How to make outfits interesting

By |2024-10-25T17:06:12+01:00October 25th, 2024|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

By popular request it's another style tips post today - you see one of the conversations that crops up regularly during the colder months is about how to make outfits interesting. That's because so often our AW wardrobes consist of darker colours that initially feel refreshing after summer's brights but then quickly become monotonous. Of course your individual look has a lot to do with the way you wear things but years of studying market research has shown me that [...]

3 style tips for autumn outfits

By |2024-09-27T22:35:12+01:00September 27th, 2024|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

It's a quick post from me today because I'm chasing the sun and heading away for a few days so I thought I'd leave you with some wardrobe styling homework as there won't be a post next Friday. I'm bringing you 3 style tips for autumn outfits - they will interest those of you who enjoy a bit of forensic outfit structuring and for those who don't, there are 3 outfit combinations to help you to get in sync [...]

M&S – what’s in store for AW24?

By |2024-09-24T17:11:46+01:00September 20th, 2024|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

So here we are, this weekend brings with it the autumn equinox. As I type I'm looking out at a garden shrouded in early morning mist, the apple tree is heavy with fruit but it's been a poor year for the pears. The morello cherries have gone to the birds... again. There's a single day where the fruit suddenly turns sweet and somehow they know. As I mentioned last week, after being reminded that we don't have endless autumns in [...]

Autumn fashion trends 2024 – what’s new?

By |2024-09-06T16:59:14+01:00September 6th, 2024|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I realise that it's still quite warm and if you're anything like me, you're determined to cling on to every last drop of summer (actually it still feels like the first drops of summer but I won't go there!). However there's no denying that the evenings are cooler and it's getting darker much earlier - autumn is on its way. There will be a day soon when you suddenly realise that the wardrobe turnover is due and so today's [...]

How to analyse the shapes and brands that suit you

By |2024-06-07T16:57:29+01:00June 7th, 2024|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

I haven't worked with John Lewis for ages - there's a new team in place and so today's post is going be a little bit different. I usually do a summer post earlier than this and I tend to go straight to their own brand ranges because I find they suit all kinds of different body shapes and sizes. The good thing about working with new people though is that they have different approaches and they asked whether this [...]

Summer in the UK – what to wear & midlife lately

By |2024-05-31T16:43:16+01:00May 31st, 2024|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

I think for a lot of midlifers the concept of summer changes, especially when you find yourself no longer bound by school term dates or even edging towards retirement. Time stretches and you can take advantage of booking a holiday earlier or later in the season and actually enjoy summer in the UK. But that of course comes with its own challenges, specifically weather because it's rarely quite as good as you imagine it's going to be. And that's where [...]

White Stuff update – and can you help?

By |2024-05-10T16:57:47+01:00May 10th, 2024|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Another new season try-on today with a look at the continuing evolution of White Stuff. A few of you have been saying that you're missing the retail insight posts that I ran back in the autumn so I'm going to go a little deeper into the the brand background on this one. As you know, I've been following their progress for a while now, ever since they undertook what they called their "quiet" rebrand in 2021. As a retailer [...]

New styles for spring from John Lewis

By |2024-04-05T16:49:17+01:00April 5th, 2024|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Now that our minds are focused firmly towards better weather I'm bringing you another new season try-on today, this time focusing on new styles for spring from John Lewis. So let's have a catch-up on what's been going on there since I last covered them in October. As you probably know it's all change at the top with the return of Peter Ruis as executive director. He first joined the store in 2005 and was responsible for the huge fashion [...]

The best capsule pieces – new M&S collection SS24

By |2024-03-29T14:37:42+00:00March 29th, 2024|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

And so it's time for us to think about our spring wardrobes. Despite the weather's grimmest efforts this weekend I'm convinced that we're going to have a good summer this year - it may be wishful thinking because we're remaining solidly in the UK but I'm sending it out there! Today I'm delighted to be looking at the new season drop from M&S. They're a brand I haven't focused on for a while - as you know that's because [...]

Finding the best bra for your breast shape

By |2024-02-23T16:42:47+00:00February 23rd, 2024|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , |

With it being Midlifechic's 10th birthday a couple of weeks ago, I thought I'd delve into the stats to see what my most popular post has been and ever since I wrote it over five years ago, it's been the one about finding the best bra for your breast shape. Of course it's all a bit out of date now so I thought it was time for a refresh - after all there's no point in moving on to new [...]

Spring wardrobe lifts that work now

By |2024-02-16T16:21:21+00:00February 16th, 2024|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

It's a bit of a cornucopia today - I don't know about you but I'm starting to feel the winter blues so I'm looking for spring wardrobe lifts that work now. Starting with clothes, I'm not ready to think about buying anything major yet in terms of outfits. The new collections won't arrive for a while but having seen the trends and some of the retail previews, I have a good idea of what I'm hoping to wear this year. [...]

Boden review – retailer spotlight

By |2023-11-17T14:41:21+00:00November 14th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

So many of you have said you've enjoyed the retail spotlight posts that I'm bringing you one more for 2023. After this, they'll be on pause until January while we focus on Christmas and all of the prep that it entails. So today as well as doing my monthly edit, it's a Boden review - retailer spotlight. Let me bring you up to date with what's going on there. Boden - brand background in a [...]

Mango review – retailer spotlight

By |2023-10-17T16:59:52+01:00October 17th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

The second in my series of mini-posts in response to the reader survey. Today I'm looking at Mango which in my view is one of the best and yet perhaps most under-rated brands at the lower end of the price scale. So here we go, Mango review - retailer spotlight, let me tell you more. Mango - brand background in a nutshell Disclosure: as with the majority of blogs, products featured on Midlifechic [...]

Easy AW23 outfit updates

By |2023-10-14T17:05:57+01:00October 13th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I'm moving on with the highly requested style tips today. In the survey, 85% of you said that you were looking for advice on how to add a bit of oomph to the more relaxed end of your wardrobe. It was no surprise to hear that 49% of you are buying fewer clothes and trying to find ways of working with what you already have, adding updates here and there. Today I'm looking at easy AW23 outfit updates from [...]

Cos review – retailer spotlight

By |2023-10-13T12:12:03+01:00October 10th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

This is the first in a series of mini-posts I'm planning to run in response to the reader survey. I'm going to give you the lowdown on a specific UK retailer each Tuesday and pull out their strengths. The intention is that you'll have an edit on what to buy, from where, and why. I'm starting with Cos because it's a brand turnaround that I've been watching closely. So here we go, Cos review - retailer spotlight, let me [...]

Stepping into Autumn 23 – new wardrobe additions

By |2023-09-15T19:17:44+01:00September 15th, 2023|Categories: Product review, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

And so as summer's last gasp starts to recede, it's time to think about a more autumnal look and that's where I'm beginning with this month's Boden edit which is all about stepping into Autumn 23 - new wardrobe additions. If you read last week's post about the AW23 trends, you'll see I'm working them in little ways as I think carefully about how to expand the outfits that I already have and love. Boden's first big Autumn drop landed [...]

AW23 – the trends and thoughts about planning your wardrobe

By |2023-09-08T16:53:34+01:00September 8th, 2023|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Hasn't it been glorious to have a blast of summer this week? The mid-20s temperatures up here have been absolutely perfect, just what we needed to lift everyone's mood before the season really starts to shift. The leaves are turning, the hedgerows are heavy with berries, the boughs on our pear tree are so heavy with fruit that they're almost breaking which means it's time to start adjusting to the big move on... not in terms of 'buy it now' [...]

Capsule wardrobe building: transitional pieces for cooler days

By |2023-08-18T17:19:57+01:00August 18th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hurray - we've had a bit of sunshine across most of the UK at last although looking at the long term forecast it isn't set to stay for very long. So for this month's Boden edit I thought I'd look at capsule wardrobe building with hardworking transitional pieces that work for cooler days as well as warm ones. The thing about Boden's cross-season drops is that it's easy to flick through them and think that because there aren't any show [...]

How to update your midlife wardrobe for Summer 23

By |2023-05-05T17:20:07+01:00May 5th, 2023|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

My goodness, another bank holiday, it's a surfeit of the sweetest things for anyone who's busy at work at the moment isn't it? I wonder how many of you have coronation plans. It seems to be very low key here, nobody we know is doing any kind of royal celebration which seems a shame and I wonder if we've just had so much pomp and ceremony over the last few years that it's lost its edge - or maybe it's [...]

A Spring 23 wardrobe capsule and try-on

By |2023-04-14T16:59:33+01:00April 14th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Despite the arctic blasts that are ripping through the garden outside my window I'm full of the joys of Spring 23 again today, this time with a look at Boden. With sustainability in mind they have a focus on 'buy less and wear more' this season and they've pulled together a useful section on their site that they're calling Spring Uniform - an edit of everyday clothes that work together and are easy to wear repeatedly. It fits with the [...]

Midlife jeans try-on – the best-selling styles at John Lewis

By |2023-04-06T16:47:59+01:00April 6th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Happy Easter to you, I hope the sun is shining where you are and that you have a special weekend ahead. All of my chicks are back in the nest so I'm looking forward to having a few days off with them. Hopefully the Easter bunny will come on Sunday despite their now advanced years (and Ted's enthusiasm for joining in any hunt - he's already swiped one pack of Easter chocolates and spent an afternoon feeling worse for [...]

Easy ways to update your wardrobe for Spring 2023

By |2023-03-24T16:42:03+00:00March 24th, 2023|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , |

At last, it's officially Spring (although the weather gods still seem to have their ear muffs on). Within the next month we'll have that first glorious day when you can feel the good times coming. So, let's talk about clothes again and easy ways to update your wardrobe for Spring 2023. With an eye on sustainability I've been keeping quiet on the shopping front for a while. I don't feel it's right to keep pushing ill considered purchases with the [...]

Thoughtful sale buys for the new year

By |2023-01-06T16:47:24+00:00January 6th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

Hello and Happy New Year to you - I hope you've had a really good Christmas break and avoided the wretched cold/cough virus that's going around. I had it when I left you last and only started to feel better on Christmas Day which was a bit of a shame as it meant the build-up week when the boys first came home was a bit muffled - but at least it meant we could enjoy Christmas itself. I smiled sympathetically [...]

Christmassy outfits that are not just for Christmas

By |2022-11-11T20:43:25+00:00November 11th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

As we're getting into the swing of Christmas now, for my last Boden edit of the year it made sense to look at what we might wear when we're in the mood to look festive. Every year, at the end of November ( for me anyway) there comes a morning where I suddenly want to move away from my autumn clothes and add a little touch of something extra to my outfits. And that's what today's post is going [...]

Easy ways to build a colourful winter wardrobe

By |2022-10-07T17:14:16+01:00October 7th, 2022|Categories: Accessories, Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Today we're continuing with AW22 and I'm bringing you more ideas for making your wardrobe work hard. I think for all of us it's a season for being realistic; very few people are going to be buying into the 'everything new' mentality - instead it's a time to be savvy. So when it comes to new season, it doesn't feel right for me to just bring you a whole load of 'what's new' posts. Rather [...]

Edging into A/W22 with White Stuff

By |2022-09-30T17:42:52+01:00September 30th, 2022|Categories: Product review, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

And so I can't hold it off any longer, Autumn is most definitely here and I can't believe how suddenly it's arrived this year. September is often the warmest month of the season for us up here and yet I've already found myself digging out gloves for my walks with Ted. So today you find me edging into A/W22 with White Stuff . I'm bringing you my personal edit from their new collection and to go with it, you'll see [...]

Bright colours to lift spring outfits – at reasonable prices too

By |2022-05-03T12:45:18+01:00May 3rd, 2022|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I wonder if you can tell that I was in holiday mode when I put this post together. Our decision to head to the sunshine after the last few full-on months prompted a bit of a panic in terms of finding time to pack. And, as our departure date grew closer the weather forecast wasn't looking as good as I hoped - it was more akin to a British summer than one a four and a half hour flight away. [...]

Easter style and beauty – dresses, trousers, tees and tools

By |2022-08-08T15:45:54+01:00April 14th, 2022|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Well hello and Happy Easter! Isn't it great to have a long weekend ahead? I haven't actually been looking forward to it because we had meetings booked in (retailers have no sympathy with Bank Holidays) but happily they've now been moved to next week so we have an unexpected break and an almost empty diary so we're just going to enjoy the last weekend of the boys being home. It's a bit of a mishmash today, I have some try-ons [...]

Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo SS22 launches today – a quick try-on

By |2022-03-03T14:22:25+00:00March 3rd, 2022|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I have to say I was getting worried - my favourite Uniqlo collab usually comes out at the end of January and this year there was no sign of it but of course everything in retail has been upended and at last here it is - Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo SS22. This year's inspiration comes from Marrakech and we see the introduction of a red rose print along with cotton pieces with easy box pleats, designed to feel [...]

White Stuff review – a brand with renewed direction

By |2022-02-28T16:56:09+00:00February 28th, 2022|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Today I'm focusing on a brand I haven't covered before with a White Stuff review. I've had to think hard about why I've so rarely included their clothes on here and I think it's because for a very long time I haven't felt as if I'm their customer. However, a little while ago I was contacted by the new team there which I was thrilled to see now includes some great people I know who've moved over from other brands [...]

The best jeans cuts for midlifers – SS22 denim try-on

By |2022-02-18T16:10:50+00:00February 18th, 2022|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Well as you may have guessed from the picture above, I have something a little different for you today - Mr MC is making his modelling debut on Midlifechic... for one post only. When John Lewis & Partners wondered out loud if we might do a his and hers jeans try-on I wasn't sure how he'd react but he was thrilled by the thought of being at the other side of the lens for a change. His only stipulation was [...]

How to make necklines work for your body

By |2022-02-11T16:57:45+00:00February 11th, 2022|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Thank you for all of your lovely blog birthday wishes last week. I'm writing this in a bit of a time-warp on Tuesday night because we've decided to act on our empty-nesters' ability to be spontaneous and head off for a few days to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We're not going very far at all, certainly not to the exotic climes that we should have been enjoying right now but we've realised that with a new project looming this might [...]

How to make winter outfits look pulled together

By |2022-02-04T16:27:58+00:00February 4th, 2022|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , |

I'm going to talk about how to make winter outfits look pulled together today but first I just want to say how nice it is when a post falls on Midlifechic's actual birthday - my blog is 8 years old today. This is post number 655 and what a journey it's been. As always I've been flicking through my early pictures and my first thought is how tired I look but then I think about how busy life was with [...]

How to pack the right clothes for a weekend break

By |2022-01-28T14:23:08+00:00January 28th, 2022|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

And it's a back to normal post today with 'How to pack the right clothes for a weekend break'. But first I just want to thank everyone who commented on last week's post about spiking. I've read every one but I haven't replied because keeping on going over it isn't doing me any good. However I have a call scheduled with the Inquiry Manager for the Home Affairs Committee on Monday so I'm hoping to fight back and do what [...]

My best winter buys & 2021 over and out!

By |2021-12-22T16:59:28+00:00December 22nd, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Midlife, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

I can't believe this is the last post of the year - I'm running out of time and there's lots I want to say to you so I'm going to crack on. I'm starting with a quick catch-up of the last few days, then moving on to a round-up of my best winter buys & 2021 over and out! Christmassy days out So let's start over in Newcastle. We had a whirlwind visit to take mum-in-law out for the day [...]

Winter outfits as we build up to Christmas – women over 50

By |2021-12-03T18:34:23+00:00December 3rd, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello and Happy Friday everyone. With the last few posts focusing on Christmas gifts it feels like a while since we've had a catch-up so today I bring you an assortment of outfit pictures with a bit of chat in between. It's a funny old time again isn't it? Just a week ago we went to our first Christmas party, marvelling at how normal everything felt and then within a few days there's a new named variant and we're all [...]

A new range of simple, sustainable basics for fashion and home

By |2021-10-08T09:51:28+01:00October 8th, 2021|Categories: Interiors, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

A new range of simple, sustainable basics for fashion As I type this Mr MC is busy filling in our passenger locator forms and we're forcing ourselves to think about leaving the Mykonos sunshine to come home. At this particular moment Autumn feels like a million miles away but I know that in just over 24 hours it will be a reality. However at least we won't be going home to an empty nest quite yet; the eldest has been [...]

Autumn wardrobe planning – a new start for a new way of life

By |2021-09-17T16:59:57+01:00September 17th, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Autumn wardrobe planning - a new start for a new way of life I might be a bit later than the back to schoolers but I certainly have a feeling of new term butterflies in my tummy this week - a mix of worry and excitement about what lies ahead. Of course for us this season (and this weekend in particular) really is a new start as we empty nest but I'm sensing that lots of people are feeling the [...]

AW21 trends and easy ways to wear them

By |2021-09-10T16:59:54+01:00September 10th, 2021|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

AW21 trends and easy ways to wear them Trends - do they even matter any more? Whereas designers and glossy magazine editors used to dominate the world of fashion and dictate what we'd wear every season, since the arrival of the internet and social media in particular there's been a real change in the balance of power. Now pretty much any style goes if you own it and wear it with confidence. So I almost decided against doing this new [...]

Exclusive – trying on Inès de la Fressange at Uniqlo AW21

By |2021-08-26T15:46:55+01:00August 26th, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

And so here we are with the first post of the Autumn season and it's an exclusive - trying on Inès de la Fressange at Uniqlo AW21. I'm so sorry that it's late, the samples just didn't arrive and so today we've had a mad trip to the Manchester store to try the pieces I wanted to show you so that we could photograph them and send this post live. It's been a crazy day in hot sunshine and I [...]

Summer outfit building blocks & midlife lately

By |2021-05-21T15:33:48+01:00May 21st, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

It's that cruel point in the season when the sun's barely started shining and yet it's time to start wrapping up wardrobe posts about Summer drops. Already the new season previews are starting and I find myself peeping reluctantly through my fingers at Autumn clothes. This is the last of my SS21 posts with Boden and I've been thinking hard about how to approach it because I'd usually be talking about packing for Summer holidays with wafty beach dresses and [...]

New season try-ons – Bank Holiday Bumper Post!

By |2021-04-30T18:14:54+01:00April 30th, 2021|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

And hurray for a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK, don't you just love this time of year? It has to be said that if any month deserves not one but two Bank Holidays it's May so I hope you have plans that include at least one pop of joy. We're currently over in Newcastle starting to bring our ideas to life. As you know all we've done so far is paint the whole place white, not because that's the [...]

The latest SS21 drop at John Lewis & Partners

By |2021-04-27T17:03:59+01:00April 27th, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Well hello, how nice it is to be back on a Tuesday for a change. It's just a quick post today to tell you about the latest SS21 drop at John Lewis & Partners. As we discussed last month they're going through a style evolution on their fashion floor and we're now moving into stage 2 as more small labels arrive to augment their already established collection of brands. Their vision is to have a foundation of good capsule pieces [...]

What I’ve been wearing as we emerge from lockdown

By |2021-04-23T15:48:03+01:00April 23rd, 2021|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's one of those 'conversations with a friend' posts today because I had a panicky text from one who'd been told rather suddenly that her office is going to reopen for three days a week and she was dumbfounded. "It's going to mean going to bed and getting up at regular times again... and setting an alarm... and packing lunch... and getting dressed - I know you've been getting dressed all through this so tell me what to wear?!" Well [...]

Linen for a British summer & midlife lately

By |2021-04-16T17:13:16+01:00April 16th, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Well hello, I hope you've had a good couple of weeks. Ours have been busy - I never want to paint another wall again, especially with Mr MC as my foreman, he has levels of perfection that way exceed my skills (and thankfully I think we're agreed on that so I may be reassigned to something that plays more to my strengths... such as shopping!). So how has 're-entry' felt for you this week if you're in the UK? Different [...]

What’s going on at John Lewis & Partners?

By |2021-03-23T13:53:46+00:00March 19th, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Thank goodness - on Sunday we'll reach the Spring equinox and then in a week's time the clocks go forward. These are the little things that mean such a lot at the moment because they'll make a significant difference to the lives we're living. Today's post is all about new season, this time with a focus on more everyday outfits that will take us from lockdown to beyond. I'm pleased to be working with one of my favourite retailers again [...]

Cornucopia – new outfits, food and Midlife Lately

By |2021-02-27T17:02:49+00:00February 26th, 2021|Categories: Family, Relationships, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Well hello, how are you? Feeling buoyed by Boris's roadmap or not? I've noticed that this week has been an emotional one for a lot of people. Everyone I've spoken to seems to be swinging between elation at having a hairdresser's appointment in the diary and despair at still having weeks of limbo ahead. I feel the same and I'll have a go at encapsulating it in Midlife Lately at the end of this post because I'll be fascinated to [...]

Launching SS21 – Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo

By |2021-02-18T17:05:31+00:00February 18th, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Today I'm working with Uniqlo to kick off the new season by launching SS21 - Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo. Like the first snowdrops, for me this shoot is always the sign of brighter times ahead and it feels particularly victorious to still be able to bring it to you this year despite the added hurdles that are impacting retailers everywhere. We're slightly later than I hoped to be because the clothes samples only arrived at lunchtime today so [...]

Refreshing the now – winter lockdown style

By |2021-01-25T13:42:46+00:00January 15th, 2021|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Ah your responses to last Friday's post were so interesting - if you haven't had time yet, go back and read through the comments because they give really good insight into the myriad ways we're all living and feeling at the moment. They showed me that although we remain on the same wavelength, we're all having completely different experiences of lockdown, particularly this time around. I'm going to be holding that in my mind as I write my posts over [...]

A Baukjen AW20 try-on – and new bags

By |2020-10-23T17:04:12+01:00October 23rd, 2020|Categories: Accessories, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Well the clocks go back here this weekend so we'll be officially saying goodbye to British Summer Time. Today I'm doing a Baukjen AW20 try-on, showcasing a few pieces from this tiny British brand that has continued to shine ethically throughout this difficult year. And at the end of the post I'll show you my tiny collection of new bags that have finally arrived after the hard work we did in the summer. New readers often ask me how Baukjen [...]

Stitch Fix review, beauty recommendations and a singalong

By |2020-07-31T16:11:14+01:00July 31st, 2020|Categories: Family, Hair & Beauty, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

It's been a much quieter week here this week, we've been balancing our leap out of lockdown by being home-based again in a strange kind of exposure equation. It means I don't have anything exciting to report on but I have been trying out a few new things so I'll tell you about those instead with a cornucopia including a Stitch Fix review, some honest beauty recommendations and a singalong. Stitch Fix review I'm starting with a Stitch Fix review. [...]

What to wear for a UK staycation & great summer reads

By |2020-07-15T16:59:58+01:00July 15th, 2020|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I'm early this week because today's post includes quite a few pieces that have just gone into the sale and I wanted to get them to you before they all sell out. I'm heading down to London in the morning, Friday will finally be haircut day for me and Mr MC is coming too (to London, not the hairdressers). We'll be making the most of a couple of nights away because I want to be able to walk everywhere rather [...]

Hush sale top ten & retail behind the scenes

By |2020-06-25T14:22:39+01:00June 25th, 2020|Categories: Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Hello, I'm a day early but the Hush sale has started so I thought I'd bring you my Hush sale top ten. I warn you, the sale site is a pain to go through because when you click on an item it doesn't usually remember where you left off so you have to scroll down to find your place again. Before I go into my top picks though I thought I'd give you an update on sales in general because [...]

Chic heatwave dresses and good sale buys

By |2020-06-19T13:25:41+01:00June 19th, 2020|Categories: Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

We have a post with a purpose today, it's all about chic heatwave dresses because Meg wrote in to say "I have a colleague who's been looking effortless in the heat when we have our Zoom meetings. I'm still struggling to make the transition from office to home and I find I'm sweating in front of the camera wearing the structured ponte dresses I usually wear to work. Can you help me to find the kind of thing I'm looking [...]

Working from home chic – new ideas

By |2020-05-05T16:00:21+01:00May 5th, 2020|Categories: Style, Work life balance|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello everyone, how are you? After dedicating the comments to the kindness competition last week I feel a bit out of touch with you all. Mind you we're getting used to that feeling of general disconnection now aren't we? I've had a few emails from people asking for more ideas for working from home chic, especially now that we seem (fingers crossed) to have moved firmly into a rather lovely British spring/summer. As I mentioned last week, Boden kindly invited [...]

Lockdown week 5 & a prize for kindness

By |2020-05-01T15:52:55+01:00May 1st, 2020|Categories: Accessories, Project Happier, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Lockdown week 5 Well, here we are at the start of a shiny new month, probably not as far along as we thought we would be when when we turned from March to April but it feels like progress nevertheless. May is my favourite month of the year and of course that could just be because it's my birthday month and so it always feels as though it's brimming with promise but even so, I still believe it's the most [...]

Midlife in the time of coronavirus – more diaries

By |2020-04-10T12:54:44+01:00April 10th, 2020|Categories: Family, Project Happier, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

We're coming to the end of the third week of lockdown and so I thought I'd do another simple diary. As readers you will of course know what it's like to go shopping at the moment but I'm recording it here for legacy purposes. I hope that soon we'll be looking back with disbelief and I don't want to forget how extraordinary this time was. So today do please add in the comments anything that's struck you as you've tried [...]

My capsule wardrobe for the week – smart casual

By |2020-04-09T15:39:48+01:00April 7th, 2020|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I thought we'd take a break from discussing the virus today and settle back into our happy zone of what to wear. I'm keeping it relevant because this is a personal project. On Sunday I sat down as usual to think about the week ahead and with no complex projects ahead, it struck me that this is an opportunity for a quasi-clinical test on the smart casual element of my wardrobe. So I set myself a test to build a [...]

Supporting small brands through difficult times

By |2020-03-24T17:05:30+00:00March 24th, 2020|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Supporting small brands through difficult times Every time I start a post the world seems a little stranger and today I feel as though I'm broadcasting from a bunker. It's a concept that's quite vivid in my imagination because I've always been a bit of a living history geek. When I was at Selfridges I seemed to be the only person other than the archivist who was interested in the store's story. Sensing a kindred spirit he used to allow [...]

Spring / Summer 2020 trend update – it’s all in the detail

By |2020-03-06T16:40:34+00:00March 6th, 2020|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Spring / Summer 2020 trend update It's time to move into new season with a spring / summer 2020 trend update. Before we start, I just want to apologise for being behind with the comments, I've had extra things eating into my time this week with the demise of FlyBe (flights and claims to be dealt with) along with Coronavirus. I thought we'd be relatively insulated from it up here but after spending the last few days getting the youngest [...]

What to look for when you’re buying jeans & a try-on

By |2024-03-26T12:14:21+00:00February 25th, 2020|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

What to look for when you're buying jeans It's another denim try-on today, this time I'm working with John Lewis & Partners, looking at their And/Or range which is good because last time I did this, I found the jeans that have been my go-to pair for the last two years. When I asked in the reader survey which looks were most relevant to your lifestyle, smart casual (jeans with a blazer) and relaxed casual (jeans with trainers) scored 82% [...]

What to wear with jeans now, SS20

By |2020-02-18T17:10:09+00:00February 18th, 2020|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Repeat after me "I won't complain about the weather..." Grim isn't it? It's actually appropriate that my inbox is full of London Fashion Week for Autumn 2020 because spring feels a long way away. As always I've been busy saving the information that I'll need when we come round to discussing AW20 in September but actually, there are details we can take from it in advance. It's going to be a while until we start casting off layers so we [...]

How to know which clothes suit you, spring 2020

By |2020-10-05T17:31:34+01:00February 14th, 2020|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , |

I think this is the hardest time of the year for finding pleasure in your clothes. Between now and early April I feel utterly uninspired by my seemingly endless rotation of jumpers and boots so today I thought we'd start to look ahead to spring. I'm not going to talk about new styles or colours yet because the new season's collections haven't arrived yet. I warn you though that there isn't much to say this year. As you know, retailers [...]

M&S SS20 – core denim try-on

By |2020-02-07T16:36:50+00:00February 7th, 2020|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

It's a retailer try-on today with my first M&S edit of the year so let's have a look at what's going on there. As we discussed back in September, there's a new womenswear team on board with a strategy to address the basics. Their view is that the marketplace is already well served with fast fashion retailers chasing the latest trends so the role of M&S should be to get the core basics right - which is something I think [...]

What I wear in January, outfit ideas women over 40

By |2020-01-22T15:58:26+00:00January 21st, 2020|Categories: Midlife, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

What I wear in January, outfit ideas women over 40 Today's post is the first of a new series that I'm aiming to include every month featuring a compilation of outfits that I've been wearing for work and weekends. These posts will show you what I wear day in, day out and they should contrast nicely with the new season try-ons that I do with some of our favourite high street brands. I'm not going to patronise you by saying [...]

Relaxed winter chic for women over 40

By |2019-11-12T16:40:45+00:00November 12th, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I'm pleased to say that today's post has been prompted directly by you. You see I had the pleasure of chatting to lots of readers at the John Lewis & Partners event on Friday and one topic was requested more than any other: 'relaxed winter chic for women over 40.' So, before we launch headlong into the whirlwind of Christmas, I thought I'd recap on the basics of elevating your winter look. What's coming up on Midlifechic? But first I [...]

What’s going on at hush and an AW19 try-on

By |2019-10-22T16:24:26+01:00October 22nd, 2019|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

It's been a while since I've worked with them and a few of you have been asking me what's going on at hush. It's a small company that has found itself growing so fast that it's suddenly had to switch its focus towards gearing up for growth in a big way. Everybody here of course has known and loved hush for a long time, but two years ago when they launched at John Lewis & Partners, they were introduced to [...]

Winter coat capsule 2019 – what do you really need?

By |2019-10-08T16:43:57+01:00October 8th, 2019|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Today's post has been inspired by a personal coat conundrum. As the weather has turned blustery so suddenly in the UK, I've found myself reaching for a coat far earlier than I did last year when I barely needed one until January. Looking at the coat rail in my dressing room, it was hard to see what I have because there are too many and being in a decluttering frame of mind, I decided that rather than needing a new [...]

Chic autumn basics – transitional dressing

By |2019-09-27T17:40:52+01:00September 27th, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , |

It's a quick post from me today, I don't have much time because it's Mr MC's birthday this weekend and we're going away... but I'll tell you more about that later. In the meantime I've come up with a few more ideas of what to wear as we transition from summer to autumn when the weather's still relatively warm but unreliable. I've collated some chic autumn basics - wardrobe building blocks that don't immediately look exciting but will work harder [...]

Easy ways to update your wardrobe for AW19

By |2019-09-10T17:15:57+01:00September 10th, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Today, as promised we're going to look at easy ways to update your wardrobe for AW19. Hopefully since the A/W19 trends post you've had a chance to think through what you already have. This perhaps includes blazers, jumpers and jeans for a simple start, maybe midi-skirts and dresses too and a couple of pairs of wide leg trousers. Thinking back to the 'how to build a capsule wardrobe course' we did in January, I'm hoping that you're still using the [...]

It’s here – Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo AW19

By |2019-08-29T07:47:16+01:00August 29th, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , |

Ah the Bank Holiday... lovely wasn't it? The problem is that it's hit the Inès de La Fressange launch at Uniqlo and as a result, the warehouse just couldn't get samples to me in time to shoot them. We all know what a tight turnaround this limited release has and please take me seriously when I say that it will have mostly sold out by lunchtime today because really, it will. (For US readers it goes live this morning here, [...]

An easy wardrobe solution for a wet summer

By |2019-07-14T16:43:40+01:00June 11th, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , |

It's a quick one today because it's one of those days when work has to come before pleasure. This post was prompted by a distress call from an old schoolfriend. She defected to the south years ago and messaged me last week because of the rain. You see she's been away so long that she's forgotten how to dress for a summer that doesn't turn out as expected. She needed a wardrobe solution for a wet summer; her words were [...]

Elevated looks – easy summer style for women over 40

By |2019-05-10T17:15:20+01:00May 10th, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

It's hard to imagine summer at the moment isn't it? The picture above was taken last weekend and it was freezing but the sun's going to break through next week and we need to be ready. So today I'm looking at elevated summer style, because dressing for summer in the UK can be quite tricky. There are days when you don't want to wear the classic jeans, t-shirt, blazer combo and I've chosen these pieces with that mood in mind. [...]

SS19 – what to wear now and midlife lately

By |2019-07-14T16:14:21+01:00April 18th, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Happy Easter! I hope this post finds you at the beginning of a long break either at home or away. We aren't going anywhere - the boys are in revision lockdown so it's a very serious house at the moment. I am also on enforced rest. I'm going to have to rename this blog MidlifeCrock because I've now hurt my back. All I did was bend over to pick up a pizza that had slipped out of my shopping bag [...]

A Uniqlo trying-on session SS19

By |2019-07-14T16:10:02+01:00April 16th, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

So many of you have mentioned your newfound love of Uniqlo in the comments recently that I thought it was time to have a look at them in more depth. Rather than focusing on a particular range like IdLF, this time I thought I'd examine their specific strengths. Before we start, I should say that this post is in collaboration with them and they kindly sent me the products I wanted to try however it is an independent review. Understanding [...]

Marks and Spencer trying-on session – Spring 2019

By |2019-02-26T16:30:10+00:00February 26th, 2019|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The sun is shining, in fact the tabloids are calling it the Moroccan Melt so to everyone who asked me to bring the weather back with me from Marrakech, you're welcome! It means that for once, the new Spring collections that are arriving feel timely. It's usually hard to imagine spring in February but this week retail sales have been booming as everyone casts off their winter layers. I'm sure we'll have another stretch of jumpers and boots next week [...]

How to find the right bra for your breast shape

By |2024-02-27T16:01:56+00:00February 12th, 2019|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , |

  Please note this 2019 post has been so popular that I published an updated version in 2024 with current product recommendations - you can find it here.    Hello, I'm back - I'll tell you all about our break on Friday when I've hopefully found time to go through the photos (although you can see a little glimpse above). In the meantime I've been wanting to write about how to find the right bra for your breast shape for [...]

Pop of colour outfit updates to take you through to spring

By |2019-02-01T17:05:36+00:00February 1st, 2019|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Well after a month's abstinence I think it's time to have a look at the shops again and it's so cold that my mind's on jumpers (many jumpers - our heating's packed in!). I'm looking at 'pop of colour outfit updates' so let's have a think about them from a capsule perspective. I don't know about you but my body temperature has changed in midlife. Thanks to my HRT I don't have hot flushes but I definitely find myself getting [...]

How to build a capsule wardrobe over 40 – the summary

By |2019-01-29T17:39:00+00:00January 29th, 2019|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , |

We've come to the end of the 'how to build a capsule wardrobe series' and it's taken us nicely through January - didn't that go quickly?! So today I want to wrap everything up by making sure that you have your plan in one place and are ready to build a wardrobe that works for you. I've created one last download and added it to the full collection so that you can summarise all of the work you've done on one [...]

How to create a capsule wardrobe #5 – body shape and silhouette

By |2020-02-13T12:58:08+00:00January 25th, 2019|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , |

We're coming towards the end of the series on how to create a capsule wardrobe. A few bloggers who cover similar themes have asked why I haven't charged for it or at least collected email addresses in return for the downloads so I thought I'd explain for others who are wondering. I'm very flattered that you think it's worth charging for but there are two reasons why I haven't. Firstly, it's been a way of giving something back to [...]

How to plan a capsule wardrobe – women over 40 #4

By |2019-03-27T11:20:56+00:00January 22nd, 2019|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , |

And here we go with part four of the 'How to plan a capsule wardrobe - women over 40' series - I hope you're enjoying it. It's a short one today because I'm writing it in my London hotel room after a busy day. I've had seven meetings so my head's spinning a bit! This post is another exercise and it involves aspirational thinking. It's time to find your style icon - your dream look. It's something I did when [...]

Building a capsule wardrobe # 3 – colour and texture

By |2019-01-18T17:04:49+00:00January 18th, 2019|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , |

Well I'm hoping you're up to date with your capsule wardrobe building tasks because the next stage involves thinking about colour and cloth - both intrinsic elements of personal style. Let's start with colour, I'm going to recap quickly on how to decide which colours suit you because quite a few new readers have joined us. Then we'll move on to developing a colour palette that works for you. When you've identified this, it will give you the ability to [...]

How to build a capsule wardrobe – ageless style #2

By |2019-01-15T16:56:55+00:00January 15th, 2019|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , |

I'm so pleased by how well Part One of my 'how to build a capsule wardrobe - ageless style' series went down. As I said on the Midlifechic Facebook page, I felt quite nervous on Friday - it was like handing in an important assignment. So today I'm bringing you Part Two. I know some of you are itching to get down to outfit specifics but my experience of running courses for busy people has taught me to do it [...]

How to build a capsule wardrobe – women over 40 #1

By |2021-01-08T15:23:42+00:00January 11th, 2019|Categories: Project Happier, Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , |

...and let me start by apologising for the 'women over 40' extension on the title there. I know that a sizeable chunk of you aren't over 40 and this process has nothing to do with age, it just helps it to stand out amidst the millions of 'how to build a capsule wardrobe' posts on the internet. So, let's get started with the first part of the series that I put together over the Christmas holidays when I was working [...]

My best high street winter buys – prepping for the sales

By |2018-12-18T16:58:47+00:00December 18th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

And just like that the A/W season's over and the sales are beginning. As retailers start to announce profit warnings it's clearer than ever that it's been one of the worst trading periods on record and so there are going to be some dazzling markdowns. While I've been having a clearout, I've made a point of looking at the pieces I wear on repeat and asking myself why. As part of this process, I've been struck by the fact that [...]

The best ankle boots for different trouser shapes – winter 2018

By |2018-10-30T13:01:54+00:00October 30th, 2018|Categories: Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Now that the weather's suddenly turned cold, I have lots of questions coming in about what footwear works best with trousers and jeans so it seems like a good idea to write a practical post. The best solution is a pair of ankle boots but you need to get the balance right - as always, it's best to think about the body in an architectural way and understand the best part of your leg to focus on. If you have [...]

Winter wardrobe building blocks from Uniqlo

By |2018-10-19T16:57:21+01:00October 19th, 2018|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Well hello, I'm back and if you're reading this it means you're still here. I thank you for sticking with me during my absence, I just needed to take some time away. Anyway, I'll update you with a 'midlife lately' next week but today I'm easing myself back in with a look at one of my favourite brands, Uniqlo. You see as I've been collating your feedback on some of the retailer-specific posts that I've done this season, the cry [...]

Chic new bags – the winter collection from Midlifechic

By |2018-10-09T17:13:25+01:00October 9th, 2018|Categories: Accessories, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Just a quick hello today because as I thought, getting the shop ready for our delivery of chic new bags has helped us to keep our minds occupied over the last few days. Before I go on to talk about them though, I just want to say a huge thank you for all of your kind messages that have been coming in from every direction. I've been reading them out at the dinner table as they've arrived and we've all [...]

John Lewis & Partners new women’s clothing collection review

By |2018-09-14T12:21:22+01:00September 14th, 2018|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , |

In my posts about trend and colour, I included some of the press shots from the John Lewis & Partners new women's clothing collection which, it has to be said, are lovely. But then PR shots always are - so what I really wanted to do next was road test some of the styles to see how they look on a normal woman (me) shot in less than ideal conditions (the incessant rain and wind that we're experiencing in the [...]

Key wearable trends autumn winter 2018

By |2018-09-07T16:36:42+01:00September 7th, 2018|Categories: Shoes, Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Ok, here we go, the one some of you have said you've been waiting for - it's the key wearable trends autumn winter 2018 post. I hope you're not bored of trends already because I know everyone's been covering it. However as always, I'm coming at it from the angle of someone who's spent their retail career trying to correlate the flights of fancy of the buying teams with the sales targets of the commercial teams and the wearability demands of [...]

Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo Autumn 2018 Review

By |2018-08-31T11:00:15+01:00August 30th, 2018|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

It's time - I'm excited to bring you my Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo Autumn 2018 Review. Yet again they've identified Midlifechic readers as their core audience and so I've had the chance to examine some of the pieces early - I can't tell you how happy this makes me. For US readers it should be going live for you today too. Just in case you're a new reader, what's so great about this Uniqlo collection? It consists of a [...]

2018 summer sale edit – where to find the best bargains in each category

By |2018-06-22T16:47:48+01:00June 22nd, 2018|Categories: Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

You have no idea what a rollercoaster ride it has been in the world of retail this summer. As I mentioned last week, in my April meetings the brands that I work with had all scheduled a summer sale 'pull forward' because of the bad weather. Since then they've been playing chicken with the weather and delaying the start dates for as long as possible. This is when the 'Ops' teams send the marketing teams to the verge of a [...]

Holiday dresses for hot summer nights

By |2018-06-19T14:50:01+01:00June 19th, 2018|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , |

A quick one from me today because having said that my schedule was calming down, I'm now heading off to London again. The light at the end of this current tunnel of madness is our holiday in Turkey so I've been having one last look around at holiday dresses for hot summer nights before the sales start. Here's a shortlist of the best hot weather dresses I've found that still have stock available. Holiday dresses for hot summer nights Before we [...]

New bags in the Midlifechic Boutique

By |2018-06-22T16:38:43+01:00June 15th, 2018|Categories: Accessories, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Hello and Happy Friday - we had a surprise parcel from Turkey this morning so I'm talking bags today. This will be the last delivery for the Midlifechic Boutique for a while because my factory have had all of their capacity taken over by one of the big Bond Street brands who have high demand for their Autumn collection. It means I can't have any more made until August but I don't mind because working for this iconic luxury label [...]

A capsule summer city wardrobe, what I’ve been wearing and a blogger sale

By |2018-05-11T17:20:39+01:00May 11th, 2018|Categories: Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have a few different things to talk to you about today. Firstly a capsule summer city wardrobe challenge - can I create a chic wardrobe for a month in just fifteen pieces? Then a few outfits of the day and finally, full details of the blogger sale that will open on Sunday morning 13th May at 11am (British Summer Time). Please read the details carefully to avoid any misunderstanding or disappointment. Capsule summer city wardrobe challenge I get all [...]

What to wear for a festival over 40 (or just relaxed summer dressing)

By |2018-05-04T16:56:20+01:00May 4th, 2018|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Yes you've guessed it, we have a festival coming up so I'm thinking out loud again. Luckily for us it isn't a wet wipes / queue for revolting loos / lose your tent kind of festival. It's a taxi ride away from home so we can go along until whatever time we please and then return to the comfort of our own bed each night. So of course I'm now thinking about what to wear and imagining that it's going [...]

Summer 2018 at Hush and Uniqlo – a Midlifechic edit

By |2018-05-01T14:26:28+01:00May 1st, 2018|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I have a big project on at work so it's a speedy post from me today but I just wanted to bring you an edit of some of the 'new-ins' now that it looks as though spring is finally arriving. Let's look at Summer 2018 at Hush and Uniqlo. Hush Summer 2018 Hush have launched their summer collection today. As always, they have included loose, flowing pieces that can be tricky to style. However they are balanced by figure defining [...]

Casual basics – Spring / Summer 18 jeans

By |2018-03-13T19:46:29+00:00March 13th, 2018|Categories: Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

I'm planning to do some capsule wardrobe collections over the next few weeks in the hope that Spring will at some point show its face. Jeans of course are always the lynchpin of a casual wardrobe and so I thought we should focus on where they have settled as the transition from skinnies continues. As we've already discussed, a key shape for Spring / Summer 18 jeans is the wide leg crop. I'm enjoying wearing my dark denim ones but I'm [...]

Midlife adventures – The Ice Hotel Transylvania review

By |2018-02-13T17:31:19+00:00February 13th, 2018|Categories: Project Happier, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

I've finally managed to plough through the hundreds (yes honestly) of photos we took on our midlife adventure in Transylvania. There's just so much to show you that even after some serious culling there are a lot of them. So I'm going to try to make sure this Ice Hotel Transylvania review isn't too wordy. Join us virtually through the pictures... and even the occasional video. Before I start though, I just want to say that I have two pieces of fashion [...]

Winter sale edit and a Christmassy Midlife lately

By |2018-01-08T16:38:15+00:00December 19th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Project Happier, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

T'was the week before Christmas... and I looked at my diary only to realise that I have blithely arranged for an awful lot of festive gatherings to take place... all through our house. I'm not quite sure how that happened but I have some serious food prepping to do. So, as I will shortly be mutating from Midlifechic to Midlifechef, my last post will have to be a quick one. I'm starting with a quick winter sale edit because if [...]

Chic Buys of 2017 – and the Midlifechic brand of the year

By |2018-01-08T16:40:00+00:00December 15th, 2017|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

It's hard to believe but we've arrived at the post where I reflect on my chic buys of 2017- the pieces that I've worn over and over again. It's trickier this year because I've been experimenting more. As you know when a brand gets in touch with a gifting opportunity, I try to step outside my comfort zone and play with a look that I wouldn't risk my own budget on. This means that there has been less of an opportunity [...]

Relaxed Christmas Party Outfit Ideas – women over 40

By |2017-11-24T06:12:47+00:00November 17th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Christmas, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Relaxed Christmas party outfit ideas. If you're anything like me, you may have one or two dressy events lined up but the rest of your Christmas will be a more relaxed affair. I think some of the best times are the spontaneous ones when someone calls and asks if you fancy popping over for a drink... which inevitably turns into three or four. So today I'm bringing you outfit ideas for when this happens. Looks that say you've made an [...]

Hush Christmas Edit – join me for a virtual evening at John Lewis

By |2018-01-08T16:46:57+00:00November 10th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Product review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hush Christmas Edit. Christmas started for me with a bang this week when I went to do a talk for Hush at the “My John Lewis” shopping evening on Wednesday. My brief was to pull out my favourite Hush pieces and discuss them. So, I took lots of lovely ladies through five specific capsules that I’d created for days that are likely to crop up in our Christmas calendar. At the end so many of them came to tell me that they'd [...]

A palette inspired by toffee apples … remember, remember the fifth of November!

By |2017-10-24T17:34:50+01:00October 24th, 2017|Categories: Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

We've talked about the dominance of vivid scarlet in this autumn's colour palette but there is another seasonal theme coming through and it reminds me of the colour of toffee apples. Reds and greens are often associated with Christmas but if you think about it, they feel right now too, as we approach bonfire night. I've put together a selection of easy pieces to inspire you (and me - when I tried to put an outfit together to show you, [...]

Autumn 2017 coats – the styles you need

By |2018-01-08T16:50:09+00:00October 20th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Autumn 2017 coats. In my last post I mentioned that longer length coats were more prominent this season. However coats are an investment and I had a couple of emails from readers saying they didn't want to buy something that could be a passing trend. So, today I'm looking at all kinds of coats for autumn 2017. I've focused specifically on day coats though because we'll be going full steam into partywear before you know it. In the meantime, there [...]

An autumn capsule wardrobe – women over 40

By |2018-01-08T16:50:46+00:00October 17th, 2017|Categories: Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Now that we're well and truly into autumn, I think we're starting to get used to the new silhouette that has come in. The midi length hemline and the move to the straight leg jean are two of the easiest styles to adopt and I've been really enjoying wearing them as you'll see from some examples below. The other key focus of course, is colour. I really like the bright scarlet that is everywhere but a lot of people have [...]

Side stripe trousers, a great solution… and a midlife wedding

By |2017-10-06T17:26:24+01:00October 6th, 2017|Categories: Health, Midlife, Project Happier, Relationships, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm following on from my post about leather leggings with a focus on a different type of trouser. You see when I was down in London last week, I gambled on not having to stand up too much in my consultancy sessions. For once, I travelled light without 'street shoes' in my bag. It misfired. I was working with a larger team than expected and so I had to stand to enable everyone to hear (and see) me. We were [...]

Wearing leather leggings after 40 – is it ok with the demise of the skinny?

By |2017-10-03T16:51:10+01:00October 3rd, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wearing leather leggings after 40 - this is one of those posts that specifically addresses an email from a distressed reader. When I published my autumn trends post a few weeks ago, Victoria emailed to say "I can cope with the demise of skinny jeans but what about the expensive leather leggings that I've invested in - am I going to look stupid if I carry on wearing them?" The short answer is no. All you have to do is [...]

A cornucopia of recent outfits – women over 40

By |2017-09-26T16:18:11+01:00September 26th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's time for a catch up. I have a few random outfit photos that are cluttering up my desktop so I'm posting some everyday looks from the last few weeks. Before I do though, I just need to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported the launch of the Midlifechic Boutique. Each sale, thought or note of encouragement has really helped me to have confidence in this new venture. It has gone better than I could ever have [...]

The Midlifechic Boutique Bag Collection

By |2018-01-08T16:53:52+00:00September 22nd, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

While we were on holiday, I published a post containing the questions that I am most frequently asked by readers and journalists. A few days later I received an email from Zoe who said, "come on Nikki, you must have bigger plans for Midlifechic. You've created something special here, I can't believe someone like you doesn't have a dream." Of course Zoe was right. Niggling away at the back of my mind there is always my love for retail and [...]

How many pairs of shoes do you actually need?

By |2017-09-15T17:30:32+01:00September 15th, 2017|Categories: Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

At a business lunch recently, I was sitting next to a lady who was returning to her career after spending ten years at home with her children. We chatted about how it was going as you do, bemoaning the perpetual juggle of the work life balance. After a while our conversation turned to our sense of identity and how much clothes matter. At this point I mentioned that I write a blog about such things and her eyes lit up. [...]

Hush Autumn 17 – a Midlifechic road test

By |2017-09-08T16:27:59+01:00September 8th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

You may remember that back in June, I had a lovely evening at The Ned in London with some other over 40 bloggers where we were shown the forthcoming Hush Autumn 17 collection. I have to say that one of the things I like most about Hush is that they are actively nurturing their over 40 customers. For a brand that feels very youthful, I believe that they genuinely want to see women of our age wearing their clothes. It [...]

Back to work and a desk to dinner project

By |2018-03-02T09:44:35+00:00September 5th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

It's back to school for us today which means back to work too. We need to get back into the swing of mealtimes and bedtimes, lunch boxes and shoe polishing - all of the things that don't seem to matter over the long summer break. I had a shock last week when I realised I only had one set of name tapes to stitch into uniform this year. I still have a large pack for each boy in my sewing [...]

Spotlight on Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo AW17 – for women and men

By |2017-08-31T09:50:16+01:00August 31st, 2017|Categories: Family, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

So we're kicking off Autumn 2017 with my favourite post of the season - the launch of Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo AW17. It is live now in the UK and launches at 9pm ET in the US (although be prepared - it launched an hour earlier than advertised in the UK). I think everybody who reads Midlifechic knows that Inès is my ultimate style icon. Other than Helen Mirren, I don't think there is anyone like her in terms of [...]

Autumn 2017 trends for women over 40: colours and styles

By |2018-03-02T09:41:07+00:00August 25th, 2017|Categories: Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It feels too early to be doing this. I made a quiet pledge not to complain about the weather but really - 2017 has been the year that summer forgot. So, I've been finding myself looking ahead to Autumn without feeling guilty. After all these are the clothes that we wear for about nine months of the year. Style-wise there is more change afoot than there has been for quite a few years so I thought I'd kick off with [...]

Hope sale – and revisiting my past

By |2017-07-07T17:05:33+01:00July 7th, 2017|Categories: Family, Midlife, Relationships, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I have a late addition to the summer sales for you. Hope will be opening their sale tomorrow (Saturday 8th July) and I have a VIP preview which means you can go onto the site and snap up the bargains before everyone else. In preparation for the new stock arriving, they are having a huge clearout from past seasons and a lot of items are 70% off. It's a great opportunity to buy something of high quality at an amazing price. Here [...]

Spotlight on Specsavers – new specs appeal

By |2017-07-11T13:30:42+01:00July 5th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Health, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , |

As a break from the summer sale madness, today I thought I'd talk to you about my new glasses. I've been aware that I need some for quite a while but, in the same way that some people dread going to the dentist, I dread the opticians - so I always put it off. The reason for this is that my mum had Macular Degeneration and was nearly blind towards the end of her life. Watching her lose her sight [...]

Summer outfits of the day… and great sale offers

By |2017-06-23T14:49:02+01:00June 23rd, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Let's have a quick catch up today. I say quick because I lost a whole day's work this week thanks to lightning striking the local substation. It meant that we had no electricity on Wednesday from 11am until nearly midnight. The schools were closed and, as always, at first it was fun. We played boardgames and then lit the barbecue so that we could munch our way through the melting freezer food. By 9pm though, when we had reached the [...]

Best Summer Sales 1 – Baukjen, Finery, The White Company

By |2017-06-16T16:31:29+01:00June 16th, 2017|Categories: Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

Hello everyone and Happy Friday! The sales have begun so here's the first of my 'best summer sales' posts highlighting the top picks from some of my favourite brands. I've focused mostly on pieces that I have and wear a lot so that I can genuinely recommend them to you. I'll add my pictures to the brand's shots to give you an idea of what they look like on an ordinary body. Best Summer Sales: Baukjen Baukjen has definitely carved [...]

Holiday packing for warm climes – women over 40

By |2017-06-10T20:37:49+01:00June 9th, 2017|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , |

Well if the UK's future was unclear when I left you last time, it is even more so right now! However, as women over 40, we know things will sort themselves out one way or another. In the meantime after a week of unsettled news and weather, I've found myself focusing hard on the thought of escaping it all for a sunny holiday. I had an email from a longstanding reader saying that she keeps a print out of this [...]

Summer In The City – the classic dress

By |2018-01-08T17:02:03+00:00June 7th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

It's all my fault. I jinxed the summer by packing away my Winter knits over the weekend. I even switched the heating off. We had a barbecue and everything was lovely - then Monday dawned with torrential rain and a temperature of 12 degrees! However, I've had a lot of emails over the last few weeks asking for a post on what to wear for Summer in the city. I then included this dress in my Chelsea Flower Show post last week without [...]

The return of the trouser suit to your working wardrobe.

By |2017-05-26T09:59:09+01:00May 26th, 2017|Categories: Product review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

It isn't often that I dedicate a whole post to a single outfit but then it isn't often that you are approached by a brand like Winser London and invited to choose a special new outfit. It was easy for me to make my choice, I wanted to celebrate the return of the trouser suit. I showed you a glimpse of it in my last post because it is what I wore during the day on my 50th birthday. Single breasted [...]

Spotlight on Baukjen – sunny days and nights

By |2017-05-16T14:58:27+01:00May 16th, 2017|Categories: Retail Review, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm very pleased to be working with Baukjen again today. You may remember that they were the first of my brand Spotlight Posts back in February and this time they've sent some of their Spring / Summer 17 collection for me to review. As always, when I work on a Spotlight post I like to assess whether a range can work hard for me by covering my key wardrobe requirements: work, weekend and evenings out. Baukjen Spring / Summer working wardrobe Starting with workwear, [...]

Can you create a holiday wardrobe from Marks & Spencer?

By |2017-05-12T17:55:50+01:00May 12th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I've set myself a completely different kind of challenge today. Let me tell you how it all came about. Over the last Bank Holiday weekend, Mr MC and I were reminiscing about the different holidays we've had. He asked me which was the best one and although it was hard to choose, one that really stands out is our first holiday abroad as a family when the youngest was very small. He asked me why I'd chosen that one and there [...]

10 Things Tuesday – an early Summer edit

By |2017-05-09T18:04:03+01:00May 9th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Shoes, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Well a huge thank you from me to everybody who supported the sale on Saturday. I had no idea it would be quite so manic, nearly everything sold out in 20 minutes (the last few pieces will be live here until Friday when it closes). I have finished wrapping and dispatching everything and so it is all on its way. I apologise in advance if it smells very strongly of roses. The youngest was keen to be involved so I [...]

Looking at Boden and Hush plus Bank Holiday discounts

By |2018-01-08T17:03:30+00:00April 28th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , |

So, as you know, yesterday I went down to the Boden press show to see their Autumn collection. I'll tell you a bit more about that at the end of this post and show you a few pictures. Before I set off though, I thought I'd better have a look at their site so that I was up to date with their current collection. There were a few things I hadn't seen before and I ended up placing an order [...]

Spotlight on linen and denim at Uniqlo

By |2017-05-16T15:50:18+01:00April 7th, 2017|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Happy Friday everyone. As we count down to the Easter weekend I'm hoping you can feel that Spring is in the air. Today I'm reviewing Uniqlo's new collection. As you already know, Uniqlo is a brand that I rate very highly. One of the the things I like most about them is the balance of their retail mix. They launch limited edition collections which are collaborations with brands and people ranging from Inès de La Fressange to Miffy. This means there is always something new to see. [...]

Twelve things for Tuesday – and Mother’s Day weekend

By |2017-03-28T16:46:27+01:00March 28th, 2017|Categories: Family, Midlife, Project Happier, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Happy Tuesday everyone. It looks as though I will be spending a disproportionate amount of time driving this week as I have meetings that range from the Scottish Border right down to the Midlands. So I am putting together a quick post with a few of the things that I have spotted recently that I think you'll like and I'm finishing off with a round up of Mother's Day weekend. Easter This is probably the last stretch of time that we [...]

Capsule wardrobe updates for women over 40 – Spring 2017

By |2019-08-09T16:31:13+01:00March 24th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My most read wardrobe posts are always the ones that focus on creating an edited collection so I thought it was time for another one. I've been working on my own wardrobe for Spring as I'm having a huge clearout and so I'm using my own plan as a basis for this post on capsule wardrobe updates for women over 40. I'm going to start with jeans because they are increasingly becoming acceptable for working wardrobes as well as weekend looks. [...]

Finery Review Spring 17

By |2018-03-02T09:43:15+00:00March 13th, 2017|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

It's great to be working with my friends at the Over4Collective again today. We've been so busy getting our website together that we haven't had time to do a project for a while so I decided it was time to introduce them to one of my favourite brands, Finery so that we could bring you a Finery Review Spring 17 . I've spoken before about how fond I am of my contact at Finery, a young French woman who never questions the [...]

Spring 17 wardrobe updates for women over 40

By |2017-03-07T14:56:58+00:00March 7th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I'm bringing you some quick Spring 17 wardrobe updates for women over 40 today. I spent the weekend happily packing away my winter colours (I'm tired of burgundy and dark green) and now I want to add some more vibrant accents to my wardrobe. So, let's start with casual. We've already talked about the new looser jeans shape and I'm sure that everybody is starting to see it come through into the mainstream. The dominant colour for Spring and Summer is going to be [...]

Midlife loneliness – a follow up

By |2018-05-17T14:58:47+01:00March 3rd, 2017|Categories: Midlife, Project Happier, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Wow that was quite a response to the last post on midlife loneliness! As I said at the outset, when I receive a cluster of emails on a particular topic, it suggests that something is going on at a wider level. I knew I could count on you to rally around Anna but what I didn't anticipate was the wonderful outpouring of empathy. I'm not going to write a long post today, partly because a power cut has wiped five hours off my [...]

Night and day – new February outfits…and a book!

By |2018-01-08T17:05:24+00:00February 20th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

So you may remember me saying that I had a couple of other new February outfits to show you from last week's deliveries. I was waiting to get some slightly more exciting photos than a trying on session because we were going to the opening of a new play. We are 'critical friends' of the local theatre and every so often they invite us along to see something they have been working on and get our feedback. This was a one woman [...]

Spotlight on Baukjen… and midlife love

By |2018-01-08T17:06:04+00:00February 14th, 2017|Categories: Midlife, Product review, Project Happier, Retail Review, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am very pleased to bring you the first of the spotlight posts. It's a big thank you to Baukjen for being the first brand to come on board as part of this series and I'm particularly pleased to be working with someone that I haven't featured before. I have only one Baukjen piece in my wardrobe and it is a jumpsuit that I bought in a hurry after seeing it featured in a magazine last year. For some reason [...]

Style seminar – the ultimate breton top

By |2018-01-17T12:05:34+00:00February 9th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , |

This is going to be the first of a series of occasional posts where I am going to revisit the cornerstones of our wardrobes - the unsung heroes that are the building blocks of our everyday style. I'm starting with the ultimate breton top because when I was writing my Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo post last week, I caught myself saying that I wasn't looking forward to wearing breton tops this Spring. If I'm honest I've been unenthusiastic about [...]

Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo Spring 17 launch

By |2017-03-18T21:47:24+00:00February 2nd, 2017|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

So, I am proud (very proud) to be the first blogger to bring you the new collection from Inès de La Fressange at Uniqlo. As I have said many times before, if I could align Midlifechic with any woman in the world, it would be Inès. I have been eagerly (and rather nervously) awaiting the launch of the Spring range. Why nervously? Because I didn't feel that SS16 was as strong as the Autumn ranges and I hoped that wouldn't [...]

Next Spring 2017 collection – trying it on.

By |2017-03-18T22:31:29+00:00January 20th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Today's post is one of the ones that goes a bit wrong. I had initially intended it to be about the new pre-collection from Hush but when I looked through it, it wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped so the only piece I'm going to feature is the charcoal and brown sugar stella jumper which is back in stock. These jumpers are a lovely cut and they somehow make you look younger. Charcoal and camel star jumper I have one in [...]

What to wear in January and end of sale bargains

By |2018-01-08T17:07:37+00:00January 13th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I confess that I have always struggled with the month of January. So much so that we set our wedding date for 10th February so that I would have something to keep looking forward to during the darkest month. Although I love living where I do, the absence of bright city lights is something that I really notice at this time of year. The usually stunning vista of wide open skies is bleak and grey. Now that I've been blogging [...]

Best Winter Sales 2016 – Part One

By |2018-01-08T17:09:42+00:00December 20th, 2016|Categories: Sale|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

So, the discounts are starting to rain down. I'll be bringing you details of the Best Winter Sales 2016 in my next few posts. I'm starting with the ones that I know have limited stock and the opportunity for pre-Christmas delivery so that Midlifechic readers can get in there first! Best Winter Sales 2016 - Hope First of all I bring you Hope whose sale site has just gone live. As you know, there is a feel good factor about buying from [...]

Chic buys of the year 2016 – the Midlifechic Awards!

By |2017-03-18T22:54:46+00:00December 16th, 2016|Categories: Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The end of year sales are starting so it's time for my annual Awards, defining my chic buys of the year 2016. Being an analytical person I like to reflect on where I've spent my budget and whether it was worth it. The surprise difference for me since I started blogging has been my changing history with Boden. I've transitioned from spending most of my budget there in 2014 to spending a lot in 2015 and returning about 50% of it, to barely [...]

Casual outfits of the week for women over 40

By |2019-08-09T17:00:51+01:00October 28th, 2016|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Hello and Happy Friday! It's ages since I've done a casual outfits of the week post but we're now in the hiatus between new season and everything sparkly so here's a dose of real life! It's been a much calmer week. For once I haven't been travelling, so I've been able to opt for a low key wardrobe as I've either been home or office based. Half term finally begins here tonight and I've been trying to get things wrapped up so [...]

Chic layering using Uniqlo technical clothing

By |2019-08-09T16:57:20+01:00October 26th, 2016|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

You may remember that when I went to Paris in May, one of the things I commented on was that lots of Parisians were demonstrating the art of chic layering by wearing a Uniqlo quilt underneath their coat. I have since discovered that Uniqlo is a big thing in France. When they opened a new store in Bordeaux recently, the police had to be called in to control the excited crowd. Of course I'd just like to add that living in the frozen North, [...]

Hush Flash Sale – Be Quick

By |2019-08-09T16:50:16+01:00October 25th, 2016|Categories: Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

Just a quick extra post today on the Hush Flash Sale. It starts today and finishes on Sunday 30th. It includes a number of items from both this season and last Winter, here are the things that I think are the best buys. Hush Flash Sale - last year's stock These pieces have the biggest discounts Cashmere crew neck jumper in cloud 44% off Annabelle dress/tunic in atlantic blue 45% off 2015 jumpsuit in black or burgundy 33% off - these [...]

The process of learning which colours suit you

By |2019-08-09T16:51:38+01:00October 20th, 2016|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

There comes a point each year in my blogging calendar when I notice that all of my Summer brights have given way to a dull palette of grey, camel and black. As I was looking through my Instagram feed and pondering this, it occurred to me that it is easy to wear colour in Summer when you only need to co-ordinate one or two items of clothing at a time. As Winter approaches and you pile on layers of tops, bottoms, tights, coats, [...]

Chic Autumn outfit updates – and a special competition

By |2019-08-09T16:53:58+01:00October 14th, 2016|Categories: Accessories, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I thought we'd take a break from clothes today and look at chic Autumn outfit updates to add to the clothes you already have in your wardrobe. We talked about the difference that a pair of statement shoes or boots can make a few weeks ago. Now we're going to look at affordable bags and jewellery because they make such a difference. I have lovely memories of helping my dad buy a khaki handbag for my mum, not knowing that it [...]

Cashmere review – the best on the high street

By |2019-08-09T16:46:42+01:00October 7th, 2016|Categories: Product review, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

As the nights grow darker, my usual Autumn treat to myself is a cashmere jumper. Every year however, prices seem to climb higher so I decided to set myself the task of looking into my little indulgence as carefully as possible. When I was in London last week, I had a couple of hours to spare between meetings which gave me the perfect opportunity to compare as many stores as possible so that I could write a cashmere review. Anyone who knows [...]

New boots and old friends – a great week!

By |2016-09-28T16:37:57+01:00September 27th, 2016|Categories: Project Happier, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I am pleased to be introducing you to Lotus, a small UK based shoe brand. Until they got in touch with me, I wasn't aware of them. As you know, at the moment I tend to rely on Boden, Marks and Spencer and occasionally Clarks for my everyday shoes and Jigsaw for the special ones. It's always good to add a new brand to your arsenal, especially when it's an affordable one. A little while ago we talked about [...]

Boden’s latest collection – and new slippers!

By |2016-09-26T09:53:07+01:00September 23rd, 2016|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I can't bring you any insight at all on Boden. It isn't just me, they don't communicate with anyone I know in the over 40 blogger world. They do seem to feature 20 and 30 something bloggers quite regularly on their site but that's as far as it goes. This means that I don't cover them as often as you might like me to however, I do have a few favourites amongst Boden's latest collection. Boden's latest collection - working wardrobe The hero [...]

The new Autumn collection from Hope Fashion

By |2016-09-20T16:38:19+01:00September 20th, 2016|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Hopefully you remember that back in July, just before the schools broke up, I went down to see the new Autumn collection from Hope Fashion and spend a day with the team shooting their 'real women' campaign. There was no point in me telling you about the clothes then because they weren't available online. You can now see photos of the day on their website and they have just released the Autumn collection so it's time for me to show you how [...]

48 hours of Hush – from work to weekend

By |2016-09-19T14:37:19+01:00September 13th, 2016|Categories: Product review, Relationships, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I'm talking about Hush, another of our favourite Midlifechic brands. I've been trying to meet the team there for a while and it has become almost a running joke between us that whenever one of us suggests a date in London, the other can't make it. In the end serendipity played a part when I went down to London for the John Lewis 'Christmas in July' event. I'll tell you more about that soon but the important thing for today [...]

Inès de la Fressange at Uniqlo – Autumn 2016

By |2016-09-10T07:43:05+01:00September 8th, 2016|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I'll come straight out and say it - this is my biggest blogging high to date. Uniqlo has selected our community at Midlifechic to be the first to see their new Inès de La Fressange collection. I feel so proud that we are being recognised by brands as a group of intelligent, vocal women who deserve their attention. They are beginning to realise that just because we are over 40, we have not given up on style and Uniqlo is [...]

Autumn 2016 at The White Company – a review

By |2016-09-07T13:18:52+01:00September 7th, 2016|Categories: Fragrance, Product review, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

A mystery package arrived this week and it was lovely to open it and find that The White Company had sent me their new Autumn candle to review. As you know, Home Fragrance is really important to me and you could say that it was a brave move to send it to s