Style Theory: When in doubt I often reach for the safety of a black dress for an event. They are always flattering, can be matched with any accesssories and always look chic and understated.

Images via pinterest

So versatile and timeless, the black dress is the perfect fall-back dress in your wardrobe and works for every season. Over the past 10 years my black dress hemlines have got longer but I always tend to buy ones with fairly high necks as they suit me shape better and I wear them again and again. 

Here is my selection of the best on the high street now:

&Other Stories Pom Pom dress £55

This is a great, light cotton, comfortable dress. It is one of those dresses that works just as well with flats as with heels. It does crush but as the fabric has a slight pattern in it you can get away with it crushing a little throughout the day. It also comes in cream, I know I will wear this non-stop and it hides my mum tum perfectly! Fits true to size.

This dress is a great cover up piece, I love feeling comfortable at an event, top arms covered, and legs..makes me feel unselfconscious...

&Other Stories Broderie Anglais £65

A beautiful, delicate but structured dress. I love the broderie look on the arms, will provide arm coverage whilst looking interesting and extremely pretty.

Zara Cape Sleeve Tie Neck Dress £69.99

The cape detail of the sleeve on this dress is very 2015, I would wear with high black/tan strappy sandals M&S ghillie sandals look fab on.

Mango Fringed Dress £49.99

Fringing is on trend this season and this dress is a perfect way to wear it. Would look amazing with the mango strappy, flat sandals, a cool boho look for holiday. Add a large straw bag and some fine gold jewellery and it will look beach to bar perfection.

Next Boho Dress £26

An easy to wear lightweight jersey dress. Great for throwing over a bikini/swimsuit on holiday.

Topshop Plunge Neck Dress £40

Balance out the midi length of this dress with a plunge neck. I had one of these from French Connection many years ago and it was so flattering. Pointed court shoes make this dress look super sophisticated.

M&S Sleeveless Maxi Dress £52

Chic and glamorous, the black maxi dress is endlessly useful. Dress up with chunky gold bangles piled high, gold boho drop earrings and high strappy tan or black sandals. By day wear with flat sandals and fine gold jewellery, add a coloured bag for a pop of colour.

Warehouse Gypsy Style Dress Midi Dress £28

An easy to wear, un-expensive dress, will make an impact when dressed up with heels and accessorised with gold/silver clutch bag.

H&M Embroidered Dress £59.99

This is a little short but I love the embroidery detail, it is stunning. A great holiday piece and wear in the winter with black opaque tights and knee high 70s style tan boots.

I could go on forever, I do love a black dress, I have kept all of mine (since I was 18) as I wear them again and again (the ones I can still squeeze into!)

Do you have a favourite black dress? Do you tend to go for the safety of black when attending a function? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, have a great hopefully sunny weekend Frances xx 

Treat yourself to a little Pampering...

Style Theory: Us ladies all deserve a little treat once in a while and a blow dry and style is the perfect pick me up before a special occasion or night out. In London, blow drys are the norm after work before going out, but as kids and life take over, treating ourselves takes a back seat. So the week of my 40th birthday I went to John Carne Hairdressers in Guildford, Surrey to be pampered and experience their Schoolrun blowdry; a hairwash, treatment, blowdry and style...heaven!

John Carne Hairdressers is situated in the centre of Guildford, one of the most beautiful places to shop, with a huge array of stores from Anthropologie to Donna Ida to fantastic independents such as Me&Em so well worth a visit..be pampered then shop and lunch a perfect day out!

You are in very safe hands in John Carne, a cool hairdressers with a luxurious, comfortable and an extremely welcoming ambiance with a fashion edge. Having worked backstage on numerous fashion shows the stylists are en pointe with all the new hairdressing techniques and trends and use their expert knowledge to create a gorgeous look.

This is my BEFORE photo:  Fine, Frizzy not soo nice..! (apologies in advance of all my extreme face close ups..eek!)

And the AFTER: the lovely Elz working on my hair after a luxurious hair treatment and head massage..

Tea, biscuits and magazines galore..in the afternoon clients are treated to champagne and strawberries..

Curls galore..

My hair kept it's curl for two days, would have been longer but I wash it every two days so sadly had to wash the curls out..

For all those who live in the Surrey/ London area and need a little 'lift' before a special occasion or night out or anyone who fancies making a special shopping/pampering trip to Guildford, John Carne are offering a deal until 1st March..I highly recommend it! Check out John Carne's fab website, blog and instagram account (@johncarne) for hair and fashion inspiration.

Thank you to John, Finnley, Elz and the lovely team at John Carne for a fabulous morning, I was so pleased with the result and will be back again for sure x

Are you a fan of a little pampering, do you ever get the time? What would be your idea of the ultimate day of pampering?

As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time, Frances xxxx

 My schoolrun blowdry was complimentary however all views and opinions expressed in this blog post are entirely my own.

My Style - The Preppy Look

Style Theory: The Preppy look, timeless and sophisticated but with a 2014 twist. Think blazers, cricket jumpers brought up to date with distressed jeans and heels.

I have been a fan of the Preppy look for years, dipping in and out of it throughout the year. It is a style that makes me feel a little more 'put together', smarter than my usual casual, schoolrun uniform. When Henri Lloyd, the original British sailing brand, sent me this gorgeous Caralyn Knit Blazer and Beverley Cable V-neck cricket style jumper I was sold. My love for all things Preppy was re-ignited but to make it 2014 I paired it with my distressed 7 for all Mankind jeans and tan sandals.

I have had a small obsession with cricket jumpers since Kate Moss wore one in early 2012 and after buying a few over the last few years this Henri Lloyd is my favourite more affordable than the Rag and Bone cricket 'Talia' jumper and it fits beautifully.

The Details:

Jumper: c/o Henri Lloyd Cable V Neck Knit £75

Knitted Blazer: c/o Caralyn Knit Blazer £95

Jeans: 7 For All Mankind similar here (my jeans are naturally distressed due to wear!)

Sandals: H&M £39.99

The knit blazer has been so useful, it is a fabulous for layering underneath heavier jackets or a trench on colder days or by to smarten up a pair of jeans.

Trench: H&M similar here
Blazer: c/o Henri Loyd Caralyn Knit Blazer £95
Shirt: H&M similar here
Jeans: Oasis £40
Shoes: Zara similar here

Appropriate for the schoolrun and trotting up Kings Road, I do love a touch of the preppy look and think I will be indulging in it for the next few years to come, that mixed in with a bit of boho this summer!

Are you a fan of the preppy look, what are your 'must haves' you bring out year after year?

As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Frances x