January 29, 2018

Go Green for Spring

It’s top of the political agenda, is a priority within education (my son has been singing on loop a rather irritating but catchy rap that he picked up at school with a chorus along the lines of ‘Reduce, Re-use, Re-cycle’) and let’s face it, being more ‘green’ is the right thing to do.

And you don’t just have to live green, you can also make like everyone’s favourite frog and embrace green in your wardrobe. This spring the green is a lovely fresh, bright shade which will definitely lift darker neutrals out of the doldrums of winter and bring some much needed freshness to proceedings.

If you’re not sure about going the full Kermit, then here are just a few reasons why green is worth investing in:

If, like me, you have a tendency to have a high cheek colour (euphemism for going red) then green is opposite red in the colour spectrum and is therefore the perfect colour to counter-balance this.
It is the colour of creativity and imagination as well as conveying a sense of calm and reassurance – and who doesn’t want that?
This bright, fresh green is a very good colour on a myriad of complexions and you can easily find a yellow or blue base depending on your skintone.
Stunning with black or navy, it actually also looks good with camel/beige which makes it pretty darn versatile.

So what to go for?

Knitwear is a good bet at this time of year and a green sweater won’t feel too dark come the spring.

I love this Green Chunky Knit Roll Neck £42 from River Island which I have on in an XS. Wear with skinny jeans or coated/leather look leggings if you don’t want to do volume on the top and bottom.

But &Other Stories is also a green hot bed and has this Oversized Straight Sweater £69.

For something more fitted, this Cashmere Knit Sweater £110 would work beautifully with crepe joggers/tailored trousers/wide legged trousers/pleated skirts…..

On the blouse front, I tried on this V Neck Top £25.99 from Zara but the neckline didn’t quite work on me for some reason. It’s a bit low so you would need a cami underneath.

A similar style here at M&S: V Neck Long Sleeve Blouse £25.

Or there is this lovely Lace Top £59 from &Other Stories.

On the outside, this River Island Boucle Coat £85 is a cheery buy. There is also a green trench and a green blazer, but I’m not quite sold on those.

Dress wise they also have this fun Tie Back Frill Hem Swing Dress £42.

M&S has launched its new Curve range and has this Front Knot Half Sleeve Maxi Dress £65 which would be fab on holiday as well as at an event.

If it’s something more classic and work-wear that you’re after, try this Joan Ponte Dress £98 from Boden.

And if you don’t fancy so much of the green stuff, then think about it in stripe form. These more graphic, sporty stripes are the direction for SS18. There is something about this Striped Dress £25.99 from Zara that I love and it would be great for work or for a ‘do’. Plus there are very few dresses that are a good length out there.

Or this Oasis Duffy Stripe Shirt Dress £46 is another good work piece but not if you are tall as this would be too short.

Also stripey at Mango is this Print Wrap Dress £59.99 which they have also styled with a black roll neck layered underneath.

Or even more versatile is this Printed Pleated Skirt £49.99 which you can wear with the matching blouse £39.99 to create a dress but you could also pair with a fitted knit so you have a different look. Have to say I prefer this combo to the dress.

Moving away from stripes, this Bow Floral Dress £49.99 would look amazing layered with a leather biker and boots. You could add a belt to create some shape through the waist too.

On the footwear front, I like these Kitten Heel Courts £25 from Next.

Accessories wise at M&S, this little green bag would bring a welcome burst of colour to any neutral outfit: Faux Leather Push Lock Shoulder Bag £29.50. M&S styling not at its best here.

But perhaps with statement earrings being where it’s at, these little gems from H&M £8.99 would be a steal.

Or these Edwyn Fanned Tassel Earrings £44 from Anthropologie are also gorgeous and in a slightly more vivid shade that I prefer.

But the absolute icing on the cake is a new brand I discovered while doing a detox at a client’s house last week, called Blessed London which has a range that has left me wanting most of its earrings, never mind the rest of the jewellery collection…Plus they give back 10% of online sales to a UK charity called Caudwell Children.

Fan Tassel Earrings £45. These also come with a green stone if you don’t want so much pink.