London Fashion Week Fever

Now that London Fashion Week has finally commenced, we have been glued to the website desperate for pictures of the new collections and tit bits of gossip from the shows.

So to satisfy our craving for all things related to British fashion, I decided to put together a blog post of my favourite quintessential British classics and my favourite red, white and blue pieces from our site, in homage to the Union Jack and great British style.

When you think of British classic pieces, one of the first items that spring to mind is the trench coat. This versatile piece works for both ladies and gents and adds a touch of sophistication to any outfit, day or evening.

I personally love a neutral coloured trench over black cigarette trousers for a really strong film noir type look. Top it off with a slick of red lipstick and maybe some red accessories. I’d highly recommend our red high society bag from designer Ava and Grace (£89), as not only does it contain the red of the Union Jack, it also has a very structured British look to it, to add some lady like glamour to your day.

Staying on the red theme, I also love this red flower hair clip, which has just the right amount of glitz to lift an outfit without being over the top. With a pencil skirt and crisp white shirt, this clip will bring some English county garden style to your wardrobe.

So that’s the red sorted, but what about the white and blue. Well, if we’re thinking of picking out the white, then what could be more British and classic than pearls? Whether a vintage string around the neck, or some elaborate earrings featuring faux pearls, no piece of jewellery can be as quintessentially British.

For a treat that will last a lifetime, our freshwater pearl bracelet (£96) is a real investment piece, and combines the traditional pearls with a modern silver charm, making it very wearable. And to really push the fashion boundaries, which is what British fashion is really about after all, why not pair such a lady like piece with a typically British accessory designed originally for men, like a bow tie or a pair of brogues and really mix up your styles.

Now we have our red and white items, it’s just the blue left to create our Union jack inspired ensembles. So how about combining another perennial British fashion piece with your blue, by wearing a navy trilby. Trilbies are a great way of adding a twist to an outfit and making it instantly fashionable, and are really quite wearable compared to other styles of hat. Trust me: I do not have a hat head, but even I can pull off a trilby!

Wear your trilby with confidence and add a colourful ribbon at the top of the brim to make it unique. And to carry on the blue theme why not add our blue heart necklace (£14) to really show your love, and it’s such good value you’ll love it even more.

So there are my top tips for ways to pledge your allegiance to British fashion, but before I finish I HAVE to mention brooches. For me they are the greatest of British accessories and work for everyone from teens to great grandmas, and can be used on shirts, hats, to fasten scarves and to hold clothing in place. So with this in mind my ultimate pick has to be this pearl and crystal brooch (£16.50)- combining my two favourites: brooches and pearls.

Happy Fashion Week!

RHS flower show inspiration

The RHS flower show is currently on at Tatton Park, which is just round the corner from our lovely Chester office, and it's inspired me to get green fingered! Unfortunately city living means I only have a few pots on my balcony to plant flowers in, so I've resorted to wearing the summers pretty floral tea dresses and printed rose scarves to get my flower fix wherever I am.

Although i love being a vision in ditsy print, i think the girls here at Pearl and Butler were on the right track when they suggested I indulge my passion by mixing floral jewellery pieces in with some of my less exciting clothes to give them a new 'flower power' lease of life.

So with that seed firmly planted in my head (excuse the pun)- here are my favourite picks for floral accessories from www.pearlandbutler.com to brighten up your day.

First up is the lovely cerise rose pendant, (£14) which combines two trends at once- summer brights and floral, and can be worn to liven up plain black or clashed 'Sex And The City' style with a bright orange maxi dress or apple green tulip skirt.

If muted tones are more your thing then our in house design range Ruby Butler will definitely have a floral treat to suit your tastes and budget, and as each piece is a one of a kind, you know you're wearing a truly unique piece of jewellery. My favourite is the mother of pearl flower on a pale green suede cord, perfect for you or for a gift.

If rings are more your thing, then why not wear your flower on your hand (rather than your heart on your sleeve) with our gold rose ring, a steal at £10.50. Or try one of our many murano glass rings, to give whatever you're wearing a hint of country garden chic!

And if you're headed to sunnier shores then take a slice of the english garden with you with our turquoise flower necklace and bracelet, which feature semi precious turquoise stones and a chunky silver flower, and are the perfect beach to bar accessories.

So there you have my floral faves to bring a little bit of the RHS flower show into the office, hope you like them!

Strawberries and Cream at Wimbledon

We've been playing on Polyvore again-this week my dream outfit for posing at Wimbledon. I think it's as sweet as strawberries and cream!

Viva Italia

Our love of Murano jewellery seems to be getting stronger - and as many of our Murano pieces are bestsellers, we're sure that they are some of our customer 's favourites too! Well we're delighted to confirm that we'll be adding even more stunning glass pieces from Italy very shortly as we'll be adding a range of striking jewellery - including some very unique pieces - from the exquisite designer range Antica Murrina.

The range includes everything from delicate rings and earrings through to statement necklaces that really make an entrance!

So - for those of you with a love of unusual and beautiful pieces - watch this space in the coming weeks for more Italian style...

Festival Chic Polyvore

After our festival advice in our last post, we thought we'd show you how we would work the look with Pearl and Butler jewellery, hunter wellies and a gorgeous Anna Sui playsuit! Am starting to get a little obsessed with Polyvore it's such a creative site- some of the sets are just beautiful.

Festival Season Here I Come!

WIth Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Radio One's Big Weekend just around the corner it seems that the time is now to embrace your inner Kate Moss and make sure you can be a festival fashionista with the minimum of fuss.

The key to looking good - whatever the weather! - is to pack light and pack right. Being prepared for cooler nights with extra layers and for muddy fields with a pair of must-have wellies, will help you look and feel your best. Whereas you may be tempted to pack all your favourite summer dresses and far too many t-shirts, remember that one dress and one jumpsuit are lighter to carry, perfect to layer up or down and will give you different looks when you combine them with different accessories.

Vintage looking accessories are perfect for the festival season - but remember to only take low cost items with you and not family heirlooms (tents are not known for their security!). Hippy bangles are perfect to dress up your maxi dress (this summer's must have look) and the peacock bracelet is one of our summer favourites at just £12. For those loving the ethnic trend this year the chunky oval horn bracelet at £12 is a great statement bracelet.

With the jumpsuit one of the key looks for 2009, long necklaces are perfect to dress them up or down. The gold and wooden bead necklace at just £11 is a perfect way to take your jumpsuit from day to night. Bright colours are huge for 2009 and an easier way to get bang on trend without wearing neon from top to toe is to choose one of the quirky bright necklaces such as the turquoise faceted bead necklace for just £12.

Ethnic earrings are perfect for the boho chic trend with the black faceted bead earrings at just £14 a gorgeous addition to your festival must-have list.

So with accessories sorted all that's left is for the Pearl and Butler team to give you our top five other festival must-haves: 1) face wipes 2) waterproof mascara (best invention ever) 3) sunglasses - perfect to hide the lack of sleep we've had 4) hunter wellies (a girl can dream) and finally 5) our festival friend dry hair shampoo - one quick spray and we're good to go!

McAfee seal of approval

I'm sure you've all always known that we are a safe and secure site, but now there's even more proof!

We have been deemed a 'safe site' by McAfee and one reviewer was 'Very impressed', and said that www.pearlandbutler.com featured 'good usability' and had 'no spam', view the full report here.

So now there's no excuse not to treat yourself to one of our lovely new arrivals!