A Shoe In

I have always loved shoes.  Specifically the Mary Jane kind.  Even when my whole wardrobe was black, I always had beautiful shoes, usually in a bright colour to detract from the black on my body.

Shoes are easy to fall in love with.  You walk into a shop or browse online and suddenly there they are, the perfect pair.  You fall a little bit in love.  The trouble is, they don't fall in love with you.  You make the compromises in the relationship.

I have always had various issues with the shoes that I wear.  My fit veers between an E and EE fitting so finding nice ones can be hard.  My balance is not the best (to say the least) so heel height is a problem.  I can't wear pointed shoes because of my issue with staircases.

That said, for the right pair of shoes I have always ignored these issues.  I have squeezed my feet into shoes that were too narrow, but were beautiful.  I have bought heels too high for my comfort because they were fabulous.

I was looking my shoe cupboard this weekend and there were so many shoes that I no longer wear or have never worn because I bought after falling in love, but in reality that just were not practical. A major clear out was in order and by the end, I have gotten rid of nine pairs of shoes.  Sob!

I decided that I needed a new philosophy when it comes to my shoe buying.  They can still be beautiful, but I need to be able to wear them in comfort.  Not in pain and not compromising what I can actually walk in without falling over.

Here are some that I am currently looking at:

I love these Vans Shoes from Skate Hut.  I would wear these on a casual weekend with jeans or alternatively, they would look great with a casual black dress.  There is no reason why you can't wear casual shoes with a nice dress.  I have seen Callie from From the Corners of the Curve do this really well.

I am just about to buy these wedges from SimplyBe as they will perfect for the summer.  Black which goes with anything, a wedge which negates some of the heel height and a good grip sole (which is it about summer sandals that have really slippery soles???)

These nude fit loafers from Evans are perfect for work and look so stylish and comfortable.  

These knee high boots from Yours and are available (like all the shoes I have featured in this post) available in an E fit.  With a heel height of 3 inches which is a manageable height, these boots with go wonderfully with a lovely dress or will style up a pair of jeans.

Those are my current picks for shoes that work with my limitations, whilst still being stylish and gorgeous.

Playing with Purple

This week seems to have been the purple week.  When I have looked into my wardrobe each night to see what I want to wear the following day, my hand has increasing been drawn to the purple end  of the spectrum.

Today I have for you the Purple PU Trim Shift Dress from +Scarlett Jo This dress is shortly than I would ordinarily wear but for these photographs I decided to get my legs out and have a play.  You could also easily wear this dress with tights and boots or even with leggings.

I love the PU detailing on the dress which gives it an edgier feel.

I have also decided to play around with an up do as the detailing on the dress practically demanded to be shown off.  Apologies about the lighting in some of these photographs, I am really struggling for good light conditions when I come home from work!

Dress from Scarlett & Jo - found here
Shoes: +Simply Be

Obligatory pout selfie

* This item was kindly gifted to me but all opinions are, as ever, my own.

A Summer OOTD

Today I thought that I would share with you an outfit that I wore this week when I went out for the day.   I wanted an outfit that would be cool given the gorgeous balmy weather we are currently having, but also with a bit of style to it.

What I ended up choosing was the +Simply Be  Tile Print Tea Dress which I picked up recently as I thought that it would be perfect for the Summer months.  With it I wanted a few pops of colour so I went with the Evans Turquoise Crossover Peeptoe Pumps * from +House of Fraser in a wide fit and also the Heart Pendant* 

The cotton dress kept me cool and calm all day and the gorgeous turquoise sandals were comfortable and gave the pop of colour to the outfit that I was looking for.

What are you wearing in the hot Summer days?

* Denoted gifted items but all opinions my own

Scarlett & Jo Feather Print Tunic Dress

I was recently contacted by the lovely Lucy of Scarlett & Jo and was asked if I wanted to review the Feather Print Tunic Dress.  Having seen pictures of the dress on the British Plus Size Fashion Weekend I already knew that I loved it and jumped at the chance.

The tunic dress comes with an underslip and then the chiffon over layer with the gorgeous feather print pattern.  The patterning is so beautiful but I wanted to try a different edge to my original idea of bare legs and sandals so I went with purple tights from +Yours Clothing and my new ankle boots from +Dorothy Perkins.

I like pieces that you can wear in different seasons with the aid of different accessories so until the weather warms up it will rocking the tights and boots look and then bare legs and pretty sandals in the Summer!

You can buy the tunic dress at +Evans here for £40.00   

* Item was sent for review, but all opinions are my own

BonMarche Lace Print Dress

Today on the blog I have for you an outfit that I wore to work yesterday. 

Bonmarche kindly allowed me to chose something from their New in range and I immediately spotted the Lace Print Dress by David Emanuel.  I was immediately drawn to the beautiful lace pattern on the jersey fabric and thought it would be an ideal dress for work.

It would also work well for going out for a meal in the evening but you know me, I am never knowingly under dress for anything!

I wore the dress yesterday at work with my trusty black cardigan from South  at +Very.co.uk together with my new red shoes from +Evans  and a gorgeous statement necklace that I bought on sale from +Dorothy Perkins 

If you decide to buy this dress I would advise to size down as I bought my usual size and it was a little roomier than I would normally wear.  At work with a cardigan though it worked just fine and I was comfortable all day.

*The dress was gifted to me by BonMarche.  All opinions are my own.

The Little Black Skirt

Like everyone else I have been watching the new +Pink Clove UK clothing site with interest.  They are producing fast fashion at really affordable prices and there are some really nice pieces on there.   I have the tartan dress and the blue wrap dress (so far haha).

I have been wanting to branch out from my little dress world into skirts lately but haven’t been able to find the right one that screamed “me”.  Then I saw this little number priced at £10.00 and immediately went to checkout.

I love the side split in the skirt which gives a little bit of sass to what is just a plain black midi skirt.  That’s what I little in my outfits, somewhere that has to be a little bit of sassiness to spice things up.

I have styled it with a black and white leopard print cardigan from +Next  and some red t bar shoes that I got in the sale from +Evans.  I also have on a pearl bracelet I picked up from a charity shop and a jet black necklace, I can't remember where I got this. 

I'm planning on this outfit for tomorrow, which will be today by the time you read this.  I'm thinking hair down, what do you think?

My Heart Skips a Beat

I am on the hunt.  The hunt for the perfect black ankle boot.  It has to go with both jeans and dresses and it has to have "that thing".

What is that thing you ask?  Well if you are a shoe addict you will know.  When you first set your eyes on a pair of shoes and your heart skips a beat.  There is a sharp intake of breath and a little voice inside you whispers "They are the ones".  There is an immediate bond.

I am not the type that can just buy a pair of shoes, they have to speak to me.  The Mary Jane style of shoe for example owns a little piece of my heart. 

When it comes to ankle boots for Winter, I tend to look for boots that are comfortable and can be worn with either a dress or jeans.  Something that is both versatile but still stylish.  Here are my favourites for the upcoming season.  One of these lovelies needs to be mine.

A/W Ankle Boots & a Pretty Bag by kittycoop featuring studded ankle booties

During my ankle boot search I also came across the perfect bag.  Crocodile skin and a bow, I practically swooned.  Isn't it just perfect?

What are your favourites for the upcoming season?

MSVJ5M626AVD 

May Wishlist

I am quite certain that you could lure me to practically anything if the words “Pretty Dress” were included.  I can’t help myself.

I have been looking around at the new dresses available and have fallen in love with a few that I thought I would share with you.

PeacockSkater Dress Desire Clothing £32.00

RedMulti Floral Dress Lovedrobe £40.00

PaisleyMaxi Dress AX Paris at New Look £35.00

KissPrint Dress – Evans £45.00

 I recently discovered Desire Clothing through a blog post done by the lovely Mrs Bebe.  I love the peacock pattern of the dress and the contrast of blue at the neck and waist.  As to the gorgeous red floral dress from @_Lovedrobe_ , well it's just fabulous isn't it?  I absolutely adore the floral print and the black edging.

I previously saw the paisley maxi dress on the +AX Paris site in their regular size collection and was praying that it would also be created for their Curve section so I was delighted when I found on the @NewLookFashion site.

Finally, the kiss print dress which was modelling by the gorgeous @CallieThorpe of From the Corners of the Curve.  I thought the dress looked amazing on her and I'm itching to see what it would look like on me.

I have previously done a roundup of my favourite dresses back in March and happily managed to buy one of them (read unable to resist so bought with my eyes closed at my bank balance).  I think you’ll agree though that the +Simply Be  dress as worn here is one I had to have ;)

What are your favourite dresses at the moment?

Review: Scarlett & Jo Pink Floaty Dress

I was recently lucky enough to be asked by +Evans to review the Pink Floaty Dress from their new range from Scarlett & Jo.

The hot pink of the dress is gorgeous and the fit is true to size.  I would actually probably classify this dress as a tunic myself as at 5ft 4 I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it without opaque tights or leggings.  It hits me at around two inches above the knee.

I've styled the dress today with black leggings and my new sandals which work well for a daytime look but equally the dress would be fantastic with a statement necklace, some opaque tights and skyscraper heels.  Unfortunately due to an injured foot I can't show you that look!

The dress can be found at Evans in sizes 14-26, priced at £35.00 which is a great price considering that it is a dress that can be styled up or down depending on where you are going.  I will probably use this dress as a go to for when I go out in the afternoon and want to style up in the evening, without having to go home to change.

What do you wear for the afternoon/evening look?

I have not been paid to write this blog and the opinions in the same are honest and my own.

March Lovelies

From time to time (read every other day) I like to look at the various clothing websites and pick out dresses that I love, regardless of price.  Although it is slightly like dress torture, as usually I am looking when I can't afford to buy, there is no harm in looking and I think it helps to keep on trend.

Here are my March ladies that I am lusting after, some in my price range, some not, all absolutely fabulous:

1.  Chesca Butterfly Print Dress £195.00 found here
2.  SimplyBe Enchanted Print Dress £35.00 found here
3.  AX Paris Laser Cut PU Scallop Skirt £30.00 found here
4.   New Look Ruby Rocks Monochrome Layered Dress £25.00 found here
5.  Asos Curve Skater Dress £28.00 found here
6.  Very - South Mono Floral Print Dress £49.00 found here

What are your favourites of the month?