Wants and Needs.

With retailers and magazines thrusting the new fashion season in our faces during this hot weather, I want Mr Sunshine to clear off and for Autumn leaves to cover the ground.

Autumn/Winter is the best season for fashion; beautiful new cashmere, a fantastic winter coat and a chance to update all those winter wardrobe base layers.

This season, I'm after basics...wardrobe staples if you will; a butter-soft biker jacket, classic heeled leather ankle boots and lots of M&S and Uniqlo cashmere (the best in my opinion).

Currently coveting

Whistles Dree Leather Jacket
Slightly out of my price range, but leather is always a good investment - hard to resist.

The Boots
How do I love thee, Burbs. But alas, these a merely a dream. Topshop's versions are canny though.

Winter Warmers

...in the form of cashmere and merino wool. Because who can survive winter without a bit of cashmere? Not me. Last winter, I actually bought items from the mens range from M&S and Uniqlo - I love the oversized fit. Cashmere below by Uniqlo - classic colours for every winter wardrobe.

Fashion: Hiut Denim

I was recently introduced to a very clever new brand from the founder of Howies - Hiut Denim.

David and Claire Hieatt, founders of Hiut Denim, launched the brand to inject life back into the denim industry in Cardigan, Wales.

What's really interesting about this brand is the story;

"We make jeans. That’s it. Nothing else. No distractions. Nothing to steal our focus. No kidding ourselves that we can be good at everything. No trying to conquer the whole world. We just do our best to conquer our bit of it. So each day we come in and make the best jeans we know how. Use the best quality denims. Cut them with an expert eye. And then let our ‘Grand Masters’ behind the sewing machines do the rest.

There is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from making something well, of such superior quality that you know it is going to stand the test of time. It makes the hard work and the obsessing over each and every detail worth all the effort. That’s our reward. That’s why we stick to just making jeans. Yup, we just make jeans. That’s all folks."

In an age of recession and many established brands goings into administration, it's great to see new and specialist brands cropping up and ceasing the opportunity to launch products which people really want to buy - even when consumers are continuing to tighten their purse strings. Now more than ever, consumers want quality products with longevity and an engaging story behind the brand, and this is something Hiut Denim are doing exceedingly well.

Along with their denim, they're also launching the History Tag;

"Each jean will come with a unique number. Your unique number. You go to the HistoryTag website and register. That’s it. Then you can upload pictures of where you went, what you did, who you did it with…to the HistoryTag website. So those memories get saved. Not a big deal right now. But when you look back, it will become a big deal."

http://hiutdenim.co.uk