Down By The River......

Jacket: H&M, Check Blouse: Topshop, Harems: Warehouse, Scarf: McQueen, Belt: Vintage, Boots: New Look

I went for a bit of an eclectic mix of prints today but tried to keep them in line by making sure my colour palette was fairly straightforward. I wore this checked Topshop blouse (very C.Kane) with this staple H&M denim jacket that yes, I do wear all the time right now!

I hadn't worn these harems for a couple of weeks so out they came, they are perfect for the transitional seasons since they are fairly lightweight and dark grey, not black, which makes them a lot less 'wintery.' I love them a LOT!

I am also wearing my New Look hiking boots which are superbly comfortable and go with everything, also since they are a canvasy-suede type fabric they are not too heavy for this time of year.

I was going to meet a friend for coffee this morning but she ended up not being able to make it, so, as my car was having an MOT, I ended up wandering round the local outlet village. I saw a lot of cute shoes in the Staccato discount store, but none that I loved enough to buy! There were a few wedges and that is what I am after really, I saw one pair which had a wood and leather mix wedge which looked very on-trend and they were only £49.99 so I may go back for them at a later date. I want to get my Jones clogs first-it's almost payday!

One thing I did notice at the Outlet village was the amount of tat on offer. I went into Pilot, which has a fairly young-ish aged marketing bracket so you would expect it to be cheap, but the quality of the clothing was just hideous and there was nothing even remotely stylish to be seen. They seem very stuck in a time warp consisting of logo tees and badly constructed mini prom dresses. Yuck.

I popped into the M&S outlet too and was actually pleasantly surprised. M&S is so often written off as an old granny store but they had some gorgeous bags there, and I also found a cream studded dress reduced to £17.99 (from about £50, and you could really feel the quality of the garment) and also a very of-the-moment silk parka in a stunning cobalt blue shade, down to £13.99 from £55. Things like this are much greater investments than armfuls of cheap clobber because, though they may be very 'right now' and might not have a lot of fashion longevity, they would make great little outfit updaters and, as they are reduced, all the better. I also think that the quality you get in shops like M&S is just that little bit better-in my experience anyway! I'm not saying cheaper shops are bad-I've had items from Primark that have lasted wash after wash....but it is very hit and miss, and for every decent quality piece I find, there will be 20 crap ones, or what I like to call, 'One Wear Wonders' which never look as good after the first wash.

I am really looking hard at my wardrobe at the moment, and trying to buy more investment pieces and things that work harder for me, rather than constant 'fashion snacks' which I wear only once or twice! It has given me a completely different outlook on shopping and style and made me much more selevtive, and actually picking things out and deciding whether I really want them, and how I can work them into my current looks, has become much more exciting again.

Apologies for the lack of pictures in this post-the Boy took loads for me this morning but for some reason the photo uploader is having a meltdown so I will have to try and put them up a bit later!

xoxo