Pssst! all you style goddesses...over here...

[RedBlueRed]

So if you were Aunty Gok or Trinny and Suzanna for the day, with a fairly small budget and were given a 35yr old single mum, 5'3", size 12 to create a capsule wardrobe for, what would you be buying?

Currently wears jeans and tshirts/fleeces for casual wear and smart pants and knitwear for work, all bought from tesco or occasionally asda when I do my grocery shop. And its mainly black. Dull, dull, fugly dull.

I just want to look good, smart and modern without having to update my entire wardrobe every season but I just havent a clue where to start. I look at the likes of next etc online but always end up looking at the same sort of thing. Jeans and black knitwear.

Can you help?

i have two black shift dresses - one on sale from dorothy perkins and one Jackie O type gorg thing i got off ebay - which is actually next.

they go great for a smart casual with a nice smart cardi - or v. smart with a suit jacket.

of course you can alwasy have yours tatement shoes and handbag without going OTT with this look.

i also buy my trews from tesco - i mean at a £5er you can't go wrong really for work - i always buy grey or black and then i can buy a more expensive suit jacket or three or four and mix and match.

for casual i go for jeans and t-shirt too - but in spring i go for a nice boden mini with thick tights and statement boots - in summer - you wan really go OTT with a couple of loud skirts - being short is great - you can get away with shorter shirts and not look daft - with a colourful skirt - a simple t- shirt is all you need.

Ok, so what sort of material are your dresses? Fairly structured adn tailored or soft and floaty?

If on a tight budget-Get thee to Primark! You can get sexy pencil skirts, fitted shirts/cardis, trench coats/jackets and court shoes for work.

For non work:Nautical striped tops and dresses, floral t-dresses, grey/pastel skinny jeans, leggings, tunics, long line shirts, nice waterfall/boyfriend cardis in great colours etc

for work I have bought myself loads of dresses -in winter with boots and opaques and in summer with ballet shoes. Dead easy. Boden is good in the sale, got a few great ones from ebay as well,phase eight do nice wrap dresses,M and S good for knitted ones.

Step away from Next and Asda/Tesco!

I have just bought some Gap curvy jeans in a 30 inch leg (am 5'2) and they are brilliant - just the right leg length for slightly heeled boots or wedges and NO muffin top! And they were in the sale too. You could try for some straight-leg jeans too but currently I'm struggling to find any.

Gap also have lovely little just above the knee black skirts at the mo, in a tailored v thick jersey type fabric. Good for work or for 'dressier' days with opaques and ballet pumps.

Agree re: a fitted jacket for wearing with jeans. Some nice smart/casual ones around now.

essentials had an article in feb I think (Dr's surgery waiting room reading!) which listed a capsule wardrobe - something like:
jeans
trousers
white shirt (seems to be essential in every capsule wardrobe!)
cardigan (this one was fitted and belted)
fitted jacket (suit style not anorak!)
Pencil skirt
wrap dress
turtle-neck classic top (not so great for me this one, as big boobs, but I'd go for a plain scoop or v-neck instead)

to mix and match with plain t-shirt/tops.
What I did find useful about it was that it said stick to 3 main colours so that you know you can pretty much mix and match everything - e.g. black red and grey, navy, camel and white, brown, beige and cream etc.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a style goddess by any stretch of the imagination and am often on this thread for inspiration, generally to pick up tips rather than pass them on!!! - I have ventured into the world of leggings again, (never thought I would see myself wearing them again after the 90s, but there you go!) and have a couple of floaty tops and boyfriend cardis to go with them.

Am also not a style Goddess.

Wouldn't be seen dead in leggings though. Surely they must die soon?

Ooooh thank you, feel quite inspired to shop now instead of depressed about the inevitable knitwear quandry.

I can also add a couple of colours to my black wardrobe and expand it rather than start again. I used to love wearing minis but told myself that I had to stop anything above the knee once I turned 30.

I find the Tesco/asda run the easiest for clothes shopping as I tend to be so busy. I usually work full time (but am between jobs atm), I run a part-time business and am trying to be the best mum in the world so clothes shopping just tends to come quite far down the list of priorities.

It really gets depressing when you literally can't decide which black jumper/jeans combo to wear.

Have you considered a personal shopper at somewhere like John Lewis? I did it last week and there was no real pressure to buy. She seemed very good at sussing out my budget without asking me; so brought out Phase Eight dresses rather than Hobbs.

I did buy a few things for work and she worked around the items I already had (predictably, black trousers) and she gave me lots of little hints for dressing for my shape.

It was really good if like me you need to build a capsule wardrobe. I ended up buying stuff that I wouldn't have spotted on the sales floor. To be honest, some of the items I bought I wouldn't even have tried on!

YOu need to step away from ASDA and TEsco. They are fine for one off pieces but not your entire wardrobe. I would get yourself to Primark, DP's and H&M. GAP in the sale can be good also.

You deffo need:
A good pair of jeans that can be dressed down or up.
A white shirt
A blazer - can be worn over dresses, with smart trews and with jeans

Invest in a few tunic style jersy dresses - laods of these around at the moment. Can be worn as a dress with tights/leggings and boots or with jeans and chuck a cardi on over the top when chilly. Add a belt for variation.

Layering is always a good look and cheap to do, buy basic one colour long sleeve tops - nice long line ones and wear a long drapey vest over the top, lots of bangles and cool beads will complete the look.

Shift dresses are very versatile - dress them down with a long sleeve T underneeth or up with a shirt, or nothing under and wear wit your blazer.

Jeans, pumps, t shirt and blazer with sleeves rolled up will be a cooler look.

Quite often women need more accessories, not more clothes.

please stop wearing black sweaters/tops unless you are sure that black (next to your face) suits you

could you look online to get an idea of your correct colours? this would make such a big difference

and please stop believing rules like you cant wear short skirts over 30. i'm more than 10 years older than you and i wear dresses / skirts above the knee ( although i only wear them with opaques, funky shoes/boots ( not tarty high heels)and no flesh showing elsewhere)

I also avoid in Next as its very boring IMHO

[waves to janeite - i hope you are enjoying your hols]

Yes thank you Kristina - but we have eaten a whole chocolate cake between four of us today. Could do with popping into school to run up and down stairs a bit!

I used to think no over the knee skirts when I became a mother too - have now realised, sod that. My legs are one of my only good points, so I think just over the knee is fine.

"Layering is always a good look and cheap to do, buy basic one colour long sleeve tops - nice long line ones and wear a long drapey vest over the top, lots of bangles and cool beads will complete the look."

I don't understand this, do you mean a singlet type vest or a knitted pullover (Gah! knitwear!)over the top?

Could you perhaps link to an image for me please?

Llareggub - Do you have to pay for the personal shopper service?

I might invest in that once back in full time employ.

I'm thinking it might be worthwhile getting to the shopping centre and window shopping these places you mention to get an idea of what I'm going to get.

No! It was free and last 2 hours. I love clothes shopping but even I was bored of trying on clothes by the end.

According to this lot My colours are summers. I never knew!

Summers look excellent in soft shades and muted colors with cool undertones (or light colored neutrals). Some of the best colors for summers include dusty or rose pink, pale yellow, lavender or pale mauve, and powder blue. A soft white can work for summers.

well if that the case I'm not surprised that you look boring/dull/bland in black. you must look very washed out

personal shoppers are fab - they are usually free, although you need to book well in advance. and i realise its hard to find time if you are a working mum and/or have young kids. you really need a couple of hours.

i have used the personal shoppers in debenhams and john lewis. but you are much younger than me so you might prefer top shop? there are lots of threads in S&B about them. IME they are very good at not bringing things outside your budget

basically you just tell that what you have posted here - i have £XX to spend and want to buy one smart outfit for work and a few casual things for at home, everything is black but i think I'm a summer etc etc

before you go you might also want to work out your body shape and shape will flatter you. I know everyone at them but i found the Trinny and Susannah Body Shape Bible very helpful

Oh god, the last 10 years or so thinking I looked smart and actually I looked like Morticia - post mortem.

I have avoided Top Shop since 30, partly because I thought I was too old for their clothes, partly because you can't buy them in tesco!

Going to have to completely ovehaul my attitude to clothes. And ban shopping for black.

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

black is good, just perhaps not your best colour next to your face if you are a summer!!! but black trousres/ skirts etc great, very useful and also black jackets/coat with scarf IMHO. black cardis very useful with non black top ( although a bit boring and can look like bank clerk)

and black dresses passable especially if you have a statement necklace or scoop neck

and you probably do look very smart, perhaps not quite as glowing and as you could

I go in Topshop with dd1. I think it is v expensive and v poor quality tbh.