The Lady's Maid

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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

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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 !

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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.

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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

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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).

Leopard print layering:

Screen Shot 2018-09-18 at 08.29.47.png 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

Screen Shot 2018-09-17 at 13.39.04.png 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!