....A Billowy Blouse?

And so to my latest dilemma. Fantastic silver fox (FSF) is taking me out for dinner to celebrate my birthday.  Like any BestDressedBabe, immediate thoughts turn to what-to-wear. If the weather was warm and spring-like, I've got numerous options but given the wintry blast, my options are somewhat limited. I think our dinner date is somewhere fairly nice, but hip enough that I can still wear my favourite dark skinnies. Just need a pretty long-sleeve billowy blouse to complete the look.

Back in Jan I saw the Ted Baker NITI safari print zebra blouse (£89). It's really pretty, sheer, with 3/4 sleeves but perhaps a bit summery given the current weather. Off I headed to Edinburgh's West End Village on Friday afternoon (cutting it a bit fine with dinner the same evening but I was on a mission).

First shop I dropped into was Sam Brown Boutique.  A small boutique with an array for floaty floral print tops. Lots of Great Plains & Avoca lining the rails. I explained my predicament to the owner. She immediately offered to go downstairs and dig-out an AW12 silk blouse from French Connection. It was one of those "I've got just the thing" sort of moments....and what a surprise this blouse turned out to be. I would never in a million years have picked this off the rail but somehow it just works. Best thing is the price, £150 reduced to £35. Not bad for pure silk & French Connection. Makes the Ted Baker blouse seem expensive at £89 given its polyester!

Here's the final look for our dinner date....

Blouse French Connection, Beanie Jigsaw, Jacket & Shoes Hobbs, Belt Boden, Handbag Prada

NB: Dinner date was to Purslane, Stockbridge. FSF heard about it on the grapevine. We had a sublime 3 course dinner, best I've had in ages. I choose a cauliflower panna cotta for started and sole for main. The sole looked so pretty-almost like white marshmallows on the plate. Really small an intimate. Definitely want to go back.