Most of the weather we are experiencing at the moment just makes you want to stay home wrapped up warm! To help motivate you to get outside into the Great Outdoors I have a post from Katie Belle all about the clothing she’d like to get to encourage her to get outside…
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Trends for enjoying the Great Outdoors: My 2014 off-duty weekend wishlist
With mercury levels still plummeting here, it’s all too easy to make excuse after excuse for simply vegetating in front of the fire or the television. But this year, rather than buying more festive party wear which I only wear once, I’ve decided I’m going to invest in my casual wardrobe, the kind of pieces you throw on for walking the dogs or for a bracing stroll on the beach. That way, I’ll have no excuses for not getting out and about during 2014 to enjoy the Great Outdoors, whatever time of year.
Here are just a few of the off-duty pieces I have my eye on so far, to take me through from winter to summer:
The comfy boots
When it comes to the footwear in my wardrobe, I have high heels lined up along my shelves which are taken down and worn perhaps once a year, while I wear my flat boots pretty much every day. So I’m going to invest in another pair, meaning I’ll be much more likely to take a walk through town in my lunch break or to walk rather than take the car when I’m popping to the shops. I already have a black studded pair, but I love the brown on black styling of this pair from Aldo. The black bases mean they won’t get dirty too quickly but the tan will look great against jeans. They’re also lined to keep your feet warm in the colder months.
The transitional gilet
There’s always the point when the weather turns and it’s slightly too warm for a coat but too cold to go out just in a jumper. That’s when a gilet is perfect for those spring walks. This one from Karl Donoghue is unashamedly pricey. But I can see myself wearing it season after season, whether over knitwear to add an extra layer or with a pair of biker boots to add an edge to a floral dress.
The cute printed tee
Oversized prints were all over the spring summer catwalks and I absolutely love this high street version from Mademoiselle R for La Redoute. I can’t think of anything these flamingos wouldn’t go with. I’ll be wearing with shorts and sandals in the summer and with a skater skirt, opaques and brogues now. It’s also perfect for clashing prints, with a pair of coloured trousers or an A-line skirt for a more fashion forward look. And, of course, it features one of the key colours for spring/summer 2014 – pink.
The boyfriend jeans
While for season upon season it’s all been about skinny jeans and trousers, 2014 will have a much more relaxed feel. I love this pair of boyfriend jeans by celebrity favourite Isabel Marant. They’re high on the waist, so there’s no danger of revealing too much tum and they’d look great teamed with that flamingo print tee. They’re the perfect go-to weekend piece or you could team with heels and a blazer for a lunch date or with a crisp white shirt and statement necklace.
The statement trainers
Stylish trainers are comfortable but still look like you’ve made an effort. Kate Bosworth, Jessica Alba and Megan Fox have all been spotted out in about in trainers during the past few months, teaming them with everything from leather jeans to floaty maxi skirts. This pair from DSquared make a real statement with their gold chain detailing on the side. They could be worn with denims or even with a floral dress and are so beautiful you’d probably want to walk everywhere just to show them off.
So there you have it, my go-to weekend pieces which should make sure my 2014 is healthier and more stylish.
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I completely get where Katie is coming from on spending more money on the clothes you only wear for special occasions. I’m trying to purchase some better quality clothes for when I’m working at home so I don’t fall into the staying in PJ’s all day trap, which has happened recently! Do you spend your budget in line with what you wear the most? How often do you get outside into the Great Outdoors?
*Featured post by Katie Belle
This is just the perfect & justified e
xcuse to make thke most of the winter sales(haha:-),so yeah Katie’s spot on! As if we need an excuse, eh Laura?! People Tree have a gr8 sale on(just treated self to a lovely stripey #, gorgeous star bracelet & hm origami xmas tree deco(sig
n up to the newsletter for 10% off).
X
Haha, oh yes! Thanks for the tip on People Tree, off to look at the sale now!
I have a friend who keeps nagging me to take the family & go camping with them …. they are on thin friendship ice ;-) I love walking out and about (all my shoes and boots are flat, I can’t do heels I have tried) so my entire wardrobe is aimed at comfortable.
Haha, I don’t mind camping but that usually depends on the weather ;-)
I think I’m the other way round, I have so many casual clothes, but putting them together stylishly is a bit more of a struggle! The gilet is perfect for early spring/autumn, and would work with so many things I already have.
I agree on the gilet, I need to keep a look out for a nice one :-)
I can’t do heels at all! I was talking about this with some friends the other day- two of them have super cheap boots from New Look (£20) but the soles come off really easily so they keep buying new pairs. I have some boots that are Clarks (from John Lewis, but I am sure they are Clarks) and I think I have had them for 4 years now. They need a bit of a polish every now and then but I think getting something quality works out better in the end.
I don’t like boyfriend fit jeans in the cold- they let all the cold air in!
Agree on the quality although I know I have some New Look / Primark boots that have lasted well, only due to the fact I don’t wear them often enough to get worn!
I think my ‘getting outside’ wardrobe is probably not very fashionable at all! We’re talking serious walking gear – labels I flaunt when out in the hills include Paramo, North Face (but the functional stuff not the trendy stuff!), Alt-Berg (my uber-wide walking boots), Rohan (my VERY untrendy but so comfy walking trousers) and Rab (my ‘transitional gilet’ – it’s bright purple but it’s filled with down and is so light and warm). Some of my most expensive clothing is walking gear – my waterproof Paramo jacket was £200 – but when you are up a mountain and it’s lashing down with rain it becomes a very sensible investment! But the most versatile thing I have is my Buff – those tubes of fabric that can be hats, scarves, bandanas, even hankies (when you’ve nothing else!) – would hate to be without a couple in my bag!
Walking in the hills is such an amazing experience – so stress-busting yet challenging and you get a great sense of achievement when you can tick off a few more mountain tops on your list (and British mountains are so much more accessible than the higher ones abroad!). Even if we get caught out in dreadful weather I never regret a day out on the hills – it makes you feel alive. Like an old Fat Face Tshirt that I always wished I’d bought – ‘Better a bad day on the beach (or in the hills!) than a good day in the office’!
I love North Face! I think it can be quite trendy ;-) A buff sounds like such a great idea, I bet they are perfect for hiking and climbing. One of my good friends does a lot of hill walking, one day I’m going to have to join her!
Do it – you will be hooked! I hope…