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17 October 2018
This magenta pink dress from The Fold reminded me of the vibrant raspberry pink dress worn by The Duchess of Cambridge at Princess Eugenie’s wedding last Friday. A similar shade to the winter crimson jumper I featured yesterday too – a great colour for Autumn. I’ve matched it with navy patent courts from L. K. Bennett, a navy mini Lion Landsdowne bag from Aspinal, navy belt and a colourful cashmere scarf – the “Bolshoi” by Dolce Roopa, with rose quartz earrings from Monica Vinader. Perhaps a look suitable for the Queen of colour, Queen Maxima!
16 October 2018
I’ve been looking for the right jumper to “winterize” this dress I bought from H&M at the end of summer and I think this cropped cashmere jumper from Pure Collection might be a good one. I love the vibrant berry “winter crimson” hue and the cropped length make it suitable for pairing over dresses and skirts in autumn so that you can make summer last a bit longer in your wardrobe at least! Also, it’s machine washable which is a big plus! I’ve accessorized the look here with a burgundy bag from Aspinal of London, heeled boots by Zara and Accessorize earrings.
15 October 2018
Forest green was a popular colour amongst the guests at last Friday’s royal wedding. It’s a great colour for those looking for inspiration for autumn/winter racing outfits. I’ve picked out this double breasted coat from & Other Stories and matched with a green felt hat available for hire from The Cotswold Hat Club, for a winter racing look. The pine green half sleeve dress is from Marks & Spencer and reminded me a little of the high necked dress by Emilia Wickstead worn by Pippa Middleton at the royal wedding. To add a touch of glamour as well as warmth I’ve accessorised with a gorgeous green faux fur scarf from John Lewis, brown leather boots by Fairfax & Favour and mini trunk bag by Aspinal of London. The smoky quartz earrings are by Kiki McDonough.
9 October 2018
This post is for a follower who has purchased this pine green midi skirt from M&S. I love the asymmetric panelling of the skirt – it makes it a little different from a classic midi. I’ve pictured a couple of options here to dress it up for her bridal shower lunch: for a smart casual look you could layer a patterned blouse over a high neck top and wear with heeled boots or just wear the blouse alone and add some statement heels. OR for something a little smarter wear the skirt with a cropped jacket and the heels – you could switch over the footwear here with each outfit to vary the look too. These Chatsworth green Cordelia heels from Boden are a perfect match with the skirt and a great way of dressing it up!
Earrings: Accessorize; bag: & Other Stories.
8 October 2018
Another British label that I think would suit the Duchess of Sussex is The Fold London – they have classic tailored sleeved dresses but always with a contemporary twist – with flattering draping, pleats and asymmetric cuts adding just the right amount of edge. This Montrose dress in deep green is a new style for autumn/winter – featuring clever diagonal front folding to enhance the shape. I’ve pictured it with neutral suede courts by Gianvito Rossi, a green bag by Gabriela Hearst, the Sorrento cashmere scarf from Dolce Roopa and earrings by Birks (not available anymore so the link is for a similar style in turquoise).
29 Sep 2018
Dress – Chi Chi Clothing
Heels – Aldo
Clutch – Aldo
Hat – Hosties Hats
Earrings – A. B. Davis
The best thing about winter is getting to wear cosy knits. Chunky cardis like this southwest patterned one by & Other Stories are a great way of transforming casual basics like jeans and a roll neck. You can also wear them as a main cover up too instead of a jacket or coat if you layer up underneath. Fine knits like merino wool are the best for layering – This one is by John Smedley – a favourite knitwear provider of HM the Queen. Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn were also known to wear Smedley’s fine knits – ladies who knew how to wear a classic jumper with style!
Accessories: bag, boots, earrings, scarf.
28 Sep 2018
A few followers are looking for December wedding outfit Inspo – I think Christmas weddings are much easier to shop for than Autumn as at least you can be fairly confident of what the weather will be like, which is always a big factor when dressing for big events. Autumn is so changeable (a drop of almost 10 degrees in the UK from yesterday to today) which plays havoc with the wardrobe. December events are also an opportunity to indulge in luxurious looking fabrics like these black raspberry velvet heels and bag from L. K. Bennett. The raspberry pink dress by Reiss is a bit skin exposing at the back – if you do a bit of faux fur shrobing with this Merlot jacket from Coast you’ll keep the goose bumps at bay! Also pictured are some beautiful garnet drop earrings by Annoushka and the pièce de résistance – a burgundy rose and velvet headpiece from the AW18 collection of Scottish milliner William Chambers.
Camel is my favourite neutral for autumn/winter coats as it goes with everything but this mocha shade is also high on my list. At £375 this wrap coat by Reiss is a bit pricey for a high street label, so I’m bookmarking it in the hope of a Sale reduction! Also pictured are my top pick for a heeled Burgundy boot for winter, and a red checked midi dress by Zara, accessorized with some repeat appearances for the red tiger print scarf by Hush and red flower pom pom earrings from Accessorize. Plus my favourite Aspinal of London mini Landsdowne Lion bag in claret/black.
27 Sep 2018
Ever since I said I don’t really like animal print the big cats have been creeping onto my page! I think I prefer it as accessories like these sling backs from Aldo…when you break it down as an abstract pattern it has all the neutral colours that I like – black, camel, ivory – so is a good way of adding pattern to a classic outfit to update it. Also If the rest of your outfit is block colours one patterned accessory adds a bit of interest to the ensemble. The abstract colour block scarf from Hobbs also lifts these classic separates: cream silk blouse by L. K. Bennett, black culottes by The Fold London and camel cardigan by L. K. Bennett. The hoop earrings are from Accessorize.
£175.00, The Cambridge Satchel Company.
A couple of followers asked me what my recommendations were for work bags that are stylish but big enough to fit a lap top – I’m going to do a blog post on it soon but this is one option for now – from The Cambridge Satchel Company. Their bags are hand made in the UK and inspired by the traditional British leather school bag (I still remember mine) so I can see the appeal that tapping into this nostalgia generates. They have a wide range of coloured leathers to modernise the look so you don’t look like you’re going to work with your old schoolbag! I’ve pictured the classic “Batchel” in oxblood leather. A variation on the original satchel as it has a top handle as well as the longer satchel strap . It’s 15” so would fit a 13” lap top and A4 files. They are currently celebrating 10 years in operation by offering up to 50% off some of their collection – check out the bags on offer here.
26 Sep 2018
Dress – Ghost Fashion (not currently available)
Hat – The Cotswold Hat Club / Julie Kenny Designs
Coat – Ted Baker
Burgundy suede/red bow heels – Boden
Beaded bag – Zara
Garnet drop earrings – F. Hinds
Velvet heels – Malone Souliers
Velvet bag – L.K. Bennett
This outfit has a subtle roar about it 🦁 There are three wild cats here but they’re not jumping out at you! L. K. Bennett have updated their Montana tea dress for autumn with a leopard print version. I love the style of the Montana – an elegant 40s style silk tea dress with bow detail at the neck and decorative pearl buttons – the red and green versions were popular over spring/summer. I’ve styled it with a classic camel coat by Hobbs (everyone needs a camel coat in their wardrobe btw – it’s the most versatile shade for Autumn), the mini Lion Landsdowne bag in black from Aspinal of London, pearl drop earrings by Annoushka, black suede courts and a red wool scarf featuring a subtle tiger print from Hush at John Lewis.
24 Sep 2018
This blue wrap jacket from the Fold is a classic addition to an autumn working wardrobe. The soft fluid shape makes it comfortable to wear if you don’t like a tailored look that is too sharp. It’s also good for layering – I’m matched it with a winter white roll neck from John Smedley and some patterned culottes from Warehouse – a great way of bringing your summer trousers into autumn. Add some autumnal hues with yellow/tan accessories – the Landsdowne lion bag from Aspinal of London in mustard yellow is the perfect complimentary colour for navy blue – biscuit suedes heels from L.K. Bennett and earrings by Accessorize.
Tweed jacket designer MiaGiacca has a new style available for Autumn/Winter – The “Melia” pussy bow jacket is a new version of their previous bestseller, the Mia, (a turquoise/salmon pink colourway) updated for autumn with this multi-toned pinky tweed and mocha Italian silk pussy bow (can be made bespoke with a different colour bow). The Melia is made from English tweed sourced from Linton Tweeds – a tweed fabric and yarn manufacturers in Carlisle who have been producing the highest quality fabrics for designers for over 100 years and were the original supplier to Coco Chanel. I’ve styled the Melia three ways here to take you from desk to dinner to the weekend. It’s a really lady-like statement jacket but still versatile enough to wear across dress codes and from day to eve. For a limited period (until this Friday 28th September) MiaGiacca is offering 20% off the Melia to my followers if you use the discount code: Lady20. (NB. This is an affiliate link*).
Work: Dress: The Fold, Bag: Aspinal, Shoes: L.K. Bennett, Earrings: Monica Vinader
Evening: Dress: Karen Millen, Shoes: Zara, Earrings: The Antique Jewellery Company, Clutch: L.K. Bennett.
Weekend: Jumper: John Smedley, Jeans: Mint Velvet, Bag: Aspinal, Boots: Steve Madden, Earrings: Accessorize.
These velvet shoes from L. K. Bennett are too pretty to save for evening wear. They look great with denim, a classic cream cashmere knit, and blue blazer for a casual glam look too. I’ve also accessorized these wardrobe basics with a topaz bag from Aspinal of London and a Siberian tiger print cashmere scarf from Dolce Roopa and Accessorize Swarovski studs. The teal midi dress is by Whistles.
Clockwise from left: Mindy Dress, Ghost Fashion; Lauren Ralph Lauren Faux Fur Collar Coat, John Lewis; Taylor Black Velvet bag, L.K. Bennett; Bianca Black Suede Courts; 1950s Vintage Blue Teardrop Earrings, Jennifer Gibson
Clockwise from left: Meryl Dress, Ghost Fashion; Hobbs Odelia Coat, Ivory; Charlie Black Silk Clutch, Wilbur & Gussie; Dune Black Suede Court Shoes; 1980s Crystal Circle Earrings, Susan Caplan.
These looks are for an Instagram follower who has a drinks reception at the Irish Embassy in Paris to attend next month. Sounds like quite a fancy occasion! There isn’t a dress code which makes it a bit tricky to know what to wear so she’s asked for my help! I like the style of these dresses by Ghost Fashion – Glam but not OTT – not exactly cocktail dress but not entirely day dress either so I reckon they’d be perfectly suitable for an evening reception in Autumn. I’ve tried to reign in my jewels on this one a bit (I’ve been like a child raiding her grandmother’s jewellery box with my winter dressy looks lately!) just some discrete studs – both vintage by Susan Caplan and Jennifer Gibson. The black velvet bag by L.K.Bennett is quite handy for drinks receptions – loop it round your wrist so that your hands are free for drinks and canapes !
I noticed this new red/white check coat at Boden recently and it reminded me of the houndstooth Catherine Walker coat worn by the Duchess of Cambridge on her tour of Sweden earlier this year. I love the velvet collar on this one and the slightly darker shade of red. I’ve matched it with a chic red dress from the new in house range at John Lewis & Partners, burgundy heels by L.K. Bennett, claret bag by Aspinal of London, pearl earrings by Annoushka and a cream cashmere scarf, also from John Lewis, for a smart city autumn/winter look but I think you could also wear this coat casually with a cream rollneck and jeans.
September can be a tricky month for outerwear – some days are too mild for a full on winter coat but too cold for a jacket…so I like the crop of coatigans that are around at the moment – a coat/cardi hybrid that’s a bit more structured than a cardigan but with more of an open and loose fit in comparison to winter wool coats so great for layering on autumnal days. This burgundy coatigan with contrasting black cuffs by Winser London is one of the smartest I’ve spotted. It’s made of extra fine merino wool on the outer side and soft cotton on the inside so comfortable and warming to wear. I’ve matched it with a charcoal grey roll neck by John Smedley, high waisted black skinny jeans by 7 for all mankind, suede boots by Stuart Weitzman and a black/claret Lion Landsdowne bag by from Aspinal of London. I really like this new range from Aspinal – I wish they had a small plain Burgundy one as then it would be added to my list for Santa! (Earrings: Sparkle Colour Short Drop Earrings, Accessorise.)
Girl-meets-Glam-meets-Downton Abbey
This look is a bit girl-meets-glam-meets-downton abbey! I hope nobody has burgundy boredom yet as it’s officially my favourite colour for autumn/winter! I’ve matched it with bright red before but I think it also works well with raspberry pink – like this pretty raspberry pink “Debbie” dress from Gal Meets Glam. Michelle Dockery wore a Philip Treacy hat very similar to this beautiful deep pink velvet beret earlier this year at Royal Ascot – this one is trimmed with a hand crafted flower and crystal embellished veiling – If I had this hat I think I would keep it in a glass cabinet to gaze at every day! I’m all over the antique and vintage jewellery with my winter looks – they really add a bit of glam to winter colours – this Georgian garnet flower brooch is from The Antique Jewellery Company and the 1960s vintage clip-on earrings are from Susan Caplan. The Bruce by Bruce Oldfield dress coat from John Lewis is making another appearance alongside a clutch from Dune London and my favourite heels of the season – black raspberry velvet courts from L.K.Bennett (If Father Christmas is reading these are top of my Wishlist!).(N.B. the cranberry faux fur scarf is by Jigsaw Fashion but is no longer available).
I’m not a big fan of the current animal print trend (I saw someone on twitter commenting on how the high street resembled a safari at the moment! But I do quite like this leopard pleated midi dress from & other stories as the print is quite discreet.Wear with an open neck in autumn 🍂 or layer with a fine knit for the chillier winter days ❄️This winter white rollneck by John Smedley is made of extra fine merino wool so great for layering. John Smedley is the oldest knitwear manufacturer in the world (established in 1784) and based in Derbyshire. If they’ve been making jumpers for that long they must be doing something right! They also hold a royal warrant as suppliers of knitwear to HM The Queen. Not sure HM will be layering hers under a leopard print dress like this though! Also pictured is a classic camel wrap coat by Weekend Maxmara, boots by Stuart Weizman bag by Aspinal of London and earrings from Accessorize.
An autumn wedding ensemble for a student on a budget
A top-to-toe autumn wedding ensemble for under £100! This look is inspiration for a follower looking for an outfit for an October wedding on a student budget and a size 18. I’ve picked out this berry/grey floral wrap dress from the Curve range at Quiz Clothing which is available in sizes 16 – 26. They also offer a 20% discount for students which makes it even more budget friendly! I’ve accessorised it with rose pink courts by Dorothy Perkins, earrings and burgundy velvet bag from Accessorize and pink organza headband by Debut at Debenhams. Total outfit cost: £97.99!
Update your working wardrobe with Kotys Dresses:
Dress: Vance Plum Wool Dress, £419, Kotys
Coat: Becca Wool Camel Coat, £550, L.K.Bennett.
Scarf: Floral Serenity Scarf, pink mix, £79, John Lewis & Partners.
Earrings: Lief Pink Tourmaline Earrings in Yellow Gold with Akoya Pearls, £685, Winterson Pearls.
Shoes: Andersonn Mid Heel Court Shoes, Almond Patent, Dune London, £70.
Bag: Small Country Mollie Satchel, Aspinal of London, £495
Peacock blue for a winter wedding:
Dress: Natalie Peacock Dress, £145, Ghost Fashion.
Faux Fur: Faux fur lapel collar in teal, £65,Troy London.
Hat: Peacock bow velvet percher hat, £480, Juliette Millinery.
Bag: Sissi blue velvet clutch bag, £150, L.K.Bennett.
Shoes: Fern blue velvet courts, £250, L.K.Bennett.
Earrings: Dusty Diamonds 18ct Rose Gold Topaz Earrings, £2,500, Annoushka.
Brooch: Peacock Feather Crystal Brooch, £18, John Lewis & Partners.
Jumper: Sonia chunky ribbed jumper, Reiss.
Jacket: Harris tweed jacket, Brora.
Skirt: Soft wool skirt, Joseph Fashion.
Boots: The heeled Regina, Mahogany, Fairfax & Favour.
Bag: Latch leather saddle bag, J.W.Anderson.
Feather pin: Feather pin in rust, Really Wild Clothing.
Earrings: Smoky quartz pear drop earrings, Kiki Mcdonough.
Scarf: Cashmink check scarf, red mix, John Lewis & Partners.
Skirt: Joy check skirt, Hobbs London.
Jumper: Cashmere rollback in black, John Lewis & Partners.
Boots: Knee length sock boots, Peter Kaiser.
Bag: Small Lion Landsdowne bag in black, Aspinal of London.
Earrings: 18ct gold baroque pearl hook earrings, Annoushka.
Coat: an old style from Hobbs London.
*Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase via the link I will earn a commission.
