Check dress are here to stay.

The last 12 months have proved a struggle to wear anything but loungewear, joggers, hoodies or activewear. Lots of women I know haven’t worn a dress the entire time, even in the Summer months so the thought of ‘dressing up’ in a dress might be either scary or exciting now that we are easing out of lockdown. I love wearing dresses, they are easy to throw on, versatile and can also brighten my day as what we wear has an impact in the way that we feel. I think with the easing of lockdown we will rediscover the joy of getting dressed again, projecting a more happier outlook with what we wear.

Check dress from &Other Stories - Tiered puff sleeve midi dress - £95

So if you want to buy a dress that makes you feel good and look stylish then start with looking at check prints. Whether you love a bold plaid or prefer a sunnier picnic blanket-inspired pattern, checks in all their guises are very much making a mark this season. From perfect smock dresses with equally on trend statement sleeves and oversized collars to neater more streamlined options and grunge-inspired shirt dresses, checks are making their mark for Spring 2021 after gathering some momentum last year through Scandinavian retailer Ganni.

Check dress from Ganni, see similar here - Seersucker check maxi dress - £215

So as the first day of Spring is just around the corner (20th March), now is the time to start whimsically daydreaming about shedding the Winter layers and revisiting the dresses that have been forgotten about in your wardrobe. But make sure you leave a small space in your wardrobe for a check dress, shop my picks below.

Check dresses to buy now

Ghospell sleeveless check dress, £89.00, ASOS

2. Ganni seersucker check mini dress, £175

3. Molby the Label pink & red check Tilda dress, £110

4. Sleeper Altanta Linen red gingham dress, £230, Browns

5. Warehouse gingham check dress, £49

6. Nobody’s Child Apricot textured check Isabelle dress, £39

7. Kitri Tracy midi check dress, £175

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Trends. I used to talk trends all the time back when I was a buyer for high street retailers, they were relevant but not always right. Now as a personal stylist I know what trends are influencing what is instore and online and I interpret that for my clients. For me it’s all about spotting what’s stylish, what will last and what won’t date rather than what Vogue writes about. This season is exactly the same, I will not be advising clients to wear midriff bra-lets like Vogue is suggesting or strappy tops that wrap around your midriff, instead I look to what is selling, what is commercial and what I know my clients will part with their money for.

Even though we are in the depths of Winter, Spring is starting to come through online and we can always rely on the change of season. A change in colour comes first with pastels being prominent in updated knitwear shapes, florals are starting to pop up and as always there will be a monochrome and navy stripe theme somewhere along the way. But what I want to concentrate on is giving you 6 items to update your wardrobe now and that will see you through Spring and into Summer, items that you can add seamlessly into your wardrobe but will update and elevate pieces you already have in there, therefore giving you loads more outfits to play around with.

We are spending weeks in lockdown and lots of people have decided to make do over the Winter with what they have in their wardrobe, choosing to buy practical pieces like walking boots, coats and loungewear as there has quite literally been nowhere to go. But if you are over what you have in your wardrobe and need a little pick me up, clothing can really increase your happiness and mindset - it gives your confidence a boost that you have something nice to wear again.

My fashion fix gives you 5 pieces that can as one client said this week gives you “an injection of excitement'“ . So if you need a little pick up then please email me for some clothing inspiration, but do check out this blog post first.

So this post isn’t about Spring fashion trends but great pieces that will last you that give you a stylish edge and my predictions of what I will giving to every single client come April when we are out of lockdown and I am pulling together online shops (fingers crossed!). So while our diaries are empty now and for a few more weeks to come, I know first hand that receiving a little lockdown lift in terms of your clothing will certainly give you a new Spring in your step.

6 Spring trends to shop now

Trench coat

Trench coats for many are a wardrobe staple, an investment and finding the perfect one can become an obsession. Trenches were predicted as a trend item last year but I often think sometimes items need a couple of seasons to warm up. The oversized coat and belted maxi coat has been big the past 2 Winters so now I feel is the right time for the trench to be as big as blazers. Wearing them slightly oversized, unbelted and in neutral colours will mean that they will go with everything in your wardrobe and can be layered over heavier knits for early Spring too.

Loafers

Trainers and boots have certainly had a great run of it over the past few years but I have a feeling the chunky boot trend (re Dr Martens) is now going to transcend into loafers. Chunky soles, chains just like the original Gucci ones or the crazy giant JW Anderson ones, or with a mensy feel. Wear them now with chunky socks, printed or plain and then without socks when it gets warmer. These shoes are massively versatile, I will be wearing mine with dresses, trousers, skirts, jeans and my jumpsuits when I get my hands on my perfect pair.

&other stories, Chunky Oxford loafers, £120

Knitted vest

If you haven’t brought one by now, then it’s time to take the plunge as the knitted vest is not a one season wonder, it now comes in every colour, every neckline and works over everything. This is the perfect top to layer up over your Spring t-shirts, shirts, dresses and lighter weight tops to keep you warm but not too hot. Then when the temperatures do rise you can wear it on its own.

Shirts

Shirting this season is a tale of two halves, on one side you have the continuation of the pretty vintage collars and on the other side it’s the resurgence of the longer line masculine shirt. The pretty collars still steal the show, wearing them under cardigans and sweaters and you will also find them moving into dresses for Summer too. The minimalist lovers will be continuing to wear the mensy shirt with a casual styling feel, in stripes, with pockets, tucked in or oversized. Choose your side or dip into both. Victoria Beckham showed the white shirt on her catwalk for 2021 to be prepared to see this make a comeback too.

Shein, statement collar plaid blouse, £12.99

Trousers

I think most people have not been wearing jeans for the best part of a year now due to loungewear and joggers being the trousers of choice. Leather is also going to continue to reign a popular fabric to wear in Spring but formal trousers are making a comeback. A pair of black trousers is often associated with office attire and can often make you look like you work in the city. So this trend is all about how you style your formal trousers. Shoes are the biggest styling factor, you must wear white trainers, chunky heeled loafers or even chunky boots where you tuck in the hem of the trousers to ensure you are making a styling statement. The overall look should be more casual pairing the trousers with t-shirts, lightweight knits tucked in and and soft blazers.

Check dress

It all started with the Ganni check dress 2 Summer’s ago and this season check midi and maxi dresses will have their moment in the spotlight, they are great for now as you can layer knitwear over the top and then discard it when the temperature increases, so finding the perfect one now will see you through weeks of wearing. Plaid has been coming through on coats, blazers, skirts over the past couple of years so there is no reason why the print trend won’t continue its rise into dresses.