My last post was all about print so I thought that for my next ‘Three Wasy To Wear’ post, I’d carry on from this and pick something in a bold print.

This jacket is from Zara…I have a kind of love hate relationship with it.  The colours are so good and the print is stunning but on the hanger, it doesn’t look great.  I spotted this blazer on the website a few weeks ago and couldn’t decide what I thought of it, so when I spotted it on a shopping trip with a client, I vowed to go back and try it on when I’d finished.  It came home with me.  I have to admit, I’m still not too sure whether to keep it or not, I do think my wardrobe could do with an injection of colour and print and I can make a whole heap of outfits with it; however it really is VERY bold!

First outfit: Jacket from Zara, stripe t-shirt from Whistles, necklace from Urban Outfitters, vintage bangles, jeans from Mimi Noor, shoes from Ash. Second outfit: Earrings from House of Harlow, dress from Tophop, belt from Topshop, boots from Zara. Third outfit: T-shirt form Evil Twin, necklace, as before, Jeans from Donna Ida, Boots from Zara.

First, I wanted to illustrate that a jacket like this can easily be worn in the day, quite casually. I’ve teamed it with a stripe t-shirt, something that’s great to have in the wardrobe.  If you’re someone who lives in white t-shirts in the summer then a striped version will just add a little more interest under jackets and knitwear. 

Next, I wanted to pull together a more summery outfit.  I can’t wait to wear this when it warms up a little more (and after some serious fake tan application too), it’s so comfortable and so me.  My leather jacket would be my usual go to jacket; however the colour of this probably does far more for me and gives the outfit a slightly different look, more boho than rock chick.

The last outfit is a little print mixing, you all know how much I like to mix my prints so you must have been expecting to see something like this one.  I think the floral jacket sits well over the skull design t-shirt, while the black skinny jeans tie the outfit together.  Sure, a cardigan would work well here too, but I tend to prefer jackets for layering as they will often enhance curves more…sometimes a long, loose, cardigan can swamp the frame.

So what do you think?  Will you be running to the shops to find a printed jacket, or sticking to block colours?

This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a while now and I hope it will become a regular feature on Hip Shapes and Bristol Fashion.  I came up with the idea when I was pulling together the post about this maxi skirt.   I mentioned then, that I will only buy something new, if I know it will go with at least three other items I’ve got back at home.  Well ‘Three Ways’ to Wear’ is an extension of this.   Some weeks I’ll illustrate three ways to wear a key item and others will focus on a particular trend.  I love the challenge of pulling together looks and outfits using the same item of clothing and proving to you that you don’t need to have an extensive collection of clothes to create countless outfits…just some imagination and a pair of fresh eyes.

As a personal stylist I’ve been through so many wardrobes and while they’re all so different from each other (one of the many things I love about my job is the variety), there are a couple of things that I see again and again.  The first is there are always at least three or four items hanging in the wardrobe un-worn with the labels still on and the other, is that some items are only ever worn a few times and in the same way.  

I want this regular feature to inspire people to experiment more with their wardrobe, to be more creative and not to be afraid to try something new.   As well as this, I’m hoping it will force me to put the time aside to regularly look at my own wardrobe, something that I’ve enjoyed doing with the challenges I’ve done, but that normally comes last after all my clients wardrobes. (On that note, I still want to do more challenges, so if you have one for me, then get in touch!).  So, what do you think? 

Well, if you like the idea then here’s my first post...
Three ways to wear a blouse.

1. Blouse from Monsoon, jeans from Donna Ida, shoes from NW3 and vintag broach 2.Blouse and jeans as before, shoes from Ash, vintage belt, cardigan from Hennes. 3. Jumper from Zara, skirt from Joy, shoes from Dune.

I’m a huge fan of blouses; I find them such a versatile item and perfect for layering.  This one is from Monsoon Fusion, a make that’s recently caught my eye.  I love the colour and the cute heart print (which surprises me as I’m not normally drawn to clothes or jewellery with hearts).  The first outfit is fairly simple, I’ve paired the blouse with a pair of skinny jeans and heels.  I love the shape of the top so I’ve kept the rest of the outfit fairly simple.  I really like the collar and the little bow round the neck so thought I’d try to make a feature of it by adding the broach. 

My second outfit is much more of an everyday look.  It’s a bit blurry, but I’m wearing my leather trainers by Ash with jeans and have tucked the top in, finishing it off with a studded belt and cardi.

And finally, I’m wearing the blouse under this crochet jumper with a skirt and flats.  The collar works quite well around the neckline of the jumper and I like the way you can see a little bit of green through the holes.  I think my favourite look is the middle one, what about you?

I hoped that I’d end this challenge feeling inspired and looking forward to wearing my leopard print items again, but I’ve come down with a horrid cold - my throat feels like it’s been sand papered and I feel sick -so I’m just moping around in my pj’s.  

I did manage to pull together an outfit for my last day, but I think you can probably tell that I wasn’t really up for it.

Shirt from Asda, jeans from Donna Ida, shoes from Ash, scarf from Miss Selfridge, bag from Angel Jackson

Anyway, the question I need to ask myself is: have I missed my leopard print items? YES!  But that’s only really because most of my footwear is of the animal variety, so I’ve been left with a very limited selection of shoes to wear all week. 

It’s not until you take everything out of your wardrobe and really look at what you’ve got, that you can see what you’re repeatedly buying.  I’ve been through so many different wardrobes and know that most people get in to the habit of buying particular items over and over again (the most popular being jeans, black trousers or cardigans) but I didn’t think I was doing the same.  Well, it turns out I am.

So, while I’ve missed my print ever so much, I’ve been able to determined the gaps in my wardrobe that if I fill (bank account willing) I will be able to create an ever more versatile wardrobe… all in all, it was a very worthwhile exercise.

Is there an item you can't help buying...again and again, and again?

Well day two of my challenge is nearly over.  I had to remove all my leopard print items from sight this morning, to avoid the temptation of wearing them.  I had a lovely new client booked in today for a wardrobe consultation so I’m looking a little smarter than I did yesterday.  If I’m seeing a client, I like to try and polish my look a little, it helps get my head’s in the right space.  It has to still look and feel like me though, otherwise it just doesn’t work.

This outfit is one of those fall back one’s, perfect for a day like today when I all seemed to want to wear is leopard print.  You all know about my love for black skinny’s well here I am in them again, they’re from Donna Ida and are definately an investment piece.  I saved my pennies for these and they’re worth every single one of them!  My blouse is another wardrobe staple; it can be worn casually, smart, or dressed up for a night out.  All I need to do is change the accessories around a little.  It’s one of those items that I think everyone should have in their wardrobe, you don’t have to go for a style that ties at the neck like this one, there are so many different styles around, for all body shapes.  I can just about get away wearing this blouse un-tucked but I think it’s a more polished look when it’s tucked in, it also gives it a bit more shape. 

Jacket from Mango, blouse from Oasis, trousers from Donna Ida, shoes from Carvella, belt came with a pair of trousers from Zara and my bag is Mulberry (it's 10yrs old this year!)

The jacket has been in my wardrobe for about three years now, and yes, it’s another key item. I find it so useful for this time of year when it’s not cold enough to wear my winter coat, but not warm enough to go without.  It works well with denim and I can throw it over a dress, it’s so versatile.

I didn’t start this post intending it to be about key items for the wardrobe, but it seems to have turned out that way…maybe it’s because I did a wardrobe consultation today which is all about identifying key items and building on them to develop a hard working wardrobe.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why my dog is in so many of the photos, it’s because I took them as soon as I got home to catch the last of the daylight, when normally I’d be rushing out on a walk with him.  It was his way of letting me know that he was ready, but to be honest, I didn't mind I quite liked the distraction in front of the lens.

Do you have a fall back outfit, or do you always know what to wear?

No really I am.  Look….

And these are just the items I've got with me, there's more in storage.  It’s got to the point now, where if I’m not wearing any leopard print, friends ask me if I’m okay!

If you read my blog a couple of weeks ago then you may have noticed my 7 day challenge, set by my husband.  Well if not, and you’d like to take a peek, then you can see it here.  After I’d finished I had some great comments and tweets from people saying how much they enjoyed it, it made my week! (thanks!!)  I was so amazed that people actually followed me on my challenge and wanted to talk about it.   I really enjoyed the challenge and the excuse to pay my own wardrobe some attention for a change so when it was all over, I asked you to suggest another challenge for me to take on, and you did!

So what’s my next challenge (as if you’ve not already figured it out)?  To go without leopard print, for a whole week.

I bet you’re reading this and thinking that’s got to be an easy challenge.  Well, you know what, it really isn’t.  Most of my footwear is of the leopard variety, and my warmest coat is too…I’m hoping the weather stays mild.  I’ve got myself into a bit of a style rut when it comes to print; I wear a lot of plain clothing and black – I just love black and there’s nothing wrong with that, but when I try to introduce some print, I somehow end up veering towards the animal kind.  So I’m hoping that this might force me to try other prints and develop my style a little further.

I was in my office all day for the first day of my new challenge.  It was an unusually productive day, I actually managed to catch up with my emails, tweak my blog, pull together two wardrobe reports for two new clients I had last week and prep for another new client I have tomorrow.

The only time I left the house today was to walk Hendrix, I waited until the sun popped out for a few minutes, took some photos and then went for a walk.  Luckily the sun was out long enough for me to take a half decent shot, although it didn’t last, Hendrix and I got rained on within five minutes of starting our walk.

I wore black jeans from Donna Ida, sneakers from Ash (a bargain from outnet.com last summer), black jumper from Warehouse and a huge vintage scarf.  My bag is by Angel Jackson.

What do you think to my new challenge?  Am I cheating a wee bit by having Hendrix in shot...a little bit of animal print :)

Leopard cardigan - Oasis Scarf - H and M Hat - Gap Jeans - Donna Ida Boots - Duo

Despite my constant moaning about not being able to wear my jeans, I’ve actually enjoyed this challenge. It’s been great to be forced to look at my clothes in a new light. As a personal stylist I spend a lot of time going through other peoples wardrobes. I remove the items that don’t work, discuss what shapes and styles of clothing work for them and their shape and then mix and match a selection of outfits using only their current items, to create a collection of outfits that they didn’t realise were in there. I’m constantly telling people that they don’t need lots of clothes to look good, they just need the key pieces and to understand how to mix and match effectively.
I love that I can show people how to wear more of their wardrobe and how to pull together some quite different looks without buying any new clothes, but I don’t ever put the time aside to do go through my own wardrobe.

This may surprise you, but I don’t have a lot of clothes…I practice what I preach, and this challenge has only reinforced my opinion that you don’t need wardrobes bursting at the seams to create lots of different looks. I know that this was only a seven day challenge but I’ve discovered lots of new outfits, and have really enjoyed playing around with my clothes and it’s made me realise that I need to put some more time aside to re-asses my own wardrobe.

Today I wore my jeans, because I could. It feels good to be able to wear them again but I will admit that when it came to deciding what to wear with them, I found I was faced with much more choice than I’d had over the last week. This explains why I ended up wearing the same cardigan from the last post.

I’m going to miss doing my challenge so I think I may have to set myself another in the New Year…any suggestions?

This is probably going to be my last post before Christmas so I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Love Niki x