Henley Regatta Stewards' Enclosure

Last weekend we were fortunate enough to be invited to the Henley Royal Regatta - and to the Stewards' Enclosure, no less. I know. So posh.

This is the most prestigious enclosure and is only open to members and their guests, and the dress code and general rules reflect this. The most important element being that ladies' hemlines must be below the knee.

This might seem a little austere - especially in the wake of the controversial announcement about women's heels at Cannes - but I'm fortunate in that I really like midis and maxis. I think that sometimes more is more and these lengths can look so elegant. The key is to get the proportions right to ensure your legs don't look stumpy. Avoid strappy shoes that cut you off at the ankle: this will help to elongate your legs. A hat is optional.

I opted for a hat because...well, who needs an excuse to wear a hat? 

The day was fabulous. I definitely fell into the trap of objectifying all the golden Adonis-esque male rowers - and, I might add, envying the athleticism of the female rowers. We cheered on our university team (Exeter) - who won, by the way - and ate a picnic in the car park and drank lots of Pimms. There's even a tent that ONLY sells Pimms. 

Choosing an outfit was a little tricky, but in the end I opted for a midnight blue dress from & Other Stories, bolero and shoes from Hobbs, and hat from Debenhams - all of which are in the sales. The clutch is from Lucy Choi and I accessorised with a simple blue pearl and gold necklace, which was a birthday gift from the hubs, and sunglasses by Tom Ford from Fenwick Bond St. 

Outside of the Stewards' Enclosure the other sections run along the riverbank, so you're guaranteed a good view wherever you are, and while dressing up isn't compulsory in those areas, everyone does it anyway and there's an almost tangible atmosphere of Prosecco bubbles and Pimms. A lovely day indeed - and I'm seriously considering taking up rowing. 

Sarah x

Very warm...wide brim hat from Debenhams. +Debenhams 

Hobbs Carrie Bolero

Dress by &OtherStories, shoes by Hobbs

The hat and cardigan are gone! Dress from &OtherStories. Glasses from +TOM FORD NEW YORK available at Fenwick.

Sale Treasure - the Hobbs cover up

I dragged a very grumpy husband around the shops at the weekend in the pursuit of Sale treasure - him grumbling behind me, placated only by the promise of beer and ice cream on the beach. He engaged a shop assistant at length in a discussion about why there was not a seating area for men. She and I agreed that would be a wonderful idea.

But it was worth it - at least on my part - because I managed to find some lovely pieces, including the much coveted cover-up.

In recent years I have found it somewhat irksome to find an appropriate piece to pull on over the top of a frock and I realised a couple of months ago that my wardrobe was indeed full of (to quote the hubs) SO MANY DRESSES...and not a lot more. But the cover-up is essential. So, imagine my delight when I discovered the Hobbs sale. I picked up a cropped seventies inspired jacket, 2 pairs of shoes (very indulgent, I know), and a bolero - all of which  I can wear with multiple outfits, but I chose to experiment with my new +emilyandfin swooshy polka dot dress.

Dress +emilyandfin bought from +BrandAlley UK for £19!; ivory Carrie bolero, £49 from +Hobbs; pink low heels, £79 from +Hobbs (SALE!) 

The cropped style of the bolero and jacket make them perfect for high waist skirts, dresses and trousers. The Farrah jacket will look gorgeous with cropped trousers such as these from +ME&EM Ltd.

Dress as above; Farrah jacket, £125 and white Elsie sandals, £69 from +Hobbs (SALE!)

Sunglasses: wayfarer by Rayban ; necklace from +andotherstories 

Jubilant twirling. I do love the sales.

Sarah x

Lady Sarah goes to Downton Abbey

As a treat this week, the hubbins took me on a trip to Highclere Castle in Berkshire (aka Downton Abbey!) so that I could finally pretend to be Lady Mary.

He suffered in relative silence while I romped around singing the theme tune, acting like a fan girl, and was placated by the Egyptian Exhibition, which is currently on display there. Did you know that it was actually the former Earl of Carnarvon whose death triggered the legendary curse of Tutankhamun? He and Howard Carter discovered the famous tomb, but the earl died a couple of months later in curiously similar circumstances to the young Pharaoh. You can read more about it here.

I chose to wear the lovely Orla dress from Allium B, which I reviewed earlier this month. If you're fast you can still use the discount code and I paired it with pink pumps from Victoria Plimsolls.

Highclere is a beautifully situated stately home - and if you ever thought the design looked familiar, that's because it was designed by the same person who designed the Houses of Parliament in London. The grounds are very pretty and there's a sweet 'secret garden' encased by old walls to wander around, too. Inside you can walk around some of the rooms used by the television crew and imagine yourself as the formidable Dowager Duchess or dream of Matthew Crawley coming around the corner...

It is super busy though, and you have to get there early if, like us, you didn't buy your tickets several months ago. Make sure you visit the website for opening times. We were told that the crew were heading back on Wednesday to film the last ever scenes...and I was sorely tempted to hide in the bushes.

Sarah x