The British Designers Collective at Bicester Village

Some days, because of what I do for a living I can easily forget that I’m working… and Wednesday was one of those days. I was at Bicester Village for the press launch of their 2^nd pop-up boutique called the British Designers Collective, in association with the British Fashion Council (the doors opened to the general public yesterday)… I was there to chat to the designers, magazine editors, fashion bloggers… et al and it was fabulous! The store was officially opened by British actress Thandie Newton, who is a key supporter of UK designers and a known ambassador of British fashion – she looked so fab in her Marios Schwab dress and was incredibly down to earth and lovely.

So what is the British Designers Collective (BDC)? Well, it’s a unique collaboration between Value Retail (who own Bicester Village) and the British Fashion Council (www.britishfashioncouncil.com) – the idea is to showcase emerging designers all under one roof, introducing them to a wider audience in a fabulous environment, with fantastic reductions (up to 60% off!). What more could you want??

This year the BDC is boasting some of the most exciting names in British fashion, including Jonathan Saunders, Holly Fulton, Felder Felder, Preen and Marios Schwab. There is something for everyone… from everyday knitwear by Goat to show-stopping dresses from Felicity Brown. For a full list of brands see below… or have a look at Bicester Village’s website www.bicestervillage.com.

Now this is the important bit… in order to see this wonderful store for yourselves you need to get down to the village quickly, as the British Designers Collective only runs for six weeks until mid-May. Clothing aside, you’re in for a visual spectacular as the store has been specifically designed for the occasion and this year, colour is key! There’s a neon-pink telephone box outside and the interior decor has to be seen to be believed… it just adds to the whole shopping experience – with neon of course being hugely on trend for S/S 11!

Here are some of my favourite items in-store and photos from the event… maybe some of these hugely sought-after names/pieces will end up in your own wardrobe??

Thandie Newton outside the neon telephone box and BDC

Identical twin sisters Annette and Daniela Felder

Holly Fulton outside the BDC

Everyone listening to Thandie Newton speak at the launch

Inside the store

Amazing dress from Preen, was £715 now £429

Killer heels from Lara Bohinc

Can I have all 4?? Holly Fulton clutch bags from £225. I love them!

Holly Fulton printed dress was £595 now £397 (Holly is clearly a new fave of mine...)

The piece that stole the show - every blogger and editor tried it on or photographed it - A bright orange sheep-skin by Osman, was £1900 now £1095

 

The brand list: Georgina Goodman, Preen Line by Thornton Bregazzi, Goat, Felder Felder, Emma Cook, Felicity Brown, Holly Fulton, Fiona Paxton, Marios Schwab, Lara Bohinc, Mawi, Osman, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Lilly and Lionel, Jane Carr, Jonathan Saunders, Markus Lupfer, From Somewhere, Todd Lynn, Richard Nicholl and Elvis & Kresse!

Visit www.bicestervillage.com for more info on all the designers.

Ideal Home Show and S/S 11 Q&A session

I had a really great afternoon yesterday (and last Tuesday) at the Ideal Home Show. I was speaking on a panel of “experts” about fashion and style – what we should be wearing for the new season and essential items for every woman’s wardrobe etc (http://www.idealhomeshow.co.uk/cws-fashion-style/). I had some initial pre-session nerves but as soon as I got the microphone in my hand you couldn’t shut me up and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Also on the panel with me yesterday were Clare Watson from “Miss-Dress” and her colleague Bianca Smit from “Who is the Fairest” – I hope we gave some good advice!

After the show... Bianca from Who is the Fairest, myself and Clare from Miss-Dress!

Here are some of my answers to the questions we were asked…

Q: What should we be wearing for S/S 11?

A: Bright colours are key! The easiest way to introduce them is by adding a really colourful scarf or handbag to your outfit. Bright shoes are another easy way to bring some life to an otherwise simple look. But you must wear them with confidence! (Something to note – people often think they can’t wear brights and suit paler, softer colours instead… Now obviously it depends on the shade, but as an example I look far better in hot pink than I do in baby pink, which seriously washes me out! Before perchasing just try a colour against your skin, hold it by your face and see if you look healthy or drained!)

Me sporting my new bright pink patent Ted Baker shoes from Bicester Village (£40) and River Island Scarf (£14.99)

Q: What items should every woman have in her wardrobe?

A: A great fitting pair of jeans (easier said than done I hear you say! On a budget try TopShop, French Connection or GAP; for the new “It” jeans buy Adriano Goldschmied and for a more classic/higher-rise pair invest in some ”Not Your Daughters Jeans”), a decent leather handbag (that doesn’t look like you’ve had it for 10 years and isn’t too small, like something a child could use! The likes of Oasis, Warehouse and Topshop have great leather handbags these days, for the next level up try Russel&Bromley or go for broke and head to Mulberry, Miu Miu or Prada!! Why not – it’s an investment piece!!), a simply cut day dress that can be dressed up for evening (try COS, Zara, Reiss or DVF) and a tailored jacket to sharpen up dresses, jeans etc (my favourite at the moment is from Topshop for £55).

Q: What are some of the easiest trends to wear this season?

A: Apart from Brights, I would say that florals are an easy way to update for S/S. There are floral print tops, dresses and skirts everywhere but if you’re feeling cautious start out with a floral bag like the one below. Again, a quick word of warning about florals: unless you’re über trendy and an Alexa Chung look-a-like don’t think you can raid the loft and pull out a Laura Ashley “special” that you’ve been saving for the past 20years. The floral look this time around is quite, quite different!).

Easy floral update... Bag from Accessorize £30

P.S. I came across a fantastic company at the Ideal Home Show called www.littlelou.com… they make the most incredible “Jewelabra’s”… when they send me some images I’ll put them up!

P.P.S. Website info for all of the above…  Accessorize (www.accessorize.com), Adriano Goldschmied (www.agjeans.com), Bicester Village (www.bicestervillage.com) COS (www.cosstores.com),  DVF (www.dvf.com), Miu Miu (www.miumiu.com), Mulberry (www.mulberry.com), Not Your Daughters Jeans (www.nydj.eu/en/home), Oasis (www.oasis-stores.com) Prada (www.prada.com), Reiss (www.reissonline.com), River Island (www.riverisland.com), Topshop (www.topshop.com), Warehouse (www.warehouse.co.uk) and ZARA (www.zara.com).  

The Ideal Home Show at Earls Court, London

 

Prada and Miu Miu heaven

I had the most fabulous afternoon on Monday… and no I didn’t bump into Brad Pitt or a George Clooney look-a-like… Thinking about it, things didn’t start out quite as fabulously, as upon leaving the house I went flying on black ice after about 10 yards and nearly went straight back in – but I decided that I wouldn’t be beaten by the weather!

Prada (www.prada.com) on Old Bond Street was my first stop followed by the newly opened Miu Miu store on New Bond Street (www.miumiu.com). BLISS! Ok, I’m easily pleased but I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for both the brands ever since I was a buyer. I remember my first trip to the Prada and Miu Miu showrooms in Milan – I was on “cloud 9”, just sitting in the reception I knew that I was somewhere very special! I can’t quite put it into words but it was a mixture of excitement to see the new collections for the season, exquisitely dressed people speaking Italian and very handsome men!!!

Now I know we’re only talking about clothes and accessories but even a simple black skirt seemed far more glamorous than normal. I remember one season that the female sales people wore knee-length shorts, knee-high socks and Prada loafers and they looked so incredibly chic (I’d have looked like a boy-scout)!! The fabrics and leathers used for the collections were second to none and the quality was exceptional.

Miu Miu, Prada’s little sister brand was somewhat more edgy – I remember being in an appointment with my boss (who was “Mrs. Prada Sport” and definitely not “Mrs. Miu Miu” – for those who aren’t in the know, there’s a BIG difference!) and being shown by a sales person what I can only describe as a long brown pillow-case with sleeves and a red bow at the neck… (this was quite normal at Miu Miu, one season it was beautifully girly and quirky – other times it was just odd) – we looked at her and used our favourite expression for this type of situation… “Erm, we couldn’t possibly buy something like that as we’re a bit backward in Chester,” and then they’d look at us as they always did, as though we had 2 heads! Basically our customer didn’t buy something necessarily because it said Miu Miu on the label – we were in footballer’s wives territory, they wanted to look good!!

Anyway, some of my fondest buying memories were in that showroom, even though I also remember after being in there from 9am-6pm (following a 5.30am flight) that I’d always end up suffering from really bad motion sickness because the rails were on wires hanging from the very high ceilings and they made me feel sick and dizzy whenever they moved from side to side!

Ever since then Prada handbags have been the ultimate luxury to me and a definite investment, whether in canvas or leather, they are built to last. Miu Miu also has incredible bags, which are often more “relaxed” than Prada (usually with a slightly lower price point) – and in my opinion they can be a more feminine alternative to Mulberry for everyday bags.

As you can imagine, I was so excited to see the new Miu Miu shop on New Bond Street and it was even better than I imagined. Everything is laid out almost as though you’re in a grown-up sweet shop – you just pick what you want from what is on display (I wish!) – everything was to die for… I especially loved the sequinned bag that was in the window, an instant outfit maker! So next time you’re in London, you must make a trip into Miu Miu’s world. Take a look…

Top of my Christmas wish list... the sequinned Miu Miu bag

Miu Miu mannequins sitting pretty

A selection of shoes in the window

 

The bag AGAIN.... it's following me...

P.S. INSIDER INFO ALERT: PRADA has just opened at Bicester Village in Oxfordshire and it is truly fabulous… get in there quick (www.bicestervillage.com)! Of course unfortunately, the Prada bag I want for Christmas is full price on Bond Street – will Father Christmas come through for me this year??

You have been warned

I attended an event last week, primarily because I was speaking at it, but also because there were some workshops dealing with style and body-shape, which were fascinating. I wasn’t necessarily “fascinated” because I wanted to learn anything myself – but I wanted to see how the ladies attending reacted to the information given. The group was a mix of ages, body-shapes and budgets. After the workshops there was a question and answer session and it was then that something really hit me…

The room was filled with attractive women, all who had the potential to look great. However, you could tell that the majority were so lacking in confidence in their style and shopping ability that they were practically paralyzed by the fear of buying an item that wasn’t “right for them”.

One woman shouted out that she couldn’t ever find a handbag – and that she found it difficult to decide what suited her? To be honest, I thought it was a God given gift that all women were programmed to buy shoes and bags with the greatest of ease…. I’m joking… I know shopping doesn’t come naturally to everyone but this woman was pretty stressed out about it (but no fear, after 15 minutes with me she’d fallen in love with one and went home happy… my love for handbags is obviously quite contagious as she’d not bought one in years!).

© Lithium366 | Dreamstime.com

When I try to work out why some people love shopping and others struggle, I think it’s down to one thing… If you think of shopping as a chore, then it will be. On the other hand, if you think of it as fun, it’ll be a more enjoyable experience. Another reason, people often think about things too much – is it the right colour/style/price… Will they find something else better?? They don’t simply think, “Do I love it? Yes? Ok then I’ll buy it”. Also, sometimes they want it to do too many things… Can I wear it with jeans? Suits? Dresses? Expecting too much from an item will mean it will ultimately not meet all criteria, so there’s a reason not to buy it.

I understand budget is more of a concern for some at the moment, but I’d rather buy something I loved – than something that was “oh so practical” (if I loved it and it happened to be practical then AMAZING!). Probably this is because generally I have a very positive experience when shopping – plus it’s my job to make a shopping trip simple. If my client tells me they need X,Y and Z, I’m like, “No problem.” That’s my job. Just tell me how much you want to spend and what colour you want – I’ll do the rest…

It’s only when I’m with certain people that sometimes I do think – “Oh Lord, this isn’t going to be my first unsuccessful shopping trip is it??” – when they’re talking about how difficult they find shopping and how they can never find anything… But it never is. Once we get going and they realize it’s not that bad and we have a bit of fun – suddenly it stops being so stressful and such a worry. And you can see the relief in their faces. They say “Have you ever had anyone who hasn’t spent anything?” “No” is my reply. As usually the issue is they spend too much! If I’m enthusiastic, my customer gets swept along too…. Shopping doesn’t then become a stressful chore anymore, but a fun experience. When making a decision about buying a handbag for example, I ask them do they have “handbag envy” when I try it on… And also if it was the only one in the shop and someone else wanted it – how would they feel?? That usually does it!   

I know when I tell my customers that fashion is meant to be fun they only begin to believe me when they’ve realised it for themselves once we’ve broken the back of their shopping list. Like lots of things you’ve got to see it to believe it… but once you’ve been bitten with the shopping bug, it’s quite dangerous…. there’s no going back – you have been warned!

P.S. Some Bicester Village news… they have just opened a pop-up store dedicated to British designers such as Hannah Marshall, PPQ and Erdem. I was in there the other day and they had some amazing WOW pieces! The “British Designers Collective” runs until May 7th – so get down there quick – it’s a definite must visit destination for any fashionista! For more info visit www.bicestervillage.com.

Alexander was the greatest!

I was completely stunned when I heard the news about Alexander McQueen last week. For a short time I got the same feeling in the pit in my stomach that I’d felt after hearing that Michael Jackson had died – when you know that someone with enormous talent, has gone forever. It’s very difficult to comprehend that someone who seemingly “has it all” decides to take their own life – we all dream of having talent or success like he had – it’s hard to imagine that deep unhappiness could ever go hand-in-hand with such achievements. But apparently after the death of his mother the week before his own, for McQueen there seemed very little left to live for. His McQ show had been scheduled for the afternoon of his death in New York, his Paris show was in a couple of weeks – but seemingly none of it was important anymore. It makes you truly realise if you’re not happy then absolutely nothing matters.

I’d never met McQueen or been to one of his shows, but I felt as if I might as well have done – when in the vicinity of his creations and surrounded by his clothes, you felt for a minute that you’d just gained an insight into his brilliant mind – even if only briefly. He was a true genius and one of, if not the most influential designers of his time.

Tributes flooded in from all over the world after the news broke – British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman said simply, “It is an incredible loss not only for British fashion but for fashion the world over.”

McQueen left school with one O-level in art and began his career at the age of 16 as an apprentice at Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard. Clearly talented from a very young age, one of his earliest memories that he often recalled was drawing a picture of a dress on the wall of his family’s council house in London’s East End aged 3. He worked at Gieves and Hawkes, the theatre costumier Angels & Bermans and then as a pattern cutter at Romeo Gigli, in Milan. After this time he returned to London aged 21 where he was offered a place on the MA course at Central Saint Martins.

It was around then time that he met someone who would change his life (and interestingly also his name, as she encouraged him to use his middle name Alexander instead of his first name Lee). This was the late fashion editor Isabella Blow, who bought his entire collection upon his graduation from St. Martins and theirs became one of the designer’s most important relationships. She became his friend and mentor – and her own tragic end clearly had a huge effect on McQueen – as she took her own life in 2007. Apparently this was something he never got over.

McQueen worked as the head designer at Givenchy (replacing John Galliano) in 1996 but they parted ways in 2001 as the position was “constraining his creativity”. It was after this time that the Gucci group bought a 51% stake in McQueen’s business which catapulted him to the world-wide stage and he opened stores in London, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Milan. He also launched his diffusion line McQ in 2005. He was hailed as the “enfant terrible” and his Paris catwalk shows, the highlight of Paris Fashion Week since 2000, were dramatic spectacles show-casing his creations like no-one had done before. He pushed things to the limit – forcing models to walk in 12 inch “alien” looking platforms… some so terrified to walk down the run-way in them, that they actually refused.

Liberty's window on Great Marlborough Street this week, "For McQueen and Country"

 Personally, I’ve always been drawn to McQueen’s collections. Some of them were a bit scary looking but every spectacular piece had to be appreciated for what it was – a work of art. I only really started to come into closer contact with his clothes after they opened their store at Bicester Village (I’m their Style Consultant) – it’s probably my favourite store there. I love spending time in there as I really feel as though I’m in the presence of something very exciting – real fashion. When I’d be doing research for clients or choosing “Hot picks” for the village, I’d undoubtedly end up in the store. The dresses are often ethereal, the sharp tailoring is second to none and the accessories and shoes are simply stunning

I remember once being in Liberty with a client and buying a pair of McQueen black patent leather kitten heeled ballet pumps. Initially I thought there were silver rose buds dangling off the little ties on the front of the bow – on closer inspection, they weren’t rose buds at all… of course they were skulls! I should have known (as the skull is his most iconic trademarks)!

I also remember after waiting to see Sarah Jessica Parker at the London Premier of the Sex and the City movie, when she emerged from her blacked out car in one of his creations. I couldn’t believe how amazing she looked. Of course she wore McQueen – the film’s world premier was in London – so she had to wear the capital’s most talented designer…

I could go on and on – but if you want to see many of the iconic images from his collections click on this link from the Daily Mail which I think just about covers everything:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1250252/Alexander-McQueen-A-life-fashion.html

 I was pleased to read this morning that PPR, the parent company who own the Gucci Group has announced that his brand will definitely go on… But without his genius, there are some very big shoes left to fill.

Fur coats and fireworks

I returned from my fun-filled New Year’s trip to Munich on Saturday feeling somewhat jaded (those Germans really know how to “party” and if you’ve never been I thoroughly recommend it!). As the majority of my 4 days away were spent in a bit of a hung-over daze, our activities during daylight hours were fairly low-key (Munich comes awake at about 1am!) but I did partake in one of my favourite “sports” – people watching!

The residents of Munich are a pretty chic breed on the whole and due to the cold weather the winter “fashion parade” was in full flow. There was an abundance of fur coats, hats and boots – in fact they looked like they’d raided the set of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” (another thing I noticed was that “Moncler” puffer jackets were everywhere www.moncler.it/)… It’s funny that when my sister and I wore our (faux) fur coats on NYE we looked more like we were working the streets! Why is that?? I find it so annoying that we just don’t seem to be able to dress for the cold like our foreign cousins! Maybe it’s because we don’t have as much call for “full on” winter ensembles as they do (salopettes don’t count!) – even though this winter the snow and ice does seem to be hanging around in the UK more than usual so that if it becomes an annual occurrence maybe we’ll need to “up the winter fashion ante” in the future.

© Mshake | Dreamstime.com

Something else our Continental friends do better than we do is D.I.Y. fireworks! At midnight, as 2009 turned into 2010, we spilled out onto the Munich streets with our German friends, clutching champagne glasses to view the amazing firework displays that were lighting up the sky (it was so cold that I had to prize my hand off the glass when we got back inside!). At one point my sister was handed a sparkler and piped up “Aren’t we supposed to wear gloves?” She’d obviously watched too many of those government-sponsored adverts on UK tv warning us to avoid having our hands burned off by holding sparklers gloveless!! Our German counterparts were so much more relaxed about fireworks in general. They were going off at both ends of the street where we were standing, shooting into the sky at all angles. Compared to what we’re used to these days in the UK the sky was like some kind of war zone (all I was thinking was “where the heck are all those rocket sticks going to come down??”). The last fireworks I watched were at the Clapham Common Bonfire Night display in London and they didn’t let us within about 500m of the action – just in case!….. (I must add that on NYE I actually was hit on the head by what appeared to be a used firework wrapper but I’ve lived to tell the tale and everyone around me found it completely hilarious at the time!)… 

Anyway, one thing I was very happy to have with me in Munich was my new Ugg boots (www.uggaustralia.com). I had managed to last without a pair up until the Monday before Christmas when I was in London and it really snowed. The weather forecast had said there might be a light sprinkling so I carried my “faux” Uggs with me just case (I actually bought them in Munich a couple of years ago, from a hilariously cheap shoe shop appropriately called “Tack” – even though that’s very unfair to be honest because they’d lasted pretty well considering they’d only cost 6 Euros). Anyway, in London, I got off the tube where I was meeting a friend and when I emerged from the station I couldn’t believe my eyes – I might as well have been stepping off a plane in Lapland, such was the snowy scene in front of me. It was so lovely and Christmassy… however, walking in it was another matter. I put on my “Tack” boots and began trudging through the snow. Instantly I remembered something…the memory of “a horrible wet feeling”. It had happened last March when I’d worn the same boots to Sainsbury’s in the snow – after putting my foot in what I thought was black snow – but was actually a deep black slushy puddle!! My boots were SO soaking when I arrived in Sainsbury’s that I had to insert plastic bags into the boots (classy!) to put my feet into as they were completely soaked and I was squelching down the aisles! Afterwards I’d sworn to at least buy some Wellington boots for future snowy expeditions… However obviously I’d forgotten as here I was again, last week, squelching down the road – my boots so heavy with water this time that my feet turned completely inwards as I walked! 

So after this experience I’d decided that I would get some water-proof boots to take with me to Munich. I knew the obvious choice was a pair of Uggs – and to be honest I don’t know why I’d never invested in a pair before. Well actually I do – it’s due to the fact that everyone has them, which kind of put me off!! And also people wear them in the summer with denim mini skirts to go to Blockbuster for example, as though they’re slippers (I know this kind of outing feels like a “slipper” type shoe is appropriate but Uggs… in July!!). Please!

"Bind" Ugg boots

Anyway, I decided I’d be sensible and go to Ellis Brigham (the outdoorsy shop www.ellis-brigham.com) and get some practical black après-ski-type boots…. However en-route I slipped into Kate Kuba (www.katekuba.co.uk) “just to have a look” and spotted some rather lovely black Uggs (that were different to the “slipper” variety and more substantial and “booty”). In Ellis Brigham I found a perfect pair that didn’t make my size 8 feet look too horrendously huge. However, when I walked in them they squeaked a bit… the guy selling them to me said “Well as long as you don’t work in a library…?” What? Forget a library – I didn’t want to sound like a giant mouse when walking in them down the street! But really I was thinking how nice the Uggs were – so yes, off I went back to Kate Kuba to get them and I SO made the right decision!

They are possibly the most comfortable boots I’ve ever had. They’re the “Bind” type that are laced up the back, with molded rubber soles (I cut off the dangling beads that hung off the laces – they were very annoying and reminded me of dreads!). Lots of places appear to have sold out of the black ones and only have the tan ones left, but I found some on the Office website: (www.office.co.uk). At £200 they’re not cheap but as I kept telling myself they’re an investment. And at least I won’t have to resort to plastic bags in the future!

 P.S.

 An Ugg store has just opened at Bicester Village so you can get fabulous boots at even better prices – plus there’s a Moncler store too (www.bicestervillage.com)! That’s your wintry wardrobe sorted…

Winter Hues

Is anyone else excited that winter is approaching? I love it when you can wrap up in chunky knits and striped woolly bed socks and not feel guilty about staying in, snug as a bug watching X-factor, instead of venturing out into the cold (I bought an amazing pair of pink and grey striped “slipper socks” with pom-poms last week from River Island, they’re in the “lounge-wear” section on their website www.riverisland.com).

In reality however, as I live in England, winter usually means that it simply rains more… as opposed to being really cold in the lovely fresh way that you get in other countries in Europe. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ve been very happy about the fact that it’s been unseasonably warm recently - for a couple of reasons: saving on gas bills (is it just me or are they getting outrageous!) and, obviously, the lack of rain!

But due to the seasonal nature of fashion I’ve been buying pieces for my A/W wardrobe since August – and I want to get wearing them! It’s now time to get out the scarves, hats and gloves that you’ve had wrapped up all year to keep out the moths (I have those pesky tiny ones that you don’t seem to be able to get rid of – they’re very annoying!) and start layering.

Nevertheless, if the moths have got to your sweaters, panic not as there is some fabulous knitwear around at the moment. It’s interesting though that a client of mine commented the other day that the majority of knits in stores appeared to be either black or grey. Now this isn’t really an issue for me as I love both of those colours (even though apparently I shouldn’t wear either as they are “not in my colour palette” – a very important topic for another blog, so don’t even get me started!). We went into Warehouse on Argyll Street (W1) and there wasn’t much choice colour-wise for knits. However, there was much more on their website. They had a good selection of purples, reds and greens in some really great shapes (check out www.warehouse.co.uk).

 

One of the most versatile pieces of knitwear I’ve bought this season is this great jumper dress from River Island – of course it’s grey! It was £39.99 and is great dressed up with tights and ankle boots or dressed down with black jeggings and flats (www.riverisland.com).

So have a play around with knitwear this season and don’t just head for the v-neck sweater aisle. An easy item to up-date an outfit is a cardigan-coat. Go for one that’s drapy as opposed to too chunky as they can pile on the pounds… obviously black or grey would be a great investment but I saw a great one in French Connection in purple (www.frenchconnection.com) that would make a real statement even with a simple pair of jeans… and a v-neck sweater!

Insider tip –  I was at Bicester Village in Oxfordshire last week (I’m their Style Consultant) and I bought the most stunning pair of Ralph Lauren black cashmere elbow length gloves… a genuine snip at £29.99 reduced from £125!! They had purple and green ones too but get there quick as they won’t last long (www.bicestervillage.com)!