Nautical and Nice

It all started with those pointed Dale flats from L.K. Bennett… And then the French Sole nautical collection. And Modalu’s nifty fabric Riviera tote with that amazing navy and white stripe… Pretty soon, I was obsessed with all things nautical, and, well, it was pretty much only a matter of time before this happened:

Nautical and nice

On the top row we have the aforementioned Modalu tote (£75), and next to that, the Soho grab, also from Modalu (£89). If leather is more your thing, Modalu also do this amazing azure blue Artemis shopper, which is one of my favourite colours this season (£199).  L.K. Bennett also have a couple of really cool nautical totes this season – at the end of the top row is the Hoxton canvas tote (£175), and the cool and quirky Lytham St. Anne’s canvas beach bag (£95, one of a series of three) starts off the second row on the left. Save your pennies with the simple chic of this navy striped tote with rope handles from Next (£20), or treat yourself to Kate Spade’s Welcome To Brighton bag (£130). Rounding out the bag selection are two clutches – on the left is L.K. Bennett’s embellished straw Evie clutch (£225), and the right is Kate Spade’s nifty Terrace Drive Abbett clutch (£245).

On to the shoes! On the top row we have French Sole’s red pointed Penelope flats (£180), then L.K. Bennett’s azure Connie espadrille wedges (£160). The L.K. Bennett team are mad for gosgrain this season, because they have several offerings that make use of the striped ribbon in a variety of colours – each of my selections is available in various bold striped patterns. Next to that on the end of the top row of three is another nifty pair of French Sole flats, Henriettas with a rope pattern that dances across the toes (£160). On the bottom row on the left are a pair of slingback pointed toe flats from Next (£26), another pair of simpler Henriettas from French Sole – I couldn’t resist the rope bow! – (£150), and then a peep-toe espadrille wedge from Next (£34). Finally, a Marlene block heel sandal from L.K. Bennett (£175), and those shoes that started it all, the Dale pointed toe flats, from L.K. Bennett (£150) – available in navy and white, azure and white, and raspberry and white, and all in that gosgrain finish I love so much!

Do you like to channel a bit of nautical style in your wardrobe come the sunnier seasons? Without doubt, nautical style is always in fashion during spring and summer, and I’m a sucker for it every time! Considering that it always makes an appearance on the shelves, it’s a smart investment to pick up a few nautical accessories to mix and match – you’ll probably find you end up using them year after year. Do you have an old favourite you like to bring out?

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Replikating at Hobbs, Gunwharf Quays

Gunwharf Quays is my local shopping outlet, and whilst it doesn’t have as many luxury brands as Bicester, it’s still an amazing place to shop.

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If you’re after some Kate Middleton style, it’s also a great place to pick up replikates!

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Many of Kate’s favourite shops and brands are here, including L.K. Bennett, Barbour, Hobbs, Jaeger, Ted Baker, Links and Ralph Lauren

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I popped in to Gunwharf for a quick pit stop this weekend, and here are some of my finds!

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This awesome Ted Baker jacket in silver was a special sample priced at £80. Unfortunately it was a bit creased and didn’t photograph well, but it had a beautiful shape to the back.

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Ted Baker is an excellent place to get really gorgeous party dresses or frocks for the races.

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Another great outlet is L.K. Bennett. I’ve purchased many a great item in here, including a teal Jude jacket (£60) and a pair of black suede Harper pumps (£115). Highlights today included a black Davina dress (Kate has worn one in teal under her Jetta jacket – like the Jude) for £150, and Sledges in beige, gold and black glitter for £115.

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I spent most of my time in Hobbs though – I love the brand and the physical stores, but let’s just say their online service leaves a lot to be desired… But let’s stick with the positive for this post!

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There were a few items in here from the current mid season sale, including plenty of items in the same Dalmatian print that Kate wore in Southampton (hers was a collarless coat). The Niamh top was there in blue and white for £28.

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There were also trousers, a scarf, and a cardigan (£50).

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As the Dalmatian mac that Kate wore is long since sold out, these are great replikating options which use the same print! There are even shoes – the Lexi open toe court for £49 and the Bea ballerina, £35.

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My favourite replikate from Hobbs is the Myra wedge, in navy suede (£49).

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They also had the mushroom version, which was incredibly tempting!

Hobbs Outlet stores can be found at Bicester, Braintree, Canterbury, Cardiff, Cheshire Oaks, Kildare, Portsmouth, Swindon, Walton-On-Thames and York. Track them down at http://www.hobbs.co.uk.

Bag ‘n’ Shoes: Modalu Large Dickens Tote and Russell & Bromley New Dry Boots

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The lovely Tatiana from Tatiana’s Delights recently posted a great lead for the Modalu sale on her Facebook page, which prompted me to do a bit of investigation – and a lot of shopping! I had a couple of weekends away looming (one of which I’ll be posting about very soon!) and so I was in the market for a smart leather tote bag which could double as an overnight bag. Enter the large Dickens Tote!

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In the sale for a fairly hefty discount (although, sadly not any more), this bag is enormous, but it’s not so comically large that you can’t use it as an everyday bag when you have a lot to carry.

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It also comes with this nifty, detachable, horse head clutch, which would be great for storing travel documents! I’ve also detached it to use it as a clutch for evenings – it makes the perfect travel companion for the tote, I have to say!

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I paired it with my Russell & Bromley / Aquatalia New Dry wedge boots – as the weather gets warmer I’m going to have to retire these trusty boots with a heavy heart, so I thought I’d get some more use from them while I can!

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As I live in leggings and skinny jeans, they fit perfectly in my wardrobe!

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Also, you can’t go too far wrong with matching black to black!

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I’m also a bit in love with the simple design touches that add a generous dash of luxury to this tote. The horse head envelope clutch and the gold Modalu logo…

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And these cute shell motifs which adorn the zipper tags!

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What’s not to love? I am definitely incredibly impressed with the customer service, the quality of the product, and the speed of delivery, too.

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Inside the tote is one large open space with a zip top, plus an internal zipped pocket and slip cases for a phone and papers. On the back of the tote is another zipped pocket, meaning there’s plenty of room for sectioning off your pills, receipts and other important things!

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The Modalu Dickens tote is currently sold out, although here is a Google shopping link in case you can find one online. Visit Modalu’s site for more of their products here.

The Russell & Bromley New Dry wedge boot is currently available in most sizes at their site here for £225.

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Sunshine at the Beach

Sunshine at the beach

 

Since I bought my lovely yellow Zara coat, I’ve been thinking of ways to style it for spring. As I’m also slightly obsessed with nautical stripes at the moment, I put together this outfit featuring a striped navy and ecru jumper from Next (£18), striped, pointed Dale flats from L.K. Bennett (and also available from Next… Although I’ve been waiting for mine to dispatch for a month: £150), inky denim leggings from Next (£24), the aforementioned yellow Zara coat (£99.99) and the Mulberry Lily in Emerald (£750).

Bright colours, nautical influences, and a mix of green, yellow, blue and white – what do you think? I have to confess, I’m struggling to come up with bag matches for this coat that go with the rest of an outfit!

EDIT: Grazia magazine UK is currently offering 25% off L.K. Bennett between 1-14 April. Pick up the 7 April edition with Gwyneth Paltrow on the front for your code, which can be used online or in a store!

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