Dress (worn as top) - Zara (last season) similar here
Bag - Piel De Mar Javea
Shorts: H&M (sold out)
Shoes - Asos £16 

Style Theory: A quick run through of the clothes I wore on holiday this year, a mixture of last year's buys and a few more recent items. My most worn item was without a doubt my H&M denim shorts I also loved my CocoBay Swimwear throw that I did not get a snap of (only featured on my Instagram stories) but I wore it most days to the pool. 

For the evening this year it was all about dresses, they are so easy to throw on, no coordination needed and flat shoes won over heels. Having said that, I did wear my Castaner Espadrilles quite a few nights, espadrille wedges are about as 'heely' as I get on holiday. No or a tiny amount of make up, hair scraped back in a scraggy bun, all my family around and a glass of wine in my hand, the recipe to a truly wonderful, relaxed holiday in my happy place in Spain....

Dress: Isabel Marant @Matches £177
Sliders: Wallis now £15
Bracelets - Bella Jane Jewellery

Dress - Zara (last year)
Sandals - Miista Shoes
Bag - Piel De Mar Javea

Top - Zara (sold out online may still be available in store)
Shorts - H&M (sold out)
Sandals - Miista Shoes
Bag - Piel de Mar
Bracelets - Bella Jane Jewellery 

Dress - Topshop (old)
Necklace - Cabbage White England
Bag - Anna Pugh
Shoes - Asos £16  

Necklace - Cabbage White England
Top - H&M available instore
Shorts - H&M (sold out)
Bag - Piel de Mar
Sliders: Wallis now £15

Dress - Zara £44.99
Shoes - Castaner @Net a Porter
Bag - Anna Pugh 

Top - Zara £22.99
Hat - Spain
Bag - SWYC
Silk Bracelet - Silk Philosophy
Sliders: Wallis now £15

Dress - &Other Stories
Shoes - Asos £16  

Swimsuit (top) - Cocobay Swimwear
Skirt - Zara
Bag - my sister's!

Top - Isabel Marant @Matches
Necklace - Annalou of London

Dress - Traffic People
Swimsuit - Accessorise (sold out online)
Sliders: Wallis now £15
Necklace - Annalou of London
Bag - Piel de Mar

Dress - Zara (available instore)
Bag - Piel de Mar
Shoes - Castaner @Net a Porter 

Bikini - CocoBay Swimwear
Necklace - Annalou of London

Top - Topshop (sold out)
Shorts - H&M
Necklace - Annalou of London
Bag - Piel de Mar

For the first year ever I packed well and wore everything (all except 2 t-shirts) I kept everything simple and as I went on holiday later on the summer I knew what would be most comfortable in the heat. The main thing I did was to avoid taking a range of heels (I normally take a couple of pairs 'just in case' and never ever wear them) sliders and flip flops are the way forward on holiday!

So that is my summer holiday over for another year, the kids are back to school soon and I am keen to get stuck into Autumn Winter fashion. So many gorgeous trends and looks about, cannot wait to share my favourite finds with you. For daily outfit updates follow me on Instagram @Thefashion_lift xx

As always thanks for reading, I love hearing your thoughts and comments, until next time Fran xxx

Instastyle - My heatwave outfit looks..

Style Theory: That dreaded moment when it gets hot and you find you have no summer clothes, the thoughts of what on earth did I wear last summer and why have I eaten so much and not exercised?!. So it appears for this transitional phase, the khaki pieces in my wardrobe are working hard and boyfriend jeans provide the right balance between keeping cool enough and covering my legs, add to that a white top, some fine gold jewellery and we have the basis of what I know will be my 2016 summer wardrobe solutions...

Boyfriend Jeans

Size up and wear loose, they will be your coolest option for jeans this summer, they look fab with flat sandals or dress up in the evening with statement heels (love these from Miista). Where possible keep your top as neat fitting as possible to balance out the bagginess of the jeans.

Top: H&M £29.99 (similar here )
Jeans: Gap old season (love these ones)
Bag: H&M old season (similar here)
Shoes: Miista 

Shoes: Miista
Jeans: Gap (old season)

Khaki 

Khaki is featuring heavily in my summer wardrobe, it is such a good neutral colour and is softer against the my skin. I have worn my Hush jacket non stop, so good for throwing over any outfit and my J Brand jeans have been worth every penny. 

Jumper: Me +Em
Jacket: Hush
Jeans: J Brand
Trainers: Golden Goose 
Bag: SayWhatYouC

Khaki Playsuit

So this is about as summery as I get at the moment, this is possibly the most comfortable, easy outfit I have bought so far this season. The jumpsuit is from Quattro Rish £79 (they will post out to you if you give them a call on 01737 235468) As last year my Menorcan sandals will be my go to for basic day summer shoes, super comfy and the neutral colour is flattering on my legs, these ones are from Varca Shoes. A pop of colour from my surprise buy my Laura Ashley huge tote bag (not leather) but fab for chucking everything in when I am out and about!

Playsuit: Quattro Rish
Shoes: Varca Shoes
Bag: Laura Ashley (old season)
Jacket: Primark (similar here)

The Boho White Top

I didn't know if I should buy this top (I already have a few) but it has been so useful. I love the fact it covers my arms and looks just as good with denim short as with jeans. I got these J Brand houlihans preloved from EditSecondHand, I have wanted a pair for years and buying them pre-loved made them affordable.

Top: H&M (available in store)
Trousers: Edit Second Hand
Shoes: LK Bennett (old Season)
Bag: Topshop (old season) similar here

So it looks like Khaki will be king in my summer wardrobe along with my trusty white tops and denim. The heatwave, which I think has now gone and we will be back to sweaters in no time, gave me a short sharp wake up call to sort out my clothes, I have so many I do not wear and really need to focus on what will be an easy, workable summer wardrobe and also that I seriously need to start exercising!

What have you been wearing over the last week, do you find it easy to go straight into summer mode? Have you found any summer gems? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Fran xxx

Spotlight on Hush

Style Theory: Sometimes a brochure drops through your letterbox and it inspires you and encapsulates many of your dream pieces of the season. Yesterday the Hush Top Summer 40 mini magazine arrived on my doorstep and I fell for almost every item!

Here are my top 10 pieces from Hush 

Pinstripe Shirt Dress £55

Perfect for throwing over a bikini to take you from beach to bar. 100% cotton so will be so cool for hotter weather. Add a wide brimmed black straw hat (this one) and flat black leather strappy sandals (these) and an oversize basket bag for a glamorous look..

Halter Bikini Top £35
Fold Over Bikini Bottom £30

I love the aqua shade of this bikini, it would look fabulous against sunkissed skin with fine gold jewellery. The halter neck top has removeable pads which are always useful and suit any bust. The fold over bikini bottoms are the type I always buy, they allow you to wear the bottoms as high or low on your tummy as is flattering for your shape, I wear them a little higher to keep my out of shape tummy a little hidden! 

Palm Beach top £40
Denim Shorts £45

Adoring all of this look. I simply live in black camisole tops and denim shorts on holiday. Easy to stick on whilst dashing out the house with the kids to the beach after spending hours getting them ready, slathering them in suntan lotion and finding their hats, buckets, spades change of pants etc always leaves me with exactly 2 minutes so thank goodness for outfits like this and Piz Buin Once suntan lotion my summer saviours! The shorts are the perfect pale blue color, with just the right amount of distressing. And I love the black swing cami with crochet detail, practical and flattering, would look fab with blue skinny ankle length jeans and Next flat tan strappy sandals too.

Star Jumper £69.50

This is a super lightweight sweater in a bamboo knit. Perfect for wearing on holiday in the evenings or wear over the aqua bikini top with denim shorts for a cool look.

Bondi Beach Dress £55

This dress is perfectly boho, again I would pair with my Next tan strappy sandals and a large basket bag (here) for a cool beachy look. On the schoolrun I would wear this dress over my pale blue skinny jeans with sandals.

3 Star Stud Earrings £39.95

These will trend up your jewellery collection, slightly edgy these star earrings are perfect for bringing your look into summer 2015. Gold plated silver or sterling silver these are beautiful.

Pom Pom Clutch Bag £50

This clutch bag is perfectly oversized so you can actually fit your purse, make up keys etc in it. The monochrome with orange pom pom and zip would look fab with Hush denim shorts and black top above or with a black summer dress (see my last post for ideas) 

Pomegranate and Peppercorn Candle £12

I always take a little candle away with me when I go on holiday as I love having a glass of wine in the evening on the terrace with a lovely smelling candle burning, a little bit of holiday heaven! This one has great reviews and I have been assured the smell is divine. Hush you have pretty much got my dream summer wardrobe all wrapped up in one brochure, thanks for the inspiration with free delivery and returns (code: HOLIDAY15)..now what to order first *scrambles upstairs to look for old summer clothes to ebay*!! 

What has been inspiring you this summer, which brand has caught your eye. Have you bought any Hush items, which are your favourites? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, have a great weekend, until next time, Frances xx

Summer Sandals - the cream of the crop

Style Theory: Flat sandals, your summer holiday 'must haves', this year it is all about straps and ties and the high street have come up trumps. With the boho trend eclipsing all other trends this year sandals are laid back, flat, true boho chic. So whether it is tan, black or jewelled just make sure your sandals are strappy..

Here is a little outfit inspiration:

As you can see this style of sandal is incredibly versatile and whilst being practical looks effortlessly chic. Pair with maxi dresses, dungarees, summer dresses and denim...every which way these work..

Here are the best strappy sandals on the High Street now:

Starting with Office that seem to have a fab range of strappy sandals at the moment AND Grazia have 25% off Office this week so worth buying them now..

Office Oakley Strappy Mule Sandal £35

I tried these on they are super comfy, the leather is really soft, great little holiday sandals with a pair of cut off denim shorts and white boho top (they also look fab in gold here)

Office Odessa Lace Front Sandal £38

The gladiator style sandals are a big trend again this year, these would look lovely with ankle length blue jeans and a crisp white shirt.

Office Oscar Cut Out Low Wedge £42

I love an ankle strap and a slight wedge, the small amount of height is really flattering on legs and makes them look slimmer.

Office Olivier Low Wedge £45

Great little basic sandal, the mix of tan and gold is beautiful, the best of both worlds.

Now onto Next who have the most fabulous shoes this Spring Summer..

Next Strippy Ankle Wrap Sandals £30

Leather straps, tie ankle and only £30..will look amazing with a long black, floaty maxi dress (chloe style) and fine gold jewellery.

Next Lace Up Sandals £24 

These are also leather and come in a beautiful tan colour too.

Tan Lace Up Sandals £38

Not flat but not too high either, these are fabulously Chloe-esque and completely gorgeous..I will track them down to see what they are like on. Not leather uppers but for that price and such cool styling I think they are fab.

The best of the rest..

Topshop Fig Lace Up Sandals £39

These also come in black a fab gladiator/lace up hybrid.

KG Kazoo Black Sandal £85

A little more glamorous with gold details and a slight wedge heel, these look even better in 'real life'.

These are one of my favourites and at such an amazing price, I have bought these for the summer, they come up slightly big (half a size so if in between sizes size down) and are quite a slim fit. They also come in tan and snakeskin, all are fabulous but I plumped for the black as I think they will look good with my off the shoulder, black Other Stories dress from last year.

There are so many stunning sandals to chose from this year..so much better than last year, I think I may have to buy a couple of pairs..

My Style:

For a day out with the family, you just never know how warm or cold it is going to be at the moment (normally colder than you think) so I have taken layering to the extreme..

For a meeting about an upcoming project, I wore my Levis 501CT jeans. I have definitely renewed my love for 501s after a 20 year break. And of course the Boden shoes are fab, now I have got used to walking in them..

Are you starting to think Summer clothes yet or am I completely jumping the gun by looking at sandals? I have heard that April will be warm so you never know..fingers crossed!

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

Dreaming of Summer.....

ph Las Calles de Barcelona

Style Theory: The days are getting longer, the sun has shown it's face after months of hiding away behind heavy, grey clouds and now my attentions are turning towards summer and beachy holidays. I long to lay on the beach - ok in reality, chase kids/ build sandcastles/ remove unwanted sand from their feet/be made to jump (not a nice sight) over every wave that hits the beach - in order to do this with some sort of confidence I love a beautiful bikini or swimsuit. I normally start looking about now, that initial trying on session is horrendous but makes me realise that in less than 3 months I will be faced with the reality of strutting my stuff down to the sea edge in a bikini. To soften the blow of an unworked out, rather out of shape Mum of two in stepped Coco Bay Beachwear, the answer to my swimwear worries....

Coco Bay - Seafolly Miami Stripe Neon Bikini Top from £53 Bottoms from £38
Coco Bay - Seafolly Soundwave Drummer Kaftan £53
Coco Bay - Bulaggi Pineapple Beach Bag £40
Coco Bay - Hipanema Amor Bracelet £70

I have long been a fan of Seafolly swimwear it is cut beautifully and is incredibly flattering, it is also substantial enough to withstand toddlers tugging on it and stays up whilst grappling with them in the sea! Although it is slightly more expensive than some other high street own brands, they really do last, the colour does not fade and I have had mine for quite a few years. When the bikini above arrived I let out a little gasp of delight (genuinely) the colour is stunning, like a tropical sunset and the cut perfect for me.

I wanted an easy cover up to throw over me with ease so when a child declares they need the toilet I am there in a flash and thank goodness not walking up to the cafes in my bikini. I love the bright edges of the throw and the white base, it will look fab with cut off denim shorts and tan strappy sandals for long lazy lunches. I also always need a huge beach bag that can carry at least two towels and as much other stuff I can pack in it (spades, buckets, beach hats, extra kids clothes....) this Bulaggi Pineapple bag is perfect.

Coco Bay - Seafolly Miami Stripe Neon Bikini Top from £53 Bottoms from £38
Coco Bay - Seafolly Soundwave Drummer Kaftan £53
Coco Bay - Bulaggi Pineapple Beach Bag £40
Coco Bay - Hipanema Amor Bracelet £70

There were so many beautiful bikinis and swimsuits to choose from on the Coco Bay Beachwear website I was spoilt for choice. Here are a selection of my favourites and they also have D/DD/E/F Cup swimwear in beautiful styles and colours..

Seafolly Miami Neon Melon Bikini - Tops from £53 Bottoms from £38Seafolly Miami Neon Melon Swimsuit £94

These neon colours are so flattering against any colour of skin, they take the edge away from a paler skin like mine and make it look a little less bright white. The bikini tops and swimsuit come with a detachable strap so you secure when diving in the waves...

Banana Moon Victoriane Bikini (left) - Top: £38 Bottoms: £38

Banana Moon is another favourite swimwear brand, I used to buy it from a little shop on the seafront in Spain now you can buy and try before you go on holiday. The boho pattern of this bikini is perfect for this years boho trend. The swimsuit is ruched in all the right places for a flattering effect and I always find navy a softer, kinder, more flattering colour against the skin.

Here are my are selection of my favourite pieces of swimwear for D-F cup on Coco Bay..

Top Left Seafolly Soundwave Bikini top from £58 Bottoms from £39
Bottom Left Seafolly Goddess Lapis Bikini top from £21 Bottoms from £27
Swimsuit Baku St Martins £99

Beautifully flattering and gorgeous colours, with lots of options to mix and match different shaped tops with different bottoms to ensure you buy the right bikini for your shape.

Coco Bay also has a fab range of beach clothing (love the boho top) and bags and accessories, well worth a cyber visit!

Do you buy your swimwear early or do you wait until the last minute, are you like me and need a short sharp shock of seeing yourself in a bikini to get moving? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Frances