Séraphine Open New West End Boutique

Last week I attended the opening of Seraphine's new store on Marylebone High Street. For those who might not know, Seraphine is a leading maternity fashion brand, but trust me, you do not have to be pregnant to fall in love with their gorgeous pieces that are both trendy and functional. After all, they've been worn by Duchess of Cambridge, Angelina Jolie and Claudia Schiffer to name a few.

The great thing about Seraphine's clothing range, is that it is extremely versatile. Everything is designed to suit women in different stages of pregnancy, as well as new mothers. 

This super-soft shawl is on my shopping list. You can wear it if you are pregnant, it works brilliantly as a breast-feeding wrap (thanks to those little poppers on the side) and it is great for when you are on the go doing your school/nursery run (that would be me). It costs £42 and in my opinion it is money well-spent considering its functionality. 

Here is another item on my list (despite the fact that I already own a winter coat...)

Think Max Mara signature wrap coat but with a smaller price tag. This is such a cosy piece. Made out of lavish wool blend and cashmere, it both looks and feels amazing. 

There are some fantastic coats in their collection designed to keep you and your bumps warm and fabulous this winter. There are even coats that are made specifically to fit your baby-carries in when it gets chilly. 

What is more, Seraphine has created a stunning yet affordable LUXE range of red-carpet-ready eveningwear. I remember spending a lot of time trying to find a perfect dress for a special occasion when I was pregnant. Seraphine has some head-turning creations that will look incredible on all mothers-to-be. Cecile, the founder of the brand, said that she has ordered one to be made in her size (she is not pregnant) and I definitely want one too. 

Seraphine don't only specialise in clothing and accessories. During her second pregnacy Cecile came up with an idea of ShoeTherapy. Together with acclaimed French orthopedist, Cecile has co-created a range of stylish yet comfortable shoes which help to improve posture and combat back pain - important aspect for all mothers-to-be as well as new mamas. Think hospital footwear but pretty. 

Seraphine is most definitely the place to go if you are looking for chic Parisian-inspired pieces that are luxurious yet accessible. 

Cecile and I 

Cecile talking us through Seraphine's future collections (you can just see the passion!). 

Fenwick of Bond Street Beauty Week - Face Stockholm

It was great to 'bump' into my new favourite cosmetics brand Face Stockholm again during Fenwick Beauty Week last month. Ever since I've been introduced to them this summer (post here) when they first launched in the UK, I started using their products and I haven't been dissapointed. As I mentioned before, simplicity and quality won me over. 

So here are my two 'front-runners':

Icelandic Solution. This mosturising gel, which contains minimal ingredients, is simply genius. Extremely light, it tightens and calms your skin. At £140 it's obviously not cheap, but you only need a small amount and it can be used under your eyes, on your lips and as a base under foundation. Basically, it is lots of different products in one bottle. It is the most expencive moisturiser I have ever owned as I am rather sceptical of overly expencive creams and I do believe that price is not always an indicator of quality, but this one appears to be working and I just cannot believe how light it is.

The other new favourite product is BB Natural Beauty Balm. Similary to the moisturiser, it is very light. It can be used on its own for a natural looking coverage or as a primer under your foundation. I am not a fan of heavy foundations, so this balm is ideal. It comes in a handy compact box with a mirror, so it's perfect for when you are out and about. Moreover, it contains Vitamin E and it SPF 30. 

Shopping: ankle boots

Autumn is here and I need a new pair of shoes. Some people might slightly disagree when inspecting my shoe collection (hubby...), but I honestly need something that is not overly wintery (boots), yet can be worn with socks (my feet get too cold in flats now!). Therefore, I need ankle boots.

Ever since falling in love with these beauties (below) back in spring, I now need a darker pair that could be worn when out with a toddler (do they have food-stain resistant ones?), be comfortable when driving and look good when I am going to my various work meetings.



Acne

So here are my top three:

1.  It's got to be Acne again. These are just perfect.


Chesnut Pistol Ankle Boot. £350 from my-wardrobe.com

2. Gorgeous colour (not to mention great discount) - Cynthia Vincent.


12th Street by Cynthia Vincent, were £310 now £154.99, available at The Outnet

3. Simple yet cool - Ash.


Ash Jalouse, £149, available from Ash Footwear

Best Sunday buys for £100 and under



 Here is my selection to get you inspired for next week!

Gianvito Rossi shoes, were £390 now 100 from Browns Fashion




Lanvin iPad case, was £85 now £50 from Browns Fashion

Être Cécile T-shirt, £80 from Matches




VB skinny jeans, were £185 now £92.50 from The Outnet
 



Sheriff and Cherry sunglasses, £95 from Matches



Rag & Bone belt, was £145 now £72.49 from The Outnet

 

Autumn and wellies

Tan is rapidly fading, heating is on and socks are back on. Yes, summer is well and truly over. Last weekend instead of wearing my Havaianas, I wore my Hunters. They've been hidden away somewhere in the depths of the wardrobe for a long time and I was actually excited to be reunited with them. I love wellies and if I could justify it (I can't...), I would certainly purchase some more pairs (does anyone actually own more than one pair of wellies?).

I am also wearing Trilogy jeans. They do perfect skinny jeans (yes, I know all my jeans look the same, but when I find something that fits me, I stick to it).

Little Miss S was also treated to a pair of new wellies (if I cannot buy myself another pair, at least I've got my daughter). Hers are from Cath Kids.

And if you did manage to find an excuse for another pair of wellies, here are some of my favourite:

 

Wellies. Powered by Styleinview.co.uk

Simple look for day and night

Today I am connecting to Mummy's got Style for Fashion Friday. After yesterday's exceptionally hot day in London, which Little Miss S and I spent in the park, today is much more cooler. I have a couple of meetings in preparation for London Fashion Week and later Hubby and I have a 'date night' (or just dinner together). In between that, Little Miss S and I are attending a playgroup! I won't have much time to change, so here is what I will be wearing.
 

 

Trousers: Massimo Dutti

Top: Burberry

Jacket: Aquascutum

Bag: Mulberry

Flats: DKNY

 

 

 

I love my DKNY flats. They are extremely comfortable and I can run around in them the whole day. I would suggest to try and go for leather or suede flats rather than cheaper synthetics, as your feet won't sweat so much!

 

For the evening, I will change my flats for these super high Geox wedges (here I am also wearing 7 for All Mankind jeans). Having a little one, I tend to spend a lot of time in flats (many years ago I used to wear heels to supermarket...insane), so I use any opportunity to 'trotter around' in high heels.

Here is my suggestion from Style in View, if you need a simple outfit that will look good during the day and night out.

Happy Weekend.
 

Day and Night. Powered by Styleinview.co.uk

Goodbye Summer Brights and Hello September

My favourite colours for summer were neon. The only time when you can get away with such a bright colour is when you have a tan and thanks to the most gorgeous weather here in the UK, as well as quite a few trips abroad, I managed to make a fairly good use of my neon buys.

I bought this bright pink Victoria Secret's top at the beginning of the season and it has been my favourite. It's perfect for the beach, but you can also get away with it in the city when it's scorching hot. Here, I teamed it up with Ted Baker trousers (white and toddlers don't go, but oh well...). As it is a very open top, it does require a pretty bra - I am wearing Agent Provocateur. 

 

My other favourite buy was this knitted Zara top. Perfect for warm summer evenings teamed up with either jeans or shorts.

 

 

 

I've also started thinking about doing some shopping for autumn, even though it still doesn't feel like summer is over. I've been recommended StyleinView.co.uk, which is basically a fashion search engine, so if you are looking for a dress in a certain colour for an upcoming event, you pop it in and then they tell you everywhere online that are currently selling these and then you can arrange this by price. They have just launched a new widget where you can create your own gallery based on a certain look/style. It's a great site for searching or putting different looks together and I will be posting some of my creations.

 

The below selection is for all the mothers that will be starting their school/nursery runs this week.

 

Skinny Jeans - I think they are one of the best inventions. Don't think I own any other style... I love the colour of these Warehouse jeans and the price is great too!

Aquascutum scarf - gorgeous and on sale! I own quite a few pieces from this brand - I am just in love with their check stripes.

Simple but stylish Tommy Hilfiger tote. Perfect for carrying all the snacks, wipes, iPad and random toys. It is black which is a practical colour when you have little ones.

Ash ankle boots - they are most definitely on my list. They look good and I am very sure that they are comfortable as well! Just the right height for driving or walking up the hill.

Simple T-shirt. I think this one (only 5 pounds!!) goes nicely with a scarf. There is no better combination than a simple but nicely fitted T-shirt and a pair of good jeans.

Finally, if it does get a little cool, this quilted gilet is perfect. I own quite a few gilets, they are so practical and they do look good.

 

September ideas for busy mums - nursery run. Powered by Styleinview.co.uk

Perfect grey maxi and beach market

Second part of our month long holiday (where has the time gone?) I spent with Little Miss S and my mum in our summer house in the seaside town called Palanga. Perfect girly holiday. One day, whilst Little Miss S was taking a nap in her SunShade tent, mum and I were sipping coffee on the beach and discussing our perfect maxi dress (as you do). My dear mother works in fashion so often occasionally we talk about clothes. I said I wanted a grey dress that is made out of stretchy slightly see-through cotton and fitted at all the right places. Oh, and not too long! There are so many maxis out there, but all I want is simple, pretty thing. And sometimes simple is hard to find. A lot of time simple can cost a small fortune.

Next day I found one!

I told you it was simple!

Pretty and practical 

And I just cannot seem to part with it!

However, I didn't find it in a designer boutique. I spotted it on a beach market. And not just any beach market - Women's beach market!

For those who are not familiar with it, Women's beach (and market) might sound a little bit strange, but I spent my summers there as a child and it's a great place to be (and get an even tan). Yes, as the title suggests, the beach is for women only who like to come and sunbathe topless (or even bottomless). It's the most relaxing and care-free place in the world to sunbathe (unless you are lucky enough to own your own private beach of course). No one stares, no one bothers you. There are young women, older women, pregnant women, women that just had little ones. And then there is a market! Right on the beach, where you can try bikinis, dresses, shoes and much more in just your bikini bottoms! Genius if you ask me. Of course, not all items are great, as it is a market after all, but like anywhere, there are some hidden gems to be found.

'Selfridges' on the beach ... almost 

Holiday Wardrobe Shopping and What I Wore

If you follow me on twitter, then you will know that I have been doing some a lot of holiday shopping. Last month when we went away I didn't get a chance to 'prepare' as we booked our gateway last minute. Obviously, I survived and had the most fabulous break, but this time we are away for much longer period and, well, I just couldn't help myself...

First stop was Victoria's Secrets for some underwear. I've been a fan of this brand for a very long time and obviously I am utterly delighted that they finally opened their London store.

After buying enough knickers to last me a lifetime, I was off to Zara (another favourite) to get a few tops...

My new favourite colour (excuse my tired looking, make-up free face, but it was extremely hot and all I could think of, by that stage, was ice cold Pinot Blush in the garden)

This will look nice in the evening with some wedges

Summer, seaside - stripes (naturally)

I wore:

Shorts - used to be Trilogy jeans until a few weeks ago. I just couldn't find a perfect pair of white denim shorts and as the jeans have been with me for nearly five years, I decided to turn them into shorts!

Belt - Chloe

Top - Reiss (ancient)

Bag - Mulberry

Sandals - from boutique in Greece, already been soaked with strawberry cider by Little Miss S