Winter Style
By Jules Wakes
Siena in From Paris With Love This Christmas definitely knows her fashion, and she makes quite a splash amongst her friends due to her styling abilities. Fashion is such a big part of life, especially in the city, and these would be her top tips for winter fashion.
The Outer Layer
A great starting point is a really good coat. Like Siena’s on the cover of the book, red is always a winner and it suits just about everybody’s colouring. Check out Kylie Minogue’s fabulous Dolce & Gabbana number featured in the press this month. Now that is a stylish coat. If designer wear is out of your price range, this great little number comes from Marks & Spencer.
On Top
Forget the days when your Mum forced a knitted bobble hat on your head to keep your ears warm, there are some great stylish hats around which look super cool. BONUS: they also stop your hair flopping in the damp cold air when you’ve just spent an age blow-drying or styling it to go out.
This felt Fedora hat with D ring detail is a great one from ASOS at £22, or there’s the gorgeous raspberry cloche hat from hatsandcaps.co.uk at £27.95.
To dress or not to dress
There’s a reason the little black dress is a perennial favourite. It’s simple, stylish and suits just about everyone. You can also take a cheap black dress and accessorize to make it look a million dollars. Alternatively, a really good quality, expensive black dress will see you through many seasons and you can ring the changes each year with new accessories. The long sleeves help make it seasonally appropriate. Siena would have approved of either of these:
Misguided high neck bodycon dress with keyhole back from ASOS. £30
Cheryll, velvet collar detail dress from Ted Baker. £169
The bottom half
Tights are still big fashion news this year (and, let’s face it, ever year; they’re so versatile!) and there’s an amazing choice available, whether you’re looking for straightforward elegant sheers or embellished showstoppers. If you’ve got a very plain dress then let your legs do the talking.
Ivy tights from ASOS £11
Cute Pug Over the Knee Tights, ASOS £8.
Statement Shoes
Statement shoes are a must this season. These gorgeous red suede shoes from Lisa Kay say fun and stylish especially when teamed with a little black dress. Not only are they the perfect festive colour but they’ll take you from day wear to party wear on those days when you’re going straight from work to a party. Or there are statement boots and these beauties from Ted and Muffy, which come in different calf sizes, certainly fit the bill.
Jean, from Lisa Key £129.
Comet Over the knee boots, £375
A huge thank you to Jules Wake and Samantha at HarperImpulse. ♥
The gorgeous, Christmassy feel-good follow up to the Summer best-seller ‘From Italy With Love’.
Just until Christmas…
That’s what Paris socialite Siena keeps telling herself. She’ll hide away in her sister Laurie’s cottage near London to escape her hot-tempered fiancé.
However, when Jason – gorgeous but a bit of a Grinch – picks her up from the airport, he reveals that Laurie hasn’t lived there for months, complicating Siena’s holiday getaway.
At first, Jason and Siena don’t see eye to eye. But after a weekend in the most romantic city in the world, experiencing all it has to offer – from the magic of a fir-lined Champs-Élysées, lit up by thousands of sparkling fairy lights, to the swoosh of skates on ice at the Eiffel Tower – Siena shows Jason her Paris, and a whole other side to herself. Suddenly Siena’s December deadline seems far too close…
This Christmas, jet off to Paris with Siena and Jason and experience the magic of the holiday season.
Click here to get hold of your copy of From Paris With Love This Christmas.