The Allium B Dress Challenge - Part 3 - Luella

My last dress for the Allium B Dress Challenge is a bit more luxurious - the Luella. From the online image, I didn't think this could work on the school run. It's an amazing silk dress in the most beautiful print but I initially thought it would be more of a going out/Sunday lunch dress.

But in fact, it all about the styling. I realised it matched my Next fur gilet and suddenly, it was perfect for daytime wear! Here I am wearing it last week - on one of those days where it was October but still freakishly warm. On a colder day, I would layer this with a navy or a denim jacket.





Dress - ℅ Allium B
Fur Gilet - Next
Navy Suede Ankle Boots - Ash
Necklace - SGS Shop
Tights - M&S

I do think out of the 3 dresses, this is the only one that felt perhaps a bit dressy for the school run but actually, it works well with the two grey coats I wore the other Allium B Dresses with and they help to dress it down more than the gilet does. But out of all 3 dresses, this is the one I'm most in love with. The material, the print, the colours...just stunning. We might be 2 months away but this is already my Christmas Day dress. How organised do I feel?

So challenge completed - 3 x school runs in dresses...all in the one week! And I've made a commitment to myself to wear a dress at least once a week from now on. I've seen here how great they can look on the school run but also, it makes getting ready in the morning SO easy...one item pulled over your head and you're good to go!

Thank you to Mary & Clare from Allium B for my School Run Dress Challenge - it's been a pleasure wearing your beautiful dresses - and thank you to all my readers for supporting the brands that support this blog.

Next post is a competition - stand by!

Ax

The Allium B Dress Challenge - Part 2 - Alannah

So it's Day 2 of the Allium B Dress Challenge and time for some navy. This Alannah dress is even nicer in the flesh than it looks online. The material is heavier than the Edie (from Monday) with a matt finish on the outside but a silky finish inside, so you don't need a slip with it.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may remember I wore this dress a couple of weeks ago for Sunday lunch with the family (sorry for the filter on this photo - I don't have the original on my phone anymore!).


Dress - ℅ Allium B - ONLY A FEW SIZES AVAILABLE!
Boots - M&S (past season)
Green Scarf - Zara AW14 (no longer online)
Denim Jacket - M&S (past season)
Navy Handbag - Dune (past season)
Rose Gold Geo Necklace - SGS Shop

Zoom on to last week and here it is on the school run. I'm wearing it with another amazing find - this grey puffa coat. £40 from Dunnes Stores (available online with delivery in UK & Ireland). It's not down-filled sadly but it's exactly the colour I was looking for. The scarf brings it all together nicely.

Dress - as before
Coat - Dunnes Stores (current stock)
Scarf - Esprit (past season - similar here)
Navy Ankle Boots - Ash Jalouse
Navy Thermal Tights - Primark

Another successful dress on the school run. When it's worn with thermal tights and a long cardigan, it is such a cosy outfit too. Only gripe about the Alannah is that it does crease easily if you sit at a desk all day. I can live with that however as it's such a versatile dress and really well priced.

Back on Friday with the last day of my Allium B Dress Challenge...

Ax

The Allium B Dress Challenge Part 1 - Edie

Dresses on the school run have always been a struggle for me. Don't get me wrong - I love a great dress for Sunday lunch or work but on the school run, I feel too dressed up.
I think however, that this is more about me than the dresses so when Clare and Mary at Allium B challenged me to feature some of their dresses on the school run, I decided to accept. But I wasn't going to force it -  was all done on the basis of returning the dresses if they didn't work so tags were left on until I was sure.
I know it's half-term for most of you so I'll fess up straight away that the photos were taken last week. I saved the posts until this week as the three dresses I'm featuring are now in the sale which started at the weekend.

Kicking off with the Edie dress...
I think it's the shape that makes this so wearable - it's not a dressy dress...almost more tunic like in shape. What attracted me is the way it's styled on the AlliumB website with a black long-sleeved top. Then I realised that I don't have a black long sleeved top, so a cropped cardigan took its place.

I didn't feel overdressed in this one at all but I think it's because it works so well with the ankle boots. Always tricky to find the right footwear for dresses in winter time but these dipped front ankle boots work well I think.

Wearing the right coat over the dress was also key - not too dressy or fitted so this ancient Zara one fitted the bill. Finally - I think I've been too flowery or patterned in my dress choices in the past. This is a great neutral coloured small geo print. Unfussy - so less dressy.

Edie Dress - ℅ Allium B
Grey Wool Mix Coat - Zara (ancient - similar here & here)
Black Boots - Clarks (past season - similar here & here)
Black Tights - M&S
Black Cropped Cardigan - H&M (past season - similar here & here )
Lariat Necklace - SGS Shop
Grey Leopard Scarf - eBay (past season - similar here but quality varies widely so read the feedback!)

I wore it all day and didn't feel overdressed on the school run at all. And I've worn it since these photos were taken with my Next grey gilet (getting LOTS of wear these days) and it looks great that way also. I'm coming round to the idea...will I be as convinced by dress number 2 & 3? Find out on Wednesday!

Ax

Faux Fur & Leather Layers

Today's outfit was all about the layers. I've been wearing my Next gilet so much over the past couple of weeks but today it was colder so I decided to layer it over my H&M quilted faux leather jacket and I love the effect it gives. Looks like a fur coat with leather sleeves....much more flattering than a coat with fur arms which all seem to make me look huge. Though I have seen a fab grey fur coat in Oasis....

Back to the outfit and it was a combination of greys and blacks with denim.


Gilet - Next AW14
Jeans - Gap Perfectly Skinny ex Outlet (similar)
Faux Leather Quilted Jacket - H&M (similar)
Grey Square Cut Jumper - H&M
Black Suede Ankle Boots - Ash Jalouse
Cross Body Bag - Boden
Scarf - TK Maxx (ancient)

I've been asked a few times about the sizing of the Next gilet and I can confirm that it comes up a bit big. Mine is a size 8 and has plenty of room for a jumper and coat underneath as I've worn it here.

Oh and I do believe this is the debut of my other Ash boots....so in love with the navy ones, I used the last of my eBay money to buy a black pair too. There's 25% off in MyWardrobe until midnight Sunday using WIT25 (courtesy of Laura over at Wearing It Today!)

'is that a mark on my new boots...?!!'
Perfect for a Saturday spent prepping for a few days away - I'm taking the girls to see my family in Tipperary while hubby stays at home. It's the first visit in 6 months (because of my back) so we're excited to see everyone again.

While I'm away, the shop will be open but items won't go out until Thursday. To make up for the short delay, postage is free on all UK orders in the shop until midnight on Tuesday. For european and international deliveries, postage is discounted to £2 and £3 respectively.

I've prepped a couple of posts for while I'm away...all around challenging myself to wear more dresses. First one is on the blog tomorrow morning. Hope you enjoy :)

Ax

Capes, Shawls & Wraps...

There are so many gorgeous big capes, shawls and wraps everywhere this season. I think they're a great addition to your wardrobe as they're the ideal way to introduce a more interesting outer layer without the investment you'd put into a coat. They're also perfect for the current in-between weather, especially if you do the school run in a car. I'll clarify now - it's the capes style I'm talking about for this - not ponchos - so they're open at the front as opposed to something you'd wear over your head. The big blanket scarves all over the high street would work quite well also, though they are harder to keep on your shoulders.
My coat buying habits over the past few years have taught me one thing. Not to stop buying them (ha!) but rather that patterned coats are easy to tire of. And that's the beauty of a cape. When the weather gets colder or you just want a change, they add a cosy layer to a plain coat - instantly updating your look.
So I've had a look online in my hunt for the perfect combination of colours to wear over some of my coats. First up - Warehouse. I saw this one in-store in a blue colour and was so tempted. Left it behind, went back the following week and was out of stock! But I saw it featured on Lorraine this morning in a burgundy colour-way. It's not available online in burgundy though these two colours are:

Checked Cape - Warehouse

This one from Next has such lovely muted colours in it and looks really cosy also:

Check Fleece Cape - Next

Next up - it's a Jigsaw one, so it's not cheap but the colours are lovely and it's a wool mix for extra warmth.

Multi Block Poncho - Jigsaw

Lovely monochrome one here from Esprit - a brand I'm really loving this season. More on another post..

Wool Jacquard Cape - Episode

Gorgeous big cosy one from Mango - who have 30% off all weekend. Just use 5WEEKEND at check out and take care before buying anything from Mango that's not on 30% off in the future...they've had discounts almost every week now for the past month!

Alpaca Shawl - Mango

Now the next 2 are from Zara - but they're in the Men's section! Don't know about you but they're definitely not aimed at my husband...great colours and only £30. I'd expect to see these in the sale come January :)

Camo Poncho & Geometric Poncho - Zara Man

And a bargain one from New Look:

Plaid Wrap Cape - New Look

Finishing with my favourite - which I found via Wendy's blog today. Just a great combination of colours and the best bit? There's 20% off in M&S this weekend with the Friends & Family Discount. If you can't get to a store - you can use this discount code online - OCT14EM

Open Front Statement Wrap - M&S

Any favourites there or have you a good find from elsewhere? Please share if you have a link!

Finishing with today's outfit and in keeping with the theme, I'm wearing my Poncho from last year for the last day of term. Just keeping it cosy and comfy for an afternoon of running about as the last of the after-schools finish up. The kids are so ready for a break:

Cape - Vero Moda (AW13)
Navy Wool Polo Neck Jumper (just seen) - Hobbs (AW13)
Scarf - from the SGS Shop but past season
Jeans - Perfectly Skinny - Gap Outlet
Navy Sheepskin Boots - Celtic & Co
(15% off with free delivery & returns on first orders until 14/11 using W4ENQ15)

Have a great weekend!

Ax

Call Me Pretty Boutique

There's nothing better than coming across a great independent boutique that stocks affordable brands AND has an online presence. Exactly the sort of business I love to feature on the blog as it's relevant to all my readers near or far, whatever their budget.
Call Me Pretty Boutique is one of these businesses so when Paula & Dave, who own the shop, contacted me to see if I would give them a mention on the blog, I was more than happy to do so.
In return, Paula & Dave offered me an outfit from the shop and it was a case of two more of the wish list being ticked off - black coated skinny jeans and a long grey cardigan.

The jeans are from Vero Moda and they are actually called 'Jeather' - a mix of jeans and leather trousers!

I'm not fully sold on the whole faux leather leggings for day-time wear so these are the perfect in-between option. They have a lovely rise and fit my pear shape well, with no belt required. I'm wearing the size 30 as they come up a little small (I'm normally a 28/29). I've worn them now for a few days and can confirm that they are holding their shape well - no bagging at the knees etc.

The cardigan is from Vila and is a lovely marl grey. It's designed to be worn open, so there's no belt loops/ties hanging at the side (bonus) and it's lovely and warm. I've been wearing it around the house as an extra layer while working and as a lounging cardi too...it makes my PJ bottoms look super stylish :) Oh and there are pockets - important for mums.
I was also sent a Vero Moda white long sleeved top which really is a great buy if you're looking for a good quality basic top. Scoop necked, it comes in 4 colours, lovely and stretchy and most importantly, it's long line so gets bonus points from me for that.
I know I'm going to get lots of wear from each item in a wide range of outfits but conveniently for this blog post, all three items look great together so I wore them yesterday - just adding in my grey leopard scarf and Clarks boots.


Grey Long Line Cardigan by Vila (mine is the size M/10-12)
Black Coated Skinny Jeggings by Vero Moda
White Long Sleeved Jersey Top by Vero Moda
all ℅ and available from Call Me Pretty Boutique
Boots - Clarks (past season)
Grey Leopard Print Scarf - eBay (past season)

I hope you'll join me in supporting Call Me Pretty as they start out in the competitive world of retail. Liking their Facebook page will ensure that you are the first to hear about new stock and special offers and if you're on Twitter, you can follow them on this link. Meanwhile, if you would like to order anything from the site, Paula & Dave have given me a special postal discount for School Gate Style readers. Simply put FREEPP in the promotional code box at check out, to give you free standard shipping.

Thank you to Call Me Pretty Boutique for these welcome additions to my winter wardrobe and thanks to you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

Ax

Burgundy Loafers & (another!) New Coat

At the beginning of this season, I made a list of a few key things I wanted to add to my wardrobe for winter and I've slowly been ticking items off, thanks to a huge sell-off of lots of high heel boots and shoes as well as some older coats that I've not worn for a while.
I have burgundy on the brain this season as you'll know from my last post and it just continues with these Burgundy Loafers from Van Dal at Gray & Osbourn. I spotted them when I was choosing items to feature on this last post and they kept calling to me thanks to those little google ads that pop up on your screen when you're on Facebook or Yahoo....annoying but effective in my case.


A burgundy coat was also on my list (coat obsession - I know) and I spotted an advert for Atterley Road a few weeks back telling me that all their coats had 20% off...so I went for a look. I couldn't find a burgundy one in the current season stock but on a whim, had a quick look at their sale stock and found this absolute beauty...it's called the 'Fun Coat' (??) from Selected Femme. Wool mix, longer length, half price, no brainer. And when I logged in to pay, it turned out I had Atterley Road loyalty points which took a further £6.50 off the price. Love it.


And here is the whole outfit...just about enough burgundy for me to be happy! Excuse the 'post-formal' messy hair :)


Coat - Selected Femme @ Atterley Road
(still some sizes left - I bought the 10 & it's generous. Extra 10% off with EXTRA10 until Thursday midnight)
Denim Shirt - White Company Outlet
Black Skinny Jeans/Trousers - H&M
Black Cross-Body Bag - Boden (past season - similar here)
Burgundy Patent Loafers - Van Dal @ Gray & Osbourn

I can't recommend both of these items enough. The shoes are the perfect trans-seasonal pair...more substantial than a pump for cooler days but storms or not, it's still mild this week - and wet, so these shoes are getting lots of wear. They are also very comfortable as you'd expect from Van Dal. Perfect for my wider foot (and the old bad back - which wasn't happy to have heels worn the night before these pictures).
The coat is VERY warm - a lovely weight, fully lined and beautifully finished. The longer length means it ticks the Irish 'Big Coat' box (a bit of an in-joke for my local readers...have you got your 'Big Coat' out yet??)
OK - I'm going to try to stop with the burgundy now....try that is...I can't help thinking how lovely the Clarks Cross Body Bag would look with this outfit.
Ax

Formals & Farms

It was a tale of two very different fashion scenarios this weekend. Friday saw me heading to the Culloden Hotel as a guest of ASG Ireland for the Chartered Institute of PR Awards. I'd bought a long black dress to wear but took a last minute dislike to it and ended up racing up to my neighbour about an hour before my taxi arrived. She gave me this fabulous black dress from JS Collection (past season) with a lace bust detail and sheer sleeves and back. It fitted like a glove and looked suitably glam for the occasion. I wore my black ankle strap sandals from Heatons (past season), a clutch bag from DP's and jewellery from my shop. There's a similar dress in Debenhams on this link.

I have to thank everyone for the lovely comments when I posted photos from the night on Instagram and Facebook. I'd been quite unwell overnight Thursday into Friday and was not feeling great when I arrived at the event but all the comments and the great company at my table helped to make the evening really enjoyable.

On Saturday it was back to porridge with the usual running about with the kids. I reverted back to a favourite outfit from a week ago. With a run to the farm for a birthday party drop off, I needed to be cosy and ready for showers.



Coat - Target Dry
Scarf - Mango
Navy Oversized Top - Mango
Jeans - Replay
Boots - Mango (similar here)
While my daughter was at the party, I had a quick look in a nearby shopping centre - there was a definite burgundy theme. This black & burgundy cross-body bag from Clarks is stunning in real life - gorgeous leather and a great size. It has a wrist strap so can be worn as a clutch also.

Toft Hill in Burgundy - Clarks
(20% off all bags at the moment in Clarks with code BAG2014)
I'd seen these burgundy brogues on Instagram and was keen to check them out in real life..

Hamble Oak Brogues - Clarks
Finally, I've been keeping an eye out for a burgundy breton and this beauty from Dunnes Stores caught my eye. The material is a lovely weight and has a great stretch but it's the pleather trim and rear zip that makes it a fab buy for £10 - unfortunately not available online.

I might have picked up something else in Dunnes that was on my wish list - photos to follow!

Hope you've enjoyed your weekend,

Ax