Shopping with the Long and the Short of it

I had kindly been asked to join Ruth @wearitlikeruth and Lisa @thesearchforsassiness for a styling shopping trip at Marks & Spencers in Leeds. Ruth is 5'8'' and a size 10/12 and Lisa is 5'1'' and a size 6-8 so the idea behind #thelongandtheshortofit is to go out and show you what the same outfits look like on different women. Add my curvy 5'7'' size 14/16 in to the mix and you have a lot of womens shapes and sizes represented. It's hard when you go out shopping to imagine what you will look like as the images promoting the clothes are often full of younger, similar slim shaped women so it can make shopping feel a little daunting and unrelateable.(Loved the fact that we all turned up dressed in Autumn colours and maxi dresses too)

How come I have never heard of M&S Fit and style service? A free personal styling service which could really take the stress out of trying new looks and styles with an assistant helping you find that perfect outfit.

I love the colours this Autumn and It was hard to narrow the outfits down to only 5 as there is so many lovely things in the store at the moment. I think the problem with M&S is that their stores are so big with so much stock. I think it can be a bit too daunting for some people. I have been using there online styling TY Tuesday service recently and that's a great source of inspiration and help in choosing new looks.

We were all fans of outfit no.1 and the fact that the trousers come in different leg lengths suited Lisa too. Evie checked straight 7/8th trousers £35 with Checked double breasted blazer £69. I think the stiletto high cut court shoes in Yellow are such a good price at £25.

I loved the trousers, mine were a size 14 and they fitted perfectly. I have a 34G bust so I tend to struggle with a square jacket shape. My jacket was a size 16 and felt a bit shapeless on me so maybe I would go down size to see if that gives more definition.

I would never have picked this floral midi dress (£45) to try as high necks scare me a little. I was pleasantly surprised. I think because the waist is elasticated it gives the waist more definition and gives the dress more shape so I was less conscious of my top half. I love the colours and print too, especially paired with this beautiful coat. We all loved the double breasted wool coat, in fact Ruth couldn't resist it and went back to buy it a few weeks later. At £99 it is more of an investment for Winter but it has such a classic cut it will go with so many outfits and last for years.

The colour of this belted wrap coat is fabulous, although the style didn't really suit me, I need more of a tailored look so I tied the belt behind it to create more shape. I absolutely love the high waisted wide leg trousers at £39.50 and they remind me of Victoria Beckham classic look. I've never worn this colour before so it really is good take yourself out of your comfort zone and try new colours and styles. I used to live in Black, especially when I was self conscious of my body because I felt like I could hide and blend in. I love wearing colour now and I've discovered some colours really give me a boost of confidence, especially Red.

I think we were all impressed with the fit of the trousers, I chose some Magic lift straight legged jeans £35 in Dark indigo and they fit me perfectly. I have been living in white trainers recently and was tempted with these white and navy blue ones, £49.50, but not sure I can sneak another pair in the house! The aviator jacket at £69 looks cool dressed down with a plain white t-shirt, it also comes in Black which I think I prefer. The faux shearling material is actually lighter than it looks so that was slightly disappointing for a winter jacket, but I guess you could use more layers underneath.

This colour combination is everywhere and because I like to show my curves off knitted dresses have become a big favourite of mine so I was comfortable in this Blue ribbed fit and flare dress, £39.50. I am not a huge fan of the double breasted jacket on me again, although I love the Cognac colour, I think its the just this style doesn't work for me. Let's talk about the boots though as I can't find them on the website now so I think they might be out of stock and I am already regretting not buying them. I live in flats and trainers most of the time as I just don't feel comfortable in heels unless I'm wearing them for work. However these boots were just the right height, felt so comfortable and because they are laced up to the ankle they made my size 7's look much daintier.

The beauty of having some go to blazers in your wardrobe is that you can really dress them up or down. I personally prefer this jacket with the jeans rather than the dress.