Last weekend we were very fortunate to be included in the celebrations of our good friends as they were married, and the next day had their youngest son christened.  The two occasions were as joyous as we expected and we had an amazing time.

There is however a number of things that gets me panicky on such occasions: My constant fear of being late (this was tested by an unexpected road closure close to our hotel – ARRRGH!) and my lack of ANYTHING decent to wear to such events.

The first problem was solved by a very helpful minibus driver who was able to give us accurate directions through the centre of the town which enabled us to get to the hotel in good time (traffic was not kind!).  The second was made very simple thanks to www.zalando.co.uk

Zalando (the UK's largest online wardrobe) challenged me to kit me and my children out in outfits that would suit both occasions, and my budget!  With a wedding AND a christening to dress for I needed something that was formal, comfortable and also travelled well (we don’t go to these posh events often enough to invest in any kind of suit bags!).

With my mouse hovering over the SALE option of the easy to use website I was able to take my pick!
PictureNot quite "church" length!
My first choice for the wedding was this gorgeous red wine wine cocktail dress from their Even & Odd range (£15.00).  This comes in a size small, medium and large and the medium size fit my size 12 perfectly.  Unfortunately, despite the colour and the style being ideal it was not quite “church length” on my 5ft 9 frame!

I had already found the perfect pair of shoes (see my previous post) in their Anna Field Peep toe heels (£19.00). So I teamed these up with an old dress hiding at the back of my wardrobe.  These black shoes complimented this dress beautifully. 

Occasion one – sorted!


PicturePerfection!
The first dress for the christening which caught my eye was this amazing brown Pier One Summer dress (£11.00). Again medium size fit me wonderfully and this was dressed up with a perfect little bronze pebble necklace from Asda (£6). To my joy, the peep toe shoes went really well with this dress as they have a golden edged flower detail on the front.

Picture
My two boys (ages 6 and 4) were
dressed in their shirts and ties for the
wedding, but for the christening I
wanted something a little more casual
yet stylish (and comfortable for them to jump around in!).

For my eldest, to compliment his big brown puppy-dog eyes I chose this vibrant green Penguin Earl Polo Shirt
(£14.00). My youngest with his baby blues carried off this stylish blue

Joules Tom Polo Shirt (13.00 ) beautifully.  Teamed with smart jeans and shoes they got lots of attention from the ladies of the congregation (old and young!). Both shirts sizes were for their age and fitted them well.

The most inportant thing for me during this occasions was to feel comfortable and stylish.  I was able to comfortably perch on a pew in the church without adjusting my dress to accomodate industrial strength underwear. The dress travelled well and was easy to slip on when I was in a hurry to get ready that morning (no zips to get myself into!). My shoes also allowed me to dance the night away without aching feet or blisters!  And the bonus? My whole weekend wardrobe cost just £30, which left plenty of money for more champagne (...hic...!).

Make sure you take a look at www.zalando.co.uk, you really will NOT be disappointed!
This is a sponsored post for zalando.co.uk who provided me with clothing for an honest review of their products.
 
Picture
My peep-toe beauties

At the end of this month I am faced with the ultimate style challenge (for me anyway!).  We have been invited to a wedding AND a christening which are not only on the same weekend, but at the same church and among the same guests! 

It is at times like this that I envy the male members of my household.  Their formal-wear decision-making involves holding three ties up and asking someone (me) what colour should be worn for which occasion.  I answer honestly, whilst flinging every item of clothing I own out of the wardrobe and pullng my hair out in sheer panic - "I have NOTHING to wear" shrieks a hysterical voice from under a mountain of (mostly unworn) dresses.

So when the UK's largest online wardrobe Zalando (www.zalando.co.uk) got in contact asking me to review their clothing, I jumped at the chance to add more dresses to my pile (and shoes, and handbags, and accessories!).

My first impression of the website was a good one.  There is SUCH a variety with a price to suit any budget.  Ever the sharp shopper, my eyes were drawn straight away to the "sale" option and deciding that it was best to start from the bottom up, I stumbled across these beauties:

http://www.zalando.co.uk/anna-field-peeptoe-heels-black-an611a06l-802.html

Priced at a very modest £19, these shoes are quite literally perfect for BOTH my occasions.  And seeing as we are staying overnight in a hotel, only having to pack the one pair of shoes is an added bonus.

I have a very high instep, which means I struggle in shoes that are too high.  I LOVE the look of the highest of heels but unfortunately for me, the minute I try and walk in them, I take on a shocking resemblance to a baby giraffe trying to walk across ice. So the heels on these shoes are just perfect.  I am able to stride confidently across a room without the fear of falling or slipping.  It also means I am comfortable pulling myself up to my full 5ft 9inches height without having to duck under doorways or bend down to hold my childrens' hands!

They are comfortable, classic, timeless and extremely well priced. I cannot wait to wear them with my chosen outfits which were chosen from the "Cocktail Dresses" section of Zalando. Can you guess which ones I went for out of the 2,242 dresses to choose from?!

http://www.zalando.co.uk/cocktail-dresses/

Keep your eye on future blog posts to find out which ones I chose, and of course how they looked with these amazing shoes!

Zalando offer free delivery on all clothing and if in stock, your clothes are with you within 5 days.

What has been your recent bargain buy?

This blog post is a sponsored post on behalf of www.zalando.co.uk