Fashion: New Freddy Purchases

My Freddy obsession seems to be continuing as I recently took full advantage of their mid season sale and purchased two more pairs of super comfy and flattering trousers.

The first was an eco leather high waist legging with a metal zip closure. I'm not really the kind of girl who wears leather trousers, but these are so easy to wear! I love the high waist as it makes them super comfortable and flattering.  The eco leather is also really stretchy so it moulds  to your shape, without feeling restrictive. If you are not a fan of the high waist style they also have a low waist version or a fun patterned style.

The second pair was from Wr.Up Sport. These are technically made for working out, but they definitely fit within the realm of sports luxe activewear as they are structured enough to wear outside the gym. Although they feel just as comfortable as leggings the proper seams, pockets and zip closure ensure that they can be worn alone. The white stripe down the side is also a fun little detail that helps to elongate the legs.

I love the innovative Freddy designs and their use of super stretchy fabrics, which makes them extraordinarily comfortable. As I have become more interested in fitness over the last few years I have found myself becoming somewhat of a lazy cliché wearing workout clothes most evenings and weekends (even when not working out). However, I do find Freddy to be a good compromise as their activewear is structured and a little smarter so it can take me from running errands and seeing friends to Pilates comfortably and looking like I have made more of an effort (and actually got dressed rather than putting on yoga pants again)!

Have you tried any Freddy Wr.Up styles? Which would you recommend?

OOTD: Misguided

A fun little outfit from last Saturday. This crop and midi pencil skirt were from Nicole for Misguided, but they still stock many similar versions!

 Similar set from Misguided here and here.

For the hair I used Babyliss Curl Secret. I took small sections to create the curls in alternate directions. I then let them set for about half an hour while I did my makeup. After the curls had thoroughly cooled I brushed through them with my hands and a smoothing brush to loosen them and give them a lot more volume and movement.

OOTD: Baby shower in Chi Chi

I have purchased 2 dresses from Chi Chi this Summer and after the first one I posted was so well received I thought it would be a shame not to show you the second! I wore this Nessa high neck laser cut prom dress to my friend's baby shower (blue for boy) a few weeks ago and got so many lovely compliments on it. It's so girlie and fun and completely effortless to wear!

Dress: currently £65 on Chi Chi London and ASOS

 

This dress gives you a great shape as it nips in at the waist and flares out in all the right places. The lining is nude, but gives a slight v neck illusion, plus it has built in support so there is no need for a bra.

With the mummy to be!

 

Have you ever tried Chi Chi London? I can't wait to have an occasion that would give me the perfect excuse to order another one of their dresses! 

OOTD: Workwear

With the heatwave we have been experiencing in London appropriate workwear has been tricky. I commute by tube each day so I am very sympathetic with most Londoners sweltering underground. However, at times like these the temperature in the office is arctic as the aircon desperately tries to overcompensate and ensure that the guys in their 3 piece suits are catered for. I therefore wanted to share some outfits from the last week of how I dress for work and try to remain professional (and not look like I'm off to the beach), but still comfortable.

The first dress I have been loving is a sale purchase from Ted Baker. It's very comfortable and though it has a lining the fabric is pretty stretchy so it never feels tight. The pattern is very Summery, but the demure length still makes it office appropriate.

Dress on sale from Ted Baker here

This outfit is super comfortable and easy to wear. The floaty fabric is cool, but the length of the skirt makes it work appropriate and traditional.

Top and Skirt from French Connection on sale here

 

The last outfit is a super comfortable dress from Reiss. It's light, but not at all see through. It moulds effortlessly to your shape and the side detail is very flattering skimming the contours of your body. It's not too short or too low for the office, but is not at all restrictive.



Dress on sale from Reiss here

 

I love Summer and the hot weather so I always try to make the most of it while it lasts... even if it is just in short lunch hour stints while I am stuck in the office, or walking between meetings. :)

OOTD: Country Wedding

A few weeks ago the hubby and I attended a lovely country wedding to celebrate the union of our university friends! The wedding was very sweet with lots of homemade aspects and family members arranging flowers and baking cakes to make the newlyweds' special day unique and very personal.

Dress from Reiss (Marte in blue), bag from Chanel, fascinator from TK Maxx, shoes from Melissa.

I wouldn't normally choose jelly shoes for a wedding, but as there was a mile walk from the church to the reception in a marquee with a high likelihood of rain I decided to be very sensible (and waterproof)! They were also super comfy so I could dance into the early hours... and we did!

Being May the evening was very cold so I definitely brought lots of layers - cardigans, scarf and this pretty (also waterproof) laser cut cream trench coat from Warehouse.

 

Such a lovely day!

OOTD: Chelsea Ivy Garden

This weekend the hubby and I visited the Chelsea Ivy Garden for a spot of afternoon tea! In keeping with the garden theme I thought this would be the perfect time to dress up in my new floral number. The sunshine in London was glorious, but it did make photos a little bit of a challenge so I apologise in advance for my squinting.

 Dress: Chi Chi London Shauna (mine was from Asos)

Shoes: Roberto Cavalli

Bag: Chanel

Sunglasses: Tom Ford Celia

This dress is so much fun to wear. The off the shoulder cut of the top gives it a really vintage feel while the high low hem makes it fun and a little more modern. This kind of bandeau/ bardot neckline is so popular right now and while I think it looks lovely it is a little restrictive (especially if you have been working hard in the gym getting your arms toned). The fabric is quite stiff so it keeps its shape well and gives a lot of volume to the skirt!

We had a lovely champagne afternoon tea at the Chelsea Ivy Garden. The service wasn't the best, but the food was good and it's definitely a fun place for celeb spotting. The location is special for us as it's very close to the church we got married in so I am sure we will return for a Sunday post service brunch soon! :)

OOTD: Meeting Christian Louboutin

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by the fabulous Christian Louboutin as part of the Vogue festival. Christian is an amazing character with real vivacity and passion for life. He is incredibly charming, inspiring and his energy is just infectious! I would definitely recommend meeting him or attending any of his talks if you get the opportunity to do so as he is just wonderful and gave me all the more reason (as if I needed any more) to love the brand that he built through his talent and hard work.

Since my Saturday mornings are usually spent at the gym this was a rare chance for me to dress up so I decided to try something a little different! A little nod to the festival theme, despite being set in central London in the rain...

I paired a heavily beaded sheer tunic/ dress from Karen Millen (worn with a slip underneath) with some grey suede boots from Russell & Bromley. Sadly I couldn't wear any of my Louboutins as it was raining and I just couldn't bear to ruin any of my precious pairs! As beautiful as they are they do need a lot care!

I have had these R&B boots for years and honestly they are the most comfortable pair I have ever owned. Despite being suede they have lasted really well. I was running about in these from 10am till late, which I very rarely do in heels! I am currently lusting after their over the knee version as they have a very similar structure and look absolutely amazing! I need to start saving!

OOTD: Date Night

This week my usual 7pm Friday conference call (love working across time zones!) was rescheduled so the hubby and I celebrated my unexpected evening freedom with a long overdue date night!

Dress: Roland Mouret for Banana Republic

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Review: Freddy WR.UP

Since I started my fitness journey I have tried to keep myself motivated by following a bunch of gorgeous gym bunnies on Instagram. Since then my feed has been full of so many new activewear brands and Freddy has popped up many times. Their jeans and leggings are so different to anything I have seen as they really accentuate curves.

After working hard in the gym to build any sort of behind (I naturally have very little in that area) I thought that it wouldn't hurt to see how they would fit. So a few months ago I decided to treat myself and popped into their King's Road store to purchase my first pair of Freddy trousers. It was difficult to choose, but I decided to go for the most practical black pair WR.UP Shaping Effect Low Waist Skinny (£62).

As soon as I put them on and tentatively emerged from the changing room, feeling a little self conscious as they were so tight, my husband's eyes lit up and he practically ran to the checkout counter. When he suggested we actually go and purchase another pair I knew they must be something special... he has never (and I mean ever) suggested I buy any more clothes! 

 

(This is the same style but obviously not my bum.. I wish!)

Although they look more like trousers (with a front zip and pockets) they are completely opaque and very figure hugging so feel more like leggings with their 78% cotton/ 22% elastam mix. The special Freddy cut really does lift and pull you in in all the right places, but for me the best part is just how comfortable these are. Unlike other leggings or skinny jeans the Freddy bottoms have a strip if silicon inside the belt that helps to adhere so they never slip and give you that dreaded 'builder's bum'. As I have round hips most other trousers are cut straight so tend to dig in and give me love handles or gape at the back when I sit down, while the Freddy trousers just move with you! Plus a little extra shaping in the back never hurt anyone!

If this isn't enough motivation to do my squats then I don't know what is...

Have you tried Freddy WR.UP? I am excited to try some of their workout clothes and jeans in future!

OOTD: Easter

 

 Dress: Whistles (on sale on Asos)

Shoes: Melissa

Bag: Chanel

Hair: curled in small sections using the Babyliss Curling Wand Pro

I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter break!

OOTD: Lace and Lime

While scrolling through the Topshop website recently I noticed a very familiar looking lace skirt, which is very similar to one I absolutely loved wearing on my honeymoon last Summer!

It's such a gorgeous, versatile piece that can easily take you from day to night. In the photo above I paired it with a simple green camisole, similar to this one from Oasis.

Topshop's latest offering is a lovely cream lace number that's perfect for Spring! You can find it on their website here for £75.

OOTD: Reiss

With the lovely weather we have been having in London on Friday I finally felt brave enough to hang up my Winter coat and take my new jacket (originally puchased in the Christmas sales) out of hibernation!

I love the light grey colour as my recent grey obsession continues. It's fitted really well, which makes it perfect for work, but it's thick enough to protect you from the City wind (and if you have stood next to the Walkie Talky building  you will know what I mean)!

The Porter fitted coat is currently on sale in Reiss for £95 here.

OOTD: A little Alexander McQueen...

Many of you have messaged me to request a few more OOTD posts in addition to the myriad of stream of consciousness photos I upload on my Instagram (@NatalyaFGM). So, I thought I would start with this fun one from last year on my Birthday! Since I'm not getting any younger I thought I would put together something a little more different to celebrate turning 25... again ;p.

It all started with the dress! I spotted this Alexander McQueen envelope dress in an outlet mall near Florence of all places. Despite it being heavily discounted I needed some convincing as I didn't think it was particularly flattering (there are about 600 folds of fabric at the waist, enough to make a tent), but in the end I decided that it was a piece of art worth investing in!

A few months later I still hadn't found an occasion to wear my first Alexander McQueen purchase. It was a little too short and eye catching for a wedding and the UK was getting colder by the second!

In the meantime I had come across these fabulous Carvela Kurt Geiger Gylda lace ups that I like to think of as a grown up gladiator. With their sharp high heel and cut outs the hubby instantly got excited and offered to purchase them for my Birthday. He rarely has any opinion on shoes, other than ranting that I have far too many (which is true), but given his enthusiasm I knew these must be pretty special.

So when my Birthday finally came around at the end of October I decided that it was time to try out the two most adventurous items in my wardrobe... despite the cold and rain! As Miley so wisely put it... it's our party and we can do what we want!

OOTD: Cobalt and Pearls

Today's post is a little OOTD that I wore to a 30th birthday party a few weeks ago.  

Crop top and skirt: Nicole for Misguided (now on sale!), Pearl 'halo': Zara

I used the Babyliss conical wand to create lots of curls and added a little pearl headpiece that I absolutely adore. It's a little Grecian, a little bling and really unusual.

I know that the crop top trend has been done to infinity, but as long as the sun is shining I will be wearing it to show off the last remnants of my honeymoon tan, which is fading fast.

 I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! xxx

OOTD: Rehearsal Dinner

Today's post is a little outfit of the day from my rehearsal dinner. I had about 15 mins to get ready after our church rehearsal so I quickly tonged my hair with the Babyliss conical wand and refreshed my makeup using the Urban Decay Naked palette and a slick of The Body Shop gloss over MAC's Costa Chic lipstick.

 

I picked up this bright mint gradient/ dip dye maxi dress in the Ted Baker sale and think it works perfectly with my tan by James Harknett.

 The secret is out... I have a twin!

Apologies for the deer in headlights expression... but I was unashamedly nervous/ exhausted/ excited/ apprehensive/ happy!

OOTD: Dinner Date

Happy Easter! I hope everyone is having a lovely long weekend and enjoying a few hard earned days off work :). I just wanted to do a quick fashion post with an outfit I wore for a dinner date with my hubby (to be).

 Jumpsuit: Miss Selfridge (£59 here), Shoes: River Island (a few years ago), Bracelet: Disney Couture (similar here)

I love the statement necklace that comes as part of this jumpsuit. It just makes dressing that much more effortless! It is also removable if you wanted to wear your own, or wear it alone with a different outfit.

To show off the detailing I put my hair up in a little chignon, though I definitely need a little more practice in doing this. Does anyone have any tips?

Have a lovely Easter! xxx