Three Key Pieces For Your Wardrobe

With all the new season clothing hitting the shelves & tempting us it's never been a better time than to think about investing in a few key pieces that are going to bring new life into your wardrobe.  Not to mention be hard working little numbers that can be worn for most occasions & all year round...after all goodness knows what's going on with our weather, so clothing that can be worn anytime of year is always going to be a plus.

So when Gray & Osbourn recently got in touch & asked me to style some of their new season's offerings I decided to choose items that were not only going to breathe new life into my wardrobe but would be key classic pieces that can be dressed up or down.

If you haven't heard of them, Gray & Osbourn are an online retailer which stocks over a hundred stylish & elegant brands & as you can see from the piccie below their clothing comes packaged in very stylish packaging too!

So what was in my box?  Well I could be mean & keep you guessing but I love the items soooo much that I can't possibly keep you in suspense....needless to say I'd opened packaging faster than you could say 'clothes-a-holic'.

First out of the box was this stunning Gerry Weber stripe knitted jacket.  Of course I only have to hear the word 'jacket' & my heart is all of a flutter but this little baby is a real beauty & got my heart pounding.  Predominately navy & white it also has a subtle silver fleck occasionally running through the weave which meant my inner magpie was also beside it's self with happiness.  I absolutely love the timeless elegance of it, it really is going to be so versatile & easy to dress up or down that I know I'm going to wonder how I used to manage without it.

Gray & Osbourn Gerry Weber Stripe Knit Jacket

Next up is this fab striped jumper also by Gerry Weber.  Of course stripes are a great addition for any wardrobe as they're so easy to team with a whole heap of items, including denim shirts, white shirts, statement necklaces & for the more adventurous even teaming with some pattern clashes such as checks or dots.  I'm totally in love with navy for the coming season & I love the injection of red teamed with the classics of navy & white.  These colours are never going to date & the splash of red makes it just that bit more interesting than your average navy & white Breton.

Gray & Osbourn Gerry Weber Stripe Jumper

Finally & by no means least there was this stylish leather tote again in navy....you'd never guess what colour I'm loving at the moment, would you?!!!  I've always fancied a navy leather bag but never found one that I loved but this one by Sienna De Luca is just perfect, it really is the most gorgeous shade of blue...not to dark, not to light but just right!  I also love the gold detailing which brings the bag to life & makes it look so much more stylish not to mention the fact that the design incorporates the winged look that is so popular at the moment.  Plus it's just the perfect size for fitting in all my essentials *junk* & the handles are the perfect length for either slinging over your shoulder or carrying as a tote, it even comes with a shoulder strap too!

Gray & Osbourn Sienna De Luca Leather Trapeze Tote

So before I show you some of my pictures of said new clothes, I just had to show you a picture of the inside of the bag, as not only does it have some handy inside pockets, it also has the most fab-u-lous purple lining, which is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face every time you open it.

Now my excitement at opening my package almost resulted in a trip to A&E as I was so excited by my new arrivals that I simply had to try them on over what I was wearing & in my rush to get to a mirror to check them out I nearly tripped over the dog!!  Luckily for me the dog moved out of the way pretty damn quickly.

So with my phone set to divert -I mean REALLY do people not know how important it is not to disturb me when I'm playing dress up!!! It wasn't long before I had embarked on a mammoth trying on session & a huge pile of clothes had somehow appeared on my bedroom floor!! 

What I love most about these three pieces is that not only can they a be worn together, they're also great for teaming with basics that most of us have in our wardrobe to create a whole array of different outfits as can be seen from the photos from my dressing up session below.  I have to say I could of gone on & on creating a whole heap of extra outfits, they're that versatile, I mean I didn't even get round to styling the striped jumper with my navy, cream or red blazers!!!

So first up I've styled all three items together with a pair of boyfriend jeans & pearls.

Style One

Without Tote

Pearl Necklace - Zara

Jacket - Gray & Osbourn

Jumper - Gray & Osbourn

Leather Cuff - Massimo Dutti

Bag - Gray & Osbourn

Boyfriend Jeans - Zara

Quilted Ballet Pumps - Brought in Majorca

As you can see from style two, the jumper looks stunning on it's own when teamed with a statement necklace & a pair of jeans.

Style Two

With Tote

Pearl Necklace - Zara

Jumper - Gray & Osbourn

Handbag - Gray & Osbourn

Leather Cuff - Massimo Dutti

Boyfriend Jeans - Zara

Quilted Ballet Pumps - Brought in Majorca

For outfit three I've simply added a classic white shirt to style two, which could so easily be swapped for a red or navy shirt not to mention a denim one.

Style Three

Shirt - Massimo Dutti

Jumper - Gray & Osbourn

Leather Cuff - Massimo Dutti

Boyfriend Jeans - Zara

Quilted Ballet Pumps - Brought in Majorca

One colour mix I'm totally loving for spring is navy teamed with mustard yellow so I simply had to try the jacket with my one of my recent purchases & of course a bit of 'Bet'.

Style Four

Shirt - Zara

Jacket - Gray & Osbourn

Necklace - Zara

Leather Cuff - Massimo Dutti

Cigarette Length Jeans - Zara

Leopard Print Ballet Pumps - Mint Velvet

In outfit five I've tried a different pop of colour & teamed the jacket with a bright red cami.  I love navy, white & red teamed together & when paired with some navy cigarette length chinos it's creates the perfect casual elegant look ideal for running errands & dare I say shopping!!!

Style Five

Necklace - Handmade

Jacket - Gray & Osbourn

Camisole - Topshop

Leather Cuff - Massimo Dutti

Chinos - Zara

Quilted Ballet Pumps - Brought in Majorca

I've kept outfit six nice & simple & just teamed my birthday pearls with the jumper & chinos.  I so love the red stripes in the jumper as it really does help make the outfit that little bit more special then if teaming with a navy & white striped breton plus of course it helps tie in my red quilted ballet pumps too :-)

Style Six

Pearls - Brought in Majorca

Jumper - Gray & Osbourn

Leather Cuff - Massimo Dutti

Chinos - Zara

Quilted Ballet Pumps - Brought in Majorca

As luck has it the red in my jumper is the perfect match for my red jeans & is perfect for toning down the brightness of them.

 Style Seven

Shirt - Massimo Dutti

Jumper - Gray & Osbourn

Bracelet - Banana Republic

Jeans - Gap

Ballet Pumps - Brought in Majorca

In fact the jumper is so versatile not to mention soft that it even looks fab when teamed with a pencil skirt & I love the stripes against my lace skirt.

Style Eight

Chambray Shirt - Massimo Dutti

Jumper - Gray & Osbourn

Bracelet - Banana Republic

Handbag - Gray & Osbourn

Lace Skirt - Zara

Leopard Print Court Shoes - Zara

I can't tell you how much I love my bag too & you probably won't be surprised to hear that I spent a wonderful half an hour emptying the contents of my old bag & filling up my new one.  A great time for a spot of spring cleaning....why oh why do we carry some of the things we do in our handbags?!!  I blame it on not only being a mother but on belonging to the Brownies & my need to always being prepared - after all who knows when you'll next find yourself needing a marble (amongst other things)?!!!

Back onto the jacket & I simply had to try the jacket with some more yellow.  I love it teamed with a simple white t-shirt & my yellow, white & navy scarf that I brought from Zara last summer.  As you can see from the picture the jacket can so easily be dressed down & looks great teamed with wedge trainers.

Style Nine

Scarf - Zara

Jacket - Gray & Osbourn

Linen T-Shirt - Zara

Bracelet - Banana Republic

Jeans - Zara

Wedge Trainers - Ash

Having loved the splashes of colour with my red cami & also my yellow scarf, I also had to try the jacket in style ten with my Boden sales bargain bag & my sequinned Breton top.

Style Ten

Sequinned Breton Top - Zara

Jacket - Gray & Osbourn

Cross Body Bag - Boden

Bracelet - Banana Republic

Cigarette Length Jeans - Zara

Block Heel Ballet Pumps - Zara

And finally I teamed the jacket & bag with a cream cami, navy wax effect jeans, statement necklace & some leopard print court shoes.

 Style Eleven

Without Tote

 Camisole - Topshop

Necklace - Zara

Jacket - Gray & Osbourn

Bracelet - Banana Republic

Handbag - Gray & Osbourn

Wax Effect Jeans - Zara

Leopard Print Court Shoes - Next

So what do you think?  I think I need to issue an apology as I love these three items so much that I know they're going to feature very heavily in my daily outfit postings!!! It's amazing how three items  if chosen carefully can really help bring your wardrobe back to life.

And just to tempt you further look at these beauties also from Gray & Osbourn that I may now have my eye on.

First up I absolutely love this yellow clutch, such a huge colour for SS14 & it even has a handy wrist strap making it so versatile & perfect for using on a day to day basis.  And if you love yellow but find it difficult to wear then a great way of embracing the latest colour trend.

Gray & Osbourn Marta Jonsson Leather Clutch Bag

This scarf is another beauty, I absolutely love the colours & can just picture this with a simple blazer & boyfriends.

Gray & Osbourn Moda in Pelle Warpscarf

For the warmer months you can't beat a loose shaped top & this gorgeous coral one is no exception.  A great versatile number that would look stunning with navy not to mention denim & would be great for dressing up or down depending on the occasion.

Gray & Osbourn Steilmann Drapey Short Sleeved Top

This striped maxi dress would make a great wardrobe update.  A really classic addition for any wardrobe which would look stylish when teamed with either a fitted denim jacket or even a stylish fitted navy blazer for a slightly more dressy feel or even a bright simple round neck cardigan for a more casual feel.

Gray & Osbourn Santa Maria Stripe Jersey Maxi Dress

Finally what about this striped Breton?  I'm loving the splashes of green teamed with the different widths of stripes.

Gray & Osbourn Betty Barclay Stripe Jersey Top

Finally a quick round up of what I've been wearing since my last post.

Outfit One

Shirt - Zara

Sweatshirt - Zara

Bracelets - Banana Republic

Boyfriend Jeans - Zara

Boots - Boden

Outfit Two

Leopard Print Scarf - Zara

Faux Leather Quilted Jacket - Zara

Leather Cuff - Banana Republic

Red Jumper (not shown) - Zara

Faux Leather Trim Skirt - Zara

Shoe Boots - Next

Outfit Three

Jumper - Zara

Scarf - Zara

Bracelets - Banana Republic

Jeans - Zara

Boots - Zara

Outfit Four

Necklace - Handmade

Jumper - ASOS

Bracelets - Banana Republic

Cargo Trousers - Zara

Boots - Zara

So what do you think?  Have you ever shopped at Gray & Osbourn?  If not you should definitely take a look at their website as they have some real gems & they also stock jewellery, hats, shoes, sunglasses & swimwear too!

I think my new pieces are really going to work well in my wardrobe come spring, my only problem is deciding which outfit to wear first?  Do you have a favourite?  I'd love to hear which is your favourite style.

Have a great Sunday & see you in a few days time when I'll be back with another great addition to your wardrobe for SS14 that can also start to earn it's keep now....any ideas?!!