Kooky Two - creators of modern and stylish jewellery for everyday dressing

I love it when I meet new people, when we get chatting and then when I discover that they do something fun and exciting. 

I met Claire and Clare from "Kooky Two" at a Red Magazine Style event in October. We sat next to one another and got chatting about what they do - as you do - and it turned out that they ran their own small independent jewellery brand. They source the materials and then put them together which means that they are able to create necklaces with chains of different lengths and styles, adding different charms and beads, for a really personal feel.

I was really delighted when Kooky Two asked me if I would like to write about their jewellery. Their passion for what they do clearly shines through, so I jumped at the chance.

Lightning bolts are definitely having a moment, and this necklace is a real favourite of mine. It's small and delicate and works really well when layered with other necklaces too.

Gold lightening bolt necklace (£25) which also comes in silver (£18)

silver trio tiny star necklace (£18)

I love all things star related and this necklace is perfect for layering or wearing on its own. Personally I like shorter length necklaces that just sit neatly at the base of your neck but it comes in four different lengths, meaning that if you're not sure of someone's preferences, you can opt for a mid range length and probably get it right. 

Heart beat necklace (£23)

I haven't come across a heart beat necklace before and personally I think it's a great one to gift to yourself from a loved one in a "Look what you bought for me" kind of way adding, just for good measure "you make my heart skip a beat." How could they possibly deny you the joy of such a gift?!

I'm a huge fan of ear-rings, to the point that I'm thinking of getting another piercing, just so that I can wear way more of them. Ear-rings have come on leaps and bounds over the last few years, not only in the sense of big, statement, dangly ear-rings but also in the sense of cuffs, creepers and all sorts of intricate and delicate pieces that don't dangle but rather just adorn. 

Silver trio heart stud creeper earrings (£20)

I have these earrings and love how delicate they are, whilst at the same time being a little more modern that a traditional stud style earring. A similar style are these silver triangle ear creepers (£20) below.

If like me you just can't keep away from the lightening bolt theme, there are also these lightening bolt earrings (£18)

I also love the branding of "Kooky Two". Claire and Clare (one with an "i", one without!) are obviously brilliant friends who have come together to run a business which suits their lifestyles. Their aim is to create minimal, modern and stylish jewellery for everyday dressing, which can take an outfit from day to night. For them it's about a simple approach, whether it's with something personalised or layered, dainty or more statement in style and "wowish", such as their Crystal Innovations  collection, using Swarovski Crystals.

For something a bit rock chic there's these silver hoop earrings with jet black crystals (£25) which are fabulous if you like an earring to make a statement without them wearing you, like some of the huge ones can.

They also come with a metallic blue swarovski crystal (£25), which are stunning.

And how fantastic would it be to wake up to these on Christmas Day? They look like a flippin' great big diamond and to be honest, that would be good enough for me, for sure.

Aurore Boreale earrings (£25)

Additionally, Kooky Two offer personalised necklaces and bracelets, where the girls hand-stamp discs with letters or numbers.

Personalised triple disc necklace (£33)

This necklace comes with one, two or three discs and can be personalised  with two styles of font, three styles of chain and adjustable lengths depending on the style of chain chosen. The entire range of personalised pieces can be seen here

Whilst I am the first to admit that I champion our high street, when it comes to jewellery and special pieces it's nice to have a personal relationship with the brands, and the people behind them. Supporting small businesses, which are often run by busy women in positions similar to ourselves, is increasingly the way forward. Do take a look at the Kooky Two site - I'm sure that Claire and Clare would love to hear from you.

Disclosure: This post was written in conjunction with Kooky Two but I chose which pieces to write about. Kooky Two kindly gifted to me a gold lightening bolt necklace and a pair of heart creeper earrings.

My favourite faux fur scarves...

I think that it's safe to say that there's some cold weather on its way. We've had pre-emptive letters from the schools warning of early closures and our son is positively ecstatic at the prospect of the trains not being able to run due to snow.

Over the years I have tried many items/coats/fabrics in the fight against the cold and what I can't work out is whether it's my imagination that tells me that fake fur is one of the best, or whether it's actually true. Does it so closely represent the real thing that it is actually really warm - despite being man made - or is it because it's quite heavy - or am I just making it up in my head?

There's one item that I own and whenever I wear it, people ask me where it's from. And this is it - a £16 fake fur grey scarf from Miss Selfridge which I bought when we still had a Miss Selfridge store.

I find that if my neck is warm, it helps with everything else too and it's definitely warmer than lots of scarves that I have. So here's a few of my favourites that are out and about.

First of all there's this White Company grey faux fur stole (now £49.30 instead of £69). I went and had a look at this one in the store yesterday and it's lovely. Really soft and long too so definitely one for the Christmas present list.

The other place that I have seen some gorgeous ones is Jigsaw

They have this Seraa faux fur scarf (£70) which also comes in a lovely cream colour and also in grey. Going off piste slightly, there's also this fabulous sheepskin scarf in Jigsaw (£98).

This is one of those pieces that's just really fun. It's hard not to put it on and smile at its slight craziness. And for something bright, look no further than Oasis for this amazing faux fur tippet (£25)

which also comes in navy (£25)

Oasis also has a faux fur scarf in grey (£25)

This Ted Baker scarf (from John Lewis £89) is only what can be described as "snazzy". It's a real eye catcher and the perfect way of brightening up darker winter coats and jumpers. I quite often wear mine in the house if I'm chilly - but it's not a good idea to go too near to a naked flame in them.

As an alternative to the one above, there's this bright blue scarf from New Look which is a brilliant price at £10.49. It also comes in pink too (below) - for those who don't want to blend into the background.

Hello - now that's what you call bright pink! 

Clearly I could go on all night with my faux fur scarves. I love them for their warmth, glamour (even when wearing scruffy jogging bottoms and a sweatshirt at home) and their pure snuggliness on a cold day.

When the stars align...

We've seen flamingos, pineapples, stars, hearts, lightening bolts and lips...but now it's time for all things space related. 

Space and cosmic type things seem to be having a moment. Last week Prince Harry talked about "how the stars were aligned" when Meghan (we're on first name terms you know) came into his life. And tonight there's going to be a "Super" moon.

It was this time last year when all things space like came into my life, in the form of sparkly Star Wars socks from Topshop. I acquired many pairs, to replace my older socks. Deep. I know. 

I've noticed more and more space/planet/moon related prints and pieces becoming available and here's a pick of some of my favourites. But if you happen to see any more out there PLEASE tell me!

First of all, a word about Rixo London which was started in 2015 by two friends, Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McClosky. Both Creative Directors studied at the London College of Fashion and their brand (which is a combination of their two names) is going from strength to strength. They have such a gorgeous selection of silk clothing with the most fabulous prints - I think that I may have to re-think my Christmas Day outfit.

I think that this Rixo London Georgia cosmic constellation skirt (£220) could well be the most gorgeous skirt I've ever seen. In fact I absolutely love the whole outfit. The combination of colours, the two related prints. Please, can someone I know get married and invite me, just so that I have an excuse to buy this outfit?

And then if they would like to have a baby and invite me to the christening - no wait, that would take too long - perhaps the bride could have a hen do and then I could wear the Rixo London Thalia space age floral silk midi skirt (£220). Can I swear? Just ever so slightly? I bloody love this skirt too. Oooh, I've just had a thought - I think that some of my friends would like this skirt too. Anyone fancy doing a time share?

Rixo Marissa Cosmic Constallation midi deep V-neck dress (£325)

I'm not sure that I could quite pull this dress off - well not without a lot of assistance in the (masking) tape department for my top half (and maybe some other kind of assistance in the tanning/pruning department to accommodate the high split). BUT - oh how I love it! 

Rixo Sheena space age spot (£295)

Now, if the other prints aren't quite your taste - after all prints are very subjective - then this black dress with the white space age spot might appeal more. I love the simple elegance of this dress. 

Rixo Pluto teal cowl neck blouse (£165)

As you've probably figured, this is the top in the shot above. I can't help but smile when I look at all of these pieces which, granted, when you're home alone in front of a Christmas film is ever so slightly weird - but then I talk to my clothes sometimes so it's actually quite normal for me. 

Rixo Georgia skirt in navy moonlit sky (£205)

This is the Georgia skirt again but this time in navy moonlit sky. And there's a blouson sleeved top (£175) to go with it, giving the illusion of a dress. 

And then out there on the High Street, there's this stunning Zara printed midi dress (£69) which I was going to buy but then the lack of slip to go underneath it put me off. It should have come one with one but I think that someone decided that it was just what they needed, so they took it instead. 

And this is right at the very top of my Christmas list. Being a fan of all things sci-fi, I think that my husband was quite surprised (and obviously secretly delighted) that I would like something else bag like and sparkly. 

I know the Queen UFO glitter clutch bag (£75)

I know the Queen has so many amazing glitter clutches with fabulous designs from sharks, to your initials, stars, slogans. They're brilliant! 

Topshop glitter moon and star socks (£3.50)

And coming full circle, we're back to the Topshop socks. Maybe a touch of space like magic is all that you need for now, in which case these could be perfect - with a midi skirt and heeled sandals for a very modern look, or tucked inside your boots for when the cold weather hits. 

And as I said before, if anyone comes across anything planet like or cosmic or sparkly, please do let me know. I would love to take a peek! 

Linea x Style Guile

Linea Ava longline coat (£165)

Who remembers when Linea first arrived on the scene? I'm going to show my age now by saying that I do! I remember the rails of clothes in House of Fraser containing sleek items. It was way before the days that Birmingham had Jigsaw, Hobbs, Whistles or anything other than M&S and a small Topshop. Linea felt sophisticated, fresh and modern and it definitely offered something different. I remember Linea with fondness because it was the first place that I went to buy some new clothes 6 months after our eldest was born (nearly 19 years ago now. Eeeek.) On reflection my choices were bad - but that was purely down to me. 

I was asked by House of Fraser recently whether I would like to take a look at the new Linea collection. It's been re-worked and updated. I was delighted to spend some time when I was in the Sutton Coldfield store looking at what was on offer.

I was gifted this gorgeous Ava coat from Linea as part of the collaboration with House of Fraser. I've had such a positive response to it on Instagram and it is truly a lovely coat, being made of 75% wool, 10% cashmere and 15% nylon.  This is, I would say, the perfect "commuter coat." I've worn it on several recent trips to London when I've been on the train and when it's necessary to have something warm enough to keep the chill at bay but not so thick that you over heat. It's a coat that I find myself reaching for again and again because it just makes an outfit (however dressed down) feel polished.

I also love the colour of the lining, the simple lines and the fact that the pockets are square and "upright", meaning that a phone never falls out of it. I never thought that the type of pocket that a coat had would ever really be a consideration for me but it is. Is that terrible - especially in this context? Probably but there you go, it is!

And as to some of the other pieces that caught my eye....

Well first off, there's the Linea bomber back detail coat (£169). Unsurprisingly, I love the shade of pink and there's a really interesting layering detail at the back, giving the look of a bomber jacket. I love it when I come across a piece of clothing and I think to myself "oooh, I wonder how that all works." This was one of those pieces - something just a little different.

Moving on to my next item...

This is the Linea  Henny Pu full skirt (£49) which comes in grey or black. I love the combination of the modern material with the slightly more classic style of skirt than lots of pleather skirts. It has such a lovely "swish" to it and would look amazing styled with a pussy bow blouse and heels for work or with a slogan T and trainers at the weekend (well, provided that it wasn't snowing).

The world has gone crazy for long sleeved, printed, midi dresses...

And Linea have come up trumps with this gorgeous poppy printed dress (£69). Styled here with heels, it would also work well (as you all know) with thick tights, ankle boots and a chunky cardigan over the top, or with a leather jacket and ankle boots, or with a fur coat for a winter wedding. This bold, graphic print is really strong and has great colouring to it. 

How gorgeous is this Linea lace bodice metallic pleat dress (£125)? A dress that looks like a skirt and top is always a winner in my book. Skirts and tops can be quite a faff - all that tucking in business with the top having to be the right length etc. However this is all done for us. The skirt has a great length to it with plenty of movement and the top part is covered but still has that lovely sheer element to it too.  The waist is set quite high, giving the illusion of legs that go on forever. I'm in! 

There's also a gorgeous cashmere jumper at Linea which at £79 is a really good price. This item was also gifted to me as part of the collaboration but I'm saving it for a Christmas outfit that I have in mind. All will be revealed in due course! 

Linea Isabella long line cardigan (£85)

Whenever I see someone wearing a long line cardigan, I always think how stylish it looks. It can be hard to find one long enough though but this one has a great length to it and it's such a versatile piece, layered over skinnies with a big chunky scarf or faux fur scarf. The grey inside also just makes it so much more stylish than if it was navy.

And who isn't always on the look out for a great top?

The print and detail on this Linea snake print ruffle blouse (£45) are fabulous. A bit of subtlety is always good (unless it comes to pink or sequins when all bets are off) but this offers something elegantly simple whilst still having something about it. I like most things that I wear, or that I put ladies in to "have something about them" - or the potential to have "something about them" when accessorised.

And finally!

There's the Linea Prince of Wales checked trousers (£55). Checks are having such a huge moment and the style of these makes them less "90s office attire" than some of the wide leg options available.  I love the idea of them with the snake print blouse, offering something just a little different.

I have to admit that Linea had sort of fallen off my fashion radar but there are some great pieces and I shall definitely be popping back from time to time to take a look. The quality and the price point are both good and the styling of the pieces on the House of Fraser site is soooooo much better than many other brands I could mention. Do take a whizz over if you have a minute and see what you think.

Disclosure: This post was written in collaboration with House of Fraser, for which I was gifted the Eva coat and the cashmere jumper referred to above. I wasn't given a brief and all words and observations are my own.

The jumper that we all need in our Wardrobe

Honestly, you may not think that you need a pink jumper but you absolutely do. I promise. Even if you don't like pink, you really do need a pink jumper. This is even more so if you don't like sparkles, Christmas jumpers or Fair Isle ones - all of which are in abundance at this time of year.  They go so well with denim and all of those navy, black and grey pieces that we wear at this time of year.

I posted the above picture on Instagram a while ago and asked people if they had seen any fab pink jumpers this season.  And this is the response that came back...

The Oasis cable knit (£40) seemed particularly popular. If wearing it with a midi length embellished skirt of the party variety, just tuck some of the front of the jumper into the waistband in a nonchalant kind of way, so as to keep the proportions right. Equally this would look great with coated skinnies and wellies for those winter walks that we all avoid like the plague look forward to on a cold wintery day.

This Oasis pink turtleneck (£30) offers something slightly more lightweight for those layering occasions, or if a chunky style is just too heavy for what you're wearing on the bottom half. The scalloped neckline  and hem make for a really pretty detail.

For something a little sport luxe, this Burford cashmere hoodie from Kitted in Cashmere (£139) is just lovely. Again it can be worn with a party style skirt for a high/low look, or  leather leggings, or luxe track pants. This jumper also comes in this amazing shade of pink, which is really "Wow" in the flesh.

This Burfood hoodie is a "one size fits all" jumper too - making it the perfect Christmas present.

If a slightly more subtle shade of pink is more of your thing, then there's the HUSH Helen jumper (£69) which isn't quite as full on as some of the more neon ones that I've suggested above. This is a great, easy style to wear too. Layer something underneath it, or over it, tuck it in, leave it out, lengthen it with a white shirt peeping out from the bottom, add a scarf if you prefer a higher neckline, jazz it up with sparkly jewellery - it's just so versatile. 

I've noticed that chenille, that fabulous fabric with 80s and 90s connotations, seems to be having a revival. So for those who like the idea of some texture and would rather avoid anything with wool in it, there's this hooded jumper in cerise chenille from H&M (£29.99)

And I love this Chunky knit jumper H&M (£19.99). It's very insta worthy in a "wearing it with Mom type jeans and sky scraper heels" kind of way. Over sized, overly long sleeves with a great high neckline, it's fabulous.

For an investment piece in something luxuriously soft, there's the Mimi cashmere jumper from White Stuff (£89.95) which was also drawn to my attention. It's such a vibrant shade of pink - love it!

And then I just had to go and do it didn't I? I had to go and lower the tone by including a jumper that was not only pink but also sparkly and with a Christmas theme. As you can tell, this was all my own work! It's the Topshop Christmas sequin penguin jumper (£36) and I fear that it might just have my name all over it.

Now do you believe me? You see, you totally need a pink jumper....don't you?!

The Little Black Dress of Dreams from LK Bennett

Salena black dress LK Bennett (£325)

Last week I was lucky enough to be holding an event in the LK Bennett store in Birmingham and so, for one night only, I got to wear the most beautiful little black dress. 

There are so many gorgeous dresses in LK Bennett at the moment that they really deserve a post of their own. From fabulous dresses in the collaboration with Preen, to floral midi dresses, velvet knee length dresses and leopard print dresses, LK Bennett is definitely very strong in its "dress game" this season.

But for now I'm just going to tell you why this Salena dress is such a gem. First, it has a great length to it, so there's no issue as to whether it feels too short or not. Secondly, the volume in the skirt is really flattering for pear shaped figures as it just skims so beautifully. The lace detailing around the shoulders and neckline does a great job of drawing the eye upwards - a fantastic styling trick if ever there was one. And one of the best things is that the lace detailing around the waist is quite high, meaning that it falls on a narrow part of the torso plus it gives the illusion of legs going on forever. This is just one of those dresses that feels really elegant and glamourous when you're wearing it.

If you do happen to be on the hunt for a dress for the festive season, or just because you fancy a new frock, I would definitely suggest heading over to LK Bennett for a look. Traditionally I think that it's fair to say that they had more of a formal/corporate/fitted Kate Middleton (in a good way) look about them but they are definitely rocking some cooler frocks this winter.