Sooner or later you need more wardrobe space - Donate!

A quicky today - on a borrowed computer from leg two of my holiday.

This Saturday the British Heart Foundation are encouraging people to donate to their charity shops... but while I'm sure they'd be glad of all good quality second hand clothes - imagine how fabulous the collected donations of the Swelegant Style Shopping readership would be.

Have a think: is there something lovely you bought for an occassion but now doesn't fit?  That sale bargain that you've realised doesn't suit you?  The shoes that were so painful the only time you wore them that you can't bear to look at them?  I'm not talking misshapen old jumpers and skirts with broken zips...  the British Heart Foundation charity shops are there to raise money: last year they raised over £20 million to help fight heart disease (the UK's biggest killer), and the better quality your donations, the more they can raise. 

Go on...  your nearest BHF shop can be found here: any day is good, and as you can see from the image at the top of the page this campaign is pushing to the end of September, but this Saturday is the big day. I'll be at the Dalry Road branch in Edinburgh because I've been set a challenge. I've been asked to style a gorgeous outfit out of the stock in the shop. I'll write it all up when I'm home next week and you can see the photos of my efforts.  Of course, when you donate, it's the perfect opportunity to pick up some fabulous pieces of your own, not only helping a brilliant cause, and being eco-friendly but also paying a fraction of the 'new' price...

A Bumper Compendium of Friday Frocks: Part Two - Week Eleven

I'm on my holidays, and despite being assured that there'd be internet access, I've only been able to get online today. Picture the scene - husband and I arrive at our gorgeous cottage for a relaxing, romantic escape, only for me to wail 'But what about the blog?!'

So - week eleven. First we have Nicola looking very sporty but no less glam in this cute blue and white frock.  The regular summer visitation of nautical fashion themes isn't to everyone's taste, but navy and white can look fresh and flattering. Look for spots or simple floral prints to bring these colours into your own style.

A beautiful, glam-dressed-down look from 'wayward bob' next. For many of us this would be very dressy indeed, but Bob tends to rock a more tailored, vintage look. It's still Friday frocktastic, though - the button-detailing and the collar give a hint of 1940s tea dress, and the soft red shade of the hoody makes the outfit look sexy, in a well-behaved, taking-the-kids-to-the-park kind of way.

The first Friday frocks couple are @christhewinter and @wintersgroupie. he looks very smart from what I can see - I love that marine blue wash of the jeans - but Ms groupie looks simply stunning.  The gladiator sandals work with the maxi dress because there's no leg-line to cut off, and of course the two together combine in creating a classical look.  The detailing on the dress is well chosen too.  The chunky scale of the buckle ring is flattering, and the pale colour of it helps to lend a certain lightness to the otherwise overwhelming black: important with such fair colouring.

This is 'madzone' and it's her first Friday frock offering - doesn't she look great?  We've seen a lot of black and grey combinations over the weeks, and you can expect to see many more.  The leggings and the cardigan give comfort, coverage and practicality, allowing the sexy lower neckline to feel 'daytime'.  The belt is flattering, emphasising the waist, and the width of it is in proportion to the fullness of the skirt.  The chunky pearls are effortless glamour and the eye makeup is a little bit rock-chick sexy.
 

A similar look this week from Maeve - but the cherry-red gives a completely different feel. I wear a lot of red, but from an unbiased perspective, red is associated with passion - and so it's sexy, but it's also bright.  Bright colours draw attention: they look vibrant and suggest energy, so there's an association of fun too.  Not all reds suit all people, but it's worth finding the ones that suit you.

Lesley is wearing the most gorgeous vintage dress this week - all tailored darts and seaming, showing off her trim curves. Lovely as it is, she's wise to let the dress be centre of our attention - with bold florals it's best to keep accessories simple, as we see here (cat optional).

Another week and another torso shot from 'strumpet'. It's a beautifully detailed top covered with a cardigan, and a good example of how you can Friday frock even if, as here, you're going to be busy moving house and lugging boxes all day.  Notice too, how a closed fitting cardigan can make the waist look tiny.

 
It's the blooming, beautiful mum-to-be @mrsfran next.  The tunic worn with wide-leg trousers is a perennial favourite, but this one's particularly lovely, and flattering to a larger bust with its crossover, kimono-style neckline. The wave-shaped line at the hem and neck edges  is feminine and soft, too.

There's a really energetic-geometric pattern on the dress @hayleyjgreen is wearing this week. The longer lines and closer fit of the dress are flattering as is the crossover neckline and long sleeve.  The whole effect is smart but also quite fun, especially with those cute green mary-janes.

No frocking by me this week (I was ill in bed), so I'll let @Girl_In_A_Box have the last word. A simply swelegant, summery, stylishly-casual look, dressed up by that showstopping dragonfly necklace and the detailing of the scarf used as a belt.  The lemon pastel palette tones without being too matchy, and although you wouldn't see much of it as worn, I love that 'retro illustration' design - is that Nicola on her bike?

A Bumper Compendium of Friday Frocks: Part One - Week Ten

The wait is over - I've tested your patience long enough and now I've recovered from my illness I can, over the next 24 hours, bring you up to date with a double helping of Friday Frocks.

Let's start with 'ScifiSam' who looks elegant and fresh in this peacock-patterned maxi dress.  It's a great choice for her, it flatters her long legs and the top has sufficient construction to enhance and support her boobs.  The gladiator sandals add to the whole 'greek goddess' thing, too.

Edie says that she didn't feel very pretty, so this isn't a pretty dress.  Well it maybe not 'pretty' but - wow! When you have legs like this you don't need to worry about the vertical line being interrupted by the straps on these dynamite sandals, and the effect is just stunning.  Apparently she put on some lace leggings for the school run. I bet she was a sensation: fabulous!

Miss-Shelf had the day off, and therefore had the luxury of sporting two contrasting Friday frock looks. The red kaftan is glorious: dark hair means you can get away with such a bright display. Then the pretty pink summer dress with vintage-style cardigan adds up to a real sense of innocence... although perhaps an underskirt would be advised if one were really worried about modesty!

Rozi says this is her favourite skirt ever, and what the extra length does from my perspective is to emphasise her height. It's all down to those uninterrupted vertical blocks of colour.  I love the flower in her hair, too. It pulls in the red top and makes the look feel cohesive, but it's also fun.

The lovely, but shy 'Strumpet' has taken the plunge and sent us a photo of a rather gorgeous monochrome paisley patterned frock.  I love the structured empire line here: it defined the boobs and makes them look higher.

@Girl_In_A_Box went for my favourite: the dotty frock. It's really nicely tailored which flatters and emphasises her curves.  The little black cardigan makes it look smarter and more grown up - more businesslike: pale colours can look a little 'playtime'.

It seems to have been the week for fabulous pins. Nicola is showing off some very shapely legs in this sexy, tulip-hemmed wrap dress.  The way that line curves up the thighs is red hot - but the look is kept daytime and fun by those cute little round-toed shoes.

Maeve has summoned the spirit of the eighties with this black and pale pink colour combination.  The hair flower is old-world feminine, and that's why it works with the ladylike pearls.

Then she's married the two with these cute pale pink pumps with a pearlescent finish. Sometimes I wonder how much accessory storage Maeve must have... I'm so jealous!

It takes patience and dedication, but if you're uninspired by current trends, ebay is the place to track down bargainous, vintage pieces. It's also very sustainable, of course, to give existing clothes a new lease of life rather than consuming more and more brand new resources. This kingfisher blue sundress is just the thing for a warm summer day.

It's also the place to look for older vintage pieces, like wayward bob's gorgeous 1940s tea dress (which she's styled here with a hand knitted cardigan for authentic Blitz-era style). Bob wrote something about Friday frocks that I really loved, and with her permission I'm reproducing it here.

"I really think it isn't. it's about taking chances and wearing stuff that makes you happy. I realise lots of people might not feel happy out of a comfort zone of jeans, or get self-conscious about showing bits you'd rather not, but to me it's partly about pushing comfort zones and finding that maybe it's easier than you thought.

Last week I mentioned feeling self-conscious about the whole 40s thing, yet today I went to sainsbos in full forties (minus the hair), something I would never have done if I hadn't been doing the frock thing (if I take the pic I feel I have to wear the frock all day). I would have found it so much harder to get over the hurdle of wearing things that I feel might draw attention outside the house otherwise, maybe I would never have done it.

It's about spending a little time thinking about what makes you feel - for want of a better word - a little more "special" than usual, and ignoring the fact that you haven't got an occasion to go to, just for the sake of it."

Trudi is showing off her brand new pirate-print tea dress from Vivien of Holloway here. I love the way it takes the traditional shape of the garment and juxtaposes it with a modern, fun fabric.  She's wearing a blue belt as an accent colour here, which coordinates with her tattoo and the streaks in her hair - she's on the look out for some blue shoes in exactly the right shade, but in the meantime, nude will do.

It's a Friday frocks debut for 'weepiper' - and she treated us to two very glamorous looks (tights in July? Must be a Scottish Swelegant type). Both these dresses flatter her petite frame through their trim tailoring.

She's accessorised them with this gorgeous swallow necklace.  The swallow here is part of the same aesthetic as the recent trend in traditional tattoo art - which makes it both feminine and slightly arch.

@BeBelongy looks fabulously cool and breezy here in this strapless maxi dress.  The sexiness of the strapless bodice is somewhat softened by the neutral verdigris colour, and the lightweight fabric is given some grounding by the sold, chunky belt.

Mum and daughter here. We've seen 'foamy' before, and here she's showing off her simple black outfit with luxurious metallic sandals and an attractive necklace.  I have to say, though, that her mum is in danger of outshining her with this outfit: the white linen trousers are light and summery, and the rest of the outfit is beautifully colour coordinated.

Another beautifully coordinated outfit, this time from 'Queen of Goths'.  Grey is really big in the shops this summer, and will only become more prevalent as we move into Autumn/Winter. It coordinates perfectly with black, as we can see here - and those little pumps show that neutral colours can still be playful and cute.

Another look that's very popular in high street stores at the moment is what are called 'tribal' prints. This dress capitalises on that trend, and is in a lightweight summer fabric, but the more autumnal colour palette suits @hayleyjgreen's colouring and makes it easier to wear with dark trousers.

Amanda was concerned that she wasn't making enough effort for Friday frocks, but since I know that she wears trouser the rest of the week, this beautiful skirt is all the effort she needs to, hopefully, feel a bit special.  It's a lovely skirt - I adore the colours, and once again the darker background makes it ideal for combining with something dark - in this case a black top.

Finally, Friday frocks week ten was the last day of term at my school.  Clare celebrated in this gorgeous, military-style dress from Next (you may remember it from my recommendation a few weeks ago). The buttons accentuate her fabulous curves, without exposing any cleavage. Very swelegant.

 

My beautiful friend Dunni is leaving us to work in Dubai. She looked stylish on her last day in this simple but glam dress from Marks and Spencer, and picked up the metallic detailing on the shoulder with some subtle shimmering eyeshadow.Gorgeous.

Megan has a large collection of beautiful dresses, and this dotty green frock is one of my favourites. People avoid bright green, but this jade tone flatters most pale skins. And on top of which, you can't knock a dotty frock.  That's two so far this week...

What can I say?  I love this dress - and although it's really a bit too small at the moment, it still looks quite flattering.  Notice the little half-hive too. Well... it was the last day of term!

Apologies for this interruption in service...

 
... I'm actually really under the weather at the moment.  When I feel better I'll be back with two Fridays worth of frocks, plus one or two other things.

xxxx

Charlotte

Friday Frocks - Nine Time

Another week - another round of fabulous Friday frocks.

First some apologies...  I now have Friday frock pictures coming at me from so many sources that I occasionally lose track.  If you want to be really certain of making the roundup, I advise emailing your picture to me at the address to the left of the page.  Otherwise, I will do my best. So, Lesley here is wearing the most gorgeous vintage frock - very 1965 - and looks very cool and summery on that very hot Friday from two weeks ago.  Adore these pleats, especially in contrast to the fitted bodice.

Then I also overlooked Naomi, who teaches food technology, and so made her Friday frocks effort with this striking, graphic-print apron, set off beautifully by stylish, neutral black.  Making an extra effort beyond what you'd normally wear to work is absolutely a Friday frocks thing, and this is so smart and stylish... I wish she worked at my school - the kids would be learning swelegance as well as cookery.

ScifiSam plumped for gorgeously flattering shades of blue and green, which she even picked out in a fabulously fun manicure.  Punky nail colours like this work best on short nails - the same shade and combination on long nails would look a little discordant.  I can't see much of the frock, here - but I do love the way Sam poses - it always raises a smile.

The last of my omissions was beautiful Bonita in a red dress with white polka dots.  I have this dress myself, and don't look anywhere near as stunning.  Notice again (as we saw last week) how good a rounded necklace line looks inside a deep V neck.  Glamour all the way.

First for this week is the delightful Trudi who eschewed a dress in favour of this utterly fabulous shirt and tie combination.  The black and purple work together in a very dramatic way, and I bet she turned heads all day long with this striking look.  I do love a bit of creativity - and this really is thinking outside the frock-box.

It's another doozy from 'wayward bob' this week, and rather than regurgitate her excellent description, I'll post it for you here. 
She says "i wasn't in a frocky mood this morning, so i resorted to my oldest favouritest dress, in a comfy old slipper kind of way. you can't really see the details, but the polka dots are actually tiny hearts, it has pintucks down the front and it's a laura lees dress so it has all that embroidery she does dotted around. but it's in need of a good iron, and that combined with the flipflops doesn't really do the whole friday frock thing of making some kind of effort so i put on a petticoat. i'm glad i did, it always cheers me up to have swishy skirts."And doesn't it look lovely? I love Bob's dresses - they have such a sweet, vintage feel to them. Almost Enid Blyton Chic?

Next lets see what the boys are doing @mikedixson, whose Twitter name I've been spelling wrong for weeks - sorry - was inspired towards these boots because someone at work apparently made a comment about his personal protective clothing not being up to scratch.  Well, maybe... but they're also really cool.  The current trend in menswear to tuck jeans into heavy ankle boots makes the legs look stockier and as such is pretty manly.  Styled with the hip-slung braces and the plaid shirt the look is cohesive and slightly retro - but of course, you know my feelings about having only one button open...

 This sharp dressed fella (the eleven year old son of Twitter's @donnabrookes) is dressed for an occasion - so it isn't quite Friday frocks, but given his age, and the fact that he chose the outfit himself, I'm including him anyway.  He's dressed for a formal dinner and dance to celebrate the end of primary school, and I think he looks absolutely dapper, but not too much like a mini adult.  The hair is styled and he looks surprisingly at ease in his finery.

This week saw another junior frocker - but this one I think qualifies unreservedly. It's Bonita's daughter, and she has taken an interest in what her mum's been doing over the last few weeks and has quite admirably decided that she wants a part of it.  So - for no other reason than the love of Friday, she chose this fabulous outfit to dress up in - and declared she wants to do it every week.  I don't know how many frocks a small girl has, but I look forward to seeing other looks she puts together.  You may notice that she's wearing one of the butterfly hairclips from Now, Voyager I wrote about the other week.

So if that was Mini-Bonita, what was her mum wearing?  Bon says she's not sure about this dress, but I'm sure you'll all agree with me that she looks red hot: sexy but also classy - she's played that up with structured heels and richly-coloured but restrained accessories.  Perhaps it's not very summery, but when you're having fun and looking delicious, who on earth cares?

Also rocking a flower in her hair is @BeBelongy.  The red is echoed in her necklace, and then in the pattern on her skirt.

and I'm so glad she sent me this closeup of the fabric because it's absolutely brilliant and really makes the outfit special.  The colour palette reminds me of prints from the fifties, but the style of the line drawing is freer and more expressively abstract. When you have a pattern like this, obviously it needs to take centre stage - as it does here with a plain, neutral top and the aforementioned red accents to tie in the colours.

Right up to date with Edie's 2 in 1 dress: the slouchy shaping and fabric is very much prevalent in the shops this season.  It's very flattering to Edie's long, lean shape, in the same-but-opposite way that structured shapes and tailoring suit those of us with more 'freeform' bodies.  I love the open neckline here, inviting that sexy flash of bra strap... an example of how you don't need to show too much of anything to excite the imagination.  The flash of firey orange red, too, is fun and enticing. Grey might be 'on trend', but few of us look good in sober neutrals from head to toe.

How fabulous does @hayleyjgreen look? She's had her hair done, but the star here is that fabulous green dress.  See how the empire line defines her fabulous boobs, and that deep V neckline gives balance and proportion of colour. I like the interesting criss-cross of her sandals, too.  I don't like to wear anything between my toes, but if I did I'd like these.

We've already seen how Lesley loves striking vintage and retro looks, and here she's taken the current trend for maxi dresses and ramped it up to it's most glamorous, 1980-style pinnacle.  The silk sheen of the fabric lends an opulence to the rich colour palette of royal purple and old gold, and then the presence of sleeves give it a graceful, excessive, Isadora Duncan feel.

A few weeks ago Maeve said that she didn't normally wear skirts or dresses.  Frankly, looking at these pics I'm beginning to think she might be a bit of a fibber.  It's a wonderfully colour coordinated look, which we've come to expect form Maeve, but the dress itself is really fabulous.  I don't know if it's vintage, but that solid matt fabric has a real retro feel, which helps make the petticoat feel 'right'.  The V neck and ruching over the bust is flattering and allows the hard horizontal line of the belt to create an attractive cinching of the waist without creating a widening illusion.  The tea-length is right for Maeve's frame, and showing some petticoat wouldn't usually work, but where you have the contrasting colour it looks amazing. Va-va-voom!

Queen of Goths this week has accentuated her curves by the use of this full skirt, balanced above the waist with this paler, knotted shrug.  The effect of the shrug is to make the boobs look more generous, so they can hold their own against the width of the skirt, while emphasising the neat little waist. I love the colours here, too.  It's like chocolate cake with cream.

The swelegencia love a retro look, have you noticed?  Miss-Shelf is rocking my favourite polka-dots, which are all over the place again this summer, but which do suggest a fifties aesthetic... however, it's the scarf knotted at the neck that really gives that vintage feel.  Friday frocks is about special touches, and wearing a scarf in this way gives an outfit just that extra something.  But the real pizzazz here is the hair accessory, and I have to tell you, Miss-Shelf made it herself!  How clever is that?

@Girl_In_A_Box has honoured us with another bright floral frock, and I love this one.  The combination of colours here is rich as well as fresh: dark pinks and purples tend to be very flattering to brunettes.  The black belt and cardigan work because they're in a limited area, and close-fitting - which suits the tailored style of the dress.  The cardigan also breaks what would otherwise be a very high neckline for someone as buxom as madam, here.

Much more simple, but 'spark' is wearing a beautiful summer frock that states another case in support of summer black.  In it's favour is the amount of bare limb that is still exposed to the sunshine, but also the lightweight fabric.  The detailing at the neckline (and also the sleeves and hemline) is subtle but makes the design feminine and special.  I love the vertical line created by the buttons too.

I love the shape of this dress, but what strikes me is how perfectly 'temper_tantrum' has teamed it with sexy sheer black stockings.  The rule of thumb with hosiery is to match your legs to your hem - and although all rules can be happily broken, the dark band at the bottom of this frock paves the way for sexy dark legwear.  The shoes are fabulous too: the dark bow works with the stockings, and the white upper refers back to the white body of the dress.

As is traditional, lastly here's me.  This full skirt I hope demonstrates what I said in my last post about full skirts not necessarily being retro.  It's not quite a circle skirt, but it's nearly there: I certainly have to watch it blowing up in the breeze!  I love the colours here - the purple is rich and berry-like, which works well in both summer and winter. I've styled it without emphasising the waist as I normally would, and I think the effect makes my boobs look slightly higher than normal, so I'll try that again...