Style Theory: The criteria for the perfect black ankle boot..comfortable, flattering, buckles (very AW15) pointed toe, short ankle height and soft leather. I have found them from non-other than Clarks

Boots -  Clarks Stanhope V&A boots £125
Dress - Asos (old season)
Bag - H&M similar here

The boots are from the Clarks V&A collection, Clarks collaborated with the Victoria and Albert museum to create a cool and slightly more edgier range of shoes. They looked to different periods in history for inspiration, these boots hail from the 80s, the Goth era to be specific. Clarks have smartened the goth look to create a pair of boots that are sharp, chic and completely on trend. The buckles toughen up the look without looking too heavy.

Halloween Outfit
Jacket: H&M old season
Blouse: Zara
Jeans: Topshop
Boots: Clarks Stanhope £125

Made in soft leather these boots are the perfect height to be worn with dresses and skirts, or with skinny jeans/ leather leggings. I have chopped my black jeans up to just above my ankle so the boots sit below..fine for mild weather and the boots keep my feet warm. As I find with most of Clarks shoes, they are undeniably comfortable with a very small heel, the perfect schoolrun to evening out boots. The leather looks mottled online in real life it is far less so (actually the photo online put me off a little I am glad I ordered them anyway!) They are exactly what I was looking for and the fact that they are super comfy, complete with ' cushion plus' technology makes me even happier!

Here are a few ideas of how I will be styling them...

images via Pinterest

They will be so useful throughout the autumn/winter and spring, they look fab with bare legs so if I try not to eat too many selection boxes over Christmas I may try the bare leg look in the Spring.....

Have you found your perfect winter boots, how are you wearing yours this year? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Frances xxx

*I was gifted the boots but under no obligation to blog about them - these exceeded my expectations.

Switching to Autumn/Winter - Some Outfit Inspiration

Style Theory: The transition from one season to another can sometimes leave me a little lost...what to wear, what style to go for, what is cool this season? I always turn to Pinterest to the streetstylers for some inspiration, so here are a selection of my favourite, mainly classic looks, for this Autumn/Winter that will work for a few years to come...

For me this year it is all about over sized knitwear, skinny jeans, or leather/suede look trousers, trainers, slouchy boots, tailored coats or jackets and a healthy dose of lurex thrown in to add much needed Autumn sparkle. I am of to hunt down my key items from the high street, I will report back...

Images above via Pinterest

MY STYLE:

A couple of my winter looks so far...

Sweater: River Island Design Forum £65
Jeans: Topshop Baxter £40
Boots: Vivienne Westwood Pirate Boots via EbayUK
Bag: Topshop (old season)

Coat: Zara (old season) similar here
Dungarees: H&M similar here
Blouse: John Lewis similar here
Trainers: Adidas £79.99
Bag: Kipling UK

What is your Autumn/Winter dream look, where do you find your outfit inspiration? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Frances xxxx

Outfit Post: The Cosy Poloneck

Style Theory: Cosy weekend jumpers are a must in the winter. I love them to be slouchy, soft and snuggly, perfect for Sunday walks then lunch in a country pub...

Sweater: Boden Everyday Merino Wool £80.10 (today)
Leggings: Zara £39.99
Wellies: Hunter £90
Bag: Kipling Yaretzi Backpack 
Sunglasses: RayBan Wayfarers £120

I love this Boden 'Everyday' jumper, it is soft merino wool, a great length to wear with leather leggings/ skinny jeans and comes in really useful neutral colours. It is true to its word and is the kind of knitwear you want to wear everyday, it will be a hardworking piece in my wardrobe this Autumn/Winter.

Boden Merino Wool Everyday Jumper £80.10 (today)

I am thinking of buying the grey too, love a grey poloneck with a camel coat (both on my wish list!)

But most importantly for a Sunday walk you need good company and my Little J is the best walking companion, full of upbeat chat and positivity..and she is always boiling so has now vowed to wear shorts until Christmas..I think she is paying me back for all the time I wrapped her up in a billion layers of clothes when she was a baby and I didn't understand why she cried..if only I knew!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend, until next time Frances xxx

**This is not a sponsored post I bought the Boden jumper and love it! :-) xxx

AW15 Coat Edit

Style Theory: One of the most important purchases of the season..the smart winter coat. It can instantly turn a casual outfit into a sophisticated look, get the colour, the fabric and the fit right and the winter coat will your wardrobe saviour.

In this blog post I will be talking about the 'smart' winter coat, I will look at Parkas, Puffers etc in a separate post. I am a huge fan of a dressy coat, for the last five years I have bought a bright coloured coat and I have worn them non-stop. They give me a signature look each season and it is amazing how good clashing colours look with them. This year I am on the hunt for a classic camel coat but throughout my search I have found lots of stunning coats on the high street..

The Red Coat

Jaeger 3 Button Coat £350

A little expensive but this coat looks amazing on, the collar looks great turned up and the colour is the perfect shade of a true red. This would look stunning clashed with a pink sweater and black skinny jeans and knee high black boots. Or wear over an all black outfit for a chic look. I also love a red coat with pale distressed blue jeans, a chunky black poloneck and trainers. This one is great for smaller ladies (like me) and is definitely on my list, in Elys in Wimbledon they were running a promotion with £100 off all Jaegar coats, not too sure if this is still going but well worth looking out for these promotions, it makes the price more palatable! 

The Forest Green Coat

&Other Stories £165

A beautiful fuzzy wool mix coat with gradient dye. This coat is a generous fit, wear with navys, pale denim blues, pale pinks, burgundys and add a red or orange bag for a striking pop of colour.

The Burgundy Coat 

H&M Studio Coat £139.99

A wool mix coat with gorgeous quilted detail. This is a modern take on a classic shape and will look stunning with camels, pinks greys, black and navy.

M&S Wool Blend Coat £139

This coat is such a beautiful, rich colour, one to try on as M&S coats normally come up a little big. I love the length and the collar, chic and sophisticated in this season's key colour.

The Grey Coat

The more I have researched this blog post the more I am loving the grey maxi coat,  I have tried lots of these but due to the fact I am 5ft 3 these are not an easy style for me to wear, for the taller ladies however this is THE coat to buy. It looks cool, nonchalant and so stylish.

Zara Handmade Coat £129

This may not be the warmest coat buy I always wear a uniqlo thin body warmer underneath mine and add an oversize pale grey scarf for a beautiful, tonal look.

Topshop Longline Slouchy Coat £89

This coat looks less 'dressing gown-y' in the flesh. It is this season's maxi length and would look perfect dressed down with skinny ankle length jeans and trainers. Add an oversized mustard scarf and you will look super chic.

Zara Coat £59.99

This coat is better if you are small, the perfect length, not too boxy and such a good price for a wool mix.  Again I would add a pale mustard oversize scarf to add a  touch of colour.

The Camel Coat

Lauren Ralph Lauren @ HoF £245

This is from a previous blog post but I really like this classic shape. This coat is 60% wool and is beautifully tailored.

Cos Rib Neck Wool Coat £175

This is the coat I think I am going to buy for this winter, it actually looks great on, it hangs beautifully in a swing shape and is flattering with a split at the back. It does not have a collar but will look fabulous with so many different colours of oversized scarves, deep reds, pink, navy, grey and black. This will look as good with my stan smith trainers as with a dress and heels.

I tried it on in Cos..not great photos but I do really like the coat.

I sized down on this coat, this is a size 8. The wool is quite flat/ felt -like which I wasn't sure of at first but actually I think it looks lovely, quite expensive.

Have you invested in your winter smart coat, what colour do you fancy this year? Or have you got a coat you use every year that is a classic and looks great year after year?

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

Outfit Post: The Everyday Little Black Dress

Style Theory: The Little Black Dress, endlessly useful, always chic and understated, one of my wardrobe staples. 

I was on the look out for one that was really comfortable and could be worn during the day as well as being dressed up for an evening out...step forward this fab little dress from Me+Em...The dress is an a-line, swing shape perfect for skimming over a tummy, with slit pockets at the front. The fabric is a medium weight crepe that hangs beautifully, skimming over any lumps and bumps. Today I added a pair of trainers for a comfy day outfit. 

Dress: Me+Em similar here in the sale
Trainers: Adidas Superstar £64.99
Backpack: Zara similar here

In the evening I will pair the dress with heels and an animal print, oversize clutch. This dress will work perfectly in the winter with opaque tights and a pair of tan knee high boots..or I will style it like this...

It is one of those dresses I know I will wear loads, I have been looking at it for ages on Me+Em website and decided to take the plunge and I am so glad I did.

Here are a few other LBD I have seen on the high street..

Clockwise from far left:
Topshop: Drape Front Tunic Dress £40
Zara: A Line Dress £39.99
Zara: Short Sleeve Dress £29.99
Warehouse: High Neck Babydoll Dress £48
Asos: Swing Dress £22
Whistles: Lola Dress £95

I just love a black dress and I not sure if it is because since I have got back from holiday and do not need to wear a bikini I have been eating ALOT but swing dresses are really appealing to me, the no waistband thing is just too good!

Are you a fan of the all day/evening little black dress. Do you have one you wear all the time or do you tend to keep it for special occasions?

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