Sometimes I get a little bored being a plain Sue and I remember the days when I used to dress up more and put on a necklace in the morning and a pair of heels and go to work. So what do I do when when I get bored? I jump in to the dress up wardrobe and see what I can unearth and do you want to know what I came up with today?
A gold necklace, a sparkly boho bag and a pair of gold espadrilles!
The necklace and bag are from days of old. Things which I still like but don't see the light of day very often but don't get rid of as I think they have their uses. I confess I'm not sure about the bag - it was a £4 impulse buy and it's probably the handles putting me off but I feel a style hack coming on with this.
The minimalist part of me wants to unpick all the beading but that would be tantamount to stupidity. But never say never.
It may resurface as a clutch - what do you think? Or I could add straps somehow and make it a shoulder bag! And the gold Gaimo espadrilles were an impulse TK Maxx last year which I still love. The squidge factor on the leather is amazing.
And the basics? The navy jumper is a men's Uniqlo cotton linen crew neck from their spring summer range. I bought this in a size XS earlier on in the year and it is on the right side of loose without being overly baggy on me. I tried on some of the womens' knits but didn't get on with them as they tend to make them more fitted around the waist and I don't like anything which clings to the mid section so I started to look in the mens' section instead and bingo - lots of lovely cotton linen knits there to be found. I do have a fondness for cotton/linen knits - I like the slight slubby weave and texture.
And we have to have jeans. A pair of boyfriend jeans today. I'm wearing the MIH Tomboy jeans. A slightly more fitted boyfriend style jean - a slim skinny should I say and these are in the New Original wash. So those are my two basics.
And when I've finished reminiscing - I go back to this ...
Uniqlo Mens Crew Neck, MIH Tomboy Jeans, Pieces Slides
The plainest combination on earth? It's the kind of look a million women out there pull on day in, day out. The stuff that normality is built on. The stuff that my wardrobe is built on actually.
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Last Note :
- I will get round to sorting out the geraniums.
- I'm currently eyeing up the Uniqlo men's merino crew necks for autumn.
- The MIH Tomboy jeans are available on Matches in the same wash as mine but with limited sizes. The new season colour seems to be this but more expensive :(
- The Next Relaxed Skinny are probably the nearest high street equivalent to the MIH's. Donna has done a brilliant review on them here.
I love the last picture of you and your' geraniums look like mine. I am dressed in similar attire, now that I am, actually, dressed. I just have my Havs on rather than sliders :) Don't go unpicking the beading. Life is too short. xx
ReplyDeleteI was hoping that you were going to say life is too short to tend to the geraniums rather than the beading!
DeleteAnd yes - simple is good. Simple is easy.
I wear one of Hubby's M&S cashmere jumpers that he considers too small and I must admit I like the fact it's not fitted at the waist. Will be trying their men's cashmere this winter. I like dress up Sue makes a nice change but I LOVE plain Sue, you are good with the needle & thread could you make that bag into a fold over clutch with a bamboo fastener - that would be very boho chic! X
ReplyDeleteWell I was thinking that I would have to saw off the handles and I was going to get some cord ..and thread them through for an easy fix. But I honestly don't know if I would carry it if I did it anyway. I haven't carried it yet but I like it for some reason so it gets to stay a bit longer.
DeleteAnd I feel happier as plain Sue. Much more me.
These plain but stylish outfits will be featuring heavily this A/W season for me Sue as this is totally my comfort zone, I shall just be adding trainers instead of slides to complete the look! I've being eyeing up the Uniqlo merino and will be definitely ordering one or 2!
ReplyDeleteI have a bag just like yours but it is red....don't change it, I love it just the way it is! xx
Do you know something Michelle, either the new season is not fully in yet and I'm not getting with the programme as yet but there's not a lot floating my boat at the moment apart from shoes. And I really do not need any more shoes in my wardrobe! So I've just been looking for good plain basics like the jumpers which you can dress up or down.
DeleteAnd you have a bag like mine! You need to show!
Great idea about men's jumpers...I have been looking at Uniqlo for some new bits, so thanks for the tip-off! Sometimes less is more & simple works! Gorgeous bag by the way. x
ReplyDeleteWell I'm wearing an XS in the men's and that is a nice casual fit without being too baggy and saggy. I'm a size 10 normally but you could get away with a small as well. The arms are a little looser on the men's than the women's as well which does make them better for layering admittedly if you like to do that. And if you're ordering from Uniqlo - don't forget to make your heat tech order!
DeleteI love your style Sue & you always look fantastic as you know what suits you! The necklace looks lovely & I like the bag too but would love to see what you do to it & bet you make it look amazing! Embellished bags are so in atm so leave those beads alone! ;) Ax
ReplyDeleteI think I've got to find the time to do it Andrea and it's not urgent. It might turn up next year in a new form but you know how these great ideas are? They sometimes just stay that way!
DeleteI love the last pic, Sue, just perfect styling that suits you so well. I like the bag and I agree that it has life in it yet - I too would unpick and it would be a gorgeous clutch! Lynne x
ReplyDeletePs fab necklace!
DeleteThe last pic is me everyday. Honestly, everyone makes so much more effort than me with a necklace of a bit of jewellery or something but I'm not sure if I'm just plain lazy or just plain practical - a bit of both I think. But at least - it never dates.
DeleteI'm glad you reminded me about buying a plain crew neck from Uniqlo. I wanted a navy one last year and never got one so I will have to sort that out this year. And another MIH jeans style I haven't yet tried. I was in my Marrakesh flares today.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to do some Marrakesh flares but don't have the height or the legs to do it - I love the slight retro feel of jeans like that. The Tomboys are good and I read somewhere they are good for apple shapes. I'm not sure I'm an apple yet but that waistline of mine is slowly disappearing! I can vouch for one thing though - they are much more flattering that the Phoebes.
DeleteEvery time I arrive at my front door I think "I really need to deadhead the geraniums!"
ReplyDeleteI'd say let's make a bank holiday pact to get it done but it's raining right now....
Every time I go in to the garden, I look at them and then go off and do something else. I'll get round to it ... when it stops raining ;o)
DeleteI actually really like the slides version more instead of the gold sandal-version, and I'm with you on men's tops (sometimes.) I'm the same way at the Gap--the women's sweatshirts always have some pesky, unnecessary detail (like extraneous zippers on a pullover?), whereas the men's sweatshirts are simple and come in three lovely colors: indigo, gray, or black.
ReplyDeleteI'm much happier in something flat - it feels more me and when I put on heels, I feel like I'm dressing up - great if I'm going out but that's about the only time except for wedge sandals which I adore and are actually very comfortable. I confess I'm not keen on a lot of the detailing on some of the women's jumpers, the extra trim here, the quirky buttons there - it's the kind of thing I buy and cut off if I genuinely like the garment enough and think it has potential. I'm all for tweaking things to suit. And now that autumn is swinging around, the usual suspect colours are coming back in to the mix ... I've already started.
DeleteI am the same as you Sue - I can't even be bothered to pull out the accessories most of the time (even for a night out it's a chore) and yet it never used to be - I'm so lazy! I just switch my make-up around fooling myself that it makes me look different! :)
ReplyDeleteI totally get where you're coming from. I look at all the young girls out there and think what effort they must have put in to getting dressed each day. If I look human, I'm grateful. Going out is the worst - I really hate getting dressed to go out - it's a minefield.
DeleteADORE the gold espadrilles - they need to be worn more please!
ReplyDelete