Jumper LOVER

There's nothing quite like a new jumper to make you feel autumn-ready. Cosy, stylish and practical, jumpers tick so many boxes when it comes to versatility, and now is the perfect time to invest in some updated pieces.

After all, what else can instantly transform floaty midi dresses and printed skirts into seasonally appropriate attire? Or can instantly update your jeans and trainers combination? Knitwear has sartorial superpowers that shouldn't be overlooked, which is why now the weather is getting colder it’s time to start thinking about what knitwear will see you through this Autumn Winter.

These past couple of weeks has been Autumn shopping madness for clients wanted to update their style for the new season so I have been shopping knitwear for a while now. I want to bring to you some fab pieces I have seen online that are great investment pieces aswell as upping your style game.

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KNITWEAR TO BUY NOW

1. Mohair & wool leopard print cardigan, Zara, £79.99

2. Green Tiger stripe printed jumper, Whistles, £66.75 (currently with 25% offer)

3. Rainbow stripe jumper, Hush, £139

4. Embellished wool sweater, &other stories, £95

5. Diagonal wool cable jumper, Topshop, £35.00

6. Pink cable sweater, John Lewis & Partners, £63.20 (on promotion)

What I found when I detoxed my wardrobe

September; new season, new term, new beginnings, new me!

Whatever you want to call it, September harks the end of the Summer and for most the start of something new and fresh. This year, after 10 years all my children are at school full time and after 6 years of running Edits-Styling it feels like I’m starting something new again.

Every season brings something new and different for my business, clients I have been styling for years and have established lovely relationships with, meeting and working with new clients, also events that I get asked to present at. So far September has got off to a flying start and I have been busy from the outset which is amazing and I am truly thankful for. But all these changes in my life has got me thinking that it’s time to focus back onto myself. For years I have juggled my work with the kids, with school PTA commitments, going to the gym, and everything that comes with running a house, including having building work done. I spend most of my time looking at other people’s wardrobe’s and style, advising them on how to pull outfits together, how to style them, what to buy and where to buy it from. Whilst I practise what I preach, I wear all the colours that suit me, I detox my wardrobe as I go along each season and I only buy pieces I love and wear them constantly, but I feel like my style has been left behind.

Only a couple of months ago I turned 40, whilst it didn’t feel like a massive moment at the time, I am getting some time to process it and perhaps this is the starting to point to me feeling like I need to modify my style to suit my life for right now. I meet lots of women and men who are stuck in a rut, who do not know what to wear everyday and how to put it together. It can happen at any point in our life regardless of age, work, children and health, sometimes it’s just time to move forward.

So I am starting where I start with all my clients, with a wardrobe detox. I set myself some time to do it properly just like I do in a consultation. I asked myself the following question with every item I own -

1. Do I love this?

2. Does it make me feel good?

3. When did I last wear it?

4. Am I likely to wear it again?

5. Is this the style I want to move forward with?

My goal is to get rid of everything that doesn’t reflect my personal style or that has had it’s time (it’s too worn). I have held on to so many pieces in my wardrobe for years, pieces that I love, this doesn’t mean that they have to go, it’s about re-establishing my own style and focusing on that. I have a system of things that need to go into the bin bag, items that I am going to sell, storing pieces because they are seasonal and popping the bits I love back into my wardrobe.

It takes me nearly 3 hours, I’ve lost about 25% of my wardrobe and I’ve learnt some lessons along the way which I will focus on when shopping and buying new pieces for my style;

1. The brand I got rid of the most was Zara. So I need to be picky when it comes to buying from them - I have some pieces I have had for years but they have detailing such as embroidery and cutwork, stick to these in the future and not fast fashion cheap items.

2. I have lots of eveningwear that I love and I don’t need to buy anymore.

3. I need to be bolder with my choices, alot of the pieces I have got rid of don’t have the edge that I am looking for in my style.

4. Choose better brands, buy better and they will last longer. This is so true of my wardrobe.

5. I didn’t get rid of a single pair of shoes that is because my wardrobe covers all bases so I do not need to buy anymore.

Post detox I feel excited, invigorated and ready to start on a new styling journey using my expertise to focus on myself. I do have a sense of trying to stay sustainable with the choices that I make and the pieces that I wear on a daily basis, so a big part of me is trying to grapple with the guilt I also feel for getting rid of so much of my wardrobe. BUT I do know that many of the pieces I have had for years, I have worn and worn and worn them and it’s time to move on. Plus the money I spent on them is already spent, there is nothing left to waste, except for my wardrobe space. I also remember that just because I don’t love that item anymore, doesn’t mean that someone else won’t love it! So I am off to find new owners for all my detoxed pieces whether that be on ebay or at the local charity shop.

So now that I’ve detoxed, it is time to build my dream wardrobe…I hope you will join me on this journey too.

New season's winners at LK Bennett

LK Bennett, a British Icon, a firm favourite with Kate Middleton, good quality, expensive but classic. These are words that I would of used to describe the high street chain for the past few years. I have a number of clients who I will shop in LK Bennett with them due to their work attire or when clients have occasions such as ascot, weddings and christenings it will be on my list to look at. Until now I have never thought of them as fashion forward, classic yes, beautifully cut yes, modern sometimes…but today after a personal shopping trip with a client my head has been turned!

Their new AW19 collection had me excited at every turn and every dress. The client did buy 2 dresses from the collection and after we parted ways I had to go back and try some on myself. Here are my top picks from the new collection…

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Leopard print cotton dress, £295

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Bright green tie neck dress, £325

The same style also comes in bright red and in 2 other prints

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Navy pleated dress, £250

The same style comes in bright purple too

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This gingham shirt dress is sold out online but you can find it in stores -

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These 2 beautiful bags also caught my eye…

It's been a spotty kind of week

This week has been a mixed bag of weather, a mixed bag of activities now that the kids are off school and work has slowed up for the summer holidays and a mixed bag of life stuff happening too. What hasn’t been a mixed bag has been my outfits as this week, having got a bit bored of the temperamental weather, I decided to stick to a theme - SPOTS.

Some outfits are styled for evening and some for daytime. I have tried to use lots of my accessories that I own to use colour in my outfits. Accessories are key when it comes to building your own style and styling your outfits, starting with a good base of shoes and bags and then building on earrings, hair accessories, sunglasses and necklaces will all come with time. Some pieces I have owned for 10 years, others have been newer purchases for events this summer, sale purchases or gifts for my birthday.

So this is what my week looked like in outfits…

THE Zara spotty dress. I have dressed this up for evening using magenta pink that is from my colour palette (Winter), that I religiously stick to. Using accessories to make this monotone dress have some style personality.

Shoes from Topshop (sale)

Hairband from Maison Archives London

Bag from &other stories (Last year) - similar here

This outfit was also for the evening, but I had worn the skirt with a plain white tank top in the daytime as was a warmer day, so for the evening I added the yellow clutch bag from Whistles (sale) and my office sandals that I got last year but I give to so many clients because they are so comfy.

Skirt from & other stories

White tee from H&M (old)

Clutch bag from Whistles (sale)

Sandals from office

This was a day outfit, out with the kids on a sunny day to the park. The spot tank top is from Topshop and one of the oldest things I have in my wardrobe. It is quite short so I can wear it out with jeans but I can also tuck it in. I like to add a hairband when I am wearing this skirt as it gives it more attitude, the denim skirt is old from &Other Stories.

Denim skirt from & other stories, similar here

Spot tank top from Topshop (old)

Sandals from &other stories last year, but they have got them out again here

Red clutch from Kate Spade (present)

Embellished hairband from Anthropologie last year, similar here

Sunglasses from Mulberry

This last outfit was a daytime one, one where I went for lunch with a friend so I dressed up a bit. If I wanted to wear this out with the kids I would of put my white stan smith trainers on, changed my bag to a bigger one and perhaps thrown a jacket over the top too. Alot of these pieces are old from my wardrobe, but stand the test of time.

Bag from See by Chloe at My Theresa

Spot shirt from Zara (old)

Fake leather culottes from ASOS (old)

Leopard print sandals from Whistles (very old!)