Friday Favourite: Gilly Hicks

I have a confession. I have a newfound obsession with Gilly Hicks sleep wear. The brand is fairly new to the UK but being the sister brand of Abercrombie & Hollister, I've been a regular customer ever since it opened in Westfield London in November last year. Earlier this year saw the launch of a huge joint store of Gilly Hicks and Hollister on Regents Street which I was obviously very happy about. I've eyed up a couple of pyjama shorts before when I've been in store but never actually invested in any. It was only recently when the temperature dropped and I realised that I don't own any cosy Winter PJ's that I decided to take a look at the GH website and finally thought I'd order a pair. That's ONE pair..but as always I got distracted and noticed there was £5 international shipping so thought I'd take advantage. Somehow I ended up checking out my basket with four pairs of pyjama bottoms, two long and two short, and two lounge tops to wear with them. Since they arrived I have been living in them; changing into them as soon as I get in and finding it very hard to change out of them each morning. They are so comfortable and soft, possibly the cosiest and cutest loungewear I've owned. Worth every penny because I was already shivering in September so these will ensure I'm snug and warm throughout the bleak Winter months ahead. I ordered the Latham Park Sleep Pants in navy, Kingsgrove in navy, Lion Island in navy & white dot, Riverwood Sleep Short in navy check, Callala Beach Tank in white and Maroubra Tee in heather grey. Gilly Hicks also do cute underwear and preppy clothing but for now I'm ignoring both of those and going back to snuggling up in my cosy new PJ's.

Seasonal Staples

I would not get through the cold Winter months without my trusty boots. Anyone who knows me will know I'm a boots girl during A/W and slip on the sandals as soon as I catch a glimpse of sun or some warmer weather. I live in them day in, day out, without fail, and they definitely get worn out. I just think boots are so easy to work with, you can wear them casually in the day with some skinnies and chunky knits, or just as easily work them into a more dressy look - I'm thinking rocking up a cute dress with some tights and boots for an edgy feel. This year I've invested in a long pair of boots which I hope will get their wears worth  for a few years and three (yes, three...eek) pairs of ankle boots which I will pair with my various Autumn/Winter wardrobe.

I've dedicated a post to the first pair of ankle boots already so I won't bore you by babbling on repeating my self but I love them so check them out :) 

Here are my investment boots. Named so because I'm really hoping they last me and are worth the investment. I usually buy a pair of long boots every year if not every other year and wear them so much that they almost fall apart so thought this year I would invest in a classic pair that should see me through for a while. This lovely pair is from Russell and Bromley and to my surprise due to their look, are entirely made from leather. They're sturdy and comfortable and because of the stretchy pleated soft leather, fit like a glove around my calf as well as having a great texture to admire!

I've blogged before about my well-loved Kurt Geiger boots but unfortunately they've finally given up on me (I told you I wear my boots to death!) and I've had to send them to the shoe mender in hope that they can be fixed up with some TLC. I know that I could wear them with almost any outfit though so decided another pair of little black ankle boots would be a welcomed new staple in my wardrobe. These ones from Next are much cheaper than the Geigers but are still leather and really good quality. I just love the cute little tassels, makes a change to having a boring old zip :)

My final pair of boots is also from Next (Next did good this year!) and are a pair of wedge boots. They're also available in black but I thought it would make a nice change to have a mink pair of boots as I tend to gravitate towards black at this time of year. The wedge is so comfortable and can look both casual and dressy but these are suede so will take more looking after thanks to the constant rain we get in the UK towards the end of the year!

Are you a boots girl like me or do you dedicated to your flats?

Little Boots

I'm dedicating this post to my new boots. These little gems are from M&S. Yes, I said M&S. I usually completely ignore Marks & Spencers in terms of fashion, overruling it because in my mind it's for grannies. This may be because I'm often trundling along to M&S Westfield with her to find her annual cashmere cardi so I suppose I've always linked the two together...? Either way, there have been multiple times when I've asked my step-mum (see post on her here) where she's got something and she's told me it's from M&S. There is a huge one near us in St. Albans and while she was busy looking for a pair of Winter boots for herself, I spotted these and instantly fell in love. I'm not sure what it is about them that I love so much; whether it's the multiple buckles or the subtle bronze colour of the hardware, but they stood out to me and I can see them being well and truly loved to death this season. I'm definitely a boots and sandals girl, with the odd rare occasion when I stray to ballet flats and in the colder months I literally live in little ankle boots. I don't own a brown pair and I think the buckle detail on these along with the contrast stitching create a casual feel but they still look more expensive than they are. Here I've worn them with with a pair of skinnies, but I think they'd look equally as cute with a floaty tunic top and some leggings. The one thing I can definitely say is you'll be seeing a lot more of them!

You can find them on the M&S website here, and there's a black pair too (stay away from the boots, Elle...)