Coats, jackets and hoodies are the common layers we throw on once the temperature start to drop. But the poncho has become the latest piece of layering to keep us warm and on trend.

Available @ www.littlewoods.ie

It work well with nearly everything in your wardrobe. Poncho’s can be tailored for a chic formal and or professional style or bohemian in chunky knits, colourful patterns, Aztec prints and or tassels and fringes.

Although poncho’s can appear to be an easy item to wear, it’s important that you choose a poncho that fits your frame. Make sure that it is not too small or to big but that it fits your frame, otherwise you will drown in it.

Necklines such as cowl neck, turtleneck, V-neck, scoop-neck, crew-neck, and boat neck are great as they frame your face and upper body. Whereas boat necks and crew necks tend to make the chest and shoulders look wider, but are perfect if you have narrow shoulders or a small bust V-necks especially are good for women with broad shoulders or a large bust, as it has a slimming effect. If you have a longer neck, go for a turtleneck that has a shortening effect through the neck and face.

Available @ www.primark.com

If you want to elongate your frame opt for a ponchos that falls, no lower than two centimetres above your knee.

Petite ladies should be aware of long ponchos as they will overwhelm your petite frame.

To balance out your silhouette, choose bottoms that have a slim fit, especially if you are top-heavy.

Available @ www.houseoffraser.co.uk

Wear your poncho with slim-fitting trousers, skinny jeans, leggings, pencil skirts, and slim-fitting miniskirts paired with knee-high boots, ankle boots, and high heels for a chic look.

Go for interesting prints like plaids, Aztec designs, and subtle patterns, as long as the colour is subtle and the print is not too large.

Available @ www.very.co.uk

But remember when wearing a patterned poncho, keep the rest of your look simple.

Keep your accessories modest, especially if your poncho is your statement piece. Keep chunky jewellery to rings and or bracelets. Switch up your shoulder or sling bag for a clutch or a satchels.

A belt is your best option for a shapely silhouette.

Available @ www.jigsaw-online.com

The beauty of brown, with its earthy base, is an amazing and versatile colour. Ranging from dark rich chocolate, foamy latte, sweet caramel, fragrant coffee beans to warm honey. Classic and sophisticated, a perfect replacement for the timeless and elegant black.

The past season as well as the current season we are seeing deep brown on fringed jackets, rich caramel on wool coats, and hints of the colour mixed into ensembles, with accessories like leather bags and shoes. Wearing brown skilfully means that you can take your everyday pieces and making them feel a little bit more luxe and unexpected.

If black is you daily go to colour, then switching to brown can be a bit intimidating, but shades of brown like tan and beige can be fun to wear and perfect for any season.

If you rather stick to black and play it safe, you can still incorporating brown into your look with accessories in tan or light brown.

Available @ www.newlook.com

Paired With Lighter Shades

White, off-white, soft grey and cream look chic and sophisticated when paired with tan and light brown colours. The lightness of these shades combined with the darkness of brown will create a look an eye catching look.

Available @ www.laredoute.co.uk

Available @ www.laredoute.co.uk

Available @ www.wallis.co.uk

Black

This is probably one of those colour combo’s that might be a big no-no, as it is both such intense colours but the sophistication of both these colours together creates a really chic look.

Available @ www.laredoute.co.uk

Available @ www.laredoute.co.uk

Available @ www.laredoute.co.uk

Brown and blue is a match made in fashion heaven because the contrast between the shades makes it a pretty combo.

Available @ www.missselfridge.com

Available @ www.laredoute.co.uk

Available @ www.wallis.co.uk

Wearing it head to toe

As with black and white, tan and camel are colour tones that looks great when worn from head to toe but if you are a bit on the fair skin side you should avoid wearing beige, and for medium skin tones its best to avoid lighter browns, as these shades will make you look washed out.

Available @ www.laredoute.co.uk

Available @ www.wallis.co.uk

Also try these shades with beautiful brown, burgundy, light blue, army green and pink.

Available @ www.Marksandspencer.com

We are enjoying the mild Autumn weather so far, and it's by far one of the best fashion seasons! There is something effortless and yet graceful about Autumn and it definitely reflects in the trends.

Check out my top 3 fashion picks you can treat yourself with!

- Boot leg jeans (Citizens of Humanity)
- Silver brogues (Meandher)
- Black back-pack (Burberry Prorsum)

What are your wardrobe treats this month?

Keji x

Plan Your Look The Night Before

Planning your outfits the night before safes you loads of time in the morning trying to figure out what to wear. To make planning your outfits even easier you will need a super organised closet.

Organizing Your Closet

One of the best ways to organize your closet is to keep all of your pieces together and colour coded, meaning tops together followed by pants, jeans, skirts and dresses.

Try and keep your shoes in one place and your tights and socks in one drawer. Jewellery on a stand or in a compartment drawer. Scarves and belts on racks.

Keeping your wardrobe organized gives you more control of your clothes and accessories which makes planning your daily looks stress-free.

Seasonal Pieces And Trends

Once you know what it in your closet you can identify what is missing, according to the seasons or specific trends and styles that you like.

When you are planning your look according to current trends, do not do the copycat version especially if you are using fashion magazines as a guide. Rather pair pieces in a way that makes it your own and select details from the current fashion trends that accentuate your personal style and turn it into something unique, and completely you.

Accessorizing

This would be the last step in planning your look, pairing your shoes, handbag and jewellery with your outfit pieces. Dress up simple pieces with bold shoes and accessories.

Categories your accessorize according to;

• Classic accessories: pearl or diamond-stud earrings, silk scarf, leather clutch and classic black pumps
• Glamorous accessories: chandelier earrings, bib necklace, large cocktail ring, crystal-embellished clutch, oversized sunglasses and sky-high heels
• Playful accessories: chunky jewellery, boho bag, and headbands
• Edgy accessories: thick cuff bracelet, choker necklace, studded handbag and black leather booties
• Workday accessories: delicate necklace, classic watch, large satchel or shoulder bag and kitten heels
• Casual accessories: candy-coloured bracelets, cross-body bag, floppy hats and espadrille sandals

Outfit Combinations

This makes planning a look easy so if you a 9-5 office kind of girl. Your go to combination would be the tailored pants and Blouse. This outfit combination can take your from day to night. Your capsule wardrobe should at least have one pair of tailored pants and a silky blouse. You can re-style this combination by wearing your blouse buttoned up and with a cardigan for a simple office-friendly look. For a night time look and then unbutton the top buttons of your blouse and add some bling. Alter the, at the office look, by switching between heeled and flat shoes.

Autumn could possibly be favourite fashion season for many designers. You an play around with layering while using earthy, rich colours.
Check out my top picks for this new season below.

What are your favourite autumn pieces? Let us know by commenting below!

From top left:

Zara cropped sweater
Topshop Velvet skirt (by Unique)
Mango Carla coat
Vero Mod 2-pack necklace
Zara Suede platform ankle boots
Mango stud cross body bag

We love to shop as much as we love finding a bargain, whether it is on the high street or online. But it is that love for shopping that often gets us in trouble because once we start we cannot stop.

With the new season upon us and the summer sales a big temptation we will be hitting the shops and filling up our closets with all the newest and latest trends and summer sale bargains. But many times we end up spending much more money then what we budgeted for and ends up with an overflowing wardrobe of things we do not need.

So before you hit the shops, here are a few tips to shop efficiently and to create stylish outfits saving you money and time.

Start by shopping online, make a list of all the new season items that you like or want to buy. Then shop around, you will find that many of the online shops like Romwe, Choies and Shein have similar pieces at different prices.

Buying pieces that are a bit more expensive, shop for it in-store that way you can try the items on and get a feel for how it looks on you. Sometimes online photos can be really inaccurate, so shopping in-store allows you to touch the fabric, look at its movement, and see how things fit on your body.

Save money and time by making a list of what you want and where to buy it. This saves you from walking around all day going from one shop to the other and “impulse buying”

Three key points to remember;

• Shop your style personality
• Shop your body shape
• Shop your colours

Before you step into a store ask yourself;

Does this shop offer items that suits my style personality? If you are more of a stiletto and bodycon dress kinda girl, then GAP is defiantly not the store for you

Does the shop offers items that suits my body type? The great thing is that now most shops offer clothes that suits all body types from petite, to curvy.

Does this shop offer items in colours that suit my colouring? The bigger the store, the more chance you have of finding your items in colours that suits your colouring.

Deciding what to wear to work can often be a headache for many of us because you are often torn between wearing the usual office outfit staples or dressing in something more glam and chic.

The difficult part is that you do not want to look too plain and simple, with the basics but you also do not want to look too casual and relaxed with more trendy pieces either.

If you that is you in the morning read on for my work wear tips for the stylish office girls.

Do not get rid of your staples

Yes!! They are boring and simple but you do not have to wear them as they are. Your crisp white button down shirt may scream Plain Jane when worn alone but when dressed up with a crop top or a vest or adding interesting and statement accessories it can give you an entirely new, chic look. So do stock up on those basic staples and use them as your base to building stylish outfits for the office.

Images Source Pinterest

Joseph Crepe de Chine Garcon Blouse in off white, River island black mesh grid pencil skirt, GIVENCHY Screw heel contrast toe leather pumps and Michael Michael Kors Dillon Leather Satchel Bag, Ray ban sunglasses Look via www.polyvore.com
Smart layering

Most of our office are fully air conditioned so you can wear fashionable outerwear every day. The plus side of this is that your outerwear, whether it is a blazer, jacket or cardigan not only keeps you warm but will also add extra layering and style points to your look for that day.

Images Source Pinterest

CANNCI Black knitted lace leather slouch bag, Yoins Wide Leg Trousers,River Island Black print ruched sleeve blazer, Dagger Black Patent Heels, Hollow Crochet Tank Top Look via Polyvore @ www.polyvore.com

Balance is key

There are so many new silhouettes on trend right now and the great thing about these new silhouettes is that they are wearable and you can include them into your work wear. Culottes with is loose and flowy silhouette and because of that makes them a chic option for a more polished look for work. Pair it with a more pieces that are more structured silhouette like a polished a blazer or a crisp button down.

Images Source Pinterest

Opt for sleeves

Sleeveless pieces tend to look more casual although there are some exceptions such as sleeveless shift dresses and sleeveless collared shirts. So rather opt for pieces with sleeves.

Make your daily black and white look by livening it up with colour

Work wear are often black and white but you can dress up even the most simplest to look more interesting by adding splashes of colour. Or by switching black and white with grey. But do keep in mind to wear colours suits your skin tone and brings out her best and fits in with your daily work wear basics.

Image Source Pinterest

Work and skimpy are not a good match

Keep it stylish and avoid off shoulder tops, sheer dresses and to short mini dresses Yes they are all very chic and on trend but a corporate office environment is not the place to wear these street style pieces. Remember if it shows too much skin it is an automatic no-no. You can add pieces like a trench to add a layer of length. Skirt hemlines should finish above or below the knee, as it will make your legs look slimmer and longer.

Image Source Pinterest

Rain drops can wreak havoc on your freshly styled hair, and as we are seeing more rainy days then sunny ones Cover up and stay chic and stylish in whatever your hat of choice is.

Shop the look at http://www.primark.com

Hat £8/€10, Coat £25/€40, Blouse £10/€13, Skirt £8/€12, Boots £18/€25, Bag £7/€10

Vintage Buckle Floppy Available at http://uk.accessorize.com

Wool fedora, £8/€10 @ http://www.primark.com

Brown floppy hat £14, White lace crop top £28, Necklace £8.50 Ring £6.50

Available @ http://www.dorothyperkins.com

Black Fedora @ www.next.co.uk

Christys' Madison Wide Brim Wool Felt Fedora Hat @ www.asos.com

Matador Felt hat @ www.asos.com

Felt Fedora Hat with Symbol Print Band @ www.asos.com

Pink, reminds me of being a little girl and as an adult the last thing you want is to look like a little princess when you are wearing it. Here are a few hints and tips on how to wear pink like a woman and not like a little girl.

You just love pink but as a strong career women you do not want to seem to girly. Wearing pink in an office setting, opt for a fitted shift dress or a power suit in the shade that complements your colouring. Stay clear of girlish fabrics like lace, chiffon instead go for silk, cotton or linen.

If you are going for a brighter pink shades, can be a bit much in one outfit. So rather go for a splash especially if you are wearing muted colours, that hint of pink will liven it up.

Mixing pink printed pieces are great way to spice up the colour. Add elements like contrasting accessories to break the colour.

Contrasting textures are a great way, to be less pink Barbie, so pair a cute pink dress with a leather biker jacket for a more edgy look.

Keep your look stylish by colour blocking your pinks with neutral colours and complementing bold colours.

Summer trends are about the whites and blues! Here in the UK, we've witnessed one of the hottest, clearest summers in a long time (holds breath). There is no better time than to clean out your wardrobe and reach out for summer-stylish pieces before the greys set back in.

From top-left: 

• Shoes: Chloé Navy Leather Slingback Wedge
• Dress: Miguelina Brudgette Crochet Caftan
• Skirt: See By Chloe Denim A-Line Skirt
• Top: Nicholas Lace Crop Top
• Choker: Jennifer Fisher
• Bag: Valentino Rainbow Striped Flap Shoulder Bag

Let me know your thoughts on my favourite High-Street-inspired pieces!