We’ve had bright sunshine all week in the Lake District. The daffodils are out, the lambs are gambolling and it feels as though a new season is finally rolling in. This always makes me feel as though I have nothing to wear. Suddenly the core wardrobe of camel and grey that I’ve loved all winter feels dark and dull so I’m very much in the mood for some new season shopping. Last Autumn I focused on specific retailers which you seemed to find helpful so I’m going to do that again. This week I’m looking at new Spring fashion for women over 40 from John Lewis.
Why am I starting here? Well for anyone in the UK, John Lewis has almost all of the upper end high street labels you could want under one roof. They’ve added Finery in store this Spring, all we need now is Hush, White Company and Cos and they’d pretty much have it sewn up in my book. They deliver worldwide for £10 although you do have to pay for returns. I also love that they have both CollectPlus and Hermes as returns options in the UK so it’s simple to send things back which almost makes up for the fact that their nearest store is a 90 minute drive from me – my biggest gripe. By the way this isn’t a sponsored post although John Lewis have noticed our community and they got in touch last week to ask if I would tell you about the launch of the new Somerset Collection. As I very rarely have videos on Midlifechic, I thought I’d show you what they sent me.
I would say the Somerset range is Bohemian rather than Boho, it makes me think of eclectic dressers like Helena Bonham-Carter and Emma Thompson. This would be my pick of the new pieces:
Lace top – I love the fact that this is navy instead of the usual black
Lace top – ivory rather than white so it has that vintage feel
Cream silk blouse with lovely cut out detail at the neckline
Rope print cropped trousers for a summer nautical feel
Sleeveless pleat vest with lovely back detail as seen above
Stunning shoes although they’ve almost sold out
The on trend lizard effect for this year’s ghillie shoe
Cross body bag with brass buckle
Cream wide legged culottes (machine washable)
If you’d like to see it, here’s the full range of Somerset by Alice Temperley that was released this week. So, whilst I was online at John Lewis I digressed. Not only am I thinking about Spring, I’m also starting to plan for a long weekend in Paris with Mr MC that is coming up soon. I’ll tell you more about it nearer the time but we’re planning to do a few things off the beaten track. I lived in Paris for a while so other than revisiting our favourite places, we’ll be able to just relax and soak in the atmosphere. You may have noticed in the comments that Dee (who is having her romantic Paris break a few weeks before mine) and I have been debating whether it’s a cliché to wear a breton. She has decided that she will be taking a red and white striped one. When I started to play with mood boards, an orange and navy theme started to emerge but it didn’t include a breton.
Daytime outfits for Paris in the Springtime
Denim dress – I like this one because it is a good weight dark denim which makes it hang so much better than the cheap ones
High necked shell top – sleeveless polo necks are very flattering for summer and look great with a blazer
Fitted navy blazer – Parisian chic works better with a nipped in waist, no wonder this is called the Hepburn. It’s washable and a great price
Jumpsuit – these are so mainstream now that every wardrobe should have one, comfortable and so easy (apart from going to the loo)
Cropped stretch pearl print trousers – these have just gone into the sale, be quick
Block heel shoes – stylish but with a low heel, this is SS16’s easiest new shoe shape
Classic chic Superga flats with arch support
Metallic leather pumps, a pair of silver flats will be endlessly versatile all summer
Cross body bag, always the best type of bag for city sightseeing
Murano heart necklace – to set the mood for a romantic weekend
Tassel scarf – because Spring can still be chilly in the late afternoon
Cat’s eye sunglasses – it’s never worth buying cheap sunglasses, these lighter coloured frames are flattering for early Spring
Of course you don’t have to be going to Paris to wear these clothes, they’re great for a Spring refresh.
What to wear for a chic night out in Paris
For the evenings I’ve been researching some really special places. Some are high dining and others are just cool so I’ll need different options. Starting off with my fine dining selection:
What to wear for a date night in Paris
And finally here is my selection of more relaxed date night outfits, obviously I’m not going to be buying all of these clothes but at least this is giving me a few ideas.
Silk wrap blouse – washable and an affordable price
Navy cold shoulder top – I prefer these to the full Bardot effect, they’re easier (and warmer) to wear
Cropped trousers for all you culotte refuseniks, these aren’t as wide
Coated skinnies – the only high rise ones I’ve been able to find this Spring, thank goodness for John Lewis
Red silk and wool panel top – can’t tell you how much I love this
White ‘clean front’ tailored crops, machine washable and no zip or pockets so flattering across the tummy
I think I’ll have to try these red Dorothy shoes – I’m imagining they are deceptively comfortable!
The ankle strap on these black Arizona heels makes these much easier to walk in
A perennially chic d’Orsay shoe with a low heel
A bright red clutch with a handy chain strap
The beaten gold leather elevates this foldover clutch from the standard black and it’s a great price
This simple white leather tie clutch would be useful all summer long
And one last thing that jumped out at me for anyone who works in an office. I love this dress although it’s rather unimaginatively named…
