Aside from trainers for the gym and running I had not bought a pair of ‘normal/everyday shoes for 18 months. Not because I don’t like shoes but because it’s very rare for me to find shoes which match my obsession with comfort and style. A good pair of shoes is like  a good bra, it’s stop your feet going saggy (i.e. flat and bunion-ey)

As much as I love my Stella McCartney for Adidas trainers which I’ve blogged about before I was getting a bit bored with people asking me where I got them (men as well as women) every time I stepped out in them.

Most yummy mummies I know have a simple uniform of Converse, or ‘Converse-style’ pumps. These look great with great the other yummy staple, jeans. For me though, they just don’t feel quite substantial enough. I did buy a pair of grey Jigsaw deck shoes (somewhere in the region of £20) from a dress agency last year, but have hardly ever worn them.

In my quest to update my footwear I started looking around on eBay for a pair of sexy but comfortable boots. My inspiration was a pair of  All Saints boots I saw back during a window shopping trip in April. Loath to pay in excess of £150 for a new pair I  searched for something similar on eBay I found these suede lace ups (main picture). The heel is actually way higher than I’d normally wear but, they are really comfortable, and open toed so ideal for summer, spring and autumn. The real plus was that they only cost £17 including package and posting. They did have a bit of damage but a quick trip to the shoe menders sorted it. The only minus – they cannot be worn out in the rain. Oh well.

My Race for Life challenge attracted the attention of shoemakers Clarks whose PR sent a pair of these Inplay Flex in pink Race for Life Trainers by Clarks. I must admit when they arrived I immediately thought ‘old granny shoes’ but once on these were not only really comfy, they looked good with skinny jeans. These look more like a deck shoe but ‘act’ like a trainer, plus 10% sales of go to Cancer Research UK. My daughter now wants a pair.

And finally – my real find. Marks and Spencer Step Tone sandals. These are a much cheaper version of a certain other type of sandal (which I have several pairs of) and the ‘corsage’ detail means they don’t look too much like an ortho shoe. I bought these when I was out in the City of London and my trainers got too sweaty. They felt great and best of all, add about two inches to my height!

Okay, we will admit, as budget conscious as we are at Ella Mag, all the Union Jack themed press releases/press launches have finally got to us (not to mention the fact our neighbours have – not without too much insistence – encouraged us all to hold our own Diamond Jubilee street party) and we are getting a bit of fashion envy.

After checking out eBay for some vintage All Saints boots (found some priced £20 but still deciding weather to buy), we spent some time on the interwebs salivating over some potential new gear. First on the list are these Saint Tropez skinny jeans on the Melanie Drake website and will be saving up for a pair, sadly not in time to wear for the Jubilee though.

We also saw Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dress at our local dress agency Friends. When we visited yesterday they had a vintage one in pink and one in yellow print (both sizes 10/12).

However more likely we’ll be going on to Next’s website and checking out the very reasonably priced dresses (and children’s wear) and sticking to our tried and trusted L K Bennett wedge shoes (bought in the sale six years ago for £15).

It’ll all be reduced in the summer sales soon anyway!

(Pic courtesy of keithr via Flickr)

The lovely people at The Welly Shop have a pair of wellies to give away to one lucky Ella Mag reader. And thank goodness because with the weather like it is, a pair of wellies is a fashion essential whatever your age.

The winner has the choice of one of these stylish  wellies. They come in UK sizes 3-8 and you have the choice of wide fit or normal.

To enter all you have to do is fill in the comment box below (all our comments are moderated so your entry will not be published) and tell us your name, email and welly size, please also specify wide or normal fitting.  Closing date for entries is midday on Friday 1 June 2012.

(Please not the pic above was taken at a festival and is posed by models, however the pic below is the Miss Starry Eyed version which is included in our giveaway – enjoy).

Please note: this competition is open to UK entrants only.

Ella Mag’s editor Samantha  has always wanted to try colour but she’s been too afraid to try. Until now.

For years my dress-code has been black, black and more black.

The only items in my wardrobe that are not black are my jeans (and I’ve even got a couple of black pairs of those too).

However, it may surprise you  I’ve not actually been a fan of wearing black for a while. In fact after having my daughter three years ago I’ve made a decision to steer myself away from black. My guess is that shopping for a toddler girl has brought out my inner ‘girlie’ and I no longer want to blend into the wallpaper or look like a jumped up fashionista. But nor do I want to make a fool of myself with garish colours that might upset colleagues/other mums/my family.

I’ve been looking for a chance to add some brights into my wardrobe – without spending large amounts of cash. Last autumn I kept a copy of the Boden catalogue because I particularly wanted a pair of  brightly coloured skinny jeans. I didn’t have the money to treat myself but kept looking at the picutres all the same.

So when I saw these pink jeans in Tesco – I had to buy them. I’ve bought the odd item of clothing from Florence and Fred. To be honest Tesco clothes don’t last that long – and as you already know we at Ella favour vintage clothes because they are not only well made but they also mean we can do our bit to help the planet.

Now I’m not going to do the whole hog with the bright thing, not yet, but I do have my eye on an orange long-sleeved top, which I’m hoping will be reduced in the sale.

So for the moment my pink jeans will be worn with my faded Madonna Top Shop t-shirt, Jesire beige rain mac (see vintage article for details) and teamed with Jigsaw cowboy boots (bought in 2004 and still going strong).

And here goes, 41 years old and my first pink jeans… Let us know what brights you are wearing this spring!