Stripe Stew

Mixing monochrome stripes kinda became my signature style last spring/summer, so I couldn't resist picking up this year's variation on the Breton pencil... Chunky-striped midis are everywhere at the moment, but this Jane Norman version edged ahead of the pack for me thanks to its thick, high-quality-feel fabric, structured in-'n'-out cut and pattern-matched seams (no, I don't want to look like a chess board from the side, thanks). Only one slight downside - it does restrict you to either an extremely languid Marilyn-style-sashay or a frantic old-lady-style-hobble.

Of course, the temptation to try it out with my old faithful stripy separates was too great to ignore, and, although I hadn't been sure how successful the venture would be, I was pleasantly surprised by the effect of layering different widths and orientations together!

Top: Quiz, Skirt: Jane Norman, Blazer: Primark, Shoes: Boohoo

Have you got your stripy pencil skirt yet? How are you wearing it?

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Dotty Dungarees

I couldn't believe my luck when I picked up this polka dot dungaree playsuit in H&M for £14.99 a few weeks ago... cuteness overload! It's a little too "cheeky" to wear bare-legged, if you know what I mean, so I'm making the most of our English spring weather to max out its cost-per-wear potential with tights before it (hopefully) gets too hot!

Dungarees: H&M; Jumper, Hairband and Tights: All Primark; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins (Past Season)

Are you going shorty with dungarees this year?

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Afternoon Tea at the Hilton Green Park

At least once every six months, an insatiable desire for scaled-down scones and pint-sized pastries appears to consume Mummy Muses and I, only to be settled by several hours of frantic web-scouring in search of the best afternoon tea deal we can unearth... This time, in honour of Mr Muses' 23rd birthday (yep, every year we have to take at least one person out to tea for their 23rd birthday), and his first meet-and-greet with Mummy and Nana Muses, we decided to explore the offerings of the Hilton Green Park.

For a very British (read "rainy") spring day out, I decided to team my new mesh-panel midi with an old-favourite Primark peplum and the pretty-but-practical mini-heeled points I'd just snapped up from Dorothy Perkins - weather be damned (whilst keeping a watchful eye out for puddles!).

Top: Primark (Past Season), Skirt: Matalan, Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Once safely tucked inside the Tiger Green Brasserie, we were plied with unlimited tea of all varieties, along with the usual finger sandwiches, scones and miniature cakes and pastries, plus a few additional flutes of champagne... I didn't rate the sandwiches as highly as the open variety we enjoyed at the Hilton Park Lane last autumn, aside from the eggy delight which I had to beg borrow steal from Mr Muses' plate, since it hadn't been included in our vegetarian selections, and nothing could match those heaven-sent chocolate chip scones, but the fruit tartlet and mini Victoria sponge deserve a special mention. Once again, we were supplied with only one portion of each cake/pastry between two, so I had to take on carving duties... but if you haven't attempted to divide a macaroon into two, you haven't lived.

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The Midi Pini

Yup, back to black and white... If you followed my blog last year, you'll be aware of my pinafore dress dependency, so three cheers for this year's vintage-inspired take, in my favourite bodycon midi cut! This gorgeous George version comes with a basic black tee, but I decided to dig out my new faux leather crop top from Nicole Scherzinger's Missguided collection again for a fresh, summery look...

Pinafore Dress: George at ASDA, Top: Nicole x Missguided, Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Have you been tempted by the midi pini? How would you wear yours?

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All White Now: Matalan Mesh Panel Midi + Nicole x Missguided Faux Leather Crop Top

I can't be the only one who's been desperately seeking the perfect sheer-panelled A-line midi since New Year, can I? Well, after months of waiting for this £18 beauty to drop in Matalan, it finally arrived... and it's also available in candy pink and eat-your-heart-out-Dorothy gingham: I dieee... but figured, for starters, white would make the hardest-working foundation stone of my summer wardrobe.

It'll be the perfect partner for pastels and prints, but who can resist a spot of all-white here-comes-the-sun styling? This £15 faux leather crop top is part of Nicole Scherzinger's debut collection for Missguided - one of three items I've snapped up so far (the rest to be featured soon), all of which I've been mightily impressed with - it's a bit like a cooler, edgier, better quality, and, best of all, cheaper version of the Kardashian ranges, with some landmark pieces at incredible prices - for a celebrity-endorsed collection in this day and age, anyway! One quick note on this top though - if you're larger-chested, I'd advise going up a size or two to avoid baring bra/underboob!

Skirt: Matalan, Top: Nicole x Missguided, Shoes: Boohoo

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