I think it is a fair assumption to make that none of us are putting much thought into our outfit choices right now. If we don’t need to put on trousers for a zoom meeting, what’s the point of even changing out of our pyjamas? Comfort is more important than style in my day to day, but I have started to miss creating an ensemble, of putting more than 3 seconds of thought into what I’m going to put on in the morning, and honestly – I’m bored.

So yesterday, instead of donning my usual leggings and worn t-shirt, I decided to play dress-up.

Alongside my trusty straight-leg jeans – which are admittedly pretty comfortable – I pulled on a white ruffle shirt that Cher Horowitz would be proud of for a Clueless inspired outfit.

I found the shirt in the weeks pre-lockdown at a vintage kilo sale, and so obviously haven’t had chance, or reason, to wear it since. It is a vintage Ralph Lauren number, and despite it being too big for me, it was too dramatic a piece for me to pass up – and coming in at around £3, I would have been mad to leave it hanging on the rail!

It’s nineties-esque sleeves have been staring at me ever since, and so armed with a new camera that I still needed to learn how to use, I took a few very posed photos (read – over 500…) whilst ‘working from home’.

I had a lot of fun just playing around with my camera, and I am really happy with how the photos came out. This whole exercise just reminded me why I love clothes, and putting a bit of extra effort in to what I wear, as well as why I purchased this camera to begin with – to take some nice pictures!

So expect more of this going forward, because I’m fed up of pyjamas!

Today Réalisation Par released a limited edition collection in collaboration with Sir Elton John – which is possibly one of the most random partnerships I have ever come across – and naturally I had a little peruse of their site to see what’s what, and pick out my favourite pieces.

A graphic tee is always a sure fire winner in my opinion, and this Pegasus adorned baby t-shirt is sure to be the big sell out in my opinion. For one thing, it is the cheapest item of clothing on offer (if one can call £65 cheap…), but it is also the most versatile piece in that this can fit into anyone’s wardrobe. It looks very vintage inspired with its slightly snug fit, and whilst the print is loud, it feels far more relaxed on a white t-shirt rather than the dress with a similar motif. I think this would look great paired with the electric blue Jets skirt – that colour is everything I was expecting from this collection when it was announced, to me this is the colour of Elton John!

The Tiny Dancer dress (fabulous name) is the late 90s in a piece of clothing – the colour, the jacquard, and the spaghetti straps! Whilst this is one of the subtler pieces, it is so very pretty, and is the item calling me the most right now. Just imagine it with the Hercules t-shirt (or another graphic tee of your choosing) styled down for the day, and then glamming it up in the evening with strappy heels and a bag so small you can’t even fit your phone in… It is heavenly! Speaking of heavenly, this cherubic cloud print Amoreena dress is also incredibly whimsical and romantic with its mix of light blues, bell sleeves and button up front. Judging by the fact that most of the sizes appear to be sold out now, this one has clearly been favoured!

The snow leopard printed Little Jeanie dress is another more subtle piece that caught my eye. The pared down animal print looks very rock n roll, and I can imagine it looks great worn with an oversized leather jacket and Doc Martins, contrasting perfectly with the floaty silhouette. Finally, the Honkey Chateau scarf is the perfect 70s inspired piece for this collection. The embroidery is beautiful, and I love that it can be worn as a scarf or a belt – multipurpose pieces always pull me in!

Overall, I have to say this collection is a lot tamer than I expected, and whilst I really like a lot of the pieces, not many of them scream Elton John to me. I wish there was more of that vivid blue throughout, and that there were some new shapes and silhouettes used rather than their pre-existing styles, but the items mentioned are definitely tempting enough as is and I do think this is an exciting (if a bit bizarre) collaboration overall!

Last year I finally invested in a decent pair of knee-high boots for winter – previously I had been surviving the cold dressed in thick tights and incredibly impractical ballet flats – and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since. They pair so well with almost everything in my wardrobe – they look great with mini skirts and dresses for a slightly retro vibe, whilst wearing them under midi lengths instantly makes me feel more grown-up and put together. They feel fun, classy and a little bit sexy when paired with sheer tights, so naturally now I want them in every colour available!

Finding the perfect pair was tough though, I tried on so many that didn’t fit the bill. Either they were too fussy, the heel too high or the heel too low, in a suede rather than leather (totally impractical in the UK), or they gaped around my calves making it look like I was wearing wellies… not quite the look I was after. So I thought I’d take the leg work out of your search and round up my current favourites.

As you can probably tell, I definitely have a type! I like leather vs suede, a mid-block heel (nothing too high, I’m all about comfort) and a super sleek and simple design (no bells and whistles for me thanks!) I’ve ordered the shoes from the lowest priced to the highest, though the vast majority of boots in this post are over £100. Most of the black boots linked are ones I found on Zalando, which is my favourite place to search for boots because they add the bootleg width in their measurements, which is so insanely useful when shopping online, especially if you have particularly thin or thick calves and I wish more retailers did it!

The obvious outlier in the above line-up is the last pair, which have more of a platform to them. They look like a perfect dressy option to me, and so unbelievably 90s that I had to include them, but the other three are certainly more appropriate for everyday wear. I can personally attest to the third pair as they are the ones I own, I can comfortably walk around in them all day and they have my favourite shape. I really wish they came in a dark brown or tan because I would snap those up instantly, but unfortunately, the only colour alternatives currently are in suede, so I looked elsewhere for a brown boot fix…

And I came up with some of the most god-damn expensive boots out there! The first pair are Marks and Sparks and honestly such good value – I would pick these up myself, but their boots tend to be too big around my slim calves which is annoying, especially as the other three are designer and I definitely cannot afford them! My favourites are the second pair, which also come in green and in blue and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t also totally enamoured with those as well, even if a little impractical for every day.

With such a classic style of boot, I’m sure I’ll find and fall in love with plenty more offerings in the future!