Fashion: The sun is shining…get those legs out ladies!

As I get closer to the BIG four zero my legs age with me and are not as youthful as they used to be. However, I still want to wear shorts for the summer. Therefore I need to adopt a few tricks of the trade and make sure I get them waxed, keep them moisturised, exercise so they get toned and then make sure I get shorts that don't make me look like I'm selling car washes. 

This season we have found shorts which will give you style, keep you looking trim, and have the comfort factor. Something for every occasion, the beach, the bar, the stroll into town, the park, and just looking fabulous.

Here are Stylekt11's selection of shorts for this summer a little something for everyone, come on ladies give your legs some vitamin D.

 L-R: Stella McCartney , Zara, New Look, H&M, Whistles

Fashion: Supermarket sweep

So today, after buying my Dad a Father's Day pressie in M&S and stopping for an obligatory latte in the coffee shop, I found myself in Tesco checking out their Florence and Fred range.

I'm not usually one to shop for clothing in a supermarket as I find I end up with items that I bought just because they were cheap and I never wear them. Well, all that changed today. The Florence and Fred range blew me away. It was totally on trend with aztec trimmed shorts, beautiful bright jumpsuits and some seriously cool sandals.

In fact, I went to a very stylish wedding in Germany last weekend where everyone looked super cool. The bride works for Adidas and the groom for Audi and everyone there just oozed style. However, aside from the bride of course, there was one girl in particular who just looked amazing. She was wearing a palm print jumpsuit with flat sandals and a black leather biker jacket. Not usual wedding attire I know, but at this wedding, so long as you looked cool, it didn't matter.

I spent the whole day envious of her flat sandals (as I teetered around in my 4inch heels after my two very small children!) wanting to ask her where she got her jumpsuit. Needless to say, I went into Tesco today and there it was (either a perfect high street copy or the real thing). It had a swing tag to say it had been featured in the press and so of course there was only a size 16 and 20 on the rack. Undeterred I have ordered one online!

Anyway, its not every day that I am as impressed as I was today by the selection F&F had to offer, so below are my favourite finds…

Jumpsuits:

Glam:

Denim:

 Holiday Essentials: 

Fashion: Be a quilt Queen

Ok so it's not a fashion trend that you necessarily associate with spring/summer, but let's be honest the weather we have been experiencing recently isn't exactly what we'd expect for the end of May. So I thought I should write about a trend that has come to my attention of late which may well just see us through this tricky spell and mean that come autumn you are already one step ahead sporting what is undeniably going to be a trend for A/W 2014.

Thanks to Dior who sent padded dresses down the runway, quilting seems to be having a moment. As ever, the high street has interpreted the trend in a number of wearable options.

I love these quilted skirts from h&m, especially the blush colour one which can be worn with anything from a cropped tee and heels for the evening or a vest tucked in and your favourite denim or leather biker for the daytime. 

Quilted skirt £34.99, H&M

Quilted skirt, £12 H&M

On a more practical level why not invest in a quilted sweatshirt. Great with jeans, but would work equally as well with a skirt for the evening. Asos have a great selection at the moment. Go on, while its raining outside treat yourself to a snuggly, warm, quilted sweatshirt to keep you cosy.

From top left: Quilted '6' sweatshirt £16.50, ASOS. Pippa Lynn quilted neoprene sweatshirt £65, ASOS. Leather trimmed quilted Joseph top £165, net-a-porter. The Laden Showroom cropped sweatshirt £35, ASOS.

Or if footwear is your thing, why not try a pair of these neutral colour trainers that will work perfectly with a pair of skinny white jeans…

Top: Chloe trainers £495, net-a-porter. Bottom: Tory Burch trainers £165, net-a-porter

Fashion: Mirror finish

There is something special about metallic shoes and accessories  - they go with absolutely everything and just don't date.

Therefore, if you are going to invest in something this spring then make it metallic. Be it silver or gold, you just can't go wrong with a shiny pair of shoes or clutch. They lift a black outfit and make brights pop.

If you are brave enough to venture into metallic clothing then pair one metallic piece, such as this pleated skirt from Asos (currently on sale at £12, so hurry!) or this foil patchwork vest from Whistles, with something plain and preferably in black or white. Whatever you wear it with, it needs to be simple and not too fussy - let the metallics do the talking.

We have put together a selection of some of our favourite items from high street to designer for you to choose from.

       

Clutch £39.50, Jack Wills
Magnificent metals eye shadow £24, Stila
Mango pleated skirt £12, Asos
Foil vest £115, Whistles
Kurt Geiger Heels £295, Topshop
Isabel Marant Orion sandals £142.50, theoutnet.com

Fashion: Going to the ball Cinderella?

Everyone wants to be the belle of the ball and with so many people going to the party you want to be sure that you get the look right for you. One that encapsulates your individual style. 

Although it's not just about the outfit, its about every stage. 

If you aim is to wow and you want to look like your attending the Oscars, then yes you generally have to work hard to achieve this look of glamour. 

Here at StyleKt11 we have the steps to making you the belle of the ball, the Jennifer Lawrence of the Oscars.

Add some red carpet glam
like Jennifer Lawrence

Step 1 - Look after your skin, if you don't already do it, buy some mittens and exfoliate in the shower with a good quality shower gel. When you come out of the shower moisturise your skin with coconut oil. Make sure you put the oil on the soles of your feet.

Tiana Coconut oil

Step 2 - Facial - get at least 3 facials before the ball, preferably once every 3 weeks and leave it a whole week before the ball. Our recommendation is Seven beauty in Ripley, we go there for a prescription facial because this ensures that you get a facial tailored to your individual needs.

Seven beauty Ripley for facials

Step 3 - Hair - as important as the others, you need to treat it a few months before with a hair mask and treatment, best one we have tried is at the salon Leo Bancroft. You then need to follow this up with a regular trim and colour if needed. If you are changing colour you need to check what is right for you. If you are going for hair up, then you need a trial. Leo recommends that you wash your hair the day before not on the day.

Hair mask available at tesco

Step 4 - Exercise. This is something ongoing, but make sure you are doing muscle toning on the areas that will be on show. Omar Baulch from Ride recommends Kettlebells, its the most basic exercise but the technique when right (and you need to be shown first) works every part of the body.

work out at Ride and get toned

Step 5 - Spray tan - good to have a practice to see the tone you go, before you rely on the night. Try Sunstyle, it is a fabulous beauty destination in Cobham and the tanning lotion is scented with the scent of your choice (£25 per session). You can test the tone, see how it lasts and most importantly you can learn how to look after it properly.

Get sunkissed without being in the sun by Sunstyle Cobham

Step 6 - Feet. Book a luxury pedicure, one where the feet get a good scrub and all the yucky stuff falls off. If you are looking after your feet with coconut oil then this will help. Get your feet ship shape and then get a bio gel, or shellac on there to make sure it lasts. We have a gorgeous lady Fay DB who does this - contact us if you need her details.

Step 7 - Hands. Moisture and exfoliate them, then book a manicure. Again for polish that stays on, use shellac.

Step 8 - Wax or laser try Sunstyle for this it doesnt hurt with there australian technology!

Step 9 - Shopping for the outfit. Bit tricky as you might know what you want, but don't know where to find it. If this is your dilemma then our first port of call is POCKET WARDROBE an app on your phone, which allows you to put all your stats and then you request what it is you want and how much you want to spend. The app which is connected to stylists, retailers and the Pocket Wardrobe team who will find what you are looking for. If its not quite right the first time, they keep looking for you. The best thing is its free and so easy to use.

Step 10 - If you love to shop, do your research at home first and then go shopping. Take a friend and some heels, wear nude undies and a strapless bra. Take a picture in the dressing room each time you try, go for coffee, decide and buy. KEEP THE RECEIPT

Step 11 - have fun, and take pictures of your amazing night and send to us at stylekt11@gmail.com

Gifts: Cool gifts you can give to your man friend

With my husbands 40th birthday just gone, my gift shopping was focused solely on him. 

Now the thing about my man is that he likes nice things and usually gets them before I have a chance. Sound familiar?

Technology is no no, he is something of a gadget geek, so he would need to do this himself. He researches, then researches and then goes in for the kill. He loves cars, but I am not going to get him one of those and he loves somewhat expensive watches, so again I think its best for both of us if he gets one himself!

In my mind I like to get him little things and then do a birthday big thing (I say thing because until I find it thats exactly what it is). This sounds a bit extravagant, but its not really, as this includes tokens of love. It's a bit like a lottery - a few big ones thrown in with lots of little things to make it fun, remember the kids have to get involved and for this I got my friend and fellow styleKt11 friend to sketch a personal picture of my children - which was the best present.

I am going to share my best finds with you, not all bought for him right now, but definitely still on the list for Christmas.

Kooples is great for nice shirts, and the general man collection is super cool. Go check it out for presents they have great choices.

Washing bags, are cool and if they travel even better. We don't share one for our holidays because of my 'stuff' so it is something just for them.

Aftershave is good and my current fav is Tom Ford Portofino, its a wonderful scent which will make you want to keep close to him because he smells so good.

Socks glorious socks you just cannot go wrong! I personally love the colourful ones and Paul Smith do great ones, its a little touch of designer without the massive cost.

Dress watches are good, and you can find them within a good range on net a porter.

HoF washbag,  Matches socks, Debenhams Tom Ford aftershave, shirt from Kooples, and watch Mr Porter

Beauty: Get some beauty sleep with this gorgeous spray

There was a time when I used to sleep like a baby, a time when a lie-in existed on the weekend no matter what time I went to bed. This however, was a thing of the past when I had babies! 

Ever since having children my sleep has suffered. It's not just the sleepness nights with babies (thats' part and parcel of having children), it is more the insomnia I got during pregnancy which continues through life now. Admittedly it has got better with the use of reflexology, but I can't actively call on that at a drop of a hat (my friend Lynne might have a word to say about that if I called her at 2am).

As my sleep has continued to improve slowly, I have resorted to solutions which do not have me taking any pills, but I can use at night to help me relax.

This is my new find 'Deep Sleep Pillow Spray' by This Works which helps me associate the smell with sleep, its nice, it relaxes me so I switch off and I wake up feeling fresh.

Studies on this spray have shown it to work, they tested it on 217 people age range 12 years and above.

Catch up on some beauty sleep 

83% of the testers were shown to have a great night sleep. 
If you have trouble getting your beauty sleep then here at Stylekt11 we recommend this miracle spray to help you sleep and wake up feeling fresh.

Stocked in SpaceNK Cobham (& in most Space NK's) - 
http://uk.spacenk.com/deep-sleep-pillow-spray/MUK200008263.html

Spotlight: The Gate Boutique Guildford

This week we have gone to Guildford in search of chic holiday wardrobe. We came across the The Gate Boutique in Angel gate (on the same street as Courtyard) its a great little fashion find. When you first come across it you might not be 100% sure if this is something you go for, trust us keep going, walk in and discover the amazing things it has inside.

They stock J Brand jeans, and have a great selection, they also have Alexander Wang, but what is also very cool about this shop it has a stock of designers which arent as well known to everyone, but if you like fashion across Europe would definetly know them. We love the styles in this boutique, because it dares to be different. We discovered some of the prettiest fabrics and cuts. 

If you are planning a holiday to a super resort, or a boutique hotel, then this is the place you need to shop, the outfits are very St Tropez, Barbados chic. 

Imagine the scene, beautiful dresses which work on a lunchtime soiree, after being on the beach, these outfits are so gorgeous they give you an instant glam. 

The daytime sandals are just perfect for adding a print in a subtle way, and the sun hats are simple but flattering. They stock a full wardrobe so everything can come from under one roof.

Our favourite 'must have' is the tye dye dress, it is beautifully made, and will make you look a million dollars and even if your not going on a holiday yet and have lots of summer time invitations then this dress will take you through. It is also a classic, so if looked after it is something to keep and bring out next summer season without ageing. We love an anti ageing dress, we think investment pieces provide this!

Overall we think this store carries something special, and it is high quality. The price tag is a wide range, and can cater to all. The labels are mixed, and I would say have been chosen for style and quality.

Next time you are in Guildford pop in and say hi - have a wonder around, and perhaps try something on...

Fashion: Jump into summer

One of our favourite designers here at Stylekt11 has to be Stella Macartney and if there is one this Stella does better than anything else, its a jumpsuit.

Ok so we all remember the silky bright blue ones with huge shoulder pads that our Mum's wore in the 80s (or maybe that's just mine!), but they've come a long long way since then.

Now you may be thinking "there's no way I can pull off a jumpsuit". Well, you are wrong. Get the right cut and the right fabric and they're actually more flattering that any top/trouser or top/skirt combo. The reason being they are made of one piece of fabric and whether patterned or plain, they therefore elongate the body, rather than breaking it up in the middle. Simple.

Whether going for a trouser jumpsuit or a short one, always go for a fluid fabric such as a fine jersey or silk as it will just hang that much better. Denim and even some cottons are a bit too bulky around the middle so steer clear (unless you are stick thin like Miss Moss of course!).

Next, you will need a belt as most jumpsuits are elasticated around the middle. I love a gold elasticated belt for this as it will go with every single colour or pattern. Whether thin or chunky, once coupled with a pair of gold gladiator flats (for daytime) or heels (for evening), it just works perfectly.

Below are a few of our favourite jumpsuits and we've matched them with an array of accessories so you can mix and match to your heart's content!

Floral shorts jumpsuit £50 - Topshop, Valentino flats £540 - net a porter

AQAQ bandeau tailored jumpsuit £105, Asos

Havalta strappy heels £69 - selfridges.com

White playsuit  £625 - Stella McCartney, gladiator flat sandal £30 - London Rebel, gold plated Sophie Hulme belt £119 - Fenwicks

Fashion: Coral focus

The sun is out…quick, strip off and get your pasty self exposed! 

My favourite colour for complementing that summer glow has to be coral. It starts with my mani/pedi and then by July it has taken over my wardrobe. 

First of all, I need to get something out of my system and share with everyone. This gorgeous Roland Mouret dress. I fell in love with it on first sight - the tone, the cut, the flash of white on the train. If only I had a red carpet event or the budget!

 Roland Mouret @ Selfridges - £2,225

                

Ok, lusting over and on to serious business. Inspired by Mr. Mouret, we've rounded up our favourite coral crushes to share with you. Add a splash with these gorgeous Jimmy Choo heels or own it in these Whistles cropped pants with a simple white tee.

Coral looks especially good with turquoise as shown in this gorgeous DVF printed maxi. Wear it with a nipped in white blazer for a formal occasion or your favourite wedges for that summer BBQ we're all going to be attending at every opportunity. 

Heels: Jimmy Choo, Pants: Whistles, Shirt: Alice & Olivia @ The Outnet, 

Maxi: DVF @ Netaporter, Shorts: Zara

If your not feeling quite brave enough to wear coral, but you still want to add a splash of coral, why not try accessorising. We especially love this scarf from Matches and earrings from Aurelie Bidermann.

Bracelet: Links of London, Nail Polish: Space NK, Scarf: Matches Fashion, 

Clutch: Accessories, Earrings: Aurelie Bidermann

Fashion: Cheap v chic

I love a bargain as much as I love designer clothes, but my issue with designer is that I can't always justify the financial outlay. Therefore if I really want something I try my hardest to try the high street version first.

My shoe obsession continues to be strong this season and with so many styles to choose from, I have to apply my high street shopping rule to get all the ones I want within my budget.

I fell in love with these Isabel Marant shoes, but as beautiful as they are, I did not fall in love with the price tag. You can therefore imagine how excited I was when trawling the high street to find these similar ones from Marks & Spencer of all places! 

Although not exactly the same, they really do feel fabulous and  the price is pretty good too. I have had them for a month and have had the opportunity to wear them 4 times already. Not only are they great to look at, but they dress up any outfit and are super comfy. The heel is so similar to the Isabel Marant version, the only difference is they don’t go as far up the leg, but as I wear them with trousers its not a problem for me.

Isabel Marant - £570

M&S Autograph - £55

Fashion: Dressing to the max

The maxi dress is such a staple in my wardrobe, especially come summer…. 

For me it's the "go to" when I'm unsure on what to wear. Dressed up, dressed down, anything goes. With summer BBQ's, weddings, festivals, the beach and balls all around the corner, here's a round up of our favourites. 

Add plenty of gold jewellery & a denim jacket for dressed down, or dress these beauties up with structured blazer & clutch for a more formal look: 

L-R: ASOS-£25, Tucker@The Outnet-£148, Mango-£90, Tibi@Netaporter-£525

These ones are perfect for a summer BBQ or a chic festival look:

L-R: Hilfinger@ASOS-£85, Camilla@Matches-£545, Zara-£59

Throw these over a bikini or toughen up with a leather biker jacket:

L-R: Velvet-£160, River Island-£30, ASOS-£55

Fashion: The message is in the flowers

As some of you may know, one of us at Stylekt11 is a blogger by day but an illustrator by night. Or vice versa, but you get the idea. I basically love to draw, paint, sketch and produce beautiful pieces of artwork. So imagine my delight when I discovered new Brit brand 'Language of Flowers' this week. 

They produce beautifully crafted luxe T-shirts and vests made from eucalyptus pulp with a luxuriously soft finish. In a romantic twist they will then adorn these with gorgeous  hand-drawn illustrations and stylised flower images to get their messages across: lime blossom (passion), apple thom (temptation) and forget-me-not (self explanatory!).

The concept was inspired by the Victorian era in Great Britain, when people weren’t allowed to express their feelings out loud, instead communicating with each other through the gift of flowers. Every flower you see today is symbolic and has its own meaning - red roses on Valentines day to symbolise true love for example. 

LOF want to revive the traditions and bring back romanticism. That coupled with their love of fairy-tales, books, dreams and friendship result in a beautiful collection of T-shirts and vests. Below are a few of our favourites but you can see the full collection on www.ilovelof.com

Chrysanthemum tank - £49, Apple Blossom boyfriend Tee - £55, Phlox Tee - £58

Fashion: Neoprene - not just for wetsuits

I have written recently about a wedding I went to in New Orleans and in detail about what I packed and what I bought. One thing I didn't write about though was what I wore to the wedding itself. A multicoloured neoprene dress from Zara with Louboutin heels and an oversized flower (and I mean oversized!) instead of a hat.

This dress started my love affair with all things neoprene. Until now I have always associated it with wetsuits and children's swim shorts, but a thinner, totally wearable version has been making waves of it's own of late.

Designers are channelling it in just about every way possible - skirts, tops, dresses, even jeans. I have to say I was amazed at just how comfortable and flattering it is. The nature of the fabric means if its worn tight, as in my dress for the wedding, it sucks you in. If worn looser and gathered, on say a peplum top or a knee length full skirt, it falls perfectly hiding a multitude of sins. Whichever way you wear it, it just works. 

Below are our picks of the best the high street and designers have to offer:

Clockwise from top left: River Island shoes £55, ASOS Neoprene floral jumper £21, Whistles neoprene structure sweatshirt £85, J Brand neoprene legging-style jeans £310, Zara neoprene sweatshirt £25.99 and ASOS Neoprene Bonded Bra Insert Skater Dress £33

Fashion: Blazers for you, you and you!

For some reason I never used to wear blazers with jeans. I initially thought my back was too wide and then I think I never felt that comfortable. This was until I turned a blazer corner.  Now I have been taught by a blazer wearing friend, you have to wear it in the right way and the right way comes in a few different looks!

I now love a blazer and have made a few purchases because a few high street favourites have got better at tailoring (thank goodness). This means that you do not have to spend a small fortune if your purse strings need to be pulled in.

What you do need to help you along is some good quality tee's because these are essential in capturing the perfect casual day look. Team them with jeans - boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever takes your fancy and there you have it, an instant wearable daytime outfit.

Shoes can be high for the evening, flat pumps, or loafers for the daytime.

I bought a great blazer for evening only and its perfect for making a simple black outfit look glam and with high sandals its on fire.

I have selected a few choices for you to look at and I ask you to go try them on, because a blazer can turn quite a few existing looks in your wardrobe into entirely new looks altogether.

Left to right J Crew/H&M/Topshop/Zara

   

Fashion: Bank Holiday cool

The bank holiday is here! Can you believe it is May already? Me either. 

Here at stylekt11 we have picked out a few bits for the weekend. Whether you have plans to go out for a few walks, or you are entertaining, or you might be relaxing, attending a baby shower ,  then there is something here for everyone. 

Left to right - Warehouse/Zara/Oasis/Pure Collection/M&S/Monsoon/Matches

Fashion icon: SJP shoes

This week we are reminising about Sarah Jessica Parker. We all loved SATC. Carrie and the girls were the epitome of style for over 10 years. 

We all started a love affair with shoes and most of us only heard about Manolo, Jimmy Choo and Patricia Field for the first time through our love of this program. 

If I am 100% honest, the character Carrie was not always my favourite personality on the show, but her wardrobe was out of this world and the styling well, it made us all want to dress up again. SATC gave women everywhere a new found confidence and an air of 'we can wear anything we want, and we can have a cocktail at the same time'!

Fast forward a million years later, and the actress Sarah Jessica Parker has now launched her own shoe range. Firstly, I am a huge fan because she is a bright and seemingly down to earth woman in a not so down to earth industry. Plus in her years of working on such a fashion focused set, her style is up there with the best of them.

Her shoe range actually seems to reflect her personality and so here at StyleKt11 we salute you SJP you are one of our favourite fashion heroines.

Travel: Country and western cool

Who would have thought Nashville and New Orleans could be so cool? Not me. So when I was invited to a wedding in New Orleans and we embarked on our road trip I just had to take some pictures to share with you just how cool the deep south really is (and what great shopping it has!)...

First stop was Nashville and thanks to a beautiful guidebook in our hotel we found the chicest of little towns called Franklin to kick off our trip. After breakfast at the Frothy Monkey we headed down Main Street for some retail therapy. I was delighted to find one of my favourite shops - Anthropologie - so couldn't help myself when I saw this tan leather cutout peplum top and denim shirt (seen below), both currently available in the sale section online at www.anthropologie.eu

Clockwise from top left: Espadrilles and gold leather clutch; butterflies for a window display; peplum top and denim shirt, all Anthroplogie.eu; Main Street, Franklin, Tennessee. 

After a brief stop over in Memphis, we headed to New Orleans for the French Quarter Jazz festival. Thousands of people lined Bourbon street and the all kinds of different music could be heard at the waterfront. The vibe was definitely festival chic with lots of cut-off denim shorts, peasant maxi skirts, flower braided headbands and gladiator flats. 

Clockwise from top left: Festival goer in the French Quarter, 7 ft chalk board skull drawing,  55 bar and restaurant, live jazz band at the waterfront in New Orleans.

The morning of the wedding we hopped on a tram and went for breakfast in the Garden District (think Richmond Upon Thames in New Orleans!). I found a great little boutique called Spool and couldn't resist these two dresses, scarf and silk jumpsuit.

All in all it was a jam packed 6 days of partying and shopping in what can only be described as one of the coolest places I have ever been.