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. 

Fashion: Mellow Yellow

The Duchess of Cambridge certainly kick started spring for me, from the moment I saw her in that gorgeous Roksander Ilincic dress I wanted something yellow in my wardrobe.

Colour block from head to toe, accessorise with a popping lemon piece or dabble in a 'hello-yellow' beauty trend. The vibe is cheerful, zingy and all about leaving winter behind.

Here's a round up of some of our favourite pieces, if you're not brave enough to dare yellow in the form of a dress, why not add something in the accessories department (dibs on the Chanel bag)...

Top Left: Halston Heritage, Top Right: Whistles, Bottom: Victoria Beckham 

                  

Clockwise from Top Left: necklace: Zara, Bikini: Melissa Odabash, Trainers: Marc Jacobs, 

bag: Chanel, Clutch: Carvela

                      

Fashion: Perforated is having a moment

What was once only seen on sportswear, perforated is picking up the pace in the trend stakes. Whether pierced, hole punched, or laser-cut, perforated clothing and accessories are having a major moment this season.

It has the stylish edge of leather, with a lighter airy feel, because of the perforated or punch hole design. There's lots of ways to incorporated this trend into your wardrobe. Whether you hit it full on with the statement bag or subtly with a pretty summer dress, a perforated piece will add a touch of sports luxe chic to any outfit.

We have hand picked some of our favourites below, with the Stella McCartney clutch and Chloe Flats being top of our wish list for Spring...

                 

From Top Left: top - Maison Scotch, heels - Nine West, leather jacket - river island, clutch - Stella McCartney, top - Zara, flats - Chloe, shopper - Zara, high tops - balenciaga, dress - m missoni

Fashion: Stradivarius - Zara's ridiculously affordable little sister

Regular followers of the blog will know that here at stylekt11 there is one high street store that we all love - Zara. So you can imagine our delight when we discovered its even more affordable little-sister brand Stradivarius. 

It is a new wave of labels that produce pieces that just work with every other item in your wardrobe. Think denim dresses, leather sleeved parkers, pleated skirts and open knit slouchy jumpers. We have handpicked some of our favourites below:

Parker £69.99, Denim dress £25.99, knit jersey with bow detail £25.99, neoprene pleated skirt £19.99 

stradivarius.com