Schoolrun 'Must Have' - The Waterproof Jacket

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Style Theory: Not the most attractive piece of clothing you are ever going to own but oh my goodness, for the schoolrun you will be so grateful you have it, I am talking about the waterproof jacket..

For some reason it always rains at 8.30am and 3pm, it's just sod's law and nothing cuts the mustard better than a good waterproof. Thankfully there are some pretty good waterproof jackets on the high street and the quicker you buy the more you will reap the reward..no soggy jumper for you. I prefer to wear slightly lighter weight waterproof jackets as heavier ones can be pretty stuffy due to the usually non-breathable fabric. So layer with vest tops and then a sweater underneath for a cooler, wet trip..

Here are the best waterproof jackets on the high street now:

Petite Bateau £132

Petite Bateau £132

The Iconic Petite Bateau raincoat - the original and a real classic, it whispers 'I have this looking good in the rain business all sussed' without shouting about it. Pricey but will last for years and years and you will most definitely get your money's worth.

Topshop £55

Super cute, pale pink mac, looks great with black skinny ankle length jeans and trainers clash up with a red bag or red trainers to add a touch to 'fashun' to a wet schoolrun..

Topshop Ivy Park - £90

Or could rock the sporty Beyonce/Ivy Park look on the schoolrun. This jacket has great design details, the slit in the back, mesh at the sides and it is water resistant. It is pretty lightweight so would be perfect for Autumn and Spring showers - I must admit I am loving this jacket..

Uniqlo £59.90

This is the daddy of all rain jackets, it is fully waterproof and 'shuts out all wind and rain' according to Uniqlo. I like that you get good hood coverage - important!! And it looks like the hood would stay up - also important when carrying multiple schoolbags, scooters, children etc. It comes in a few different colours but I am drawn to this red version, on a rainy day it will bring a little brightness.

Zara - £49.99

Water -repellant jacket, does a job and looks quite good whilst doing it..

Asos £55

Love this wax rainmac, style like Sienna Miller in the streetstyle photos above (somehow I dont think the crop top the model is wearing above would be my thing!)

Asos - £50

This rain jacket has a wax outer, it looks like it would be the perfect outerwear for the countryside or the city.

Hunter @Asos - £140

The jewelled colour of this waterproof jacket is beautiful, you could keep dry and still look stylish.

Joules @House Of Fraser - £84.95

Cute but not too twee, this Joules waterproof jacket will keep you dry and snuggly.

Asos - £22

When all else fails, the pac-a-mac is the perfect option - stick it in your bag and never be caught out by a rain shower again!

My Style

For the first (dry) schoolrun of the new term I wore red..

Sweater - Topshop £30

Jeans - River Island £42

Sandals - Topshop £7 (sold out)

Bag - Anna Pugh Bags £160

Necklace - Missoma £105

Are you all waterproofed up the new school term? Which jacket do you swear by? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Fran xxx

The Colour Lift - #theOliaEffect

Garnier Olia 112 Super Light Beige Blonde

Style Theory: I am a highlight devotee, ever since I used sun-in and it went wrong when I was 18, I have been having highlights at my hairdresser's and have never waivered. However, it is an expensive business having highlights and is super time consuming, I tend to only ever have half a head of highlights (reason being lack of money and time) leaving my hair with a slightly skunk-like appearance (see my 'before' photo below)

'BEFORE'

I was asked recently by Garnier to try their new Olia hair dye naturally I had major reservations, I had never ever used a home dye (since that fateful sun-in summer) and was quite frankly terrified. Yes, a hair dye I could do myself at home was appealing but what if it goes wrong, what if my hair falls out, or goes a weird colour?! To put my mind at rest I was invited to meet with Garnier Olia's ambassador Fearne Cotton and chat to her about the colour, check it out on her hair and also have a consultation with her personal hairdresser who suggested the Olia colour that would most suit my hair - she suggested Garnier Olia 112 - Super Light Beige Blonde - Fearne uses 9.3 Golden Light Blonde

Fearne's hair looked amazing (as did she and she was absolutely lovely too, I sat across from her at dinner and we talked fashion and kids, super down to earth but almost impossibly beautiful!) However the main thing that swayed me was the fact that Garnier is powered by oils, that are actually good for your hair, it rejuvenates your hair making it look shinier and feeling softer. It does not contain ammonia so does not strip your hair of goodness, it makes it look and feel so much better - that sold the dye to me, I soo need my hair to look healthier. 

After a lot, and I mean a lot of research (ie. reading every single thing I could read about Garnier Olia - every single review) I decided to take the plunge..

Attractive photo!!

I used Olia 112 Super Light Blonde the dye was easy to mix and apply, had a velvety consistency (I did the 48 hour allergy test first - this is so important to do), it has clear instructions so it is hard to go wrong. It smells lovely and after applying it (I avoided applying it the very blonde ends of the top of my hair) I went outside to dismantle the Little Tikes playhouse! There were no drips down my head and it didn't sting at all, in fact I forgot I had it on.

After 30 mins I washed it off, as soon as I started brushing my hair it felt incredibly soft and when I blow dried it, it looked shinier, softer and had more body than ever. The oils have made my hair feel incredible, I have really fine hair and it has made it feel thicker, glossier but not heavy. It feels swishy, when I wash it and leave it to dry naturally it still looks like it has been blow dried due to the intense oils and the fab conditioner your get in the pack. I should imagine if you were to use the red or brown colour tone your hair would look amazing, really glossy and soft, blonde always does not reflect the light as well.

I already had blonde highlights in my hair so the colour lifted to a very light blonde. On the darker underneath part of my hair it was lifted to a more strawberry blonde so would not lift dark blonde or brown hair to a white blonde. If you are considering going lightening blonde hair go for as light an Olia product as you can, go one lighter than you think for a good lift to your hair, it will not make it white blonde unless you already have bleached hair. If you are going brown or red the product is amazing and it will definitely make your hair feel luxuriously soft and shiny! If you are in any doubt about which colour your should go for you can chat to the Garnier experts online, they know their stuff and can help you decide.

There is fab Olia competition where you can win a £5000 shopping spree with Fearne, if you do fancy colouring your hair with Olia, all your need to do is take a photo of your hair before and after and then enter on the Garnier Website - Good Luck!!

Fabulous Frills - 1st Part in my AW16 Key High Street Trends

Style Theory: Knitwear with frills..the perfect AW16 wardrobe update. Frivolous and fun, frills add a feminine touch to a basic sweater, taking it from last year's normcore to this year's more dramatic take on knitwear.

Featured on the catwalks of Stella McCartney, Gucci and Christopher Kane to name but a few, knitwear with frill details will immediately 'lift' a jeans and trainers look and bring it perfectly into AW16.

As always the High Street has picked up on this trend perfectly, when wearing this look keep the rest of your outfit simple, a pair of jeans and trainers will look great for daytime, or dress up your look with a frill sweater paired with boyfriend jeans and a pair of heels for a cool, laidback outfit.

Here are my favourite pieces on the high street now:

Warehouse £45

Without a doubt my favourite jumper. I adore the woven sleeve detail and with the knitwear body, this would be a perfect day to evening sweater and one of those items you will wear again and again..I am ordering today - it also comes in berry and cream. Warehouse has undergone a makeover and has a new creative director, designer Emma Cook, along with Alasdhair Willis (husband of Stella MacCartney) as it's brand director, they have breathed new, slightly edgier, more on-trend life into the brand and it is definitely one to look out for this season..

Cos £59

I bought this top in black last season and wore it loads, the red is a beautiful colour update. The jumper hides a multitude of sins (for me a bloated tummy!) and looks great with skinny jeans and heels, one of those jumpers to wear that you will know will be comfortable but also look good.

H&M £24.99

I have this sweater - see photo below and love the mix of sporty with feminine frills. A great sweater to add a luxe touch to the schoolrun. Be warned though, the arms are quite long..I had to push mine up a bit!

Baum Und Pferdgarten @Asos £163

Slightly more expensive and on the luxe side of things, this navy sweater hangs beautifully and would definitely be a 'keeper'.

H&M £29.99

This is an acquired taste..again the sleeves are super long and not eating friendly. I have bought this jumper too and love wearing it with skinny high waisted black jeans and trainers (I push the arms up on this too - a bit of a faff!)

H&M £29.99

I love the idea of this jumper under a pair of dungarees in the autumn. You will see a lot of this wine colour this season and the frill neck adds interest.

Oasis £40

This is super cute, but should be styled super casually with denim so it doesn't look too country girl-ish. Wear with boyfriend jeans and heels for a comfy and cool going out look.

Oasis £28

A subtle nod the frill trend, this would be great for work with a pair of fitted trousers and statement Gucci-esque shoes or loafers.

Warehouse £35

Another sweater perfect for the schoolrun or relaxing at the weekend, chic and cool.

M&S £35

This is another jumper that would be perfect for work, it is a subtle twist on the basic sweater and the colour is beautiful. It does come up a little on the small side, I think M&S thought people would wear it fitted but I think it looks better slightly slouchier so size up. It is Limited Edition so wont be around for long!

H&M £49.99

The perfect throw on sweater, would look great over skinny jeans with a pair of stan smith trainers.

I am obviously loving this frill trend, it is so up my street, a perfect way to dress up my looks without much effort.

Jumper - H&M £24.99
Jeans - River Island £42
Trainers - Superga @Very Exclusive Uk £55

 Are you a frill fan, have you bought into this trend yet? As always I would love to hear thoughts and comments, until next time Fran xxxx

Schoolrun Saviours #YourNewDenim

Style Theory: My criteria for a perfect outfit for the schoolrun is as follows...

Can I put it on in two seconds flat, can I run in it, will it withstand rain/wind/sun and finally does it look passable and slightly put together?!

So pretty basic as there is just not time to think about outfits in the morning when manically getting the kids ready for school so a good pair of jeans, a breton and trainers are my ultimate 'go to' pieces. 

The item to really make this outfit work is a great pair of jeans. I have been wearing boyfriends for a lonng time now but with baggy tops the overall look is, well, kinda baggy. So when Wallis asked me to style up a pair of their jeans from their new range I thought I would mix it up a little and re-visit my past love the skinny jean. 

The Wallis Ellie Skinny jean are a complete jean revelation, they are high waisted (on me), incredibly comfortable across my stomach with the perfect amount of stretch, they they do not bag but instead skim over all lumps and bumps. They are a deep black colour that is so flattering and the cut seems to elongate my short legs. I chopped off the hem of my jeans so they rest just above my ankle bone as this, for me, is a flattering length. Add a breton top, my leopard print pumps (and possibly a waterproof jacket), a slick of pink lipstick and I am ready to take on all the schoolrun has to throw at me!

Jeans - Wallis Ellie skinny jean £28 (for a limited time)

Breton - H&M (old) love this one

Trainers - Air and Grace £139

Trench Jacket - Zara £49.99

Necklace - AnnaLou of London £52

Wallis are launching their new denim jeans tomorrow with two days of 20% off all styles, they have skinny, bootcut and straight legs cut. 

I am ready for what surprises next Tuesday's first schoolrun after 6 weeks has to throw at me....although thinking about it I am completely disorganised as I still need to order those blazers (forgot about that) sew on their school badges (never ever underestimate how long this takes) and track down the PE kits...

Are you organised for the new school year? What is your schoolrun uniform? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time, Fran xxxxx

This blogpost was written in collaboration with Wallis, styled by me, all opinions are my own.