By SolihullStyle Aug 06, 2015
THE BIG HOOT – TWIT TWOO!
How are we all baring up now that school is out? I’m three weeks into the summer holidays this end with my two boys. We are, in general, having a great time. Today my eldest said to me “why are you driving sooooo slowly Mum?”. Without realising it I guess I was just really relaxed and without a stress in the world was enjoying the pleasure post good day out! This blog post has come out of the blue and actually the trend content is a tad earlier than planned (unusual for me, I know). I was hoping to do a fully inclusive ( unusual too!!!!!) trend edit for A/W 2015 once the kiddie winks were back at school in September, however, I found myself wearing one such trend today that I am going to continue to wear a lot as the season progresses into Autumn. It’s two trends really I guess? The “skinny” scarf and “flares”. I’ve had this ZARA silk blouse for a while now but suddenly it felt right to wear it. I decided to take the plunge and try out my flares again as I’ve been asked several times of late, “How Do I Wear Flares?” To answer this question….. as well you all know, I’m not a beach babe; a blonde bomb shell or a boho festival goddess so for me to feel me in flares I tend to stay on the smarter side of the fence. There’s a lot of debate amongst fashionistas and bloggers of a certain age about what to wear in your 30s, 40s and beyond. The general consensus of opinion ( and rightly so) is to wear what you like! So, if you want to wear it, wear it. The flip side (not to open a can of worms here!) is that I’m not going to wear something I think I should for fear of failing to fly the flag for being adventurous at any age! I will wear what I like and what I like might be a bit safe and often not the easiest to make a snazzy photo shoot out of but hey, it’s my style and it works for me. I’ve found my groove shall we say? Back to the flares. I love them with a silk blouse – always have, always will, even when they’re not on trend. I will wear them with a high block heel or wedge shoe and it’s then that something just clicks and makes sense. It’s the easiest formula and can look surprisingly elegant. I have always been inspired by fashion editors; those effortlessly stylish Vogue girls in Paris; by movie stars like Audrey Hepburn and… I think you get the picture. There are obviously loads of ways to style flares that will suit different personalities and it’s always going to be a matter of personal taste as to what feels right. I can’t carry off “ugly” shoes ( it’s the buzz word for the comfy shoe trend-I’m not just being rude) or coloured kaftans. I love it all on the right person. That person is just not me. It’s actually a source of frustration as I can feel a bit limited in my “look” especially when it comes to fashion blogging. I tried a vintage tan 70s belt with the same jeans (perfect you would think?). Needless to say I wiped it off fairly darn quickly as it just felt wrong. So my point is have a play and go with your gut! If you want to wear your flares with a velvet brocade maxi coat like a true “Chloe” girl with long flowing blonde curls and your skinny silk scarf, you go girl!!! Right I’m going to stop there and get on with this blog! (gees, I don’t know where that came from either?!) I am clearly in need of some adult company.
If you’re looking for something to do with the little people then I can recommend The Big Hoot 2015 Trail in Birmingham City centre. Both my boys (6 and 8 yrs) had a ball. The train ride itself was fun. There is an App you can down load to plot your progress and log in each owl as you go. My eldest came into his own guiding us around the city by the map on my phone.
Minion Tees – H&M £9.99 (pack of two)
Layered jewellery – ChloBo beaded ring (just seen and similar here) Fabulous Collections in Touchwood
Vintage glass bead bracelet, Pandora bracelet and necklace
Meet “SELFIE” the owl
Jeans – FCUK , Bag – Ghost, Blouse ZARA, Sunglasses – Loewe ( TK MAX ), Wedge sandals (similar here) – Jones The Bootmaker
(p.s. I often find great Designer sunglasses at TK MAX , these were a Christmas gift from my sister in law and were £22.99 instead of, in the region of £150)
(please excuse the lack of links here)
This was my favourite, “STARLIGHT” by Caroline Jariwala of Mango Masaics
This is Caroline, the talent behind the creation of “STARLIGHT” the owl
I could give you endless links to flares on the high street but I haven’t as in my experience finding the perfect fit is so individual that the exercise would be pointless. My flared jeans were from French Connection where I have often found great jeans and trousers. I also have Topshop,Whistles, H&M, ZARA…. the list goes on. MIH jeans are famous for their Marrakesh flare but this style comes at a price. One only has to read jeans reviews to realise that the fit is as individual as you are. The same style can be rated from one out of five to full marks by two different customers. My advice is start were you usually find your fit. I know lots of ladies who swear by NEXT jeans but in 20 years I’ve never found a thing I like. So, there you go, it’s again, a matter of taste!
If you’re tall and willowy then you might like to play with proportions and wear long layers over your flares. Whether it’s a long line flowing shirt or a maxi length coat? If you are really petite then try a neat blouse tucked in or a skinny ribbed knit ( ooooo I’ve let another trend slip).High shoes in the form of a block heel boot come autumn or wedge sandals now, will add inches to your legs. I’m always on the look out for little styling details that I like that make a look feel modern and up to date. These details can often be as simple as a new accessory. What could be easier than tying a slinky, skinny silk scarf around you neck? Add edge to your own shirts, blouses, tees and tops. There will be loads of tops available as the season progresses with this style detail for every budget.
Neck scarf – ZARA
Blouse with neck tie – ZARA
“Dotty” the owl
layered braclets – Vintage Murano glass ( thrift store find)
And after all that we might be back on the train to Birmingham again soon to find the owls we missed! Until next time, thank you for reading and I hope it’s not too long until I manage to find the time to post some more outfit inspo!
