that can be casual down or dressed up to the nines!. Have you tried this season Mules yet? Would you try them? Let me know in the comments below.
You can shop the below (some pieces are not available, but I have found great alternatives)
Goodbye Old Friend- Converse All Stars HiTops
I am not one to be sentimental over things, it is a curse and a blessing. It wasn’t until I had children, that I began to become sentimental. The smell of a softener that I used when I washed babies first clothes in, a pair of first socks, were their feet ever that small!! and a pair of Cons, I treated myself to after giving birth to our third child. These said ‘Cons’ have sadly disintegrated and reluctantly was going to chuck them out, until I was stopped in my tracks by a memory. It came like a lightening bolt and holding those shoes in my hands I was reminded of how I felt when I put on these cons for the first time. Our third child was only 2 weeks old and Richard wanted to take us to the local pub for dinner. It was going to be the be my first outing still recovering from major surgery, the first Pram outing and of course with baby Louis. So, these Cons are so special to me because of the many firsts I have had in them!. Alas, they have had their day, and I needed a new pair. I scoured the internet and found nearly the same on SALE at La Redoute. I know in times past I moan about La Redoute delivery times, but because I wasn’t in a hurry and it was a Bargain price I was willing to wait.
The Converse All Stars Hi Tops are one of my favorite trainers. You can wear them pretty much every outfit and yes I have worn them under a ball gown before now, because they are so versatile and comfy. Today is a perfect example of this, White shirt knotted around the waist and a black maxi skirt is all you need. I find Maxi skirts difficult to wear at the best of times, but sling on a pair of Cons and instantly transforms your whole look. Definitely a must for any Capsule Wardrobe.
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How To Style A White Shirt 8 Ways
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e49OaE7sePw
Hi Everyone
I hope everyone is o.k
Today I thought I would share with you 8 different ways you can style a Plain white shirt. A White Shirt is one of the most versatile pieces in anyone’s wardrobe. It is the gift that keeps on giving!
I hope you enjoy!
Outfit 1
Zara Navy Culottes
Metallic Sliver Sliders (old)
Outfit 2
Topshop Cami (last Season)
Topshop Stem HemJeans (old)
Carvala Court Shoes (Sooo Old)
Outfit 3
Mango Black trousers sold out
New Look Nude Sandals old
Outfit 4
New Look Black Maxi Skirt
Topshop Cross Sandals
Outfit 5
Topshop Step hem Jeans
Outfit 6
Oasis Short Jeans (12 years old!!)
Topshop Cross Sandals
Forever 21 T-shirt
Outfit 7
Zara Stripe T-shirt
Topshop Cross sandals
Outfit 8
River Island Camel Cropped Trousers (old)
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If you would like to work with us, please Email naomi@richardhallstyling.co.uk
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The Maxi Dress
I dread this time of year for one thing only, and that’s when the Maxi dress appears. Normally during the winters months, this style of dress is saved for Weddings. For me, to say I dislike maxi dresses is a under statement. They remind me of when I was pregnant with our first child and maternity wear was dreadful. You were resigned to look like a you were wearing a potato sack the whole time and that during the time you were not meant to look stylish at all. I was only 24 and still wanted to look stylish and young. So as you can read, Maxi dresses just remind me of a less stylish time, now if I was to wear one I just look like am expecting all over again! So, when Izabel London kindly offered for me to choose some items from their collection, I could not get over how stunning their maxi dresses are. Now I am not a person who will give up easily on trying different styles, so I decided to challenge myself and to pick out two beautiful maxi dresses.
I chose this Floral Print Wrap Over Maxi for the colour. Stunning sky blue and dainty flower print really are a marriage made. The cut of the dress is not your standard maxi, as it wraps over the top part of the body, which is extremely flattering if you are quite well endowed in that area. I find this dress such a easy piece to wear. I teamed it with my favorite wedge espadrilles to give me a little height to show off how slimming this dress can be with the right accessories. I like how with its floral print, and wrap over style which is reminiscence of the early 20th century tea dresses, giving that vintage feel to the dress.
The next dress I chose, was this one from Izabel London, Stella Morgan range Multi Red Maxi Dress. I was drawn to the Aztec inspired print that screams summer to me. It has ruching around the rib cage area which helps to give your waist some definition because its not a empire which would normally sit under the bust. The skirt is very full, and I enjoyed swishing around in this dress. I took these photos on the hottest day of the year (hence my sour face!!) and it was so cool and airy to wear. I teamed this dress with Topshop Cross Strap Sandals, which I thought worked brilliantly with it. I love the bright colours and the pattern it makes me feel ready for a summer holiday. It just goes to show when you try a different cut of a Maxi dress it can really change your perception. I think I can safely say, I have rekindled my love for Maxi Dresses AGAIN.
Thank you again for Izabel London for these beautiful dresses. I hope you liked these dresses. Will you be wearing a maxi dress this summer? If you are in the market for a Maxi dress, why not give Izabel London a try.
How Original, Florals For Spring!
Its true though ‘Florals For Spring, How Original’. If you pay close attention, the same patterns of trends come around again and again, with each changing season. Florals, Nautical’s, and Bright colour palettes for Spring/Summer are the usual suspects. If you want your money to go further you will practice what I like to call ‘backward spending’. I always buy things in the sale that I know I will wear for the next season. For example: in January I noticed my Leather/Faux fur lined Winter Coat was starting to fall apart. So I waited until February when the End of Season sale was on and all the winter coats go into sale and ‘bam!’ sure enough I picked up a absolute bargain of a coat. I wore it for the next couple of months and now have put into to storage until next Autumn. This way you can always bag yourself a bargain and maybe just be able to buy those more pricey-er items that inevitably last you a bit longer, but you have not pay the full price tag. There’s a little tip I thought I would share with you all, to help us all be more mindful with our spending.
This dress from Zara literally smacked me in the face when I first clapped eyes on it – Stripes and Florals ‘oh come on!’ This dress speaks to me on soooo many levels. First its ankle length, Yes! No unnecessary Leg Shaving, Diagonal stripes, Which is flattering on all figures. Pretty shades of pink,lilac,lemon,mint green based on a off white background. The cut of the dress is cinched in at the waist, with a A-Line skirt with bags of billowing material which as you can see from the pictures I had such fun with!. I teamed this look with Flared Black Suit Trousers from Mango to show how versatile this dress could be. I will also be using it as a longline coat over a White Tee and Black Skinny Jeans. Also what about over a swimsuit or bikini while your lounging by the pool on holiday? Sooo many options, you just cant go wrong with this dress.
What a dress, four looks in one! Well worth the price tag. Are Florals your thing? Will you be wearing Florals this season? Let me know in the comments below. Also check out some other Floral dresses, Black Flared Trousers and Espadrilles that will get you in the Summer mood down below.
- Zara Floral and Striped Dress
- Mango Flared Suit Trousers
- Espadrilles Spring to it (old)
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Capsule Wardrobe- Wardrobe Clearout To Spring/Summer
Nineties Called
When I was looking through Pinterest yesterday (follow ours here) I have been pinning a lot of wide trousers looks or kick flare trousers to just detract from the daily Denim, which can suffocate my creative juices from time to time. It occurred to me that this look was familiar to me and then it hit me, I wore this exact look head to toe back in 1998. There I was only 17 years old, a mere whipper snapper, and I had just spent my entire weeks wages on a French Connection Denim Jacket from the local designer boutique, which was such a great fitting jacket back in the day. So there I was with my Jigsaw Black Wide Leg trousers, White tee and Nike Cortez. Im not so into Nike Cortez this time around, as I feel that they look cheap. I think its the sole that lets it down. So instead I have replaced these with my trusty Stan Smiths. This is one of the most comfortable, yet still feels smart enough to wear for the office or even doing the school run. The trousers mentioned here are from my recent Capsule Wardrobe series (click here for Inspo) I picked them up from Mango. They are a dead ringer for my old Jigsaw ones, those babies would of kept going had I not had actual babies and went up 3 dress sizes… moo!! Any who there is no good pinning over lost figures and make the most of the NEW figure you may of gained after doing your fair share in helping to populate the planet!
The outfit I’m wearing is a Denim Jacket I bought well over 3 years ago from HM. Its a classic,fitted style, with a White double pocket shirt from Zara, Stan smith trainers and the star of the show-Mango Kick Flare Suit trousers. I featured this recently in my How to Shop for a Capsule Wardrobe video and they are the longest trousers EVER!! so if your not 5’11 then you better know a good seamstress. Once you have overcome that hurdle the trousers just hug in all the right places and because it a concealed fastening at the front it really streamlines any hint of a food baby or in my case still hoofing around the old baby weight!!
- HM Denim Jacket (old) Dupe
- Zara White Shirt (old)
- Mango Flared Trousers Dupe
- Stan Smiths
Have a butchers below at some of my other picks to achieve this look.
How To Shop For A Capsule Wardrobe Spring Edit
