A round-up of my favourite fair isles and novelty knits to wear for the festive season.




Donegal fair isle jumper – Campbells of Beuly









Fair Isle funnel neck jumper – M&S






















Black sequin star jumper – Monsoon


A round-up of my favourite fair isles and novelty knits to wear for the festive season.
Donegal fair isle jumper – Campbells of Beuly
Fair Isle funnel neck jumper – M&S
Black sequin star jumper – Monsoon
9 stylish dress coats for winter:
After a two-year pandemic-enforced break, Wimbledon is back tomorrow. I’ve always loved Wimbledon fortnight – tennis is my favourite sport and Wimbledon is the most stylish of the grand slams, largely due to the traditions of the All England Club and its Royal patronage – it’s the only tennis grand slam with a strict dress code for the players who are expected to wear all white. Respecting the principles of tradition, history and style are what makes the English carry off their seasonal events so well – not changing for change sake, and upholding certain traditions that are important to the attraction of the event. (The most important of these are strawberries and Pimms, of course! 😉 ) Ahead of opening day tomorrow, here are eight Wimbledon-inspired dresses fit for a sunny day out at SW19.
With meetings of groups of six allowed outdoors in the UK from tomorrow and sunny weather forecast next week it’s time to throw your joggers in the wash and put a pretty frock on to re-enter society! We’re lucky that the pandemic has coincided with a trend for oversized dresses (got to look for a silver lining) as these are the perfect style for comfortably reclining on a picnic blanket with the added benefit of hiding the waistline so you can go wild on the sausage rolls. Other things to look for in a comfortable dress for outdoor meet ups are elasticated / drawstring waists, empire lines or smock style frocks for ease of wear al fresco. If the thought of what to wear outside your home is sending your head spinning here are my top picks for spring picnic dresses.
Under £75
Wear it with:
Earrings, Sunglasses, Bag, Shoes
Wear it with:
Earrings, Sunglasses, Bag, Shoes
An easy to wear throw on yellow gingham cotton dress from Mango
Under £200
This pretty blouson sleeve dress from Hush is embroidered with daisies so definitely belongs in my picnic dress edit.
The pretty embroidery on this linen dress from Boden gives an otherwise simple dress an extra special touch.
A pretty paisley print dress from Faithfull the brand.
Small British Brands
Love the statement sleeves and oversized fit on this dress by Stoned & Waisted seen here on Emma Paton.
A elegant wildflower print empire line dress from Yolke.
Since I published this post I noticed Kemi Telford has these new check dresses which would also be great for picnics:
Splash the cash
With minimal travel abroad over the past year and eating out a distant memory some people may have managed to save money during the pandemic so if you’re looking for a post-lockdwon splurge as you re-enter polite society these are my top pics for an extra special picnic frock :
This post contains some affiliate links
If you haven’t yet added a contrast collar top to your working from home wardrobe here are 10 of my favourites available now. I think they’re an ideal top for video calls as the contrast collar frames the face nicely so looks good on screen. And no-one will notice if you pair it with sweatpants and slippers 😉
This post contains some affiliate links.
It was a very different Royal Ascot this year – being held behind closed doors. But lots of people still got involved with the style of the occasion by dressing up in their finery at home for the #styledwiththanks charity appeal. Never knowingly underdressed I of course seized the opportunity to join in! With all events cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, small occasion wear businesses have been hit particularly hard – who wants to buy a hat with no weddings to go to?! Well apparently some ladies do as all six hats in the charity hat sale at The Cotswold Hat Club were sold!
I’ve detailed below all the outfits from my Royal Ascot at Home feature – lots of the discount codes expire today but some are valid until the end of June – see the brand profiles at the bottom of the page for details. The end of lockdown may be in sight, so wouldn’t it be nice to have a fancy outfit to re-enter reality with?!
N.B. I don’t take any commission from the sales in my Royal Ascot at Home feature – all profits made go to the designers and charities. All outfits on loan for the week.
Unless otherwise stated my discount codes mentioned below will be valid from 14-30 June 2020
Click here if you would like to make a direct donation to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal
Find out more about the charities Royal Ascot is raising funds for here.
Saturday 20 June 2020
Friday 19 June 2020
Dress – Stine Goya at Mojo & McCoy. 20% off with the discount code: theladysmaid20
Thursday 18 June 2020
25% off full price items at Caroline Charles is available until 30 June. and 10% of profits will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal. Discount code: THELADYSMAID25.
Wednesday 17 June 2020
Featured in The Daily Telegraph on 19 June 2020:
Tuesday 16 June 2020
Monday 15 June 2020
Featured Brands:
I’ll be posting a new premium hat below each day, Monday 15 – Saturday 20 June up for sale at The Cotswold Hat Club. 20% of the purchase price will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal. Contact Rachel at The Cotswold Hat Club directly to purchase.
Styling ideas for these hats:
Lalage’s designs combine classical elegance with distinctive detailing for a look that embodies sophistication and style. Her collection is feminine but without the frills so ideal for a wide range of occasions from work to weddings. This dress coat is one of my favourite styles as I think it flatters most figures and is easy to wear – I love the little brocade detailing on the cuffs and front fastening. Lalage also has a great collection of stylish handbags in a wide range of colours, handcrafted in Italy and Spain, using the finest Italian leather.
A 10% discount at Lalage Beaumont is available during Royal Ascot week with the code: THELADYSMAID. A further 10% of sales will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
Rachel Trevor-Morgan holds a Royal Warrant as Milliner to HM The Queen and operates from a 17th century atelier in St James’s, London. She is renowned for her beautiful handwork and design resulting in the glamorous, feminine elegance on which she has built her reputation. Her success arises from a passion for her craft, and an understanding of the balance required for a hat to flatter and finish an outfit.
Rachel Trevor Morgan is currently holding a special sale with 50% off her SS20 collection.
Mojo and McCoy sell a great range of unique labels including Saloni, Beulah and Temperley. They are offering my followers 20% off full price items using the discount code: theladysmaid20
Wilbur & Gussie is a British handbag brand created by London-based design duo Brett Tyne and Lucy Lyons who named the brand after their childhood pets. The classic envelope silk clutches are perfect for accessorizing elegant occasion wear and I love the way you can add a touch of whimsy by customizing the clutch with a brooch – they have everything from a frog to a fish! Their clutches have the royal seal of approval too and have been carried by The Duchess of Cambridge and The Duchess of Sussex .
Wilbur & Gussie are currently donating 10% of all sales to the World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. All purchases made with the code: TLMRAINBOW will receive a free rainbow crystal brooch pictured above.
Caroline Charles has run a successful fashion business for 50 years. A popular designer with the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Caroline was made an OBE in 2002. Her classic and colourful dresses and coats are a perfect choice for formal events like Royal Ascot. She also has a really pretty range of tea dresses for more casual summer occasions. This pretty pastel “fleur” dress is one of my favourites.
25% off full price items at Caroline Charles is available until 30 June and 10% of profits will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal. Discount code: THELADYSMAID25
Susan Caplan is a luxury vintage costume jewellery brand combining both vintage and contemporary style. There’s something for everyone here – from classic elegant pearls to big bling brooches!
15% off all jewellery at Susan Caplan is available with my discount code and 10% of profits will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal
Discount Code: LADIESMAIDxSC
Ethereal London create some really feminine, elegant silk dresses all designed, sourced and produced in the UK. I love the way their dresses offer various sleeve lengths and hem lengths to cater for different tastes. Two of my favourites are the Ophelia Dark for autumn/winter and the Ophelia Light for spring/summer.
Etheral London are offering 10% off their collection using the discount code: ladysmaid10. 10% of sales will be donation to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
Camilla Rose hats always add a fun flourish to your occasion wear. I find they’re perfect for those hard to accessorise multi-coloured dresses. The Volute in emerald green is a particular favourite of mine,
10% of sales at Camilla Rose during Royal Ascot week will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal. (Please quote The Lady’s Maid when purchasing).
I’ve long been a fan of the timeless elegance of Katherine Hooker coats. They currently have a sale on with up to 65% off and a new Spring/Summer collection of pretty floral tea dresses. Katherine Hooker are offering 10% off during Royal Ascot week and a 10% donation on profits to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal. Discount code: LADYSMAID10.
Sargasso & Grey make “shoes that don’t squeeze” featuring a wider toe box to give feet a little extra breathing space. They use memory foam padded insoles for softness underfoot, and breathable arch supports to help tired feet feel fit and fresh. A perfect choice for Mother’s of the Bride on their feet all day!
15% off all shoes and bags at Sargasso & Grey and 10% of profits will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal
Discount Code: ladysmaid
Lisa Redman‘s silk velvet headbands and bows are handmade in Lisa’s Notting Hill studio and hand embellished with enamel pearl and Swarovski crystal.
Available to pre-order in all the colours of the rainbow seen below.
Please contact Lisa Redman for enquiries or to pre-order.
10% of sales at Lisa Redman will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
VAAI London is an emerging designer creating elegant dresses and silk separates with an Eastern influence, designed in London and made in ateliers in the UK or New Delhi, India. I’m a dress person usually but I love their silk palazzo pants. They currently have a sale on with up to 40% off selected pieces and are donating 10% of sales to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal on purchases made with the code: THELADYSMAID. Vaai will be at the Luxury Designer Collective Pop-up in Marylebone from Tuesday 16 June.
Katya Wildman, a former television costume designer couldn’t find the right dress for her curves so she went ahead and designed one and Bombshell was born!
Katya is an expert in designing dresses with draping and panelling in all the right places to flatter the female form. My favourite style is the new silk Grace tie front shirt dresses in these rich emerald and regal purple colours. Bombshell is offering my followers 15% off during Royal Ascot week. Discount code: LADYSMAID15. 5% of sales will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
Royal Ascot might not be going ahead in it’s usual spectacular form this year but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on the fashion fun! The spring/summer event season has been particularly difficult for small occasion wear businesses this year so I’m happy to be showcasing a few on this page during “Royal Ascot At Home”, some of whom are offering exclusive discount codes to my followers alongside charity donations. So if you’ve got a postponed wedding to attend later this year or next year, now is a good opportunity to plan ahead and support these small businesses whilst also helping to raise money for charities helping those affected by Covid-19. Or even if you haven’t got a wedding to go to I think we could all do with a lockdown treat!
Click here if you would like to make a direct donation to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal
Find out more about the charities the appeal is raising funds for here.
Featured Brands:
I’ll be posting a new premium hat on my Royal Ascot at Home page each day, Monday 15 – Saturday 20 June up for sale at The Cotswold Hat Club. 20% of the purchase price will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
Unless otherwise stated the discount codes mentioned below will be valid from 14-30 June 2020
Lalage’s designs combine classical elegance with distinctive detailing for a look that embodies sophistication and style. Her collection is feminine but without the frills so ideal for a wide range of occasions from work to weddings. This dress coat is one of my favourite styles as I think it flatters most figures and is easy to wear – I love the little brocade detailing on the cuffs and front fastening. Lalage also has a great collection of stylish handbags in a wide range of colours, handcrafted in Italy and Spain, using the finest Italian leather.
10% of sales at Lalage Beaumont during Royal Ascot week will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal. (Quote The Lady’s Maid when purchasing).
Rachel Trevor-Morgan holds a Royal Warrant as Milliner to HM The Queen and operates from a 17th century atelier in St James’s, London. She is renowned for her beautiful handwork and design resulting in the glamorous, feminine elegance on which she has built her reputation. Her success arises from a passion for her craft, and an understanding of the balance required for a hat to flatter and finish an outfit.
Rachel Trevor Morgan is currently holding a special sale with 50% off her SS20 collection.
Mojo and McCoy sell a wide range of unique labels including Saloni, Beulah and Temperley. They are offering my followers 20% off full price items using the discount code: theladysmaid20
Wilbur & Gussie is a British handbag brand created by London-based design duo Brett Tyne and Lucy Lyons who named the brand after their childhood pets. The classic envelope silk clutches are perfect for accessorizing elegant occasion wear and I love the way you can add a touch of whimsy by customizing the clutch with a brooch – they have everything from a frog to a fish! Their clutches have the royal seal of approval too and have been carried by The Duchess of Cambridge and The Duchess of Sussex .
Wilbur & Gussie are currently donating 10% of all sales to the World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. All purchases made with the code: TLMRAINBOW will receive a free rainbow crystal brooch pictured above.
Caroline Charles has run a successful fashion business for 50 years. A popular designer with the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Caroline was made an OBE in 2002. Her classic and colourful dresses and coats are a perfect choice for formal events like Royal Ascot. She also has a really pretty range of tea dresses for more casual summer occasions. This pretty pastel “fleur” dress is one of my favourites.
10% off full price items at Caroline Charles is available during Royal Ascot week and 10% of profits will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal. Discount code: THELADYSMAID10
Susan Caplan is a luxury vintage costume jewellery brand combining both vintage and contemporary style. There’s something for everyone here – from classic elegant pearls to big bling brooches!
15% off all jewellery at Susan Caplan is available with my discount code and 10% of profits will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal
Discount Code: LADIESMAIDxSC
Ethereal London create some really feminine, elegant silk dresses all designed, sourced and produced in the UK. I love the way their dresses offer various sleeve lengths and hem lengths to cater for different tastes. Two of my favourites are the Ophelia Dark for autumn/winter and the Ophelia Light for spring/summer.
Etheral London are offering 10% off their full collection using the discount code: ladysmaid10. 10% of sales will be donation to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
Camilla Rose hats always add a fun flourish to you occasion wear. I find they’re perfect for those hard to accessorise multi-coloured dresses. The Volute in emerald green is a particular favourite of mine,
10% of sales at Camilla Rose during Royal Ascot week will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal. (Quote The Lady’s Maid when purchasing).
I’ve long been a fan of the timeless elegance of Katherine Hooker coats. They currently have a sale on with up to 65% off and a new Spring/Summer collection of pretty floral tea dresses. Katherine Hooker are offering 10% off during Royal Ascot week and a 10% donation on profits to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
Sargasso & Grey make “shoes that don’t squeeze” featuring a wider toe box to give feet a little extra breathing space. They use memory foam padded insoles for softness underfoot, and breathable arch supports to help tired feet feel fit and fresh. A perfect choice for Mother’s of the Bride on their feet all day!
15% off all shoes and bags at Sargasso & Grey and 10% of profits will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal
Discount Code: ladysmaid
Lisa Redman‘s silk velvet headbands and bows are handmade in Lisa’s Notting Hill studio and hand embellished with enamel pearl and Swarovski crystal.
Available to pre-order in all the colours of the rainbow seen below.
Please contact Lisa Redman for enquiries or to pre-order.
10% of sales at Lisa Redman will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
VAAI London is an emerging designer creating elegant dresses and silk separates with an Eastern influence, designed in London and made in ateliers in the UK or New Delhi, India. I’m a dress person usually but I love their silk palazzo pants. They currently have a sale on with up to 40% off selected pieces and are donating 10% of sales to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal on purchases made with the code: THELADYSMAID. Vaai will be at the Luxury Designer Collective Pop-up in Marylebone from Tuesday 16 June.
Katya Wildman, a former television costume designer couldn’t find the right dress for her curves so she went ahead and designed one and Bombshell was born!
Katya is an expert in designing dresses with draping and panelling in all the right places to flatter the female form. My favourite style is the new silk Grace tie front shirt dresses in these rich emerald and regal purple colours. Bombshell is offering my followers 15% off during Royal Ascot week. Discount code: LADYSMAID15. 5% of sales will be donated to the Royal Ascot Charity Appeal.
Keep an eye on my Royal Ascot At Home webpage for more updates next week!
The Chelsea Flower Show gets underway this week – marking the start of the summer season and the perfect place to wear a floral dress. Here are 15 of my favourite floral frocks available now:
L-R: Maje; Hobbs; Marks & Spencer.
L-R: Zimmerman; Zara; Suzannah.
L-R: Beulah; Bombshell; Borgo De Nor.
I am holding another designer clothing re-sale on behalf of a lady who is having a wardrobe clear-out this spring. Buying pre-owned designer clothing is a great way of adding a unique, quality garment to your wardrobe without having to spend a fortune. All pieces listed below are less than five years old and either unworn (some still with tags) or barely worn, so in excellent condition. Sizes range from XS to L. If you see anything you like, click on the icon and you’ll be taken to my Vestiare page where the pieces are available to purchase. So, if you fancy sharpening up your look with a bit of designer flair whilst doing your bit for sustainability, why not shop someone else’s wardrobe! All of the owner’s proceeds from this sale will be donated to charity.
An autumn wedding is always going to be tricky when you’re planning an outfit in advance. The gusty winds in Windsor yesterday saw plenty of hats fly off the heads of guests filing into St. George’s Chapel, revealing those who had and had not utilised the hat pin! The most successful headwear on a day like yesterday were the small discreet pill box style hats/headpieces, secured with an elastic band, or the alice band style headbands that are more popular lately, as worn by the Maid of Honour, Princess Beatrice. For dresses – heavier fabrics, longer hemlines or fitted dresses/skirt suits were the best choices to avoid any unfortunate Marilyn Monroe moments. Autumn/winter weddings are a great time to wear rich jewel shades and there were a lot of them on show – forest green being the most popular, worn by Princess Anne, Autumn Phillips and Pippa Middleton – also berry pinks and burgundy reds. My top three favourite outfits go to those who seemed to nail the autumn wedding look in colour, style and appropriate headwear.
Alessandra de Osma
Alessandra de Osma wore a forest green midi dress by Andrew Gn, with ¾ sleeves and scattered floral embroidery. This was definitely my favourite dress of the day amongst the guests. I love the deep green colour, the slightly fluted sleeves and flounce hem and the floral scatter embellishment adds just the right amount of autumnal floral detail to glam it up a bit. Forest green was a really popular colour at the wedding but I like the combination of green with berry pinks here. Alessandra picked out the berry of the embroidery in her headpiece by Mimoki, with burgundy velvet clutch and patent heels.
The Duchess of Cambridge
The Duchess of Cambridge’s outfits are fairly predictable at formal royal events as she rarely strays from her two favourite designers for formal wear – Alexander Mcqueen and Catherine Walker. For yesterday’s wedding she opted for Mcqueen – wearing a lovely raspberry shade of pink, matching it with a velvet veiled headpiece trimmed with handcrafted flowers – a bespoke variation of this velvet calotte from the AW18 collection of Philip Treacy. If Alessandra wore the best dress this is definitely my favourite hat from the wedding – a variation of the style was also worn by Kitty Spencer at a wedding earlier this year and on Michelle Dockery at Royal Ascot in June. Kate’s dresses by Mcqueen tend to be variations on a theme, but I’m not holding that against her as the hat was the standout element in this ensemble anyway, so it needed to be set against a simple block colour to shine. Her burgundy velvet accessories were the perfect final touch to the look.
Cressida Bonas
Cressida Bonas wore a blue devoré velvet dress by Tory Burch. The dark velvet fabric could have drowned her delicate frame if worn with the wrong accessories but she matched it perfectly – with a velvet headband by Juliette Botterill and contrasting burgundy shoes by Rupert Sanderson. The hemline and fabric were perfect for the weather and season and the headband adds a touch of youth to freshen up the look. Big ticks all round from The Lady’s Maid.
Other Best Dressed Guests:
Demi Moore
I think Demi was the “Amal” of this wedding – dressed head to toe in burgundy red. Dress: Stella McCartney, hat: Philip Treacy, bag (appropriately named “Demi”): Gabriela Hearst, shoes: Malone Souliers.
Princess Beatrice
Princess Bea has never looked better – loved this royal blue skirt suit by Ralph & Russo with lilac suede accessories, also by Ralph & Russo, and a blue/purple headband by Sarah Cant. The bee brooch is adds a nice elegant touch too.
Jane Gottschalk
I love this belted blush/burgundy shirt dress by Luisa Beccaria – I featured it on my Instagram page last week so I’m glad to see it make an appearance at the Royal wedding!
Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs
Loved the autumnal florals of this midi dress matched with a dusky pink hat by Laura Cathcart.
Alice Naylor Layland
A bold and beautiful teal floral jacquard tiered coat by La Double J with hat by Laura Cathcart.
Ayda Williams
A stylish silver look – love the patent pewter accessories. Suit: Armani, hat: Philip Treacy.
Autumn Phillips
Dressed in the colour of the day – a forest green jacquard dress by Suzannah.
Caroline Sieber
Chic in lilac Chanel.
Lydia Forte
There were a lot of veiled hats at this royal wedding – and this one by Jane Taylor was one of the chicest – love the statement brooch too.
Anya Rowland
Monochrome chic in a tailored ecru dress from The Fold with hat by Jane Taylor.
Lady Gabriella Windsor
Here comes the next royal bride – Lady Gabriella Windsor in turquoise Claire Mischevani.
Nicky Malone
Beautiful in burgundy by Claire Mischevani with matching floral headband by Juliette Botterill
Clare Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford-Haven
Wearing an elegant navy blue Claire Mischevani dress coat.