An Ode To Everlane

This post is sponsored by Everlane. 

The word 'Everlane' has come up on my blog many times due to this blazer, which is one of the most worn in my collections (pictured in the bag above, because it can be folded/scrunched, whatever your style, and still comes out looking amazing- one of the many reasons I love it). However, despite that, I feel like I have never really spoken about the brand too much. It's one you often ask me to feature in Testing Basics because it is an ethical brand that is incredibly transparent and where the products are made, and the only reason holding me back from that is that the brand doesn't ship the UK.. until now, YAY! Until the end of this month (May, just incase some of you reading struggle to keep up with what day/month/year we are in, also welcome to the club, I dated a form with 2017 last week), Everlane are offering free shipping to the UK on all orders over $250. FYI, the beloved blazer is on back order, but if you place the order now you can still make the most of the offer even if it isn't shipped straight away. 

Not only is Everlane getting some major brownie points for being ethical, but the product it offers is amazing. This shirt is definitely aiming for the top spot in my white shirt collection as favourite - I love it. The single breast pocket, the collarless detail, the crisp cotton - this will be the white shirt of the Summer for me, and also amazing on the beach over a bikini for any upcoming holidays. So, I want to offer some sizing advice on the jeans as I didn't get it quite right, I went for a waist 27 but I think I actually could have gone down to a waist 26 for s tighter fit around the waist. Thankfully it's nothing a good belt can't fix, but if you are small waisted I would recommend going down one or two sizes for this one. Everything else fits very much true to size - the suede shoes are the perfect fit, and are incredibly comfortable. The tote bag as the seal of approval from non other than Meghan Markle. I haven't spoken about the Royal Wedding on here yet, but I was very much banded in the category of people who didn't feel very interested in the whole thing until the second I started watching it and then I was enthralled!!! Meghan has it in the cognac colour which is (not surprisingly) sold out, and while I am not officially a princess despite how much I can act like one, I would also like to give the blush one a royal seal of approval. For me it won't be an everyday handbag as I prefer something smaller, but for going on trips and the days when you seem to need to lug around 34 notebooks, a laptop and half a library with you. 

JEANS: c/o EVERLANE | SHIRT: c/o EVERLANE | SHOES: c/o EVERLANE | BAG: c/o EVERLANE

PHOTOS BY DEAN MARTINDALE.

South Tyrol On 35mm

Shop Daisy London here, huge thank you to Daisy London and Visit South Tyrol for such an amazing trip! 

Some London Love

Sharing some film photos I shot around London last week. I just spent the full weekend here, which was of course a very patriotic and British one. The combination of the royal wedding and FA cup final meant Saturday was a boozy day, and the atmosphere in the city was at it's very best. On Sunday I caught up with a friend who has just moved down here - I was asking the all important questions, "how much out of 10 do you like London so far?", "what is your most and least favourite thing so far?" And it got me thinking about my own answers to that too. I will have been down here for a year this Summer, and honestly don't even feel like I have scratched the surface so far. Whenever someone asks me where I want to have a meeting, I only know of about 5 decent places I can ever think to suggest. My weekends are usually spent around West London, because I am away so much I want to make the most of this amazing neighbourhood, but it also means I restrict how much I actually explore! 

To answer how much I have loved living in London out of 10, it has to be a solid 9. The endless opportunity to be social and meet so many interesting people is the best thing, combined with the incredible work ethic of this city. It really does make it a city where you feel like you have to burn the candle at both ends, which is why it is dropping that extra point. Of course it's eye wateringly expensive - but I feel like so many people I know just make the most of the fact they get to live here as much as they can. Working like mad to afford and enjoy the best life possible. 

That is pretty much my favourite thing about it, that and the general British sensibility to a day of sunshine and a beer garden, which is by no means restricted to London. I have always loved how much we appreciate and the make the most of sunshine - all parks in London will be heaving, beer gardens and the streets outside the pubs rammed with people in the highest spirits. I personally think the British summertime (when we actually get the sun) is the best place to spend the Summer. I cannot tell you guys how much of a buzz there was walking through Notting Hill over the weekend. It was INSANELY busy (don't always love that when getting to Tesco is like some high adrenaline obstacle course), but the atmosphere was incredible and it made me so feel so lucky and happy to get to live here. 

The least favourite thing has to be the London attitude on those less sunshiney days. It's so true what people say about Londoners being grumpy and a tad rude, and I have totally adopted the fast paced walking and moving around the city, and the huffs and puffs at any tourists who might slow that down. You totally get swept up in it! It's a heads down city for sure, no idle chat with strangers on the tube (or anywhere really), which is very different from living in the North. And, like with that fast paced grumpy walking, you also adopt the heads down attitude living here really quickly too. Except when the sun is out - which is maybe why that makes things feel even more special? 

JACKET: LEMAIRE | TROUSERS: TOTEME | SHOES: c/o DEAR FRANCES | TOP: REDONE | BAG: GUCCI