Monthly Archives: September 2014

The essential transitional piece

I know you have all been dealing with an Indian Summer in the UK and here in Atlanta we are unseasonably cool – but it won’t last. The challenge is when do we pack the Summer closet away and commit to Fall? Well one piece that I find saves my umming and ahhing over what to wear at this time of year is a sleeveless jacket. It provides the added weight and warmth that you may crave early morning, along with some stylish tailoring, without fully committing to a full on coat.

Images : Pinterest.com

The high street has several great options right now, starting with these from Zara:

I particularly love this first one that is also worn by Brooklyn Blonde here and above.

Mango are also a great reliable source of on trend jackets:

I adore this military inspired jacket:

However, for a true timeless classic this one cannot be beaten:

And here is my interpretation. My sleeveless jacket is last year’s from Marks & Spencer who currently have this one available at just £13.99 reduced from £45!

Jacket – M&S (old) // Trousers – Zara coated chinos (old) // Top – Zara cross over top (old) // Shoes – Vince Claire // Bag – Zara

Will you be wearing the sleeveless trend this Fall?

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”293868″]

How do you feel about hats?

15 Replies

I was never a hat person till a few years ago. Here in the US most people must own at least one baseball cap even if they never wear it. I found it easy to start wearing caps to sporting events like NASCAR, baseball and football, and then I found myself gravitating to wearing them out and about on a bad hair day. Now I own several and I’ve just added a J.Crew felt Fedora to my collection. I LOVE it. This is a S/M I’m wearing but if you have a lot of hair you may need to size up.

Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury // Jeans – H&M // T-shirt – J.Crew // Hat – J.Crew // Bag – Alexander Wang (old off TheOutnet.com – similar here on sale)

This Fedora is a perfect size for me – the brim isn’t too big and it sits nicely on top of my head. I’m always scared of being overwhelmed by hats having short hair. It comes in grey, navy and black, and all three colors are classics.

If I had longer hair I’d love any of these broader brimmed hats from ASOS.

Have you been tempted by a Fedora yet? I think you’ll be surprised how easy they are to wear – I certainly got plenty of compliments at the Mall this morning – though the Husband says he feels like he should be sitting in The Blind Beggar with me…or that I have an uncanny resemblance to Dave Angel, Eco Warrier.

Yesterday I was dashing around and had to throw something on quickly after yoga. This River Island dress is brilliant – simple to wear yet it certainly makes a statement.

Boots – Isabel Marant // Dress – River Island via ASOS

After doing a bunch of returns at the Mall this morning and cleaning my windows we’re now off for margaritas and tacos – perfect! Happy weekend!

30% OFF EVERYTHING

4 Replies

Get 30% off everything this weekend at MANGO – just click here and use code 5WEEKEND3 in the US and code 5WEEKEND in the UK at checkout!

You can get my leather skirt while it’s discounted! ENJOY!

Fall dressing

9 Replies

I have my meteorologist hat on but can I just say how freakin’ amazing the weather is here in Atlanta. To coincide with the beginning of Fall, temperatures have dropped, the skies are clear, and there is even a beautiful breeze today. It makes me want to head out for a hike or go apple picking! It is just incredible weather. With that in mind it also sent me giddy with delight that I can now start wearing Fall clothes! I always feel I have to wait for the temperature to drop to the 70s and it is usually very unpredictable as to when that might happen here. My kids have been known to swelter in furry Halloween costumes.

I’m transitioning gradually and still have my toes on show, and the legs will be bare till November no doubt!

Shoes – Nine West Oslo // Dress – River Island (old) // Jacket – Marks & Spencer (old) // Bag – H&M

Later yesterday I ended up trying on the MiH Phoebe jeans that bought in the sale in the summer. Back then I couldn’t get in them and they have been my incentive to lose a few pounds. Thanks to the hot yoga, running and Jenny Craig I can now get in my 28″ jeans – YES!

Sneakers – Adidas Gazelles // Jeans – MiH Phoebe (in the sale here!) // T-shirt – Mango // Cap – J.Crew

Today I am blatantly copying Kat. I have been lusting after her Zara skirt since she snagged it in the sale. I love the color, the length and the shape and thought I had missed the boat completely. Until that is I saw this appear at Mango. I have bought several leather items from Mango recently, and I have to say for the price their quality is amazing. The leather on this skirt is so soft to the touch, yet not too thin. It is also fully lined and has a comfortable elastic waistband. This is a Eur L/US M and I could have fitted in a smaller size but these days with leather skirts I prefer to go up a size so they are not too short or too tight, and I can wear them lower on my hip rather than my waist (when I can find my waist!). I cannot recommend this skirt enough – I was worried it would be too short but I am 5’6″ and it falls perfectly. I am thrilled with it.

Skirt – Mango // Shoes – Nine West Kurrious // Sweatshirt – Zara (old) // Bag – H&M

I must also mention that my favorite boots from Stuart Weitzman are customizable right now! You can currently order my favorite Highland boot, or the flat version – the Lowland in your choice of color! You can choose from 10 colors but orders must be submitted before 10.6.2014! Presonally I’ll take the Highland in navy and the Lowland in burgundy – totally lush!

The celebrations continued…

9 Replies

How did it get to Monday again? My weekend flew by as they always tend to do these days with all the activities we have to cram in for the kids! Friday night, however, was just for me and the Husband. Another wonderful celebration of 16 years of marriage – great food, great company and great wine at Abattoir – our special place where we love to celebrate our special times.

I wore my AllSaints dress that I bought back in the sale. It is a deep navy and the silk feels so perfect for a date night. There was some BIG hair going on too! The shoes are currently 33% off at Nordstrom – get them while you can – they are the MOST comfortable heels I own.

Shoes – Sam Edelman Anastasia // Bag – H&M // Dress – AllSaints

Today it’s back to work and the beautiful Fall weather has arrived in Atlanta – gorgeous sunshine with no humidity. To celebrate I decided to air the Stuart Weitzmans for the first time. These are the Leman that I harped on about back here. I love these shoes. They are true to size and fit perfectly, not to mention the leather is gorgeous.

Shoes – Stuart Weitzman Leman // Trousers – Mango (now on sale) // T-shirt – J.Crew (similar here on sale plus extra 30% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Jacket – J.Crew (25% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Bag – H&M

Do you have any new Fall favorites yet?

Another year

23 Replies

16 years ago today I married the man of my dreams. Actually I never dreamt I would snag such a good one who would tolerate me so well for all this time 🙂

We began our celebrations on Wednesday night by going retro with an Erasure gig. Andy Bell didn’t fail to disappoint with his voice or his hot pants! I skipped the pleather shorts and wore my River Island jumpsuit which I never got a full length shot of, sorry, but it’s now on sale at ASOS!

I was a little worse for wear on Wednesday after a late, late night on Tuesday. An old friend from the UK was in town so I had to take him out for a few drinks no? I got home at 3am after eating just 5 oysters all night – yikes! I cannot do it anymore! I wore my fab Zara jumpsuit for the occasion. Just be warned NEVER leave it to the last minute to have a pee when wearing a jumpsuit! As the night gets later they can get more and more challenging to remove! The shoes were bought in the UK in the Coast sale and the bag is current H&M. I am in LOVE with the fringe!

Today my Husband surprised me with lunch out and tonight we’re off for dinner. Thank goodness I killed myself at Hot Yoga again this morning – I’m telling you it is the best exercise in the world and so invigorating!

Here’s my lunch attire – still debating over what to wear tonight! This leather skirt is fabulous – so soft and easy to wear. This is a Eur L/US M so it is nice and slouchy and not too tight or short.

Leather skirt – Mango // T-shirt – Marks & Spencer (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Bag – H&M

And here we are – all loved up after all this time – gosh I’m a lucky lady!

Easy dressing

14 Replies

In between cheer practices, runs, shelf assembly and dog walks, I dashed into Target on Sunday – mainly to stock up on Fall fashions for the kids, but also to take a quick peek at the Altuzarra collection for Target. If you are waiting for your package to arrive from NAP you may want to skip this part. In fact even though it is beautifully presented on NAP, I still don’t get why they are selling these collaborations, though it obviously increases the hype and desirability. In the flesh I was really disappointed.

I’ve read lots of bloggers who have loved it and even claim it is the best collaboration to date. Maybe it is my familiarity with Target that clouds my judgement. I love Target, don’t get me wrong. As I have mentioned for kids clothes they are fabulous – great value and great designs – but their women’s wear always seems cheap – which of course it is. Overall I found the fabrics on the Altuzarra items to be cheap feeling, and the finishing was poor – but having said that where else can you get designer duds for less than $50 a piece? My problem is I see them as Target, not designer. I just don’t get it. Why would you want to wear something that is instantly recognizable as Altuzarra FOR TARGET? One of the reasons I didn’t buy anything in the Pete Pilloto collection was that I recognize it through a crowd instantly. Anyway here are the photos so you can make your own decision.

I loved the color of these trousers but the velvet felt stiff and thin, and the finishing on the waistband was poor.

I loved the dresses till I inspected them close up – the sequins seemed cheap and the finishing poor.

This sweatshirt is nice – but really crumpled on the the hanger and there were threads hanging off everyone of them! Plus that print is too recognizable for me.

I liked the peasant blouse and the shirt on the hanger. However, the peasant top did nothing for me at all…I tried to like it but just so not me.

I liked the shirt a lot, and I actually carried it to the till, but I changed my mind, deciding I was buying for the hype and not because I loved it. I have no regrets about leaving it behind.

Maybe if the presentation in Target was nicer I’d be more enamored, but Target still feels like Target to me. I’m passing on this one.

The week to date has been crazy too with Drs appointments and school conferences, so I find a dress, jacket and sneakers is the easiest way to dress to stay presentable and comfortable.

Drop waist dress – ASOS // Sneakers – J.Crew (on sale plus an extra 30% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Jacket – J.Crew (extra 25% off with SHOPFORFALL)

Skate shoes – Marks & Spencer (old) // Dress – ASOS // Jacket – Zara (old)

Did you buy from the Altuzarra collection? Am I being too harsh?

Capes, blankets, shawls or throws?

21 Replies

I don’t care what you call them – I am officially obsessed. If you haven’t seen images similar to these then you have been hiding under a rock for the past two months – good for you! This is the Burberry Blanket which you can pay a ridiculous amount extra to have monogrammed with your initials. Unfortunately it is already sold out.

So what happens now? Even if you have $1400 stuffed under your sofa cushions you can’t buy one. Well thank goodness we have ASOS. The only challenge now is to choose which one. Or, if you’re not one for challenges, just buy them all.

Plain black cape:

Cape with burgundy stripe:

Reversible camel cape:

Grey color blocked cape:

Aren’t they gorgeous? I personally adore the burgundy striped cape – the perfect Fall color and one which you will see me wearing a lot of this year. I can see myself wearing it over jeans and a tee with my burgundy Newburys. I have, however, just ordered the camel cape in lieu of a camel coat. Not only are these capes gorgeous and well priced at less than $50, they also stink of practicality for our Atlanta Fall/Winter climate. I’ll even be using mine now for throwing around my shoulders in our frigid office air conditioning.

Another new purchase arrived this week, which I am head over heels with. Instead of the Chanel Boy bag that I’ve been holding out for (yeah right in my dreams!) I have been cruising for a bag with a chain. I ordered these to compare from Zara. Unfortunately they are all stunning and I haven’t brought myself to return any of them yet!

The last one is definitely staying – it’s slightly smaller than the other two but has the added versatility of a clutch as you can remove the long strap. It’s a fabulous price for real leather too. I used it to go to my regular Friday lunch alone that has now become one of the highlights of my week!

Here is what I wore, with the Anya Hindmarch bag before switching!

Bag – Anya Hindmarch (old from TheOutnet.com) // Shoes – Vince Nina // Jeans – Zara (similar here) // Tee – Mango (old) // Jacket – Zara jersey jacket (old)

And finally my outfit from Thursday. which was crammed with work, conferences and vet visits!

Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury (old from TheOutnet.com) // Dress – ASOS (on sale now at just $21)

So will you be donning a cape this season?

NYFW – part 2 – the rewardStyle party

23 Replies

After an early night on Friday I was up and raring to go on Saturday morning. There were a couple of things that I had promised myself that I would do while NYC on my own – one was to head for a run in Central Park, which I did! Even in the crazy, nasty humidity that morning!

Sweat I did, but it felt good, I was cleansed and ready to imbibe again! That started with the second thing I’d promised myself – coffee and an egg and bacon roll from a deli on the way back to the hotel!

It was still only 10am so I decided I had time to mooch around the shops before I had to get ready for the rewardStyle blogger party that started at 3pm. Given how hot it was still I threw on a Mango t-shirt and denim shorts with my Avarcas pons – perfect for beating the heat in the City.

The party was held at the Empire Hotel next to Central Park – so I had decided to stay in Times Square. This was my only error of the weekend. I HATE Times Square. Tell me please why people will queue for hours to get into TGIF, Ruby Tuesdays or the Shake Shack when they can dine at the most amazing places in the USA, for the same price, just a few blocks away? It baffles me.

Still I had fun and it was easy to walk across 46th to 5th to get to all the stores. Though I have to say I spent longer in the American Girl Store than I really wanted to – mainly as their air conditioning was so welcome! I managed to snag the cheer outfit for Poppy which she was thrilled with.

From there I nipped into one of my favorite shoe stores – Stuart Weitzman. I just wanted to ‘look’ of course – but I ended up trying the Highland in charcoal and the Leman in black and white. I fell in love with both immediately, especially the Highland which I wore a lot last season in black (here, here, and here). This season they have raised the bar with their boots and shoes!

I’ve had an obsession with black and white lace ups since I saw Victoria wearing hers.

I stunned myself by walking out of the store empty handed – but only because they didn’t have my size! Trying on shoes when it is hot and sticky is pretty nasty too! 🙂

So then it was back to the hotel and I was ready in less than an hour – I was quite impressed! I did have a little dither over which shoes to wear though!

In the end I opted for the Sam Edelman Anastasias in grey – they coordinated really well with the AllSaints Rip it Up sweater dress and gave an edgier vibe than the originally intended Vince Claires.

I met some fun people and even Coco Rocha was there! After a thrilling day I was in bed by 10pm – that wouldn’t have been the case 20 years ago in NYC!

NYFW trip part 1

13 Replies

Phew – back in Atlanta. I love going away but I love coming home even more! It was actually a fabulously indulgent weekend on my own, which involved shopping, eating and a party for good measure! I have to say, of all my visits to NYC, this was by far the hottest and most humid it has ever been – it was pretty uncomfortable – so I had to keep popping in lovely places for the air conditioning 🙂

Before I left I had my haircut – thanks to Chadd and Gina yet again for making me feel absolutely amazing – no clothes can do what a great haircut can.

To travel in I wore my James Perse wrap dress and Golden Goose glitter sneakers – I was in such a rush for the cab I didn’t get a full length shot! Atlanta Hartsfield airport certainly got an eyeful of my cleavage though!

Of course I had the obligatory cocktail before boarding.

I was starving when I arrived so after dropping my bags at the InterContinental, Times Square I jumped on the Subway straight down to SoHo. My first meal had to be a Jack’s Wife Freda. I’d been fantasizing about it ever since I was there back at the end of May with Cali. It’s one of those great bar/restaurants where I could eat every meal from breakfast to dinner – and I almost did!

I then ended up in AllSaints around the corner – how convenient! I purchased the amazing Agi dress (UK 12) and the incredible Haff sweater (Medium) – I just love a cold shoulder and it makes this chunky knit super sexy! You must visit the SoHo location when you are next there – the staff are brilliant and could not have been more helpful. Trying on knits in 90 degree heat was not my idea of fun and they were super accommodating.

To celebrate my purchases I popped into Balthazar for a margarita.

You may notice I did also manage to find time to nip into Uniqlo for my Husband. Last year I bought their great Men’s cashmere crewnecks for myself and this year he requested the cardigans – the quality is outstanding for $99!

That turned out to be enough excitement for Friday – and I was in bed by 8pm!! How things change!

I’ll be back with all the exciting events of Saturday soon! Now off to take my sweet fur babies out for a walk – I missed them like crazy!

Poppy's Style

My blog about fashion, family, friends and fun.

Monthly Archives: September 2014

The essential transitional piece

Jacket – M&S (old) // Trousers – Zara coated chinos (old) // Top – Zara cross over top (old) // Shoes – Vince Claire // Bag – Zara

How do you feel about hats?

Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury // Jeans – H&M // T-shirt – J.Crew // Hat – J.Crew // Bag – Alexander Wang (old off TheOutnet.com – similar here on sale)

Boots – Isabel Marant // Dress – River Island via ASOS

30% OFF EVERYTHING

Fall dressing

Shoes – Nine West Oslo // Dress – River Island (old) // Jacket – Marks & Spencer (old) // Bag – H&M

Sneakers – Adidas Gazelles // Jeans – MiH Phoebe (in the sale here!) // T-shirt – Mango // Cap – J.Crew

Skirt – Mango // Shoes – Nine West Kurrious // Sweatshirt – Zara (old) // Bag – H&M

The celebrations continued…

Shoes – Sam Edelman Anastasia // Bag – H&M // Dress – AllSaints

Shoes – Stuart Weitzman Leman // Trousers – Mango (now on sale) // T-shirt – J.Crew (similar here on sale plus extra 30% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Jacket – J.Crew (25% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Bag – H&M

Another year

Leather skirt – Mango // T-shirt – Marks & Spencer (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Bag – H&M

Easy dressing

Drop waist dress – ASOS // Sneakers – J.Crew (on sale plus an extra 30% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Jacket – J.Crew (extra 25% off with SHOPFORFALL)

Skate shoes – Marks & Spencer (old) // Dress – ASOS // Jacket – Zara (old)

Capes, blankets, shawls or throws?

Bag – Anya Hindmarch (old from TheOutnet.com) // Shoes – Vince Nina // Jeans – Zara (similar here) // Tee – Mango (old) // Jacket – Zara jersey jacket (old)

Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury (old from TheOutnet.com) // Dress – ASOS (on sale now at just $21)

NYFW – part 2 – the rewardStyle party

NYFW trip part 1

Jacket – M&S (old) // Trousers – Zara coated chinos (old) // Top – Zara cross over top (old) // Shoes – Vince Claire // Bag – Zara

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury // Jeans – H&M // T-shirt – J.Crew // Hat – J.Crew // Bag – Alexander Wang (old off TheOutnet.com – similar here on sale)

Boots – Isabel Marant // Dress – River Island via ASOS

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Shoes – Nine West Oslo // Dress – River Island (old) // Jacket – Marks & Spencer (old) // Bag – H&M

Sneakers – Adidas Gazelles // Jeans – MiH Phoebe (in the sale here!) // T-shirt – Mango // Cap – J.Crew

Skirt – Mango // Shoes – Nine West Kurrious // Sweatshirt – Zara (old) // Bag – H&M

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Shoes – Sam Edelman Anastasia // Bag – H&M // Dress – AllSaints

Shoes – Stuart Weitzman Leman // Trousers – Mango (now on sale) // T-shirt – J.Crew (similar here on sale plus extra 30% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Jacket – J.Crew (25% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Bag – H&M

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Leather skirt – Mango // T-shirt – Marks & Spencer (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Bag – H&M

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Drop waist dress – ASOS // Sneakers – J.Crew (on sale plus an extra 30% off with SHOPFORFALL) // Jacket – J.Crew (extra 25% off with SHOPFORFALL)

Skate shoes – Marks & Spencer (old) // Dress – ASOS // Jacket – Zara (old)

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Bag – Anya Hindmarch (old from TheOutnet.com) // Shoes – Vince Nina // Jeans – Zara (similar here) // Tee – Mango (old) // Jacket – Zara jersey jacket (old)

Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury (old from TheOutnet.com) // Dress – ASOS (on sale now at just $21)

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Related articles

Share this:

Like this: