Keeping Warm With Curvissa

I am a little bit obsessed with coats! I own a ridiculous amount, to be honest and every year I want a new one. I have a smart going out coat and a lovely warm winter coat but I can never find a decent outdoors coat that is stylish, warm and tough.

So when I was contacted by Curvissa recently about doing a Coat Review, it was with my outdoor needs in mind that I began my search.

Parkers are very in fashion right now but if I am honest they either swamp me or are nowhere near warm enough so although a couple caught my eye it was this lovely Soft Shell Coat that I went for in the end.

I usually wear a 22 but my previous experience of Curvissa has taught me to size up so I did with this to a 24 to make sure it worked over my bust and I am glad I did as it is only just right.

It is made of a lovely soft material that feels like it will be shower prof although it does not state this in its description, it is windproof and breathable which is ideal for walking my dogs along the river next to the open fields as it does get pretty blustery around here. The coat is lined with a gorgeous thin fleece which is soft to touch and very warm.

The length of the coat is perfect for me as it covers my bum, please remember though I am only 5'2  and one anyone taller it is likely to sit just below your bum the picture of it on the model is a good indicator of its length.

The tie waist is a nice feature as it gives shape to the coat which is often missing from outdoor coat.

I assume this is the brand although it isn't called this on curvissa.

The hood is big and feel like it might stay put in the wind as it hooks over quite nicely.

All in all I am very happy with this coat, its sizing could be a little more generous but otherwise it is lovely and I would highly recommend it to anyone look for a good outdoors coat. it feels like it can cope well with my three biggest dogs jumping up at me with muddy paws when we play and me falling on my bum in the mud which has happened a few times.

A few other fabulous ladies are also working with Curvissa to review coats and they all look far more glamorous than me, so head on over to their pages and take a look. The links are below.

http://itsemchannel.blogspot.co.uk

http://pamperandcurves.blogspot.co.uk 

http://www.lilybobombslovelylumps.com

http://www.sugar-darling.com

http://www.adressisforlife.com

Mhairi 

xxx

Dresolution with Marisota

I was approached quite a while ago now to take part in the Marisota Dressolution challenge, due to items not being quite right size wise and then my camera breaking again, I have taken a while to get this post up and running.

Marisota challenged us to make a change to our wardrobes this year and make a Dressolution, mine is to master casual chic, I have two outfits to show you but I am putting them in 2 posts this being the first.

I asked for three items to be sent out to me, these were the Floral Print Skater Dress, Floral Print Dress and the Biker Parker Jacket

The first item I have to show you is the Floral Print Dress

Spring is hopefully not to far away, we have had a crazily wet winter here in the UK and it is taking its toll on my mental health I love winter, but i like it to be clear and bright so i still get some sunlight.

This dress makes me think of spring, but it is still fabulous not slipped on with some leggings and layered up with a cardigan.

I have this dress in the tartan version as well and it is perfection, as is this floral version, it has little pockets  which are always a bonus on a dress and the blue is gorgeous, I teamed it with some ankle boots and bare legs, which is how I intend to wear it come spring.

I highly recommend this dress, and at only £35 it is perfection for your wardrobe.

Take a look at whats new at Marisota HERE

What is your Dressolution, more colour, tackling trousers, more dresses or something completely different, let me know. 

Mhairi

xxxx

Warming Winter Wonders with Heat Holders

Recently there was a shout out on twitter, looking for bloggers interested in reviewing some warming products, I will be honest, I jumped at the chance, I am a very cold person and our house is always bitterly cold in the winter. When I received the email to tell me the product was from Heat holders, I was intrigued as I had only recently been looking at them in my local Matalan and Tesco.

I was sent a pair of the Original Ladies Socks in black, they come in a fabulous range of colours as seen here in the promotional image.

Image courtesy of Heat Holders

The socks are knitted on the outside in a simple stocking stitch and have a super soft brushed wool on the inside that is really fluffy and warm.

Image courtesy of Heat Holders

They definitely keep my feet warm, our house loses so much heat, and my feet are always cold, I suffer pretty severe joint pain, in both my hands and fee,t and the cold always makes it feel so much worse. These socks have been a life saver!

I would like to see them a bit closer fitting as I found they slipped round on my feet quite a bit, but this happens to me with all my socks so I think I might just have awkward feet.in general.

I have washed them twice since I received them and they have washed brilliantly, keeping their shape well, they have bobbled a little bit but I wear them to death and have my dogs sitting on my feet constantly, which probably has more to do with it, to be honest.

This is how hairy my feet were after Ron, who you can see behind my feet rolled off them, he thinks they are snuggly so keeps sleeping on my feet! they were clean off the radiator about an hour before this photo. I am not complaining though, it certainly helps to warm them up even more. 

Head over to the heat savers website HERE to see the full range of products they offer, I am looking forward to getting some other pieces to see us through the winter.

The products can also be purchased through the Sock Shop website.

I would recommend these socks and I will be hopefully getting some of the slipper socks soon too which will be practical on our wood floors.

Mhairi

xxxx

Fatshion Faceoff - Denim Vest

Denim Vest

So this weeks Fatshion Faceoff item is the Denim vest, which to be honest is not something I wear, the wonderful hanna lent me one hers to wear for this weeks challenge.

I am not sure what to make of them to be honest, it added a layer of warmth under my coat today but think I would like to revisit the denim vest idea as a more sumer time item maybe with a maxi dress or tea dress for a layered look.

But here is how I wore mine today, I am wearing my Wallis jumper and plain black leggings with my lace up knee high boots

So what do you think? is a denim vest for me?

Go check out the other gorgeous ladies in there outfits.

Dani: DIY Fatshion http://www.diyfatshion.com

Hanna: The Wardrobe Challenge http://thewardrobechallenge.co.uk/

Mouna: Brussels Fatshion http://www.brusselsfatshion.com

Olivia: Wait Until The Sunset http://www.waituntilthesunset.com

Mhairi

xxx

Jileon Wide leg Wellies - Review

Back  in april I received an email from the lovely James at Jileon, they were looking to bring out a new design in there range and wanted some input from some of us bloggers as to which designs we liked best to help them choose, I choose 2 pairs I liked one of which was chosen and is now available.

At the same time he asked if I would like to review a pair for them once they came into stock, so I said yes and a couple of weeks back they arrived.

Limited edition floral design

Image source Jileon.com £49.99

I loved how vibrant the colours are and it reminds me of the warmer spring and summer months, especially now its so dull and wet outside!

When they arrived i whipped them out and put them straight on, but sadly one of the buckles had broken, but James on hearing this offered to send me a replacement set so from a customer point of view, they definitely look after us!

When they arrived the buckles were super easy to fit and worked a treat, I was sent replacements for all four so they were all the same buckles.

As you can see in real life they are just as pretty and vibrant in real life as they are in the stock photo above.

I did find I have a little bit too much room in these and could probably try there normal wide fit range instead of the extra wide which goes up to a 50cm calf, so check your calf measurements before you order as if it is below 46cm go for the wide fit.

They have some fabulous prints available in the range and if your not into bright pinks the extra wide range has more traditional options like these blue ones.

Image source Jileon.com £49.99

As well as these fun ones in a spot print.

Image source Jileon.com £49.99

Overall these boots are fabulous they are well mage have a decent grip on the sole so good for muddy fields and pulling dogs or just enjoying a walk.

Jileon also have a good selection of children's and mens wellies I would love to see them offer a wider fit in the mens ranges too as I know my other half has a difficult time with mens ones.

They also have an excellent range of liners and boot bags on offer.

These are on my list to get as soon as possible!

Image source Jileon.com £7.99

and I have this rather fabulous boot bag in my possession now so thank you James!

Image source Jileon.com £10.99

The items sent to me for review were given as gifts but all opinions and words are my own!

I highly recommend a visit to the Jileon website for a look round for all your wellington needs, they can also be found on twitter as @Jileon_Wellies and on Facebook.

A very tired looking me after a stomp about down the park in my boots saying thank you to James and Jileon and see you all soon!

***News***

I have just spoken with James and have been informed that mens extra wide fitting wellies are coming in December and if you want to order some boots from Jileon use code BL10 to get 10% off your purchase. 

Mhairi

xxx

Coat Reviews - Final

Well as you may already know I have been road testing Three coats two by myself and the third my friend is wearing, you can see me reviewing my coats Here, Here and Here. 


Just to go over the reasons why I choose to do these reviews....
Coat shopping for me is my most hated activity, Hate is a strong word that I rarely use, but I can honestly say that I HATE coat shopping.
It reduces me to tears and leaves me huddled in a corner wanting to hurt something, I can never get my boobs in them or if I can they are huge on the waist, I have a short waist and find they often fit all wrong, after talking to the fabulous Charlotte of Simply Be about this at an event they offered to send me a coat for review, but I thought it might help other people in my situation to see a few coats to get a good comparison, I want to know the shops I can go to every year and know I can likely find something suitable which I love, and the lovely Ann Harvey team offered me two coats to try, so I went with it.


I am going to give you my final review of the two coats I have tested now, and the full review of the Ann Harvey Cape my gorgeous friend Helen has worn for me will be scheduled for tomorrow, Helens crazy mummy/ work schedule and lost USB sticks have meant that we have been unable to split up the review of the cape. 


The Coats!

The two coats were the Simply Be Trench Coat and the Ann Harvey Red Funnel Neck Coat.


I have honestly worn these coats so much over the winter months and I have been so happy with them, I have found them both useful for total different things.


The Red Ann Harvey coat is such a vibrant red and makes me happy just looking at it, but I have found that the style for me is best worn with trousers and jeans as the length and shape suite them, but the Simply Be Trench works fantastically with dresses and trousers, and made me feel confident and sophisticated! 


I will start with the Ann Harvey coat, I really wanted to put these coats through there paces, so they have been worn for walking my four dogs, going out, playing in snow, even climbing trees! I wanted make them work hard for me!


Cleaning/Practicality 


It is dry clean only, but I haven't needed to put it in yet, as even when it has had muddy paw prints on it they have come off easily once dry, the colour is still vibrant and doesn't show marks easily, this makes me happy, as you can imagine, with four dogs it is easy to get mucky! 


Lining


Have you ever noticed how many coats you buy, even if the cost a small fortune, which have crap linings which are badly sewn and rip within a few wears? Or is that just me?
Well I can say that after 3 months of vigorous use the inner lining of this coat is doing brilliantly, no rips and not even thin spots, thats pretty good in my books!

Under arm bobbles and seems


This also something I hate I expect some wear and bobbles but sometimes on cheap material I find they happen almost immediately and look horrific! But so far so good the under arms look practically new, the colour hasn't faded from rubbing and the seems have held up brilliantly!

Buttons and Threads


Well as you can see from the photo there are one or two threads loose on the button holes but the buttons themselves are all still firm, I am impressed with this as I am hopeless at keeping buttons on coats!
Enjoy the added puppy hairs, they like to give me gifts :) 

Simply Be Caplet Trench Coat 


This coat has also been put through the same crazy routine as the the red coat, and has also worked extremely hard to prove itself to me!


Cleaning and Practicality 
The amazing thing about this coat which I loved is that it is fully machine washable, and although it is a  fairly dark colour it has held up well, but does show marks slightly easier that the red did, but only ever so slightly! I have washed this coat twice now, the first time I leaned against a dirty wall and put marks on it, and the second time, one of the puppies thought it was a good idea to try to jump into my arms, after she had ran around a muddy garden for a good half hour. 
Both times it washed brilliantly i popped it over a clothes horse and let it dry, which took no time at all really and it didn't need to be ironed which was fabulous (I hate ironing).


Lining


Again I am pleasantly surprised that the lining has held up brilliantly, there is no ripping or split teams, I have gone round every inch of seem on both coats and they are perfect!

Under Arm Bobbles and Seems


Now as you can see there is a loose thread hanging out of the underarm on the trench, but I cant decide if it is just a thread that has popped out and not trimmed, because i have had a good tug on the seems and they are holding completely, with no gaps at all, will have too keep an eye on it!  other than that all the outside seems are strong.

Buttons and Treads


 The buttons on the outside of the coat are all strong and holding up well, but one of the internal buttons has come off completely, So I will need to sew it back on, but not a huge job.

I am so happy with both coats that I cant choose which is my favourite only that they both get used for totally different things so that is great for me.
Ann Harvey is not a brand I have never tried before but they have really impressed me with the quality of their items, I will be looking at them again next year for coats! Simply be is a company I have been shopping with for quite a few years, but I had never thought to get a coat from them, but I would happily get one again, there is a rather gorgeous light weight trench coat I am tempted by!


The Red coat is no longer available from ann Harvey but they a couple of lovely winter coats in the sale half price if you want a bargain for next year.


The Simply Be trench is available here but this is the lighter weight one I want PU Sleeve Trench


Both of these coats come with my highest recommendation, so next winter if you are looking head on over and see what they have to offer!


I will be scheduling the Cape review to go live at 3pm tomorrow, so pop back then too. 


Mhairi.


xxx

Vida Moda Review

The wonderful couple behind Vida Moda contacted me last week on Twitter to ask if I would like to review a couple of scarves for them which I had recently seen mentioned in their tweets, and fallen in love with.


I said yes as I have been following their company for a while now and they have been so lovely to talk to I feel everyone should know they are out there.

When the package arrived I was excited to get it open and take a look at the two scarves I had selected, but when I opened the parcel bag I had to stop myself and find my good camera out, just to show you how gorgeous the packaging was.


The simple white box with the orange Vida Moda logo and the matching orange ribbon is such a simple, yet chic combination.

I chose one scarf from the loopy range and one from the ruffle range; from the loopy Range I chose the Blueberry Loopy Scarf. Each scarf comes with a label showing they are 'Made by Pat - Handcrafted Lovely Stuff', with care instructions on the reverse. The colours are divine; so rich a luxurious. I love blues, and dark blues suit me best, so this is perfect for me.
Now this scarf costs £22 and that for me is a lot for a scarf, but I have to say that after seeing the quality of the workmanship and the stunningly vivid colours, I would definitely buy one for myself or as a gift for family and friends.

The Loopy Scarf it a nice short length about 100cm (expect some variation as it is handmade) which is great if you like less bulk under your coat, or just don't like to have super long scarves. It is a large open knit with a stunning mix of dark blue and purple.

Oh, just look at those beautiful colours. 

The second scarf I chose was from the Ruffle range in Mulled Wine. It's a rich pink-red and a plum-purple, which together make a stunning combination. The length of this one is approx. 200cm (expect some variation as it's handmade), but it doesn't feel bulky and I find it comfortable round my neck and tucked into my coat.

It is a much finer knit than The Loopy Scarf and has a more ruffled effect - as the name suggests, and also a fabulous springiness that I find irresistible. It soft, luxurious and chic - just like the loopy, and well worth the £26 price. 

Come on, look at the colours, I was hooked instantly! 

Just realised how tired I look after a very busy weekend, but both scarves feel utterly divine on my skin, they are warm and soft, and really are well worth getting for a little luxury in this cold weather.


Vida Moda is Run by the wonderful Joanna and Phillip, Joanna decided to open online after so many years of frustration and stress, trying to find clothing she wanted to wear, and finding herself constantly disappointed.


Take a moment to go read their About Us section and the Why Shop Here section to understand more about the company and where they have come from.


I also had the opportunity to ask them a few questions of my own which were as follows:


Are you likely to stock larger than a 24 in the future?

Yes we will, when we find designers that do these sizes well. Also many designers now charge extra for the larger sizes which we don't agree with.

Do you look at any new up and coming UK designers or only from other european countries?

We are open minded about where we buy from, for this Spring and Summer we have 2 new collections from the UK, one from Italy and one from the USA. If there are up and coming designers who'd like to talk to us about designing for larger sizes we'd love to hear from them.

Do you have any plans to open a high street type store?

No, we have no plans to open any shops. We are fully embracing the online environment and while that is not everybody's cup of tea, it is a growing area and it's where we can offer a service to a lot of people that are outside of our catchment area.


They stock some lovely items which I would love to get my hands on. A few of my favourites are below.

Take a look at their fabulous Website and help support them in their venture. They also can be contacted through Twitter and Facebook, and have their own Blog. Go check them out. x

Mhairi 

xxx

Winter Coat Reviews Part 2

Today I thought I would show you a little selection of photos with me in the coats, the cape photos will have to wait until sunday, when I get the coat delivered to my friend. 

But here you go. x

 The length of both coats is beautiful and I love the colour of them both.

The photo's below are to show just what an amazing model I really am..................NOT. x

you can click on the images above for larger view. 

This week I am going to put them through there paces walking the 6 dogs I currently have staying in my house. I will update again at the weekend. 

Mhairi. xxx

Simply Be Review 2

Zandra Rhodes Vintage Print Dress.

This is the second item sent to me by Simply Be for review, I chose this dress, as I fell instantly in love with the colour! Anything green or purple and I am hooked!

On the model the sleeves hit her half way between wrist and elbow, but on me the hit me on my wrist which I wasn't keen on, but as I always have a cardigan on even in summer, this isn't a problem for me, just be aware of it, if you are short like me.

Dress - Zandra Rhodes Vintage Print Dress for Simply Be

Cardigan - Marks and Spencer (very old)

Tights - 100Denier Tesco

Boots - Wide Fit Next

I chose to wear it for a day out christmas shopping and having some lunch with my other half, so I wore my old Marks and Spencer wrap cardigan, my Evans belt, thick tights and my biker boots. 

The dress comes with a separate green slip as the material is very sheer and it has adjustable straps, my husband laughed at how excited this made me, but I have very short shoulders and straps on dresses always need to be tied or shortened.

The pattern looks very red in the pictures but it is very dark almost purple/red, I originally wore it with dark plum coloured tights from Evans but as they fell apart in less than 2 hours I went back to my trusty  Tesco 100 Denier Tights!

I felt really pretty and relaxed all day in the dress I also tried it with my black polo neck jumper under and it looked good with it too, so has lots of options for both winter and summer wear.

I also love that It can easily be dressed up with some heels for a night out.

As my only negative with this dress was the length and looseness of the sleeves at the wrist, which I can easily fix with a bit of creativity I would recommend this dress as the colour is so so pretty!

You will get to see me all dressed up next week with make up and nice hair for my wedding anniversary, and my final review piece for Simply Be.

Disclaimer : This item was given to me free of charge from Simply be for review, but all comments are my own and I have not been asked or paid to give any items a favourable review.

Review - Simply Be 1

Navajo Knitted Shrug Cardigan


Simply Be very kindly offered me the chance to pick three items from the current catalogue for review, I was ridiculously excited!


I wanted to choose three completely different Items one for casual, one for daytime and one for a night out.


The first Item I am going to review for you is my casual choice, I have 2 adult dogs and 2 puppies so spend a lot of time over parks in heavy coats trudging through the mud, but get far too warm in my coats so I was looking for something that would be warm and comfortable.


This is what I ordered - The Navajo Knitted Shrug Cardigan £40

This looked so gorgeous on the model I knew I had to give it a try.

I ordered it in a 22, but I am notorious for believing I am bigger than I am, and probably could have easily got away with a 20, but I love how cosy it feels and know if I needed to be warmer I could fir a knitted jumper under for an extra layer.

The pattern I feel, does make me look bigger than I am, but I just don't care, I popped it over my sheer blouse and a cami top and i was so warm and snuggly.

This Cardigan is going to be a lifesaver when it comes to the christmas shopping as I always get hot and frustrated lugging a big coat everywhere, this is fabulous as I can leave it loos when inside shopping centres but pull it round close when on the high street!

See snuggly and warm! 

And who can resist a swirly item of clothing!

look out for the crazy lady in the park!

And just one more picture as it made me laugh!

yes I am mildly insane! 

My overall verdict of this cardigan is it is lovely, the colours are gorgeous and it feels nice, it isn't itchy, this is very important to me as I can be incredibly fussy about knitwear, if it is even a little scratchy I just cant wear it!


I think for me it is a very useful item, for everyday use, popping to town walking my dogs, shopping and lounging happily at home, and would happily pay the £40, but would order it in a 20. 


please excuse me looking so pale and my extremely bad hair day, sometimes I just like to be as nature intended :) 




Mhairi. xxxx




Disclaimer : This item was given to me free of charge from Simply be for review, but all comments are my own and I have not been asked or paid to give any items a favourable review.