Can I tell you a secret? Come a little closer now, I’m going to whisper it. Lean in, lend me your ears, listen up…

I’m wearing Spanx under this dress.

Seriously!

Now, let me explain. When the people at Tightsplease (who are ever so generous) asked if I’d like to feature shapewear on the blog, my first reaction was ‘no one wants to see that. Ever.’ (I stand by this statement. Do not let the person you’re sleeping with see you trying to put on anything designed to ‘suck in’, as you probably won’t be sleeping together again for a few months. It’s a mental image that’s hard to erase.) But when I realised Spanx were part of the control pants range, I was sold. You see, I am a huge fan of Spanx.

Spanx make you a better version of yourself*. When you first put them on (after the wriggling, sweating and swearing – seriously, lock the door) you will marvel at your streamlined physique. Clothes sit better. Lumps are ironed out. That old 90s phenomenon, VPL, is non-existent. And you’ll have abs of steel without the 500 stomach crunches. Get someone to poke your stomach and watch them break their finger (kind of). See? Amazing!

No, they’re not really comfortable (despite all the claims… how can something that literally holds in flesh be comfortable?) and yes, they are completely and hideously ugly, but the results are worth the slight discomfort.

What do you think of so-called ‘magic pants’?

*A tongue-in-cheek statement, you understand. You are the best version of you – including lumps, bumps and visible panty lines.

PS – If you follow me on Twitter you might’ve seen my excited tweets about this… my work is being published in Company Magazine’s High Street Edit! Woo hoo!

For the first day of my 30 for 30 Challenge, I thought it fitting to wear an outfit inspired by 30 for 30 Mistress Kendi.

Kendi has that easy, breezy American style I love on other people but find hard to pull off myself. I think it’s because I’m missing the billowing brunette locks and lithe limbs. Minor issues in my quest for that classic, preppy look.

Colour block skirts feature often in Kendi’s outfits (like here and here), so I used this as the base of my As Inspired By outfit and added touches of my own style to finish the look. Don’t you think Kendi should receive an official honour for her services to belting? Seriously, this girl knows how to work a length of leather and a buckle.

You’ll have to trust me for this first week of 30 for 30 by the way – I haven’t had a chance to photograph my pieces yet. But I will! Pinky swear. Who’s inspiring you today?

PS – This skirt does actually fit me. It’s not three sizes too small, as the photos would have you believe. Note to self – smooth clothes down before photographing.

Firstly – can anyone tell me why my hair is red? I didn’t ask for it to be red. Actually, John Frieda, I asked for it to be Medium Golden Brown but you’ve made it red, and now my hairdresser can’t get rid of it. Seriously, avoid that Colour Foam stuff. Unless you’re aiming for red, then fill your boots!

An early pay day (thank you, pay roll friends!) led to a few sneaky purchases over the weekend – I’m getting them in before I start my 30 for 30 challenge on 1st Feb. I picked up this rust orange shirt in Dorothy Perkins and know it’ll be a key piece for the 30 for 30 month. Wondering what 30 for 30 is? Read this and let me know if you’ll be joining me.

Come back tomorrow to see all the pieces I’ve chosen for the remix challenge. I’m pretty sure everything I’m wearing here will feature heavily!

, pI don’t like to brag, but I do like being one tenth of Project Take Ten. The fashionable folks at ASOS laid down the gauntlet for our seventh challenge, providing us with the most wonderful piece to work our magic on…

This cape has kept me warm all winter. I wear it almost every day as it seems to sit perfectly atop any outfit. Okay, so it’s not the most practical of pieces – driving in this cape, with its restricted arm movement, is not advised. Carrying bags is hard too, unless you go for the whole Kate-Moss-crook-of-the-arm thing. Which I do.

Impracticalities aside, I think it’s true love and I can’t wait to wear this beauty unbuttoned and sans scarf over floaty spring dresses. Take a look at how the other girls worked it:

MJ, Sarah, Sabine, Sherin, Paula, Jazmine, Vicki, Adele, Me, Ellie

Question – do you notice a difference in your style from year to year? I think blogging is a brilliant way to catalogue sartorial shifts. It’s like the digital version of those old photo albums stored in your loft – page after page of floral sleeveless shirts and floppy velvet hats (my early 90s Blossom phase coincided with the purchase of a new family camera).

I’ve only been writing this blog for a year and a bit, but the difference between my 23-year-old dress sense and my current, 25-year-old dress sense is noticeable. I like simple, high quality basics, clean lines and subtle ‘fashionable’ touches, like the shoulder pads on this dress (christened ‘shoulder boobs’ by the Mr).

Take the stripy, nautical-themed outfit I’m wearing here and compare it to this one, worn a mere seven months ago. The two seem poles apart and I no longer own any of the items in the older outfit. Have my tastes really changed that much?

Well, no. I still love cute tea dresses, bright tights, quirky jewellery and classic brogues. Those pieces form the backbone of my style and will always feature in my wardrobe. But as I get older, I feel more comfortable in my clothes – I’m more sure of my style now. I’ve grown into it.

Do you feel like your sense of ‘style’ (whatever the word means to you) gets stronger as you get older?