IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MCQUEEN JACKET - Self explanatory really then....

I wanted to put together a formal outfit to finish the week off that didn't involve a dress. This is somewhat difficult for me as I adore dresses, and so the idea of attempting to really work separates into a formal look is a bit of a tough ask. However when I spotted this beautiful McQueen red and black peplum jacket I just had to give it a try. Please feel free to tell me in the comments if you think I managed to pull it off (or not...).

The jacket would look less eveningwear worn with a proper blouse, so I found this red crepe one from The Kooples which I thought would look smart without bring too bright. Then in an attempt to break out of my personal comfort zone of charcoal grey smart pants (because you know they'd look excellent with this ensemble) I chose a pair of high street check pants from Mango. They are stretch skinnies meaning that if the splashes of colour are too much for you they'd work just as well with a red or black heeled ankle boot as well.

Then a little bit of fun had to be had. I love formal dressing but I hate it to look stuffy and strained. So floral knuckleduster clutch box and some pistachio green Charlotte Olympia heels are the order of the day. It makes the whole look younger and more fun. Formal dressing can look smart and presentable without having to always be overtly serious. I'd happily wear this to a meeting and feel confident and stylish whilst still perfectly businesslike.

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GREEN WITH ENVY - My Favourite Look of the Year (so far...)

So it's Thursday and I am almost a week out of surgery and hopefully by the time you guys read this (as I am queuing a couple of days in advance) I will be a little bit more mobile than I am right now. So anyway, this morning I went looking for inspiration for a post to cheer you all up as it's not quite the weekend, but we all wish that it was, and I found these amazing little Zanotti peep toe ankle boots. Highly practical for both myself and the weather right now - I know - but you must admit they are pretty damned fine all the same.

So then almost immediately I then stumbled upon the jeans and Carven jumper top, and my mind went into overdrive. This is just too cute to be true. It would also work really well with a pair of flat tan or brown pumps if the heels are not your thing, or for a showery day you could add any length of boots too. The Michael Kors leather jacket is soft and buttery, and is the perfect compliment to the mid-blue denim.

The little green bag is a marvel. I'd also use this with a LBD for daytime, as an office bag, or just about any other excuse you can think of. I have a bright green leather bowler bag that I have used to death and it always look amazing. Splashes of colour are great with a neutral outfit, and this also stops the jumper choice from looking too unusual. The ripped denims stop the whole look from looking too forced too. Definitely my favourite look of the year so far despite the obvious lack of McQueen!!!

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CANDY BABY - For The Girlie Girls

For all of the ladies out there who love their girlie style, I put together this little look taking inspiration from the Valentino Rockstud range. But the bag and the shoes are Rockstud style, and by choosing the have nude shoes, the bright pink bag doesn't look too over the top.

The dress is by Clover Canyon, and the colours are really sweet, leaving you free to experiment with jewellery colours. Gemstones work well with this look, especially peridot and citrine, although the pieces I picked were deliberately more bright to grab attention. They are not the same range but they compliment each other beautifully, and the goldtone blends perfectly with the Valentino studs.

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WHAT I BOUGHT RECENTLY - Grab My Zara Sale Bargain (and how I plan to style them)

These cute little leather boots are down from £80 to £30 in the Zara sale, and are also available in black. At the tail end of last week I had my left knee operation and these were my little 'cheer myself up before the pain' present that I bought online on the morning before I went in for surgery. Because that's what I do when I am going in for knee surgery - I purchase myself high heeled boots. Uh-huh.

Anyway, this is the sort of styling that I plan to wear them with when they arrive (and I am free of my current 'walking with a crutch' state, so I thought you might like to see. The Preen jacket is absolutely divine, and very much indicative of many of the ultra fitted outerwear of which I am extremely fond. The ultra dark True Religion jeans make a nice change from black jeans or leather leggings (pretty much staples in my everyday wardrobe) and the slouch jumper adds a deconstructed edge to keep the overall look relaxed for daytime.

Finish off the look with a large statement brooch on the left lapel and you're all done. Cosy, comfy and effortlessly stylish, I cannot wait to own my new grey booties. I have been on the lookout for a pair ever since I went to meet the All Saints Manifest boots and realised how disappointingly hard the leather was (probably why they are less than half price in their sale). So I am really excited to receive these in the post!

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THE 2014 BRIDAL EDIT - Everything for your Big Day

I am a bit of a sucker for bridal styling, and so it's time for the first 'wedding day' post of the year. This of course won't be everyone's dream style, but the pieces are all really beautiful - and the dress is also on a huge discount at The Outnet. I adore the simplicity of the gown. It will skim and flatter for an effortless finish, meaning you are then free to have a bit of fun with the accessories.

The stars of the show are undoubtedly Christian Louboutin's beautiful So Kate pumps, now just made available in a delicate white glitter. They are perfect grown up Cinderella shoes, and would work with just about any bridal look. A pair of white shoes that I actually do adore? Miracles do happen!

I also really love this cute little white headband from modcloth. Not everyone wants to wear a veil, and this adds easy interest to any length or colour of hair as well, especially if you are planning on wearing your hair down for your wedding day. Add a couple of key statement pearl jewellery pieces (as I am a HUGE fan of pearls for a wedding) and you are all set to get all the attention (of course).

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SUNDAY BONUS POST - One Dress Two Ways

Whilst looking for inspiration (aherm, and totally not just doing some online retail therapy this afternoon.... honest!) I found this sweet little Halston Heritage ballgown style dress and thought it was rather enchanting. I immediately thought of the black Karen Millen heels to go with it, but then when I went to find a product image of the heels, I also saw these tweed heels from Dsquared2. Not typically as much of a personal style choice for me, but they really work with the dress as well, so I figured I'd write a bonus outfit post with two ways to style the pretty little dress.

Typically I am a white gold or platinum kind of girl when it comes to jewellery, but the goldtone accents on the Dsquared2 heels work really well against the soft raspberry pink, and so I picked out the chunky Karen Millen bracelet and Charlotte Olympia shell bag to finish the look. This is a more traditionally 'cute' way of styling the dress, but still features some quirky touches and stops the finished look looking bland and boring.

Likewise the Karen Millen black pumps lend themselves to a little bit more of an edgy look, so adding some statement black around the neck with this geometric cutout Modcloth necklace and a tough Alexander McQueen knuckleduster bag seemed to be the order of the day. This is much closer to my own personal style, but I think the dress looks fabulous either way.

Which one do you prefer?

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