By Request - Tunics

This is the first of a regular series of blog posts that feature requested items from readers of the blog. I get lots of emails every week asking me for fashion advice so I thought it would be a good idea to blog about common themes coming through in these emails.
Today, it's tunics/long tops to wear with skinny jeans & leggings - asked for by Stacey. This is a great look for busy mums - avoids the dreaded builders bum and skims over the tummy/hip areas. Firstly I'll share some links to my favourite tunic stockists and further down, I'll share some do's and don'ts when wearing this look.

Kicking off with a bargain from Dorothy Perkins. Love DP's for longer tops - this one is a good mix of autumn colours with a touch of animal print. I'd wear with grey or black skinny jeans/leggings and a long black cardigan in the cooler weather. Only £9 too! 

Pebble Print Tunic - £9

Boden is always a good place to look for a tunic but they do tend to be long so in petite Stacey's case, it might not be the best place. However, have you ever considered buying in the Johnnie B (teenage) range? Provided you are small in the chest and no larger than a 12, you should be able to fit into a JB age 15-16. This gorgeous tunic is only £32.30 at the moment with the Boden mid-season discount:

Johnnie B Spotted Dress/Tunic - £32.30

Another of my favourite stores - Seasalt with another of my favourite shapes, the cowl neck. This nautical inspired tunic is perfect for throwing on with a navy cardigan and a striped or animal print scarf..

Seasalt Tara Tunic £39.99

Stand by for another Dotty P bargain. This tunic is so cute. Long sleeves too and only £16!

Pink Dainty Dolly Tunic - £16

Every wardrobe should have a cosy knitted tunic, especially at this time of year. Dorothy Perkins has this one in 4 different colours but this is my favourite.

Mocha PU Trim Slash Neck Tunic - £22

If you're petite or don't like your tunics too long, this scarf print beauty, also from DP's is perfect with it's high-low hemline. Great navy/camel colour way that will look lovely with navy blue jeans/leggings and brown boots

Blue Chain Printed Tunic - £25

I spied this ASOS tunic the other week and love the textured effect and exposed zip. It's a bit more rock-chick so would need black leggings and ankle boots just like it's styled here:

ASOS Textured Tunic £35 

Now this is the investment piece. My good friend and fashionista Claire H bought this last week and has done the best ever clothes mathematics with it to justify the cost, as it is really very wearable in lots of different ways. Needless to say, there will be a blog post about that but for now, here is a sneaky peek. Great shape, colour and quality and a little shorter which is great for petite frames. Use AB219 for free delivery and 10% off all orders over £75.

White Company V-Hem Tunic - £85

To finish, a few from H&M - great for an on-trend bargain. Firstly, check out gorgeous blogger Laura wearing her striped H&M tunic on this link - looks 100 times better on her than it does on the website! If you fancy any of these H&M ones, check out the School Gate Style Facebook page for the latest H&M discount codes - there are two I know of at the moment and you can use both on the one order!

Lace - £29.99

Knitted - £19.99 (3 colours)

So the guide to wearing tunics? 

• Make sure they nip you in at the right place. If you're an hourglass or pear, wear a belt. 
• A tunic should be shorter than you'd want a dress to be. If it's too long, it will look frumpy with jeans or thicker leggings
• Ensure your jeans or leggings are snug fitting
• Wear jeans/jeggings with side zips for a streamlined look
• If you're petite, match your boots with your leggings for an elongated leg
• I tend to avoid large floral patterns or anything that might work well as curtains - this is not a style rule as such - it just looks frumpy. Look for more edgy on-trend patterns or stripes. PU/pleather trims are very on-trend too
• My number 1 dress rule also applies to tunics. Unless you have a wash-board stomach, wear a control vest or high waisted magic knicks underneath. People ask all the time how I regained my flat stomach after twins. I didn't - you know my secret now!

If you would like to see something on the next By Request blog post, leave a comment or send me an email [email protected]. Thanks to Stacey for inspiring this one - hope you enjoyed it!