Hobbs, in a heartbeat

On Saturday The Boy and I took a trip to the National Portrait Gallery to check out the BP Portrait Award 2013, grabbed some Dim Sum for lunch at Dumplings' Legend, then strolled around Covent garden for the afternoon. 

As a keen user of instagram, I knew that changes were afoot at the flagship Hobbs store on Long Acre so was keen to check out the shops new look.

Now let me tell you, the store looks gorgeous and the collection for this season is fantastic so if you haven't shopped at Hobbs before it's definitely worth a visit as the weather gets cooler.

Here's some pictures of things which caught my eye.

This bird print blouse would be perfect for work and is a great way to introduce yellow to your wardrobe.

The quilted bags were a particular favourite of mine, great quality and really stylish.

Loving these slippers.

Cute prints on tees for the NW3 brand added a quirky twist to the range.

The window displays were beautiful and really gave you a feel for where the brand is going this season.

 Quirky touches like these ducks and the topiary dogs made for a fun shopping experience.

 I love these shoes, classic yet modern and perfect for work or a night out.

 I will definitely be buying these shoes.

 A spot for the men in our lives to take a breather.

It may have been sunny on Saturday but now that the weather has turned cooler I'll definitely be heading back to pick up some bits for the coming season.

Visit the Hobbs website here.

Water, water everywhere...

So, it's the new year and I'm desperately trying not to shop before my trip to New York. Even with my frugal, buy-in-advance ways the lead up to Christmas was an expensive one, so January looks set to be particularly lean. The good news is that not only do I not need anything but my wardrobe is overflowing with gorgeous forgotten gems that simply need a bit of a re-style for SS13 to bring them up-to-date.

That being said, there are plenty of new season beauties out there for the taking. Just not by me. So, here's what I would buy, if I were allowed to shop.

1. A leather-look pencil skirt

PU Pencil Skirt - £28

I went for a wonderful brunch and a wander around Chelsea with Zsa Zsa on Saturday and she was looking as stylish as ever in this little gem from Next - a steal at £28. I liked it so much I found myself on the way to the online check out before reality hit and I had to take myself off to do some cleaning to stop myself from purchasing it - I advise you do so quick before it's sold out.

2. A pleated shirt dress

NW3 Chiara Dress - £149

I love this preppy shirt dress by NW3 at Hobbs - it's a great transitional piece that will work now with tights and boots, then with sandals and a straw hat for the warmer months. I'm telling you, this dress will be mine by the end of the season.

3. Peep-toe wedge boot

Open toe high vamp wedge boots - £60

Wedges are one of my favourite type of heels, comfortable yet stylish and this pair by River Island are absolutely gorgeous and perfect for a night out.

4. A spot of leopard print

Leopard print t-shirt dress - £35

If you know me, you'll know that I love leopard print and this dress by River Island is the perfect way to indulge my addiction without looking like I belong on TOWIE.

5. Big black shoulder bag

Black leather bag - £69.99

It's a big regret of mine that I did not buy the black leather shopper that NW3 did last season and I've been searching for a similar version ever since. Luckily for me Clarks has come up with this beauty to fulfill my shoulder-bag needs - I will also own this by the end of the season, of that I'm sure of.

HOBBS NW3: the wait is almost over

When I went to the Hobbs NW3 press day a few months back I could barely contain my excitement for the AW12 collections - I was pretty much over summer and was already aching for tweeds, knits and boots. So you can imagine my delight last week when the NW3 look book was released online, hinting at the imminent arrival of some of my favourite pieces from the new collection. It was the perfect opportunity for me to take another look at what the brand has in store over the coming weeks (i.e. compile my shopping list).

Personally I'm loving all these looks but I'm particularly excited for the wide leg trousers, leather jacket and pocket midi-skirt (there's also a gorgeous duck print shirt I'm lusting after). Bring on the colder weather that's what I say.

Find out more about NW3 and shop the collection here.

LOTD: Pretty in pink

Last week (for about five minutes) the sun came out so I decided to throw caution to the wind and wear my NW3 pink silk blazer that I bought last summer. Now, you may notice that in some of these images I'm cowering in a doorway, that's because it had inevitably started to rain again (don't you just love the British summer?) and I had to persuade The Boy to continue taking my photo whilst getting soaked through - I guess it must be love. I'm pretty pleased with this ensemble and hope to wear it again before we settled into Autumn (if that hasn't already happened).

Jacket - NW3

Vest - NW3

Bag - Hobbs

Trousers - Hobbs

Shoes - Dune

Belt - Primark

Look of the day: Friday

Dress: NW3

Boots: New Look

With a film crew trailing me around the office (don't even ask) I needed to look my best this past Friday so I turned to what seems to have quickly become my favourite dress: the parliament shirt dress by NW3 at Hobbs. I've only worn it a handful of times but whenever I put it on I instantly feel cool (that's right, me, cool). The dress is silk and has a really cute paperclip print which I love. NW3 are known for their quirky prints but this has been my favourite one so far.

Oh and I wore my hair extensions (alas, my hair did not grow overnight).

Hobbs & NW3 press day

Last night I had the pleasure of being invited to the Hobbs and NW3 Autumn/Winter 2012 press day (is there a better end to a rainy Tuesday?) and let me tell you, I was more than impressed. I've always loved the classic tailoring of the Hobbs main range and the quirky prints of NW3 but for AW12 they have really outdone themselves. What I loved most about these collections were that whilst Hobbs have nodded towards some of the key looks for the coming season they have remained true to their roots of quality and quintessentially British style.

The jewellery and accessories have really stepped up as well (who doesn't love a necklace with a bike pendant?) and I think these are areas where the brand will really set themselves apart going forward. Stand out pieces for me were a two-tone shift dress combined with a detachable peplum belt in black leather, a floral fifties-style dress and a faux fur collar (along with just about every print in the NW3 range). Oh, and some of the amazing leather bags. Obviously.

I personally can't wait to shop the Hobbs and NW3 AW12 collections - but for now take a look at the awesome SS collections here (I love the floral blazer and the dani bag by NW3).

Collection launch

Last Thursday saw the launch of the SS12 collections at work, which led to much excitement on the branch merch team. Over the past weeks we had been eagerly awaiting our letters and drawing up lists of potential items we wanted to buy. Therefore when the letters finally came we headed straight for the nearest store. Much of Thursday lunchtime was spent trying on potential outfits in South Molton Street before heading back to the office to consider our options. I’m pretty much in love with all of the SS12 collections so for me, queen of indecision, making a final choice has proved pretty tricky. With Mother Davies staying over last weekend we took a trip to the Covent Garden store on Saturday to look at options (and for her to see the amazingness that is the store on Longacre). The champagne, comfortable seats and attentive sales assistants had her won over in about five minutes and thanks to the great store staff and a spot of creative thinking I ended up with some great work wear for Spring Summer.

This paperclip dress is pretty much my most favourite thing in my wardrobe right now.

The NW3 collection is really strong this season, here are some of my current faves:

Shop the new season collections at www.hobbs.co.uk