Hi guys! I did promise you a guest post by a friend of mine, Aussie-Irish ‘Laura’ from Indi-Elle. Laura’s been a friend and ex-colleague of mine for almost a decade (scary!), I’ve always remembered her style and now she’s a certified STYLIST!!! This girl knows her stuff! She is a pocket sized, gorgeous style queen and always manages to find the best buys from Primark to Michael Kors, I don’t know how she manages to do it … love, love, love her!

I’m handing you over to Laura now, to help you prepare for all those fabulous garden parties and BBQ’s that we’ll all go to, over the next couple of months….Over to you Lolly!xx

Hello lovely readers of  The Creative Yoke!!

I’ll keep the introduction short and sweet, my name is Laura from indi-elle and I’m a certified international stylist!! I love all things fashion!!

I’ve been kindly asked by the insanely lovely human that is Sarah to compose a guest post for her amazing blog and of course I jumped at the chance!!

So, let’s gets down to business!!!

It’s Summer!!! The season we all spend fantasising about whilst freezing our backsides off for the majority of the year! The season that creeps into almost every brief and friendly conversation between strangers! Yes SUMMER!!!

And this year folks, the sun has remembered Ireland exists, waaahey happy days!!

With the sun comes the invites to BBQs and Garden Parties, all of which are slightly daunting as to what one should wear!

We are as a rule accustomed to rugging up for the cooler weather conditions, which we do quite well I must say!!!

But, when it comes to Summer soirees it’s either hit or miss…

So I’m going to share a few outfit ideas and a list of tips to make sure you’re a hit and not a miss!!!

A few things to remember:

• Choose pieces that are made from breathable fabrics!! Try to steer clear of any garments particularly pieces you’ll be wearing close to your skin,ie: tops or bottoms, that have a high % of nylon or acrylic in them. They’re not absorbent and they don’t breathe! You’ll roast and that does not make for a comfortable wear!!
• One word,VERSATILITY! Unless you are lucky enough to have a jet set lifestyle where you call the white sandy beaches home more than you call your home home, don’t overspend on your entire high summer wardrobe! Let’s call a spade a spade, we’re not so lucky in the sunshine department in the Emerald Isle! Be clever in your choices, especially with pieces that are on average €50 or over! If you can’t see yourself wearing that piece in at least 5 different ways with layers for the cooler months, leave it! {NB: The odd summer splurge is totally acceptable, just don’t go mad!}
• Look for light, bright and muted hues. Subtlety is key! Try to avoid high saturated colours or “trend colours” like vivid purple, bright orange, electric blue etc… It’s very tempting to burst out in a flamboyant loud colour because the sun is shining and your skin isn’t translucent anymore,you’ve got the sun kissed glow and that canary yellow ensemble will just pop beautifully off your skin, it won’t!!! Shops are inundated with these in your face colours at this time of year,back away people, it’s impulse shopping! You’re bank account will thankyou!! {NB: If you love that canary yellow outfit,can’t stop thinking about it,remember these “trend colour” items are the first thing that will go into an end of season summer sale, you’ll save a few bucks!!}
• Please do use these “trend colours” in accessories!! Big love for this!! It’s these “controlled” loud pops of colour that really can take an outfit from zero to ninety!!
• Textures like metallic, crinkle fabrics, pleats, distressed denim all fab for summer events,depending on the formality of the event!!

Enough of the rules and regulations lets get down to the fun bit ,the outfits!!

I’ve broken them down into Formal, Semi-Formal and Casual. In each I’ve chosen a staple piece which are all versatile and classic pieces. Also can be layered for cooler months. These staple pieces are from Zara and all under 50 euro.

Formal Garden Party

Khaki green is the classic colour of Summer, it’s not as saturated and heavy looking as black or navy. It is the perfect base for formal outfits! This gorgeous maxi dress, priced at a very reasonable 39.95 euro, is a light knit, a great piece for ladies who aren’t comfortable in light floaty summer dresses with no structure, this fabric will flatter any figure! The high slits at the side just vamp up the outfit,{these can be altered quite easily if they’re too high!} I personally would remove the belt it comes with and use this gold metal waist belt from ASOS, it just adds the luxe you’d want at a more formal event. The fun canary yellow caged shoe from Zara adds an unexpected pop of colour, a tad different than the usual golden tone shoe,which would be fine also! The gold clutch with black accents gives the look a bit of depth, I’d also recommend the outfit be finished off with either earrings or bangles with gold and black embellishments, adds another dimension to the outfit!

Semi Formal Garden Party

I’m slightly obsessed with this gold metallic midi skirt from Zara. It’s extremely reasonably priced at €29.95! And it’s GORGEOUS!! Metallic gold never goes out of fashion. This particular skirt can be dressed up, or quite easily paired with a denim shirt or white t-shirt vest and a pair of flats for a casual outfit. It’s a classic style of skirt adding to it’s versatility. Teaming it with the kimono sleeve striped top from Freepeople is a subtle way to add interest and a little clash,keeps the look unique!! The leopard print shoes and ethnic inspired clutch adds a little bit of fun to the look!

Casual Garden Party

I’ve thrown this in there for the ladies who’d perfect not to don a dress or skirt!! These wide legged printed trousers from Zara are fab, at 49.95 euro! They’re in a classic black colour way,making them easy to wear! The pattern doesn’t scream, which is great for ladies who’d like to experiment with summer prints but aren’t too sure how to! A classic,simple ,loose crisp white camisole tucked in and slightly draped over the waistband will define your waist beautifully and elongate your legs!! Accessories I’ve kept muted and laid back, tan leather is a girls best accessories friend, tan platform sandals and a fringed crossbody bag!! Simple gold chains, maybe a wooden bangle will add a bit of sparkle and interest but keep it subtle and stripped back! One can always throw on a cropped denim jacket over this or a pashmina for when the sun is setting and there’s a chill in the air!!

Keep in mind that all these pieces can be super dressy or super casual, you can make them what you need them to be with the use of cleverly chosen accessories!!

 I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post as much as I’ve enjoyed composing it for you.

Thank you again Sarah for inviting me to your blog!! xxoo

Peace out lovelies and enjoy the Sunshine!!