Daily Wear: Va-va-voluminous layers for a day at the zoo!

Hi guys,
Well I think the title probably explains where I've been today: we took a family trip to the zoo! In typical British fashion, excuse me for a minute whilst I talk about the weather! Although it's sunny the day started really coldly, which goes some way to explaining all my layers: I decided it was the best way to keep warm in the zoo during the early morning, without having to carry a jacket or bulky cardigan around with me all day. All that volume doesn't make for the sleekest or most streamlined look but nonetheless, here's how I wore it:
 Although they're only from George at Asda these are my new favourite jeans: I love the dark indigo colour and they have enough stretch to be insanely comfortable whilst still holding their shape. On top I am wearing a chiffon embroidered blouse with a peplum from Zara, a cotton kimono jacket from Primark and my new favourite scarf from Topshop: it has an incredible insect pattern all over it.  Finally, these Georgia Rose metallic sandals from Sarenza have been on my feet nearly constantly this summer. They're stupidly comfortable, and their bronzy metallic shade goes with absolutely everything.

This is the perfect jacket for this transitional weather, as when the temperature heated up a little I just removed the kimono and the scarf, and they both folded neatly into my bag: Simple!

What have you been doing with your Saturday? And what are you wearing today? Any tips for transitioning smoothly from your summer to your autumn wardrobe? I'd love to hear them!

Love Tor x

Daily Wear: The Perfect Stripey Dress From Joules

Hi guys,
I have written before that on a day to day basis I have a very specific mummy uniform that I tend to wear: simple blouses, pumps, and skinny jeans. I still wear fashion-focused clothes a lot too (mostly at weekends or when I'm going out without the baby) but for running errands, crawling around on the play mat and going to baby groups it's the mummy uniform all the way: I suppose that's one of the bonuses (and downsides) of working from home. However occasionally, I find a compromise dress like this one. It's simple and preppy so it fits in perfectly with my mummy uniform, but it's a little more dressed up and smarter too:
The dress is from Joules (It's the Thurwell heavyweight dress and it costs £49.95). I've teamed it really simply with my new Minna Parrika bunny pumps, black suede tassle bag from Hotter, Missoni sunglasses and black leggings. No fuss, no jewellery. Just an easy to wear outfit that I know is quickly going to be a go-to look for busy weekdays.

The dress is made from a lovely and soft, but really heavy sweatshirt material. The thicker fabric means the dress hangs really well and looks super flattering. It also comes with the added bonus of not needing to be ironed which is a massive plus for me: and there aren't many dresses you can say that about! And I just love my new bunny shoes: I've had them on almost constantly since they arrived. They make every outfit look a little bit happier!

I'm not the only one that's been wearing lovely Joules products this week: you can read Wilbur's review of his new little nipper short suit over on the Fabfrocks and Family blog.

Love Tor x

*I was sent this dress from Joules for the purpose of this review

Daily Wear: Like a preppy bumble bee!

Hi guys,
The title of this post is what my husband said when I asked him how I looked today! I'm pretty sure it wasn't intended as a complement. Nonetheless I'm quite happy with this simple but sunshiney outfit, which is just perfect for looking stylish, but not like I've made too much effort when I pop to the shops this afternoon:
The jumper is from Gap (Just £13.99 in the sale: total bargain!), the jeans are Topshop, and the blouse is H&M. The dainty flower necklace is from Cath Kidston. The heels are Steve Madden via Sarenza and the bag is via Hotter.

I usually shy away from bright colours because I'm not sure how to wear them and, truth be told, I don't really like drawing attention to myself which you're bound to if you wear a jumper like this. But this vibrant yellow looks great with my trademark black and new love of denim. And wearing heels helps too: it forces you to carry yourself tall and adds outfit confidence!

How to you wear bright colours? What's your comfort zone, and how do you force yourself to step outside of it sometimes? I'd love to hear your tips!

Love Tor xx

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Daily Wear: Just a walk in the park!

Hi guys,
Isn't it amazing how much the weather can change your mood? After a miserable week stuck in the house with Wilbur last week (mostly wearing jeans and baggy tees) I woke up this morning to find the sun shining and the birds singing, and my immediately reaction was Hurrah! It's the perfect day to throw on a dress and go for a walk around the park!

So that's exactly what we're going to do today, complete with rides on the swings and sandwiches under a shady tree. And here's what I'm wearing to do it:
The dress is years old (like, I got it when I was at university old!) and is from Topshop. The vintage bag is just as old (I was 19 when I got this bag and I'm 29 now. That's some serious wardrobe longevity!). The necklace is the Black Lily one I showed off last week. And the shoes are from Mellow Yellow via Sarenza. I actually ordered these months ago in anticipation of Spring, but today is the first time I've worn them. I'm seriously excited to take them for a spin, as they're so cute, with their little heart cut out details!

Oh by the way - you may have noticed the new background to my last couple of outfit posts: our new garden! We spent much of this weekend mowing the lawn and weeding the patio: my next job is to paint the fences. It's so much nicer to take photos here without passers by on the street gawking. I feel much happier and comfortable posing too: cue lots more outfit posts to come this summer!

What did you get up to this weekend? Did you do anything nice, to make the most of the sunshine? And do you find the change of weather affects your mood too?

Love Tor x

Dailywear: A nice day for a white Christening!

Hi guys,
Yesterday was Wilbur's Christening. Which of course meant that I had spent weeks choosing an outfit to wear for the occasion. I wanted to look smart (but not too smart). Conservative (but not too conservative). Feel fashionable, and be comfortable. Here's what I went for: The dress is from French Connection. I managed to get it in the sale for just £30. The shoes are Steve Madden via Sarenza. And although they're high, they were surprisingly comfortable (unfortunately, because it's been so long since I wore heels though, I did have a little wobble!) The suede handbag is from Hotter. I have no idea where I got the belt from! And believe it all not (because I don't think you can tell!) the jacket is from Primark: We were lucky with the weather, and it was so warm I took it off as soon as we left the Church.

And as for the white Christening mentioned in the header? Well here is my little man (now officially Wilbur George) wearing the Christening gown that I also wore to my Christening 29 years ago. And he wears it adorably!
What have you been doing with your bank holiday? Have you been up to anything exciting? After all the running around yesterday, we're planning on spending today on the beach with a picnic, doing very little!

Love Tor x

Daily Wear: Spring wedding style from Matalan

Hi guys,
Last month Matalan got in touch and asked if I wanted to take part in a style challenge: to create an outfit for a Spring Wedding from their new collections for just £50. Obviously I said yes, and armed with my gift voucher I hit the store looking for the perfect outfit.

It was much harder than I thought: not because there wasn't a great selection (there was!) but because the budget was so tight: I had to forgo something to get a dress, shoes, and accessories: in the end I opted for a necklace and shawl and left the clutch and headpiece in the shop! Here's the outfit I put together:

Blue lace dress, £20. Gold peep toe heels, £14. Gold necklace, £12. Cream shawl, £5. Total - £51. See, even missing out some vital wedding kit I had to cheat and go slightly over budget!

Breastfeeding means that realistically I'm far too top heavy to be wearing dresses right now. But it seems like such a social faux pas to wear trousers to a wedding: or at least, if you do it has to be a trouser suit which can look so aging! Unless you're Bianca Jagger. Which I am not.

My favourite piece from the outfit is the necklace, which I will definitely be wearing again and again. And the classic peep toe shoes have a very low heel making them super-comfortable: I have a couple of weddings coming up this summer, and these will definitely be making an appearance!

This outfit is part of a style challenge created for Matalan. You can see my outfit, and that of the other bloggers taking part in the challenge, over on the Matalan blog: why not head over and check them all out?

Love Tor x

Happy Birthday Zalando!

Hi guys,
I'm a big fan of Zalando: the shopping site, and I've worked with them several times since they launched two years ago. I was a particular fan during my pregnancy, because cool maternity clothes are so hard to come by. And now that I'm a busy mum, it's my special occasion saviour. The nature of the site, pulling together all the best items from the best brands and stores, means that it's so much easier to find what you're looking for. Perfect speedy and easy shopping when you want something fast.

This week Zalando are celebrating their second birthday. And in honour of that, I am showcasing some of my favourite purchases from the site:
Warehouse monochrome dress from Zalando.
Mamalicious zebra patterned maternity top from Zalando
Full circle blouse from Zalando

Warehouse isn't a shop I normally go into when I'm shopping in the city, but I just can't get enough of this Warehouse dress. It looks great for casual wear with leggings and boots but can be dressed up with heels too: winner! And the Mamalicious and Full Circle blouses were regulars in my maternity armoury: I wore them both at least once a week!

If you want to celebrate Zalando's birthday too then create your own birthday image for the brand and tweet it using the hashtag #zalandoturns2 - there's a £300 voucher to win if you do! Find out more here.

Love Tor x

Daily wear: How to wear a sweatshirt

Hi guys,
Like most trends, the rise of the humble sweatshirt took a while to grow on me. It seemed too casual, too understated, too damn young! But having bought one I've done a 360 on the sweatshirt trend, and will definitely be giving it a go this spring. Here's how I made it work for me:
Sweatshirt- Gap. Necklace- Warehouse. Jeans- Topshop. Shoes- Jeffrey Campbell c/o Sarenza. Handbag- River Island.

- Add a chunky necklace. I'm a huge fan of oversized necklaces anyway, but they're almost essential partners to the sweatshirt. They stop it looking too casual and give a grown up, fashion-forward feel.

- Keep everything else streamlined- you need to balance the volume of the sweat. I've seen several other bloggers really make theirs look amazing with pencil skirts and even sequinned minis. But for my lifestyle, a fitted vest and skinny boyfriend jeans were the order of the day.

- If you're sweat is plain, add a little interest somewhere. I tried this outfit with my black boots and gold pumps first. But the best fit was when I added some pattern via my feet: these slipper shoes from Jeffrey Campbell.(Available here with 30% off)  Heels would have looked even better, but I can't really go to little mans messy play class in heels!

This neon orange sweatshirt was a bargain from the Gap half price sale (I paid just £14.99 for it) and their sale is still on instore and online now if you want to pick up one of your own. I chose this one because it nods to two trends at once- neon and sweats- with mininal effort. But I'm actually thinking of going back for the grey and lilac ones too- outfits for this awkward seasonal transition period, done!

Do you own a sweatshirt? And how do you style yours?

Love Tor x

Daily Wear: Wearing sequins in the daytime!

Hi guys,
I'm not really much of a sequin wearer. For eveningwear I tend to stick to classic matt black. But I do love sequins: I'm a glitzy pink Barbie girl at heart, even if that isn't ever externalised by my clothes!

I am currently making a sequin- exception though: This sequin sleeve khaki jacket from OwnTheRunway.com. And believe it or not, it's sequins for the daytime rather than the evening. I saw a couple of other bloggers wearing this, and I just knew I had to have it:
Sequin sleeve jacket: OwnTheRunway*. Jeans: Miss Selfridge. Shell Top: Matalan. Boots: Topshop. Bucket bag: River Island.

Because the jacket is such a statement piece (the sequins are so bright that when the sun's shining this baby could blind someone!) I decided to keep everything else as simple as possible: plenty of black and then a nice fresh denim. Of course, because I can't resist a little matching I wore my gold topped boots, a gold necklace and my gold watch to go with the sleeves.

The lipstick is the Dainty Doll red shade I showed you earlier in the week: I really do love it, and a splash of red lipstick is perfect for making me feel put together no matter what I'm wearing!

I wore this outfit for shopping and lunch with Mike and Wilbur today. It was so easy to throw on (effectively it's just jeans and a tee) but I must admit I was pleased with how it looked.

Have you tried wearing sequins during the daytime, and how do you manage to dress them down? What are you wearing today?

Love Tor x

* Gifted item

Daily Wear: Mad about Monochrome

Hi guys,
Monochrome is everywhere at the minute. It's a key trend for this Spring/Summer, and the perfect one to try when the weather is as cold as it is today too. Never one to miss out on a trend, my outfit today is all about monochrome. I wore this to brunch with Mike and Wilbur this morning (I threw my big leopard print coat over the top to keep me warm) and was very excited to be wearing a dress and not a blouse and jeans for a change!
Dress: Warehouse c/o Zalando. Boots: Topshop. Bag: From a market in Turkey. Bracelets: Accessorize/Topshop.

I love this Warehouse dress, which has a super-soft jersey lining and is made from a lovely chiffon, and which I got from Zalando. I really like big shopping sites like Zalando, and Sarenza (for shoes). They're great for comparing lots of big brands at the same time, all in one place with no fuss.

Unfortunately this outfit didn't get much wear, because it was so cold and miserable outside that as soon as we'd had our brunch we scurried straight back home to snuggle under a blanket and watch films: definitely a pyjama affair!

What have you done with your weekend? Have you done any shopping (if so, do tell!) or just been hibernating away from the weather, like me?

Love Tor x

Accessories: Hit the Coordination Station!!

Hi guys,
I have one fashion quirk that I'm pretty sure all the 'cool kids' like to secretly laugh at, but I just don't care. I like my shoes and handbags to match. All the time! That's why I have so many pairs of tan shoes: because my favourite handbag is tan. And you can guarantee that if I find a pair of heels I love them I will be out on the high street hunting down a clutch bag to match it. When it comes to accessories, I am definitely a matchy-matchy girl.

So how excited was I when, whilst shopping on Sarenza for both a new handbag and a new pair of summer pumps, I shortlisted both of these items only to later realise that they matched almost perfectly: it must be fate!
The shoes are from Georgia Rose (£31) and the handbag is from Poisson Bleu (£97.90). I also have a great pair of beige suede sandals that are going to look great with this bag when the weather warms up a little bit! I thought the bag was a brave choice, because I usually opt for tan or black when it comes to leather accessories: but the warm chartreuse stripe on this one is going to be perfect for injecting a little bit of colour into my summer wardrobe. I love it!

Do you like to match your shoes to your handbag? Or do you prefer the unmatched look?

Love Tor x

*I am a Sarenza Brand Ambassador

Daily wear: My new uniform

Hi guys,
Everyone has a daily uniform, whether you're given a prescribed work uniform or not. Your uniform is your go- to outfit for speed, comfort, style. You could be a jeans girl or a leggings girl. Always wear black, or only wear bright colours.  Most people wear a variation of that same outfit everyday. I know I do!
Jeans, Miss Selfridges. Blouse, River Island. Boots, Georgia Rose c/o Sarenza. Baby bag, Marc by Marc Jacobs. Watch, Marc by Marc Jacobs. Bracelets, See by Chloe.

It used to be that my go to uniform for work everyday was a black dress or black tunic and a funky jacket. I love a jacket! But since I've been staying at home with Wilbur my lifestyle has changed and my uniform has too! For going to baby groups, coffee mornings, walks in the park, my new uniform is this. Jeans, comfy boots, baby changing bag, and a pretty blouse. I'm looking forward to the day when my uniform goes back to being pretty dresses and heels (I really miss heels!) but for now I am embracing the jeans and blouse look. And I like it!

Am I right? Do you wear the same type of uniform outfit everyday? And if so, what's yours?

Love Tor x

Daily wear: Happy Mother's Day!

Hi guys,
Well, if you're in the UK today is Mother's Day: my first as a mummy! We were planning to spend the day by the beach in Cromer and eat fish and chips. Then it started snowing: plan scuppered. I can't believe it's snowing, when you consider that it was only Tuesday that the weather was so warm I left the house without my coat (Yes, I do have that British preoccupation with talking about the weather)

So instead we had lunch at home (steak and dauphinoise potatoes: yummy!) and then spend the afternoon trawling the local antique shops looking for treasure. Here's what I wore for the occasion:
Leopard Print coat, Next. Striped blouse, Primark. Jeans, Miss Selfridges. Boots, Topshop. Bag, Pucci via TK Maxx.

It's not very often I wear my hair up: I tend to use it as a safety blanket! And it's even less often I leave the house without make up, like I did today. But a clean face and simple pony tail are perfect for lazy Sundays. As is this outfit; jeans and blouses tend to be my uniform at the moment: so easy to throw on with minimal effort required, but they still look stylish and well put together.

Do you have a go-to weekend outfit or style that you wear over and over again? And what is it?

Oh and as a PS - Happy Mother's day to my lovely wonderful mum, who I know will be reading this!

Love Tor x

Daily wear: London Fashion Week AW13

Hi guys,
Getting ready for day one of London Fashion Week was something of a harried affair for me - not only did I have to get up and leave Norwich at the crack of dawn, I also had to dress, feed, and settle the baby at the same time. Nightmare! However I did manage to throw some semblance of an outfit together, and I actually think I looked alright. Even if we did take the photos at the back on an NCP car park, because we were running so late!
Coat, Stella McCartney. Trousers and boots, Topshop. Blouse, H&M. Necklace, All Saints. Sunglasses, Rock and Replublic via TK Maxx. Bag, BCBGMaxAzria via TKMaxx.

The patterned trousers were a big move for me, as I'm so self conscious of my thunder-thighs, I never wear anything other than black tights/leggings or jeans on my legs. But I loved these when I saw them in the Topshop sale, and at £10, how could I resist?!

I was planning on wearing my studded leather jacket (which looked great with this outfit, even if I do say so myself!) but when I got to London it was so cold that I threw on my Stella McCartney mac, which was luckily on the back seat of the car. Not as on-trend as I would have liked, perhaps, but at least it's a style classic and I was definitely glad to have it when the wind started biting whilst I was queuing for the shows! And this was another bargain - I got this last year from the Stella McCartney sample sale for £90!

Did you stream or see any shows at London Fashion Week yesterday? Or are you avoiding the LFW circus altogether this weekend? And if so, what are you doing instead? I'd love to hear all about it!

Love Tor x

Daily Wear: Sale shopping at Westfield London

Hi guys,
On Thursday I went for my final sales shopping trip to Westfield London: and there were still plenty of bargains to be had! It was also my first trip into London with Wilbur, and I would say it was a very successful trip all round! I love Westfield, so it was great to be shopping there again: regional shopping to good, but you really can't beat London shopping, can you?

I hit up all of the usual high street stores, and after toying with a Balmain-style jacket in Zara, I picked up this coat, reduced from £95 to £50 in Topshop:

Coat and boots, Topshop. Jeans, Miss Selfridge. Hat, Urban Outfitters sample sale. Satchel, car boot sale.

I fell in love with the super-soft fur and the pleats at the back. There's a lot of fabric in this coat (it's soo heavy!) so it was a damn bargain! I also picked up a dress and some towels in Debenhams and two Little Marc Jacobs outfits for Wilbur. Westfield London hands down has the best selection of children's clothes shops I have ever seen: definitely worth the drive down just to dress the little man. And definitely worth it for my new coat: I love it!

Have you had any final sales bargains this weekend? If you're nearby and looking for something to do, I heartily recommend a trip to Westfield London. I'm hoping to get down again before the sales are over: I didn't get to check out nearly as many of the stores as I wanted!!

Love Tor x

*I received a gift voucher from Westfield London to help me write this post


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