buy a skirt to update your style

We are currently mid way through the Autumn season, I have shopped the best pieces on the high street for clients and now the run up to Christmas parties starts to get going. But what if there was one thing you could buy to update your wardrobe rather than a whole outfit? The skirt trend has been getting stronger for a few seasons now and it is still the most wanted item out there. For me there are 3 skirts on the high street right now that are putting their best foot forward and it’s time to make your choice; are you a sequins kind of girl, a leather kind of girl or do you prefer a roaring leopard print skirt? The choice is yours…

Sequin skirt

You are probably thinking this is the most un-versatile skirt to buy right now, but you would be wrong! Gone are the days of only wearing your sequin skirt to formal events. Sequin skirts (maxi, midi or mini) can be dressed up or down.  The sequin skirt is an effortlessly chic statement piece that easily transitions from day to night. Wear to brunch with friends, an art gallery afterward and to dance the night away. I love my sequin skirt, I can make a real statement when wearing it in the evening but also cleverly pair it down with my sweatshirts and trainers in the day. Who doesn’t love a bit of glitz and glamour in their wardrobe, see my picks below and update your wardrobe with a bit of sparkle.

Where to buy your sequin skirt this season -

1. Topshop, sequin stripe midi skirt, £65.00

2. Zara, knotted silver sequin skirt, £49.99

3. Anthropologie, Pink sequinned pencil skirt, £118.00

4. Warehouse, Ombre sequin pencil skirt, £65.00

Leather skirt

The leather skirt has been given a reboot for AW18, it’s midi and comes in lovely dark shades so it is still practical to wear with black tights and boots if you wish to. A leather midi is your ideal choice for Autumn; leather is warm, it works well with a heel, a boot or a pair of trainers, and can be versatile to wear day-to-night. They have become a wardrobe staple, something that is an investment piece that can be brought out year after year and will always look stylish. Simply add a roll neck, a sweater, a shirt, a t-shirt and then some boots. It’s the perfect chic to street update for your wardrobe.

Where to buy your leather skirt this season -

1. Whistles, Burgundy leather pencil skirt, £195.00

2. Reiss, Green leather pencil skirt, £250.00

3. Iris & Ink, theoutnet.com, leather skirt, £295.00

4. Warehouse, button midi leather skirt, £149.00

Leopard print skirt

As you well know Leopard print has been a winning print this Autumn, but it never goes out of style and will never date. Knowing how to wear leopard print comes down to this one simple, unwritten rule: Treat it like any black item in your wardrobe. Yes, this might seem counter-intuitive, but adding a little leopard to any outfit upgrades and harmonises a look. True, leopard print has often walked the line between flashy and luxurious, but it's been proven season after season that fashion can't get enough of it. After a summer of a leopard print skirt being the most popular skirt on instagram by the Australian brand Réalisation Par, don’t bother with dresses, tops or coats this season to update your style - the leopard print skirt is the long term investment piece for Autumn.

1. Never Fully Dressed, leopard print wrap skirt, £59.00
   

2. Zara, Leopard print pleated skirt, £29.99

3. Marks and Spencer, Animal pleated midi skirt, £35.00

4. Ganni, Leopard print satin midi skirt, £230.00 Selfridges

If you want more inspiration then follow my pinterest board here - Skirts to update your wardrobe AW18

What's on my 'lust-after' Autumn list

The seemingly endless Summer is cooling off, it appears, which sounds like the perfect opportunity to cast our thoughts forward to the incoming new fashion season. Autumn 2018 promises to bring with it a batch of fresh ideas on style, updates on wardrobe staples and a burst of refreshed colours to tempt us out of our Summer dresses. I can't wait to start dressing in cosy layers - jumpers, shearlings, boots and even hats. In the words of Jon Snow, winter is coming, people, let’s get excited. 

I love figuring out how I am going to re-style my wardrobe staples for the new season. For me, it’s a balance of embracing easy updates and falling back in love with forgotten classics and stumbling upon some new future favourites too. I always start with a 'lust-after' list of ideas, or a mood board, then I do a wardrobe detox and define my season's wanted list of 5 things. I consider trends, what I liked from last season, what I need to replace and what is missing from my wardrobe. 

It's exciting when a new season starts, but you can get swept up in impulse buying, over buying or not having the right focus. Creating lists and mood boards ensures you spend your money more wisely, you can feel more confident about your choices and have fun finding the things you want.

Consider the following trends of the season when thinking about your new season 'lust-after' list.

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The trends for AW18 that you should include in your Autumn List

LEOPARD PRINT

This season the trends are lead by the forever statement print; Leopard print. This will be the season that everyone will end up owning something in their wardrobes in the print or like last week's blog post, perhaps a dramatic coloured leopard print for a new update.

Leopard print tie neck blouse, Somerset by Alice Temperley, £79.00

Oversized leopard print knit, &other stories, £69.00

BRIGHT COLOURS

Once again paint box colours are brightening up those long dark nights with a kaleidoscope of colour. From vibrant green and solar orange, to pillar-box red and vivid magenta; consider monochromatic matches for a put-together look with a punch, or get playful with opposing hues that epitomise exuberance. The bolder the better.

Wide leg wool culottes, John Lewis & partners, £99.00

Therese Cotton Contrast jumper, Kitri Studio, £55.00

CHECKS

Following on from last year's massive blazer trend, this is set to continue in heritage checks, stripes and modern tailoring is still high on the fashion agenda. Think suits, trousers instead of jeans, 

Houndstooth sweater, &other stories, £79.00

Jodo Checked oversized jacket, Gestuz, Atterley, £290.00

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For inspiration, here is my current 'lust-after' mood board for the new season.

If you need help with your new season wardrobe, I offer an online shop service - please email me to book yours now.

Animal instincts - how to wear coloured leopard print

I have written many blog posts about Leopard print over the years, for me it is one of the fail-safe prints that never goes out of style, out of fashion and always makes a statement. Over the years I have collected many pieces of Leopard print items for myself from coats, to shoes, to bags and a skirt, and I often advise clients to add the print into their wardrobe if in nothing more than accessories to liven up an evening outfit. This season Leopard print is having its moment in the spotlight and has been in every fashion magazine, glossy supplement and style website for the past month as it is a great transitional print and can update your outfit in an instant. But the tones in the Leopard do not suit everyone. If you are choosing a Leopard print that is predominantly stone then this can often drain you of any colour in your cheeks as it might not the right stone.

So know this for Autumn, fashion is really, really wild for animal print. Right now on the highstreet you can get Leopard print in an array of different colours so you can match your favourite print to your perfect colour. Why not go bright and zingy in your leopard print choices, you are already making a statement with the print so go that extra style mile and choose it in the right colour for you.

My 'SWAG BAG' that I took everywhere with me on holiday - Scamp and Dude, £28.00

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Follow my pinterest board for more styling inspiration - Coloured Leopard print 2018

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Here is my pick of how to do leopard the colourful way

1. Pink Leopard print satin dress, Ghost London, Next £165.00

2. Green jungle cat animal print tee, Whistles £55.00

3. Lola animal print frill dress, Kitri Studio £125.00

4. Leopard print blanket scarf, Warehouse £22.00

5. Red leopard print dress, Hush £55.00

6. Loui Red leopard print shirt, Gestuz Studio B fashion £99.00

7. Multi Leopard print belted dress, 2ND DAY, ASOS £160.00

8. Jaspre Cheetah Rust skirt, Never fully Dresses, £59.00

9. Animal print soft sweatshirt, Scamp and Dude, £50.00

my headband obsession

When I was little I had long dark hair and I never wanted to wear anything in it, not hairbands, not clips and I didn't even like putting it up. Now as a fully grown adult I have rediscovered headbands and could not be happier. Now banish all thoughts of anything remotely twee ans school-like and, instead, see them as an instant, no-faff way of making no effort with your hair whatsoever, while still looking fabulous. Oh, don’t worry, I’m about to elaborate…

It covers greasy hair, looks like you’ve made an effort and is also an excellent adversary to the distressing phenomenon that is Summer Sweating. Nobody wants their hair in their face when they’re simply trying to get from the bus to the office, walking to do the school run or rushing around the supermarket (delete as appropriate) without sweating through their clothes in a heatwave. A hairband can give your forehead the room it deserves, free of fringe, and also ensures you don’t end up resembling a wet dog at the beach.

Go for something embellished, printed, colourful, something that does make a statement otherwise you might end up looking like a 'Sloane Ranger'. 

Anthropologie is my favourite purveyor of hairbands, largely due to the sheer choice on offer. There’s everything from simple, neat styles to some that are slightly more... extra. Think embellishment, beads and beautiful colours– which mostly sit atop my head. Independent London-based brand Emin & Paul also has some lovely options, from polka dots to colourful turban-styles. And the high street, too, is full of hair-fixing saviours, from ASOS to Uterque. You’ll have so much spare time, you won’t know what to do with yourself. Plus, your hair will look great.

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The best summer headbands on the high street

1. Emin + Paul headband, £19.50

2. Leather hairband, Uterque, £49.00

3. Tulia Embroidered embellished headband, Anthropologie, £34.00

4. Fran striped headband, Anthropologie, £28.00

5. Chunky pattern headband, ASOS, £8.00

6. Embellished knit headband, Johnny loves Rosie, £30.00

7. Embroidered jewelled headband, &other stories, £23.00