ThePurpleCapsule: February 2017

About me....

I'm a 39yr old mumma to Luca(8) and 5yr old twin girls Emmy and Georgia (what a shock to the system that news was..) My husband and I sat in the waiting room for our 12wk scan disagreeing on whether we would go for number 3 after this '1' I was adamant we'd stop a two and we'd never be pitching up for a 12wk scan again, well I was partly right...

So with 3 little ones my flying career as long haul cabin crew for Virgin Atlantic was going to be pretty impossible and I really wanted to be there for them at home and savour these early years...

So my family are my first love, fashion is my second. I'm not a follower of high fashion, I believe you should wear what you want and what suits you, adding accessories or using one part of your outfit to give a nod to whatever the current trend is. I like to mix high end with high street, its all about balance (financially and aesthetically) I spent 10yrs travelling and shopping the world as crew so changing to a stay at home mummy was a huge lifestyle change! That's where the idea of blogging started, a way to keep my finger on the fashion pulse. I began ThePurpleCapsule over 3yrs ago but have neglected it massively over the last couple of years. Began to doubt myself and lost my confidence after such a lifestyle change but I've really missed writing about pieces I've found and outfits I've put together so I've decided to start her up again! I don't claim to be an expert by any means but I love giving others ideas and also reading what you guys like/dislike.

So in conclusion, my mantra is if you love it, wear it, forget the rules (within reason, there's no room for Crocs on adult feet, under 16's only right...?!?

Tuesday, 28 February 2017

Afternoon Tea Treat

So last week I braved storm Doris and headed to the Covent Garden Hotel for an afternoon of Topshop Personal Shopping hosted by the gorgeous astylealbum ladies Lou and Em.
The wind was head and tail strong, as I finally approached my destination I (thankfully) caught a glimpse of myself in a shop window and saw a deranged scarecrow looking back at me. After a frantic scramble in my handbag and finding no hairbrush I hotfooted it to Vidal Sassoon to purchase their cheapest brush, and I was finally good to go meet the ladies!

Topshop has been a firm favourite of mine for as long as I can remember .... and it remains so to this day. I'm certainly old enough to remember how it used to be...

Lou and Em were super friendly, not to mention utterly beautiful, and totally knew their stuff when it came to the upcoming trends of spring/summer 17. They handpicked some of their favourite pieces from Topshop's new collection.

So first to Lou's jumpsuit. Amazing. I tried it on and loved it but thought it a bit pricey...

Moving onto my favourite, the sports luxe trend. It's here to stay and I'm delighted because you can team almost anything in your wardrobe with trainers from your lounge pants to your best dresses. I love this look as you can pull an outfit together without looking like you're trying too hard. It's a great way to get more wear out of your dresses you might normally save for lunch/dinners out, especially important if its a pricey dress, get your cost per wear down and it becomes a less guilty buy! The dress Lou is holding below would look fab with trainers and maybe a denim jacket tied around the waist for a daytime sunny spring day out with the kids...

I also love pretty feminine blouses teamed with jeans, these are my favourite pieces from the bits that were on show...

Just add heels, a clutch and a bright lip and voila the perfect drinks with girlfriends outfit! Another pretty blouse option here and here

Topshop jeans are varied far and wide, whatever style you want they're sure to have...

These are just a small selection that were available to try on the day. The cropped 'mom' jean looks amazing with a slogan T and heels for a dress down night out.

I had such a lovely afternoon with astylealbum and the Topshop team and came away with the mindset of being fearless when it comes to outfits, if you love it wear it! If you'd like a personal shopping experience with Topshop you can book it free of charge here.... Here are a few pics, the champagne was more popular than the tea...!

Thanks so much for reading, Karen xx