Keen as Mustard

(Image via Reiss)

Not so long ago I hated to wear anything casual. I was 22 by the time I really met a pair of jeans I liked and since then (12 years) I have probably only owned about 4 pairs.

The idea of wearing a pair of tracky bums in the privacy of my own home, let alone in the outside world (shudder), made me wince.

But the combination of moving away from London and my encroaching middle age (hello 34th birthday three weeks away) I am not totally obsessed with looking done all the time. But I don't find casual dressing that easy. But one new discovery that fits this bill is the fitted sweatshirt. Not totally casual, and still with a certain something but easy to wear and not over dressed. I recently bought a really great pair of James Jeans and they look sweet with, what I like to call, an event sweatshirt.

So I am very excited to discover the Dijon sweatshirt from Reiss. I think this fits the bill perfectly.

Reiss's Pieces

I seem to go through stages with shops of either loving them or being slightly indifferent. And when I am slightly indifferent it takes a bit of a memory jog to realise that it might have just been a bad season or a season that just wasn't putting out what you wanted to pick up, and that it might be time to give them a second chance.

Take Reiss for instance, I have definitely put it into the category of dresses for weddings where undoubtedly someone else at the wedding will be wearing it or own it or know someone who owns it, and another category of slightly saucy office attire that is decidedly inapproriate for work outside London (or probably New York).

So I was pleasantly surprised on a recent visit in to find so many treats. The shoes above could almost be Celine.

And there are some glorious colours, with more treats in their look book to come.

Resiss are definitely back on my short list shops for the season, which is particularly exciting when I have more or less only been shopping in Comptoir for the last year. And love it as I do it is still nice to mix it on up. So yay!

(Images via Reiss)

A Bird in the Hand

I'm not a big one for sales. I feel they are a bit of a swizz. Encouraging you to buy things that no one else wants.

 And they turn even the nicest shop into a Primark style jumble sale.

Worst of all, for a Little Miss No Willpower like me, they monkey around with your natural ability to decide whether you want or need or even like an item. Because all you can see is what a bargain something is.

Well, yeah, a great bargain until it sits in your house for a year and never gets used.

(Images via Reiss)

I nearly had that urge just now looking at Reiss handbags. They are lovely, and they are massively discounted but I would probably rather save up to buy something that I really love at full price than buy something that I like but only at that price.

What about you? Are you sales aficionados or avoiders like me?

Don't Blame it on the Sunshine

Every time I see a yellow dress my heart leaps about in my chest.

I think I need to just bite the bullet and try and find one that works for me.

And with the weather being a little grey I think it would be just the thing to bring a little cheer.

There's meant to be a shade of yellow to suit everyone, isn't there?

(Images via Reiss, Whistles)

Two Tone

As I recall I was a little bit scathing about the Breton stripe last year.

I suggested that I was over it. That it was passé. Summer dressing by numbers with little imagination.

But I would like to come grovelling back. Because really, what could be more perfect, more wearable for a spring or summer's day?

I might be helped to this opinion by the fact that my Gap Breton stripe is starting to show the less attractive signs of being well loved and the thought of being without fills me with utter dread.

Plus I am out of Islington now. Spiritual home to the Breton, trench, jean and sandal. So it hopefully won't feel quite so overplayed here.

But even if it is, I will just have to shake my head and say well, it's obviously going to be popular because it is just so wonderful.

(Images via Jigsaw, Reiss, Whsitles)

Little Miss Saucy

I love leather. I think it can look very sexy. My one major complaint with it is that it isn't very flattering. I always ended up with my thighs looking like sausages that need pricking (trousers) or with my boobs looking like a matronly shelf (dresses or t shirts). I have more or less come to the conclusion that it is something that I will never be carry it off.

Because, truly, one of my personal mantras is: If Salma Hayek can't do it, it can't be done. And I'm afraid, Salma, the proof is right here.

(Images via Reiss, Daily Mail)

But clever old Reiss, with their missy leather skirt, have put regular skirt material round the back. If there was one part of my body that couldn't stand up to the pressure of being encased in leather it's the tush. Lovely as it is, it's not small and putting a tight shiny fabric on it would be the equivalent of attaching a big pointy lit up arrow to it. This however, looks much less scary. And the skirt is super sexy, no? Hmmm, I'm tempted to go and try it on.

Although, thinking about it, I don't work as a dominatrix, so when would I actually have the nerve to go out and about in it? Precisely never, that's when. I think I'll save my pennies after all.

Warm and Fuzzy Feeling

I really need to hold back on the spending. I've got a wedding in South Africa and New York in the next couple of months. Which I'm super excited about.

But it does mean I should reign in the spending.

The fact that finally the sales are petering out and the new spring summer collections are arriving isn't helping things.

Basically because anything that has a flower on it or a pretty pastel shade is calling my name, Siren-like

Like these treats from Reiss.

Plus I saw the look book and I am pretty excited about what is to come.

I need to remember not to get too excited when the first wave comes into the shops, because invariably I will wish I'd held out until I knew what all my options are, rather than splurging the second the new season is in the shops.

But restraint and patience have never been qualities I'm particularly familiar with.

None of this is helping either.

Because all these things are so pretty and I want to go shopping really, really badly.

What can I do to distract myself? Errr....

(Images via Reiss)

It's All Grecian To Me

I think I look pretty great in a long dress. I can whack an enormous pair of shoes underneath and look taller and slimmer, which is never a bad thing. And the colour of this dress makes me want to weep it's so pretty. And one I feel I can reclaim since I stopped being blonde. With a sexy pair of gold high heeled sandals and delicate gold jewellery it could be super cute, right? But I'm never sure about Grecian. Does it always look a bit costumey? Or a bit beachy? I am going for understated, grown up elegance, not toga party.

Now the second dilemma, it is for a wedding. Is it too bridal? Or is it just pink enough not to hack anyone off?

(Images via Reiss, Whistles)

Another options would be this navy dress. Also cute with gold accessories. Pretty, but it doesn't excite me quite as much.

Reiss's Pieces

I am currently lusting after all these things from Reiss. Aren't they pretty?

All Hands to the Pump(kin)

Have I ever told you how much I hate a black handbag? I think they often look cheap, plus they are just the dullest thing ever. Like black trousers. Bleurgh!


(Via Reiss)

And this season it seems that I have back up, because pumpkin seems to be having a moment.


(Via Shopstyle)

I love it! Suitably autumnal, colourful but not lairy and will go well with navy. Awesome! It gets my vote