Midlife Loves

"Timeless everyday style"

Midlife Loves

My Picks From The Mint Velvet Sale & WIWT - Brocade & Distressed Denim

Ok hands up I admit it, I just couldn't resist sneaking a peak at Mint Velvet's sale.  Yup I know I DON'T need any more clothes (sorry hubby I know I promised I'd be good!!!) but hey when has that every stopped me?!  Plus with some brands (& Mint Velvet is one of them) it would be criminal not to check out their sale as there really are some great bargains to be had.  Plus if further justification is needed (trust me it helps!!) you just know that with brands such as Mint Velvet any sales bargains are going to be classic investments that will last you many years to come.  After all who doesn't like a bit of relaxed glamour?

So without further ado & before said gems get snapped up here's what's caught my eye & is now going round & round in my head calling to me & tempting me to click the button.

First up is this gorgeous biker dress.  I just love the detailing of this dress, which I could see being so easy just to throw on with some metallic silver sandals and clutch.  






For a truly classic summer dress that's going to look stunning with a denim jacket & gold accessories then what about this lovely classic white brodrais sundress.  Simply perfect for summer holidays & sun kissed skin.







Another great summer dress that has caught my eye & would again look great with a denim jacket is this Carola Print sundress.  Perfect for hot summer days & sightseeing *shopping* on holiday ;-)






Moving onto trousers now & I love these crepe ones, which are true classics.  Perfect for teaming with ballet pumps & a blazer for work, flat sandals & a camisole for holidays & court heels/strappy sandals & a more dressy top for nights out.










Now if you wear jeans half as much as I do, you'll know that they're also a great buy in the sales & I love these dark grey triple zip ones, although be warned some sizes have now sold out!








Of course you won't be surprised when I say I love these next trousers, (well I am a leopard print addict!!) & this looser fit trouser is perfect for taking on holiday & teaming with a camisole & flat sandals.  If I didn't already own some very similar I would definitely be clicking the button for our coming holidays.






Love this next cut out embroidered top.  How stunning would this look with some strappy sandals & boyfriend jeans for a night on the town.  Or teamed with a simple pair of denim shorts & sandals for sightseeing or lazy summer days at home.






Love, love, love this gorgeous soft grey leather biker jacket.  A real wardrobe investment that will look stunning come the cooler months.






Now I previously featured the cream version of this tuxedo jacket in my celebrity style steal last week (see here), which is now only available in a few sizes.  But if you want to invest in a jacket that's going to work for all seasons then this black tuxedo is just perfect.  I get so much wear out of my black tuxedos as they're perfect for smartening up a pair of jeans let alone teaming with wax effect skinnies or faux/leather trousers for an evening out not to mention of course party season at the end of the year!






Moving onto accessories now as they're great for a little treat without breaking the bank.  I love this rose gold skinny belt.  Perfect for adding that bit of style to a simple white t-shirt & jeans plus it will look stunning teamed with an all navy outfit.






Now who can resist a scarf or two?!  I know I certainly can't & I love this shade of pink.  In fact I just love how Mint Velvet have styled it with the stripes & boyfriend jeans & of course it would also look fab with grey jeans & a cosy jumper come autumn too.






This next scarf is just one of those really useful accessorises & I love the bobble edging that adds that bit of interest to an otherwise plain scarf.






Now with our main spell of summer yet to hit us (she says touching wood & crossing all fingers) & summer holidays coming up then these tan metal strap sandals would be extremely useful for going with simply most things.  Not to mention extremely useful if weight is an issue when packing for your holidays, although you might have to act fast as sizes are also selling out in these babies!!!






And finally what about these lovely blue suede court shoes (Elvis eat your heart out!!), you can't tell me these babies won't come in handy come autumn & how stunning would they look teamed with some boyfriend jeans, a simple white shirt & navy blazer.






So come on, anyone else tempted to click the button or have you beaten me to it & already shopped Mint Velvet's sale?

Finally here's what I'm wearing today.




Top - H&M
Leather Cuff - Banana Republic
Jeans - Zara
Shoes - Next
Bag - Massimo Dutti


Brocade & Distressed Denim


Top - H&M £29.99
Necklace - ASOS £6
Jeans - Mango £39.99
Shoes - Next £42


So what are you wearing today?  I'd love to hear.  Plus of course I'm always free to hear your Mint Velvet sale confessions......come on surely I can't be the only one being taunted?!!

Have a great Monday, I'm probably going to spend the majority of the day tracking my son whose on his first day of work experience.  He's working at a media company in Birmingham & wanted to go for the full on experience including catching the train in.  Of course a recce of walking the 15 minute route from the train station to the offices has been carried out but how much of that went in goodness knows!!!  Hence the 24 hour surveillance on my iPhone, phone numbers in his bag & written instructions just in case!!!  Now I just need to remember to breath, he'll be fine right?!!!

See you in the morning.

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Taking A Look At A New Brand & WIWT

I recently received one of the most exquisite parcels of clothing I have ever received, from the relatively new UK based brand Rachel Wears.  I don’t know about you but for me part of the excitement of online shopping is the anticipation & arrival of said package & the delight in opening the parcel (rather like a present on your birthday don’t you think?!!) & of course the trying on session that follows.

But what I loved about the below box when I received it was that I wasn’t expecting to find what I did inside.




Yes it’s a great designed box & yes I will admit to presuming that the clothes that lay inside would be wrapped in tissue paper but I didn’t expect that not only would they be tied with ribbon but that within that bow there would also be several dried sprigs of lavender together with a little note.   Not only did it make the parcel feel like it had been sent by a friend (as well as give me a fantastic idea for wrapping birthday presents….I just need to remember to cut & dry all the lavender from our garden at the end of the summer!!) but it made it feel so much more personal & a valued customer as opposed to just an number. 






Naturally with a parcel this beautiful I was even more excited to try the clothes & they really didn’t disappoint.

If you haven't heard about the brand, Rachel set the company up (currently on their first collection) to provide high quality garments in classic simple styles that are not only easy to wear but highly versatile, with all clothes being designed and manufactured ethnically in the UK.

So without further ado let's get onto the clothes.  First up is their Grecian Goddess black maxi dress (also available in slate blue), which comes in sizes small, medium or large.  I'm wearing size small & would say this would fit a UK 8-10.  The dress is made from 90% modal & 10% elastane & really oozes glamour.  It is made from a gorgeous soft jersey with the lace shoulder detailing & side split making it something a little different from a lot of the other plain black maxi dresses currently around.






Now although the dress comes with a thin tie belt in matching fabric I decided to team the dress with one of my wide studded belts to create a bit more interest.  It's quite long in length & being 5’7” I found the dress to be the perfect length for a long maxi dress but if you are a little shorter you may find that you would need to wear the dress with heels (wedges).  Obviously I chose to accessorise with a bit of leopard print…..well what can I say, when I see a black dress I just can’t resist (sorry!!!!) and tied my oversized leopard print clutch & studded belt in with my leopard print & studded flat sandals.




Bag - Zara
Belt - Zara
Sandals - Zara




As you can see below the dress is a great for dressing up or down & looks fab when teamed with a denim jacket for a more daytime feel.




Denim Jacket - Zara



Next up is this lovely wrap top, available in Dove Grey, as pictured below or Nude & made from 95% viscose & 5% elastane.  I must admit that I was a little worried that the length sleeve would seem a little old fashioned on but as you will see from the below pictures they're spot on & in balance with the top.






So how have I styled this gorgeous top?  Well naturally I had to try it under one of my jackets.  It really is a very flattering top & creates a beautiful & flattering neckline, perfect for wearing under one of my many jackets.  




Necklace - Zara
Jacket - Zara
Jeans - Zara
Bracelet - Banana Republic
Bag - Zara £39.99
Sparkly Ballet Flats - Zara


Plus of course it's a great top for dressing up or down, for work, date night or even for casual weekend attire.  I absolutely love all the ruching detailing, very pretty & of course perfect for hiding & distracting from the 'mummy tummy' ;-)




Next up is their 100% silk longline shirt, which is available in Ivory or Dove Grey.






Yes this shirt is expensive but is it exquisitely made & the cuffs are the perfect weight for turning back & actually staying in place & not coming unfolded during the course of the day as some lightweight silk shirts can do.

I really love the longer length as it's great for creating a real relaxed boyfriend kind of vibe & is perfect for wearing with some distressed/boyfriend jeans for a real relaxed looked.




Necklace - Bought in Majorca
Bag - Massimo Dutti
Bracelet - J Xrew
Jeans - Zara
Sandals - Next £42


Finally their wood drape cardigan certainly lives up to it's 'fabulous' name.  Gorgeously soft & made from 100% Italian merino wool it's available in Pebble Grey (pictured below) & Oatmeal.  I so love this cardigan as due to it's length it's great for throwing on for days when you want that extra bit of comfort & warmth but it doesn't compromise on style, so a real winner in my eyes.






The sleeves have a lovely ribbed detailing & are fitted so a great contrast to the loose fit & style of the cardigan & the soft grey is just the perfect colour for teaming with a classic white shirt & jeans.  I'm also planning on wearing mine with denim shorts & a simple cami on slightly cooler summer days or when I'm waiting for the day to heat up.




Necklace - Zara
Shirt - Zara Now £22.99
Cardigan - Rachel Wears £135
Bracelet - Banana Republic
Jeans - Zara
Pumps - Boden






Having seen for myself how lovely these pieces are I have to admit to being very excited to see what they're going to bring out for their second collection this autumn.  They also have the added bonus that if you fancy having a capsule wardrobe all their pieces can be intermixed with each other so a great starting point to create your perfect minimalistic wardrobe. 

Finally here's what I'm wearing today.




Jacket - Mango
Blouse - Mango
Bag - Zara
Jeans - Zara
Ballet Pumps - bought in Majorca


Quilted Jacket


Ballet Pumps - Mango Now £19.99


So have you heard of Rachel Wears?  If not you should seriously take a peak at their collection as the clothes are as beautiful as their packaging & are sure to last many years.  Take a peak & let me know what you think.

See you in the morning.

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Happy Saturday & WIWT

Another Saturday & the usual karate/shopping run then hopefully (weather permitting) onto the village festival before continuing the festivities & hitting the village club tonight for a BBQ & get together with friends :-)

Keeping it simple with my gold edged Banana Republic jacket & adding a splash of colour with my Zara scarf.




Jacket - Banana Republic
T-Shirt - Zara
Scarf - Zara
Jeans - Zara
Ballet Pumps - Massimo Dutti


A Splash Of Orange


Jacket - Warehouse £25
Camisole - Mango £19.99
Scarf - Zara £19.99
Jeans - ASOS £35
Ballet Pumps - Mango £19.99


So what are you up to this Saturday?  Whatever you're doing have a fab day.

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New In At H&M & WIWT

So how's everyone getting on with the sales?!!  Still shopping & not dropping or totally fed up with sales bargains & ready to brace the new collections?!!  Well just in case you're done with the sales I thought I'd share my picks from H&M's new collection that just happened to catch my eye when I was minding my own business & an email pinged its way into my inbox!!!

Starting with this lovely breton striped sweatshirt dress.  Now I'm seriously tempted to order this beauty not only due to the price & the stripes but also because I quite fancy having a dress that's cosy & comfy for cooler summer days.  I think this would look fab with sandals or ankle boots - even skater shoes if you've taken the plunge.  Plus if its raining great for throwing on with a denim jacket.  I can even see this working for autumn worn with a scarf & it will look fab under my mac.  It would also be a great dress for just lounging around the house in.  Having studied the pictures online (as you do) I'm going to order it but size up as I quite like the idea of this style being a looser fit.  So anyone else joining me in clicking the button?!!!




Love the look of this shirt dress too & if accessorised with some gold accessories I think this would look really elegant & chic.





Now I PROMISE I'm not going to order another jacket (well not just yet anyway) but if you're in need of a striped jacket then I love the boxy shape of this one.  Fab for teaming with a simple shift dress for work or a special occasion, lovely for evenings out with faux leather or wax effect jeans & perfect for everyday with some distressed jeans & a simple t-shirt.






Now this next coat is either gong to seriously work or make you look like Kermit & as I haven't seen it in the flesh let alone tried it on I wouldn't like to say which!  But if it looks & fits as I'm picturing it in my head this would look really elegant with some cigarette length trousers in either navy or black with a simple top & I love this shade of green.






A pretty summer dress next perfect for hot summer days at home or going down to breakfast or the beach on holiday.






Or if skater shoe are your thing then I love the look of these snake print ones - great colours that have seriously got me tempted but I'm just not sure if they're me.






Lastly I have already clicked the button on this jumper as I just love the neckline so much & can't wait to team it with some distressed denim & my Next metallic slingbacks.






Finally here's what I'm wearing today.




Top - Zara
Bag - Zara
Jeans - Mint Velvet
Pumps - Boden 


Metallics & Pastel Pink


Bag - Zara £39.99
Pumps - Next £25


So anything to tempt you or have you already been tempted by the pinging of H&M's email in your inbox?!!!  Tell me I'm not the only one PLEASE!!!!

Happy Friday :-)

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New Outfit Post - Boho Chic

Keeping things pretty simple today with my Mango boho blouse teamed with distressed jeans & some red accessories.  




Top - Mango
Belt - Next £9
Necklace - Handmade
Bracelets - Handmade
Jeans - Zara
Ballet Flats - Bought in Majorca
Bag - Zara


Shop my style.


Boho Chic


Ballet Flats - Mango Now £19.99


One more sleep until the weekend :-)   Have a fab Thursday & see you in the morning.

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