Style Theory: The grey winter days always draw me towards a soft, pink palette, it seems to make your skin glow and will add a little, subtle touch for colour to your winter/spring and summer 2016 wardrobe. 

The SS16 catwalks were full with differing shades of pinks, from pale pink organzas to soft tulles to pleated fuschias mixed with golds (Isabel Marant) and reds (Chanel)...

Chanel, Chloe, Carolina Herrera, Tibi

Stella McCartney, Delpozo, Erdem, Alexander McQueen

Chanel, Isabel Marant, Gucci, Rochas

All images above via Pinterest

As you can see above pink featured in so many designer's SS16 collections and it will therefore follow suit on the high street. The fashionistas on the street were quick to pick up on this colour trend wearing pink with aplomb..

Ph via Pinterest

So how does this translate down to the high street? The colour is coming through in knitwear, dresses and accessories. Mix with neutrals (greys, camels, denim and black) or clash up with merlot and red to create eyecatching, feminine looks...

Whistles @House of Fraser £160

A beautiful shade of pink and a fabulous shape of sweater. Slightly expensive but it is 100% cashmere (hand wash) Wear with skinny blue jeans, white trainers and an oversize pale grey scarf for Spring perfection.

Mango @John Lewis £39.99

Style this jumper as above or wear with a silver pleated midi skirt and merlot coloured heels for a cool look.

French Connection @John Lewis £75

A beautiful, soft pink, I would size up on this sweater and wear with slouchy grey tracksuit pants and stan smith trainers, add a contrasting grey scarf and biker jacket for a chic, laid back look.

&Other Stories £69

This silk shirt is a classic shape brought up to date with a neck tie. This would look stunning tucked into a pair of boyfriend jeans with black heels or wear with tailored ankle length trousers and Chanel-esque pumps.

H&M Crepe Blouse £14.99

A budget, wardrobe basic, this crepe blouse will look great unbuttoned slightly with fine gold necklaces layered, tucked into a pair of ankle length skinny jeans.

Cos Drape Detail Top £59

To balance out this floaty top I would pair it with skinny jeans or tailored trousers, add a pair of pointed kitten heels for added glamour.

Finery Satin Trapeze Dress £45

This dress is gorgeous, wear it now with black opaques and black heels (it has black bonded fabric on the inside so would look fab with black accessories) wear in the summer with flat, tan, strappy sandals.

Finery Mallow Tunic Dress £49

A stunning dress, buy now wear in the summer with strappy sandals or with white trainers.

&Other Stories Cap £35

I am slightly obsessed with caps at the moment, this would look fab with a grey oversize coat and skinny leather leggings and trainers.

&Other Stories £12

Love these, I will have to buy them.. gorgeous with pale pinks, greys and beiges.

Burberry Fuschia Pink Scark £335

I know, ridiculously expensive for a scarf but this is pretty gorgeous and a nice addition to any wardrobe should you be able to afford it.

&Other Stories Cashmere Scarf £65

Super soft and in a beautiful colour, a real luxury item, perfect for travelling (use as a pillow) indulgence at its best.

My Style

Last days of Christmas holidays, I have worn this cardigan non stop (a Christmas present from my Mum and Dad) love love it!

Cardigan - American Vintage @Quattrorish £110
Dungarees - H&M Old
Sweater - Boden 
Bag - Gucci @Selfridges £650
Bangle - Black and Sigi 
Shoes - Topshop £12 (sold out)

So I, for one, adore pink and will be buying a few pieces this season to add colour to my wardrobe. I will still be sizing up on all sweaters so they are slouchy and baggy and will be keeping trousers and jeans neat and skinny (although current Christmas excess weight makes this slightly tricky!)

Are you a fan of pink, will you be indulging in this colour trend this year? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Frances xx

My Summer Holiday Daytime Outfits in an Insta...

Style Theory: Here's what I wore on holiday in the daytime. It was incredibly hot and a few things I flung in my case at the last minute turned out to be daytime outfit saviours... It is always useful to have a look at what I actually wore verses what I thought I would wear..it turns out cotton and loose fitting clothes were the key in the heat...

Beach Kaftan - Seafolly at CocoBay £53 (20% off this price with the code Schoolrun20)
Bikini Top (just seen) - Seafolly at Cocobay Bandwave Zip Top £56 (use discount code above)
Bikini Bottoms (just seen) - Seafolly at Cocobay Goddess Hipster Pant £38 (use discount code above)
Sandals - Palmairas £40

This outfit features two of my most worn things on holiday. First the Coco Bay kaftan, it was perfect for throwing over a bikini to walk to the beach or the pool, so light, airy and non-sticky, the perfect length and was the perfect holiday colours. I had thrown this in my case at the last minute and I am so glad I did, it was 39 degrees most days and was all I could bear on at midday! Secondly, my Palmairas sandals, so comfy, cool and non-sweaty, easy to slip on whilst running after the kids, worth every penny.

Javea, Spain

Bikini Top - CocoBay £95 (20% off with code above)
Jacket - Zara sold out similar here
Shorts - Urban Outfitters
Hat - &Other Stories similar here
Sunglasses - H&M sold out

Denim shorts are an excellent, useful item to pack I chopped mine above the base of the pockets for a more flattering look on my legs and I adore this &Other Stories hat, it was my sisters but I 'borrowed' it most days!! The bikini was a little luxury, the colours are stunning and the cut makes you feel that little bit more confident on the beach as hopefully people will be looking at the bikini not the out of shape body underneath!

Lace Top - Beach buy in Spain similar here 
Jean Shorts - Urban Outfitters 
Sandals - Palmairas £40
Sunglasses - Asos similar here
Bag - Spain love this one

Beach Towel - The White Company similar here in the sale

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, a good summer read although it is one of those books you read in a day (kids permitting) as it is hard to put down. I also read The Hunger Games (a little late to the party on that one) I had seen the films but the books are so much better so glad I finally had the time to read them. 

I always pack a couple of White Company beach towels as they are great, huge and look good on the beach. I normally buy a couple in the summer sale (these are now £15.40 each)and keep them for the next year, they are such good value and wash really well, I always think it is a real luxury to have matching towels (in past years they have been pretty random!) although it is one things that does push the luggage weight up a little!

Jo Malone Travel Candle - £22

I also always bring a Jo Malone travel candle to our holiday house as it is a little taste of home to me (I am such a homebody) and makes everything smell wonderful. 

Top - Zara sold out similar here 
Skirt - Isabel Marant for H&M bought via @LornaLuxe Tictail shop 

I have been after this skirt for a while and spotted that Fashion Blogger Lorna Luxe was selling one via her tictail shop. I love it and look forward to wearing it with black opaques and black boots in the winter. 

Top - Zara £22.99
Shorts - River Island similar here 

I bought a few off the shoulder tops to wear with shorts for daytime but to be honest I ended up wearing my Cocobay kaftan most days as it was so hot even for shorts.

Bangles - Black and Sigi

I completely loved my Black and Sigi jewellery, it really added a little elegance to my holiday wardrobe.

Zara Lace dress - In store

This dress worked for both the evening and daytime, perfect for afternoon coffees with Little Jess. It is one of those dresses I probably will not wear in the winter so I really want to get wear out of it, I made sure I wore it loads and will dress it down with trainers at home.

Top - Mango (last year) similar here
Jeans - Levis 501ct at Very £95

My going home outfit, comfort being key (I forgot to bring a sweater as it was warm when I left the UK - big mistake when we landed I was freeezing) These jeans are super comfy and look as good with heels as with flats and trainers.

And there you have it, a selection of my daytime outfits with bikinis and my swimsuit being the backbone of my clothes. As usual comfort won over fussy items and I wore the same items (my kaftan) day after day. It was possibly one of the most relaxing holidays we have had in ages, my whole family were there for the first week, then it was just the four of us for the second and as the kids are a little older they could (sometimes) entertain themselves leaving us to read and relax..heaven..

What are your key pieces you take on holiday, how is your holiday wardrobe looking this year? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, next time my evening outfits...

Happy Holidays if you are off soon, Frances xxxxx

The Summer Holiday Packing Post

Style Theory: Possibly one of my worst jobs...packing. I tend to put it off until the last minute as I never know what to take on summer holidays and always, always overpack (for me and the kids..the Husband takes near to nothing!) I am always worried that I will not include that one top or one pair of shoes that I 'need', that would be perfect and just make my summer wardrobe 'work'. Well, times have had to change (mainly due to Easyjet's..we fly cheap...teeny case weight allowance) and the fact we take 2 cases between the four of us (plus two trunki's..possibly the worst idea we have ever had) so now I have to pack smarter, less clothes, less shoes and leave all those things that I just 'might' wear.

So here it is, my entire holiday outfits for two weeks...

SWIMWEAR

This is my most important item/s of clothing to get right as we spend most of the holiday by the pool or on the beach running after the kids, dipping in and out of the sea or pool (looking more Godzilla than Halle Berry) so comfort, support and most of all swimwear that is as flattering as possible is a must. I will be taking one swimsuit and two (maybe three bikinis) this year. These are from CocoBay and after trying on hundreds of bikini and swimsuits these are stunning pieces and were actually flattering (a miracle!!):

Swimsuit c/o - CocoBay Seafolly Mod Swimsuit £66.50

Bikini c/o - CocoBay Aquaclara top £95 Pant £68 *
Lace Cover Up Top - Spain
Shorts - See below
Sandals - Mango (still avail in some stores)
Bracelets - Black and Sigi Hemmingway Bangle £29

T-Shirt Top - Mango £9.99
Vest Tops - H&M
Bikini c/o - Coco Bay Bandwave Bikini Top £56 Bottoms £39 *
Sandals: As above
Sunglasses - Asos 

*20% off all full priced CocoBay swimwear with the code SCHOOLRUN20 this will be valid until the end of August

DAYTIME

I would love to say I have a magic formula to packing, but unfortunately I don't. For daytime I like my shorts and tops to work with the swimwear underneath, some slight coordination there ..with daytime dresses this is not so important as the swimwear is covered. After years and years of having a patterned beach bag I now always keep it quite plain, an oversize straw basket bag fits the bill perfectly and is also used as my airport bag...

Tops from top:
Black - Mango (last year)
White - Mango (last year)
Pattern  - Mango (last year)
Cold Shoulder top: Vila (last year)
Vest top - Next

Shorts: Gap darker wash here £17.99
Levis 501 - Urban Outfitters £36
Short denim shorts - River Island similar here
Beige linen shorts - Topshop similar here
Black Strappy Sandals - Mango £19 (in store)
Sandals - Palmairas £42

 DAYTIME - SIGHTSEEING 

Stripe Top - Asos £14
Top: Zara £22.99
Skorts: Zara (old season)
Shorts: As above
Shoes: H&M (sold out)

Sunglasses: Rayban Wayfarers £125
Bangle : Black and Sigi  £33
Ring: Black and Sigi £19

DAYTIME BEACH DRESSES

These are easy to fling over a bikini in a flash, useful when a child announces they are desperate for the toilet on the beach and can't wait. They also take you from the beach straight to a restaurant for dinner without looking too underdressed.

Dress Left - Topshop (past season)
Dress Right - Topshop (avail in store)
Left sandals - Next £24

EVENING DRESSES

For me, this year it is all about the dress (plus I have just slipped in one black jumpsuit..just incase!) Dresses mean minimal fuss, I always buy them fairly loose fitting so they are comfortable, not too hot and can be dressed up with heels or if I am walking far they look fab with flats.

Lace Dress - Zara £29.99 (currently in store)
Bag: Aurora London Willow Bag £59.50
Bracelet - Gold Meridian Bangle £35
Shoes - As above

Dress: &Other Stories now £27
Rest: As above

Dress: &Other Stories last year
Sandals: H&M last year

Dress - Zara £25.99
Accessories - As above

I love this dress, it is a real stand out piece in my case, the fabric is a little thick and I have been warned by my sister it is incredibly hot in Spain at the moment but I am going to take it anyway as I love it!

So there is my packing list in photos...hopefully it all works together, so far the cases look ok still beach towels and toiletries to go in (eek) follow me on Instagram @Schoolrunmum to see my daily outfit updates and other holiday snaps...

I am hoping to pick up a bright large clutch or bag in Spain to brighten up my black dresses, but if not I am happy to go all black, I quite like it when I have a light tan (in the last two days!) 

How do you pack, do you have tried and tested methods, I would love love to hear them, would love any tips...

I will not be blogging over the next couple of weeks so I'll catch up with you in a few weeks, in the meantime come join me on Insta (@Schoolrunmum)

Happy holidays, Frances xxxx