A date night becomes a special occasion and selecting a great outfit feels even more important. Making an impression shouldn’t just be for new relationships! Below are some tips for finding that perfect ensemble.

The Magic of the First Impression

When you step into the room, the first few seconds can transform the ordinary into the unforgettable. Your outfit speaks volumes before you even utter a word, weaving a narrative of who you are and the attention to detail you invest in your appearance. It’s essential to curate an outfit that, like a siren song, draws your date into your shared story, eager to turn the pages.

Understanding Current Fashion Trends

To stand out, it’s vital to harness the power of current fashion trends, making them your armour. This doesn’t mean you morph into a fashion replica; it’s about intertwining trendsetting pieces with your unique flare. Renowned designers are the architects of these trends, crafting statements through fabric and design that resonate on a global scale.

Elevating Your Style with Designer Clothing

Enter the world of Jacquemus, where innovation meets playful femininity, a realm where each piece is a dialogue between boldness and understated elegance. Wearing a designer like Jacquemus isn’t just an action; it’s an experience. It’s the difference between blending in and becoming the room’s magnetic force, pulling admiration towards you like gravity.

Selecting the Perfect Outfit for Your Body Type

The fashion world is your oyster, and understanding your body type is the pearl within. It’s about identifying the styles that drape flawlessly on your silhouette, celebrating and accentuating your form. Whether embracing the elegance of high-waisted trousers or the bold confidence of geometrically inspired dresses, the key is wearing what amplifies your unique physique.

Accessorising to Accentuate Your Look

Accessories are the final stroke of the brush on your canvas, the elements that tie your look together into a harmonious symphony. Imagine the subtle yet impactful glint of minimalist jewelry against the soft fabric of a dress or the way a structured handbag adds purpose to your ensemble. These details are whispers making loud statements.

From Comfortable to Dazzling: Finding the Balance

Who says comfort and high fashion are mutually exclusive? Take, for example, maxi dresses by Jacquemus; they defy this myth, proving that you can look the part without feeling constrained. When you’re comfortable, you’re unstoppable, exuding a confidence that’s both palpable and captivating. It’s like stepping into the spotlight with a secret weapon.

Bottom Line

As you prepare for your next date night, remember that your outfit is more than just fabric adorning your body—it’s an extension of your persona, a visual narrative waiting to be told. Embrace the fearless world of fashion, from runway-inspired trends to the empowering comfort of designer pieces. When you feel invincible in what you wear, that very emotion becomes your most enchanting accessory. Tonight, you’re not just going on a date but creating an unforgettable story.

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When we lived near a store I used to pop in quite a few times a year to buy something for my eldest daughter. I couldn’t go too often as the clothes, whilst lovely, are very pricey. We then moved and were too far from a store, so I stopped shopping there and found other favourite brands/stores for children’s clothes.

A few months ago a Google search brought up Petit Bateau for something I was looking for. I created an account, but then found the item I wanted wasn’t in stock for that particular size. After that I continued to receive their numerous marketing emails and was lured in just before Christmas with some sale items, which took the clothes down to a more reasonable price.

Petit Bateau delivery costs  

Regardless of how many items you order and their total value, the delivery cost is £7.95. This seems really steep especially as delivery takes a minimum of four-to-six days from the day your order confirmation email is sent. It seems particularly expensive when compared with many other retailers.

However, I just had to grin and bear it as the savings seemed just about worth it. The items arrived after quite a wait and were too small for all three of my girls (despite them all being small for their age).

No free returns for online purchases and no online exchanges

With Petit Bateau you have just 14 days to claim a refund for any ‘defective item/s.’ You have to print off the return forms (they aren’t provided) and then send back at your own expense! So £7.95 for delivery and then the costs to send back. I didn’t want to do that. Firstly I wanted the items just in bigger sizes, but exchanges can only be done in-store; secondly I didn’t want to pay twice on the P&P! So I decided to make the journey to our closest store and combine it with some Christmas shopping. 

After a one hour and 20 minute drive through grinding South London pre-Christmas traffic we got to the store.

You can’t get a refund in-store  

Whilst the website states that exchanges can only be made in store, I couldn’t find anywhere where it explicitly says you cannot get a refund in store. Guess what? You can’t get a refund in store. I would have happily settled for exchanging for bigger sizes, except they didn’t have them. I was invited to send them back at my own expense and then re-order and incur a further delivery cost.

Cue a few expletives and a vow never to shop there again.

*I did feel rather sorry for the sales assistant who sympathised with the predicament but was bound by company policy. 

You might also want to read:

Cheap Childrens’ Clothes: The £2.99 Dresses

JoJo Maman Bébé – Kingston Store Re-launch

Top Tips for Buying School Uniform

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What are JoJo Bows?

If you haven’t seen them yet then they’ll definitely be coming to a school near you soon. Made popular by YouTube star JoJo Siwa, these massive, brightly-coloured (often diamante-adorned) branded bows retail for between £8-10 exclusively in the UK at Claire’s Accessories.

Previously the preserve of girls in dance groups, in gymnastic clubs and cheerleaders, JoJo Bows have hit the mainstream and have now started infiltrating schools.

JoJo Bows a No No at School

The hair accessory has hit headlines recently due to being banned at a number of schools for breaching uniform rules. Parents, who have forked out for the hair decoration, have been up in arms. I personally think that the signature larger variety (as in massive) look rather ridiculous, but aside from a wider debate about uniform, which I recently discussed for Yahoo!, there are a number of other issues.

For their part, Claire’s Accessories have gauged schools’ responses and have brought out a range of JoJo Bows in school colours, but obviously girls aren’t going to want to bother with those; they want the biggest, sparkliest variety on the market. The main issues with the bows, like with any craze, is they are a major source of distraction and can be a tool of oneupmanship.

At my daughter’s school they banned Pokemon cards as they were causing too many problems: dominating classroom chat, cards were going missing, unfair swaps, bragging etc etc. I can certainly see how the same might happen with JoJo Bows. Added to that there are the more expensive bona fide official JoJo Bows and the cheaper replicas; and of course they all know the difference, so again it’s something that can be really divisive: those that can afford the genuine ones and those that can’t.

Out of School

Despite the fact that they’re not my taste, I realise that kids like to express themselves and experiment with fashion. Through gritted teeth, I would let my girls have them outside of school, but not at school. I reckon teachers have enough to contend with without having to police hair accessories.

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Here are a few things I’ve picked up when buying school uniform, especially for the first time.

• Buy short-sleeved shirts – Even for winter, buy short-sleeved as opposed to long. Children seem to prefer no cuffs as they are more ‘free’ and there are no fiddly buttons. I prefer them as cuffs always get filthy and never come properly clean again. Short sleeved means that often you can get two day’s wear out of the same shirt

• Velcro fastening/riptape collar shirts – No fiddly top button to negotiate. Marks and Spencer do velcro instead of a top button on shirts for children up to the age of 8

• Two pairs of trousers or two pinafores is enough for the week – However, I’ve found that my girls need four summer dresses for the Summer term (they show up dirt more!)

• Pinafore instead of a skirt – For girls, buy pinafores. They keep everything in place (no untucked shirts, which happens instantly with the skirts) and helps avoid canteen medallions on the shirt so you can often get two days wear out of the same shirt

• Invest in heavier duty sturdy school shoes –  The far cheaper supermarket ones are very appealing, but they don’t last. They are however a good stopgap if your child has a sudden growth spurt and needs another pair but the timing is wrong for buying the ‘main’ pair. Startrite are a really good fit and very durable.

• Buy velcro-fastening shoes – Much faster in the mornings and much easier for them to get changed for PE

• When to buy school shoes – It might be tempting to get the shoes bought nice and early, but leave buying until the last minute. Childrens’ feet have a habit of growing fast in summer! New school starters will be back at school a week or two after the other children, so these in-between weeks are a great time to go as it’ll have quietened down in the shops
• Plimsoles – You can definitely buy cheaper plimsoles. They get such light use in the first couple of years that it’s pointless buying expensive ones
• Labels – Labelling uniform is essential. If, like me, you can’t be doing with sew on labels, invest in good iron on ones.

Please share any more top tips you have below…

You might also like: https://www.theparentsocial.com/starting-school-part-2/ 

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Sizes go up to age six, which means I can longer buy for my eldest there, but it’s still perfect for my other two. The clothes are a classic design, well made, wash well and use a lovely colour palette. What I particularly like is that they usually do the same items in different colours. This is really useful for me as I like to dress my four-year-old twin girls in the same style but different colours.

The Kingston store was well stocked!

JoJo Maman Bebe Kingston store

The Kingston branch in Surrey is my nearest JoJo Maman Bebe and happens to be the flagship store. It recently closed for a refurb. However, it re-opened today. There were lucky dip discount cards for money off all purchases (10%, 20% or 50%) and an appearance from JoJo’s mascot Eloise – aka a restored HY Citroen van. The latter was a highlight for the girls as it was very cute inside and they got helium balloons that walked. However, I didn’t see any sign of the ‘fantastic freebies’ that had been mentioned in their event promotion.

Inside Eloise

So what was new?

The downstairs layout hasn’t changed immensely, yet is more spacious than it was previously. They’ve also added a lift, which was really needed. The baby and children’s’ sections looked far better stocked than before, perhaps due to the additional space.

The maternity wear floor

The upstairs maternity section has had a noticeable revamp and has a definite boutique feel about it. The other major addition is a dedicated baby feeding area, which looks very comfortable and is nicely tucked away from the shop floor.

One of the two spots in the feeding area

We bought two floral summer dresses: one in cornflower and the other in navy. They were £16 each. However, if you bought any two, you saved £5. JoJo Maman Bebe offers this type of ‘multi buy’ discount across its ranges at all times.

In their new dresses

• Kingston JoJo Maman Bebe

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Some of our H&M haul including 5 of the £2.99 dresses

Childrens’ clothes

All of the dresses I’ve been buying until recently were fairly pricey from places such as Boden, Petit Bateau. My husband often travels to the States, so we occasionally get Ralph Lauren clothes (substantially cheaper than in the UK). John Lewis is also another port of call. It tends to be cheaper than the aforementioned but can still be quite pricey. They’re all lovely clothes but not suitable for painting at pre-school or for wearing to messy play.

I tend to buy them all an item of clothing at the same time so it gets pretty expensive and there never seem to be enough dresses for every day use. Hence the need to find cheap childrens’ clothes to go alongside the expensive stuff.

Cheaper childrens’ clothes

I then had an epiphany on discovering Boots’ Mini Club and H&M Kids They both do cheap childrens’ clothes! Boots always do loads of offers and half price on a variety of lines, including cropped leggings, tunics, dresses, shorts and T-shirts and trousers. I bought a number of tunics and a variety of leggings, which all mix and match. Then there’s H&M: it’s clothing is always really well-priced. Right now they are doing girls dresses aged from one to eight years for £2.99!! I’ve stocked up on loads of the £2.99 dresses, and then some shorts and other dresses, which are still a modestly priced £5.99. The girls are elated, I don’t have to wash favourite clothes every other day and I can save the more expensive items for special occasions. It means we can compromise by alternating between dresses and shorts/leggings/trousers. Win, win.

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A Mum2Mum Market is essentially a nearly new sale where you can sell and buy children’s clothes, baby equipment, toys and books etc. Of course dads can buy and sell too!

My Mum2Mum Market in Surrey

The markets are held all over the country and you can find ones local to you by visiting the website. Prices for your ‘pitch’ vary according to location. I paid what looks to be the highest amount at £25 (that’s Surrey for you!). This gets you a decent-sized table with plenty of room around it to display items. After paying that, you keep 100% of your takings. I wasn’t sure how much I’d actually make as I had lots of clothes to sell – so not high value items like high chairs, buggies or cots. I’d already successfully sold these sorts of items via Preloved UK. As I was a bit chicken, I decided to do it with a friend so that we could share the initial cost.

The ladies behind Mum2Mum Markets do a great job of marketing the events and will ask you if you have any specific items that you want to promote, which they’ll then push via their social media channels. They provide sellers with notes about all of the logistics. They also include some helpful tips about what they’ve found works selling-wise based on their experiences.

Here are my tips:

• Don’t get too hung up over what you initially paid for something. People are looking for a bargain. Think about whether you really want to lug something back home to sit back in the loft
• That said, you can always start with prices a little higher and see how you go in the first half hour (that’s when we were busiest) and reduce a bit after this time. You’ll quickly judge if you’ve priced too high
• Get a hanging rail to display any really good quality clothes you’re selling (if you can’t borrow one, they have them to hire for £5)
• I was trying to shift clothes in large volume so I made boxes of items for 50p and age ordered them. Mum2Mum Market say that secondhand baby and children’s clothes are the least profitable items to sell. Therefore you have to be realistic. This method worked well for me. It also worked particularly well alongside the rail as people could differentiate quickly between the more select items and the more every day stuff
• Don’t take every single item you’ve got stored at home as it risks looking like a jumble sale, which is off-putting. Keep it seasonal for a start
• It’s good to have a variety of things on your stall (and not all piled high). This is where sharing the stall with a friend helped. My friend had more major items, I had mainly clothes. This meant that the stall captured more people
• Make sure you have a good float with you

I did reduce quite a few of my things in price as the morning went on (sales last for two hours), but there were a couple of designer items that I really felt I couldn’t part with for a hugely discounted rate. People kept looking at them but didn’t buy. I don’t think this was the right place for them. I sold these on Preloved UK.

I’ll definitely do one again.

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Softly Sue purple shoes

Shoe boxes

Softly Candy pink shoes

Clarks and Startrite

We went to John Lewis and were advised  they needed ‘cruisers’; these would be fine for now and would be good for six weeks-to-two months after they started walking. The girls were professionally measured. We were then brought out several different styles from Startrite and Clarks that were available in their size. Maria was half a size bigger so sadly no shoe-swapping just yet! The Clarks were a really good fit, and even better we were able to get two different styles that were equally nice. This is something that is surprisingly difficult to achieve when you like dressing your twins differently.

Cruisers

Maria and Gabby probably had their cruisers a little longer than they should. However when we had them measured a few months ago there was no change in size. However, recently I was finding it harder to get their shoes on, so having been really happy with the style and – more importantly – the durability of their first pair, we headed straight to Clarks in Sutton this time. I was armed with my Twins Trust membership card so that I could get the 10% discount that Clarks offers members.

The twins and their big sister LOVE shoes and were rather excited. They started running around the store and touching displays. Thankfully, we were seen very promptly and order was restored quickly. Clarks have trained shoe fitters who know all about the development of childrens’ feet. The assistant that was fitting the twins’ shoes also seemed to have a way with children as both girls behaved and sat really still whilst they were being measured.

Dance Feet in red

I mentioned that their existing shoes had fit them for a long time and was reassured when I was told that they are fit with plenty of growing room. It made it feel like, what I thought were quite expensive shoes, were more cost-effective. I was also confident that I was getting good quality pairs for the money with good support and suitable for their stage of mobility. The assistant said that the actual length of their existing shoes was still ok. However, she (and a senior member of staff that came over to supervise the fitting) took time to show me the areas that were a little tight. All to say, it didn’t feel like a hard sell! The shoes cost £32 a pair, so I paid £57.60 with my Twins Trust discount. I had already bought Sofia a lovely red pair when Clarks was doing a special 20% off weekend for Twins Trust members.

It was a very stress-free experience and we were really happy with the shoes, which are summery and delicate looking but good quality and sturdy.

Mummy’s Jimmy Choos

A cheaper pair

A few days later I also bought them a very cheap pair each (£6 a pair) from ASDA. They are not for prolonged use as – unlike the Clarks shoes – they don’t offer the support that is needed for growing feet. However, for messing about in the garden for short periods they are great and save the ‘good shoes’, which were getting scraped on our outdoor steps.

Although nothing seems to feed their shoe fetish better than mummy’s Jimmy Choos!

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Whichever camp you belong to, unless you have A LOT of disposable income, you probably don’t want to buy an entire new wardrobe that is only going to last you eight months; tops.

Nathalie Portman knows how to dress a bump.

With frugality in mind, my first pieces of advice would therefore be to not buy maternity clothes too early in your pregnancy, and to accept any second hand items that kindly friends might offer. Also, think about buying things that will work in the month or so after you’ve given birth. Sadly, not everyone pings back to their original size as they leave the hospital, so you’ll need things that bridge that gap and don’t make you still look pregnant. There’s some advice later in this article about items that do just that.

Adapting your existing wardrobe

Even if you do want to show off your bump, it doesn’t mean you have to buy maternity items from the word go (trust me, you will thank me for this advice as you get to the latter stages of your pregnancy and you have no choice but to make extra purchases!).

First off, for many people, their usual leggings or thick tights with baggier jumpers or dresses over the top work great (or tighter jumpers and tops if you want to accentuate your bump!) for a big chunk of the pregnancy. In the early stages, you can certainly get away with undoing the top button of your jeans and pairing with a top that skims over.  Although I didn’t personally buy one, I received many reports from friends that bump bands worked well at this stage too and helped extend the shelf-life of their existing clothes.

Also think about whether your partner has anything in their wardrobe that might work; get creative.

However, there will be a point where you’ve been as creative as you can be with your existing wardrobe and you have to splash some cash. Therefore it pays to know what are the must haves and what are the waste-of-money items.

The essentials

Maternity leggings and thick maternity tights

Overwhelmingly voted the best buy amongst all my mummy friends, these can be worn with an array of different dresses, tunics, longer tops and jumpers. I favoured the over the bump leggings, and these saw me through a full-term twin pregnancy – ie my bump was massive!

M&S  does good maternity tights (and bras) .

Long strappy tops

Again, extremely versatile and popular with everyone I spoke to. They are great for layering, which means they work whatever the season. They’re a great foundation piece, which work great on their own when it’s hot (or you are feeling hot), but you can chuck on a jumper or cardigan if you get cold, and also smarten up with your existing shirts and jackets if you leave them undone. Plus they are great for breastfeeding once baby is born. This will save you a lot of money, as specific breastfeeding tops are very expensive. I also found them much more of a faff than a simple vest top.

Two smarter tops

If you work somewhere, where you need to be dressed smartly, you will need a couple of smarter tops. However, try and be savvy. Can you get something that works for the office, but can be dressed up and be suitable for going out in the evening?

Jeans

I invested in several pairs of jeans and got so much wear out of them; I could dress them up or down with cheaper tops. I also bought a dark pair, which I could get away with in the office with a smarter top/shirt/jacket. Jeans were certainly one of my maternity staples and passed a certain stage of pregnancy (especially my twin pregnancy) there was nothing I could do with my old jeans to make them fit!

Pair of trousers

A black pair is probably essential if you need to be smart for work; and they also make a good going out option. If you are not fussed about them for going out and don’t need them for work, then a pair of cords or cotton trousers are good options.

Two dresses

Maternity dresses tend to be nice and comfy and even more so if they are made of jersey material. This is also a great material as it seldom needs ironing. Getting an iron steamer is best for getting the wrinkles out of your jersey material clothing, you can get one from productspy.co.uk/best-steam-generator-iron-reviews. Your dress choice will be – to some extent – dictated by the season. Maxi dresses are a good summer choice. Wrap dresses are really versatile and can be worn over leggings and are easy to dress up if required.

Tiffany Rose does some lovely occasion wear if you do need to splurge for a wedding or similar.

Accessories

Accessories are your best friends. A striking necklace or vivid scarf can totally transform an outfit and take something from daywear to evening wear. The ability to modify an outfit in this way will help you cut back on buying too many items of clothing. Also, with accessories you also have the advantage that they can be used post-pregnancy.

The Duchess doesn’t have to worry about being frugal

The non-essentials – maybe…

Are you a hot or a cold person? I usually feel too hot and, as is the case for many women during pregnancy, I spent most of the time feeling like a radiator.  For me, a maternity coat was a waste of money despite being heavily pregnant during big cold snaps in winter. I personally found that large cardigans, shawls and ponchos kept me plenty warm enough. That said, one of my friends who gave birth in June (and therefore was barely showing in the preceding winter months) listed a maternity coat as one of her essentials. She always feels the cold, so horses for courses!

I was a pre-pregnancy size 6, but put on almost three stone during my twin pregnancy. However, I was still able to wear my size 6, long, belted cardigan – minus the belt – until I popped.

I bought a maternity jumper and didn’t find it too useful. Most of my straw poll of mums agreed. In the earlier stages, bigger non-maternity jumpers do the job and later on cardigans are the more versatile option.

What others had to say:

“I bought some normal tunics, but one dress size up, which were great during pregnancy and are great post pregnancy until you loose the extra baby weight!”

“I found maternity leggings and tights, and under the bump cotton knickers a must!”

“Definitely do not buy those trousers that tie at the waist. I lost count of the number of times I had to run for the train while holding them up.”

“Anything maternity seemed to be a bit more money – the vest tops in H&M for example were almost double for a maternity one! So I just brought bigger sizes of normal stuff for some things.”

Best shops and brands

These are some of the names that came up again and again with mums.

– Next

– New look

– H&M

– JoJo Maman Bebe

– ASOS

– Noppies

– Mama.Licious

– Debenhams 

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