What is 'smart / casual' dressing anyway?

Do you hate the term 'smart / casual'? Do you know how to wear 'smart / casual'?

There are many dates in our diary, days of the week or events in our life where the term 'smart / casual' is applicable. Getting your outfit right for the occasion is something alot of you struggle with as it's normally top of the list for most of my clients. Whether it be for going to work everyday in an office environment, a Christening, a dinner date or meeting, or you just want to change up your style for everyday, 'smart / casual' dressing just got a whole lot easier.

For the past couple of seasons trends have been shifting so that more casual attire has become smarter. The new rules are now the old rules, because creativity rules! Street style watchers will know suiting is firmly back on the fashion agenda for spring, but that doesn’t mean the same old black blazer and fitted pants. Suits have become brighter, checked or pinstripe and matching. That's not to say that the humble blazer doesn't play a part, this piece is an important part of your wardrobe and no doubt I will be buying more than one this season to change up every outfit that I wear. A simple dress and opaque tights just won't cut it anymore, style a spotty midi dress with this season's must-have jacket the trench, belt at the waist and the soft fabric means it's no longer smart and structured but more relaxed and understated. It's no longer about black, white and navy, liven up your work-wear or smarten up your day look with some eye catching colour. Red and pink are current favourites to give your outfit some serious colour clash, but blues and greens can be easier and softer on the eye if you don't want to stand out from the crowd too much. Lastly take the plunge and grab a jumpsuit and take away the worry about what goes with what. I feel it is my job on this earth to persuade any remaining resisters as to the power of the jumpsuit. Jumpsuits are a versatile all-rounder, whilst being the most youth-endowing item of clothing you can wear as you get older. Want to look both stylish and cool for day or evening then a jumpsuit should be your go-to wardrobe staple.

What better way to forget about the cold outside and welcome the in a new week with some new 'smart / casual' pieces for your wardrobe. French connection has an amazing bright pink suit you might be bold enough to try, alternatively if you are looking for a new suit but would rather a check then look at &other stories check suits. For a great choice in blazers then go to &other stories for lots of oversized, longer line grey, check or navy stripe blazers for a fresh new season take on the silhouette. My favourite trench coat I have come by so far is from Kin by John Lewis in navy or khaki, but if you are looking for a stone one then you can't go wrong with this one from Selected Femme. For a great choice of cropped trousers then head over to Zara, they have them in every fabric, cut, colour you can think of and you will be sure to find one that flatters you. Finally if you fancy some floral midi dresses, most high street retailer have an offering, but try Topshop for bright coloured printed dresses and vintage inspired florals that are easy to wear with any jacket styled over the top.

Here is some style and shopping inspiration for everyday of the week and follow my pinterest board - Smart / casual new rules

track star stripes 2018

Stripes never go out of fashion or out of style, but some seasons the humble stripe works harder than your basic breton tee.

This season sees stripes being reworked in different strokes, with colourful hues and will prove to be one of the most striking trends of the season. But it’s also one of the most wearable trends and a cinch when it comes to styling.  

It's not just about a stripey piece of clothing this season, it's how you use the stripe that matters. It's got to have a sporty undertone to the piece of clothing or the look. The look is no longer French Parisian chic, it's sophisticated smart sports style. The strength of the trend for a stripe down the side of a pair of trousers has been gathering pace for a few seasons. This is proven by the extensive fashionista's and bloggers on pinterest posting their looks.

Now if you go on any high street retailer they have them in every different colour, cut, leg shape and fabric imaginable - I counted 30 on Zara alone. We can finally ditch the jeans in favour of these side stripe trousers, as we have an understanding of how to style them so women are now buying them. Style them with shirts, blazers, sweaters, logo tee's - anything goes! As for your footwear, it's not just limited to white trainers, heels elongate your leg and make your outfit look less gym-like and more insta-like.

Athletic-inspired women's wear isn't going away anytime soon, so now is the time to embrace the stripes across other items of clothing. Other sports style stripes are joining the trend and can be mixed and matched in the same outfit. This Summer you will see wide stripe dresses and skirts, but the easiest way to wear the trend is buy styling a jumper / sweater / top with a new updated stripe on it and your look will look fresh and upto date!

For more inspiration follow my pinterest board - sporty stripes

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See how I have styled my check trousers from ASOS with a sporty stripe down the side.

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Shopping for stripes

1. Stripe Blazer, Mango £79.99

2. Stripe co-ordinate, Monki £25.00 each

3. Stripe belted dress, Studio by Preen, Debenhams, £75.00

4. Colour block pleated skirt, Hush £89.00

5. Jumpsuit with sports side stripe, Reserved, £39.99

6. Side stripe leather trousers, Whistles, £349.00

7. Saff Richmond cross body stripe bag, Kurt Geiger, £99.00

8. Check trousers with double stripe, Zara £29.99

9. Tricolour openwork sweater, Mango £29.99

how to fall in love with your wardrobe again

...when opening it just makes you yawn.

So you open your wardrobe, do a dramatic sigh and close it again feeling like you hate it all, have nothing to wear and proceed to get out your laptop to start browsing Zara in an effort to feel better. Yep, we’ve all been there, and we’ve all made the subsequent three figure order where you end up seeing sense and returning most it any way (although something always gets through the net doesn’t it?). So if you’re feeling down in the dumps with your current wardrobe then I have a couple of style tricks up my sleeve. Three in fact, that should get your styling juices flowing and should help you find a couple of new and exciting options amongst your current clothes. The best bit is that it’s completely free! No quickie online hauls. No impulse purchases. Just working with what you’ve got to find some new outfits, discover old pieces and learn some styling tricks to spice things up again…

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EXPERIMENT ONE: FIVE NEW OUTFITS

I can be guilty of wearing the same outfits on repeat. In fact I kind of encourage it in a way, because having these ‘formulas’ takes the guesswork out of putting outfits together. Plus, it’s always handy to know that we can rely on them whenever we’re in a rush and that we know that we feel good in our most-worn pieces. However, they are exactly what cause us all to get into these ruts in the first place. So instead try and find five new outfits in your wardrobe that you have never worn before.

The best way to start each outfit is to have an item that you might not wear that often, that perhaps you’re not sure how to style or maybe it’s a piece that you feel is best suited to another time of year but you want to get more wear out of it. From there you can build; either by the process of trial and error and turning your bedroom into the world’s most chaotic changing room, or by taking a look online or on Instagram to see how other ladies you love have styled it out. I did a bit of both and ended up finding the perfect casual way to wear a blazer that was gathering dust, and I have taken out my dungarees from summer storage to wear over the coming months after learning that big chunky knits look pretty awesome under them. The best bit? I didn’t even need to spend a penny.

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EXPERIMENT TWO: THE 10X10 CHALLENGE

The wardrobe challenge to beat all other wardrobe challenges! Blogger Caroline Joy gives a detailed account of her 10 pieces, 10 outfits, 10 days challenge here. The premise is that you pick 10 items from your wardrobe and create 10 different outfits over the next 10 days with them. Not only should it help you flex your styling muscle, it also gives you a chance to get ready real quick in the mornings and to see if you’re happy with what you’ve currently got in your wardrobe. I’d say that it’s a good one to crack out at the beginning of each season to get you in the mood and see where the holes are that you need to fill with your new clothing additions.

Accessories aren’t included, so that’s how you’re going to spice things up here – with a colourful bag or a red lip to make our outfits look different if there are repeats. No need to buy anything. No need to throw anything out. No need to commit to minimalism forever. No need to overhaul your wardrobe. Instead, it’s all about trying something new and having fun. Here I wanted to focus on how to get my use out of my skirts rather than just wearing them for evenings and events, for Autumn layering them up with knitwear.

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EXPERIMENT THREE: STYLE IT OUT

Whereas the other two challenges can be a little time consuming, here’s one to whip out when you’re in need of a speedy dose of inspiration. The idea here is that you find a basic piece of clothing – let’s say a white crew-neck t-shirt and a pair of high-waist pale denim jeans – and then attempt to style it out as easy, breezy weekend attire and then as a more formal outfit option. It’s definitely not as taxing and more straightforward than the previous experiments, but it’s still a good way of seeing if you have the right kit in your wardrobe and a reminder of how easy it is to dial down/up an outfit. A good one to remember next time you’re packing for a trip. Be your own personal stylist here and don’t skip the finishing touches such as a red lip or a clutch bag. Here I used my leather leggings to dress up for a more formal look and down with a chunky knit and checked shirt for daytime.

How I styled out my dry January

One of my New Year's resolutions was to curb my spending this year. Since starting my own business 4 years ago it is a skill I have honed and kept in check every season. But last season (Winter 2017), when I detoxed my Autumn / Winter wardrobe I realised that there were alot of pieces that had seen better days, that didn't fit anymore and that I had fallen out of love with.

So I took my own advice and ditched them from my wardrobe. But it meant I needed to reinvest in some key pieces such as knitwear, a new parka, some jeans and new winter accessories. That was great for my wardrobe, but bad for my visa card! It is fine to splurge on yourself when it is needed, when items are missing from your wardrobe, when you are re-gaining your style but the spending pattern can be hard to break away from once you have started.

I spend ALOT of time online shopping for clients and can easily fall into the trap of purchasing everything that I like. But after a good look in my wardrobe I realised that there is nothing I need for the next couple months whilst we are still in the cold months until I re-asses my wardrobe in the Spring. So that means I need to utilise what I have in my wardrobe for the next few weeks and try and bring old pieces back to life by mixing them with some of my newer pieces. 

This is the area where I know alot of your struggle with, day to day styling, making the older items in your wardrobe look new again. So I have pulled together some style tips to help when pulling together outfits and then I will give you some style inspiration of how I styled out the last 2 weeks with things in my wardrobe. So even if you feel like you’re in a wardrobe rut, approaching your old clothes with a fresh outlook can make you feel like you’ve just doubled your wardrobe.

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1. Layering is key

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2. Utilise everything in your wardrobe, including things you keep for 'best'

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3. Wear skirts and dresses more

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4. Use colour

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Of course throughout the month I wobbled, shopping for clients and the onslaught of social media can be a killer when you love what you do and get excited when newness comes into stores. But I resisted and started a list of things that I wanted and instead of buying everything on the list I would see what happened when January ends and whether I still want those things or not. A seasonal list is something that I blog about and talk to my clients about alot, having a list keeps you focused, keeps your budget in check and ensures you are not buying things you really don't want or don't need in your wardrobe.

Here is my list and I can happily say I have brought one thing today on the 1st February as I realised it was missing from my wardrobe. The rest are firmly staying on the list and I will see out another month and if I get to the 1st March and I found I NEED it rather than WANT it I will buy it then. Having time to think about my purchase ensures that I am making the right decision. 

1. Black boot with a heel - Topshop magic ankle boots, now £50.00

2. Floral dress - &other stories pleated high neck dress, £69.00

3. New white trainers - &other stories adidas Stan Smith, £75.00

4. Stripe embroidered knit - Whistles kiss embroidered knit, £89.00

5. Leopard print bag - Michael Kors, now £92.26