I’ve been lucky enough to go to New York twice in my life. Its an amazing city, there’s no place like it. It truly is the city that never sleeps, with something always happening, something new to see, and different people to meet and experience. We spent a lot of our time around Central Park, Time Square and Fifth Avenue, but we did drift downtown too, taking in the sights and sounds a long the way.

The SoHo area of New York is rife with artists, fashion and attitude. Its a trendy district to be in and be seen in. Swedish fashion designer Johan Lindeberg has captured this culture and style in his BLK DNM collection, available now from Avenue 32. He brings denim, leather and tailoring to create a look which is typically downtown New York.  The pieces are all black, grey and blue – save for one white t-shirt – and are beautifully tailored to create a statement which is perfectly BLK DNM.

“Always true to the hard-edged masculine/feminine look, the Lindeberg girl is insouciant and chic in her cropped leather bomber jacket on any occasion –even when it’s thrown over an evening dress.”

I really like a few of the pieces, especially the Dim Grey items. Whilst they are clearly not the everyday uniform of us Mummy’s, I think the Dim Grey jacket and trousers would make stylish business wear. Skinny jeans are still massively popular and the BLK DNM ones are ultra chic, and teamed with this cropped leather jacket would make a great statement outfit.

The BLK DNM look is a style choice, an appearance, and an attitude. Whilst a full outfit might be too much for a trip to Tesco’s, perhaps investing in a single statement piece like this jacket might be the way to go. 

The brand new Spring Summer range is out now for Swedish retailer me&i. Here are my favourite pieces, including a couple of things for Mum as well. You’ll find all these pieces and more on their website now.

This medallion dress is perfect for summer. Brightly coloured and made from a quality jersey material its sure to provide a comfortable fit. The tie string at the back allows for a defined waist and despite being sleeveless the wide straps provide good coverage.

The military style jacket is great for mums on the go. Its very on trend and although military in styling has a feminine cut to it. It is double breasted and a nice fitted feel to it, but looks just as good open as fastened.

This A-line tunic is a cute one for any little girl. It has elasticated edging at the neck and sleeves to make getting dressed and undressed easy, and the contrasting piping detail on the pockets really makes them stand out. The adorable velour panda peeping out of one pocket is a lovely feature and one I’m sure children will love.

Little Man is definitely going through a dinosaur loving faze at the moment so he would adore this t shirt. Brightly coloured and comfortable to wear its a lovely unisex t shirt for the summer. I love the way the orange dinosaurs stand out against the turquiose background.

We own the long sleeved t shirt version of this cute bodysuit which was a hugely popular part of the Autumn Winter range last year. I’m sure this bodysuit will be just as popular. Multi-coloured vehicles facing in all directions make this a great bright item, and the green trim frames the whole thing nicely.

If your little one is a fan of “helping” with DIY tasks around the house – Little Man certainly is – then this is the t shirt for them. A solid black background with bright outlines of an array of tools makes this the ideal outfit for helping out in. Again a bright contrast trim on the collar and cuffs sets of the t shirt beautifully.

When it comes to breastfeeding you want to make life as easy as possible so your little one can get quick access to their milk whilst also maintaining mums dignity. You also want to look stylish, especially if you’re out and about, whether it be lunch with the girls or a family wedding. Nobody wants to loose their sense of fashion when they become a mum, nor do they want to flash their bodies to the world, so beautiful breastfeeding clothes are a must. You don’t have to reach for the nearest stretchy cotton top either – you can go a little bit glam with Peaks of London and their range of breastfeeding dresses.

The Tokyo Dress is my favourite:
This dress has a casual feel to it, but can be teamed with heels for a more dressed up feel. There is a drawstring tie which allows adjustments to whatever your body shape, and the puffball sleeves flatter every shape and size. The drapes on the front of the dress provide discretion whilst feeding, protecting both your body from the crowds, and preventing your little one from being distracted.

If you’re looking for something a bit more special for a wedding or party, try the Drape Dress:
The wrap tie allows you to adjust to fit and highlight either your waist or cleavage to suit. The twisted knot on the front of the dress adds a good decorative feature as well as providing access to your precious milk. The knee length dress is a “must have” for any events you might need to attend this year.

Peaks Of London’s full range can be found here.

Trinny and Susanna and more recently Gok Wan have always been favourites with people keen to improve their style. Watching these experts transform the lives of women by giving them a new “look” inspires viewers to hit the high street themselves in search of the perfect outfit. But what if you don’t know where to start? What if you don’t really know what suits you and what doesn’t? We can’t all afford the services of Gok or a Personal Shopper so we’re out there alone relying on fashion magazines which generally show gorgeous clothes on glamorous tiny models. What about the rest of us? What about “Real” women?

In an attempt to help, IStylista was born – an online personal stylist which takes in account your colouring, your measurements, your lifestyle and most importantly your budget. Whilst I’m sure the latest Gucci would look amazing, you’re more likely to find me on the high street! It was launched in 2009 by expert Chantelle Znideric – professional personal stylist to the rich and famous.  I was given access to an IStylista Style Goddess Style Guide in an attempt to find out what would look good on me, and what I should avoid.

Filling in the initial questionnaire is easy – height, dress size, hair colour, eye colour, bra cup size, etc. You decide how much you can afford to spend per month – I went for £0-£100 though I think a smaller window would be more realistic – what your body and face shape is, and tell them your age. Within moments you receive a downloadable pdf which is YOUR personal style guide.

I received a 26 page pdf which laid out all the information and advice which I need to make sure I always look good. I was provided with information about my body shape and how to style it; what clothing shapes, fabrics and patterns would work best for me; what colour clothes I should look for; what my capsule wardrobe should include based on my lifestyle; and tips for accessorising.

As well as this I was able to access “My Virtual Changing Room” where I could window shop for the perfect outfit based on clothes that are available in stores and online shops now. This is updated daily to ensure the latest looks and trends, and the make sure you can actually buy the items you find. The changing room is broken down into tabs – Dresses, Tops, Skirts, Jeans, Coats, Shoes, etc – so if you’re looking for a specific item you can go directly to it, or if you are revamping your entire wardrobe you can work your way through piece by piece.

I’m on the look out for a new pair of jeans after a small hole turned into a huge tear and ruined my favourite pair. So I just click “Jeans” in the tabs that run across the top of the page and a huge list of jeans that are ideal for my shape and style appear before me. You can then list them with the newest first, or the cheapest. You can highlight the most suitable for your shape, or from stores giving the best discount. With a few simple clicks I can find my perfect pair of jeans based on the budget I’ve set for myself. Clicking on my chosen pair takes me through to the relevant online store and I can buy them straight away. Genius. You can also find clothes for specific occasions. Using the option panel on the left I can, for example, source a feminine dress that’s suitable for casual wear. Or a classic skirt to wear for work.

So if you want to take the stress out of clothes shopping, or you want to use the services of a personal shopper, then IStylista is for you. I have 10 Personalised Style Goddess Style Guides to give away to Sussex Mummy readers. All you need to do is email me your name and email address and I’ll draw 10 names out of the hat on Friday at 8pm.

Email your details to: [email protected]

To take  a look at what IStylista has to offer take a peek at the website now.

On an average day, how many hours do you spend on your feet? Do you spend the day doing school runs, house work or running after a toddler with boundless energy? Do you do all three? I have a 16 month old who is always on the go plus I seem to go up and down the stairs a dozen times a day with washing, nappy changes and the odd bit of house work. When it comes to my footwear comfort is paramount. Long gone are the days of wearing anything remotely heeled – though to be fair those days were few and far between anyway. Nowadays you’re more likely to find me in a pair of well worn trainers then anything else. I want comfortable shoes that are going to last, but I also want them to be pretty – I am a girl after all – so I was thrilled to discover the Cleo Shoes from Hotter.

These are billed on the Hotter website as “Mary-Jane styling meets contemporary sports shoe” so sounded ideal for me. The shoes are lightweight and adjustable using the strap across the top. They come with a good solid sole and have a soft comfortable fit. When the packing talked about it feeling like you were walking on a million air bubbles I was a little sceptical and thought the design team had gone a little overboard with their description. I was delighted to be proven wrong. These are, without a doubt, the comfiest shoes I have ever owned, and my husband and mum will attest for my long term shoe addiction.

The Cleo shoe is available in three colour schemes, and the Violet, Beige and Aqua I received is new for Spring 2012.

You can find out more about the glorious Hotter range now at their website.