If you find M&S a little out of step on style, there’s always Hope
The dream for any brand is to resonate with an audience spanning the widest possible age range. That’s the sweet spot and it’s near impossible to achieve. Whenever I describe how I think up these weekly instalments I explain: “I want to appeal to a tired 35-year-old mother enjoying a rare moment of down time, and I want to offer a bit of Sunday breakfast inspiration to a 90-year-old – she may not want to shop for anything I write about, but maybe she’ll decide to try something new with what she already has.”
You can’t please everyone, that much I have learnt. But I maintain that style can exist at any age. Working with private clients, of all sizes, ages and lifestyles, I learn a lot about women’s insecurities; the brands that speak to them, the items they wish they could wear but the sizing is never big enough, and which celebrity’s style they admire (Melania Trump surprisingly gets clients’ votes a lot of the time, and then there are the obvious candidates; Queen Rania of Jordan, Carole Middleton, Felicity Kendal). One brand that seems to be widely respected is Marks & Spencer. And yet, as much as we all hold M&S dear to our hearts, because it is of course a great pillar of British fashion, so often the reality in store is just a step (or two) behind the visions we see in adverts.
Well, imagine a brand that has the design clout of M&S, indeed is run by a former M&S employee, but is more of a hidden gem, a diamond in the rough. It was at a Smart Works charity fundraiser that I met Nayna McIntosh. McIntosh is the founder and CEO of Hope Fashion (hopefashion.co.uk), and as fate would have it, the brand is based just 10 minutes from where I live in Berkshire. Sizes run from 8-20.
Blue bias-cut skirt, Hope Fashion, £38 (in the sale); hoop earrings, £119, Missoma; gold top, Ginnie’s own (you can find similar at Cos). Skirt, Hope, as above; T-shirt, Ginnie’s own (you can find similar from ATM at Matchesfashion.com or Hush), plimsolls, Ginnie’s own
Being frank, the website doesn’t do the quality of these pieces justice. So I’m telling you it’s worth a gamble, particularly now because the sale is on. This blue bias-cut skirt has an elasticated waist so you can wear it on the hips or the waistline depending on your preference. You can tuck an item in, or wear longer, looser pieces if you have curves you would rather disguise. You can wear it with heels,
Love your leftovers
Compost bucket, £20, National Trust (shop.nationaltrust.org.uk) plimsolls, or boots come winter. It’s just a great item for year-round wearability.
This isn’t a brand applicable only to country living. But it is an independent brand, with an HQ outside of London, targeting women with practical, flattering designs, and led by a lady who has learnt her trade at some of British retail’s major players. Here’s hoping you find something you like.
Magic eye
RéVive moisturising eye cream, £105, Space NK (spacenk.com)
Coffee table classic
The Kennedys book, £32.99, Blackwells (blackwells.co.uk)