Out of the comfort zone with Weekend Max Mara

I don't wear a uniform to work, some days it's a great thing as it allows me to express my own style and I feel really good when in a fab dress and great heels. Other days I feel I am more likely to be expressing how much I was rushing and the poorly mismatched items badly organized from the night before only highlight how manic the morning was. I do feel however that my days off hold more of a uniform, currently it's mostly jeans, stripes. They are my comfort zone. But one I find has stopped expressing my style and I've fallen into the habit of just looking for comfort and items I don't have to think about.

When Weekend Max Mara in Belfast got in touch to ask if I would like to style and shoot some of their Spring/Summer 2018 pieces I felt 1) Pretty stoked that they would think of me and 2) Panic about what is in fashion. Either way I decided to take a visit to the Belfast store to have a look around as I had only ever been in once before.

When I called in I instantly spotted a beautiful mix of timeless pieces with some playful twists on classics such as floral embroidery on nautical stripes.

I got chatting to the franchisee owner Nina and her team Fee and Carlotta in the Weekend Max Mara store on the Lisburn road. I loved hearing about the key pieces from Max Mara for the season and the inspiration behind them. The Mediterranean skirt and crepe trousers caught my eye and I was encouraged to try them on and I am so glad I did... I felt like a touch of the Greek Islands had come to me and by styling it with a t-shirt for a more dress down feel it felt like a braver twist on my normal style.

By teaming up with Weekend Max Mara I wanted to have fun with the clothes and I think that's essentially at the heart of the brand. I picked out 3 outfits to style for the shoot and to be honest they were the first 3 outfits I tried on as I fell in love with them all instantly.

As I spend so much of my week at work and have to wear business attire, I wanted to pick an outfit that would be business appropriate but could be accessorized or dressed up or down for the evening, giving a smooth transition from night to day. I think you will agree that this summer linen blazer and tassel trousers do exactly that and give a little twist to the classic black suit.

I HAD to keep a little of my comfort zone in there and go for some stripes but I styled it in a different way. Dresses over jeans are sooo in this season and it's a perfect summer edit for the weather we are used to in NI. The dress is versatile in that it can be styled in many ways, over jeans, on its own with flats or heels for a dress up or dress down feel. I especially love the embroidery on the belt.

And as for the tan sandals that I fell in love with so much I styled with everything.... well, I'll say no more and let them do the talking.

I am lusting after these myself and the "they will be worn all summer with all outfits" is my current justification.

What I found from having a play with these clothes and wondering the streets of Belfast is how comfortable the items are, how the brand knows the modern lady and adapts a playful twist on ensuring the timeless items are perfect for work and downtime.

Pop in and have a chat with the ladies in the Weekend Max Mara store at 382 Lisburn Road. Try on the things you love on the hanger but feel might not suit you, you might be surprised. Step out of your clothing comfort zone, you never know... you might just like it there.

Anna x

Disclaimer- This blog post is a paid collaboration with Weekend Max Mara. Image credits to my fab hubby Colin. All images, words and opinions are my own and I had full creative control on this post... Hoping I have the same control when delivering the stunning items back in to store.