A Healthy Dose of Summer Inspiration

Style Theory: On rainy days like today I need to be cheered up with summer clothing inspiration..step forward Pinterest.. Here are my favourite looks for summer, these  cool outfits will shape my Summer wardrobe this year..

My mind is re-focused, whites, denims, stripes and black with the summer must have strappy sandals and beachy blond waves..now all we need is for the sun to shine and stick around for a while..

Next time the best spring jackets...

Who is your favourite summer dresser, where do you get your summer inspiration from? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, Frances xxx

Mellow Yellow

Style Theory: On the Spring/Summer 2015 catwalks, Burberry Prorsum, Acne and Michael Kors to name but a few championed this sunny hue. From amber to saffron to gold to lemon, there is a shade to suit everyone and every skin tone, it is just a matter of trying on and you will find your perfect piece of sunshine clothing.

I love a touch of mustardy yellow, it does not necessarily complement my skin tone but with a little help from some fake tan I can just about get away with it. This Zara yellow coat has brightened up the last few cold, rainy months and now fits perfectly with sunny days...

Coat - Zara similar here
Dungarees - H&M similar here
Scarf - Uniqlo similar here
Trainers - Stan Smith £67 
Bag - H&M £19.99

My newest yellow purchase is this yellow top from H&M I featured in my last post. I spotted it on the utterly cool Pandora Sykes, she styled it with some little denim shorts and Chloe sandals, as I am probably double her age and no where near as cool, I styled it with my jeans and new mango sandals with a little touch of leopard thrown in...

Top - H&M £29.99
Jeans - Asos £35 (I have chopped the bottom off these to make them ankle kick flares)
Sandals - Mango £19.99
Bag - &Other Stories similar here

A big, blouson-y sunshine top to match the sunny day (although in these photos it doesn't look it!) I could sail away with the arms on it, but it is the kind of top that is fabulous to throw on on holidays in the evening with a pair of shorts for a stroll down to dinner. Super easy to wear, non clingy and a gorgeous colour.. 

*In this month's Elle (May 2015) they have a 20% off H&M card (to be used in store only) they have some fab summer pieces in their this season so it worth having a look..

Are you a fan of yellow or do you steer clear? Have you been seduced by all the gorgeous mustard and lemony colours available on the high street this season?

As always I would love to hear your thought and comments, until next time, Frances xxx

Treat yourself to a little Pampering...

Style Theory: Us ladies all deserve a little treat once in a while and a blow dry and style is the perfect pick me up before a special occasion or night out. In London, blow drys are the norm after work before going out, but as kids and life take over, treating ourselves takes a back seat. So the week of my 40th birthday I went to John Carne Hairdressers in Guildford, Surrey to be pampered and experience their Schoolrun blowdry; a hairwash, treatment, blowdry and style...heaven!

John Carne Hairdressers is situated in the centre of Guildford, one of the most beautiful places to shop, with a huge array of stores from Anthropologie to Donna Ida to fantastic independents such as Me&Em so well worth a visit..be pampered then shop and lunch a perfect day out!

You are in very safe hands in John Carne, a cool hairdressers with a luxurious, comfortable and an extremely welcoming ambiance with a fashion edge. Having worked backstage on numerous fashion shows the stylists are en pointe with all the new hairdressing techniques and trends and use their expert knowledge to create a gorgeous look.

This is my BEFORE photo:  Fine, Frizzy not soo nice..! (apologies in advance of all my extreme face close ups..eek!)

And the AFTER: the lovely Elz working on my hair after a luxurious hair treatment and head massage..

Tea, biscuits and magazines galore..in the afternoon clients are treated to champagne and strawberries..

Curls galore..

My hair kept it's curl for two days, would have been longer but I wash it every two days so sadly had to wash the curls out..

For all those who live in the Surrey/ London area and need a little 'lift' before a special occasion or night out or anyone who fancies making a special shopping/pampering trip to Guildford, John Carne are offering a deal until 1st March..I highly recommend it! Check out John Carne's fab website, blog and instagram account (@johncarne) for hair and fashion inspiration.

Thank you to John, Finnley, Elz and the lovely team at John Carne for a fabulous morning, I was so pleased with the result and will be back again for sure x

Are you a fan of a little pampering, do you ever get the time? What would be your idea of the ultimate day of pampering?

As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time, Frances xxxx

 My schoolrun blowdry was complimentary however all views and opinions expressed in this blog post are entirely my own.