Having been away working in East Africa, I'm glad to be back and doing the things I love the most! Have missed sharing my favourite pieces with you and nothing beats traditional British malls and fashion.
I realised on my last trip, for a busy working lady, your most important staple is a dress. Indecision is always linked to the time it takes to get ready and out of the door. Choosing a one piece is easier than a two piece or three. So the staple black trouser and 'which top??' especially if you have a variety can be daunting when making a decision on what to wear.
Work trip in Tanzania
Embracing your femininity and being fashionable are two attributes that strengthen a woman's position in the workplace, topped up with confidence and work credibility....That's a sure bet for climbing rapidly up to your career ladder. You can never be a better man than the other man at work, but you can be a better worker. So stop trying to be him by dressing, walking and talking like him. Remember Margaret Thatcher, who ruled the world in a skirt? There's strength in being a woman. There's a way to look like you're the business. There's always the dress that can say that for you. We've made it a task to find those dresses!
Fashion designers are getting savvier in understanding the needs of working women. They now understand real working women are not interested in the most revealing dresses to wear to work. In the past, most dresses revealed excessive cleavage, strap sleeves or too short. It's great to see a variety of work-appropriate dresses now on the high-street. Dresses that flatters our femininity and shows we are boardroom-ready.
I'm a dress convert and a big fan of Oasis dresses
Do you know there are times when all you have to do is turn up looking nice?
Meet the dresses that say hello for you as soon as you enter the room ....
Today is the start of the English Premier League, and as a stiletto wearing football fan I thought I'd need a little motivation to follow up again this season despite the lack of investment my football team has made during the summer transfer window. I normally don't talk about this sport here ..'Football' -which happens to be a big part of my life. It's helped me make better fashion choices(reason 10), and of course a lot of other perks I've enjoyed. If you watch soaps, this is a year long soap that happens every season...I've compiled some videos why I think every woman should watch football, I know it's already popular...but for those who don't watch it...here are my top 10 reasons why you should............................
1. Who wouldn't like to see a grown man cry
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2. Proof that men are the weakest sex...watch what happens when you tap them a little
3. They try to convince us being too touchy feely are for the ladies...now watch this.
When Cesc Fabregas wanted to go back to play for Barcelona from Arsenal, he said his heart was there. Well we all know he wasn't talking about Barcelona FC surely, he meant 'Pique' .......
4. Men apparently "don't" betray, argue, fall out or back stab their friends like women do .....now watch this??
5. Understand the man in your life, like a footballer who commits to his team but keeps his eye firmly on the market
6. It becomes okay to have David Beckham as your screen saver..he's your "football icon" isn't he??
7. You can now go to watch the football too, is that not where he says he "goes to" every Saturday??
8. They take off their shirts at every given opportunity - have you ever wondered why most men know the lyrics to 'single ladies by Beyonce.....??
Some sport Eye candy's -not my compilation
9. Proof men do cheat.....
10. Learn to CREATE and MANAGE your wardrobe by understanding
how a football manager sets up and put together a flowingfunctioning team,
that can play together, complements each other, have their own unique style of playing that is identifiable with the ultimate goal to win and stand out at ANY competition.
A football team must present a squad of up to 25 players for a year long season. They can field out 11 players and 7 substitute players and allowed to use 3-6 of the substitutes on one game depending on the competition. Managed by a manager and other support staff (Coaches, Physios, etc) and ultimately have an owner or a group of shareholders.
So how does this relate to your WORK wardrobe?
You being the manager, your friends, advisors/ stylists etc being the support staff and shareholders being those who are affected by your wardrobe. Example being Work bosses who have a dress code for all workers, that will ultimately influence your work wardrobe choices.
Ultimately all you need are 25 pieces of clothing to have an effective work wardrobe in a year. As identified above must include strikers, wingers/midfielders, defenders and a goal keeper. You've got 11 strong 1st choices and substitutes you can use.
Understanding your wardrobe and the formation of your ideal team will help you know where to focus in terms of buying more substitutes. Football teams have many formations. 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 3-5-1 etc. All this mean is how many defenders, midfielders and strikers you will field out and the positions they play. A very defensive team will like to keep it tight at the back and middle, and will not put a lot of effort in going forward. They might end up playing with more defensive midfield players, while most attacking teams will open up and have more strikers/attacking players. What this means for our wardrobe is, we can focus on our defence, build and invest in more solid bases like trousers, skirts and very good lingerie and have a few blouses to wear across a varied range and styles of bottom. We could have a few classic bottoms and a varied range or tops or we could have a standard wardrobe with a matching top for every bottom. My basic rule is that any item you add to your wardrobe can be paired with at least 3 other existing pieces.
Some teams depend on buying expensive players all through e.g. Real Madrid-Galactico's, Chelsea FC etc. While these have earned some instant success for others it wasn't sustainable. Others use a mix of expensive and efficient low cost players. The most successful are those who have a good mix of players that can complement each other, play as a team and of course stay successful. For your wardrobe, a galactico wardrobe will have all 11 designer pieces, such as Victoria Beckham's. While some enjoy a good mix, some are all cheap and like many football teams are always in a relegation battle. Think about the mix of pieces you have and the chances this gives you at your work place. It might be that all you need is a galatico shoe or bag, a decent pair of pants and cost saving blouses to make your statement at work. Think about what you can afford, no point spending what you don't earn. Think of your competition, the survival is always for the fittest.
Ultimately you're the boss, learn how the best bosses build their teams, I'm talking Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho among others..Whether you are dramatic, classic or just sporty in nature, putting your personal mark on your look is the best way to create a YOU image that's fab and identifiable.
Hopefully I've convinced you enough to start paying close attention to the sport, there'll be no need to fight for the remote any more too, plus remember that football is Friday night, Saturday midday and evening, Sunday lunch time and of course match of the day both day nights, Monday night and Champions league Tuesday and Wednesday, all you've got is Thursday which is maybe Gym Night or UEFA cup. That's a lot of time away! Above all ....it's fun, it's full of drama, a lot in it for the ladies plus it makes you better at the stuff most important to us....'Our wardrobe'...
It's no doubt the trouser suit is increasingly the preferred work wear for the working lady. I'll save the argument for another day but want to highlight two strong women, one who revolutionised and impacted the world in a skirt suit, Margaret Thatcher (RIP). We now have the first woman ever to head the IMF Christine Lagarde commanding the world's biggest stage in a skirt!
Not only can the skirt suit make you look professional, sexy and ladylike, it asserts your female authority. Accepting that being feminine is powerful, is the first step in rocking a skirt suit confidently to a board room. In other words, you do not have to be in trousers to feel on the same level as your male counterparts. I'll revisit this topic another day, for today the spotlight is on Marks and Spencer and of course their selection of skirt suits caught my attention, plus they have a 50% sale currently running on most Items!
The Jury has always been out on Marks and Spencer, with regards to their clothing range..Trendy? Quality? Outdated? Target Market? Clueless? I'll leave that for you to decide. I would say, they have been running on hit and miss, compared to their peers, so It's always worth revisiting for the 'Hits' you don't want to 'miss'.
We particularly love their new collection which I believe have more hits than miss. Very good selection for work and casual wear. I got myself some smart comfy work shoes that take care of business.
Loving the skirt suits, next is another delivering on trendy nice skirt suits. I have selected a few wardrobe gems for a work wardrobe uplift, great base for your summer work wardrobe. We love the professional look with the fab/style factor. For these and much more...visit www.markandspencer.com
It's one of the highly anticipated sales of the year, especially for the working lady. One in every 3 UK working lady owns a Next piece. Looking for professionally cut, yet stylish work wear, or even for your smart casual or holiday wear? Look no further than the Next sale and get it for far less like every savvy shopper! @ www.next.co.uk .....
I'm still trying to recover from a busy week and haven't had time to select my best picks..I trust my readers to shop smart, choose fab and make sure you select not because it's cheap, but because.....
It's in a colour that will flatter your complexion
It's in a cut/fabric that will flatter your best assets/hide your flaws
It's modern and will update/complement your existing wardrobe
Most important rule:
*It's an image booster and can change your life !!!
Maybe a good time to go on a walk in town while you drop by your local store, don't stay inside in such good weather, it might not last for too long....Or better still, do like I do and do your purchases online getting it out of the way and go out, enjoy the sun doing other things!
It was a proud moment watching Andy Murray make History at Wimbledon. With the 77 years wait now over, it goes to show- grit, goals setting and action eventually yields big results. True grit he had, he is the Pride of Britain!
Not taking any thing away from this Historic achievement, one person who has always stood by him year in year out, supporting him up until this moment, his girl friend Kim Sears. She has done this in true style saving the best for last! When Kim Sears stepped out in the mink green lace Victoria, Victoria Beckham 2013 runway collection, you knew this was a winners look! The dress reported to cost around £925 has now sold out across the country.
True to form, the designer herself stepped out in style wearing a Louis Vuitton 2013 fall runway collection, this sophisticated lace dress.
With Lace trending in today's Wimbledon final, if we had graced the occasion too in lace, we could have been in the cool group of trend setters. If you are like me inspired by the lace trend that seems here to stay, check out my quick picks inspired by the amazing Wimbledon win. We've got every reason to find time and pop a champagne... worth celebrating!
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