Day 6.

Casual Friday.  The hardest day of the week to dress for!  I only have casual casual, and then work.   The end result is usually something odd like this.

Grey skinny jeans (technically not allowed), from Next.  Probably the best fitting jeans I have.  I don't often shop in Next, but when I wear these I think I should go there more often.

The dress is Gap and is actually another charity shop find.  These posts are highlighting exactly how cheap I am.  I love bargain hunting, but I'm starting to get a bit embarrassed by the complete cheapness I exhibit.

Day 5.

...and it seems I'm destined to be taking pics with toilets and / or sinks in the background.  

This dress was an eBay purchase, about £7 including postage.  I was really chuffed with it, slightly less so when I realised it was from Matalan!  Anyway, lovely cinched in with a belt and a cardigan. 

Conclusion - a win.

Day 4.   Back at work.  Still no mirror cleaning.

I love this cardigan.  The colour is lovely and it is merino so very hard wearing.  The best thing about it is that it was bought new with tags from a charity shop.  Super bargain.

The dress is from a random shop, plain, straight black.  It is a 'go to' dress for me for work.  The rest of the outfit is black... dull but it does the job for work.  I've been trying to chic it up by belting on the outside. 

I keep my work shoes under my desk so hence no shoes in this pic...

Charity (thrift) shop find.

Orange leather rigger-style boots.  Really heavy leather, proper hard toes.  I can't decide if they're work boots or fashion boots.

Anyhoo, they were £7 and almost unworn!  They'll be great next winter out and about in cold and wet.

Day 3 (in my head)

Flattering, colourful, trendy, youthful, comfortable.

Day 3 (in real life)

This is such a learning experience, if you can learn much in only 3 days.  But seeing the photos is so different to seeing my reflection.   The colour of the t-shirt is lovely and I love the drape, but it's not covering my mid-section in the way I imagined.  Foiled!

My apple body type and silhouette is really clear in the photos.  I'd love to get a longer, leaner mid-section and I have been going to the gym...  but I think I need to work harder.  And start dressing smarter.

Anyway, tomorrow is back to work and an attempt to get my work outfits more 'dressed'.  My office is fairly formal, so I am halfway there already.  Focus on accessories!

I've also learnt that the spare room is slightly better for light for photos, but I still am rubbish at cleaning mirrors.  

T-shirt and jeans - Dorothy Perkins
White singlet - Store Twenty One (£3.99 for 2 - not bad for layering)
Lime and shell necklace - can't recall where this was from (have had it for years)
Lime Converse-style trainers - TK Maxx

2nd day of the challenge and I have hit a bit of a wall already!  Unseasonably chilly and a bit damp, home with the kids and nothing planned but a trip to the hardware store.  Not prime conditions for taking care in choosing what to wear.  Reader, I really wanted to wear jeans and a T, but that seemed a bit lax for my second day.

Ended up with a bit of a compromise.  Lovely wrap cardigan from TK Maxx (couple of years old, have worn it nearly ragged), new skinny khakis from Dorothy Perkins and a long length t-shirt with deer print (from Australia).  Camel boots, still not seen as I keep forgetting to bring them upstairs for a pic.

Still need to clean mirror, find better time and place to pose, and get my outfit mojo going.

Conclusion - it did the job, but I didn't feel that great in this.  Too greige, maybe?  I love earth toned neutrals but my skin tone cries out for colours.  What's a girl to do?

Day 1 (well, Day 2 really but I didn't get around to taking a picture yesterday).

First thoughts are:

• I really need to clean the bathroom mirror.
• I really need to take pictures during the day with natural light.
• I really need to take that sticker off the mirror which son senior put on the other day (it's the big spot on my thigh).
• I really need to find somewhere to take photos that don't result in having the loo, the shower and bog rolls in shot.
• I really need to clean the bathroom mirror.

Clothes-wise, a fun day at home with the kids enjoying the Queen's Jubilee Weekend (even though I'm a republican colonial).  So, skinnies and t-shirt territory really.  Tried to inject some 'fah-sion', darling, with the Hawaiian print reference on the shirt and some dangly turquoise earrings and belt.

Jeans - Dorothy Perkins
Top - Asda (£4 on sale - ridiculous)
Turquoise belt (just seen) - charity (thrift) shop
Camel flat boots (taken off) - La Redoute

The above suggests I may be cheap and / or like a bargain.  Both may be true.

The goal - 30 days of getting dressed, properly dressed.  Dressed to feel good, feel pretty, feel creative, feel less like a tired, busy mum and more like fashion is fun.

The reality... well, let's chat again at the end of 30 days!

Thanks to The Working Closet for the inspiration.  #getdressed.