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Author: rob

Baby it’s cold outside

Christina Felix is a Portuguese coat brand that is classically smart but with a few added embellishments to make them just that extra special. Framed necklines, faux fur trims and removable broaches all add to the fabulous styling. If you are in a church they will keep you cosy warm and even if your event is in one place it will give you the stylish entrance you want. With prices starting from £199 they won’t break the bank.

Other options to consider are the faux fur collars, huffs and stoles from Helen Moore. They will certainly add some glam with their cosiness!

Australian Visitor

EMU is a new brand to us this season and although we have started small with a selection of their fabulous sheepskin slippers we have more styles to come in the spring. The owner of the brand likes to get out and about to see where his brand is placed to maintain its integrity. We were lucky enough to meet him and his UK colleagues when he visited the northern hemisphere. His passion for the brand was wonderful, quality and styling are hugely important but so to is the welfare of the supply chain from farm to store. The process is monitored along the way and each step a shoe makes from start to finish does so with care for the people and environment from which it comes and is made. For now we have the slippers £49 in cream, dove grey and charcoal.

Wedding Day Prep

It is a unique opportunity to see the bride in her natural habitat, surrounded by her dearest friends and revelling in the joy of the occasion. Getting hair and make-up done, chatting about all sorts of nonsense is all part of the build up to the event itself.

As mother of the bride just make sure everything is organised as you do not want to miss out because something last minute needs attending to. You can enjoy that extra special bond in her final single hours. You will remember those special hours as much as you do seeing her walk down the aisle.

Checkmate

Prince of Wales check is probably the one we are all more familiar with and tends to be saved for tailoring jackets, trousers and skirts. Tartan is not just for kilts, Burberry being the most iconic fashion tartan. Probably best kept for accessories and not the Bay City Rollers all over look. Window pane check, clean cut square check and great on soft flannel trousers and jackets. Gingham check you can leave to the summer months.

A colour for all

There are colours out there that are universally flattering no matter what your skin tone. If you get the right balance of warm and cool shades mixed together you are on a winner. So if you are struggling to know what colour to plump for you can play it safe with colour. That’s not to say go neutral, in fact look at the opposite and choose purple, blue, teal and red. Obviously you need to get the right tone within those but autumn is a great time of year to plump for really rich colours and whether you are fair or dark you can guarantee added flattery.

Going Underground

It would be hard to pick out winners as all the collections were fabulous, Marc Cain and Joseph Ribkoff certainly disappoint but there were other highlights that deserve a mention. On the wedding front John Charles had some lovely surprises, fluid fabrics, softer lines sat nicely alongside the more tailored outfits. Riani pink collection which managed to blend hot pink, pale pink and dusky pink to create a fabulous look. Just White, now while you may think of this as a basic element of your wardrobe, basic doesn’t have to be boring, and it was full of new styles, colours and designs. Colour is still around and the shirt-waister or button through dress has made it into most collections. It’s now turn for the shoe buying!

Keep Your Cool

We have been thoroughly spoilt this summer with weeks of glorious weather and no doubt a whole host of happy brides delighted as the weather has been beautiful for their wedding day. However with temperatures looking to break records this weekend here are our simple tips to help you and your guests keep cool and look fabulous.

Have plenty of water and soft drinks available, Even if you have a water station with ice buckets full of small bottles of water that guest can grab both at the church and the reception.

Baskets of umbrellas are quite common place at weddings so just swop them for parasols.

Mini fans on the tables for guest to use, you could have them almost instead of wedding favours.

Stay away from liquid make-up, go with powder-based make-up to avoid any slippage!

Tie your hair back – simple but effective.

Most importantly enjoy the day.

Waistcoat Wednesday

One unlikely winner, even now in the World Cup, is the waistcoat and it is all thanks to the dapper looking England Manager Gareth Southgate who has single handed been instrumental in M&S selling out of men’s waistcoats. With Bloodwise launching Waistcoat Wednesday, as a way of double support for the charity as well as the England team, it is not only M&S that has had a run on this item of clothing.

Even if football isn’t your thing, isn’t it wonderful to see a smartly dressed man and all credit to Gareth Southgate, who I am sure will be slightly surprised to discover his new found style icon status.

We might even see a return of waistcoats for women but in the meantime I will be digging mine out from the back of the wardrobe to wear tomorrow!

Customer Spotlight

As we have mentioned before on this blog, we love receiving photographs from our customers in their occasion wear. It gives the girls on the shop floor a real sense of pride to see their customers looking fabulous. We have now installed a TV Screen on the first floor so we can show off such wonderful photographs. If you have recently sent one in, come in and try to spot yourself!

If you haven’t already sent us a photograph, but do have one in an outfit from us (be it at a wedding, garden party, a birthday, the races or any other special occasion), please send it in. We would love to keep them coming so we can keep updating the slideshow. You can send photographs to us via Post, Email, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Linen

As you will have noticed, photographs of Meghan Markle are everywhere at the moment. I recently spotted this one of her in a linen shirt. Linen as a fabric is a bit like Marmite. You either love it or you hate it. I love it.

When temperatures begin to rise at home, or if I’m packing for a hot holiday, linen is my hero fabric. It is exceptionally cool, in fact it’s proven to be cooler than both cotton and silk. This is mainly for two reasons: it has a very high absorbency level and its structure is slightly firmer allowing freedom of movement between fabric and skin. There is no peeling your top off at the end of a summers day. Forget having to expose parts you are conscious of over summer, linen will enable you to wear more without any unwelcome hot flushes. Linens longevity is worth investing in – the fabric itself is strong, but a good quality linen will still have a soft handle/feel.

Look out for brands such as Crea, Oska and Rosso35.

If The Duchess of Sussex can embrace the crumpled look, we all can.