There are many reasons to look forward to the weekend. In most cases, people just want to rest after the working week. It sometimes feels like we are stuck in a perpetual cycle were we become ecstatic on a Friday and then somehow get into a downward spiral of emotions the minute its Sunday evening. For your regular nine-to-fivers, the weekend is the best thing that was ever invented. As a full-time content creator and blogger, there is really no true concept of a weekend. I tend to work throughout the 7 day week with no distinction between days. However, I still get excited about the weekend. In my case, it’s most likely a physiological thing. Except I am going away, the weekend does not really have an impact on me.

That brings me to the purpose of this article, weekend getaways and dressing up for the weekend. As someone who wears a lot of formal or should I say smart attires, it is always a good thing to take things down a notch without compromising on my style. Ted Baker has always been one of my favorite brands when it comes prints, fabric type and their use of colour. As someone who loves colour, Ted provides the perfect collection of garments, shoes, and accessories for me.

So for my next weekend getaway, I have put together a couple of looks which I hope will inspire you to get the best out of yours as far as style is concerned.

The statement piece (as it were) in both looks is the Ted Baker beautiful Annabel Global floral print shirt. I think its fair to say I fell in love with this shirt the minute I saw it. Contrary to what you might first think upon seeing the shirts pink, blue, purple and grey colours, it is a very versatile smart casual shirt as demonstrated in both looks. You can also add navy and a few other darker plain colored jackets or suits to the list.  As a bold statement piece, the aim is not to make anything else compete with the shirt but rather complement it. To achieve this, I opted for a pink and a grey suit. These pastels only complement the beautiful colored on the shirt.

The pink suit matches some of the pink patterns on the shirt and complements the blues and purples too. Complete this smart casual look with a pair of white contrasting sole leather trainers. With this look, you are guaranteed to turn heads.

Another slightly more versatile option is to swap the pink suit for a grey one as seen in the second look. The grey suit complement’s the shirt very well but also have the added advantage of being versatile enough for you to get more wears out of it.

But of course, a weekend away wouldn’t be such without a decent holdall. I have always been a huge fan of Ted Baker’s holdalls as they are durable and stylish. Pretty much all the holdalls I currently have are from Ted Baker and I see no reason for this to change. This Sporti carbon fiber leather holdall is perfect for packing grooming kit, a couple of pairs of chinos, shirts, T-shirts, an extra pair of shoes, and most importantly my DSLR camera. I don’t know about you but I am ready for my next weekend away. Head over to the Ted Baker website to shop the looks seen here.

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For a chance to win a weekend in London with £500 to spend, head over to Ted Baker Menswear Instagram page for more details on how to enter the competition. Please note that the competition ends on the 11th of May 2018.

This article was sponsored by Ted Baker