In my mind at least, the first of October heralds the start of birthday and party season. It got off to a great start with a girls’ curry and cupcake night on Friday. I used to host it every year around this time but with one thing and another, it fell by the wayside. It was so good to do it again. These girls are the ones I met at the school gate at our children’s primary school. Most of our children are now at university and only two out of the ten of us have children still at school. We’ve been friends for almost fifteen years and we are a close-knit group. It was such a fabulous night.
Boden statement collar shirt…
Now that Harry has gone to uni, Ian and I have a lot more time and we are going to make the most of our free weekends. Therefore, I fancied a few new tops to wear with jeans for weekend strolls and leisurely lunches.
One of the tops I bought is this Boden statement collar shirt. It comes in another colourway too, green with pink which is lovely, but I adore this cobalt blue. The collar is gorgeous. It’s large and it definitely makes a statement, but doesn’t look clown-like, unlike so many I see on Insta.
The collar and cuffs are edged in broderie, so obviously, it had me at hello. It fits true to size and it feels beautiful. Perfect for late summer, early autumn and spring.
…with pale blue patent loafers
Now how fabulous are these loafers? This style is the Chiara by Lotus and it is also available in baby pink. It’s from the summer collection but it’s the perfect transitional footwear.
I love the chunky sole, a design detail which has been filtering through for the last few seasons. Like all Lotus footwear, they are incredibly comfortable and don’t need wearing in. I’ll mostly wear them with jeans but they’ll look fabulous with midi and maxi dresses and other cropped trouser shapes. I got some similar loafers last year in a burgundy croc finish. I styled them with slim jeans and a tweed coat. You can see that outfit in this blog post.
… or autumnified with tan boots and a “tweed” jacket
On cooler autumn days, I’ll wear the Boden statement collar shirt with this jersey tweed jacket, from Joules that I bought about eight years ago, or even with a knitted tank top over. It might even work well with a crew neck jumper over the top although that might look too bulky; I’ll give it a try.
The tan leather ankle boots are also from Lotus. They are THE most comfortable leather and are the perfect every day boot. The heel is high enough to make me feel “dressed” but low enough to wear all day. I love the croc-print detail and the leather hardware. So easy to wear and so very versatile. I find that like navy, tan is a brilliant neutral and in my opinion, more versatile than black. However, if you disagree, it’s also available in black. These boots are going to be an autumn winter staple and at just £69.99, they are an excellent price point for such beautifully-made leather boots.
My bag is from British brand Ilex London. It’s one of my favourites because of the useful size and the versatile colour. I’ve had it about six years I think and the gold hardware and chain strap make it look very current. It is still available and is less than half the original price. As always, all links are at the foot of the post.
See both of these outfits brought to life in this Instagram Reel.
It’s my birthday on Friday and Ian and I are making the most of my child-free days and are going to Calpe for a week early tomorrow morning, (Thursday). I cannot wait. We went in July 2019 and loved it there, so we’re going to the same hotel. It’s a fabulous resort and one I would highly recommend. I published several blog posts about it so if you fancy a look, click on this link to the first of my Calpe blog posts. The rest of the posts which include outfits, travelogues and anecdotes, follow on after it. I think you’ll love it too.
Bye for now. I’ll catch up when I’m back.
Notes
Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post. As always, gifted items are identified as such and affiliate links are identified with an asterisk *.
Pale blue patent loafers: Chiara by Lotus.
Tan leather boots: Tawny by Lotus. Gifted as part of a paid partnership.
*Boden statement collar cotton shirt: Available in green. Fits true to size.
Bag: Alexa by Ilex London, (gifted approximately six years ago).
