Can you believe it's the first post this season with a tartan skirt? I KNOW! My beloved collection of these awkward length pleated skirts is about to come into it's own with some thermal tights – Bob's your uncle. That day I was undecided on the red or the blue skirt so I asked the opinion of my esteemed consultant (husband) and after the very briefest of dithers he chose blue. Things have moved on; roll back 18 months and he assured me he wouldn't be seen dead with me if I wore these skirts, even he has warmed to them.

Oh my gosh, these biker boots have been a godsend, I love them so much. By far one of my favourite buys of the year and touch wood a pair that will last a good while. There is little worse than finding a pair of treasured boots wears out before your love for them wears thin. The idea of forking out a fortune for an expensive well made pair does scare me but it has to be said that cheaper footwear is made pretty shabbily these days so it's little wonder they don't last.

Have a great weekend
Sophie

I'm not one hundred percent sure what rockabilly is by definition but to me it has to be a country (& western) style with a whole lot of rock thrown in for good measure. When I saw this dress languishing on a rail in Cancer Research it was always coming home with me; the colour, pattern, fit, frills.... it was a no brainer, except it was completely see through, needing a slip to go underneath (is it called a slip? A lining really). Fortunately, I've got one already which works just fine.

Yes, it is unlike me to wear over-fussy clothes, I'm more of a no-frills girl at heart but ringing the changes is something that floats my boat. This blue dress is way more flattering than I rightfully deserve; the fitted waistband creates a silhouette which I love and the neckline with the little sleeves is both conservative yet a little more revealing than I usually tend to go for. The skirt has just the right amount of swoosh without being impractical plus is an entirely respectable length.

Can I just take a second to say, yeah, my make up is a little heavier than normal which perhaps is something only I would notice but HELLO big hair! The bigger the better I say.

Trusty leather bomber jacket, newish boots – both eBay, old necklace, bangle – gift, bracelets – who on earth remembers.

This dress is one I can just imagine reaching for as one of those items to reach for for when in a “help! I have nothing to wear/ nothing suits me/ I hate my wardrobe” state of panic and then having my concerns quelled.

Is Autumn prompting you to try anything different?

Sophie

Biker boots, I love thee. After a couple of years of adoring everyone else's biker boots and yet never really considering making a purchase for myself I came across the perfect pair in TK Maxx (the place which holds both gems and junk – you never know what you may find but it's always worth a look).
This pair are 'Bronx' and are black leather with a quilted ankle and silver buckles, they are flat and wonderfully comfortable. I dithered after oiking them off the shelf and squirrelling them away in a pull along basket (genius invention), which has got to be done when they are the only pair – you don't want to risk someone else running off with them. I tried them on and paraded up and down the 5 – 5.5 aisle, beaming that they stayed on instead of getting left behind as so many pairs do unless firmly tied on. Then I ummed and ahhed a little more and consulted.
Buying footwear is always a big deal for me; investing in more expensive items is still something I'm not all that comfortable with. Sometimes you spend more and yet they never get worn, other times they never leave my feet and I pat myself on the back for making such a wise purchase. At £50 these are what I'd classify as medium risk, way more than I'd fork out for something I wasn't dead keen on but in this case I was smitten plus being flat boots they tick the practical box in grand style.
A jersey t-shirt style skater dress? Yes, in red no less. Never owned one before, it's not something I've really been drawn to until now. This autumn I'm all over more of a rock chick look, darker, rich colours, more leather and boots, all the boots.

Remember the days I never accessorised? Long gone. I found the beaded chocker in a bowl at a charity shop till for about 50p which has pleased me no end, these were the coolest thing to wear when I was about 10. Ahhh, the good old days of the mid nineties! It's also the first outing for my Iced Rainbow feather necklace* which is a really cute and being white it's going to go with so many things I want to wear.
Do you remember the nineties fondly?
Sophie

I'm pretty sure you can take on the world wearing a leather jacket and dark sunglasses. The weather foiled my plans for looking carefree and casual by whistling up a strong breeze forcing me to walk around with a bunch of tunic in my hand to prevent the world from getting a good look at next week's washing. More encumbered than effortless, story of my life.

Dress and jacket – eBay, boots – T K Maxx, sunglasses – QD, earrings – Pretty Cute Jewellery, bracelets - gifts

Aside from taking horrendously out of focus pictures (lets call them arty) and getting my pasty white legs out I spent quite a while in the kitchen this weekend finishing the last of my smoothie recipes as well as cooking a few other things, recipes coming your way soon.

I was feeling a bit sorry for myself looking in the mirror that morning; the dark eye circles never seem to fade and I was convinced that I was looking old and tired. It does always seem to be at these very points that fate somehow kicks me up the arse by me getting ID checked as if to put me back in my place. Maybe I just look like a teen insomniac? Note to self: get more sleep! Stop burning the candle at both ends and in the middle. Easier said than done, eh?

I have so much I want to blog about lately but no time to get it all ready; I seem to be glued to my camera at the moment and less so with the photo editor. If only I could persuade Chris to run the blog jointly – him doing the hard work and me doing the fun stuff! I don't think he'll buy it, funnily enough.

Sophie

The seventies style is one which really draws me in; flares, big shirts and long wild hair all feel like my bag. I often find that my outfits contain touches of the seventies which makes me really happy. Much as I would love to wear a floral crown, the worry is that I'll be chased by bees and wasps; I once had a faux flower bicycle basket and I was horrified to be inundated with frightening bees whilst trying to take a leisurely cycle in the garden. Cue shrieking and tantrums.

My leather jacket is pretty much my second skin at the moment, dry sunny weather is perfect for wearing it as a windproof layer to avoid bulking up.

Jacket and shirt – eBay, jeans – G-Star Raw Next Twitter giveaway win, necklace – blog giveaway win, sunnies – QD

Twix last summer and right now all my sunglasses bar one pair have up and left me. I'm on the lookout for some more uber cheap pairs for me to break and abandon for this year. This afternoon has so far been spent in the kitchen getting busy with some recipes I'm excited to share with you soon.

Take care

Sophie

Guess who's been spoiled and now has to 'make do' with distinctly less impressive outfit pictures? *raises hand*.

I wore this a couple of weeks back when the sun came out which lead to me dig out my leather jacket, the poor thing had been hidden behind woolen coats and (shudders) anoraks on the coat pegs. I bought the mini leather bomber thing a couple of years back now (I think) when I really wanted one and had to grit my teeth and bid something cray like £10 on ebay *winces*. Thankfully, I have made good use of it and have recently found myself reaching for it whenever the forecast declares it to be dry out. Naturally, a hint of rain would render it useless; soggy leather is pretty much punishable by goodness knows what.

These red check trousers have not seen the light of day nearly often enough lately and I'm pretty sure it's only because they had somehow become lost in my wardrobe. Just recently I've felt more experimental with colour which is why I wore red trousers with this peach jumper and nude polka dot scarf. The whole ensemble whispers rockstar to me, especially with the big sunglasses but perhaps bigger boots are needed. I wore my granny mini-wedge comfy ankle boots for maximum comfort, something I doubt is considered by bona fide rockers!


Sophie