Journal

Having spent the last few months at home, we’re sure you’re now all experts at tidying, sorting, cleaning and baking! Here at Stanwells we know how difficult it is to overhaul your wardrobe and perhaps even your personal style, but we also know how rewarding it is to streamline your wardrobe with a few key investments. We’ve rounded up our 5 staple pieces that your wardrobe should revolve around, to make day-today dressing a breeze... The smart-casual dress Seeing as we’re approaching Summer, it feels appropriate that we kick things off with a dress. Investing in a flattering shape, luxurious fabric and timeless colours or patterns will ensure you never get tired of wearing it. Midi dresses are perfect for transitioning from a relaxed daytime look paired with some Golden Goose sneakers and Taylor Morris sunglasses, to a chic evening outfit worn with heels and a Jerome Dreyfuss bag. They are flattering on more or less any figure and look good no matter what your height, as long as it skims your calf at it’s thinner point. Whether you’re in need of a wedding guest look, a throw on sun dress or an evening outfit, the midi dress is the perfect solution to all your wardrobe needs. Here are our favourites of the season so far: Hayley Menzies Eden Midi Dress in Yellow Baum & Pferdgarten Axelle Dress in Cream & Black Boomerang Essentiel Antwerp Vayen Dress in Black Floral with Dots The throw on blazer Perfect for year-round wear, a blazer should be your best friend when it comes to seasonal styling. Whether you throw it on with jeans and a tee or smarten it up with wide leg trousers and heels, the blazer is an essential piece in every fashionista's wardrobe. This season we’re loving the oversized look, with Isabel Marant and Essentiel Antwerp playing on masculine tailoring within their collections. Think large shoulders and boxy silhouettes from the 80's mixed seamlessly with the chic prints and patterns of today. We couldn’t live without one of these 3 styles… Essentiel Antwerp Voise Floral Print Check Jacket Vince Drapey Boyfriend Blazer in Sun Creme Essentiel Antwerp Vaneyck Jacket in Grey Plaid The relaxed jean Denim will never go out of style and this season we’re loving the relaxed, easy to wear silhouette. This new classic tends to be high waisted with a straight leg cut, that lengthens the leg and looks effortlessly cool paired with your throw on blazer and some sneakers. Look no further than Boyish for a selection of laid-back styles perfect for everyday wear. Crafted from recycled cotton, in a slightly more rigid denim than we’re used to, these jeans hark back to the balloon leg from the 80's. Here are our top picks that we know you’ll love… Boyish The Tommy Jeans in The Hustler Boyish The Toby Jeans in Rear Window Boyish The Mikey Jeans in Two For The Road The Classic Shirt A true wardrobe staple whatever the season, a crisp shirt can elevate your look to a whole new level. Whether you’re a fan of timeless white cotton, sumptuously soft silk or lightweight linen, we’ve got you covered with our selection of designer tops. We love a loose, flowing linen shirt paired with jeans for easy everyday style. If you’re looking to make a statement why not add a bold print to your wardrobe with an Essentiel Antwerp shirt in a cool oversized fit. We’ve rounded up our favourites for you… Essentiel Antwerp Viral Navy Polka Dot Shirt Velvet by Graham & Spencer Ramona Shirt in White 120% Lino Long Sleeve Shirt with Embellishment in Avio Blue The go-anywhere trainer Perhaps the most essential item of all, trainers are the finishing touch to almost all of our favourite looks this season. Whether you’re sporting a summer dress or a chic trouser suit, trainers add a touch of cool-girl style that you can’t get from any other shoe. Unsure which style to go for?... We love a hi-top style on long legs paired with an ankle skimming skirt and a simple tee, or for the more petite lady try some chunky sole sneakers with a sun dress or jeans. Our top picks of the season so far are… Golden Goose Running Sole Sneaker Ash Cult Trainers in White/Ariel Golden Goose Slide Sneakers in Silver Glitter

How to Wear: AW18 Trends Get ahead of the trends with the Stanwells guide to AW18 dressing; from bold prints to sumptuous textures and chunky footwear, we’re here to help you curate your coolest outfits yet. Why not try pairing casual trainers with a structured blazer for a modern take on daytime dressing or perhaps mix a bold print with tonal accents for a chic co-ordinated look. Here’s our round-up of the hottest trends for AW18 and how to wear them… Animal Print A timeless classic, animal prints feature heavily in our AW18 collections from traditional animal skins from Jerome Dreyfuss to fantastical animal illustrations from Emma Shipley. It’s important to use animal print in moderation and we think it works best used as an accent to your outfit through accessories and outerwear. Combine bold leopard prints with denim, black and oatmeal to tone your look down or add a bright splash of colour to your outfit with a wildlife print scarf. Here’s how we would style our current animal print favourites: Jerome Dreyfuss Remi Bag | Jumper 1234 Balloon Sleeve Sweater | Citizens of Humanity Elsa Jeans Emma Shipley Frith Silk Chiffon Scarf | Smythe Portrait Neck Blazer | Parker Smith Step Hem Straight Jeans Chunky Trainers Dress like an Instagram Fashionista this Autumn and add some chunky trainers to your wardrobe. Perfect for adding some extra height and cool-girl style to your daytime look, pair your trainers with everything from jeans to joggers or add an edge to your dresses and smart tailoring. Take a look at how we’d wear them this season for some outfit inspiration: Maison Labiche Bonjour Paris Sweater | AG Jeans Jodi Crop Flares | Ash Addict Trainers   Boutique Moschino Silk Front Cardi | Sportmax Giava Trousers | Crime Dynamic Trainers Stylish Slogans Slogans are here to stay and our AW18 offerings subtly play on the logo-mania trend, from small embroidered phrases to bold, vibrant logos. Make your outfit social media worthy by pairing your chic slogan prints with anything from feminine pastel gilets and laid-back joggers to a tailored jacket and jeans. Here are our favourite slogan pairings at the moment:   Maison Labiche Oh La La Tee | Smythe Duchess Blazer | Parker Smith Courtney Crop Jeans   Parajumpers Dodi Gilet | Chinti & Parker Cropped Lounge Pants Why not try venturing out of your comfort zone and pick one of the above trends to update your winter wardrobe? We’d love you to let us know what your favourite AW18 trends are on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Let’s keep in mind that the season has only just started, so you can expect an abundance of new season trends to be filtering through our new arrivals section every week. Keep your eyes peeled for our next installment of How to Wear: AW18 Trends over the next few weeks as we’ve only just scratched the surface!...

It’s that time of year again, the Stanwells Summer sale is in full swing and there’s a plethora of designer items waiting to be snapped up! To make it a little easier for you, we’ve curated a hand-picked selection of our favourite pieces that we’re sure you won’t want to miss out on… Pleated Pairing | Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini Breathe some life into your evening wardrobe with this chic co-ord set by Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini. The perfect alternative to a summer dress, this elegant duo was made for smart summer evenings. Styled with gentle pleats and contrasting black stripe detailing this pair embraces one of summer’s hottest trends, all white everything. Lightweight Linen | 120% Lino Sometimes you need to keep it simple and what better way to do this than with some vibrant summer basics from 120% Lino. Look pretty in pink with these fabulous short sleeve shirts, perfect for rolling up and packing in your suitcase ready for your summer getaway. Now with 30% off in our Summer Sale, what’s not to love? Delicate Lace | Perseverance London A classic summer trend, lace is timelessly pretty and these lace dresses by Perseverance London are no exception. Whether you’re off to the polo, Henley Royal Regatta or the Wimbledon Championships, we’ve got your outfit covered with these fabulous dresses. Why not pair them with some Ash sandals from our designer shoe collection to finish off your look with a modern edge? Bohemian Bliss | Mes Demoiselles Look no further than Mes Demoiselles for chic boho combinations fresh from Paris. Style this dotty pairing with some cowboy boots and a Helen Kaminski hat for a Parisian twist on traditional summer style. Why not mix and match the Homelie Blouse below with your favourite denim shorts or cropped jeans for endless outfit options? Tropical Temptations | Maison Baluchon No outfit is complete without fabulous accessories and these Maison Baluchon pouches are sure to bring some colour into your holiday wardrobe. Styled in a range of vibrant colours, these pouches of varying size are perfect for holding all your essentials and ooze summer style. Now with 50% off in our Summer Sale! Stand-out Sandals | Ash & Gia Couture Complete your look with some funky footwear from our sale hotlist, whether you're looking for dazzling party shoes or comfy flats we’ve got something for you in our designer sandal selection. These playful pom pom sandals by Gia Couture are sure to steal the show and liven up any outfit, whilst these studded beauties by Ash are the perfect finishing touch for your evening looks. Which of our top Summer sale picks have you got your eye on? Let us know your favourite holiday hotlist pieces on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

The style of prints and patterns is ever-evolving in the fashion world; from season to season, we see shifts in what you (supposedly) should and shouldn’t be seen wearing. SS17 included the likes of chunky geometric patterns, the flower-filled cottage garden look and, of course, the love-hate tropical leafing phase among other trends. As ever, the staff here at Stanwells have our fingers on the pulse when it comes to predicting designer collections and what to include in your wardrobe, so we’ve compiled a super simple list of stunning SS18 prints and patterns to stock up on! Animal Prints We’re seeing some fantastic nature patterns appearing from designers everywhere, from the cartoon-like to the realistic, brands like Vivetta and Emma Shipley are really embracing this look with colourful, nature-inspired designs.Animal prints never really leave fashion circles, but they’re looking to be bigger than ever when it comes to summer 2018 prints. Safari & Bohemian Bring an element of the exotic to your spring-summer clothing with some brand new safari and bohemian prints. Channelling energy anywhere from the cool of Camden to markets of Marrakech, big names are igniting the incense and getting inspired by far away lands and free-living artists. Designers such as Intropia and Mes Demoiselles have produced some fantastic prints for SS18 that are sure to add some boho-chic and effortless safari-sass to your wardrobe. Abstract The allure of abstract is simply too much for everyone at Stanwells, so we’ve just had to include it among our collection. Inspired by art from across the 20th century, this broad fashion style comprises of a huge range of colours and shape that never fail to make any clothing piece pop. Dhela offer some flirty, floaty abstract dresses that are perfect standout summer pieces, while the stunning prints of Laura Orchant lavish colour and abstract designs across her silken, luxury scarf collection. Stripes Sometimes you just want to keep it simple, so it’s just as well that stripes are ever-present among pattern trends. Whether vertical or horizontal, the clean appearance of stripes have encompassed fashion for many years. From the nautical inspired striping synonymous with Jean Paul Gaultier to the colourful twist on the style by Paul Smith, there’s a reason that stripes refuse to die. This season the likes of Chinti and Parker and Maison Labiche have produced some amazing light knitwear and long tees that are perfect for layering around the unpredictable British weather. Chevron Chevron might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it’s a classic for a reason - and this year it’s among the hottest of summer 2018 prints. Consisting of repeated ‘V’ shaped patterns that form eye-catching, almost geometric-style shapes, you’ll often come across chevron in a mesmerising mix of colours. In SS18 the likes of Cecilie Copenhagen have incorporated the pattern into some truly stunning designs that you’ll definitely want to sneak into your suitcase. Floral No spring-summer collection would be complete without the inclusion of some floral patterns. If anything embodies the spirit of summer fashion styles, it’s got to be floral. From subtle hints to bold prints, you’re going to see floral featuring a lot in SS18 collections, so why not catch the train before it leaves the station? Designers such as Boutique Moschino and Go Silk offer a range of tops and dresses that are the picture of summer style.   Which SS18 trends are you keeping tabs on? Which are your favourite patterns and prints? Let us know over on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!  

Finding the perfect pair of women’s jeans to fit your shape can be a real struggle. But when you DO find it, the right denim is wonderfully flattering, forgiving and comfortable, and the perfect fit is out there waiting for you. Here we’ll help you find that perfect fit by matching your body type to the various jean styles and cuts available. Find the shape that most closely resembles your body below and see which styles are best suited to you: Your Perfect Jean: High Rise Slim/Cigarette You share a body shape with: Scarlett Johansson and Kelly Brook Ladies with the sought-after hourglass or curvy figure tend to have a large chest, small waist and a shapely lower half. The perfect jeans for this oh-so-womanly shape are the styles that draw attention to the narrowest parts of your body, and the waist in particular. This is why a high rise style with a stretch waist and slim leg is your ideal denim style, as it pulls you in at the waist, minimises the tum and gives the legs an elongated and proportionate shape. Your biggest friend is also the darker wash, which helps lengthen the legs even more and create a super flattering shape. Citizens of Humanity is a brand well-known for its curve-flattering denim cuts, and the Cara High Rise jean is particularly perfect for all you hourglass ladies out there. Your Perfect Jean: Low Rise Skinny You share a body shape with: Keira Knightly and Cameron Diaz Straight (also known as rectangle or boyish) figures are characterised by hips, waist and shoulders of roughly the same width. The great news here is that ladies with straight figures can pull of almost all jean styles and cuts (you lucky things), but the best styles are the ones that will add shape. Low to mid-rise waists are best as they will draw attention to your hips rather than your waist, while a skinny leg works to do the same thing by minimising the straight up and down look. You can wear almost any jeans, however we would suggest avoiding high-waisted styles, as you may find you don’t have much of a waist for the band to sit in. The AG Jeans Legging Ankle Super Skinny jeans from our range is the perfect style for you, with a low to mid-rise waist and super skinny leg to accentuate your elegant shape in all the right places. Your Perfect Jean: High-waisted Flares or Wide Leg You share a body shape with: Rihanna and Beyoncé A pear shaped figure – the most common female figure in the world – generally boasts a fabulous tiny waist, wider hips and narrower shoulders, forming an upwards-pointing triangle. You lucky ladies want to aim for the high waisted styles of denim, particularly those with flared or wide leg fits. These will cinch in your waist, while the wider leg will skim over your hips and great a beautifully proportioned silhouette. Darker washes are also great for streamlining your figure, so aim for indigo and black jeans if you can. The main style for you to avoid is the low rise waist, as this can pinch your hips and make your legs appear shorter. There are lots of high waisted bootcut, wide leg and flared styles of women’s jeans out there, but none are as fabulous as these embroidered wide leg designer jeans from Intropia. These beauties are guaranteed to add a splash of colour and figure-flattery to your new season wardrobe. Your Perfect Jean: Low to Mid Rise Straight Leg You share a body shape with: Jennifer Hudson and Catherine Zeta-Jones Apple-shaped figures tend to have lovely slim legs, a smaller behind and a little extra around the middle. Stunning celebs like Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jennifer Hudson carry the apple shape with serious style, and it’s easily done with the right denim. You want to aim for jeans with a low to mid rise waistband, preferably with a little extra stretch to keep anything from cutting in, while sticking a straight or slim leg to accentuate those lovely pins of yours. Avoid anything with flares, as these have a tendency to create an odd looking silhouette with apple figures. Try the Runaround Sue Stallion style from top women’s designer jeans label, Parker Smith, and create a super flattering shape with the comfy stretch denim and slim leg. And what about tall and petite? All of the above shapes can come in taller and more petite packages, which can complicate matters when trying to find jeans of the right length as well as shape. But never fear, there are always ways around it. If you have a petite frame with shorter legs, aim for the high-waisted styles with a skinny fit to elongate your legs. And, if you can’t find shorter leg lengths, a pair of cropped jeans with DIY turn-ups is always a good look. If you have super long pins to dress, then the advice is more or less the exact opposite. Aim for low rise waistbands with tapered cigarette leg styles. Denim washes with shading on the thighs are also effective for adding shape and dimension. After all is said and done, it’s all about finding the style that makes you feel good. There are no hard and fast rules, so check out our full collection of designer jeans for women and find the fit that works for you.