Ok, so it's been a while. What can I say? Life was busy. But, I'm back in the game and completely spurred on by the fact it's autumn. I bl**dy love this time of year especially living in North West London. I'm back from a walk with my parents and the dog, wandering down streets with pretty pumpkins and reddy orange leaves. Absolute bliss.

Any way, back on to the proper stuff. Autumn is my favourite time to both wear and buy clothes. After what felt like a forever-long summer sale retailers are starting to react to the colder weather and the new season feels really exciting. I have quite a bit already so never go crazy, but I've added in a few keys pieces. 

my dress / rust silk dress / velvet black dress / balloon sleeved dress / black and red maxi / square necked dress

One thing I have discovered from this year is that I love wearing maxi dresses and don't want to give that up in the colder weather. So I've got myself a couple of long sleeved maxi dresses (a few more will feature on the blog in coming weeks) including this one from And Other Stories. I absolutely love this brand for their dresses, I must have 3 or 4 now. They always fit me so I can shop online (European sizing, so 38 is a 10, 40 is a 12, etc) and they're always a decent quality and under £100. My ones from three years ago are still going strong too. I've put my favourites from them this season above.

Obviously you shouldn't rely on one store for options, so I've had a look around and picked out my favourites starting with more expensive ones and working my way through to high street. Here are some unintentionally black/navy ones as I find them really easy to wear - pair them up with leather jackets and trainers for day time, and coats and smart ankle boots for the evenings. Ganni features heavily (I own this one and love it), it's just her £200 which I don't mind spending from time to time when the colours are so neutral. I know I'll wear it again and again.


navy floral dress / polka dot dress / gold and navy dress / navy with colour bits dress / floral with stripe / navy with daisies

It's really worth checking out Whistles for this kind of thing and don't be mistaken for thinking the brand is uber expensive still (what on earth were they thinking 6 seasons ago when everything was over £300...). I found this one at Selfridges in the sale, a bargain at half price. This one from Michael Kors is stunning, stunning. Perfect for Christmas parties for people who don't know what to wear.

This Me + Em dress is gorgeous, I spotted it on a lady on the tube a few weeks ago and asked her where it was from. I seem to be the only influencer on the planet who doesn't wear this brand every day - I think this dress might be the push I needed. For a little bit more colour, RIXO is great. This one is brilliant and a new shape for them. Previously I found the brand pretty fatt-ist - I couldn't get into their dresses, but this seems to have improved. 

dress, And Other Stories (also comes in black, here) / bag, Gucci / shoes, Gucci

Here's a round up of some plainer style I've found. The idea here is to be able to wear them to work with tights and boots in winter, and possibly to work as most would work with a jacket on top too. I absolutely love how throw-on they all are. Most of them don't even require ironing which is a total win. My favourite two are this navy Monki shirt dress (also would look awesome with a basic jumper on top with the collar poking out, and this comfy-as-hell wool-sweater dress.


navy shirt dress / grey sweater dress / green khaki dress / navy collar shirt dress / black maxi dress 

This one is on sale, reduced to £35, and would be super for work. This green khaki dress is a brilliant colour for paler, autumnal skin tones and looks great. Ooh and I challenge anyone not to feel good in this. Flattering waist, great neckline, good price point. You're welcome. Finally, these two Marks and Spencer basics will be old faithfuls in no time. This black one is brilliantly easy to wear, and this blue one (comes in various colours) is great for anyone worried about losing their shape in a maxi dress.

Photography by Debs at Bang On Style

Those of you who have started following me on Snapchat (annaelerihart) will know the last week was pretty full on... Moving house, balancing work with all the stuff that goes with not being able to find spoons or hairbrushes in the 2000 boxes you've piled into your living room, and remembering to do things like be a dog mummy is actually pretty tiring. As a bit of a treat I decided to go "out out" for a couple of cocktails on Saturday evening to celebrate not having to change address for the foreseeable future (both of us have lived in three places this year, so we're staying put for a while) ...

I wore the dress I've actually picked out for one of the weddings this month - I don't really believe in buying something for one occasion (as my wedding guest dress edit here waxes lyrical about). It's from Reiss here, and is such an easy one to wear. The colour can be really dressed up or down depending on where you're going (for more of Reiss' mint offering see here). I love the fit of it; it sort of skims your shape rather than being tight or loose and I feel really confident in it - a rare thing in any kind of formal/fancy clothing.

I'm going to wear my bright blue L.K.Bennett shoes (here, and they're super reduced now, annoyingly for me) with it a the wedding, paired with this Mango clutch I bought yesterday (see the base of this post for my edit on Mango's clutch bag offering as it's the best in the business at the moment...). Equally, mint green looks great with denim so you could wear it for date nights with a jean jacket (my favourite one is from River Island here) and flat pumps rather than going totally "dressed up."

outfit details at the base of this post

With this outfit I wore my new Mango shoes (also a purchase yesterday) which I am delighted with. For a start just take a look at how similar they are to these Chloe ones, which are £500 more expensive. As someone who owns both "types" I can honestly say the Mango ones do not seem all that different... And they're £24.99 here (flat versions here). Ooh and underwear wise, I've been testing out how durable this Marks and Spencer adhesive strapless bra is - and give it a firm 10 out of 10... No strap at the back and keeps everything where it should be!

Last but not least, the jewellery. Without outfits like this it's the accessories that really do the work. My Astley Clarke bracelets stack is my fail safe and luckily the gems I have pair really well with the colour of this dress. They actually have a sale on at the moment so pieces like this gold/woven one and this bright blue charm piece are half price - take a look at the full collection here. Other important mentions include my pinky ring which I made at The Workbench earlier this year (seriously wish I was spending my Sunday doing this today, such a cool way to spend a few hours) and my Monica Vinader Riva ring - a gift from my late grandmother for my 30th...

dress, Reiss / other mint green Reiss options / similar maxi style
bra (not seen!), marks and spencer

clutch bag, Mango (less than £10) / similar here / similar here

shoes, Mango (in the sale) / similar/identical to these Chloe shoes / flat equivalent

bracelets, Astley Clarke / moon charm bracelet, Astley Clarke / green snowdrop bracelet, Astley Clarke / ring, Monica Vinader / signet ring, The Workbench

Last week I posted this top from Marks and Spencer on my Instagram, more to show off a new blow dry from Duck and Dry than anything else. I don't really make habit of putting iPhone selfies on the blog, but so many of you have asked about it I thought I'd just use the same photo rather than shooting it all over again...

I usually save off the shoulder tops for holidays, but I've decided I'm making an exception. As a tip, go a size down if you buy this particular one as there is a lot of fabric to play with - and Marks and Spencer tends to be quite a generous fit anyway... They can be a little bit "man repeller" - the boyfriend did not understand this outfit at all, although he did later say he really liked the fact I wasn't wearing a bra (more fool him, I was obviously wearing a strapless one - this one - men are idiots).

black lace top, alice and olivia / striped top, Ganni / denim top, Free People / patterned top, Free People / dark denim top, ASOS / red top, Reiss

As we really don't care what boys think, here are some other options for off the shoulder tops that I've tracked down. First up, the ultimate "when I get paid quite a bit" must have from Alice and Olivia here - I meeeeean who doesn't want to dress up as Frieda Pinto and ride around India on a donkey in this little beauty? This striped Ganni top is gorgeous for weekends, and brands like Free People are equally good for "down days" with pieces like this and this. ASOS have some good finds, like this denim one. And lastly, this one from Reiss is a brilliant one if you're looking for something a little smarter.

I'm going to say something that might rock the boat a little bit: I absolutely hate London Fashion Week. It brings out the ugliest part of blogging; the need for one-upmanship. People who are ordinarily lovely suddenly turn into piranhas over invites - and not just whether you've got one, but where you're sitting, and who you're sitting with. Then there are the events, the dinners and who you're meeting with between shows. It's ridiculous as the reality is no blogger is going to be front row at the shows that really matter unless they're sleeping with all of One Direction - and as yet that hasn't happened. Then there all the brands loosely bidding in for their piece of the pie (their involvement rarely fits), and the infuriated editors who just can't understand why you would ever let a blogger attend anything. Overall, it's a headache.

I popped in for a few hours on Friday and that was enough for me...

The other funny thing that happens is the "peacocks" coming out to play... Girls who usually spend their Monday to Friday in boyfriend jeans and sweaters suddenly feel the need to do "a Joey" and put on every item from their (or Chandler's) wardrobe at once, and backcomb their hair into oblivion. I, almost in protest, put on what I always wear - as did Anneli who took these pics. I didn't get asked to have my photo taken, which actually made me feel quite smug as I didn't fall into the category of "The Tryhards"(which isn't always the case, but most of the time - at least if you're standing outside the venue wearing a rainbow and holding your phone seductively).

If you can't see the product feed of all the items in my outfit above, disable your ad blocker or use the following links: shearling jacket, Iris and Ink at The OutNet / breton shirt, Saint James at J Crew / shirt, Hobbs at John Lewis / leather trousers, Marks and Spencer / bracelets, mainly Astley Clarke / sunglasses, Max and Co / boots, Jimmy Choo / bag, L.K Bennett London

I hope you all have wonderful weeks, and may your coffee be strong and your Monday be short!

Photos by Anneli Bush on her super wizard Olympus Pen

Once again I think I'm hugely late on the bandwagon here - but better late than never, eh? In fairness, when a new trend comes in I like to watch it for a while and see where it goes. I'm completely done with spending money on a look that I can only get away with wearing for a month - too old for that rubbish now...

But the pyjama trend isn't going away is it? I first considered it when J Crew launched their paisley pyjama prints, but I couldn't get past the idea of my Dad asking me why I hadn't got dressed to meet him for lunch... Then I spotted my favourite editors and muses doing it and thought, "they're cooler than me, this isn't going to happen." But then mainstream brands like Marks and Spencer (this top here and trouser here are so cheap they're almost free) selling them and began to think it might be a look I can pull off - since the "normal" kids are rocking it...

So, I've decided I'm giving it a whirl during London Fashion Week (as if there is any time standing out blends in, its then). I'm going full on, night-time during day-time. So far I have found this Topshop shirt in the sale, the aforementioned Marks and Spencer pieces here and here, this And Other Stories print and this top to toe olive green pairing or this Maison Kitsune playsuit at The OutNet. I am slightly torn, but think I will probably go for the M and S pairing...

Lastly - is it pajama or pyjama? Answers on a postcard.