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Avid & Wise, Eyes on the Prize, Our Gorgeous Spring Summer Buys!

1000 replies

blossoming · 30/03/2011 12:14

New thread here!

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blossoming · 11/04/2011 19:13

Sorry, just saw it's out of stock. There there was a thread recently about Bretons and getorfmoiland recommended Jack Wills. I may venture in on Wednesday. Unless there's an age limit of course!

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AntPants1 · 11/04/2011 19:18

poly you have the right thread fro Bretons! I second morag's vote for the H&M one. Also Kew and Jigsaw have nices ones in at the moment. I have not tried the Boden one this season as I like a bit of Lycra in mine so they keep their shape.

wideawakenurse · 11/04/2011 19:21

Hello All.

Busy day at work, left the house this morning in bright sunshine, came home in the rain and wind. Poses extreme outfit complexity.

carciofi sorry to hear you are still feeling ill. I get a lot of sore throats at night, I just assumed it is something viral that I have picked up from DS. Hoping you are on the mend soon.

annie your weekend sounds full of fun and sunshine.

Fritzi that cocoon is fab. I'm thinking Heidi Klein bikini with matching kaften, Chole wedges, and a cocktail in one hand!

OWW Nice bag, looks roomy. Your clean out sounds very therapeutic. We need to start the process of getting our house ready for the market. Big clear out needed here.

dolcee I have seen that red breton in Kew, it's lovely.

Bloss these are nice as flat espridrilles.

I am looking for some boyfriend style jeans that are cropped and can be turned up. Saw a girl today wearing some with a plain vest top, looked good.

FritziGreenEyes · 11/04/2011 19:44

What is all this talk about sunburn and beetroot-coloured DHs, tsk-tsk? We are slathering our DCs in factor 50 as soon as the first rays of sunshine emerge in February! Wink One day the children are dressed in thermal hats and snowsuits and the next you have to switch to sunhats. As I always get it wrong anyway, I send DD with whatever she wants to wear on her head. Today it was a feathered headband Grin.

ploy I got a nice Breton from Zara in the beige-navy colourway.

dolcee You will all be very chic on your holiday. Love your DCs outfits and yours too! Have a great holiday with lots of sunshine and great wine!

OWW Ohhh, I like that bag in pink! We have a Fossil shop in town, maybe I'll check it out tomorrow. Happy Zumba-ing and whenever you are in the area, you are very welcome for cocktail and lounging on the sunbed!

wideawake Oh yes, Heidi Klein bikini, kaftan and cocktail in hand would be my dream outfit for spending an afternoon while supervising DD and playdate playing nicely in the garden. Today it was shorts, grey T-shirt and grubby hands from digging out weeds while DD and playdate ran around frantically playing Star Wars Smile.

carciofi Are you feeling any better? I think your dad will understand that you need to rest.

MarshaBrady · 11/04/2011 20:01

anniemac yes that's it! Derek Lam. Love his stuff.

I feel I should buy something these days, but have no idea what! That's a turn up for the books.

Feeling uninspired, even by NaP. Shock

FritziGreenEyes · 11/04/2011 20:12

marsha Maybe you just need a trip to Liberty for inspiration Wink?

MarshaBrady · 11/04/2011 20:16

It's true Fritzi. I envy you all, so decisively and wonderfully, actually buying stuff. Grin

I was in Covent Garden today, lounging around in some creative thing working while dh looked after the children and I could not even be bothered to look in the shops. Oh dear. I think I need some sales or something. Grin

MarshaBrady · 11/04/2011 20:20

I mean good idea re Liberty ...

blossoming · 11/04/2011 21:28

Hi everyone,
fritzi, I had the spinster librarian look down to a tee in my mid twenties. The short hair topped it off.

Have fun dolcee. Which part of France are you going to? I think you'll win stylish family award!

The weather changed a lot here too today wideawake. I made poor ds run home from school I was so cold.
And the forecast for Rome is rain. At least I know how to dress for that.

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OllieWollieWoo · 11/04/2011 22:22

Fritzi - look on the Fossil website - they have it in lots of different colours and lots of other nice looking bags too.
Poly another avid wearer of the H&M breton here - is quite thick with some stretch so v flattering and has nice buttons on wrist and neckline. I love my white with navy stripe one (also have it in navy). Good luck with your search!
Bloss the white blouse featured on the main page here (bottom left, pictured with satchel bag and floral top) is worth a look for you? Quite thin material (floaty?) but nice seam detail on the front and looks good with shorts and a vest under? Click on it for closer up pic.

TheAllNewOoooh · 11/04/2011 22:56

OWW I do like the Fossil bag but the £125 will take you a bit of the way to a Tillie. If you bought the Tillie you'd have two of a similar design, no? I'd be tempted to use the Boden slouchy number as your inbetweeny bag until you get what you really want.

Emo76 I have major Major jealously. Tell me about their high-waistedness. How tall are you, and where do they come up to? I think I need to invest in something along those lines with a waistband just under my boobs - I'm having a bit of a muffin moment in my Uniqlo cargos and need something sturdy yet stylish to hold me in!

Annie your weekend sounds wonderful. Have you thought about a delicious DD and Lotta combo? Kids' clogs here.

Fritzi those are gorgeous espadrilles. I've only ever had one pair and wobbled far too much in them to enjoy them, but they were pretty and the very essence of summer.

Am also confused by the weather here. My browsing swings wildly between sandals and cardigans. Realistically I fear it is going to be cardigan weather for a good while but I keep looking at [http://www.toast.co.uk/product/footwear/F1AL5/Catala+Sandal.htm?categoryref=%2fcategory.aspx%3fcategoryid%3dfootwear%26seoterm%3dfootwear%26pageno%3d3%26&pcat=footwear&adimage= these]] and these. Shame they aren't half the price!

moragbellingham · 11/04/2011 23:05

Fritzi - here's my outfit Grin

TheAllNewOoooh · 11/04/2011 23:08

Morag I like this. Grin

LTEC · 11/04/2011 23:23

evening all, hope everyone is well. Carciofi sorry to hear that you've been sore-throated for so long. I bought this scarf today maybe you need one too? Wink

I'm hankering after an orange shoe. I love many of the higher versions around but accept they're impractical ... so what do you make of these Toppers versions?? I have longish legs, quite brown skin.

AntPants1 · 12/04/2011 06:16

Like them LTEC. I love orange. Especially in the summer when in have a bit of a tan. Have just ordered these ballerinas in orange from Zara www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/uk/en/zara-S2011/80002/287558/BALLERINA

I had a good rummage in Zara yesterday. Bought this top www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/uk/en/zara-S2011/61142/322014/GATHERED%2BTOP%2BWITH%2BCOLLAR

I also wanted to buy this top www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/uk/en/zara-S2011/61142/348512/PRINTED%2BBODY but queuing for the till I noticed a Mark on the one I had picked up and it is dry clean only. When I pointed this out the lady at the till simply snapped that they do not discount their items further. So I left it. She simply added to the pile of clothes to put back out!!!! So be vigilant when you go to Zara!

FritziGreenEyes · 12/04/2011 07:59

ants That is not very good customer service at Zara but the sales assistants over here are very snappy too whenever you ask them something.

bloss I'm afraid I was spinster librarian for most of my twenties before I switched to all black existentialist look plus heels in my thirties. Need to stay on this thread to look fab in my forties Grin.

LTEC Wonderful, wonderful scarf! I really miss your links.. All I ever link to these days are sensible trenchcoats Hmm. On me the orange shoes would look frumpy. Normally I'd say either flat or proper heel but I think you can make it work with your gorgeous skin tone and long limbs Smile. What do you plan to wear them with?

morag and ohh Focus, please!

Brr, cold wind outside today. I'm wearing straight indigo Goldsign jeans, flowery ruffle shirt from Zara, black Bloch ballet flats plus trenchcoat when I go out later. I neeeeed a summer bag! I have only a very tattered silver suede one from Comptoir from many seasons ago and I cannot stand my black tote anymore. I'm tempted to get a pink one but I hate switching handbags every day because it doesn't match my outfit. Off to investigate and will report back later.

OllieWollieWoo · 12/04/2011 08:28

Fritzi - you need one of those handbag organisers that you have everything in and simply move from handbag to handbag depending on outfit. Not got one but something like this here ?? I scoffed when my SIL got one but they do make sense if you like using different bags!
Oooh - very sensible observation re the Fossil bag. Will see if I like Boden bag first. I too cannot get on with espadrilles - my feet wobble about in them too much!
LTEC - lovely scarf - includes great colours to lift an outfit. Agree with Fritzi re shoes - love that shade of orange but not sure about the style. Would need to see them attached to foot and leg Smile. Loved your cute chick cakes on FB btw - am going to copy next week when DSs have a special Easter brunch at school and we have to take a tray full of goodies to school!

Right - off out now for my potter round the shops

notyummy · 12/04/2011 08:44

Morning all! Hope you all enjoyed the sunshine this weekend. I am not enjoying being back at work after a FANTASTIC weekend in Switzerland. The weather was awesome - a bit windy on Saturday morning, but that soon died down. We ate every meal outside and bikinis were worn on the lakeside beach as the temp hit 28 degrees. Only managed to paddle up to my knees though - the water was very cold. Kids went in though - how they did it without a heart attack is beyond me! DD loved every minute of it and is exhausted after a weekend spent swimming, running, scooting and playing. My (relatively...) capsule wardrobe worked fine, and in the best spirit of this thread my mate and I did some slightly tipsy online shopping together on Saturday night. (Stuff was for her - not me!) We then downloaded 6W6P as she wants a flat tummy for summer - and we actually did it at 9am on Sunday morning with a killer hangover.

Carciofi - really hope your throat gets better soon. I know from personal experience how unpleasant it is - but I wasn't pregnant so had a wider range of medicines available to me.

Blossoming - Hope the forecast for Rome perks up.

LTEC - I love both of those links. I looked at those TS wedges as I love wedges - and didn't want anything too high. I discounted them because the colour would not work for me, however your colouring is almost the opposite of mine and I think you would look great in them.

I am off to Zara at lunchtime to pick up the shoes I ordered. I will report back when I have them!

Emo76 · 12/04/2011 09:55

oooh the majors come up quite high but somehow don't give that huge expanse of bottom covered in denim look which I got with others including low waisted houlihans/earharts! I am really pleased with them. I am 5ft8 and they come almost to tummy button. I am not generally keen on high waists but these are a keeper. I have them in navy but not indigo denim if that makes sense.

LTEC pretty scarf!

Ants I am SO with you on the Zara customer service. They don't give a toss!

notyummy sounds like a lovely lovely weekend, nice bit of tipsy shopping enabling!!

fritzi your outfit sounds good

aaaagh have nothing sensible to add, am wearing nice but a bit dull grey LKB dress with purple cardi and shoes to add some spring colour to the office!

blossoming · 12/04/2011 10:30

I have settled on this longline vest tunic to cover my tum this summer. I will buy strappy vests from Kettlewell to wear underneath. If it's too long I shall hem. That should work well with jeans, kneelength jeggings and the shorts. Model could be ltec, no?
Thanks for the link ollie. Why is it every time I go into H&M and Zara I get depressed and leave in a hurry? I must try harder!
Glad you had a good time notyummy. I figure I'll need 3 coats and 3 shoes. I'm sure we didn't have 28C the August we went to the Alps!
Off to write a capsule wardrobe list, then see what will fit in my case. Then do some Italian revision!

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polyhymnia · 12/04/2011 11:13

blossoming - thanks for Breton feedback. Gather you're off to Rome - my favourite place! Hope you have a great time. You've probably been before but, if not, do take some shoes which can cope with hard cobble stones.

blossoming · 12/04/2011 11:50

Thanks poly. No I haven't been before. I've been refusing as I hate not speaking the language. Limiting myself to France and Spain. Any wet weather tips?

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notyummy · 12/04/2011 12:21

Am always awestruck in Rome about how Italian women pay absolutely no heed to the sensible shoes/cobbles issues. Sky scraper heels a lot of the time! (I would have a broken wrist in minutes, I am sure.)

Dh was amazed at incredibly heavily made up Italian policewoman, complete with inch long manicured nails, each painted a different colour. He claimed it looked 'ridiculous - how the hell is anyone going to be told what to do by her. She's not going to apprehend you for fear of losing an eyelash/nail'.....but I think he liked it really Wink.

polyhymnia · 12/04/2011 12:36

On clothes, sure you have it all in hand so I guess you're asking about activities - if not, ignore what follows!

There are plenty of museums and galleries for a rainy day if you're into that sort of thing (I am). And there are fantastic paintings, mosaics, etc in churches too of course. Some - eg S. Clemente - are built on top of even older churches and temples going back to Roman days. The fantastic Roman open-air sites really need dry weather. As do such things as the open-air food markets.

One of my favourite galleries is the Villa Borghese - but it's really better to go there on a nice day because it's in a lovely park. I suppose the Vatican Galleries could also keep anyone occupied for a day though I'm not a fan myself - too many queues and crowds. Prefer churches and more quirky, smaller galleries, such as the Borghese, or the Doria Pamphilii.

My other favourite thing for a wet day - apart from shopping of course (Via Condotti area, all the usual suspects, very compact. Or try Via del Governo Vecchio for young designers) - is people-watching in bars and cafes. My best tip really, if not very original, is to get the latest Time Out guide, which has good listings for restaurants, bars and cafes as well as galleries. I've found I can easily construct a day in any weather going from one cafe to another, with shopping and culture included as desired!

PS If you speak French and Spanish you won't find the language too hard.

blossoming · 12/04/2011 12:37

I really can't wait. I need an injection of glamour! Meanwhile ds just came home from school as was poorly, and I need to get my teaching head on. Only 3 Tuesdays left now.

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