Midlife Loves

"Timeless everyday style"

Midlife Loves

A Wardrobe Staple - Tan Sandals

Now the weather seems to be gradually improving & summer seems to be on it's way for this month's wardrobe staple it just had to be tan sandals.  A great classic that's always going to be a colour that's in fashion & will go with anything & everything in your wardrobe.  

Of course sandals can take a variety of forms from flats, to heels to strappy to slip on.  So I thought I'd include a few different styles as after all if you've got a flat pair of sandals it doesn't mean you don't need a heeled pair or two now does it?!! ;-)

So starting with flats first, I just love the simplicity of these ones from Mango.  Sometimes the simplest of shoes can be perfect can't they & these sandals would be perfect for not distracting from what you're wearing.




Mango Leather Strap Sandals


Or if you prefer more of a toe thong then how about these ones from Next?




Next Metal Hardware Toe Thong


Although I think I may have had my head turned from the Mango ones with these stunning ones from Hush.  A gorgeous shade of tan & I just love the snakeskin detailing.




Hush Olivia Snakeskin Sandals


Moving onto slip-ons with this next pair.  Something a little different with the espadrille style base & the stud detailing.




Mango Leather Esparto Sandals


Stepping away from flats & onto wedge sandals - a great shoe for summer.  Of course heel heights  vary considerable but this first pair from Boden are the perfect height for day wear - even I shouldn't fall over in these!!




Boden Harriet Wedge


A much higher heel with this pair from Next & extremely elegant with the ankle strap.  These would look fab with s simple summer dress.




Next Leather Ankle Strap Wedges


Coming down a little in height with this next pair & onto a block heel & I just love the cross over ankle strap.




Next Cross Strap Sandals


Or how about this strappy pair from Clarks, I really love the fact these are available in two widths for those of us that need the additional width.




Clarks Ranae Estelle


Of course another design that seems to be popular this season is the clog styled shoe & these ones from Dune look great.




Dune Fraggel Leather Wooden Clog Effect Sandal


However, if you're tempted by the ones from Dune you might want to consider these ones from Marks as they're nearly half the price & they're part of the Insolia range & who doesn't like a little bit of additional comfort (gosh that makes me sound old!!!).




Marks and Spencer Crossover Platform Sandals With Insolia


Now I'm veering slightly of plan here but I just had to include these babies from Marks & Spencer as who doesn't want/need a pair of pointed tan court shoes.  For me these would be perfect as the heel looks do-able.....so much so I may need to investigate further!!!




Marks and Spencer Leather Point Toe Court Shoe


And finally how stunning are these Mango flats?!  Definitely a case of love at first sight!




Mango Ankle Cuff Suede Flats


Now I've been lucky enough for Clarks to send me their Ranae Estelle sandals to review.  As I said earlier these are available in two widths, which is always going to be a winner for me as I have wide feet & come the warmer months my feet will expand further & I don't know about you but I can't stand wearing uncomfortable shoes.  


Clarks Ranae Estelle, My Midlife Fashion


Clarks Ranae Estelle, My Midlife Fashion


Clarks Ranae Estelle, My Midlife Fashion


Clarks Ranae Estelle, My Midlife Fashion


I ordered the wider fitting in my normal size (40) but I could of perhaps sized down half a size, although because I hate shoes being too tight I probably would have still chosen the size I received.  Needless to say being Clarks the shoes are ultra comfortable & of course the leather straps help with the fit too.  Plus as someone who doesn't wear high heels unless I've got an arm to cling to these shoes are perfect for going solo as the 6cm block heel doesn't feel too high & I can certainly see me wearing these during the daytime.  In fact they're so comfy & easy to wear that I'm considering packing them on my summer holidays & I generally never take heels away with me!

I also love the fact that they go really well with my Clarks saddle bag from last year that I found so useful & will no doubt be used a lot again this summer too.  And of course the sandals are going to be perfect for teaming with dresses, skirts, trousers & jeans alike.

Here's how I've styled them today.


My Midlife Fashion, Clarks, Zara, Boho Top, saddle bag, Clarks Ranae Estelle


Necklace - bought at an antique fair
Top - Zara
Skirt - Zara
Bag - Clarks
Sandals - Clarks


Boho With A Denim Skirt, Mango, Marks and Spencer, Zara, Clarks, My Midlife Fashion, Denim Skirt, Boho, Sandals, Saddle Bag


Top - Zara £25.99


So what do you think?  Are you a lover of the tan sandal?  If so do you just have the one pair or do you have several designs & height of heeled sandals?  How about my new Clarks sandals - do you likey?  Don't forget Clarks currently have 20% off all adult sandals with code 'BEACH'.

As always I love reading your thoughts & comments.

Have a fab day.  I'm hoping for a slighly less eventful day than yesterday after having to suddenly dive to the ground during my nephew's footie tournament when a massive swarm of bees suddenly appeared!  I've never seen anything like it the sky was literally full of them & everyone that was at the tournament had to lie on the ground to avoid them.  Having a massive phobia of wasps & bees it's not something I want to repeat again but luckily no one was stung.  Also our son managed to damage his big toe & smash all his nail when having a kick around so it looks like we're off to the local minor injuries unit this morning as he's in so much pain he can hardly walk & I've had to drive him round his newspaper round this morning.  Although thank goodness it's his toe & not his finger as GCSE's commence again this week.

Finally a quick heads up that ASOS have just launched 20% off everything for today only!! Click here & use code BIGWINS at checkout....happy shopping ;-)

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WIWT - Keeping It Casual & A Lovely New Bracelet

You may recall that a few months ago I featured a lovely bangle from Danon, a brand of jewellery that was new to me (see original post here).  So when they recently got in touch to see if I'd like to add to my collection I didn't hesitate in saying yes as their jewellery really is stunning & beautifully made.

Despite lots of lovely styles & pieces to tempt me I decided to choose another bangle to wear with my existing bracelet as now the weather is heating up I seem to wear this type of jewellery a lot & I'm a firm believer that a few of this type of bangle stacked together can make a real statement.

After looking at the collection of bangles I decided to pick the bangle that has a large star hanging from it as stars have a special meaning to me following the reading of the children's book 'Guess How Much I Love You' to our son when he was little & we seem to have adopted the saying 'to the moon & back' as our family saying so whenever I see a star or moon I always think of this.






Naturally I couldn't wait to see what it looked like with my original bangle.








And I simply had to wear both bangles today!


My Midlife Fashion, Boyfriend Jeans, distressed denim, Danon, Mango, Zara, White trainers, ethnic cotton blend belt


Top - Mango
Belt - Mango
Jeans - Zara
Trainers - Mango


Dressed Down Statement Belt, mango, zara, hush, boyfriend jeans, white trainers, ethnic cotton blend belt, Danon, jewellery


Belt - Mango £14.99
Jeans - Hush £75
Trainers - Mango £44.99


No karate run for us today but we're up & out bright & early as we're off to see my middle nephew play in a football tournament & give him a birthday hug or two :-)  So in light of yesterday's glorious weather (not!) I'll be adding a jacket & taking a coat in case of rain.  Then I've got a date with the sofa this afternoon & am planning on watching a few episodes of the Good Wife (nearly at the end of season 2 & absolutely loving it) & maybe even an afternoon siesta as by the time the end of the week arrives I'm generally shattered from my early starts.....could this be a sign I'm getting old?!! :-0

How about you what are you up to today?  I'd love to hear.

Have a fab Saturday.

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New Outfit Post - Teaming A Biker Jacket With A Jumpsuit

Fab night with the girls last night which started at the local chippy (very classy ;-) ) but we thought we'd line our stomachs with chips to soak up the bubbles & of course chips taste so much better when eaten out of the paper don't they?!.  Then a short walk to the pub which saw plenty of bubbles, laughter, chatter & planning for our next big day out :-)

Back to today & we're up & out fairly early this morning for a much valued day off work & quality time with my son who has been working really hard all half term revising.  So we're both taking the day off & heading into Birmingham for a spot of shopping, a quick make up session (me not him!!), lunch & a meet up with my mum too.

Bearing in mind we're bound to be doing our fair share of walking I've gone for comfort on the tootsies & have dressed down my Wallis jumpsuit by teaming it with my biker jacket.  I've also swapped the belt for a wide leather wrap around & rolled up the hems of the trousers.


My Midlife Fashion, Wallis, Boden, Zara, Jumpsuit, Biker Jacket, Leather Coat, leopard print, animal print, skater shoes, slip ons, styling a jumpsuit


Biker Jacket - Zara
Necklace - Handmade
Jumpsuit - Wallis
Slip Ons - Boden


Jumpsuit With A Biker, biker jacket, jumpsuit, leather jacket, leopard print, animal print, skater shoes, slip ons, boden, marks and spencer, mango, accessorize, layered necklace, clutch, messenger bag, crossbody bag


Biker Jacket - Mango £119.99
Necklace - Accessorize £25
Bag - Zara £29.99
Slip Ons - Boden £69


Right better dash or we'll miss our train!  How about you, anyone else got plans for the last day of half term?  I'd love to hear what you're up to.

Have a fab day.

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WIWT - Dressed Down Denim Dress

A busy day with work today, so seeing as I'm not likely to leave my desk other than for supplies & the odd pit stop I'm keeping things nice & simple & throwing on my denim dress & accessorising it with another scarf that's had the pom pom treatment ;-)


My Midlife Fashion, Zara, Topshop, Mango, Pom poms, Trainers, Denim dress


Dress - Topshop
Scarf - Zara with added pom poms!
Leather Cuff - Massimo Dutti
Trainers - Mango


Dressing Down A Denim Dress, My Midlife Fashion, Jigsaw, Hush, Mango, Trainers, Denim Dress, Scarf, Pom Poms


Dress - Hush £65
Scarf - Jigsaw £59
Trainers - Mango £44.99


Happy Thursday ladies.  I'm off out with the girls tonight so will post a picture of tonight's outfit on Instagram later.  Wine o'clock & the last day of the working week for me as I'm taking tomorrow off - I could so get used to these short working weeks ;-)

See you in the morning & don't forget you can still get 15% off any Seven Boot Lane purchase just use code MMF15 at checkout.

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Celebrity Style Steal - Queen Letizia & WIWT

For this month's style steal I've decided to look to the royals for inspiration & as soon as I saw Queen Letizia in this outfit I instantly loved it.  Perfect for work or a smart occasion but you could so easily dress the outfit down just with a change in the bag & shoes - a simple saddle bag & trainers should certainly make this more casual.  Plus of course each item would make great wardrobe staples that you could incorporate into many different looks.

So without further ado here's Queen Letizia looking chic & stylish, something she always seems to get spot on.


Queen Letitia


And here's how I'd recreate this look from picks currently on the high street.

Starting of course with my achilles heel - the jacket.  I just love the one worn in the picture & needless to say I'm also loving this one I've found from Mango.  It puts me in mind of my quilted one that I bought last year & always get asked where it's from.  

This jacket would be perfect for recreating the above look but would also look just as stunning dressed down for the weekend with a simple white t-shirt, boyfriend jeans & some flat shoes - I'm thinking ballet pumps or trainers.




Mango Trim Printed Jacket


Moving onto the blouse next & I've picked this pintuck one from Marks & Spencers.  A great classic that's sure not to date & would be perfect to wear under the Mango jacket.  Equally team with a fab pair of heels, skinny jeans & a statement clutch & you'd have a great outfit for a night out too.




Marks and Spencer Pintuck Front Blouse


Now I couldn't find a navy snakeprint belt that had various shades of blue as worn by Queen Letizia but I did spot this lovely one from Marks & Spencers.  Despite not having the different colours it still has the snakeprint design so will certainly add an element of interest to an outfit without being distracting & of course being navy it's going to go with most things in your wardrobe.




Marks and Spencer Faux Leather Snakeprint Belt


For the trousers I've picked the ones I've recently purchased from Zara as for the price, I really don't think you'd do better - I just love mine & have already dressed them down with trainers for a weekend look.




Zara Crepe Drapey Wide Trousers


In terms of accessorising the outfit I've chosen more of a shopper style bag than the formal design of one Queen Letizia is using.  I don't think you can beat this kind of style for throwing everything in you need to carry around either on a daily basis or when you're out with the family & being plain navy it's a great classic that is never going to date.




Next Leather Shopper Bag


Finally for the shoes I've gone for something a little bit different with these block heel pointed court shoes from Next.  Perfect for complimenting the outfit & wearing either for work or teaming with a pair of skinny jeans & a blazer for a night out.




Next Pointed Court Shoes


So there you have it - how to steal Queen Letizia's style on a much smaller budget!

Finishing as always with what I'm wearing & today I thought I'd try a colour combination I've never worn before - pink, khaki & white.


My Midlife Fashion, Ashiana Jewellery, Zara, Mango, Khaki, Combat Trousers, Lace Top, Blazer


Jacket - Zara
Top - Zara
Bracelets - Ashiana
Combats - Zara
Trainers - Mango


Khaki and Pale Pink, Next, Pink Blazer, Hush, Avignon Trousers, Mango, White Trainers, Zara, Lace Top, Marks and Spencer, Bracelet


Jacket - Next £34
Top - Zara £39.99
Trousers - Hush £45
Trainers - Mango £44.99



So what do you think is this a look you could see yourself wearing?  How about Queen Letitia's style in general - are you a fan of her classic & stylish looks & what do you think now she's cut her hair into a bob - for or against?!!

As always I love reading your comments & thoughts.

Have a fab day & if you've been waiting for a Clarks discount code then click here & use code BEACH for 20% off all adult sandals.

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New OOTD - Styling a Pleather 'A' Line Skirt

Getting my Zara pleather skirt out for an airing today & teaming it with an old Zara cream top, khaki scarf, nude tights (to keep my legs warm) & black accessories to break the look up.


My Midlife Fashion, khaki, faux leather, pleather, a line, skirt, ankle boots, Zara, Mango, Ashiana


Top - Zara
Scarf - Zara
Bracelets - Ashiana
Bag - Zara
Skirt - Zara
Boots - Mango


Khaki and Cream, My Midlife Fashion, Mint Velvet, Zara, Mango, Marks and Spencer, Crossbody Bag, Ankle Boots


Scarf - John Lewis £35
Skirt - Zara £25.99
Boots - Mango £59.99


I don't know about you but the sun is still hiding behind clouds here at the moment so I plan to throw on my oversized grey cardi & hope that it comes out to play by lunchtime.

Have a great Tuesday, it's always nice starting the working week on a Tuesday isn't it ;-)

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New OOTD - Keeping It Classic

Keeping things classic today & building my outfit around these stunning pearl earrings from Eternal Collection.






Now despite having pierced ears, I was keen to try these clip on earrings as these days I very rarely wear large earrings.  This is due to the fact that many years ago an old hairdresser caught their comb in my earring & ripped the hole in one of my ears so I'm now careful not to wear earrings that are too heavy to avoid causing any more damage!

I must admit it's been years since I last wore a pair of clip ons & I can still remember the pain as you took said clip ons off but did you know that you can adjust clip ons to make them more comfortable?  No neither did I (see here to learn how).  So when Eternal Collection got in touch I couldn't resist these beauties.  As a lover of pearls I've been contemplating ordering some navy pearl beads to make some jewellery for myself so as soon as I saw these with the cubic zirconia stones I knew I'd have to give them a go.

I just love this design of earring a real classic & the pearl is the perfect size (10mm in diameter).




And I have to say the appearance of said earrings looks far more expensive than the £15 that they cost.  They really would make a stunning gift & I just know I'm going to be wearing these beauties for many years to come.  As for comfort levels well they weren't too bad at all, at first it felt a bit strange but it was surprising how quickly I forgot I was wearing clip ons.




So I've decided to stick with blue to compliment the earrings & I'm wearing navy with denim & cream & adding a bit of interest with my Boden sparkly flats for a quick trip to the garden centre then fingers crossed a quiet afternoon on the sofa....I still haven't read a page of my book yet & I promised myself this weekend I'd get lost in my book.


My Midlife Fashion, Boden, Clarks, Zara, Saddle Bag, Sparkles, Crystals, Boucle, Skinny Jeans


Jacket - Zara
Top - Zara
Bag - Clarks
Bracelet - Ottoman Hands
Jeans - Zara
Shoes - Boden


Keeping It Classic, Boucle, Navy Jacket, Skinny Jeans, Broderie Top, Saddle Bag, Boden, Mango, Zara, Next, Marella


Jacket - Marella £238
Top - Next £26
Jeans - Zara £29.99
Shoes - Boden £69


So have you tried clip on earrings recently?  If not would you be tempted to or does the pain from years ago put you off?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Bank Holiday Monday ladies, hope everyone has a good one & don't forget today is the last day of Boden's 25% off selected items click here.

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