MSH Backup

Whilst there's still a distinct chilly feel in the air, the promise of spring is there too- especially as I'm pleased to report that I've got some snowdrops growing in the garden! Hooray! Looking ahead to spring (my favourite season!), I'm really keen to invest sensibly in some pieces which can be styled more sustainably from season to season, as well as items which present excellent value on the cost-per-wear from too. Window shopping around, there's a lovely little crop of bits and pieces which I've got bookmarked: Oversized Wool Blend Plaid Overshirt, £159, & Other Stories/Alda Pink Mug, £15, Oliver Bonas/Selma Sweatshirt, £150, Mother of Pearl/Kennedy Cross Body Bag, £39.50, Oliver Bonas/3D Bee Earrings, £45, Olivia Burton/Indigo Denim Jacket, £165, Toast/New Balance Fuelcore Running Trainer, £58, Free People/Botanical Signet Ring, £108, Free People/Mock Neck Sweater, £35, & Other Stories This wool button up coat from & Other Stories is perfectio...

With a warm couple of weeks in prospect from today onwards, I've had a pre-emptive rummage through my wardrobe in an attempt to keep as cool as possible- here's hoping for success! It goes without saying that this time of the year offers the perfect excuse to embrace colour like no other season, and recently I've really enjoyed styling some of my more vibrant pieces and incorporating them into my everyday wardrobe: Top- & Other Stories Trousers- Espirit (via ASOS) Bag- Cath Kidston Shoes- Gap First and foremost, how pretty is this backdrop? Tucked just around the corner from Waterloo Station, it's one of those rare corners of London which hasn't changed all that much since it was first built- and it's even more special at this time of the year when its series of brightly coloured doors is punctuated by beautiful blooms at every turn. With a vibrant flavour in mind, this top from & Other Stories which I picked up way back at the start of the spring, but w...

With temperatures soaring over the last week or so, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who had to have a bit of a radical rethink in terms of what to wear, suddenly shunning my staple work trousers for outfits which are much more at home in my high summer wardrobe. I always find summer in the city a bit of a headache at the best of times (especially on the Tube!), but really can't complain about how glorious it has been to see the sun after what has felt at times like a neverending winter! With a little bit of savvy planning, I managed to keep comparatively cool by digging out some seasonal summer staples and teaming them with some newer finds: Tee- Girls On Tops Tees Skirt- Whistles Bag- & Other Stories Shoes- Gap Sunglasses- Ray-Ban (c/o John Lewis) How much fun is this tee from Girls on Tops? I spotted it in the gift shop at the Barbican last week, and the fact that it was the last Sigourney style in stock seemed like the ultimate sign- especially as I'd reached ...

Now that the clocks have sprung forward, I think it’s ok to say that spring is finally here- and not before time! However, having glanced at the weather forecast for next weekend, I’m not getting my hopes up for a particularly mild Easter, and am instead injecting touches of spring into my everyday style choices whilst keeping as wrapped up as the unpredictable weather demands. Recently I feel like I’ve been living in more or less the same succession of outfits, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, as they say:  Coat- Whistles  Top- H&M  Trousers- Espirit (via ASOS)  Shoes- Marks and Spencer  Bag- & Other Stories  This Whistles coat which I picked up just before the end of last year is an investment which has well and truly earned its keep and become a real staple buy. It’s been essential during the last couple of chilly spells which we’ve had, and is wonderfully cosy to wrap up in on a frosty morning. Another recent favourite comes in the shape of ...

Never mind the Ides of March, once again it's the snow and ice we've all got to watch out for! I had a funny feeling that we'd not quite seen the last of winter, and this weekend it came back with a bite- even harder to bear when the weather had been so lovely and spring-like! Lulled into a false sense of security as I was, on Saturday I found myself rummaging around in the recesses of my wardrobe to (however reluctantly!) dig out some cold weather appropriate attire:  Coat- Vintage Jumper- Red Herring at Debenhams Jeans- & Other Stories Hat- Accessorize Scarf- Accessorize Shoes- Gap Bag- & Other Stories Try as I might to convince myself that it's spring (even this backdrop didn't quite defeat the snowflakes), it seems that, for now at least, Mother Nature has got other ideas! Wrapping up in layer after layer, I tried to keep things a little bit lighter with this floral motif knit from Debenhams, tucked away under a vintage coat which is wonderfully warm. I...

Whilst braving the January sales can sometimes seem like a truly thankless task, if you're well prepared it's an endeavor which can yield some excellent rewards. I've posted in the past about how to be as sales savvy as possible, and the philosophy of bookmarking and buying at a later date is one which has really paid off for me over the years, ensuring that I only spend my hard-earned pennies on pieces which I've been after for a while. This year, it's a strategy which I've deployed to snap up some new essentials which are definitely pepping up my January wardrobe:  Coat- c/o Very Blouse- Whistles  Trousers- Espirit (via ASOS) Shoes- Adidas (c/o Spartoo)  Bag- & Other Stories  This blouse from Whistles is a piece which I spotted at the start of the autumn and have been keeping a beady eye on ever since...for good reason! Just before Christmas it made it into their end of season sale, so I snapped it up in a flash- at half price it was a no-brainer. The star...

*Peeks out from underneath the duvet...* is it the end of the month yet? I know, I know, it's shameful to wish the time away, but January feels like an eternity- especially as the gulf between last payday and next feels absolutely enormous. All is not lost, however, as I've been rummaging about in my stash of beauty goodies to pep the month up a little bit- and have uncovered some complete gems in the process:  This & Other Stories nail polish was a Christmas gift, and the shade (Vivant Ciment) is a wonderfully subtle hue for everyday- drawing on those grey January vibes in the best possible way. So far I've been really pleasantly surprised by how well the formula is holding up too, so I'm definitely going to pop back to my local shop and see which other colours they have on offer. Another beauty goodie which I found under the tree on Christmas morning was this Chanel Coco Eau de Parfum, which is a wonderful scent for winter. Sitting just the right side of musky, wi...

In terms of weekend wear, at this time of the year it's rare that you'll find me in anything other than pyjamas! Stepping out of the house to go back to work at the start of last week felt very strange, not least in terms of trying to decide what to wear after more or less a solid week of living in my cosy clobber, and over the weekend I found myself once again seriously contemplating whether I could get away with sneaking out in some cleverly disguised pyjamas! No such luck, unfortunately, but in lieu of anything fleecy, I opted for some casual staples which are the next best option for staying comfortable:  Coat- & Other Stories  Top- & Other Stories  Jeans- & Other Stories  Shoes- Marks and Spencer  Hat- Oliver Bonas  Bag- & Other Stories  I honestly didn't realise until penning this post that it's more or less a top to toe combination of favourites from & Other Stories, but I suppose it's proof positive that their clothes are ju...

There's no escaping the fact that things tend to turn a little bit starry at this time of the year, whether it's across your Christmas decorations, on cards and across all of your other festive favourites. Needless to say, I'm steadily counting down the minutes until I can pop my out of office on (so, so close!), and over the next week or so I'm really looking forward to what I hope will be some much needed rest and relaxation time after a completely topsy-turvy year. At the top of my Christmas holiday to-do list is tomorrow's trip to the cinema to catch The Last Jedi - the source of yet more suitably starry sartorial inspiration: Constellation Sweatshirt, £75, Whistles/Origami Star Tuck Neck Blouse, £18, Topshop/Blossom Scatter Dress, £75, Hush (via John Lewis)/Star Constellation Trousers, £75, Whistles (via John Lewis)/Crescent Moon Necklace, £17, & Other Stories/Lace Up Star Trainers, £29.50, Marks and Spencer/Missoma Cocktail Ring, £55, John Lewis/Star Ankle...

With the weather having been as chilly as it have over the last week or so, I'm sure that I'm not the only one finding it hard to resist the urge to stay hibernating under a pile of blankets at the moment! With the Christmas break within touching distance, this last push towards some time away from my daily commute is proving to be a pretty wearying one, especially with that infamous combination of cold weather and notoriously unreliable transport..! Anyway, in an attempt to keep as warm and cosy as possible I've snapped up a new essential which I'm already getting plenty of wear out of... Coat- Whistles Jumper- Zara Jeans- & Other Stories Trainers- Adidas (c/o Spartoo) This coat from Whistles is a piece which I spotted in store way back at the start of the autumn, and, luckily for me, last week it made it into their end of season sale-hurrah! With a saving of just under £100, it was far too much of a bargain to turn down, and thankfully my local store still had one...

Brr! I don't know about you, but this sudden chilly snap has caught me slightly on the hop- cue frantic scrabbling around at the back of my wardrobe to find the warmest items of clothing I own! I always forget just how much this time of the year zaps all of your energy too- with darkness setting in at 4pm the days feel so much shorter, and a serious lack of sunshine makes it very tricky to find the motivation to do anything other than hibernate. Luckily enough, I've recently rediscovered some comfortable winter style essentials which lend themselves really well to clasping onto that cosy sensation although it might be freezing cold outside: Coat- Ganni  Jumper- H&M  Jeans- & Other Stories  Shoes- Vans (c/o Spartoo) The return of the most slouchy, blanket-like coat in my wardrobe! This Ganni number is a piece which I picked up about three or four years ago in their post-Christmas sale, and it's one of those perennial favourites which is perfect for this time of th...