It’s been a while since we’ve done a department store shop so let’s look at what’s going on at John Lewis AW25. As I explained in my last JL post back in May there’s a lot happening behind the scenes as the new team continues to regenerate the brand. Stores are gradually going into a multi-million pound refurbishment project with the beauty halls as the priority and beyond the shops, the build-to-rent project continues with over 1000 new rental homes soon to be unlocked when a new site in Reading follows West Ealing and Bromley. But as we enter a new season what’s happening on the fashion floor?
Well it’s interesting for me as a retail geek. We’ve always known John Lewis to be a ‘house of brands’ meaning that it has lots of different labels under its roof. For a long time now it’s been a one-stop shop for the high street names we all know and love as well as having a number of its own label brands on offer. As we go forward though, John Lewis is determined to make womenswear more of a place of discovery. Every season new, sometimes quite niche brands are being introduced, often from companies that you wouldn’t otherwise have heard of. So for example in AW25 we have the arrival of Alohas, a demand-driven shoe brand from Hawaii; London based jewellery from By Alona and Rails from California.
At the same time they’re backing British heritage brands and creating exclusive John Lewis ranges with companies such as Mulberry and Barbour. And then there are the exclusive collabs. Last season we saw John Lewis X AWAKE Mode and they’ve just launched John Lewis X Regina Pyo. Both collabs are part of an ongoing relationship with the British Fashion Council which aims to support British talent. The exposure that JL can give to a designer is a valuable way of helping them to gain loyal new fans. I’m sure you won’t have missed the fashionistas’ excitement around the Regina Pyo launch but just in case you’ve been snoozing, here’s a little more about it.
John Lewis X Regina Pyo
Regina was born in Seoul but moved to London in 2008 where she graduated with an MA in Fashion Design from Central St Martins. She’s since managed to successfully run her own label for over a decade (no mean feat these days) and become known for her highly creative and yet wearable looks. She’s said that the biggest surprise on coming to London was seeing and understanding the amount of colour that people wear and she puts it down to the weather so often being grey. She’s since focused on designing the clothes she wants to wear and in a launch interview with Anna Murphy she pointed out that “male designers don’t actually wear the clothes and as a result they are more likely to create clothes that are more demanding of the wearer… I wear my designs all the time, I know what to design to make women feel comfortable in themselves and be able to carry on with that they do.”
The collab with John Lewis consists of 35 items including clothing, shoes and bags and it’s selling out quickly. You can see her signature style in each piece but if I had to pick out my favourite it would be this pared back leather trench coat. The soft yellow seems a surprising choice at first for a winter piece but when you think about it, it’s a shade that will go with almost everything and it will really stand out amongst winter’s sea of black and navy.
Soft yellow leather trench coat
The detail on the knitwear really catches the eye. This jumper has a fabulous raised neck and deep ribbing at the hem but the key element is the contrast stitching down the sides and along the sleeve. I particularly like the oatmeal colourway.
These shoes are so chic that they’d create an instant evening outfit regardless of what you paired with them – imagine them with a pair of jeans and a simple white shirt, add a clutch and you’re done.
Buckle satin court shoes (also available in black here)
And there are multi-functional pieces too such as this two-way shirt which can be styled either way around – it can be worn classically with the collar at the front or switched over for a tunic effect as you can see here…
The Regina Pyo collab is artsy, architect-style clothing for women who aren’t afraid of standing out. It’s similar to Cos but with the added flair that comes from a high-end designer and yet it’s a similar price, you can find the full capsule here. I think these recent collaborations give you a good idea of the way that John Lewis is heading at the top end of its brand mix – with an element of fashion forward to build its style credentials. I was interested to see that the ANYDAY range which you’ll remember was their entry point of low priced own-brand clothing has been phased out this season. Their focus going forward is on innovation and quality which feels right for the customer base.
Heritage brands at John Lewis
So if that’s the fashion forward side of the business, in the mid-ground they’re putting a strong focus on what I’d call classic with a twist. For this season it’s been pulled together under the heritage trend and it encompasses Barbour and Mulberry who’ve created some exclusive designs for JL as I mentioned at the beginning along with more global classic brands such as Weekend MaxMara and Ralph Lauren. The John Lewis own brand sits here too with its expanded range of high quality cashmere this autumn. It very much follows the mood of the season, let me show you how…
Top to bottom, L-R
- Striped logo cardigan – this is where we get classic with a twist – the logoed cardigan that you know so well done in an on-trend AW25 stripe
- Trimmed borg fleece – an elevated borg jacket made all the more sophisticated thanks to the black trim
- Two colour waxed jacket – the AW25 collection of waxed jackets has been inspired by vintage designs that have been brought bang up to date with chunky hardware and two-tone colours
- Olive high neck jumper – this hangs beautifully over trousers and has a leather logo tab at the back
- Cropped cord jeans – it’s hard to find well cut cords in a quality fabric that you can tuck into wellies but here they are
- Chunky patterned jumper – the geometric pattern on this classic looking knit adds an edge of Italian flair
- Suede & Leather handbag – my favourite brand for handbags because they sit so beautifully under your arm without slipping off or adding bulk to your outfit
- Chelsea Boot Wellies – an urban twist on a classic boot – you could wear this for town or country
- Waxed rain hat – just great for stuffing in your pocket on one of those grey days – because it’s never cool (or easy) to take an umbrella on a dog walk
Everyday winter style from John Lewis
Breaking up the blues
As the innovations go on at the top end of John Lewis, it’s good to remember that all of the brands we know and love are still there. As ever it’s a great place to go and play around, putting outfits together from multiple brands all in one online order. That’s exactly that I’ve done today, a big box arrived containing everything I’d been keen on trying and this is what I came up with.
The first outfit starts with a jacket I’ve been looking at for a while. It feels like something from a 1960s French film and I was really pleased to find that it has more of a purple hue than a reddish one so it works really well with anything that has blue tones in it (i.e 80% of my winter wardrobe). I’m wearing it in a size 12 and it has plenty of room for layers underneath, I’d probably recommend sizing down on this one if you prefer a neat fit. It has a very of the moment pencil skirt to go with it too so you could wear them together for the ultimate in co-ordination.
Moving on to the jeans, they’re a wide leg so straight all the way down in a non-stretch denim that will keep its shape. The lack of elastane means that they’re quite stiff which I always like for a dark indigo jean because it means they continue to look polished. The pockets are really well placed at the back to make the most of your rear view. I’m wearing a 12 and they’re true to size.
Berry patent jacket; Teal jumper; Wide leg jeans; Leopard belt; Teardrop necklace
Moving on to the jumper, note how the small puff detail at the shoulder makes it more interesting than a standard crew… that and the fluffy texture that comes from the alpaca wool. It sold out straight away on the brand site when it was launched because the teal blue is just so good for wearing with jeans. You can still find it at John Lewis though and there are three other colours to choose from too. It’s a simple piece that will really elevate whatever you wear with it, I’m wearing the S-M to balance the wide jeans and it feels just right.
I’ve finished the outfit off with a leopard belt – if you don’t have one in your wardrobe already you won’t believe how hard they work for you. Belts haven’t been around for a few years because the emphasis has been on the legs not the waist but they’re very much back this season – if you don’t have one, this with its lovely buckle detail is a great buy.
An alternative to wide leg jeans
You so often see me wearing wide legs or flares that I thought I’d play around with a different cut of jeans for the next two shots to change it up a bit. The barrel cut is still going strong but it’s tricky to pull off if you don’t have long giraffe legs. When I try the more exaggerated ones I just feel like a toddler wearing a nappy in rompers. These have always been my favourite of the barrel cuts, they’re narrower and so they’re easier to get away with if you have shorter legs. I’m kicking myself now because thinking that barrel cuts wouldn’t endure for another season I sold two pairs of these over the summer – I’d forgotten how well they work with boots like this. I’m wearing my usual size 29 for this shot and they’re bang on, the denim has a bit of give in it so bear in mind that they’ll stretch a little.
I absolutely love the proportions when they’re paired with this blazer. Oversized blazers have been around for a while but again I find them difficult because if you don’t get them right you feel like you’re wearing your dad’s jacket. Often when I size down they don’t fit at the waist but this one is perfect. I’m wearing a size 8 and it felt as if it had been tailored for me. It’s in a herringbone weave which is easier to wear than the checks that are everywhere because it isn’t as busy. It’s as warm and toasty as a coat so I think you’d be looking at it as an outer layer. If you size down sufficiently I think it gives you a hint of fashionable oversizing but without swamping you.
Herringbone longline blazer; Soft raglan cardigan; Neat barrel jeans; Chocolate leather boots; Leopard belt; Exclusive to John Lewis Mulberry bag
Now I love, love, love this cardigan – you won’t be surprised to hear that in my head I instantly paired it with flares but I like it with these barrel legs too. Wearing a shorter top like this means you have definition on your waist before the volume in the leg begins. It’s 100% wool but it’s SO soft (zero itch factor) and I think the oversized buttons and raglan fir stop it from looking too Miss Marple. I’m wearing a small here and it felt right.
You’ll see the leopard belt pulling its weight again too. And the chocolate leather boots are another fabulous find. I don’t know whether you’ve noticed but in a cost-cutting exercise a lot of brands are taking the comfort lining out of their footwear but not John Lewis, they have an Ortholite insock with cushioning and air circulation so they almost feel like trainers. The toe is pointed but the narrowing starts beyond the widest breadth of your toes so it doesn’t pinch and the shaft rises quite high on the ankle which is what you need if you like your jeans cropped. True to size.
And last of all let’s talk about the bag because this is one of the collab beauties made exclusively for John Lewis by Mulberry. It has the classic Mulberry branding and quality but you won’t find it anywhere else. This is the oak colourway and it’s also available in navy or oxblood.
The colour of the season
I’m continuing to expand my AW wardrobe by adding chocolate brown as a base alternative to navy/denim blue and I’ve been on the hunt for a pair of rich coloured jeans. During the winter months I find that if I’m not wearing gym kit I spend most of my time in jeans, I wear wide legs and flares when I’m in the city but for my rural life I need jeans that don’t trail along muddy paths.
These are described on the JL website as being straight but there isn’t a model shot so it was hard to see how they’d fit. I could see they had quite a bit of volume to them though so I knew they’d need closer fitting pieces on the top half to balance them out. When the sample arrived I was pleased to find that they’re 7/8 crops so they’re easy to wear with trainers or with boots. If you’re keen to add a more trend-led cut to your wardrobe but you find the volume that you get around your hips with a barrel cut doesn’t work for you then these are worth trying. They’re more modern than the classic slim straight that you often find yourself relying on if you need/prefer a cropped cut and they have elastane in them so they’re comfortable too. I’m wearing a size 12 and they’re true to size, also available in a plummy fig colour. You’ll see the leopard belt’s earning its spots again, it’s such a hard worker.
Soft brown jumper; Red jersey high neck top; Brown barrel jeans; Leopard belt
This gives you a clearer idea of the shape – you can see why it’s worth wearing a neater fitting top and I’ve layered a pop of red underneath a warm wool crew neck. The cotton jersey is a cooler way of working this season’s layering trend than a double layer of wool, I particularly like the neck on this because it’s stiff enough to stand without hugging the neck. It’s a classic red rather than my usual orangey tomato shade so it will be good for cooler skintones as well as warm ones. I’m in a size S-M and it’s plenty big enough.
The jumper once again is the softest knit, it’s just beautiful. I love the raglan shaping along with the neat fitting sleeves and the ribbed hem adds just a little shape at the waist which can be hard to achieve with knitwear. The mid-brown shade adds tonal variance to a brown outfit and the quality is an absolute 10/10.
I’ve had a few questions about wearing socks with trainers and you’ll see I’ve gone with the flow and added a ribbed sock in the same colour as my trainers. I think the ribbing is important because it defines the ankle – if you’re struggling to get used to the switch from invisible trainer socks you’ll find it helps.
Soft brown jumper; Red jersey high neck top; Brown barrel jeans; Leopard belt
So hopefully that’s given you a good idea of what’s going on at John Lewis for AW25 in terms of fashion. There’s a lot of excitement coming in but the brands we know and love are all there too. I still find it the best place to go when I’m on the hunt for something specific like a brown jumper because the multiple brands that the search turns up give you so much choice, enabling you to be analytical and find exactly the right fit and fabric for your wardrobe.
Before I finish I just want to flag a couple of new arrivals in the Beauty Hall.
John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar & Gift Box
It’s that time… the advent calendars have arrived. Brace yourself because it’s only two weeks now until Hallowe’en and as soon as that’s over you know we head at breakneck speed into everything Christmas! The JL advent calendar is getting good reviews because it’s priced slightly lower than its competitors for a similar mix of beauty products that are worth £1,095 and it comes in the most beautiful box. I always keep the boxes and use them to categorise all the bits and pieces of make-up and skincare that I have – this box isn’t too Christmassy and it would be stunning in my bathroom.
John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar
If you don’t feel like stretching your budget that far though you could treat yourself to this box and do a lucky dip in the ten days running up to Christmas… or you could just open it up and enjoy it all at once. It’s a good selection at a good price – you could even split it out as stocking filler pieces or Secret Santa gifts.
John Lewis Winter Skin Beauty Box
Anyway I’ll stop rushing ahead, we have plenty of time for all that. I need to go and get ready now because we have a disco night ahead that we’ve been persuaded to try but I’m not feeling at all enthusiastic about it. You see I’m being grimly sensible – rather than going to a cool event that I bought tickets for in London we’re going to one in Newcastle that rubs salt in my wound by describing itself as a ‘fun, fab and feel-good event dancing with people your own age‘.
The London one tomorrow has our all time favourite DJ, Dimitri From Paris, as its headliner but when the details came through I spotted that it doesn’t start until 10pm and it ends at 4am. And the thing is I could do it, I know I could easily keep dancing until the end but it’s the thought of next week that’s the killer… getting a few hours sleep and then travelling home on Sunday on an Avanti train that’s bound to have disruption… and then feeling 100 years old on Monday morning with a week of work ahead.
So 17th October 2025 will be forever scorched on my mind as the day that I became old and wise, it’s the very first time that I’ve allowed experience to triumph over fun. I guess I’ve had a good run because I am nearly 60… and I felt a bit better when I offered the tickets to my eldest boy who also loves Dimitri to be told, “no way, there’s no chance of me staying out that late any more.” Anyway it’s time for a Midlife Lately catch-up next week so I’ll tell you all about it then… prepare to see me shuffling around in comfy slippers! Have a fun weekend, whatever you’re doing.
