5 hours ago
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Spring is coming. It’s not here yet, but on a good day, you can feel it. Magnolia buds on the trees. A sliver of daylight on the evening commute. Taking your gloves out of your handbag. (Not the umbrella, though. That would be reckless.)
From a chic and bouncy new pair of trainers to a classic spring jacket – or the vintage accessory that could revamp the jacket you’re wearing right now – read on.
The jumper we were all wearing at London fashion week
Whistles
Lacing Detail Crew Jumper
£135.20
Lacing detail crew jumper
A jumper that brings a bit more to the party aesthetically than your regular woolly is always a worthwhile investment. The side-lacing adds interest, and tapers your silhouette in a way that’s more elegant than a simple boxy top. Raglan sleeves (more flattering on most women, as I have banged on about previously) and a ribbed cotton-knit that won’t immediately bobble. This also comes in ivory with black lacing, although I’d worry about the colours in the wash. Now I just need to not dip the trailing bit in my soup bowl when I stand up.
Whistles
Lacing Detail Crew Jumper
£135.20
Overnight rescue oil for fragile hair
Hair Syrup
Grows-Mary Oil
from £14.50
Grows-Mary pre-wash oil, 100ml
Look, I’m not a beauty expert, but my experience is that conditioner only really softens and glosses dry hair if you leave it on for a good chunk of time, not the two minutes that my against-the-clock morning getting ready schedule allows. These syrups are massaged into your hair overnight, and then washed out in the morning – and they work. This rosemary scented one means that I go to bed smelling a little bit like a Sunday roast, but I am ignoring this because it’s such a time-efficient and effective route to shiny hair.
Hair Syrup
Grows-Mary Oil
from £14.50
A slogan T for our times
Bella Freud
Give Me Some Good News T-shirt
£95
Give Me Some Good News T-shirt
I should admit that I am obsessed with the fashion designer, podcaster and all-round excellent woman Bella Freud. I would stop a runaway train for her; I don’t really know why. But also, this T-shirt really speaks to me.
Bella Freud
Give Me Some Good News T-shirt
£95
A spring layer in a pop of red
Gather & See
British wool V-neck vest
£195
British wool V-neck vest
If you haven’t tried out the look yet, can I please convince you that a V-neck sleeveless knit is one of those pieces that’s way more useful than it looks? It adds silhouette and definition over a shirt and trousers, turns a plain long-sleeve T-shirt into artful layering, works at an office under a blazer for summer days. Lovely small-batch brand Elwin uses British wool that is sourced, spun, knitted and constructed in England.
Gather & See
British wool V-neck vest
£195
A smile-maker for your handbag
Anya Hindmarch
Chilli sauce card case
£275
Chilli sauce card case
I have much to say on this, so will try to be quick. Firstly: are you carrying a bigger wallet than you need in the post-cash age? Lots of us are. Downsize, it feels very freeing. Secondly: yes, this is a lot of money for a tiny thing but better to spend the cash on something you touch and see 20 times a day than a party dress you wear twice a year. Thirdly: a sense of humour is everything in life, so god bless lovely Anya Hindmarch.
Anya Hindmarch
Chilli sauce card case
£275
A modern British fashion icon
Tallie jumper
Amy Powney is a hero, and this is a hero piece. If you haven’t seen the documentary Fashion Reimagined, which charts her mission to create sustainable designer fashion, go take a look. You may not know her name, but you may well have spotted the signature “pearl shoulder” detail: a lush, ruched sleeve with an arc of faux-pearls, which was her calling card at Mother of Pearl and is a staple of her new brand, Akyn. This sweater is crafted from responsible wool blended with post-consumer recycled nylon. Sustainability at this standard does not come cheap, but the price, if you can stretch to it, is an investment in the planet as well as your wardrobe.
Akyn
Tallie jumper
£350
Meet your new best-friend bag
Cos
Montmarte bowling bag
£139
Montmartre bowling bag
It’s the ergonomics, as much as the aesthetics, that makes for a great bag. The bowling-bag shape is elegant, and the size is roomy enough to fit the day’s essentials but compact enough to feel polished. But most importantly, the leather straps are long enough to tuck the bag under your shoulder, and the double zip opening makes the most of the space. This is an under-the-radar winner.
Cos
Montmarte bowling bag
£139
A spring-in-your-step jacket
Jaegar
Checked cord collar short jacket
£125
Checked cord collar short jacket
This Jaeger jacket is timeless: it could be vintage, but it also looks absolutely modern. The tobacco corduroy collar with felt backing is a smart touch, and looks great turned up or down. The metal chain for your coat hook is classy – Jaeger is a gold-standard British heritage brand, after all. You could wear this with a pencil skirt and kitten heels, or with jeans and wellies.
Jaegar
Checked cord collar short jacket
£125
Cool (but not try-hard) trainers
New Balance 530 trainers
Tricky, isn’t it? I mean, we want trainers that look like we still know what trainers should look like, but we don’t want to look ridiculous. These New Balance trainers are just right: not boring, not weird, and in a neutral colour combination described as “angora, turtledove and mushroom”, which tickled me.
New Balance
530
from £100
A vintage brooch is an outfit maker
Susan Caplan
Vintage elephant brooch
£295
Vintage elephant brooch
Your granny was right: a brooch on the lapel of your jacket is a style flex. Vintage is the way to go. Have a dig around in your local charity shops. For a thoughtful present for a friend, you could trawl eBay for a brooch in their initial, or favourite animal? For style credentials, the name to know is Susan Caplan, who sources vintage jewellery from the past 80 years for her online store. This beauty is 1990s Swarovski, but Caplan has vintage brooches starting from £38.
Susan Caplan
Vintage elephant brooch
£295
For more, read how to look after your knitwear
