Mother of the bride
Last week we blogged about picking up the perfect gifts for bridesmaids so, with wedding season still in full swing, this week we thought it only fitting to dedicate a post to the all important mothers of the bride-to-be.
While your daughter’s wedding is, of course, all about her, there’s a certain weight of expectation on the mum to look her best. With that in mind, why not try our Jaeger store, which is packed to the rafters with classy outfits guaranteed to make you look effortlessly stylish. Top the look off with a clutch bag (you’ll need somewhere to stow those tissues) and a head-turning hat like the one below from Jacques Vert.
And, while you’re at the outlet, don’t forget to invest in some waterproof mascara from Revlon – trust us, you’re going to need it!
Jacques Vert hat - RRP £99, outlet £69
We hear wedding bells…
As per usual in August, we’ve got weddings on the brain; we’re sure that most of you have at least one wedding to attend this summer and a lucky few of you may even be walking down the aisle yourselves.
With lots to remember in the lead up to the big day, you brides could probably do without the extra stress of having to spend hours choosing gifts for your bridesmaids or picking out those last minute extras that will add the perfect finishing touches to your wedding.
Worry not – East Midlands Designer Outlet has plenty of gorgeous jewellery that your bridesmaids will love, as well as some gorgeous decorative pieces that you’ll probably want to keep all too yourself!
Chapelle locket - RRP £39.99, outlet £19.99
Chappelle necklace and earing set - RRP £39.99, outlet £19.99
Past Times wedding book - RRP £22, outlet £17
Past Times compact - RRP £12.50, outlet £7
Party like a princess
Since we’ve always believed that we should be treated like royalty (yes, we’ve even been known to break out a tiara on special occasions…), we’re understandably excited about our upcoming princess and knights’ party, taking place at the outlet on Friday 13th August.
We’re inviting local kids to come along in their fancy dress finest to enjoy an afternoon of party style fun – perfect for little ones looking to be entertained this summer holiday.
Our Claire’s store has everything needed to transform into a fully fledged princess – here are just some of the pieces you can pick-up to get pretty in pink.
Tutu - RRP £7, outlet £6.50
Tiara - RRP £5, outlet £3.85
Party wands - RRP £4 each, outlet £3.20 each
Party gloves - RRP £5, outlet £3.85
Happy Birthday Tula
Can you believe it – Classic handbag store Tula has been at the outlet for two years now (how time flies when you’re busy picking up some fabulous arm candy)!
For Tula, a great quality handbag is an investment piece, one that will carry you through season after season in timeless style.
Tula make their bags from the finest leather and, with eye-catching metalware, stitching and pocket detail, you’re certain to find at least one style in the collection that suits you.
This Thursday evening, Tula is offering a further 10% off all products to mark its two year anniversary – sounds like a great way to celebrate to us!
Tula Radley bag - RRP £200, outlet £126
Get festival fabulous
Mountain Warehouse wellies - RRP 24.99, Outlet £12.99
With more live music events taking place across the country than ever before, festival fashion is under the spotlight this summer and the quintessential skinnies, wellies and anorak combo just won’t cut it anymore. To make the grade this year you need to be as style savvy in the field as you would be on a Friday night.
That in mind, we’re already planning our outfits for V Festival with something close to military precision. Top of the list are some wellies from Mountain Warehouse, but on the off-chance we see a repeat of the freakishly warm weather experienced at this years Glasto we’ll also be packing some sandals, just in case. Famous Footwear is our new go-to destination for on-trend sandals, and they’re so insanely comfortable your feet won’t feel the pinch when trekking merrily around the festival site.
Denim shorts are a no-brainer for a festival and we love these Levis– they’ll look great with a battered band t-shirt of checked shirt for a fab festival chic look.
Outfit covered, all that’s left to consider is the small matter of how to get front of stage for all the cool bands on offer…
Famous Footwear sandals - RRP £30, Outlet £24
Levis denim shorts - RRP £50, Outlet £30
Hot mama
We just love Mamas & Papas – all those super cute baby clothes and toys make us mega broody every time we pass by!
We see plenty of trendy mums making their way in and out of the stores, many of them proving that there’s no need for you to fall behind in the style stakes just because you’re pregnant.
For all the blooming mums-to-be out there, the store’s maternity wear range is currently 70% off in the sale and there’s some lovely pieces available (see below for a couple of examples).
There are also some fantastic reductions across children’s’ wear and accessories – get stocking up that nursery pronto!
Chiffon type summer dress (left) – Was £20, now £12
Black jumper wool top – RRP £36, outlet £10.80
Check pattern trousers – RRP £40, outlet £10
Our shoppers show heart
When we heard that Paul Willgoss, a trustee of the Children’s Heart Foundation, had covered nearly 1,500 miles on foot in the last year to raise money for the charity, we were mightily impressed (not least because we can barely make it all the way round the centre without getting out of breath!).
So to help Paul complete his challenge we hosted a ‘Make A Difference Mile’ event over the weekend. Our sure footed shoppers collectively managed to cover over 133 miles by some slightly unconventional means – jogging on treadmills, bouncing on space hoppers and trying out an egg and spoon race.
The event was so much fun and we’d like to thank everyone who got involved and helped raise money for the charity through participation and generous donations. We were especially taken with the space hoppers although, we’ll think twice before climbing aboard in our high heels again (trust us girls…)
Football widows mourn no more
With many of our men folk likely to be distracted by the World Cup for the foreseeable future, we thought it would be nice to provide a treat for the ladies so you can all enjoy having your boyfriends, husbands, father and brothers temporarily out of your hair.
So, last week, we held a series of mini one-to-one sessions with our lovely personal shopper Andie, giving shoppers the chance to get expert advice on this season’s top trends and the colour palette that works best for them.
We has a great time picking Andie’s fashion-forward brain and swapping war stories with other shoppers who’ve found themselves momentarily cast aside in favour of 11 men; it almost (but not quite..) had us wishing that the World Cup was on all year round…
Go ahead, make my (Fathers) day…
Yes, it’s nearly that time of year again; the time when we take a day out to thank our dear old dads for putting up with us for so long with only minimal complaint. So to show him how sincere you really are give the frumpy jumpers, tacky novelty ties and boring socks a wide berth this year and get him something he’ll actually appreciate instead.
We’ve got a host of great gift ideas at the outlet from fab flip flops to super smart cufflinks (‘daddy cool’ eat your heart out…). Check out our selection below for some parental guidance:
Chapelle Diesel watch RRP £400, outlet price £299
Chapelle stainless steel bracelet RRP £29.99, outlet price £19.99
Jaegar cufflinks RRP £45, outlet price £15
Next England flip flops £8 (outlet exclusive)
Thorntons I love dad chocolates £2.99
Jaeger shirt RRP £80, outlet price £45 (2 for £50)
Happy feet
Nail polish set from Claire’s, RRP £5, our price £3.50
With Summer supposedly just around the corner, if you haven’t done so already, you’ll soon be swapping your brogues, pumps and boots for some seriously sexy seasonal sandals.
We’re giddy at the thought of shirking off our ankle boots and slipping into something slinkier and what better way to prepare ourselves for the long awaited event then a pampering pedi? If you can’t make it to the salon then don’t despair, Claire’s has a fabulous selection of nail polishes that will make a DIY job look as convincing as any salon effort.
We love a good sky high stiletto as much as the next girl but when it comes to going about our everyday errands even we have to admit defeat and come crawling back to our fail safe flats. Luckily for us Clarks, has an amazing collection of super soft sandals that are perfect for conquering the daily to-do list in comfort. And with an array of delicious citrus and candy colours to choose from we can add shoe shopping to the top of our priorities.
Sandals from Clarks, RRP £45, our price £29.99
Sandals from Clarks, RRP £49, our price £32.99
Sandals from Clarks, RRP £49, our price £32.99
Sandals from Clarks, RRP £45, our price £29.99
