Style Theory: Sometimes all you need for a really great, easy to wear spring/summer outfit is a beach dress, a faded denim jacket and a pair of elegant shoes...minimum fuss...my kind of outfit...

M&S Cotton Dress £25

This is such a super light dress, meant to be a beach dress but I wear it out during the day for the schoolrun/day out with the kids, paired with a denim or biker jacket and sandals, one of those super easy dresses to pull on, and one I will be definitely be shoving on over my bikini on holiday too, a real beach to bar dress..

M&S Shoes £45

Love these shoes, super retro, super stylish and look so much more expensive that their £45 price tag. They have a great height heel too so are easy to walk in.

M&S Denim Jacket £35

I love a light denim jacket for spring, it is the perfect versatile jacket, looks great with khaki trousers a breton and tan sandals as well as over dresses to dress them down for daytime, just add a pair of white trainers (I still love Stan Smiths)

M&S Bag £39.50 

A 'Loewe-esque' bag, a great size for a daytime summer bag, lots of pockets and a zip top (I am such an oldie but I do love a zip top bag security wise!)

M&S Gold plated Hoop Earrings £8

Add a pair of gold plated hoop earrings and a pair of sunglasses and you are Spring ready...

Luxe Classics with M&S - Outfit Post

Jumper - M&S £75
Jeans - M&S £25
Shoes - M&S £39.50
Biker Jacket - M&S £249

Style Theory: Sometimes simple outfits are the best, a grey cashmere sweater, jeans, Chanel-esque shoes and a biker. All pieces that make up a capsule wardrobe...

Autumn Style...

Jumper - M&S £35
Leather Trousers - M&S £199
Bag - M&S £55
Shoes - M&S £69

Style Theory: As the leaves turn to red and gold on the trees, the days get shorter and the nights longer, it is time to cocoon ourselves in cosy, soft knitwear. It is one of the things I most look forward to each Autumn/Winter season, buying new knitwear to keep me looking stylish but feeling super snug for the long months ahead.

Marks and Spencer excels in knitwear, the textures, shapes and colours always add some much needed interest to my Autumn wardrobe basics. Each piece of knitwear can be incredibly versatile, dressed down with jeans and wellies for weekend walks in the woods or dressed up with tailored trousers and heels for a smart, work look..buy well and wear all season and for seasons to come.

Jumper - M&S £35
Leather Trousers - M&S £199
Leather Bag- M&S £55
Shoes - M&S £69

Big, chunky knits are, again, big news, this beautiful turquoise jumper is warm, soft and feels like a huge hug around me (I am wearing size 10 - it's true to size). I have paired it with buttery soft, leather trousers (they come up a little large these are a size 8) and heels but it can equally be teamed with a pair of skinny jeans and trainers..the colour is perfect for this time of year and flattering against the skin. Clash up with red and pink accessories to add a splash of colour to a winter look.

Jacket - M&S £89
Poloneck - M&S £17.50
Jeans - M&S £45
Shoes - M&S £39.50
Leather Bag- M&S £55

 The skinny rib jumper is an eternally useful piece in every wardrobe. Wear layered under jackets, this black boucle jacket looks amazing on (size down), I love it wearing it with jeans and heels for a dressed up/dressed down look. Or layer the skinny polo under dresses for added style and warmth, super versatile, a key Autumn/Winter wardrobe basic.

Cashmere Jumper - M&S £75
Cashmere Jumper - M&S £99
Cashmere Scarf - M&S £125 or similar £25
Leather Biker Jacket - M&S £249
Trainers - M&S £49.50

Photos by Victoria Metaxas

This outfit, to me, is pure luxurious heaven, I am a huge fan of M&S cashmere, the cashmere jumpers are super soft, cut beautifully, wash well and keep their look wear after wear. I paired my navy, cashmere jumper (size 12) with a pair of ultra cosy cashmere tracksuit bottoms (size small), a cashmere oversized scarf, leather biker (size down) and leather trainers. It really is the one outfit I wish I could wear every day, from the moment I wake to lazy evenings at home with glass of wine and a good book/netflix series. The biker is one of my Autumn must haves, size down and wear it neat (but make sure you can still fit a jumper under) wear with dresses and trainers or boots and add this beautiful cashmere scarf for extra warmth.

Autumn and Winter I am ready for you.....weekend afternoons in a pretty pub with a glass of red wine, walks through the countryside finishing with a mug of hot chocolate and dark evenings spent in front of the fire...add the perfect knitwear to snuggle in to and suddenly winter doesn't look quite so bad...

Thanks for reading, until next time Fran

This blog post was written in collaboration with M&S, all views, opinions, styling and photography are my own.

Transitioning...

Coat - M&S £149
Poloneck - M&S Cashmere £89
Jeans - M&S  £35
Shoes - M&S £29.50
Bag - M&S (in store in sale)

Style Theory: Three things M&S excel in...Cashmere, coats and shoes....season after season they come up with great designs that are affordable, cool and chic.. 

I love a camel coat it is a timeless classic, always elegant and never ever goes out of fashion. The camel coat I am wearing above is a wool, cashmere mix. I sized down for a neat fit, it is beautifully cut with perfect sized lapels (i am not a fan of big lapels) and a split up the back..its those kind of details that make it look expensive and feel amazing on..

Coat - M&S £149

The jeans are M&S 'sculpt and lift jeans' they are incredibly comfy, again I sized down to a size 8 (I am normally a good size 10 in jeans). They have quite a high waist and not sure whether they actually lifted my bottom but they looked good on. I turned them up at the bottom to make them ankle length, I am such a fan of ankle length jeans, the length just seems to be flattering whether worn with heels, flats or trainers..

Jeans - M&S £35

M&S cashmere is always a good idea and this polo neck is no exception, it is super soft and the most beautiful shade of soft grey that is super flattering against the skin. I sized up to a 12 for a slouchier fit.

Poloneck - M&S Cashmere £89

Shoes - M&S £29.50

These shoes....so good, so comfortable and easy to walk in all for £29.50...

The little, pink, velvet bag I picked up in store, it is so cute, it has a cool vintage vibe. It was in the sale and has sold out I think but may be worth checking in your local M&S..

The coat will look great with a jumper, blue ankle jeans and trainers. I will wear the jumper non stop with everything, it is great over floral midi dresses (making your summer dresses work hard all through the year) and the shoes will look fab with a black cashmere jumper and distressed boyfriend jeans or with Christmas dresses and black opaque tights...

I am slowly coming around to the idea that sadly this summer is over and it is time to dress for Autumn, not quite given in but am getting there!!

As always thanks for reading, until next time Fran xx

*This blogpost was written in collaboration with M&S, all styling, words and photography are my own.

Geometric Brights...

Style Theory: Sometimes you just need a great dress that can take you seamlessly from day to evening, is comfortable, flattering and eye catching. This geometric Marks and Spencer dress ticks all the boxes, it is light and flowy skimming over all lumps and bumps and looks just as good with trainers as with heels.. 

 

Dress - Marks and Spencer £69

Bag - Marks and Spencer £15

Shoes - Marks and Spencer £49.50

Earrings - Marks and Spencer - sold out online

Sunglasses - Marks and Spencer £15

The dress comes up big so definitely size down at least one size (I also sized down half a size in the shoes), I wore the dress on the hottest day so far this year and it was so cool and comfortable. It is one of those dresses you can wear to a wedding, a garden party, or simply a day mooching around,  it looks as good dressed down with trainers as heels..

Photos by Lascallesdebcn

This blog post was written in collaboration with Marks and Spencer, the outfit choice, styling and words are my own

Grown Up Dressing..

Style Theory: I used to work in an office so I used to dress smart, sometimes I really miss dressing 'grown up'. I spend most of my days in jumpers, jeans and trainers so for this month's collaboration with M&S I went for a smart look, still super comfortable but dressing like a grown up was fun....

Jumper - M&S Cashmere £75
Skirt - M&S £39.50
Shoes - M&S £49.50
Sunglasses - M&S £15
Bag - M&S in store
Jacket - M&S reduced in store

This is the best tux jacket I have seen in ages, I spotted it on a recent shoot I was on, Emma Thatcher from A Style Album was wearing it looked fab. It looked so much more expensive than it's (now) £29. I did mention the jacket on my Instastories this week and I am afraid it sold out immediately, I bought this jacket in store, so it is well worth trawling the sales rails for. It is a tux style jacket, I sized down to a size UK 6, I tried on a UK 8 and to be honest there isn't much in it so if you see one that is one or two sizes smaller then it worth a go at trying it on as the jacket does come up big.

This Marks and Spencer black cashmere crew neck jumper is possibly my most worn jumper this year. It is super soft, easy to care for (I wash it in the handwash cycle of my machine in a net bag and it always washes really well) I have a few M&S cashmere jumpers and would really recommend them, they keep their shape, wear well and are great luxurious, capsule pieces in my wardrobe. 

Jumper - M&S Cashmere £75
Skirt - M&S £39.50
Shoes - M&S £49.50
Sunglasses - M&S £15
Bag - M&S in store
Jacket - M&S reduced in store

The tropical print skirt caught my eye as I walked through M&S, I am a huge fan of a ruffle and a flower print, the skirt has an elasticated waist so it is incredibly comfortable. The hem dips at the back to create a flattering silhouette, it is true to size or if you are on the smaller side of your normal size size down.

Every season M&S nail the shoes and these mustard suede ones are beautiful, they are comfortable and flattering (the heel is a great walking height) I love the bow detail at the side, it adds a design twist. The colour is subtle so elongates legs, they come in black too but for summer these mustard ones are perfect!

A few other items that I have my eye on in M&S at the moment:

M&S Pure Cashmere Jumper £75

A grey cashmere jumper is the perfect item for a Spring and Summer wardrobe, it looks great with maxi skirts, or jeans and white trainers.Love a pinafore jumpsuit, so comfy and chic.

M&S Cashmere Jumper £75

A pale blue jumper looks fab with light blue ankle length jeans and white superga trainers, a really fresh spring look, size up for a slouchy fit.

M&S Culotte Pinafore Jumpsuit £49.50

A jumpsuit is such a comfortable alternative to a dress, love the frill detail and colour. I would add turquoise earrings to clash it up and wear nothing underneath and a black tux jacket over the top.

M&S Colour Block jumper £39.50

I used to have a sleeveless jumper similar to this years ago with a big bow on the shoulder and I loved it. I would size up a little with this one I think it would look good on the slouchier side.

M&S Weave Shoes £39.50

It's all about the weave shoe this Spring/summer (I remember having weave shoes when I was 11, I loved them with all my heart they were my first slip on shoes!) These are chic, keep things simple with a pair of pale blue boyfriend jeans and a white tee.

And sometimes I just like to wear trainers with my skirts, this skirt looks as good dressed up as dressed down..

Jumper - M&S Cashmere £75
Skirt - M&S £39.50

Photos Victoria Metaxas

For me it is all about balance a dressed up dressed down look is my comfort zone for now...just bring me a little sun and maybe I can be pushed out of it a little!!

Thanks so much for reading, have a wonderful Easter and a fab break, Love Fran xx

This blog post was written in collaboration with Marks and Spencer, all thoughts, opinions, styling and photography is my own.