I don’t know about you, but every Christmas season I seem to enjoy myself a bit too much on the food front, and end up feeling a bit too full until January. And this year has been no exception! So while doing the holiday shopping this year I decided to trade in my yoga leggings (wear these to the studio, Katie!) for daywear that was both comfy and cute.

I’ve been pining after a pinafore dress* for a while now (they were my favourite item of clothing back in the 1990s, so I wasn’t going to let this trend pass me by!), so when I spotted this one in the ASOS Petite section I snapped it up instantly!

*We call these ‘jumpers’ where I’m from in the USA. So while I’ve got used to calling what I knew as a ‘sweater’ a ‘jumper’ over the past five years, calling a ‘jumper’ a ‘pinafore’ is not something I’m used to. Which means there’s a bit of sweater/jumper/pinafore confusion going on in my head at the moment, but I’ll get there! 

It’s nice and roomy (so plenty of space for my full holiday tummy!) and totally comfortable.

Sticking to the idea of comfort I paired the pinny dress with these warm thick tights that I found in my local M&S and my casual Vans trainers*.

*Another confusing word when I first moved over here – ‘sneaker’ is what I still say out loud by default! 

I’ve had this faux fur jacket for years now, and it’s never let me down. I love the texture and that it instantly makes any outfit appear a bit more dressed up!

Faux fur jackets have been in for a few years now, and I’m pretty sure every retailer on the high street’s got them in stock. I recommend picking yours up in the January sales – that’s what I did about 4 years ago! – and picking a style that’s not too trend-led so that you can get a few years use out of it. Value for money, I say!

For a top I went for my stripey turtleneck that I picked up on ASOS a little while ago. (Here’s how I styled this top with my suede skirt.) Fun fact: I also loved turtlenecks back in the 1990s.

I’m always a sucker for stripes, and I like the contrast this top offers to an otherwise straightforward outfit.

When it comes to pinafore dresses, you can pretty much wear any style top underneath. My only suggestion would be to make sure it’s fitted around the armpits – I tried on a few tops that are a bit loose there, and the excess material kept getting stuck in bulges around my armpits, which wasn’t the most comfortable!

Recognise these accessories from a recent post? That’s because they’re my current favourites! The watch is by Triwa and the bangle is a bespoke piece by Whistle & Bango that Jeff got me for my birthday. (In case you missed it, I’m now a brand ambassador for Whistle & Bango, so you can enjoy £10 off on site with code KATIE10.)

To complete the day I grabbed my favourite leather rucksack, which I picked up at a Camden Lock stall circa 2010. It’s bigger than it looks, so I was able to tuck most of my shopping into it… before pulling out the two shopper bags I’d stored inside for the rest of the goods!

Hope you enjoyed this look, and that you’re having a lovely Christmas break, too!