From Scruff to Buff 

(Part Two - 15 minutes)

Following on from part one, for those of you who have a reduced going out wardrobe, fewer opportunities to get dressed up and/or less time to get ready when you do, here are my top tips for freshening up your look so you don't waste that little bit of time you may have on trying on one hundred outfits and then going back to the first one you tried on (or is that just me?).   In my last post, I talked about when you literally only have five minutes, and how a little bit of lippy, some perfume and some sparkle can do the trick to take you from the park to the party.  Part two is for when you may have a little bit longer to get ready, but not quite long enough for a full outfit change... 


...If you have 15 minutes
Whilst there may not be time for a whole wardrobe change there are a couple of minor changes you can make to your everyday outfit to jazz it up.  So let's start off with a typical outfit.  Here are some key pieces from my go to weekend mamma uniform.

Topshop Ripped Jamie Jeans £45

Boden Long Sleeved Breton £29.50

 

Topshop Jacket £45

Converse All Star £47.99 

Now if you do want to change your whole outfit, you probably can do this in 15 minutes but only if you've planned in advance.  If you do have a night out coming up I would suggest that you test out outfits in advance, so that you know what will work (and then have said outfit ready to go).  Whenever I have attempted an outfit change without proper planning (i.e. trying it on in my head as opposed to physically trying an outfit on) it usually ends up as an "I have nothing to wear" disaster, with all my clothes then scattered on the bed or floor and reverting to that which I was already wearing, by which point I am usually running late.  So if you have an impromptu opportunity to go out, and have not planned in advance, these are my quick and easy tips for smartening up your look...

...I've already talked about the first five minutes in my previous post, and these tips still apply so follow steps one to three and apply that lippy, spritz a bit of perfume and pop on that sparkle and then follow steps four to six.


4) A Pair of heels

I rarely get to wear heels now, with a mammoth commute and doing the job I do, there is little call for a high heel.  But I do still love my shoes, and have some beautiful pairs which need to be worn more often.  It is quite nice to get out those heels now and again, and what better excuse than a night out.  You can always go safe with a classic black pair, I have previously shown you some fab Aquazzura look-a-likes here, but I am also loving these topshop courts which whilst classic black, have a different shape.  The other option is to chose something a little more exciting and perhaps add a pop of colour, like these gorgeous orangey red courts.

                   

                Topshop Gallery Courts £50                       Tophop Curve Tab Court Shoe £59

5) A smarter jacket

I would typically throw on my leather jacket at this time of year, I have a gorgeous grey/khaki coloured biker jacket that I picked up in Whistles for half price in the January sales a few years ago.  I have worn it so much, that I'm sure price per wear it's one of my most cost effective purchases.  A leather biker jacket really is a classic in your wardrobe and worth investing in.  Another option for when it gets a little warmer would be a blazer or tuxedo jacket, which would work equally as well.  I have a selection of black jackets that I have gathered over the years (mostly from Topshop) and they are great to just throw on over an outfit as they work so well with so many things. 

                                

                 Whistles Leather Jacket £325                          Topshop Girlfriend Blazer £49 
 

6) An evening bag

Now I love my bags, but now that I am a mama I often only get to use a handful of them.  The bags I mostly end up using are typically the large tote bags or cross the shoulder bags that are big enough to hold all the random stuff I insist on carrying around that I may need as well as all the stuff our little boy may need, and all the stuff he wants to take but decides shortly after leaving the house that he doesn't want to carry (i.e. usually several toy cars).  So when I go out sans child, I like to use what I call my non-mum bags.  This is either a pale coloured leather bag that is just asking to have felt tip pen scribbled all over if it were to go within a five metre radius of my little boy, or a small clutch that could possibly fit all the rubbish I need when on mama duty, but most definitely will hold the essentials (money, phone, keys and lipstick).  

 

 Whistles Black Clutch £45

 

 Anya Hindmarch Gold Clutch £495

So there goes my top tips for getting ready to go from a play date to a hot date and how just a few minor additions can take you straight from the park to the party.  Have fun ladies!  
   


Thank you for reading and as always I would love to hear your comments and tips.