First up - stop the breton hunt..Joules is the place to get them! While I love my Boden bretons, I find them a bit short in the body so when I found a hole in my cream/navy one, I wasn't really rushing to replace it with one of the same. I googled alternatives in the form of Petit Bateau and Saint James and they do look amazing and they are a wardrobe staple worth investing in...but something was holding me back. Then I saw Nikki wearing (and raving about) a Joules one on her blog and made a mental note to look into them when next in town.
So the cotton is a great weight and they are lovely and long in the body...that alone sold them to me. But they're really reasonably priced at £24.95 and the day I was in, they were on 20% off, making them just under £20. Now in fairness, I've not washed it and so I can't vouch for longevity yet but I think they will be as good as if not better than Boden in that regard and given how good my Boden ones have been, I'm happy with that. I bought the 12 and they do come up big. I preferred the looser fit and I wanted to factor in any shrinkage from washing.
I wore it on Saturday on a second trip into Belfast....this time to check out the 25th birthday celebrations at Castlecourt.
Breton - Joules as above
Jeans - Maison Scotch (past season)
Brogues - Clarks Hamble Oak (past season but available in other colours here)
Necklace - SGS shop (past season)
Also loving the other colour ways here - but how many stripy tops are too many??! I have this dream wardrobe (all French inspired) where I just wear a breton and a trench coat all the time. But it's super boring and doesn't make for particularly interesting blog content after a while.
Moving onto the denim dress. My hunt is over here too! My body shape doesn't lend itself to the shapeless, tunic style denim dresses, of which there are lots out there. I also have a thing about denim dresses being so un-stretchy. If jeans come in stretch material, why can't denim dresses? I've bought a few and sold a few in my time...but I think this one might be THE one.
It's more a jersey material really - but looks exactly like denim. It's so easy to pull on and off and I think it's got that nice balance of dressy/casual. It's the sort of dress you could wear to work in a more relaxed environment - I'm thinking it would be great for teachers? - as the length is really quite decent. A little too decent for me to be honest and I've booked it in to have a couple of cm's off. You can (kind of) see on the photos the difference that makes for me as my legs are the short bit of me. But I'm also conscious that I've got tall readers who find lots of denim dresses indecently short. This would be perfect for taller women - especially curvy pears. But size up - it's not as generous as other Joules items. Mine's a 12. Tried it on today with lots of different sandals/shoes to see how it would work..
The one on the left is turned up a bit - not that you'd notice! But those couple of centimetres make a big difference to my proportions...
It's not a dress for everyone's shape but if you're a bit hippy with a longer body as I am, I think it's worth a try.
But no dresses today - cold miserable day which left me feeling a bit uninspired....so I wore my new slip on trainers from Dune London to cheer myself up. I spotted them in Castlecourt on Saturday - in the sale too! Only a few pairs left online on this link. The are on the generous side so I'm wearing the 39. SUPER comfy with leather lining and uppers.
Grey Jeans - 2nd Day
Slip-On Trainers - Dune London
Tassle Necklace - SGS Shop
Leather Cross Body Bag - Gap
Have a great day..
Ax
I do love a good breton and you are so right a decent fabric weight is so important so it hangs right. Your Joules breton looks fab on you, really flattering and the denim dress is gorgeous. Joules has been off my radar for a while but I did spot a gorge navy tailored jacket in the Joules section of a department store the other day..they are obviously back in the game! xxx
ReplyDeleteLove those new Dune slip on trainers I saw you trying on Instagram! I can't do denim dresses either - I find them really stiff and awkward. You know what I may be the only blogger that doesn't own a Breton! Stripes do nothing for me or my boobs!
ReplyDeleteGreat denim dress, I haven't seen one like that anywhere. I'm the same and can't wear shapeless dresses. Love it with the slip on trainers! x
ReplyDeleteThis Breton looks perfect being longer in the body, I'll have to go & try one on. And I totally agree about denim dresses being non-stretch, they do nada for me! I love the one you've bought, I'd like to try that too ;). The skater shoes get a big thumbs up too :) x
ReplyDeleteIt just so happens that I need a new Breton in this colourway so I am going to check out Joules next time I'm in Bath.....might sneak a peek at the lovely denim dress too! ;0) xx
ReplyDeleteGolly, not bought anything from Joules for a while. I'm the same as Joanna in that a lot of denim dresses are too stiff so a stretchy fabric is ideal. Guess which website I'll be perusing at breakfast this morning. Thanks for the heads up Avril x
ReplyDeleteI've yet to make the Breton jump and I doubt I could make that denim dress work but you sure do! I love Joules but find them hit and miss with sizing.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to take a leaf out of your book and cheer myself up with a new something just because of ALL the rain lol xo
Ooohhh I'm off to look at the bretons now - I've been looking for longer ones recently. Thanks for the tip off! Lynne xx ps fab legs!!
ReplyDeleteJoules quality is amazing. I find their prices a bit high for me so I always buy in the sale!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely keep Joules in mind for a Breton top! Loving that denim dress; I'm not keen on the usual ones that always seem pretty shapeless and unflattering! xxx
ReplyDeletewww.justemma.co.uk - natural beauty, affordable fashion, everyday life
Love the dress on you Avril & it looks even better just a bit shorter! You look fantastic in your French inspired outfit! Love the brogues! x
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