co-ordination

All posts in the co-ordination category

Jump Up, Jump Up, Jump Around

Published August 31, 2014 by iftheshoefits

I can’t help it, I’m obsessed with jumpsuits.  I can’t decide whether it’s because I’m a child of the Seventies and I’m still lamenting the loss of my Charlie’s Angel dungarees or whether it’s the easiest way to get dressed ever – throw it on, accessorise, add some shoes and walk out the door.

I also appear to have one to suit all occasions:

  • Navy pinstripe one for work
  • Black tailored strapless one for black tie events (throw on a tuxedo jacket and heels – effortless yet edgy elegance)
  • Wide leg chartreuse number for weddings / garden parties
  • Black jersey one for “emergency, I don’t know what to wear to that party” panic buy avoidance
  • Denim dungarees for lazy summer days

As I student in the Nineties I opted for playsuits and chunky boots – favouring ditsy prints, crushed velvet or distressed denim.  It was just so much easier than wearing dresses – and when you grew up in the windy wilds of Scotland, at least a playsuit kept your dignity intact on particularly breezy days.

I admit that jumpsuits are not for everyone, they can involve some snazzy yoga moves to get in and out of them (sometimes with a bit of jumping to release yourself completely), underwear choices are critical, and you often have to plan bathroom breaks well in advance.

But, I still find myself yearning for more…

And I’m not alone, the fabulous people at  StyleMeTraining show how it can work for you.

 

 

Pretty in pink

Published May 20, 2014 by iftheshoefits

With the beginnings of a pale-skinned golden glow I’ve decided to embrace this summer’s ice-cream pastels.
I’m loving these little beauties – comfortable, cute and practical – albeit I sound like an excited Shetland pony at anything above sauntering pace – clogs do not allow for ninjaesque stealth skills.

pink clogs

pretty in pink

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll be teaming them with this  baby pink cropped blazer – let’s hope the sunshine lasts longer than my patience!

asos clean pink blazer

pretty in pink

Colour Changing

Published August 3, 2013 by iftheshoefits

I sometimes use colour to define my mood, or even to improve it if I can.

Earlier this week I posted “Walking on sunshine” – my little yellow shoes exude happiness, I wore a matching yellow jacket to get the full happiness quota in.  The reaction of those around me was surprising, even the concierge at work commented on how lovely they were.  The one aspect of wearing bright colours is that you have to be feeling pretty brave, it’s just because they demand attention.  Our eyes are drawn to bright colours.  In nature, they can show great beauty but can also be used as a sign of danger, or to stay away.

I wear red if I’m scared or want to look confident, navy and purples suit my colouring so I try to wear as much of them as I can, and khaki is my dress down colour, my off duty wardrobe.

I don’t always get it right – I was wearing a red, white and blue ensemble on the day of Prince George’s birth – a tad bourgeois for my liking.  And I’ve learned never to wear head to toe cream or white unless you have guaranteed sunshine (transparent / mud spattered / clingy) or wear full skirted dresses when it’s breezy (you really want to be wearing biggish pants on those occasions).  But embracing colour can be a huge mood-lifter.

I went through a decade long phase (early 20s to early 30s) of wearing pretty much nothing but black – I liked it.  I liked to look alternative, I liked that everything matched.  But it was drab, painfully so.  And so I slowly introduced colour to my wardrobe.  Depending on my mood I can colour-block with the best of them, look elegant in muted hues or opt for a clever contrast combo.  But I draw the line at beige – I want to look sophisticated and together, but the reality is that I feel beige when I wear it.  So, it is the end of beige.  Apart from a lovely pair of nude peep toe shoes – because, if nothing else they elongate the leg.  And that’s something I’m in dire need of.

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