Sunday Style - Ted Baker at Country Attire

The older I have become, the more I have realised the importance of investing in good quality, higher end clothes compared to throwaway fashion.  When I was younger I used to throw money at clothes, often spending hundreds of pounds on items on many items that I would only wear once. I loved the adrenaline rush of going in a store and coming out with shopping bags that filled my arms and enjoyed looking in my wardrobe to see clothes almost bulging out it was that full. Things changed when I got married, started renting and then looked at saving for a mortgage. I realised that most of my wardrobe was full of poor quality clothing that would barely last me the month and I also started taking note on the real value of money, comparing what I spend on clothes to how much of a house it would buy me - at least if I bought more expensive, better quality clothing it would last me several years rather than having to replace everything. I started living the less is more way of life - I'd much rather have a staple wardrobe and I also realised that if you buy cheap, you're more likely to buy twice as many items in the long run.

Ted Baker have been a brand I've admired for years and I still remember the first Ted Baker dress I bought almost six years ago, it made me feel like a million dollars. It emphasised the curves that I wanted to be on show, while concealing all my other lumps and bumps and it was just the right length on my petite body frame. I still have that dress in my wardrobe and it is still in immaculate condition despite me having worn it numerous times. The dress back then cost me around £180 and I didn't have the most money, in fact I was a student, but I saw it as an investment piece - a dress that I could wear time and time again and after saving up for it, I knew it wasn't going to be something I would toss on the reject pile any time soon.

Since then I've bought many Ted Baker items, all of which take pride of place in my wardrobe and my recent addition to my Ted Baker collection is this Leea Tropical Oasis cold shoulder dress in midi* red that was sent to me by one of my favourite online boutiques, Country Attire. Country Attire are a Manchester based online business that specialise in collating all the best British brands on one website. From Barbour to Aspinal of London, Vivienne Westwood to Ted Baker.  They have so many items to choose from and always pick the best of what each brand has to offer. I've worked with the brand on my blog previously, as well as having been a  customer and I've never been disappointed.

I chose the Leea dress because it had such a vivid red colour, which I thought would be perfect for the summer as most of my outfits are quite autumn and winter based. The dress fits perfectly, ending at a conservative length just above my knee caps and it shows off one of my favourite body features, my shoulders with the cold shoulder and cut out sleeves. For those worried about wobbly bellies, this dress perfectly skims across my torso, hiding any unwanted bits and the fabric is really forgiving and also quite breezy for those looking at investing in this for a holiday outfit. At £149.95 it isn't the cheapest dress on the market, but that's because it is a quality item and you can tell just by feeling the fabric as well as looking at the sturdiness of the zip on the back of the dress and the small branded logo on the zip slider. If it is anything like my other Ted Baker dresses, I know it will last for years and that is what I love so much about the brand.

To complete the look I styled this dress with the Ted Baker Adoni crystal bobble leather crossbody bag. The bag is small, yet spacious for an evening bag and has a versatile design that will go with anything in your wardrobe. The rose gold chain and crystal accents on the clasp is the perfect finishing touch to any of your outfits. Again, you can tell the bag is of a good quality by the texture of the leather and the detachable strap feels sturdy, not flimsy like many other handbag straps can be. The handbag is £128, but for something that is so versatile, it is worth purchasing as an accessory staple.

Today I'm giving one lucky reader a chance to win a pair of Ted Baker bow earrings from Country Attire and all you need to do is enter the form below. This competition is open to anyone in the UK aged 18 and over and will end on the 31st July 2017. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you bought anything from Ted Baker or Country Attire before?