We Are The Kids Now

If I can wear kids' stuff, you can, too. And don't let them tell you not to.

Ever since I started browsing girls's clothes to give my niece the gift of extra coolness, I've been flirting with the idea of filling a shopping basket there.

Interestingly enough, this affair also started with a gift I received - a voucher, to be exact. I popped into continental cheap & chic C&A but seemed to find nothing that sort of had my name on it. But only until I wandered there long enough to spot their best-kept secret, the girls' line.

Among about a dozen different designs of retro-style graphic jersey dresses, I settled for this one with spots and button detail. I love to layer up for winter but find it quite hard to do with style, so you can imagine my joy when I bumped into a rack of soft cotton biker jackets.

Now, about sizing. The A-line minidress was a perfect fit in my size (158cm/5'2"), but since dress sizes go all the way up to 176cm (5'9"), you can't say this candy store is only open to kids and petites. As for the biker, I did not want or need a proper jacket, only a layering alternative of a warm, snug little cardi, so I went down a whole dual size (to 146/152) to get the right fit. Going down a couple of sizes when needed is a kind of heaven in itself, something I can only do in the kids' corner. Now for the layering story - just peek below.

retro dress: C&A, ankle boots: Asos,
ribbed elastic long-sleeve tee: charity shop

dress and soft biker cardigan: C&A,

ankle boots: Asos, mini-satchel: H&M

Simple Sixties: Light, Shadow And Flame

Can you not love a 1960s graphic retro look when the cold days arrive? The uber-comfort of a fine high-neck tee, a pair of super-soft opaque tights and  low, chunky-heeled ankle boots? Well, you might be generally avoiding such basic comforts like the plague, for fear of ending up looking and feeling utterly boring. 

But fear no more. And, mind you, no need to give in to femme fatale tendencies either - bad weather, the muddy or icy catwalk of city streets and killer heels do not match. 

There are other ways to sharpen up and brighten up: colours, graphic effects, and cuts.

Hence the monochrome patch pocket miniskirt with gold buttons, an op-art image of bright light streaming through a window, a finely crinkling-and-folding long-sleeve top in the brightest red, a lick of flames in the fireplace, plus a bit of patent leather with a hint of gold at the heels, proof that even the darkness can glow.

This season, the look has got even better with my favourite, go-with-everything quilted, gold-zipped biker jacket in a classic cropped and collarless Chanel style by New Look. Just as with the New Look summer parka, I can't get enough of it because of the snug sleeves, that us petites with twig-like arms so rarely get in a jacket, and that makes all my other jackets appear big and bulky in comparison.

This is a classic autumn look that, when the going gets tough as low temperatures hit, you can throw an oversized boyish winter coat, a traditional wool trench, a padded parka or a shearling cape over it, and you're covered up nice and tight.

 

monochrome skirt: River Island, quilted jacket: New Look,

poloneck top and 1960s ankle boots: Asos

In The Navy

In love with navy dresses, much? Definitely. Navy blue is supposed to suit blondes, and it's also the (not so) new black. Sure enough, every colour of the moment is labelled as the new black, but navy is more than just that. Maybe I should have said 'the other black' - a permanent, richer, deeper, more radiant alternative.

I got so hooked this last season that I filled my wardrobe with these dresses - the little lace number in the last post, then these three, plus a couple more.

The three I'm showing you today, to share the love, are perfect for transitional daywear.

Neat and easy, all that needs to go on top is your favourite peacoat, trench style coat, suede or leather biker or bomber. And simple black leather footwear.

First up is Miss Selfridge's petite military shirt dress, then an Alexa-style bodycon dress by River Island with lace collar and cuffs, and last, but not least, the uber-sleek and structured 1960s one with leather pockets from Asos.

Dress: Miss Selfridge, boots: Mango, belt: from a Dorothy Perkins summer dress,
shearling biker: Topshop 

Dress: River Island, shoes: Topshop, leather bomber: Mango
faux shearling collar: Asos 

Dress and platforms: Asos 

Fifties Biker Chic

Not long ago, I fell in love with this sheer colour block shirt, so much that I had to have it right away, along with a couple of things I thought would do it justice, namely the skinny wetlook biker jeans and the simplest kitten heel courts to create my (totally false) 50s biker chick look with a slight twist.

While I am fully aware that this will not add an inch to my styling creds, I feel so easy and chic'd out wearing this sleeveless beauty and the zipped little monsters  - both by Miss Selfridge - that I could not resist sharing this outfit with you.

The only thing I added was a fine sleeveless black top underneath to avoid feeling naked, but I admit I love the extra colour block detail as it peeps out along the shoulders.

To finish off the look, all you need is a classic fitted leather biker jacket and a Chloé Paddington style toughie of an arm candy. 

A classic helmet and a biker boyfriend with an extra special quiff would make perfect props, too.

colour block shirt and skinny zip biker jeans: Miss Selfridge,
low courts: Dorothy Perkins, leather biker jacket: Topshop 

Thou shalt clash your prints

Possibilities are endless when it comes to one of this season's key commandments, so you will surely see me working on that. 

Now, never underestimate the power of a floral bodycon dress from the early 1990s... come on, you've got that sort of stuff lying in the back of your wardrobe.

Mine is khaki, with tiny vintage rose print all over, and even though the fabric has some mohair in it, it's not too warm or anything - perfect for...

1. WORK: LADYLIKE MODERN

I found this python print khaki shirt/jacket in one of the deepest pits and thought it would be great to throw together a spring/summer Burberry sort of modern ladylike look with double belt and peeptoe wedges.

Floral dress and python print shirt, Terranova - the Italian high street brand had a moment in the 1990s, and was a great place to find great jeans and leather jackets back in the day. Belts and shoes, Dorothy Perkins.

2. STEPPING OUT: VINTAGE FEEL

Add a few bold colours, stripes, a small boxy bag, and shoes - this time I chose almost-flat leather loafers of the most traditional kind, but chunky heeled ones would work just as fine, not to mention the extra height.

Floral dress, as before. Jacket: Topshop, scarf: a gift, bag: Mango, shoes: Luisa Via.

3. LOUNGING AROUND

Relax, no one is watching. Should you need to pop down for some last-minute essentials before the week-end, you might want to avoid suspicious looks in your local shop. Just throw on a nude coloured biker, jump into minimalist brogues and don't bother to sacrifice the comfort of socks.

Floral dress, as before. Jacket: Miss Selfridge, shoes: New Look, socks: H&M, bag: New Look.