Hooray! Spring is just around the corner. Nonetheless, with our rather unpredictable climate you’ll still need to wear a coat or jacket (and keep an umbrella close at hand too) for a while yet. Fortunately there are lots of stylish options to choose from.
Blazer
Blazers are a favourite of women with a “Classic” style personality and are
perfect for smartening up a casual outfit like jeans and a tee, as well as work wear. They can also be incredibly flattering. A shortish fitted blazer is generally ideal for petites whereas taller women can carry off one of the longer line styles that are very much on-trend right now. Longer blazers are also a good option for women who carry their weight around their middle as they have a streamlining effect, particularly if worn unbuttoned. Choosing a relatively unstructured style in a soft fabric such as jersey or ponte will be both stylish and comfortable. The Sadie jacket from Kettlewell* fits the bill beautifully and comes in eight lovely colours.
Denim Jacket
Perfect for those of you with Natural style personality; a simple denim jacket will give a casual look the perfect finishing touch. Remember to opt for a denim that suits your skin tone; Deeps should go for a dark navy shade, whereas Lights will look better in something more washed-out. Denim jackets are particularly good on petites as this style of jacket tends to be quite short and fitted. The Bana jacket from Friendtex is ultra soft and and is proving very popular with my clients as it is so comfortable and works equally well with jeans and dresses.
Biker Jacket
Again, a great option for Naturals. Biker styles with wide collars can work really well on Triangle/pear shapes as they create the illusion of width at the shoulder line and generally have a nipped in waist. Cropped styles are particularly good on petites. Buying a leather biker in a neutral colour can be a great investment as it won’t date and will last a lifetime. But for something more affordable, how about a faux suede (New Look do some good ones) or soft interlocking cotton like the Chloe from Kettlewell
Trench Coat
There should be a place in every woman’s wardrobe for a trench coat. This is an absolute classic that never dates. If you have a curvy body shape (for example Hourglass or Triangle), choose a belted style to show off your waist. Straighter body shapes (Lean Column or Rectangle) should choose one with a little shaping and ideally no belt around the middle to keep your look simple and uncluttered. If your trench does have a belt though, you can always belt it at the back.
Add Some Colour!
Neutral colours like Stone, Taupe, Pewter and Charcoal and Navy are all versatile and great choices for investment pieces. But if you’re looking to make more of a statement, why not choose something in a more vibrant shade from your colour palette. Greens, blues and reds will all give a fresh, Spring feel to your outfit. This big, bold raincoat from Kettlewell would certainly brighten up a wet day!
Finally, don’t forget to accessorise! Lightweight scarves in a colour (or combination of colours) from your palette, will add a little extra warmth on chillier days as well as a pop of colour to pull together your whole look.
*Remember, you can always buy Kettlewell clothes at a discount by ordering through me, and I also stock the Friendtex range of gorgeous Danish clothing. Just let me know if you;d like to come and take a look.