'Wear what you have' and errrrr.... Trainers !

 

It's with some trepidation that I start this blog. It's been a while. The Rigby and Peller piece was a duty I felt I must perform but now, it's back to me again. I've decided to try and do shorter blogs, more often. Just letting you know what I've seen which I think you might like . The equivalent of a bag of ' Revels' perhaps. Some you'll like , others , like the nasty coffee centres, not so much ! 

First you have to endure my reflections. Which are to ' Wear what you've got '. Not exactly Descartes but a philosophy I'm going to TRY and follow. That already feels like telling you I'm on a diet. I immediately want to go and grab a sneaky bun,or three. Let's see how it goes. Starting with Saturday night when I dug out a jumpsuit from M & S ( sale, naturally ) Christmas 2014. Yes, indeed. How fashion forward was I ? Wore it with my velvet, embellished Boden flats - a real steal at £30 odd from £120. I did tell you about them, so I hope you paid attention. I think it still worked so, first real go at not looking for what's new, not too bad.

Real blog topic however is Trainers. Not a new trend but one which is showing no signs of going away and which, happily for us, combines both comfort and fashion. That sounds rather fogeyish, but you know what I mean. I can't use the word 'style' as I'm sure in a couple of years it will be yet another fad we cringe at but, for now, it's spot  on. I'm not talking gym, work out ,trainers, although some will certainly do the job but the cleverly named, "Lifestyle " options.

Are you thinking, "All very well on the girls from ASOS , but on a 50 odd year old woman, really ??" Well, yes indeed. The front row of the recent slew of Fashion Shows was full of Women of a Certain age sporting this look. Anna Murphy, the Fashion Editor of The Times included a pair by Nike in collaboration with Liberty which I think is perfect week end wear. The colour combo which is the most useful if the black suede and a sort of sandy colour. However, the navy suede with a khaki background was on sale at Nike - reduced from £90 to £62.99. It seemed rude not to take a look !

Nike Roche One Liberty £90 (or £62.99 in the navy colour way).

Since starting the blog on Sunday however, the black option is completely sold out at Nike although there are a few sizes left on line at Liberty. I however am outraged by the huge postage and packaging charges at Liberty , so I won't be ordering from them. I am gratified to see that the style is as popular as I had predicted however, frustrating though that is in trying to locate a pair.


The Nike Roche One, now that I'm really looking, is ubiquitous. I do know that the plain style is true gym wear but also that it works with skinny jeans or.....and we are going to have to face this soon- it looks just as good with the cropped or rolled leg trouser. I'm planning to do a blog on that subject shortly because, once the weather finally begins to look up ( ha! ha!) , ankles are the next big thing. Trust me .

Nike Roche One Black £70

Still with Nike and back to another Liberty collaboration , I also really like the Air Max Thea Liberty £110.

If you're not keen on a pattern , and it can be limiting, nothing beats a box fresh pair of white trainers. These are really versatile and will go well with everything. I reckon that after a certain point the dress or shorts combo is best left to our daughters but that still leaves plenty of wearability.

The collection I've cobbled together is, I now see, alarmingly, Nike oriented. I'm not being paid by them - I wish - I just happen to like their styles at the moment. They are certainly not the cheapest brand but I have always found them well made and long lasting. If you find a pair which looks good, is comfortable ( which is, of course the point ) and you wear them often, then they are worth the investment.

Nike White and Gold Trainer £65

Nike Low Air Force One Trainers £70

The other option to the full on trainer are the offerings from the likes of  the Spanish shoe maker, Superga who make variations on the style of the lace up pump, in leather and in canvas, in an array of colours and which I think one can safely say, are virtually timeless. They don't have the support for the foot or the cushioning of real trainers but they are a great choice if you'd rather not be seen wearing what your Son's Girlfriend, at 21, is sporting. Me, I don't care at all. The older I get, the younger I dress. As far as I'm concerned that's the pay off for my eyesight failing and my hearing going. At least I don't see the raised eyebrows of hear the muffled whispers !! I'm having a great time in my world.

Back to the shoes. I said I was wary of the trainer with shorts. Not so the Superga/Vans coterie. These are made for them.

Superga Flatform at John Lewis £55

This is me in my Superga.......

.....in my head ! And you really do need to fetch your glasses.

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