Last Autumn I spent some really lovely mother/daughter time in Cardiff attending a joint event hosted by Hotter and Taking Shape. I had previously tried Hotter products and attended one of their events so I knew I would be in for a good evening trying on some quality shoes. Taking Shape was a new brand to me, it caters for women of size 14+ and so my mum was spoiled with a new outfit and I walked away with an incredibly good pair of boots!

Myself and my mum at Taking Shape – not entirely sure why I am playing with her hair.. also pictured are a lovely member of the Taking Shape team and Sarah Herman from The Herniman House

We started off at Taking Shape with a lovely buffet, prosecco and the friendliest store staff. My mum was treated like a queen and one of the assistants chose the perfect clothes for her, an outfit which she wouldn’t have picked yet flattered her shape in the best way. She was surprised and pleased to learn that she could fit easily into a smaller size than she was used to and at the quality of the clothes. We learnt that this is a normal ( free ) service at the store, staff are more than happy to help you choose the perfect outfits and give you honest tips on what works and what doesn’t. You can even ask for the store to open later for large bookings, would be a fun alternative girls night out with a personal service and refreshments. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t offer a smaller range of sizes as I loved the clothes – it was definitely not the mumsy style of clothing that I’ve noticed in other plus size stores.

My mum chose a well fitted pair of trousers and a stylish top with zip detail at the back – it was not what she would have chosen but it looked amazing on her.

They have new lines in now and we are taking a trip to Cardiff soon to take a look, I think this disclosure tunic would be perfect for my mum:

Outfit done it was time to move onto the Hotter store.

I always have a good time at Hotter shoes. Their staff are wonderful and their shoes are comfy and stylish – a far cry from the old fashioned styles I had once expected. My mum has been a fan of their shoes for a really long time, she swears by their ankle boots and was really pleased with the shoes she chose – in fact she wore them on an upcoming trip to Paris where she knew there would be a lot of walking involved and she said it was like walking on a cushion. The generous Hotter staff let my mum choose a pair too so she had an outfit with a new pair of boots – she was pretty happy on the way home!

My mum chose ankle boots in burgundy, she already had them in brown after purchasing them the previous year so she knew they would be a great style for her. Photo to follow!

I needed a smart pair of knee high black boots and the assistant helped me find the perfect pair – these Briony boots not only look incredible but fit well – with a stretchy fit for those with larger calves.

I have worn them so much this winter, with dresses, jeans and over leggings and they seem to instantly make my outfit look more polished. In fact they still look as though they have barely been worn.

Hotter now have their Spring and Summer styles in store. I am a bit in love with the Raquel shoes, I think they would be great with summer dresses.

Or the Tara shoes which would be lovely with skinny jeans!

I highly recommend you take a look at both the Hotter and Taking Shape websites for some outfit inspiration.

• Myself and my mum were invited as guests of Hotter and Taking Shape and were given outfits and shoes as part of the event. I was not obliged to write about the event.