Joe Browns for Simply Be

I've just had a look at the new autumn range that mail order company Joe Brown has produced for SimplyBe and I think its pretty fantastic.

For a start there is lots of it, not just one or two tops. This range includes some very covetable boots, accessories and lingerie and clothing ranges over six pages. The sizing goes from UK size 14-32 which is pretty unusual for such a fashion forward collection, the pricing is mid-range high street (£80 for a coat, £45 for jeans).

But mainly and most of all I like it because the clothes are gorgeous, there is so much in the range that I would wear that I cannot make up my mind what I should order.

I need some jeans just now and quite fancy these , just the right amount of slouch

This Coat is certainly an impact piece, imagine wearing it on bonfire night (I'm still not really getting this minimalist camel thing am I?)

And although its way, way out of season I love that this pin-up girl bikini is available to buy should I suddenly need to take a trip to Hawaii

My only gripe about this range is perhaps a political one. Joe Brown have a perfectly serviceable website  which sells many of the same clothes, stopping off at size 20. Why don't they sell the plus sizes to everyone there?

Frilling stuff

So, I've been reading everywhere that sleek, minimalism is the look of the season and camel is the only colour to be seen in. There is also a definite nip in the air which is good for me as I get to cover up all my extremities. Bearing all this in mind see below my latest purchase for Autumn.

I wanted to get something to mark this weekend's trip to London and alas I did not make it to Selfridges new Shoe Gallery, nor a chance to see the full Beth Ditto collection at Evans Marble Arch flagship. I also had a faint hope of visiting either Beige Plus or Wall London, but in the end my only shopping spree happened within the confines of Luton Airport.

Which brought me to this frilly, sleeveless top from Monsoon. I can't make up my mind whether it qualifies as suitable for workwear or purely weekend casual. But still I quite like the silliness of it and I'm looking forward to wearing it. Even if that happens only once.

Sweater Girl

I loves me a sweater dress, they are like the dressing equivalent of comfort food; tactile, warm and comfortable to wear. I look forward to autumn coming around every year so that I  get to try a new one and then I can pair it with my favourite pair of Duo boots, a good pair of black opaque tights and I'm sorted.
This year's model is a beauty. You can tell how much I love it because I'm prepared to post a picture of myself wearing it. Yes dear readers that's me in the pic below, not Elle Macpherson, do not adjust your screens.

This is called the Little Black Knit Dress and is from Planet who fearlessly sell online and instore in a generous range of sizes from 6-20. One of the things that prompted me to take a photo of me wearing the dress rather than just reproduce the image on the website is that it is difficult to pick up detail on black clothes. The dress has a "waterfall" detail at the front which is, well a bit sexy. You still can't really see it here though, maybe it shows better in this candid changing room shot.

I will of course be wearing this dress with appropriate underpinnings in order to maintain a smooth silhouette, in this case my favoured option is Scupltz tights, also available from Planet and a ladylike black slip underneath to stop static cling.

A dress like this will be ideal to show off some bold accessories and I'll be on the hunt for a good necklace to wear with it. Maybe a subject for a future post.