White Lace Top, Rusty Red Plaid Jacket and a Classic Leather Pouch

You could say this outfit is a little mismatched, but I like it all the more for that. I’m wearing my delicate lace roll neck sweater (AW13 and sold out, sadly) which contrasts nicely against the , and then I’ve teamed them both with very  and army green trousers. A pretty, pouffy ponytail and candy pink nails (confusingly) add more femininity – but what I really love is the stand out colour of the Shinola leather zip pouch I was kindly gifted to style.

I went with an outfit that would provide a total contrast to its natural leather colour – I purposely didn’t want it to actually match anything else I was wearing. I guess it’s an all-purpose item, but I love it as a clutch and used it that way when we went out to see the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at a live concert last week. It’s perfect for your phone, money, tickets, keys and lip balm – and has the added bonus of that gorgeous leather smell.

I’m also going to be using it as a sort of posh “pencil case” for when I meet with clients. Together with my laptop it’ll look smart, holding my reading glasses, a couple of pens, small notebook and phone. Much nicer than scrabbling around in my handbag for those essentials you always need in a meeting…! The quality of this zip pouch is exceptional – you also get a little credit-card sized metal certificate with the name of the person that made your pouch: thanks, Eric Scott! Shinola is an American brand specialising in leather goods and watches and has recently launched in the UK. You can check out the rest of the Shinola range here.

Do you have any smart accessories like bags and purses that are dual purpose? And do you (like me) still like to use a grown-up pencil case or equivalent… Let me know in the comments!

Leather pouch: c/o Shinola, Jacket:  (I also love ), Roll neck: c/o Oasap, Trousers: Asos, Boots: c/o , Pendant: c/o Venus With Love, Sunglasses: c/o Lulus (), Watch: Asos, Earrings: Asos, Gold rings: Asos, Nails: Models Own Pastel Pink

P.S. Like this outfit? You might like to see how I styled the same top and trousers with a leather jacket in October!

Photos: Silver Londoner | Linking up to: Visible Monday, Let It Shine, Share in Style, Monday Mingle, Style Sessions, Trend Spin Link-Up, What I Wore Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Passion for Fashion Friday, Fashion Friday, Friday’s Fab Favourites

I have written this post in collaboration with Shinola. All content is original, however, and opinions are my own and 100% honest.