The Look for Less: Burberry Prossum SS14

Think pink! Another colour trend for SS14 is pink.  It's been spotted on the catwalks of Henry Holland, Temperley, Tom Ford and Chanel amongst others, in a range of tones and hues. I particularly like the candy pinks that are available - brighter and more fun than more common pastel shades.  Add some lace and layers and one is totally en vogue for the season!

So for this post, I am channelling Burberry Prorsum as seen during London Fashion week!

I found a great floral lace pink blouse at Marisota that is not dissimilar to the top of the dress above. It's just £18, reduced from £65. One could tuck the peplum into the skirt ir leave it as is. But hurry as it's selling out!

The blouse can then be combined with this Jacquard lace pencil skirt (below) from New Look.  It's just £19.99, comes in sizes 6 to 18 and a range of colours (black, blue, light and dark pink).

To complete the look, one could pair the skirt and blouse with some silver metallic heels - or go candy pink mad with pink courts and clutch bag!  I think this outfit would work really well for a wedding or similar more formal occasion.  A designer look, for a fraction of the price: true savvy chic, canny style!

Liana Silk Blouse from Phase Eight

Phase Eight are offering 20% off all items on the site with the code SS14, until 9th March.  There are some beautiful, classic pieces there including a wonderful selection of dresses perfect for Spring and Summer.

However, I've spotted this luxurious 100% silk blouse from their Italian Collection.  Despite the high quality, I think it's a versatile top that could be worn for almost any occasion.  It could be paired with skinny jeans and pumps for an elegant daytime look, or dressed up with a more formal skirt and heels for an evening look.  It comes in sizes extra small to extra large and, with the discount, is £47.20 - not bad for a bit of luxury!

There's also free delivery for £50+ spends as well as free returns, which are both a bonus.

Beaded Flapper Style Top from Jigsaw

I don't think the 1920's Great Gatsby trend will be going out of style for a while yet - plenty of New Year's Eve parties had it as their theme as far as I can tell!  So it's worth searching out some key pieces in the sales that will take one through season after season.

Jigsaw have been excellent at creating some amazing retro pieces that remain true to the original, whilst still being modern and pretty.  Remember the silk flapper dress epitomising the era?  Unfortunately, it's not on sale any more, but I have found similar versions in a top.  Intricately-embellished with beautiful beadwork and a superior silk camisole lining it will be luxurious and flattering to wear. One can go for the whole 1920's vibe with a swinging skirt and kitten heels, or dress differently with skinny jeans and boots.  Available in grey or antique pink, both of these tops are reduced from £139 to £111 in the sale.

      

Terrific Top: Stone Lace Blouse from Kaliko

There is nothing more feminine, delicate and ethereal than lace clothing - a gorgeous, floaty dress or perfect fitted top.  There are also so many looks that it compliments - elegant and classy, funky and fun or vintage and offbeat.

I've found this beautiful, stone coloured lace blouse in the Kaliko sale.  It's simple but beautiful.  The scalloped edge, v-neck and ribbon tie waist means that it will flatter one's top half fantastically.  The neutral colour means that it can be paired with bright and/or patterned bottoms to create a vibrant colour pop, or keep it pale and sophisticated with a white pencil skirt and courts.  Originally £65, it's been reduced to £49 and comes in sizes 8 to 20.  Delivery is free at Kaliko - always a plus in my book.

Wardrobe Staple: White Cotton Blouse

A classic, cotton, white shirt is timeless and versatile.  It can be worn with jeans or shorts in the day, to the office with a suit or pencil skirt or paired with a colourful skirt and jewellery for an elegant evening look.  Essentially, the right one can be mixed and matched with almost anything in one's wardrobe and it will never go out of style!  The main decisions that need to be made are: sleeve length, shape, fit and embellishments.  For this post, I've found three different sleeve lengths but stuck with fairly simple, classic fits and shapes and few embellishments.

The first top that I love is from French Connection, which I've found nearly always has a great selection of good quality, white blouses.  This 'Summer Parade' sleeveless shirt was originally £52, but is just £25 in the sale.  It's perfect for summer, matched with cropped trousers and pumps - and then layer up when it starts to get cooler with a blazer, jeans and patterned scarf.

This cotton, short sleeved Hobbs 'Flagler' shirt is pretty perfect also.  Originally £69, it's now £25 at House of Fraser in sizes 8 and 18 (it's sold out on the Hobbs site itself).  The pleats down the front add an element of interest, without being showy or over the top - ensuring the style remains classic for years to come.  Team with chino shorts and flat sandals for a great, daytime summer look.

Finally, a classic, simple, long sleeved cotton Oxford shirt by Land's End - available from Debenhams.  This shirt will never go out of fashion and can be paired with almost anything - jeans, skirts, shorts.  What about knotting it round the middle and wearing with a floral maxi skirt?  This particular shirt is available in sizes 14 to 20 and currently has 30% off, meaning it's just £20.30.

So take your pick and grab yourself a classic bargain that will last forever!

Terrific Top: Glamorous Spot Shirt at Get the Label

There's nothing easier than smartening up an outfit for summer days than with a pretty, lightweight blouse.  A polka dot pattern is always a winner and so I've found this top from online discount store Get the Label which will go with all sorts of outfits for the season.  It can be tucked into a mini skirt or shorts and, teamed with a summer hat, shoes and sunnies, will look fab!  Available in sizes 8 to 12, it's just £9.99 and also comes in navy and white.

Terrific Top: Jaeger Embroidered Blouse from John Lewis

The John Lewis sale is always phenomenal; with up to 70% off designer brands, it's the perfect place to pick up a high quality, fabulous bargain!  And unlike some other stores, John Lewis seems to retain the tradition of having proper seasonal sales - and it's now time for the summer sale.

As ever, it's been tricky to pick just one item that stands out, so today I have focused on finding a smart and pretty but versatile top that I can't find elsewhere on the web and that has been discounted massively.  With that in mind, I found this embroidered, Peter Pan collared Jaeger blouse that's been reduced from £150 to £60.  It could be worn with jeans or cropped trousers for a smart but casual look, or it could be teamed with a smart skirt and heels for the office.  I don't think it would need much extra accessorising - maybe a lovely watch or bracelet?  It's still available in sizes 8 and 12 to 16.

Putting my money where my mouth is: Annie Pintuck Linen Tunic from Phase Eight - update!

My Annie Pintuck tunic has just been delivered from Phase Eight!  I am impressed with the speed of delivery, seeing as I did only order it a few days ago - three days from placing the order to the delivery.

The tunic itself is amazing.  It fits beautifully and the fact that it does tie around the waist means that it flatters my body really well; some tunics just hang shapelessly and this one certainly doesn't.  The fabric is the great quality that I was hoping for: lovely, soft, cool linen.  Sometimes I find that linen can be scratchy but this isn't.  It is a modest length, in that it falls to my hips and completely covers my bottom; some tunics are a bit short on me and make me feel a bit self-conscious so I'm glad this one is long enough to keep me decent!

This is perfect and I am really pleased with this purchase.  Well done Phase Eight and hurrah for sales!

Are you taking advantage of any of the sales?  Tell me about your favourite and most savvy purchases!

Putting my money where my mouth is: Annie Pintuck Linen Tunic from Phase Eight

It seems the sales are upon us once more - lots of stores have announced them in the last few days and I suspect a few more will be doing so over the next week or so.  There has also been quite a lot of new voucher codes released, so do check before you buy online that any savings are being maximised.  I've added a new contact form to the bottom of the page, so if you do have any questions or want to check if there's any new codes for a particular store that I know about, do get in touch.

Back to the review...  I've taken advantage of the Phase Eight sale which started today.  I have been coveting this pintuck linen tunic for ages - there are plenty of pintuck tunics out there, but I felt that this one was the best in terms of cut, quality, material and style.  However, at £65, I couldn't justify the cost despite the fact that this would be a well-worn, investment piece for me.

But it's in the sale at just £39 so hurrah!  I've bought it!  I'm expecting this to be utterly perfect: high-quality linen fabric to keep me cool (if the sun ever returns), a great length to throw over skinny jeans or leggings and a tie waist to make mine look smaller.  I'll add a blazer, scarf and some sandal wedges and it will be perfect for a casual day out.

What sale are you most excited about?  Is there something you have also been coveting that you're hoping will be reduced?  Let me know in the comments below!

Terrific Top: Lemon Spotted Sleeveless Blouse from Dorothy Perkins

Sleeveless blouses are great for the warmer months.  They can be worn casually with shorts and flat sandals or dressed up so one is smart but cool in the office.  A simple, cotton white one is a wardrobe staple but other colours and patterns are always a good thing!

Yellow is the perfect colour to celebrate the sun finally making an appearance and this lemon, spotted sleeveless blouse from Dorothy Perkins is delightful and summery.  There's currently up to 30% off selected items at Dorothy Perkins, so it can be bought for £18.20 (usually £26) - but hurry as the offer ends at midnight tonight!  The blouse comes in sizes 6 to 22.

Terrific Top: Faux Leather Peplum Top from Forever 21

This post isn't entirely serious but I have been inspired by Eurovision - and I suspect it won't be the first post as such this week, due to the fact I love the contest and its weird and wacky outfits!  Last night was one of the semi-finals and, in terms of fashion, I noticed that a faux (or real?) black leather peplum top seemed to be the outfit de jour.  I was most impressed with Montenegro, whose female singer teamed it with black leather leggings, boots and kneepads - as well as Wonder Woman inspired arm cuffs.  And a couple of spacemen.  Fab!

I've found this fake leather black peplum top from Forever 21, which is a steal at just £18.75.  Now you can get the Euro look for a fraction of the price - and enjoy the finals on Saturday!

Terrific Top: Ted Baker Friendy Wallpaper Floral Print Top from Tucci

Sheer floral fabric, draping beautifully and refreshingly cool yet feminine styling sum up a perfect summer top for me, and this Ted Baker Friendy wallpaper floral print ecru green bow top epitomises the ideal.  This sleeveless top is accented with an elasticated neckline and pretty bow at the shoulder and will complement everyone's summer wardrobe.

It's available from a range of online shops, including Ted Baker itself, for £69.  However, as ever, the canny shopper is able to get a discount.  I've found online designer clothing retailer Tucci Store, which offers subscribers to its newsletter 10% off - so it can be bought for £62.10.

Terrific Top: Mia Butterfly Printed Top from Monsoon

There's still up to £50 off selected clothing at Monsoon and, as one can never have too many pretty tops, I have found this lovely butterfly patterned silk top which has been reduced from £49 to just £34.  Delicate and feminine, it can be worn casually with jeans or paired with a smart skirt or trousers for a Spring evening out.  For such a versatile, great quality silk top, I think this is a real bargain.  It's still available in sizes 8, 12-18 and 22.

The Look for Less: Casual Spring Fling

I am becoming addicted to Polyvore! I'm enjoying finding some fab bargains and creating outfits from my discoveries. Today I have put together a simple spring daytime outfit using a combination of sale items, items that can be used with discount codes (that expire today) and from Secretsales.com.

Charlie leather tote from Ollie & Nic - use code SS1320 to get 20% off but it expires today.

White Sleeveless cotton shirt reduced from £85 to £40 at Karen Millen.

Seablue Aliana Womens Floral Print Trousers - use code AFTP2 to get £20 off £100 spend - again, expires today at Joules.

TOMS Bordeaux women's classics reduced from £40 to £24 at secretsales.com.

Divine Collaboration: Celia Birtwell for UNIQLO

Celia Birtwell is a textile designer specialising in unique, striking and feminine designs.  Successful in the 60's and 70's, she's had a massive comeback with her vintage-inspired prints and has collaborated with UNIQLO to produce a gorgeous and reasonably-priced collection.  

Items still available include cotton/modal mix t-shirts at just £12.90 The prints are all fab, but I like this floral horsey one, which is fairly neutral but still pretty.  It's available in sizes XS - XL.

This spotty dress is available in mint green (shown), black or navy in sizes XS - L and has been reduced from £29.90 to £19.90.  This could be worn as a dress or over leggings or jeans.  

And finally, these patterned leggings are fantastic.  They are available in cobalt blue (shown), teal or navy blue in sizes XS - XL and are £14.90.  I would wear a fairly plain long top over them with ballet flats but you could be more creative and avant-garde by combining clashing, flamboyant patterns!

I'm very impressed with this collection, not just because of the range of items available and the superb prices, but that there is so much that is still available.  I find that often, these limited edition collborative collections sell out so quickly, so hats off to UNIQLO for ensuring that this isn't the case this time!