What to Take on a Staycation!

After a disappointing Summer here in London, I am about to embark on a week in Devon! When we planned this I imagined sunny beaches, pretty lanes, warm walks and evening drinks. I’m not expecting 30 degrees but dry and sunny is a reasonable request! However, now I am not so sure as the weather feels more like Autumn! Anyway this is what I will be packing in the hope that the end of August pulls its finger out and delivers some well deserved Summer

1) Stripes – Surely the epitome of a British seaside break!

They never go out of style so always worth having in your wardrobe.

Top Shop £15

Maison Labiche

Top Shop £34

From left to right; Me+Em, Top Shop, Maison Labiche, Top Shop.

 

2) Denim – Denim is a must and will come in the form of jacket, skirt, jeans and shorts for some!

Jacket – Gap, Skirt – & Other Stories, Jeans – Zara and similar at H&M.

 

3) Espadrilles – I have loved wearing espadrilles this summer!

They are so comfy and yet make you feel a bit sexier and still casual. Air and Grace are the go-to London-based brand and have injected some fun and style to an iconic shoe.

Battersea based shoe designers Air and Grace £119

Left – Air and Grace, Right – Castaner at Net-a-Porter

 

4) Shacket – The ultimate wardrobe staple!

They are perfect for when the weather turns and work with almost anything! With khaki, camo, embellished and embroidered to choose from, you can’t go wrong. They are perfect for transitional (between the seasons) dressing too!

From top left; Sequins and camo Top Shop, Bottom left – Oasis, Bottom right Zara.

 

5) Trainers – a must for any holiday 

Whether its Stan Smiths, Converse or something more girly, you need a pair of trainers for all those lovely cliff top walks!

Top left – Converse, Top Right – Adidas Stan Smit, Bottom – Air and Grace.

 

6) Raincoat – Of course! Always the optimist but also a realist! 

Left – Le Redoute, Middle – Hunter, Right – Zara

 

7) Slogan T-shirt – I love a slogan t-shirt and there are so many fab ones around at the moment. 

Top Left – Top Shop, Right – Maje, Bottom Left – Top Shop

 

8) Finally a big beach bag and some gold hoops and I’m good to go!

 

Now all I need is some sun! Wish me luck!

Emma x

 

Broderie Anglaise is Having a Moment!

It seems that everywhere I look when the sun is shining, someone is wearing a beautiful broderie anglaise top/dress/skirt/shorts. It’s a classic summer look but this year it was also all over the designer runways for Spring Summer 2017. Luckily for us the high street has embraced it and given us lots to choose from.

This is the beautiful Burberry version which I am sure costs a pretty penny! But its such a great look and the perfect summer partner for denim.

 

The below tops are all H&M which I have to say is storming it this season with some really impressively designed pieces. These are great for summer in the UK teamed with jeans, when the weather isn’t scorching!  The jumpsuit is particularly cute.

 

 

Next we have the dress and H&M nail it again, this time adding some colour which looks fab and new!

I love black in the summer and black broderie anglaise is perfect as it really shows off a tan and is a very sexy, yet innocent look. Zimmerman has included many broderie pieces this season and I just love the black top. Still looking for a suitable high street version!

 

Then we have French Connection with this pretty number, very sweet and more reasonable price wise.

Which ever colour or style you chose, you can’t go wrong this season by adding a bit broderie anglaise to your wardrobe.

Enjoy and pray for sun!

Welcome to SW London Style!

What’s it all about?

I started SW London Style to bring you a collection of SW London’s finest and most stylish offerings this summer and beyond! I will mainly be focusing on fashion, covering the best from local boutiques, designers based in the area, and high street finds to cover all budgets!

I LOVE fashion and prior to having little ones, I worked as a Buyer at Top Shop. I am constantly fantasy shopping so I thought I would share it with you lovely people in the hope that some one might benefit. Also, I can now claim that my time spent drooling over the latest pieces is justified!

However, we don’t dress up to sit at home! We are lucky that SW London has an abundance of amazing bars and restaurants, some firm favourites and many new ones popping up all the time. I will be sharing the best and most stylish. I love living here. Unfortunately for me that might mean I need to visit a few… but hey, I will take one for the team and anything in the name of research right!?

Aswell as fashion, I also love interiors! It’s a natural follow on. I am looking for inspiration this year for my own home which we are renovating this Winter so I will share any good finds.

I hope you join me on my journey of style and fun!

What I love about Summer!

For my first blog I thought I would share my favourite things about Summer in SW London.

• Eating outside – This has to be my number one! Living in the UK it’s the best feeling (and it’s rare) when its warm enough to eat outside in the evening! My favourite is Marco Polo in Wandsworth. Beautiful terrace, river views and it gets the evening sun. Oh and it has fairy lights! What more could you want?

• Sun downers by the River – Cocktails with a river view, just bliss! Putney Pies has a secret riverside terrace and a delicious cocktail called ‘Putney STANdard’! Its seriously good.

• Summer dresses – Probably everyone’s favourite summer item. So many to choose from but whatever the style don’t you just love the swishing and the floating! Ahhhh.

French Connection, £180.

• Bright colours and print – I am very much into dark colours in the winter so when I have a tan (spray-on obvs!) I love to wear bright colours and print and take advantage of sunny days.

Love this beautiful summer print by Tabitha Webb £215. Tabitha lived just down the road in Wandsworth when she started out in fashion design.

• Earrings – Weird I know but you can get away with any earrings in the summer, at any time of day! I love earrings. I literally can’t decide which of these to buy from J.Crew! Tassels are having a bit of a moment.

 

 

• Espadrilles – Lets face it, its one of the few things you really can’t pull off in the winter months so I take full advantage in the summer! These are my favourite from Air and Grace based just down the road in Battersea!

Air and Grace £119

 

About me

I am 39 and live in Putney, SW London with my husband, 3 kids and a very small dog. I have lived in SW London now for almost 15 years, it’s my patch and I love it! I feel so lucky to be surrounded by beautiful greenery but also close to the action and most importantly…the shops!

At school I always wanted to work in fashion and started in fashion PR, then spent 7 years working as a Buyer for Top Shop surrounded by clothes, heaven! I then went on to work in the digital space with brands such as ASOS and Puma helping them develop their digital marketing strategy. Finally, I worked for a tech start up specialising in shoppable video. I had the pleasure of working with many famous brands. Having a clear understanding of their customer and their brand personality was key. I have now decided to take advantage of the blogging age and start sharing my love of fashion and where I live.

 

 

 

First blog post

This is your very first post. Click the Edit link to modify or delete it, or start a new post. If you like, use this post to tell readers why you started this blog and what you plan to do with it.