Orla Kiely Love Heart Purse from House of Fraser

Mother's Day this year is 30th March and House of Fraser are currently running a promotion whereby customers can get 20% off selected gifts.  These include bags and purses from Radley, Biba, Dickins & Jones and Ted Baker amongst others, smellies, clothing and homeware.  It's a great opportunity to get something gorgeous at a discount!

My favourite (no hints, of course!) is this Orla Kiely love heart purse.  I think the love hearts are really sweet but the colour combination stops it from being cutesy and twee.  It's also got plenty of room and compartments for all one's needs - cards, coins and notes - which is what one wants from a purse!  As it's Orla Kiely, it's still not cheap - with the discount it's £55.20 - but it's gorgeous, it's quality and it will last.

Striped Skirt Skater Dress from AX Paris

I've been keeping half an eye on this season's Celebrity Big Brother - not so much for the actual CBB shenanigans themselves, but more to see what presenter Emma Willis is wearing! I'm really admiring her taste and style at the moment.

I have spotted her wearing a couple of flared skirted skater dresses with a horizontal stripe across the skirt.  The first one was a monochrome one, paired with a gorgeous black coat (allegedly from Hobbs - maybe this Maisie one?) for the winter weather.  I've found a very similar dress at AX Paris on sale for just £14.99 (reduced from £25).  As with all skater dresses, it's a really flattering shape and I'd pair with black tights and ankle boots for a cold weather look.

The other dress I have found is this red and black contrast wetlook stripe skater dress, for a bit more of a colour pop.  Again, it's from AX Paris and is reduced from £35 to £19.99 and it would look great teamed with a black coat, tights and boots to see one through the season in style!

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!

The Look for Less: House of Fraser Sale

The House of Fraser sale is still on, with lots of lovely bargains on gorgeous designer fashion and accessories. I have put together an outfit inspired by a number of things and, just for fun, can you guess how I've been influenced to create this look?  I've based it on my favourite following factors:

• A city
• An era
• A television show
• A person

I love this look as it is classic, feminine and elegant.  The dress is voluptuous and will flatter the figure and highlight a woman's best bits, with the draped fabric concealing any bumps.  The person who I've based the look on is bold and sassy, and I think this look epitomises that.  This look would certainly work in the office for a brave woman, and then take her nicely into the evening for cocktail hour!

All items are on sale as shown below.

Pied a Terre asymmetrical cocktail dress
£89 

Juno Tote
£48.30

Jones Bootmaker Bindy Court Shoes
£45

Hobbs NW3 Clover Earrings
£8

Martine Wester Fable Pearl & Black Diamond Flower Ring
£7.50

Karen Millen Swarovski Teardrop Pendant
£30

Summer Staple: White Broderie Anglaise Dresses

Following on from my blog post last night about Ugg wedges, I wanted to find the dress that I felt would go perfectly with them.  My criteria was straightforward: classic, white, 100% cotton, broderie anglaise and on sale at a great price.  It also needed to be in stock and available in a range of sizes.

I have found two versions what I was looking for, in two different price ranges, both of which will go perfectly with the Lucianna Ugg wedges!  Both have a gorgeous, broderie anglaise pattern which is elegant, feminine with a hint of vintage.  Both are simple enough to wear during the day, every day - but could easily be dressed up for the evening with some colourful accessories and shoes.  And they're both totally gorgeous, classic and should last season after season.

The first is this white cotton skater style dress in the Dorothy Perkins sale.  The capped sleeves and fitted waist will flatter, as will the flowing, flared skirt.  It's quite a young style, so not only would it work well with the wedges, but it could be dressed up with some neon accessories - I'm thinking a bright pink necklace, bangles and/or nail colour!  Originally £24, it's been reduced to £15 which is an absolute bargain for a dress that should stay on trend for years to come!  It's still available in sizes 6 and 12 to 22.

The second is this Jaeger broderie anglaise dress which is available on sale at House of Fraser.  The keyhole neckline with ruffles is very pretty and quirky and the tie waist will be amazingly flattering.  The length on this one is slightly longer than the Dorothy Perkins dress, if one wishes to be more modest.  This dress is available in sizes 10 to 14, and has been reduced from £180 to £85.  Although this is slightly more pricey, it's an investment piece which will last and stay chic year after year.

What's your favourite summer outfit? Do you like a cool, cotton dress like this - or do you prefer cropped trousers or shorts? Let me know in the comments below!

Summer Staple: Ted Baker Jaynesh Tuxedo Tailored Shorts from House of Fraser

House of Fraser are currently in the middle of their two-day brand event, both online and in-store, meaning there's up to 25% branded products until midnight on Friday 26th April.

I have had my eye on these mint coloured Ted Baker tuxedo shorts for a while to take me into the summer months but, at £109, the price was a little scary despite the quality.  However, with the 25% discount from House of Fraser, this is reduced to £87.20.  The tuxedo tailoring is classic and the front pleats should flatter the thighs.  They can be tailored with a simple t-shirt or blouse or made a little more edgy with a funky vest top.  These come in sizes 6 - 14.

And oh look!  There's a matching 'Jayne' jacket, also with 25% off, so they can be worn as an amazingly chic outfit to the office when the weather improves!  Stylish, savvy, canny and chic.  What more can you want?

The Look for Less: Savvy Office Chic

I've just discovered a site called Polyvore where I can find clothes, shoes and accessories online and put them together in a collage, to see how they work together.  Here is my first attempt:

As you would expect, it is a combination of sale and discounted items, so you can get the whole look for less.  In this collage I have included:

• French Connection Natsue jacket and shift dress - reduced in the House of Fraser two-day brand event where there's up to 25% off branded items (ends Friday).
• Episode Gratitude ankle strap wedge sandals - also in the House of Fraser event.
• J by Jasper Conran navy mini tote from Debenhams - currently with 20% off in the Blue Cross sale, plus there's an extra 10% off with the discount code HK73 (ends Sunday).
• Spike and flower necklace from Dorothy Perkins which has 30% off everything till Sunday.

I'm thinking that for the future, I can focus on specific gorgeous pieces as I have been, but every now and again do some outfits this way to give an idea to update one's wardrobe!  So I suppose my question is, is this the sort of thing that you would like to see?  Would it give you inspiration and ideas - as I hope!

Find me on Polyvore by clicking here!

Wardrobe Staple: Hobbs Imperial Trench Coat from House of Fraser

I'm having a bit of a red day today I think!

A well-cut Macintosh coat is a classic wardrobe staple that can be relied on year after year, bringing timeless chic to any outfit!  Generally, it might be sensible to go with a traditional beige or black, but I have found this amazing Hobbs sorbet red coat from House of Fraser.  I think the cut and length is perfect and the fact it's belted means that it will be really flattering.  I also like that it can be be worn buttoned all the way up to the collar if preferred - and the fact the buttons are hidden - giving a really elegant style and shape reminiscent of a similar version from Burberry Prorsum.  It's reduced from £149 to £104 and available in sizes 8 - 16.

Stunning Shoes: Dune Ministry Perspex Pointed Ballerina Shoes

I do love a flat shoe as they are so versatile, comfortable and pretty!  The latest version is a 1950's inspired pencil point pump.  They are more edgy than the standard, round tow ballet flat and they come in all sorts of patterns, materials and colours.

These red patent and perspex pumps from Dune are perfect - sophisticated but with a hint of daring.  They are available from the Dune website or House of Fraser in sizes 5 - 8.  Originally £65, they are now £39.

They are also available in black, in sizes 5 - 7.