SMART BLACK TROUSERS

The thing we love about black trousers is that they are so versatile.  Wear them with a sweater for a smart casual look, with a jacket and shirt for work, or with a glitzy top for an evening out.

As we have always emphasised, we have very different styles and body shapes, so our individual take on smart black trousers is quite different.  Below we have styled our black trousers to suit our lifestyles, pockets and wardrobes.Anne C is wearing her favourite colour pink with this short boiled wool jacket which was a lucky find in a local charity shop and cost just £3.99, and still had the original tags on.  She has teamed it with one of her favourite tops in cream lace from Kaleidoscope which she has probably had for around 15 years, also owning its sister in black. It has washed and been worn more times than she can remember but is a great fit because it has a stretchy back and beautiful quality lace front. They even still have a very similar one in stock in a number of colours here.

The black crepe trousers are Marks and Spencer from a previous season, but similar wool ones are available here.  We both struggle with M&S's fashion choices sometimes, but you can always get a perfect pair of black trousers, since they sell different lengths, which is perfect for Anne's short legs.

The black mock-crock ankle boots are from Faith from a previous season, and she has accessorised with black earrings from H&M which were a gift from her daughter (no longer available in black, but they do have them in red, pink, yellow or green here).

Anne H is wearing beautifully cut MaxMara wool crepe trousers that she has had for years. When she was working she would always invest in a pair of these trousers and often a jacket purchased in their sale as she finds the cut and length are perfect for her frame. Looking on their site they have a very similar pair of wool crepe trousers available now at £178 reduced from £255.  Given the number of years she has had these they are a very good investment.

She has teamed with a sale purchase from this year from Jigsaw - a beautiful silk front top in fuschia. Now in the sale at £49, down from £98.  It has a lovely relaxed fit with long sleeves and soft V to the neckline and a lightweight jersey back.  It will be perfect paired with jeans or dressed up with heels and a feature necklace as shown here for an evening look. She has completed her outfit with a pair of black suede court shoes purchased from Hobbs a number of years ago, fortunately of a height she can still walk in!

Anne C's second outfit includes the same trousers as previously shown, but this time she has teamed it with a black lace top, created a neutral backdrop for the splash of colour - the pink jacket would just as easily have been appropriate for this shot.  Instead, she has made the outfit a little more casual with a wool cardigan-style jacket which has more of a relaxed fit.

Bought recently in TKMaxx - you sometimes have to sort through oodles of  racks before finding something suitable, which is not for everyone.  She has personalised the look with a brooch pin bought in Iceland in January, while the  H&M earrings are the same as in her previous shots, but in a deep red shade rather than black.

MASSIMO DUTTI SHOPPING SPREE

I have to start this post by saying how hugely impressed I am with Massimo Dutti at the moment, I think their styling and quality is completely on point and I could spend an absolute fortune with them. But common sense has prevailed and I have been looking at their sale rails as well as new in.

My first acquisition was made whilst in Bruges and is this lovely camel three quarter coat which had  30% off so was a great buy.  A really versatile piece for the Spring and although I normally keep away from double breasted jackets I think this single row is fine .  My normal objection being that double breasted makes me look wider and looks messy whilst undone.  I seemed to manage to overcome these objections for this one though!

Next up was this single button houndstooth blazer which has a really country feel to it.  It is a bit too big for me and so has gone back, but I couldn't resist the chance to model it with the perfectly toning polo neck that I purchased.

The slim fit houndstooth blazer is a sale buy at £79.95 and is a wool blend.  I think it looks really smart and have spotted that they have a double breasted version as well that is also in the sale but alas also too big.

The polo neck is a silk/wool blend and was another sale buy, sadly sold out now.  But I have spotted they have some gorgeous knitwear for Spring so think I may be venturing back for an online shop.  It is a crying shame that we don't have a shop in the North so it has to be online.

The last purchase in my mini splurge is this  embellished frock style coat with a Chanel-esque vibe.  Primarily cotton, it is a great wardrobe addition for Spring and will look great dressed up or down. I have teamed with the polo again and some tailored MaxMara trousers and Dune heels.

It is the flattering length that I really favour and includes a light lurex thread to add a bit of glamour and I think at £139 is a reasonable price for such a quality jacket.

SPRING HAUL

Anne C here.  I have a very eclectic wardrobe in terms of colour style and price, and my new Spring wardrobe epitomises that in every sense!

I fell in love with this bright yellow duster coat while shopping in Tesco!  Using my Clubcard points it cost me just £5 from Florence & Fred, though the price tag says £39 - still quite a bargain as the colour is bang on trend for this season.

I love the mix of grey with yellow, I chose not to team with black accessories because I didn't want to look like a bumble bee, and think the grey is much softer.  The grey wrap is from my daughter's wardrobe, though I do borrow this quite a lot, and comes from Zara, though not recently.

The light grey stretch  super skinny jeans are also a budget buy from George at Asda, and are comfortable to wear, and also quite a bargain at £12.50  Fortunately as I am short (5'2"), I can find bargains, unlike Anne H who can only wear extra long length because of her height.

The pale grey ankle boots were a last autumn buy from River Island, and I love a little bit of bling, so the sparkly heels are just perfect.

The dress is something of a departure for me, because I rarely wear them these days, but I love this stretchy black fabric, which has a blood red velvet collar for interest.  This was bought during a recent trip to Iceland (the country, not the supermarket this time!) The lovely pin brooch just finishes the look, and I have teamed with my blood red pompom boots - which match perfectly - another bargain find from Primark during the winter months, so probably not available now.

The dress is quite versatile, since I can also wear with leggings if my legs freeze!  The earrings were a gift from my daughter and are by Freedom Jewellery from H&M - which also supplies TopShop - and while I don't think they have them in black any longer, I have recently bought the same ones in pink, so maybe they will repeat the design as they are popular (I now have them in black, red and pink - if you find something you like, I'm a great believer in getting it in every colour!)

To note the sun was shining during our photoshoot, so I am squinting quite a bit!

The mustard duster coat is another bang-on trend colour this coming season. Although I have dressed this as a casual with jeans, it would work just as well over a little black dress and heels for a more sophisticated look. The make is by Little Mistress from their Girls on Film range, which I bought in Debenhams at Manchester Trafford Centre.

The skinny denims are from Marks and Spencer - quite old now but there are still plenty of skinny jeans around, while the denim-look top was from TKMaxx a couple of years ago.

I have teamed it with yet another pair of Primark boots in navy suede - again not a new purchase - and accessorised with navy blue tassel earrings which were bought in Santorini last summer, but again this look is very up to the minute and there is plenty of choice this season in tassels in most of the high street shops (similar here) .

Wherever possible I do try to wear the same colour boots as my jeans/trousers because (I hope) it makes my very short legs look longer!

And my final word on this - why are the sleeves always so long on coats???? I probably need to get out my needle and cotton!

COSTA RICA - FROM MOUNTAIN TO THE PACIFIC

This post picks up half way through our fabulous Rivera Travel holiday across Costa Rica as we set off from The Tabacon Hotel and head towards Monteverde and the cloud forest. But first, we made a stop at the Arenal Volcano that had been shrouded in mist until this day when it was finally revealed in all its glory.

Its last major eruption was in 1968 so this is very much an active volcano. The guided walk around the volcanic trails was fascinating, especially noting where the pyroclastic flow had reached. It is prohibited to explore beyond the permitted areas as this, the youngest of Costa Rica's many volcanoes, is only resting and is classed as one of the worlds ten most active.

The view of Lake Arenal from the view point was stunning but only when driving the length of this body of water do you appreciate the extraordinary size of it, as it was tripled in size to 33 square miles with the construction of a dam in the 1970s and forms a cornerstone of Costa Rica's green energy policy.

View of Lake Arenal from the viewpoint

After a stop for a sandwich and drinks overlooking the lake we continue our journey towards Monteverde, climbing into the mountains and taking in some truly amazing views on our way. Our coach driver,  Jose's exceptional navigation skills along narrow, unmade roads would terrify me in a car, never mind a coach!

Views from the coach on the journey to Monteverde

Our home for the next two nights was to be the Hotel Poco a Poco in Santa Elena where we had a lovely room with private terrace overlooked by some very inquisitive cows. As I am very height averse I had already said that I didn't want to do the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges to view the cloud forest in Monteverde but my friend (not the other Anne this time) more than made up for my wimpy behaviour by taking the optional excursion and zip lining through the forest before the walk.  Everyone had a marvellous time and whilst I was enjoying some time at the spa and exploring the town, they spent the afternoon at a coffee farm.

On day 9 we said goodbye to Monteverde and headed back down from the mountains to head towards the Pacific Coast - a truly magical drive with breathtaking views all the way.

En route we stopped off in Liberia for lunch before arriving at our final hotel, the 5 star JW Marriot Resort and Spa in Guanacaste.  A typical American resort hotel, it lacked the charm of some of the other more local hotels, but the luxury and standard of accommodation was exceptional and its setting on the beach was unbeatable.

So of course I took the opportunity for a little dressing up just to prove it wasn't all Dora the Explorer. This silk top had been a sale buy last year from Jigsaw and the cotton chinos are from Pure. Teamed with my trusty Varcas, which are the most comfortable shoe ever for holidays.

Our trip on the final evening to Tamarindo was lovely,  we walked along the beach and had a drink while watching the sunset in a local bar, before joining our group for a farewell dinner.   I am wearing another top from Jigsaw with Next linen trousers and those Varcas again.

Tamarindo is really lovely and has a lively back-packing atmosphere with some great restaurants, bars and shops.  I treated myself to a pretty necklace as a souvenir of my trip to this beautiful country.

Tamarindo 

This was a truly amazing holiday made all the more enjoyable by our lovely group, who all got on famously and were great company. By the end of the tour I was tired of coach travel so ducked out of the final boat trip as it involved a few hours on the coach.  As I had lounged by the pool at the hotel and walked along the beach, I felt rested before the journey home  - which is always arduous when faced with a long overnight flight followed by our journey back North by train!

Beautiful sunset at Tamarindo 

A particularly big thanks must go to our Guide and Driver and Tour Manager who made this a holiday of a lifetime with memories to cherish. So thank you so much Josue, Jose and Karen.