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 the almost instant arrival of winter last weekend (hello ten degree overnight temperature drop!), I’m sure that I’m not the only one now eagerly diving into my stash of winter essentials in an attempt to stave off the chill! It’s with a heavy heart that I’ve finally acknowledged that I can’t quite get away with leaving the house without a coat in the mornings now, so as well as having a good old sift through my wardrobe (and a few trips to the dry cleaners to boot!), I’ve also been keeping an eye on which pieces have been hitting the shops recently: Highlands 3 in 1 Jacket, £295, Sweaty Betty/Belted Wool Coat, £169, & Other Stories/Jersey Wool Coat, £175, Arket/Belted Wool Blend Coat, £169, & Other Stories/Single Breasted Coat, £89, Marks and Spencer  If you’re after something wonderfully warm and practical, then you’d be hard pushed to go wrong with this 3 in 1 jacket from Sweaty Betty. Complete with a fleece lining, it’s one of those sensible spends which I think wou...

I think it’s safe to say that we’re easing into autumn now, and with the start of the new season comes the perfect opportunity for a bit of a reboot. I think it’s the habitual back-to-school feeling of this time of the year which affords the ideal chance to take a step back and remix things, in whatever capacity that might be. As well as taking stock of some other life bits and bobs, I’m thinking about making some strategic investment buys to see me through the coming months and beyond: Cable Slit Wool Blend Sweater, £59, & Other Stories/Ash Indigo Denim Jeans, £125, Toast/Merino Crew Neck Jumper, £55, Arket/Greyhound Jumper, £42, Warehouse/Oversized Structured Plaid Blazer, £129, & Other Stories/Kin by John Lewis Foldover Backpack, £55, John Lewis/Alex Monroe Gold Plated Alphabet Necklace, £135, Liberty/Pale Pink Mohair Sweater, £139, Whistles/Roman Coin Hoop Earrings, £26, Hush/ Get Your Sh*t Together Journal by Sarah Knight, £12.99, Oliver Bonas.  This boxy knit from ...

With our summer already having lasted so much longer than the average, I’m sure that I’m not alone in having hit something of a style stalemate. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the sunshine more frequently is fantastic, as well as being a brilliant mood booster, but I’m struggling to get to grips with what to wear day after day in the warm weather. Whilst I’ve got a selection of staples, there’s a serious vacuum in my wardrobe for summer essentials- which might explain why I’ve found myself making some spur-of-the moment purchases to bridge the gap between now and the inevitable cooldown. Having shopped around a lot over the last few weeks, I’ve fallen hook, line and sinker for Kitri’s effortless cool:    Eliana Striped Dress, £145/St Paul de Vence Tee, £45/Phoenix Floral Dress, £145/Black Ribbed Tee, £35/Dominique Linen Blazer, £145 How gorgeous is this striped dress? Made with summer holidays and effortless dressing in mind, it’s one of those real investment buys which you know w...

In terms of clothes shopping, I usually tend to visit a series of stores on rotation, and predominantly out of habit. With ease in mind, I tend to alternate between the shops which I can easily flit to on my lunch break, which can sometimes mean that I get stuck in something of a routine of not shopping around to make my pennies stretch as far as they can. With that in mind, recently I’ve been making an effort to revisit some old fashion favourites- and top of the crop with a fantastic SS18 drop is Whistles: Merci Beau Coup Logo T-Shirt, £49/Easy Basic Vest Top, £32/Embroidered Floral Shirt, £109/High Waist Barrel Jeans, £95/Cordilla Pleated Skirt, £139/Vive Les Vacances Pouch, £35/Daisy Print Bikini Briefs, £40/Daisy Print Bikini Top, £40/Cara Slouchy Everyday, £199, all Whistles Slogan tees from Whistles are always well worth investing in, and the handful which I’ve picked up from Whistles in the past are still some of my most-worn items. This French fancy is perfect for stashing in ...

Phew! What a warm long weekend we're having! Having good weather over the course of a Bank Holiday is usually so rare that I feel dreadful about complaining about it, but as I type this I'm frantically checking the weather forecast to see how soon this clammy spell will conclude- even if it's just for the sake of some fresh air! Muggy weather aside, and with the end of the month in sight, I think it's safe to say that we're now well and truly on the home straight towards summer. And, if you're looking for a seasonal style spruce up, or are shopping around for a special occasion, you'd be hard pushed to go wrong with that most faithful of high summer heroes- the midi dress: Colour Block Floral Wrap Print Midi Dress, £45, Marks and Spencer/Climbing Bamboo Midi Dress, £46, Warehouse/Vichy Check Dress, £49.99, Mango/Studio by Preen Bright Blue Silk Shirt Dress, £200, Debenhams/Tropical Print Dress, £29.99, Mango What a crop of beauties! This little selection is ...

With the spirit of spring in the air, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been shopping around for some new season wardrobe additions. I’ve been trying to make more of an effort to diversify my shopping habits a little bit of late, actively looking around at plenty of options before buying and trying not to rely too much on the same roster of shops. One such recent scout about has garnered quite the substantial shopping list- step forward, Warehouse SS18: Jungle Print Shirt Dress, £65/Smocked Strappy Dress, £42/Wave Print Jumpsuit, £39/Rainbow Stripe Vest, £16/Straight Cut Jeans, £49/Stripe Grandad Collar Shirt, £36/Linen Cotton Shorts, £29/Leather Cross Over Slider, £24, all Warehouse. This jungle print dress is one of those wonderfully simple statement pieces which works fantastically for lots of different contexts, whether it receives outing after outing in the office or is a go-to for summer save the dates. Similarly, this ruffle bodice design is just made with summer holidays in...

Now that it’s officially spring (hurrah!), it feels like the perfect opportunity to blow those wardrobe cobwebs away and invest in some new season staples. I’ve been merrily window shopping over the last few weeks, and now that payday has finally rolled around, I’m braced to invest in some new bits and bobs- after a long overdue declutter! It will come as no surprise to regular readers that & Other Stories is my current shopping destination of choice, and their spring styles are well and truly ones to invest in over the next couple of months: Striped Shirt, £27/Sheer Knit Top, £45/Tie Kneck Blouse, £49/Straight Fit Blazer, £89/Mirrored Round Flame Sunglasses, £23/Stone and Stud Ring, £13/Horsebit Buckle Loafers, £79/Leather Covered Diary, £23/Ribbed V Neck Top, £23/Trio Pocket Crossbody Bag, £89, all & Other Stories You can never really go wrong with a good quality striped top, and this style is a brilliant staple option, lending itself as well to smart dressing as to casual e...

As spring starts to peek tantalisingly over the horizon, I'm sure I'm not the only one who is looking forward to a little bit of a wardrobe switch-up. Having been more or less living in jumpers for the last four months or so, I'm really looking forward to being able to pack them all away again, and am already dreaming of those days of being able to leave the house without a coat..! Needless to say that, in preparation, I've been doing lots of window shopping, and Whistles in particular are proving to be top of the crop with their new season drop: Ellen Floral Shirt, £95/Black Wide Stripe Sweater, £119/Kiss Embroidered Stripe Knit, £89/Lips Print Top, £99/Cornelia Triple Clutch Bag, £150/Croissant Champagne Pin Pack, £29/Pink Mohair Knit, £119/Le Weekend Sweater, £99, all Whistles It's always really refreshing to see new season prints trickling their way into the shops, and this floral design is a great go-to new style for spring and summer- as well as being ideal fo...

Whilst I've never really bought into all of the 'New Year, New You' hype which accompanies the start of the year (seriously, it's January, you'll be lucky if you can extricate me from underneath the duvet), the promise of a fresh twelve months in prospect does bring with it a certain sense of optimism, which I suppose is best capitalised on early doors. With that in mind, over the last couple of weeks I've tackled a batch of tidying up in an attempt to be a little bit more organised during the year to come, and have also been on the lookout for some fresh style staples to bridge the gap between winter and spring in my wardrobe- and have been bowled over by what Marks and Spencer have on offer at the moment:  Striped Round Neck Jumper, £35/Floral Print Long Sleeve Shirt, £35/Striped Trousers, £27.50/Wool Rich Peacoat, £159/Leather Block Heel Brogues, £49.50/Round Sunglasses, £15/Printed Cross Body Bag, £27.50, all Marks and Spencer.  This round neck knit offers t...

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...

Now that the change in seasons is unfolding in earnest, I'm sure I'm not the only one with a shopping list as long as my arm of autumn and winter pieces which are perfect for sprucing up my wardrobe. As soon as September rolls around, it seems like the shops are flooded with a bounty of new season styles, all of which offer a really refreshing take on transitional, practical style. Needless to say, over recent weeks I've been bookmarking lots of potential purchases in the making- most of which are from one of my favourite Scandi brands, Ganni: Fenn Long Wrap Coat, £260/Seneca Silk Dress, £295/The Julliard Mohair Pullover, £355/Benson Maxi Dress, £430/Lott Isoli Sweatshirt, £95/Palmer Blouse, £95/The Julliard Mohair Hat, £95, all Ganni I've never really considered lilac as an essential shade for autumn before, until, that is, I spotted this glorious coat! Whilst the pale shade might be a little bit out of the ordinary for this time of the year, there's no question th...

Now that April is here in all of her showery glory, it's definitely time to start getting excited about next month's holiday to France! Sophie, Michelle, Hannah and I will be paying Elodie a visit at her sunny seaside home, and I'm really looking forward to it- particularly as it gives us all the opportunity to explore somewhere new. I haven't been on a beach holiday for a fair few years, so I'm also embracing the chance to invest in some new holiday wardrobe heroes:  Embroidered Top, £29.99, Zara/Tie Front Culottes, £45, Warehouse/V Neck Swimsuit, £45, & Other Stories/Cut Work Dress, £45, Marks and Spencer/Floppy Hat, £22, Accessorize/Naomi Sunglasses, £69, Jigsaw/Converse, £62.99, Office/Mango Metallic Backpack, £29.99, ASOS I've been eyeing up this top from Zara for what feels like months now, and I'm sure it won't be long until I snap it up for my suitcase. I love the folksy feel, and the blue and white colour combination is synonymous with the s...

With the arrival of the new season, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who is eager to invest in some fresh fashion favourites. I'm always on the lookout for new places to invest in some style staples, and have recently come across a real hero brand- step forward, KITRI: Odette Petal Cuff Shirt, £65/Roland Pinstripe Jumpsuit, £125/Manon Ivory Scarf Tunic, £85/Deborah Lace Panel Top, £75, all KITRI Offering simple, wonderfully stylish essentials, KITRI is a real gem of a discovery. This petal cuff shirt is a versatile basic which would lend itself perfectly to so many styling options, and a real holiday wardrobe hero too, don't you think? The Roland pinstripe jumpsuit is a fabulously smart alternative to trousers and a shirt, and again is one of those brilliant investment buys which would pay long term wardrobe dividends. Capturing a perfectly minimalist vibe, this tunic is another great option for a work as well as a weekend wardrobe, and I love the slightly longer line...

Now that the temperatures are *whisper it* creeping towards double figures, I think it's high time to start contemplating some spring styling. There's always something energising about this time of the year, especially as the sun starts to reappear for longer stretches of the day, and everything starts shaking into life again after the chilly days of winter. As such, I'm always inspired to inject a splash of spring colour into my wardrobe, and it will probably come as no surprise that & Other Stories is proving something of a one stop shop at the moment: Colour Block Merino Wool Sweater, £45/Floral Crochet Dress, £95/Oversized Floral Sweater, £65/Flower Power Pleats Dress, £95/Floral Bra, £25/D Ring Crossbody Bag, £65/Cross Strap Leather Sandals, £65, all & Other Stories. Confession time- I snapped up this jumper on Monday lunchtime! It had caught my eye online over the weekend, as was pretty much the first thing I spied during a cheeky visit to the Regent Street st...