I love going out for lunch; I’m too impatient to hold out for dinner. Having a big lunch means there’s no need to restrict yourself to little nibbles throughout the day so you can ‘make room’ for dinner. You can just go and have your fill without a huge wait and then a huge belly before bed.

But dressing for a lunch out is, I think, a lot like the ambiguous “smart-casual:” the limbo between a casual brunch and a smart dinner.

Earrings, Accessorize; Jumper, Topshop; Belt, Vintage;

Trousers, Carin Wester at Urban Outfitters; Loafers, Topshop.

I think that my aubergine Carin Wester peg trousers strike the right balance between relaxed and formal. The details – the nipped-in waist and the central seam – give the illusion of a smart trouser, but the tapered structure and the unconventional colour stops it looking like I’m off to a business meeting. My belt is a lovely green coloured faux snakeskin print and helps to break up the dark colours, adding a bit of texture to an otherwise plain outfit.

For my make-up I blended UD’s Naked 3 palette’s ‘Buzz’ on my lid with ‘Liar’ in my crease to create a warm rose-mauve eye. I brought this colour along my lower lash line to give more definition to my eye shape and to balance out the drama of my bold 50’s style winged eyeliner. My lipstick, Bare Minerals’ Pretty Amazing Lipcolour in ‘Fearless,’ echoes the mauve colours on my eyes and has a gorgeous super-glossy finish.

(I thought I’d leave you with a cheeky picture of my dessert – chocolate fondant, mmmm!!)

So what would you wear for a lunch date?

Hope you like!

Molly x