Journal

The season for parties, good food, cosy crackling fires and gorgeous fashion has finally arrived, and we’re super excited to plan our itinerary of winter fun. Here at Stanwells we’re so lucky to have two boutique fashion stores in two very beautiful coastal locations; Stanwells Westbourne and Stanwells Lymington. Working in these gorgeous places every day has given the Stanwells team a great deal of local knowledge, so we know all the best places to visit at this exciting time of year. What’s more, we’re experts on dressing for the occasion, no matter what that occasion may be. So let us take you on a mini tour of the wonderful places surrounding our stores, our favourite haunts and our recommended outfits and give you some inspiration for your next day or evening out. Things to do in and around Westbourne Located just a stone’s throw from Bournemouth and the stunning southwest coastline, our Stanwells Westbourne store is surrounded by amazing things to do and see. Here are some of our recommendations: Dinner at Rick Stein in Sandbanks A post shared by Rick Stein & Jill Stein (@ricksteinrestaurants) on Oct 10, 2017 at 12:08pm PDT If you love stunning views and delicious seafood, then Rick Stein’s Sandbanks restaurant is the perfect place for a Christmas or New Year treat. Just 20 minutes down the A35 from the Stanwells Westbourne store, this is one of our favourite venues. Tuck into a varied menu of succulent, locally sourced fish dishes while lapping up those delightful sea views, or have a giggle with the girls with the restaurant’s unique range of cocktails, courtesy of award-winning bartender, Mr Lyan. What to wear For a classy place like this, it’s just got to be the equally classy dress, jacket and boots combo. We love this sleeveless tunic dress by M Missoni, with it’s glam 70s-inspired A-line fit and shimmering metallic knit pattern. The knitted style makes this dress perfect for the winter season, and becomes even more so when paired with this luxurious Dumont black leather jacket by IRO. The buttery soft leather and gorgeous ruffled detailing on the back make this jacket an absolute must for dressing to impress this winter season, and it sets this outfit off perfectly. And don’t forget the boots! Complete your winter party look with these head-turning Elisa-Baby Silk over the knee boots from Ash. This style is bang on trend this season, and the stretch suede will keep your legs nice and warm in the winter coastal breeze. Beach walk and coffee at Le Petit Prince There’s nothing quite like a walk on the beach to blow out the cobwebs and catch some of that invigorating sea air over the winter months. With the beach just a six minute drive or a 20 minute walk away from the centre of Westbourne, you can be out enjoying the stunning coastline in no time at all, with miles of beautiful beach to explore. Then, to warm yourselves back up, we would recommend a mug of steaming hot coffee at a beautiful little Westbourne coffee shop and patisserie called Le Petit Prince. Just round the corner from Stanwells Westbourne, Le Petit Prince is a coffee shop with bags of character, friendly, welcoming staff and a wonderful variety of hot drinks, cakes and savoury treats to enjoy. What more could you want after a brisk walk along the beach? What to wear You will, of course, need to wrap up warm for this day out, so the first port of call needs to be a good coat. We recommend this beautiful Gobi Bomber Jacket in Red from Parajumpers. You can’t beat a fur lined hood for keeping you snug and warm on a winter’s day and this water and wind proof coat is sure to keep you cosy this winter. And underneath? It has to be this adorable Card Sleeve Sweater from Jumper 1234, with its subtle and feminine ivory colour and cute playing card motifs on each sleeve. And, once paired up with these sleek black Bombshell Skinny Jeans from Parker Smith, you’ve got one perfect winter outfit that ticks every AW17 trend box while remaining perfectly practical. Finish the look off with some sturdy footwear, like these Lucky Star Trainers from Ash. With their cool mesh knit and chunky, flexible rubber sole, these trainers are super comfortable and hardwearing as well as stylish; perfect for a winter stroll without having to compromise on style. That’s winter in Westbourne all wrapped up, so let’s move on to the lovely Lymington. Things to do in and around Lymington We love our Stanwells Lymington store, set in the heart of this beautiful port town and just a 40 minute drive from the bustling city of Southampton. Here are a couple of our top recommended days out in our second neck of the woods: Forest walk followed by lunch at the East End Arms, Lymington Surrounding our lovely town is the gigantic New Forest National Park, which is perfect for exploring on long winter woodland walks. With over 25 walking routes to choose from, you can wander for hours in this beautiful landscape and work up a very healthy appetite in the process. Afterwards, you simply cannot leave the New Forest without a bite to eat at the East End Arms. This traditional country pub has oodles of charm, a roaring open fire and a mouthwatering menu of rustic food to warm you up after all that walking. It doesn’t get much better than this on a chilly winter’s day. What to wear First thing’s first, let’s get warm. The Alessandra Chamonix Georgette Racoon Coat, with it’s big fur-trimmed hood, detachable fur lining and stunning beadwork, makes the perfect winter walking coat for keeping you toasty warm in the coldest of temperatures. Once you've warmed up a little, why not unzip your coat and show off this chic Starburst Cashmere Sweater by Jumper 1234. The striking neon yellow zig zag motif and super soft cashmere work together to make a gorgeous winter jumper that’ll turn heads wherever you go. Match it up with these blue Runaround Sue Jeans by Parker Smith, with their sleek straight leg and figure-shaping stretch denim. Roll your jeans up and pair with some fabulous Montelliana boots for a super stylish forest look.   Cozy up next to the East End Arms roaring fire before enjoying a delicious lunch at this great pub that is a favourite with the locals. The best food for miles, this pub has a reputation for hospitality and you can even stay the night in one of their stylish rooms...we promise you will want to re-visit soon! Dinner at The Jetty in Southampton Our final recommendation for a wonderful day or evening out is the newly opened waterside restaurant The Jetty, sitting pretty in Southampton’s Ocean Village Marina. Just a 40 minute drive round the coast from our Stanwells Lymington store, The Jetty offers stunning views and an even more stunning menu of locally sourced, sustainable seafood. Perfect for a special occasion celebration during the winter party season, this beautiful place is well worth dressing up for. What to wear Let’s start your outfit off with the most elegant of dresses to match this equally elegant restaurant. This stunning feather trimmed dress by Boutique Moschino is sure to catch everyone's eye, with its cinched in waist, deep v-neckline and elegant neck tie. Make a statement with the marabou feather trimmed hem that exudes style and sophistication whilst adding a fun and playful element to your evening look. That concludes our little tour of our two Stanwells locales. If you love our outfits, you’ll find them in our online boutique or in either of our two stores, so drop by and find your favourites. Have a fabulous time exploring and eating your way around the south coast!

We absolutely love introducing a new brand to the Stanwells family and this month we have a sparkling new addition. Many of you may know her as one of the stars of the channel 4 hit show, Made in Chelsea, but to us she is the creator of a truly stunning line of jewellery. Yes, we are of course talking about the fabulous Rosie Fortescue, and today we’re chatting to her about the latest collection in her jewellery line, and finding out a little more about where her inspiration comes from. So without further ado, let’s get into it. #1 - Hi Rosie, it’s wonderful to be chatting to you! Let’s start from the beginning - Where did your ambition to create your own jewellery range begin? “I have been obsessed with jewellery for as long as I can remember. I was a magpie as a child, constantly going through my mother’s jewellery and trying her rings on!”   #2 - Was there anything in particular that triggered you to finally make the dream a reality? “I wanted to have all of my ducks in a row and everything in order before launching. I took about 6 months to sample with the factory, set up the business and make a plan for the year ahead. I had been thinking about it for a few years and had all these ideas and sketches ready to go, but I knew I had to wait until I was also able to allocate time to the company to give it the best chance!” #3 - How did you and your team work together on the range? What was involved in the process? “My brand is just me! I draw like a baby, sadly, but my factory team is amazing at creating CAD drawings. I draw with measurements, then they send the CAD. I then select the metals and stone colours, and make a few changes here and there to the CAD drawings. “Samples are made and sometimes changed slightly, then the orders are placed. I have some hoops coming out (hopefully before Christmas) using Swarovski stones, and I’ve changed the sample 4 times. I am a perfectionist and it’s essential that everything is perfect, although now it’s touch and go for the Christmas sales!”   #4 - You’re a busy bee - how do you fit the jewellery business around your day to day life? “I work until late most evenings and always at the weekends. I have to find the time, because if I am not working on it, nothing gets done!”   #5 - Are there any designers, collections or other influences that inspired your own designs? “I am mostly inspired by architecture, shapes, angles, and colours that I see day-to-day in London. I always keep my eyes open for new inspiration, especially when I’m travelling.” #6 - Do you have a favourite piece/pieces in your collection? “I basically never take off my Huggy Hoops and Tight Chain Necklaces. The Hand Cuffs are also the perfect statement accessory.”   #7 - How has the business grown and evolved since launch, and what do you have planned for the future of the range? “I have launched three collections now, and each new day is just as exciting as when I started. Every day is different, I am still learning and committing to hopefully making the brand a huge success!”   #8 - Do you have a piece of jewellery or a keepsake you absolutely love for sentimental reasons? “Yes, a vintage Rolex I bought a few years ago. I adore it and feel lost without it!” #9 - We’ve all recently been treated to lots of fashion excitement at London Fashion Week - what was your highlight this year? “Unfortunately I actually missed London Fashion Week for Ibiza this year, but I came back in time to set up my stand at the London Fashion Week Festival, which was fantastic.”   #10 - And finally, do you have any advice for anybody who might want to start their own jewellery line / business? “It’s not easy, but if you love it enough it won’t feel like work!” Thanks so much Rosie for taking the time to chat to us, we’re so excited to have the new Rosie Fortescue Jewellery collection here at Stanwells!