Cheap Date

I am currently unemployed. So generally speaking my shopping days are on hiatus. And very definitely any shopping in any but the most reasonably priced shops.

Thank goodness for Marks & Spencer flats which are super cute.

 They will keep my happy in hopefully the short interim before I am back in gainful employment.

(Images via Marks & Spencer)

Be My Valentino

Talking of Valentino, the autumn winter 2013 collection is so insanely divine I could faint clean away.

It is not remotely what I would expect from Valentino. It is so pared back and quite frankly it takes my breath away. So very much in love.

(Images via Style.com)

Tell Me About It, Stud

There are certain shoes that it takes you a while to know how you feel about them. You kind of like them but they don't totally make sense. The Valentino studded shoes are such a pair. They are fairly prim but then they are covered in studs. Whaaaaat? Prissy and sexy in one pair of shoes? Brain. Does. Not. Compute.

I didn't imagine that would really be a problem as I assumed they were a passing fad. The studded shoe trend pretty much reached saturation point some time ago. But they are definitely still knocking around. I also think the heeled version is much more wearable.

Now I don't have a spare £600 to buy them but Russell & Bromley have been inspired and I think they are pretty wicked and marginally more affordable. Which is nice.

(Images via Net a Porter, Harrods, Russell & Bromley)

Mate's Rates

When I went to Peru I loved all the colourful pom poms. So I am very excited to see this collection of pom pom-tastic jewellery that Mario Testino has designed for Net a Porter with some proceeds being donated to his charity Mate.

(Images via Net a Porter)

Shear and Present Danger

The Net a Porter 'New In' section is a strange beast right now. It is stuffed with items for summer holidays but then, alongside, I spied the first glimpse of the autumn winter collections.

Now normally that would upset me. Strike me as making an unnecessarily damning comment on the state of the summer. Suggesting that all hope is gone and we should bow to the inevitable that it is going to be a wash out. Yet again.

But I was drawn to these Isabel Marant shearling lined boots, and I looked outside to the cold, grey, wet day outside and I thought how very happy my feet would be snuggled up in them.

 (Images via Net a Porter)

Pearls of Wisdom

I haven't really heard of Mother of Pearl, a London label, but I think I will keep my eye on them from now. They have some great patterned pieces that are elegant and wearable.

(Images via Net a Porter)

Charmed I'm Shour(ouk)

I adore jewellery. It is increasingly becoming my thing. I used to wear crazy clothes and crazy shoes and crazy make up (red eyebrows anyone? Yes, really, I did that once). But now that I am keeping my look slightly more discreet I like to play up my flashier side with fabulous jewellery.

The flashier and the louder and bigger the better. So needless to say I am beyond excited about Shourouk. Big neon and crystal strewn pieces are right up my street.

(Images via Net a Porter)

The Toast of the Town

I am not a girl who loves summer. I am definitely cold blooded. Perhaps I hail from the frozen north.

I don't day dream of white sandy beaches. I dream of snow strewn mountains and sleeping under nylon in less than comfortable temperatures.

 When I dress I prefer to wrap up too. I love to layer, which lends itself to a cooler time of year.

So when it comes to summer and shedding those layers I struggle. For one I am not overly keen on showing too much.

I also often feel silly in summer clothes. As though I am one of those optimists walking through town in a maxi dress on a slightly parky, overcast day, pretending that all is fine and you are really quite comfortable, thank you very much.

Don't you agree that summer clothes can seem incredibly frivolous? Great to be 17 and running around in shorts or flimsy dresses, slightly tragic to be doing the same at 34. Or maybe I am just old and grumpy before my time. Don't answer that...

So I think the only solution is to go classic. Not boring, but good fabrics, a bit of tailoring and slightly more substantial than that little scrap of something that they are hawking to the bright young things.

 And for this elegant clothes summer mission?

My go to is definitely going to be Toast. They have some truly lovely pieces. Full of personality and fun but a bit more grown up too.

I dream of being that woman in summer who looks effortless and cool as a cucumber. And I think with this clobber I might just be able to do that. Now we just need the sun to buy into the whole summer thing and we'll be set.

(Images via Toast)