The camo knit

Whistles top, J.Crew necklace, Seven jeans, KG shoes, Zara bag

I wore my Whistles Camo Print Jumper at the week end and posted a pic on Instagram which got a few likes but many more questions about where to find my top. I featured the Whistles Camo Print Jumper  as a Star Buy in August but as it turns out, it looks like it's sold out on the Whistles website.

So I did a little search for you and found out that John Lewis still has some stock and is available to buy online. Today I am wearing it as I did at the week end with my J.Crew necklace, boyfriend denim and a bit of a heel. Tomorrow log on at lunch time for my "Camo-how-to" worksheet with lots of suggestions on great camouflage print buys and what to wear with.

Whistles Camo Print Crew Neck Jumper £95

WIT mama Friday: Make up in under 5 minutes

I have about ten minutes to get ready in the morning, really. It's not an art I have had much time to master being this my second week at work, but I've already gathered it will take a lot of organisation to keep up my daily posts with child! I plan my outfit the night before, I also think of a backup warmer/colder variation so that I am never caught off guard.. living in the UK I prepare for the worse most days. Thanks to George Northwood my hair is now not a problem. I strongly recommend that you invest in a good hair cut that doesn't need too much attending too, it makes all the difference.  My make up is another story and I've had to come up with a repertoire of easy, "daily looks" that can be applied quickly and effectively while Greta sits on the floor impatiently.

It pretty much go like this: whatever I can achieve in terms smooth, radiant skin and then it's either an eye or a lip, never the two together.

The "lip" look

• Prep: Wash and dry face. I use water only in the morning and leave the heavy duty cleansing for the evening (15 seconds)
• Moisturise: I like something light and quenching which is quickly absorbed into the skin. At the moment I am finishing off Skinceuticals Ultra Facial Defense (30 seconds)
• Base: I'm a big fan of tinted moisturisers but since I've momentarily run out I've started using Clinique's Moisture Surge tinted moisturiser. It's a bit thicker than regular tinted moisturisers, which isn't all bad as I need a bit more coverage these days. Probably not good for oily skins as it tends to give me a bit of a T zone by the end of the day. I just squirt a little bit on top of my hand and then dot small amounts on my face making sure I even it out. When I finish this I will probably go back to my old time favourite Laura Mercier
  Tinted Moisturiser.  (1 minute)
• Eyes: When I'm doing a lip only I do the bare minimum on the eyes so I tend to use an eye lash curler and maybe one coat of mascara. To this purpose I am loving Bobbi Brown dual mascara because it has two applicators, one that gives you a more natural look and the other one that gives your lashes more volume. In this case I use the "Everything Mascara" side. (1 minute)
• Bronzer: I hate being pale, it just doesn't suit me. Living in the UK doesn't aid to my desire of an all-year suntan, but since I don't do fake tans (can't stand the smell) or sunbeds (I don't have time), an old fashioned bronzer has to do the trick. At the moment I am using Clinique Superbalanced Powder Bronzer in Bronzed 1. I love the shade (a good balance of matte and glow) and I particularly like it because it works with a grinder inside that releases how ever much powder you need.You know that fiddling around with your brush to get rid of excess powder? No need to to this with this bronzer. (20 seconds)
• Lips: I purposely choose matte lipsticks which tend to last longer and only need one coat. I don't bother using pencil or brushes, I much prefer a messier "just kissed" lip. My favourite winter shades are: Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, Face Stockholm for J.Crew Chilli Flake and Nars Lipstick Red Lizard.  (20 seconds)
• Blusher: My finishing touch is always with a little bit of blusher. It gives me that healthy, fresh face look that I love. I don't have a favourite and tend to fall in and out of love with different brands, at the moment I am using Bobbi Brown Farda Joues blush in Washed Rose. (10 seconds)  

 Done!

 Total time 3min and 45 seconds

My inspiration

The "eye" look

• Prep: Wash and dry face. I use water only in the morning and leave the heavy duty cleansing for the evening (15 seconds)
• Moisturise: I like something light and quenching which is quickly absorbed into the skin. I am finishing Skinceuticals Ultra Facial Defense (30 seconds)
• Base: I'm a big fan of tinted moisturisers but since I've momentarily run out I've started using Clinique's Moisture Surge tinted moisturiser. It's a bit thicker than regular tinted moisturisers, which isn't all bad as I need a bit more coverage these days. Probably not good for oily skins as it tends to give me a bit of a T zone by the end of the day. I just squirt a little bit on top of my hand and then dot small amounts on my face making sure I even it out. When I finish this I will probably go back to my old time favourite Laura Mercier
  Tinted Moisturiser.  (1 minute)
• Eyes:  Step 1 - Eyeshadow - I find that nothing at all on the eyelids doesn't quite work so I choose a very natural, matte shade of eyeshadow. I absolutely love MAC Paint Pots (Quite Natural.) Step 2 - Liner  I love an Alexa Chung flick. I'm still to master the art of it and for the moment every day is a new result! I prefer a marker pen and I recently bought L'Oreals Black Buster Super liner which is not bad although not as black as I would have liked. I've been watching this video on how to draw the perfect line and found it quite useful.  Step 3 - Mascara - When I'm doing an eye look I like thick lashes so I use the other side of my Bobbi Brown dual mascara  that gives your lashes more volume. In this case I use the "Lash Glamour Extreme Lenghtening" applicator side concentrating at the base of the lashes. (2.25 minute)
  
• Bronzer: I hate being pale, it just doesn't suit me. Living in the UK doesn't aid to my desire of an all-year suntan but since I don't do fake tans (can't stand the smell) or sunbeds (I don't have time), an old fashioned bronzer has to do the trick. At the moment I am using Clinique Superbalanced Powder Bronzer in Bronzed 1. I love the shade (a good balance of matte and glow) and I particularly like it because it works with a grinder inside that releases how ever much powder you need.You know that fiddling around with your brush to get rid of excess powder? No need to to this with this bronzer. (20 seconds)
  
• Lips: When I'm doing an eye, I keep lips to a bare minimum. I apply lip balm, currently loving Dermalogica Age Smart Renewal Lip Complex. Sometimes to give my lips a little bit of definition I roughly colour them in with a super natural shade of lip pencil. Top Shop Lip Line in Ceramic is a great shade. (20 seconds)
• Blusher: My finishing touch is always with a little bit of blusher. It gives me that healthy, fresh face look that I love. I don't have a favourite and tend to fall in and out of love with different brands, at the moment I am using Bobbi Brown Farda Joues blush in Washed Rose. (10 seconds)  

 Done!

 Total time 5 min

My inspiration

Double leopard

Diesel denim jacket, Jesire dress, Joseph belt, Karen Millen shoes, Zara bag

Today I'm wearing one if my favourite day dresses and taking it in for a "double leopard" spin with leopard print shoes.  The important thing when doing the double trend is not to go exact matchy-matchy (which is a bit too Royal for my taste), but in this case the the slightly different leopard print patterns work very well together. Try it with polka dots of different sizes, floral prints and stripe patterns too. 

Sequins in the day formula

Whistles black top, Miu Miu necklace, Zara skirt and shoes

 I love sparkle, sequins, brocade, embellishment, metallic and what have you but if I had to wait for the "appropriate occasion" to wear them, I never would! Sadly I don't live in an episode of Downtown Abbey (changing my outfit three times a day is my dream), my life is pretty much home/office/home with the exception of a few (nowadays rare) nights out, so I'm determined to make the most of my wardrobe during the day. The secret formula is actually not that hard to break, just dress things down which is much cooler anyway. So next time you are looking at that sequin skirt  hanging sadly in your wardrobe waiting for its next out, just grab it shove it on with a T-shirt and a pair of flats and wear it!

 Top Shop **Sequin Pencil Skirt by Unique £250.00

The leather skirt worn the relaxed way

 

Whistles leather skirt, Marks and Spencers cashmere jumper, Christian Louboutin shoes

I am taking advantage of this weeks mild temperatures and doing a bare leg for what is likely to be the last time in months. I bought this Whistles skirt as a going-back-to-work item, and today I'm pairing it with a slouchy jumper and a pair of statement heels for a day in the office. There is a huge selection of of leather or pleather skirts in shops at the moment, (mine is pleather) but I particularly liked this one because it's of a good length to be worn with flats or heels. My suggestion is to wear leather skirts  the relaxed way, this because you will wear it twice as many times! Think of it as a pair of jeans, pair it with jersey T-shirts, boyfriend style knitwear heels or flats.

Whistles Bailey Skater Skirt  £85.00

Currently obsessed with: pointed flats

I've been cleaning out my shoe cupboard and I've thrown away most of my old, worn-to-death ballerinas. Ballerinas are a versatile and practical flat shoe, but I've been wearing mine for years and I must admit,  I'm a little bored of them. So what's the new every-day flat? I was in search of something a bit smart, that can be worn with skirts, most trousers and also look good with tights. The answer to this is the perfectly on-trend pointed flats. Perfect for work, has flattering leg lengthening effect and both high street and designer have equally lovely styles.

1) Dune Mala £79
2) J.Crew Viv flat £246.43
3) Boden point flats £79
4) Just ballerinas flats £95 at my-wardrobe.com
5) Karen Millen Limited point flats £110
6) Dolce & Gabbana Bouclé-tweed pointed flats £430
7) Valentino Studded patent-leather flats £545
8) Brigette Point Ballerina  £110.00
9)Dune Mathilda £79

 After much research I bought a classic, black leather pair from Whistles that I had already featured in WIT's relaunch.  As I think they are a really great buy (price wise too) they have now made their back in this week's "Work-Essentials" Star Buys, alongside a wardrobe basic black skirt, and a work friendly Anya tote. Happy Monday back at your desks!

Brigette Point Ballerina  £110.00

WIT mama Friday: The Grace Tales

Photo by Julie Adams

Now that I am back with daily updates, I wanted to dedicate one post a week to us new and old mums, to our style dilemmas and children related interests. Fridays seemed like the perfect day: I'm off work (I work a mum-friendly four days a week) and I can report from on-duty  mummy status. 

"WIT mama Fridays" will be dedicated to all those things that us WIT-mums love: from beautiful, affordable childrenswear, to how to organise the perfect birthday party to the quickest most effective way to apply your make up in under five minutes. 

To kick off this new WIT feature (we've had WIT wedding Wednesdays and WIT baby Fridays so far!), I wanted to introduce you to a beautiful new website launching today called The Grace Tales.

The Grace Tales is dedicated to "the stylish mother" and it's everything I ever wanted/needed to inspire my new-mum lifestyle. Georgie Abay, the beautiful mind behind the website, is the current Deputy Editor/Fashion Features Director at Vogue Australia and mother to Arabella Grace who born in November 2012, and she knows about style: "When I was pregnant, I spent a lot of time on the Internet searching for inspiration for everything from nursery decor to baby clothes to maternity wear. I found a little – but I wanted to find a lot. There are so many great sites dedicated to style and beauty, but what about sites dedicated to the stylish mother?"

"I wanted to see inside the world’s of other mothers. How did they decorate their nurseries? What was their take on motherhood? What was their advice to new mothers? How did they handle the sleep deprivation? Where did they buy their children’s clothes? Where did they buy their own clothes?

I’ve adored fashion for as long as I can remember and don’t think I’ll ever stop, but I’ve entered the world of motherhood and find nursery décor and baby clothes just as fascinating. More importantly, I’m surrounded by countless inspiring mothers and I wanted to share their tales with you.

The Grace Tales covers everything from motherhood to fashion to beauty to lifestyle. It is targeted towards style conscious mothers and we hope the gorgeous tales of each mother we profile will inspire you."

So when for an incredible turn of events I happened to be on holiday with my best friend and photographer Julie Adams (who shoots all portraits  for the website), and she asked me to be in it for the launch, I just couldn't say no.

 

Up to now, I had never published a photo of Greta, but I loved the concept and the incredible thought behind The Grace Tales so much, I made an exception. The result is this beautiful photo shoot that I will treasure forever, taken with my baby girl this summer at my in-laws house in Italy, and this little interview which I hope you will find helpful/inspiring.

Read here to see the full interview and photo shoot with Greta Zita. 

Leather trousers

Off to breakfast with one of my favourite pr's from one of my favourite designers, Anya Hindmarch. Today it's another trouser day and I'm wearing my faux leather panelled leggings from HM with my new Maje chunky jumper. I like to wear mine with flats but today I'm pairing with mid mid heel Jimmy Choo's. Leather trousers are a wardrobe staple that every WIT reader should have, no matter what your shape they always look good, I promise. If you are curvy try a stretch legging with a chic oversize shirt and some pointy flats. If you have a more boyish shape, mix sweat-pants style with a cool sweater and a fur gilet. Even if you are pregnant Top Shop maternity does a great pair of high waist leggings, it's all I wore with a bump. My ultimate wish is to have the Joseph Stretch-leather leggings, I tried them on once and they fit like a glove. There is something for every shape, age and pocket - here is the round up of my favourite styles.

1) J.Crew Collection leather Pixie pant item £577.17 
2) ANJA Kurt Geiger London £195.00  
3) Whistles Carrot Leg Leather Trouser £350.00
4) Top Shop Maternity Shiny Wetlook Leggings £18.00
5) Joseph Stretch-leather leggings £675
6) Top Shop Leather Look Skinny Treggings £32.00
7) Mango aux leather appliqué leggings £24.99
Isabel Marant FW13 look 

Bright courts (outfit saviours)

Your little daily fix of wearable fashion inspiration is back! had been planning to wear lots of skirts and bare legs but the weather in London is not exactly summery. Luckily I can still wear shoes without socks and I'm having the time if my life being in my heels again. Today it's my Mango orange courts time paired with  statement trouser from Gap, and my favourite monogrammed J.Crew navy cashmere sweater. A bright court is a simple effective way to update your outfit,  try it tomorrow. 

Top Shop pink pointy courts £58

Whistles orange suede courts £135

J.Crew red suede pumps £198.30

Back to work

With a couple of weeks delay due to childcare disaster  (you may have noticed I'm not back to daily posts yet), this morning I'm going back to work after a year on maternity leave. For those of you who only recently started reading WIT, my day job is Fashion and Shopping Editor at RED magazine. I edit the front of book section and compile all those shoppingy pages you read at the front of book section of most magazines. So yes, my job is to scout trends and bring you the edit of the best things to buy right now. Here's how I got ready to my return to working life and a few of my latest buys..

1. A new hair cut

George Northwood at Josh Wood in Liberty London has been cutting my hair for the past year. Post Greta I still think it's the best style-investment I've made so far. This time I went a little shorter,  George suggested going for a choppy, messy bob and as always, I love it.

2. Statement sweaters

If there's one thing to invest in this season it's a statement jumper: throw it on with a pair of jeans, dress it up with a statement necklace or clash it with a print skirt, I've bought a few (below) and it's the easiest style update you can make this season (also this week's Star Buys theme).

3. Umph denim

I don't buy a lot of jeans, but once in a while I like to try something a little bit different. I picked up this patchwork pair from HM (in store now) and have been wearing them with everything.

HM skinny jeans £24.99

4. Winter shade

Especially now that I have a bay (and half as much time to get ready) I'm all for a quick fix and instant updates, a coat of lipstick does just that. I got a bit bored of the corally hues I've been wearing for the past couple of years, so when a make up artist suggested something new I was all for it. I've adopted this Nars Matte Velvet Lip Pencil in Cruella from from SpaceNK as my "winter shade".

5. Greta Collection additions

I've added charms and bracelets to The Greta Collection range! I love my new yellow G pendant an my rose gold L bracelet. Take a look at "The Greta Collection" section for prices and info on how to order.

 

Now head down and back at work but come and see me on Twitter and Instagram to see what I'm up to!

The WIT Bag edit

Where I absolutely love, buy and wear high street clothes regularly, you will rarely see me carrying a bag that's not designer. Maybe for the exception of a fun clutch or a beach bag, I would rather save up and invest in something of a) good quality b) I am proud to wear and c) will treasure forever.  I really think that a bag is for life and my small collection has yet to prove me wrong as I cyclically wear them all: my black YSL Muse and Muse 2, my navy Chanel 2.55 and my cherry Red Smythson Emily being some of my favourites. 

YSL Muse 2, Chanel 2.55, YSL Muse, Smythson Emily

Whilst I wait for my 40th birthday to receive the Hermes Constance bag (8 more years to go.. ugh!), I'm on the market for a new bag and have had a fab time coming up with this hit list. This years bags are all about clean lines, minimal logos and chic colour palettes so they make the perfect investment buy.  Don't be afraid to try a colour too, especially if you already own a few black bags (I love the YSL Cabas bag in a bright red). A gorgeous hand bag that I've had my eye on for a while is the Philip Lim Pashly, I would love it in a soft grey.

However this season, after much research, I decided to invest in a classic day clutch, which ironically I didn't already own. I chose the super discreet Jil Sander envelope clutch (above). It's made it's way in this weeks "Investmen classics" themed Star Buys in the black version and, in navy, at number seven in my hit list below.

1) Saint Laurent The Shopping leather tote £1,100
2) Saint Laurent Lulu leather cross body bag £1,075
3)Saint Laurent Cabas Classique Y medium leather tote £1,540
4) Sophie Hulme Mini envelope clutch £295
5) 3.1 Phillip Lim The Pashli large shark-embossed leather trapeze bag £805
 6)Whistles Stevie Double Croc Clutch  £150.00
7) Jil Sander Envelope zip pouch £310
8) ALEXANDER WANG 'Lia' satchel £662.6
9) Marc by Marc Jacobs Blizznezz small leather shoulder bag £175

Cool checks

Whistles jacket, J.Crew necklace, Zara shirt, trousers, shoes and bag

If there's one print I'll be playing around with this winter it'll be plaid. I love the way it's been done on the catwalks, with little touches of it rather than the literal grunge girl look. To keep it cool and modern, mix it in with your existing wardrobe the way Celine, and Stella McCartney showed it. 

Don't be afraid of clashing it with other prints such as camouflage, stripes or leopard print. My advice is to mix it in with prints of the same tonal value, and if you feel brave enough, try pairing a flannel shirt with a sequin skirt or a bit of sparkle in the evening.

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs Sweater £260.00
2. Ganni cocoon coat £325
3. Jil Sander A/W13
4. Sea NY Belted Dress £398.00
5. Roksanda Ilincic Silk Maxi Skirt £965 (style tip: wear with a simple T-shirt)
6. See by Chloe boots £350
7. J.Crew necklace £98
8. IRO Halton Leather Trim Shirt £220.00

On the high street, Mango styled plaid shirts beautifully with ripped denim and black leather (Mango plaid cotton shirt £34.99 ), but you could try giving it a more polished feel by pairing it with a flare leg jean (my favourite is The MARRAKESH Jean from MiH) and a boyish coat like this Paul Smith Black Cashmere Coat £465.00 my-wardrobe.com

Mango A/W13

Here's how I'm going to wear my old check shirts this winter...