Midlife Loves

"Timeless everyday style"

Midlife Loves

Updating Your Favourite Little Black Dress

Christmas has got to be THE most expensive time of the whole year....as not only are you buying pressies for your nearest & dearest but you're also cramming the house full of plenty of food, treats & drinks.  Something I seem to have starting stock piling on early....in fact I think I may have got a little carried away as during my last internet grocery shop after lugging umpteen crates into our house the delivery driver enquired if there was anything I knew that he didn't & should be worried about as he said it looked like I was stocking up for a nuclear disaster!!!

Of course on top of all the gifts, food & drink it's always nice to sneak a little Christmas treat or two to ourselves, as who doesn't like a new little something or other to wear during all the festivities?  And hey we're the ones that do all the shopping, wrapping, card writing & cooking so surely we deserve a little something for all our efforts!!

Now whilst the shops are brimming with stunning new dresses & outfits to tempt us to splash the cash a cheaper way of updating your wardrobe is to re-work an existing party outfit with a few simple new accessories & let's face it who doesn't have a favourite LBD that they drag out each year?

So today's post is going to concentrate on an accessory that I have already purchased this season which has to be one of my favourite purchases.  Can you guess?!!!  Okay I know far to many purchases for you to hazard a guess......but if I said of the furry variety would that help?!!! Yup that's right I'm talking about my faux fur stole that I managed to secure from H&M from their Paris Collection....something I'll readily admit nearly slipped me by as I hastily returned the first one I ordered without even trying it on.  Of course normal story of said item becoming out of stock & me having a light bulb moment thinking how I'd style it & SIMPLY couldn't live without it, which resulted in a near hourly hit of the refresh button praying that one would come back into stock & low & behold my stalker efforts were rewarded & boy am I glad they were.

For me the stole is perfect for adding a bit of warmth round my neck to keep me warm whilst wearing my blazers now the temperatures have dipped, not to mention teaming with my denim jacket or leather biker. On top of this it looks absolutely stunning when worn for an evening be it with a little black dress or some faux leather leggings, as well as looking great when styled with some distressed jeans too, it really is an all rounder for your wardrobe.

And for those of us that like to dither in said freezing temperatures when going out of an evening save wearing one of our heavy duvet like coats because it will 'spoil the look' of our outfit then a stole really does add that bit of 'je ne sais pas quoi'.

Having taken a look on the high street I have to say that ASOS have some amazing stoles this season, I could quite easily go wild in the aisles ordering several designs in various colours....in fact a couple may have somehow found their way into my basket, strange that!! ;-)  So without further ado let's take a peak.

First up is this stunning black number, which is very similar in design and style to my H&M one & is just making me feel all cuddly & toasty looking at it.  This would certainly add the wow factor to any party outfit let alone when teamed with a blazer & of course would certainly be a fantastic way of instantly updating your winter coat too.






Next up is this gorgeous two tone collar which looks fab with the leather jacket it's pictured with.  I can also see this looking stunning when teamed with a parka too & would certainly add that element of style for those cold morning school runs & would get many a mum turning in the playground.


















Or how about this stunning electric blue one which looks amazing when teamed with black.






This cream Mongolian collar from River Island is also stunning & would make an amazing addition  when teamed with a cream coat.






For a more traditional style this faux fur stole from Next is prefect.  This would look so elegant and stunning when worn with a faux/leather pencil skirt not to mention a little black dress with scooped neckline.






Moving in a slightly different direction from a stole & onto this delightful short caplet from ASOS.  Ooh can you imagine how toasty this would be?  A real cross between a gilet & a stole.  I just LOVE the colour of this & can see it looking simply stunning with some light denim and a white shirt.






If however, you prefer something that covers a bit more of your body then how about this faux fur cape from  Next?  If I had a party/ball that required full on glamour then this would be the accessory I'd be slinging over my shoulders for the night.  As it is, Cinderella will not be going to the ball but I'm thinking it would be lovely to wear whilst reading or watching TV in bed (ooh how old do I sound?!!!!) - wrong on every count I know but lovely, plus they also do it in cream too!!!!






Sticking with the cape theme but moving away from faux fur & you won't be surprised to hear that I love this next one.  As soon as I spotted this beauty I just had to feature it, as it's a great way for updating an outfit & let's face it my Bet-dar has certainly been quite quiet of late.  I love it styled with the chunky knit & leather skinnies in the piccie but it would also look equally stunning dressed down with some boyfriends & a white shirt as well as teamed with a stunning black or red dress for an evening too.






If however, you don't fancy going with the Bet-tastic cape above then this dark grey one from Next may tick your boxes.  It would be a great versatile number to go with most things in your wardrobe & I can just see this styled with an amazing brooch or faux fur collar to add that element of glamour & give it yet a different dimension.






I absolutely LOVE this next cape from Mango the styling & the leather edging really make it stand out for me & it would look stunning dressed up or down.  I can really see this looking amazing when styled with some faux leather leggings.






For a more dressed down vibe then how about this checked cape from Next.  I love the collar and fastening detail & can really see this looking effortless with some boyfriends, biker boots & a light long sleeved t-shirt.






Or for a more wow factor then this stunning royal blue biker style cape from ASOS will look effortlessly glamorous.






Of course there are many other ways of accessorising existing party outfits & I have more blogs to follow featuring other accessories than can help glam up your look, but in the meantime here's a quick round up of what I've been wearing these past few days.  Starting with this lovely woollen blazer which used to belong to my son but seeing as he's hardly worn it & now outgrown it I've decided to re-house it in my wardrobe & have simply changed the plain navy buttons for some brass ones.


Outfit One




Shirt - Massimo Dutti
Blazer - Zara Boys
Jumper - H&M
Jeans - Zara
Boots - Zara


Outfit Two




Tweed Blazer - H&M
Snood - Gemini-Woman
Top - Next
Wrist Warmers - H&M
Jeans - Zara
Boots - Oasis


Outfit Three




Scarf - Zara
Blouse - Zara
Ballet Wrap Cardigan - Zara
Bangle - Banana Republic
Biker Skinny Jeans - H&M
Boots - Zara


So what do you think?  Are you a lover of faux fur & if so do you fancy a stole or a cape to add that bit of glamour to your Christmas outfits?  Or perhaps it's the ideal gift to suggest to your nearest & dearest if they're struggling *hopeless* at buying you Christmas presents. 

As always I love reading your comments so let me know what you think & don't forget to tell me your tips for updating your favourite party outfit that makes an appearance each year.

Right I'm off to make some last minute changes to my outfit for tomorrow.....the first of a few celebrations for my birthday...the fact that it's a week early is of course just a bonus :-) .......more on the blog next time.  

Have a great couple of days & see you soon.

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13 comments

  1. Love a bit of fur over the winter, and I really need to get myself a cape before I get too big! Love that last outfit Jane. Khaki is hard to beat!! X

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    1. Thanks Trea & a cape would be perfect for keeping both you & bump warm :-) xx

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  2. Really like those Asos fur collars, off to take a closer look! xx

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    1. They're gorgeous aren't they Sharron, really looking forward to mine arriving. Did you click the button?! xx

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  3. I need to get with this programme sharp Jane!! I would love a fur stole or gilet.....I am on a mission to work one into my December budget x

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    1. Can't wait to see which one you buy Michelle let alone how you style it xx

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  4. I now need a fur stole! Sorry I haven't commented, for a while, but it doesn't mean I haven't been lurking. No the real reason is I have been using my iPad, on most days, and It won't let me comment unless I put passwords in, etc, and it is a faff ( lazy me ) but I continue to love your' blog. xxx

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    1. Lurkers are welcome anytime Helen ;-) but lovely to know you're still enjoying the blog too :-) Can't wait to see which stole lands in your basket xx

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  5. Women's winter fashion can be more than jeans and wool sweaters. While basics are always a worthy option, men have many more options to include into their fashion repertoire in the winter.



    http://www.apparelnbags.com/store/winter-clothing.htm

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  6. I love the Next grey cape Jane! I've been thinking of getting one as I've been working on my outer wear lately! I seriously want a fur gilet too! Ax

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    1. I can just see you in that grey cape Andrea, you'd look amazing in it. Can't wait to see what you decide on, both a cape & gilet are so useful xx

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  7. Oh too many loves to mention here - was admiring the fur thinking I needed the Asos fur lapel, then I saw the next fur cape but also love the Mango cape! Perfect layering:)

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    1. That Mango cape is stunning Rosanna isn't it & is just perfect for layering up or down in the colder months not to mention dressing up or down too xx

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