I always wear my gold ‘charm’ necklace, and regularly get comments about it.

I picked up the letter L in an antique shop in the lanes Brighton about 4 years ago, and the swallow I came across in Grays Antique Market just off South Molton Street in London.

One of the ones I have loved on the high street has gone into sale at Urban Outfitters and is now only £9.99!

Uniqlo is one one my fave high street stores, and I have seen some great new things for the A/W season that are worth snapping up,

I love the skinny jeans they do. I have loads of them! At the momnet they have these great 3D stretch ones which I can’t wait to try out. At the moment they are reduced to £19.99.If you are someone who ‘doesnt do skinnys’ but would like try a pair just for the winter to wear inside knee length boots, then these are the best ones for the price.

One of my must have items when shopping for my clients who are building a stylish but practical wardrobe is a trench coat, and they have a great one at only £59.99. The great thing about a Trench is that even if you are going to the park with your kids and have a bit of a scruffy look going on underneath, you can chuck it on and it looks as if you are all ‘together’ and styish. A yummy mummy must have! On the other side, it is also a great office essential, helping you look neat and stylish.

Now that Autumn is getting closer, they have just taken delivery of another essential for any woman who likes layering – or who feels the cold – the heat tech polo neck, long sleeve top and cami. I bought so many of these last year with my clients to waer under shift dresses in the office, or under more chunky knits in a contrasting colour.

And of course the skinny belt for only £6.99, which will make any jersey or knitted jumper dress immediately more dressy. I have a whole stack of these in a variety of colours. They always sell out so I bought them while i could, and it means I have a choice of colours from red, green and gold to cheer up a plain dress, to more classic black and brown. Take a look around the Uniqlo website and take advantage of the following discount codes, which are valid until January!

Save 15% when you spend £45 or more:
· Code: UNI15OFF
· Expires: 31st Jan, 2010

Free standard delivery when you spend £40 or more
· Code: UNIFREEDEL
· Expires: 31st Jan, 2010

I have finally joined the latest trend and created a Twitter account. Its going to take some getting used to, but my plan is to let people know when I spot something great while out shopping with my clients. For example, this week I was looking for a black blazer type jacket. Now this is one of those things that though you think will be everywhere, often I just can’t find on the day. Anyway, although my client wasn’t on a tight budget, we found ourselves in Zara. As by this time we were weighed down with about 5 shopping bags, I settled ‘N’ in a corner by a mirror and did my usual scan of the shop floor -this unearthed about 6 different black jackets varying in price from £29-£59. They varied between cheap looking and bad fitting to great fit, well-made looking. The best thing of all was that we both agreed that the £29 jacket was by far the best and was both a great fit and good quality. Now in my experience finds like that don’t hang around long, and by Monday when i’m back shopping will probably be unavailable to my next client. But as soon as i’d finished the shopping session, I sent out a Tweet saying what i’d found. My regular clients who sign up to get my tweets will get bang up to date info on what i’m finding for myself and other clients. When i finally get to grips with this blog and learn how to put photos and links in quickly my plan is to tweet and then put a picture and more info up here so it can be easily sourced if you decide to track an item down instore or online.
Join me on twitter as babetstyle. Have a great weekend!

I thought i’d kick off my blogging with something I know my clients struggle with finding – belts.

Accessories really need to be built up over time – you can never find what you need when you are desparate of a certain style for a particular outfit. Therefore, its worth building up a collection of a few belts of different styles and colours to cover all potential outfits. One style that is a MUST this summer, especially to help define shape under potentially shapeless and baggy jersey things – t shirts, dresses – is a skinny belt. My current favourite – cheap as chips  at £6.99 and in a load of different colours – is from Uniqlo

They sold out immediately when they first came in a month ago, but I noticed this week that they had a new batch in store and available online, but be quick!

Another belt that is useful to own-  if you have a figure that cries out for waist definition – is a wide elasticated waist belt like this one from American Apparel, which again would be most useful in black but comes in a variety of colours and is only £12.

If you are looking for anything in particular in the shops or online, drop me a comment and budget and i will try and come back with some suggestions.

Spring is finally upon us and the shops are now full of the new styles of the season.  But before you begin thinking about new styles and which of the new trends you will be tempted by, it’s time to get organised and have a clear out.  More than ever we need to know what we have already so we can shop smart and spend wisely. Face it; your wardrobe has got way out of control. Get ready to slim down and say “hello” to the wardrobe you’ve always dreamed of – organised, functional, easy-to-access and welcoming.  Follow the steps in this Spring Wardrobe Diet and you’ll be reaping rewards in no time!

Step One: Lose the wardrobe weight
When you look in your wardrobe, there’s some obvious clutter that you can get rid of quickly. Look for the following fatty closet culprits:

Dry cleaning plastic wraps;
Scores of mismatched hangers cluttering up your wardrobe rail;
Empty shoe boxes;
Non-wardrobe items like sports equipment, boxes of photos, abandoned craft projects.
Whip out a black bin bag, and dump the clutter. Then move the non-wardrobe items to a neutral spot out the way to be sorted out later.
Step Two: Swap the empty clothes calories for this season’s valued ones
The weather is changing and so should your outfits. It’s much easier to see what’s working for you when the clothes you won’t be using for another six months are stored out of sight. You might not be in T-shirts and sandals yet, but you’re closer than you think. Store the following items outside of your ‘active’ wardrobe:

Heavy winter coats and any jacket that is too wintery-looking to transition into spring;
Heavier looking winter separates like wool trousers, bulky knitwear. Keep some cashmere favourites as long as they’re thinner, or in light & bright colours;
Wool socks, thick scarves, mittens, thermals –anything that you won’t be needing again until next winter;
Winter-season wear including Christmas & new year’s eve party dresses, and fancy dress costumes!
Step Three: Exercise good judgement
You’ve removed the clutter so now it’s time to work smarter and a little harder. In front of your full-length mirror, try on all your clothes. The only clothes that are going to stay in your closet are the ones that fit, flatter, and complement your style. Anything that gets an “Oh no!” or a “so-so” response gets put aside for charity, friends or E-Bay. To help you decide what stays and what goes, ask yourself the following:
“Would I buy it again?
“Does this look like me or does it look like my mother?” (Or sister, daughter, etc.);
“Is this ill-fitting garment worth keeping and altering to fit me or should I just go buy a new one?”
“Is this trendy item too young for me?” (Hint: if you have to ask, it is too young);
“Is this looking too shabby?”
This bit is really hard! It is difficult to be objective, so you need to get a second opinion. Get in touch and I’ll come and help you get you back on track. Failing that, ask a friend whose opinion you value to help.

Step Four: Organise for easy dressing
Now that you’ve slimmed the contents to a workable wardrobe mass, it’s time to organise. This is the sculpting and toning phase of the wardrobe diet. You need some organising tools to keep your clothes in shape. I have included links to some examples.

Invest in matching hangers, and hang as much as possible. Jumpers and knits need to be on padded hangers to avoid shoulder stretching.  Wire hangers are a big no no! Buy wooden if you have plenty of hanging space, otherwise plastic is the next best thing.;
Get your shoes off the floor and out from under the bed. Organise them on shoe racks or in see-through shoe boxes;
An open five-compartment cloth shelf unit that hangs in your wardrobe will keep your spring jumpers & folded t-shirts organised and in full view for easy access;
Drawer dividers will separate your pants from your socks;
Use vacuum bags to store your clothes fresh and compact. Make a list of what is in each bag before sealing so you know what is inside each one at glance;
Finally, sort out your jewellery and put it where you can see it – use a row of  small simple hooks inside the wardrobe door, or a beautiful jewellery box;
When your clothes and accessories are neatly organised and visible, it makes you want to reach for them and wear them more, giving you more options on a daily basis without the need for buying more clothes!  When you discover that you’re missing some key pieces, put those items on a list and shop for them specifically.

If you stumble over any of these steps, contact me for help. A wardrobe & style consultant can be your personal trainer and help you get your look and wardrobe in shape in time for spring fashion.