Boys' Autumn/Winter clothing Trends & John Lewis Giveaway

Many thanks to all who entered.  The winner picked at random by a spooktastic No1 son last night is :

DONNA @littlelillypadco

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED .  More giveaways coming soon ......



Boys’ autumn/winter clothing trends

Dressing your lads in the latest trends doesn’t have to mean spending a packet, using up the money they’d rather you spend on toys, or kitting them out in impractical outfits. Here, guest blogger Jo-ann Fortune highlights three affordable looks that will work with any little boy’s wardrobe.  

I am also really pleased to be able to offer you the chance to win a £50 gift voucher courtesy of John Lewis.   You can spend it online, in store at any John Lewis or Waitrose store !  Fantastic prize just in time for Christmas.

 To be in with a chance of winning please follow this blog and leave a comment in the comments at the bottom of the page telling me what you would spend the voucher on if you won.

Arctic explorer

Fur trims, ski wear and Alpine knits were championed on the catwalks as key design details for boys this winter. Parkas, worn over chunky knit jumpers and cardigans are season staples, and look great paired with checked lumberjack shirts and durable cords. Accessorise with fur-trimmed footwear – Ugg boots are still huge – trapper hats and mittens or cosy woollen toggle hats and scarves, but as with all kids’ accessories, don’t spend a fortune as they’re likely to be the first thing to get left behind on a day out…

Protective padding

Padding or ‘quilting’ is central to two of the biggest boys’ trends this season: heritage and urban. With the fashion focus on the English gentry look filtering down from the men’s clothing catwalks, smart country wear is a big hitter in kids’ clothing ranges: Barbour-style riding jackets adding statement style to any outfit. In the city, padding is just as cool, with bold bomber jackets and colour block quilted gilets clashed with stripes and prints for a fun yet functional look.

Urban layering

Many of the big name kids’ clothing designers have used checked shirts as a base for urban layering this season, creating a wide variety of easily achievable looks. Build up an outfit with a classic denim jacket and jeans, hoodie and Shemagh-style scarf for a cool street vibe, pair a chunky cardigan with knee-patch trousers and over-sized specs for a bit of geek chic or keep him warm with a waistcoat, long scarf, trapper hat and chunky boots for a look that works just as well in the country as it does the city.

What key pieces have you invested in to keep the little ones looking cool while wrapped up warm this season?

All images courtesy of MPDClick.com

This is a sponsored post - I received clothes for my children and the voucher to offer in a giveaway.  

Competition closes on  Monday 31st October at 8pm.  Winner  selected at random.  Open to UK entrants only.

John Lewis Part Deux - Personal Shopper

Although I've had some major family trauma this past week, it was decided it would be "good " for me to keep my appointment with John Lewis.  I have been extremely fortunate to be chosen by Sally Whittle to have a personal shopper  help me select my outfit along with £250 to spend for the Mad Blog Awards Final.

On arrival at the huge Cribbs Causeway John Lewis near Bristol I was met by the Lovely Dom (PR & Marketing Co-ordinator)  Who took me along to meet the equally fab Debbie, the personal shopping advisor.

I must admit to feeling a little uncertain about having somebody else choose clothes for me.  I've always had really strong ideas about the clothes I like and tend to stick to safe stylish classics.  Visions of old lady chiffon, big swirly patterns or 80's revival clothes ran through my head as we walked onto the fashion floor.

Anyway, I thought give the poor lady a chance and at the very least it would be an interesting experience.  Debbie immediately sized me up telling me I was short waisted and long legged !  Sounded fine to me. steered in the direction of the brands that best suited my shape, we walked around all the rails of clothes discussing options, with me declaring nooo to sleeveless, noooooo to lace, nooooooo to bold patterns, when Debbie  reminded me that it was HER job to advise me not the other way round .  Bless, not used to that.  She was a wonderful lady, so experienced at her job, with lots and lots of information about all the brands and styles.  She scooped up armfuls of dresses whilst I walked around feeling like I had won the lottery.

Into the personal shopper suite of rooms to try on the clothes.   I normally hate changing rooms of any kind and tend to not shop too much these days, but these rooms were bright and really well lit.  None of those awful mirrors that make you look, well bigger than you know you are !  There was a seating area with water, perfumes to try, accessories hanging along the walls, a clothes rail and even a dressing robe should you so wish.  It was a really nice environment, plenty of room to walk around and well ventilated so if you are a lady of a certain age like myself you don't immediately break out into a sweat because of the stuffy shoe box size closet most changing rooms are these days.

Can you spot my dress ??  Sorry but you will have to wait until the MAD's to see the dress I actually selected.  While I was trying on the dresses and discarding them with reckless abandon (I had already chosen my dress, it was the first one I tried on, I loved it at first sight and it's a killer dress in my opinion), but I though it would be rude not to try all these beautiful clothes by designers like Reiss, Phase Eight, L K Bennett and the too die for collections of Damsel in a Dress, Debbie went off to select SHOES!!!! 

 In my past life I had Jimmy Choo's, Tod's and Manolo's coming out of my ears, (somebody remind me why I thought it would be a good idea to get married and have children )? These days I live in loafers and Birkenstock!  So I was really looking forward to having a killer pair of heels that actually fitted me.

LK Bennett taken just for a certain Mostly Yummy Mummy !

ohh pretty party heels with matching clutch bags.

Choosing the right pair of shoes was proving a bit of a challenge because of the colour of my chosen dress.  Box after box of beautiful shoes were carried into the room by Debbie, I really felt like Carrie Bradshaw, surrounded by all those gorgeous designer shoes.  It was still proving to be a challenge though, the dress demanded the perfect pair of shoes.  Unphased Debbie marched off for a third time to the stock room, when she returned she had THAT look on her face!  "I've done it, I've found you the perfect pair "  and oh, my goodness, she wasn't wrong.  As soon as I saw them I knew, they are perfect, perfect shoes and totally complete the outfit.

I can highly recommend the personal shopping service offered by John Lewis, its free, there is no obligation to buy and you don't feel rushed or indeed pushed into choosing clothes.

I can't wait for the MADS, I am already a winner ! 

Thank you so much Sally for setting up all the wonderful treats for us

and

Thank you John Lewis for a such a generous treat and for allowing us to go over budget for the perfect outfit !