Tag: marks and spencer

YOUR STYLE GUIDE TO DRESSING UP

Before you know it the lead up to 25 December will have started. Are you ready to party? Well, Annabel and I have been to see the new fashion trends at M&S to edit the very best that our favourite store has for us older women. You are spoilt for choice with festive sparkle jackets, trousers, sumptuous velvets, classic black outfits with a glittery twist and some elegant dresses. In short, there’s something for everyone. So, without further delay, here’s your style guide to dressing up for Christmas:

Elegant dresses

Animal print is back with a vengeance and I found this midaxi tie neck waisted dress with its elbow length sleeves very comfortable and forgiving of my lumps and bumps. £39.50. We also oohed and aahed over this vibrant yellow sequinned Midaxi Shift dress from Autograph £99. And there’s two other dresses we’d like to highlight to you…

Velvet Round Neck Midaxi Dress £45 in Teal and this timeless Velvet Lace Midi Column Dress £99 – either will guarantee that you look chic.

Any of the above dresses will look wonderful with the comfortably flat yet feminine Bow Block Heel slingbacks in Black or animal print £35.

Co-ordinates

If you’re unsure of what to wear, think about coordinates because they have got to be the easiest kind of outfit. The styling is done for you – just add shoes and jewellery! Lots of Christmassy colours ie standout red and chic greens.

Embellished Relaxed Single Breasted Blazer £75 (available in both green and black) and matching Wide Leg Trousers £55 (in three lengths) . There’s also a matching long sleeved top £35 in petite or regular. Red is such a wonderfully festive, standout colour. I was impressed by this Collared Short Tailored Jacket £59 and matching tailored straight leg trousers £39.50.

Cosy coats

One word for the M&S winter coats – wonderful. Generously sized, stylish and essential to keep you toasty on the way to and from a night out. Particular faves are the red Single Breasted Longline Tailored Coat with Wool £89 that Annabel is wearing in this photograph and the Textured Longline Tailored Coat £79 that she is holding. Or there’s the unbelievably good to touch Faux Fur Longline Coat £79, Lavender Grey Feather and Down Longline showerproof puffer £125.

We’d also like to give a shout out to the Checked Longline Trench Coat with Wool £109 which is a classic that you’ll wear again and again. Last but not least, the very smart (and generously sized) navy Wool Blend Collarless Longline Coat £89 which in my humble opinion is an absolute must-have bargain!

Keeping it (relatively) casual

As some of us prefer to add a touch of glitz to our outfits – for example if you’re invited to a more informal occasion – there’s plenty on offer.

We were delighted to see that M&S has even given denim a festive twist. There’s a Denim Diamante Trucker Jacket £55 and Ivy High Waisted skinny jeans £32.50. Wear with some Sparkle Flat Square Toe Ballet Pumps £45 and you’ve got a fabulous relaxed party look.

Other single pieces you might find useful are the Sleeveless Sequin Top in Petite or Regular £35, the elegant High Neck Blouse £29.50 in Red or Black or the supersoft red cashmere long sleeved crew neck £89 (available in 14 colours).

Collaborations

We’re really enjoying the M&S collaborations and the standout Sienna Miller piece in our book was the wool blend double breasted blazer £125 in winter white (available with matching trousers and waistcoat). Check out the entire Sienna Miller collection here.

Dressing up for a night in

When it’s time to relax, we’d like to recommend some seriously cosy clothes to curl up on the sofa in while you watch Christmas films on TV. Teddy Fleece Dressing Gown £25 in five sizes and six colours and the one size fits all Fleece Star Print Oversized Lounge Hoodie £22 in Navy or Grey Mix. Lower the heating thermostat and open the popcorn!

We hope you’ve found the above dressing up edit useful and that you’ll be celebrating Christmas in style.

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New season fashion edit – next level layering

Hi everyone. Here is our new season fashion edit. Get ready to fall in love with the latest Marks & Spencer Autumn collection! We are thrilled to share our top picks with you. This season, M&S has really outdone themselves with pieces that bring a fresh burst of energy to our wardrobes. Read on for all the must-have styles! 

As we enter Autumn our thoughts turn to layering. Why layering? Because it is the most practical way to maximise our wardrobes especially now that our weather is usually mild. A sleeveless knitted top is brilliant for those days were you need a little warmth but not too much. Would also look great worn with a fine long sleeved crew neck sweater.

Green is a standout colour in the new Autumn/Winter collection and this geometric pattern in flowing, breathable viscose was a winner in our eyes.

If you don’t already own a gilet (there are a couple of thoughts on where the word derives from but probably the Spanish jileco or the French noun – le gilet – meaning cardigan) then you are missing a trick. It’s the perfect extra layer when there’s a chill in the air and this one from GoodMove fits the bill perfectly.

Who doesn’t love the luxurious feel of cashmere – these two items of knitwear were definite favourites!

Here are our favourite two jackets – great styling and value for money.

  • Faux Leather Harrington Jacket £59 – buttery soft and feels like the real thing and the detailing belies it’s very reasonable price.
  • Supersoft Crew Neck Jumper £17.50 If you haven’t discovered these already then please check them out. Available in many colours, these are a brilliant basic. Available in sizes 6 – 24.
  • Tweed Tailored Houndstooth Blazer with Wool £79. In a blue mix colourway that you can dress up or wear with jeans, this is a winner. We suggest going up a size.

Grace is still wearing white jeans (clinging on to Summer!) and found this striking striped top – just one of the excellent selection of knitwear and tops that are now available.

This Pure Merino Wool Longline Knitted Vest £39.50 in Bright Green or Black is a versatile layering piece. Worn over trousers or a long skirt, over a crisp white blouse or fine wool jumper, it’s simply stunning. Last but not least, we loved the new range of handbags – especially the fabulous quilted ones.

Happy shopping!

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Summer is here (at M&S at least!)

The warmer (and unfortunately, wetter) weather has arrived and so I suppose we can say that Summer is finally here. However, forecasters are predicting heatwaves in July and August, so Annabel and I were keen to meet up at our favourite one stop store to give our summer wardrobes a refresh and prepare for the sun. Here are some of our top picks that, at the time of writing, are available in store and/or online and are all very reasonably priced…

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  • Linen Rich Printed V-Neck Midaxi Dress £45 (available short, regular and long lengths and in black/white colourway)
  • Linen Rich Printed V-Neck Tunic in Bright Sage (also available in same lovely pattern as the dress Grace is wearing) £39.50 in short, regular and long lengths. Worn with Suede Flat Mules £39.50 and Straw Tote Bag £45
  • Pure Cotton Striped Shirt £35 worn with Lyocell Blend High Waisted Wide Leg Jeans £35 (available in three other colours and short, regular and long lengths)
  • Pure Cotton Embroidered V-Neck Beach Dress £39 (also available in black)

In addition to our personal choices for older women that we’ve featured in the photographs above, there were stylish shorts of varying lengths, plenty of sleeveless tops and dresses, some great lightweight jackets, hats, jewellery, sophisticated swimwear and super cool sunglasses.

In fact there was so much to choose from in store (not forgetting M&S’s delicious coffee and the delights of the Food Hall), but you’ll also find even more brands and styles online – either way, M&S definitely has us older women covered. Why not have a look?

Have you checked out our recent recipes yet?

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CUTE SUMMER DRESSES

Summer is trying to make an appearance and we are on the hunt for some cute summer dresses that won’t break the bank! Grace and I decided to check out Marks & Spencer online – their selection is amazing and their delivery and returns are super efficient.

Trying on dresses at home with our own accessories and getting opinions from friends and family is the best way to shop.

M&S has something for everyone in their Summer Collection, and I always size up for a comfortable, breezy fit in the hot weather. Bring on the sunshine and the stylish outfits! 

Instagram outfits – here are the details:

Outfit 1 – Pure cotton Midi T-shirt dress £19.50
Outfit 2 – Lovell Blend Floral midaxi tea dress £45
Outfit 3 – linen mix dress £39.50 sadly sold out 😢
Shoes with 1 & 3 – Leather Double Buckle flatform Sandals £55 Also available in black.
Bag and other shoes Annabel’s own

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SPRING CLOTHES HAUL

We had such a fun day checking out the brand new Spring range for women at the wonderfully large Camberley M&S store. Annabel and I had a delicious cappuccino in the coffee shop before we began our Spring clothes haul – essential as we love our caffeine! Then we set off around the store – our trolleys soon piled high because there was literally so much to choose from and to try on.

Am sure I’m not the only one who is a fan of layering – it makes so much sense with our unreliable British weather. It may officially be Spring but try telling the grey skies and drizzle that!

There is a wealth of neutrals to choose from – neat fitted jackets, wide leg trousers, short blazers (which seem to be very on trend at the moment), easy to wear midi and maxi dresses and an interesting range of shoes, both flat and heeled (including wide fit – sooooo comfortable). These neutrals work together so well but, of course, you could mix them with brighter colours too.

Thankfully, long is still on trend. Why do we love long? Because it is slimming and you can dress it up or down, wear with heels or sneakers. Which means you can rather handily use one outfit for day and night if you’d like to.

We’ve always been advocates of bright colours because they seem to cheer up both wearer and anyone who sees you. I know it’s early days but I’ll be ready when the sun shines again with this co-ord outfit in vivid blue or this heavenly shade of soft orange. The cashmere sweater is available as a V neck or crew neck and is worn here with the best selling ombre print sweatshirt.

Oh the denim! Sorry to wax lyrical but is there really any other place to buy your denim than M&S? They always have a huge choice of well made, quality denim jeans, shirts and dresses. Something for everyone style-wise, various leg lengths, a choice of colours and even some with super comfortable elasticated waists (the latter a guilty pleasure for many of us!).

Our overriding impression of the new Spring range at M&S has to be the endless combinations you can make from just a few key pieces. These days we have to consider both the cost and the provenance of the clothes we buy. So the more outfits you can make, the better, ringing the changes makes absolute sense, both environmentally and financially.

More style and make up tips can be found here

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IT’S TIME TO PARTY!

Whether you’re having a relaxed festive family dinner, treating yourself to a fun night out with friends, or have been invited to a drinks party – well, we women usually feel the same way… what am I going to wear? Eeeek. Can’t put on my tried and trusted dress that makes me feel good because everyone’s seen it a hundred times before. So we’re usually scrabbling about trying to find something new to put on and it can be frustrating.

Grace and Annabel get ready to party - great value party wear courtesy of M&S

Like you, we know that M&S is not the only excellent store in the world, but when Annabel and I went to have a look at what party wear they had, we felt spoiled for choice. And nothing costs the earth, so we didn’t feel guilty making a purchase or two!

Let’s be bold and sparkle when we’re out. Sequins are not just for the young, we can rock glitter too!

You may have spotted this stand out sequin bomber jacket on the M&S TV Xmas ad. Great if you like a more contemporary style and looks especially good if you pair it with one other colour ie navy as Annabel has done here.

Annabel chose plain navy trousers and this sophisticated Collared Tie Neck Shirt to wear with it. Made from lamé, which lends it a subtle sheen, it’s designed in an easy regular fit, with long sleeves that have deep cuffs, creating a neat silhouette. The ribbon at the neckline is removable or can be tied into a bow. £39.50

Grace wearing an M&S sheath dress

This simple sheath dress caught my eye immediately. Not just because of it’s unbelievably reasonable price – £35 – but because it is so very flattering, hiding any lumps and bumps you may have. It is sheer but has an opaque underslip. Such a great design.

The little gold clutch was a great sparkly addition. If you are more of a Winter or Spring colouring, you may well prefer silver accessories and there are plenty of those to choose from too (scroll down to view some of them.)

I find it very tricky to walk in heels so plumped for these really comfortable gold loafers. However, for the more naturally elegant of you, this dress would look equally good worn with the metallic kitten heels pictured below.

Fabulous gold loafers from M&S
Knee high sparkle boots from M&S

This Sequin Ruched Midi Column Dress is available in Petite, Regular and Long and is another bargain at £49.50.

If you’d like to add a bit of height, these knee-high sparkle boots have a stiletto heel – Annabel found them surprisingly comfortable. This is no doubt due to the design which includes Insolia® technology that helps keep your heels comfy for longer by redistributing weight away from the balls of your feet. £79

Here’s our pick of the great value silver accessories:

Shaker snowflake earrings from M&S
Christmas present brooch from M&S

Really hope you approve of our party wear choices and have found our style suggestions useful.

So, if you are looking for some new party sparkle or a sophisticated dress and want to go easy on your debit card, you know which website to check out!

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THESE TROUSERS WERE MADE FOR WALKING…

Annabel spotted these waterproof trousers and we thought you might also find them really useful. Grace often goes out walking in her jeans in wet weather and comes back covered in mud and has to put on a clean pair. Not with these!

The boots were also waterproof and, importantly, lightweight. And Grace finally found a flattering navy puffer that doesn’t make her look like a Michelin man, has a useful hood and is toasty warm!

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THE ONE-STOP CHRISTMAS VILLAGE

M&S is our favourite one-stop Christmas Village. We really look forward to our visit to Camberley (one of their largest stores) each year to see what treats they have for us all. December is so often a really busy time for women, there’s so much to organise. So why not make life easier for yourself and visit the Christmas Village either in person or online…

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