Midlife Loves

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Midlife Loves

Fever Pitch!!

Happy New Year.....I hope you had an amazing New Year's Eve & aren't feeling too delicate this morning but just enough to know you had a great night welcoming in 2014 ;-)  As promised today I'm starting with my pickings of the pre-Christmas sales, which you may or may not have already started to hit with earnest!!!

So hands up who joined me in a little sneaky research *shopping* just turned midnight on Christmas Night/Boxing Day morning?!!!  I know it can't only have been me as, as soon as I had put things in my basket they were as quickly becoming sold out & removed!!!  Yup it seems sales fever has well & truly landed.  And whilst I was quite proud of myself for not having been tempted by the sales prior to Christmas.....knowing full well that there would be further reductions as soon as we hit Christmas Day, as soon as the main sales began I could no longer control my twitching fingers & simply had to take a peak.....which we all know means HIT THE BUTTON!!!!

Whilst I may have due to the sheer speed in which things were flying off the virtual shelves decided to turn into a mad woman possessed & simply click anything I thought I 'might' like (& I use the term 'might' loosely as I do have a plan, of which I will expand on) & check out as fast as I could before the other wild eyed fellow bargain hunters who seemed to keep beating me to my purchases could grab the lot.  Plus I was also without my wing man or 'Gok' (a.k.a. hubby who is rather alarmingly picking up more & more styling lingo than may be appropriate.....although to date he hasn't started to suggest ways in which astronauts could pimp up their suits so I think we're still ok for the time being ;-) ) who with the imminent excitement (my choice of word not his!!!) of the sales had fallen asleep.  So it was a case of sling it in just in case.  Not the best sales strategy I have to admit BUT one that will result in several large boxes winging their way to me which I can then have the fun of unpacking & trying on & seeing what I 'need' (obviously used on a very loose concept!!) & can't live without, safe in the knowledge that some online foe isn't about to pinch it out of my virtual basket!!!

Now I mentioned that I had a 'plan' & whilst it might appear to be to order as many things as possible, it is simply to follow some simple sales shopping rules.  Firstly to buy items that I know we need/will be needing in the coming months which are exactly what we would be wanting if they weren't reduced (underwear, shoes for our son's ever growing feet, John Lewis 'seconds' towels, birthday presents for family & friends in the coming months etc) which is always guaranteed to put a smile on both mine & hubby's face at the amount we have saved ourselves by shopping in advance!  And secondly & finally only to buy items of clothing that I know I will wear the majority of the year round, as let's face it hopefully we've only got a couple of months of cold weather before we start seeing the first signs of spring.  Of course rules are made to be broken but I did more of less stick to these rules in the summer sales & have been delighted with my leather biker jacket & ankle boots that I managed to purchase in August both of which have proved to be worthwhile investments/bargains!

The sales are also great for perhaps treating yourself to an item of clothing from a store you might not ordinarily usually purchase from as with the sales discount it makes the purchase easier to justify & more within reach.  Not to mention fab for getting some great bargains from your usual haunts.

So with these rules in mind I thought we'd start today with jeans.....after all who doesn't need a new pair of jeans & if you're anything like me it's something you live in all year round so the perfect item of clothing to nab in the sales.

Starting with skinny jeans first, after all who doesn't love their skinny jeans, perfect for dressing up or down & teaming with either a large warm jumper in the cooler months or a blazer come the warmer months.  On the whole I love Massimo Dutti nearly as much as I love Zara, slightly more classic in design than Zara, you always know the quality & cut of the clothing is going to be great & not fall apart, so what better place to stock up on your jeans than here.










I also love the look of these Mango vintage skinny jeans & love the colour of the denim, which look fab with the tan suede ankle boots in the picture.





And these tuxedo style jeans look stunning teamed with a simple elegant court shoe, just throw on a blazer & you'd got a stylish & classic outfit.






If you like a bit more detailing then how about these biker style jeans from ASOS?  I have to admit to owning a few fair pairs of biker jeans as I love that little bit extra detailing & of course how much easier are skinny jeans to get on & off when you can simply undo the zip?!!!  No more wrestling & hopping around on one leg as you attempt to get them off whilst staying upright & try to avoid the need to turn them inside out.......of course this is probably just me!!!!






One style of skinny jean I don't currently own is the patched version which has been hugely popular this season.  It's something I've been really tempted by when I've seen them on others & of course now they're in the sale they're even more tempting as if they're only in fashion a couple of seasons you haven't got as much to loose.....are you tempted or do you think they're one season wonders?!!










Stepping away from skinny jeans & moving to the more relaxed fit of boyfriend jeans, a style I seem to have fallen in love with this past year, if not from comfort alone.

Love the colour of denim in this first pair from Mango, although I would probably end up turning the jeans up a roll or two as the length looks neither full length or cigarette length, more I've had a growing spurt length!!






Or for a true boyfriend feel then how about these ones from GAP?






Of course seeing as I own a fair few pairs from Zara I just had to take a peak & I love the look of these loose fit ones which look the perfect shade for spring & summer.






These next two pairs are ones I already have in my wardrobe & find that being cigarette length & distressed/ripped denim perfect for dressing down & teaming with some of my blazers for a more casual daytime feel.










Of course a denim post wouldn't be complete with about a bit of Levi 501's & I love the look of these beauties.






Moving away from the relaxed denim & onto coloured denim, & whilst there are lots of lovely bright coloured jeans out there if you're tempted to move away from the traditional blue or black of denim but unsure of going full out colour in your denim then how about investing in a cream or white pair?  Perfect for the summer months when teamed with a denim jacket & cream/white top but they can also look equally stunning when worn with tan & navy in the winter months too & are just one of those classic essentials for every wardrobe.






















If you haven't succumbed to the the faux leather/wax effect jean then the sales are a great time to invest.  Loving the look of these Mint Velvet glazed ones & let's face it with anything you purchase from Mint Velvet you know the quality & styling is going to be elegant & effortless.






Finally finishing with a patterned pair.....whilst I own a pair of tie-dye jeans I have yet to invest in some leopard print ones but having seen these beauties from Karen Millen that could so easily be rectified as I'm LOVING these, what do you think, should I go for it?!!!






So there you have my round up of my pick of jeans that are in the sales & catching my eye not to mention urging me to click on the button.  Are you tempted like me or do you own enough pairs & are resisting the urge to click?

Finishing with a quick round of up what I've been wearing the last few days of 2013 & including my New Year's Eve outfit, which may contain a couple of items you may not have been expecting me to wear (see outfit three)!!!


Outfit One




Necklace - Mango
Jacket - H&M
Top - Zara
Belt - H&M
Faux Leather Skirt - Next
Bracelet - J Crew
Shoe Boots - Next


Outfit Two




Scarf - Zara
Shirt - Massimo Dutti
Combats - Zara
Wedge Trainers - Ash


Outfit Three




Dress - Zara
Bracelets - J Crew & Banana Republic
Shoe Boots - Next


As you can see a slight change of plan with my New Year's Eve outfit but I felt the dress went a lot better with my accessories for the evening.......




Outfit Four




Scarf - Zara
Sweatshirt - M&S
Jeans - Zara
Ballet Pumps - Brought in Majorca


So come on time to fess up....were you that person snagging all the bargains just turned midnight on Boxing Day morning & sprinting to the checkout?!!! Do you have any sales purchasing rules or is it simply just looking for items that catch your eye?  I'd love to hear how you approach sales shopping not to mention all about the bargains you've managed to grab.

Right I'm off to lie horizontal in a slightly darkened room with perhaps the odd hair of the dog & chocolate to help get me recover from last night....a really fun & lovely evening/late early morning spent with wonderful friends, eating, drinking & playing some fab boardgames & the odd card game too....oh & of course tequila shots, sombrero & moustache!!!

Happy 2014 & see you in a few days time with my next must have sales purchase.....any guesses?!!!

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18 comments

  1. Love the sombrero, Jane , and of course the fab moustache! I've avoided the sales completely as I just can't be bothered with it all. Also trying to curb my spending this year so start as I mean to go on! Lynne xx

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    1. Gosh you're being very good Lynne...I'm determined to only buy things I know will save us money plus of course the odd little treat...but only if it's something I've loved previously or if it's a classic investment that's going to stand me in good stead for years to come. Well that's the plan anyway ;-) Jane xx

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  2. Brilliant moustache! I love the stripes and leopard print scarf.

    I bought 3 items in Mango. That is it!

    Just had hair of the dog myself.

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    1. Thanks Fiona, I love the items you brought in the Mango sale. Hope the head has now recovered! Jane xx

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  3. I have so many jeans - just can't justify more:) I nabbed a leather jacket from AllSaints - 50% off - I so hope it works out!! The denim boiler suit from Zara is fab too - but the best deals were from ASOS - some great day to night dresses for less than $50! Happy New Year!

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    1. Happy New Year Joanna, I can't wait to see your sales bargains & the Zara denim boiler suit is TOTALLY you. Jane xx

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  4. Love you in the moustache and sombrero Jane!

    I'm trying to be good in the sales and only buy where there is a whole in the wardrobe instead of for the sake of it! Done most of my research at home as I can't be bothered with the jostling in stores either!

    Will your inner Bet be taking the plunge and going for the Karen Millen leopard print jeans?? xx

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    1. I'm like you Michelle & do my sales shopping online, I can't be doing with all the hassle & stress of actual shopping plus of course you get more time to see if your purchases are actually going to work for you & with your existing wardrobe. My inner Bet is so far being good & resisting the Karen Millen jeans but I am tempted!!! Jane xx

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  5. I've been good with the sales this year, just buying a couple of things from Gap which I wanted full price anyway! Also Gap are doing some FAB patchwork jeans at the moment, think they're here to stay!

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    1. Alex you're tempting me further with the patchwork jeans!!! I've also (so far) been good, managed to get a bag from Boden that I had my eye on for a complete steal....so happy days :-) Have a great New Year. Jane xx

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  6. Happy New Year. Didn't get a single thing in the sales after Christmas, but did get a few good bargains beforehand. The shops are such a mess at the moment it almost scares me!

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    1. Happy New Year to you too Emma. I know what you mean about shopping in store, online is so much easier & civilised!!! Jane xx

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  7. Aw - Happy New Year Jane and thank you for adding this post to my linky! I held out big time, only buying a few tops in Boden and I'm sorry I did as I'm struggling to find my 5 essentials in the sales now!
    As for the patch jeans - I'm wearing mine today. Love them - just a bit different and daring! Ax

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    1. Happy New Year to you too Avril. I love you in your patch jeans...so tempted but trying to be sooo good!!! Jane xx

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  8. Happy New Year! Love the 'tache Jane!! I love your last outfit with the breton. A hint of spring-thank you xxx

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    1. Hi Liz & Happy New Year to you too, can't wait for spring let alone summer to put in an appearance! Jane xx

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  9. Happy New Year! Great minds with the Mango jeans! They looked nothing like the picture when they arrived & so swiftly back they went! I'm happy with my capsule accessories sales purchases but of course....there's always more I'd like! Ax PS: You could really do with a shave! ;)

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    1. Happy New Year to you & yours Andrea. It's such a shame about your Mango jeans, have you had any luck with the search since? Jane xx P.S. You'll be pleased to know I'm now tash free lol

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