WIT mama Friday: Little Circle and the guilt free kids shopping website

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones and Little Circle is just that, a simply brilliant idea. Okay so you know how when you first have a baby you go a little crazy with the shopping? Yes, we've all been there - and it's not like it really stops when the babies become children, the shopping still continues, perhaps a little less crazy but still, on many occasions, totally unnecessary (Greta own four coats?! Really!?).  Wouldn't it be great if you could buy beautiful clothes and then give them back to the store you bought them from in exchange for more store credit? Well, read on because two very smart women have just created the dream "guilt-free" children's shopping website that does, amongst many more things, just that. And the great news it's one of the best edits I have ever seen.

The stylish duo behind Little Circle: Anna Bromilow, former Fashion Director of Tatler Magazine, and Lisa Picardo an Executive Director for Morgan Stanley Private Equity.

OUR FASHION

is contemporary and luxurious. We are taste-makers, discovering and pulling together the most covetable childrenswear brands from all over the world, curated into one focused online collection. Every piece feels special and is expertly styled with a Fashion Editor's eye.

OUR MISSION

is to be the long term fashion solution for stylish parents to dress their growing children. We support beautiful design and craftsmanship and offer a savvy, chic solution for the short life span of children’s clothes. We believe in sustainability.

OUR CONCEPT

is simple. Buy the most chic clothing from us. Your children will wear them and love them. When they are too small, send them back to us and we sell them. Use your credit from the sale to refresh your child's wardrobe... and so the little circle goes on.

www.littlecircle.co.uk

The Monsoon dress that is getting all of us talking

Mixing it up: my Monsoon dress with Chloe shoes and an old Coast bag

I can't tell you how much I love this dress, I know it's kind of a rip off of the Burberry one I love (still haven't completely given up on that one), but I just want to wear it all the time. It comes in blue and in red, I have them both and the thing I'm most excited about is that I won't be putting them away for winter.

No, no because you see with a pair of knee high boots and a big coat or chunky cardigan, they make the perfect winter dresses too (hello long sleeves!). So, if you haven't got your yet get them quick as I can see those emails rolling half way through the winter when you will have seen me wearing them lots and they've all sold out! ;-)

Click here to buy the blue one and here to buy the red one

The red version with pompom hem Marianne dress £89

How to mix high and low

I have a lot of beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories, but if you scroll through my posts you will see that very rarely I wear head to toe designer preferring to mix cheaper, High Street pieces with more expensive designer investments. And this is for two reasons: number one I can't really afford designer only, and number two I think that mixing it up creates a much more individual look. The secret is all in finding the right balance, which is obviously easier said than done. So today's post looks at some of my past outfits and the formulas you can apply when dressing up yourself. Hope you find it useful!

Make believe - I wore a pair of blatantly Dolce e Gabbana bejewelled slingbacks to a wedding this week end with a "make believe' Dolce spotty dress that was actually from Marks and Spencer. Unless you are amongst fashion experts nobody will ever know and you will have created a very designer look for a fraction of the price (and without trying too hard).

Pair a high street dress with designer shoes - from time to time high street dresses are just as good as designer ones (especially in the summer when cotton is just cotton!). To give it a more expensive look, always pair it with designer shoes.

Wear an expensive coat over jeans and a sweater - A good quality coat (and I mean something like a cashmere maxi coat or a sleek tailored overcoat) will instantly make any outfit look expensive. I find that a Burberry trench could be worn over a pyjama and still make you look chic!

Wear a denim jacket over your pretty dress - this is a trick that I use all the time. Not only does it instantly make your dressy items more wearable in the day, but it also adds a cool and laid back effect to your outfit.

Invest in a pair of designer jeans - something recognisable, like my favourite MiH Marrakesh flare. You could be wearing a Topshop T-shirt with them (or a Madewell blouse in my case), and still look the part. (Okay so it also helps to wear a designer bag ;-) like my Chloe Drew...)

Throw a fun clutch over your all black look -  weather it's designer or not (this is my Prada cookie monster) a fun clutch instantly lifts you head to toe ensemble and gives your look a bit of  a 'lift'.

Combine designer bag with casual inexpensive shoes - No one will ever think you are wearing a  pair of £19.99 Mango espadrilles when your bag is a little designer flashy, so don't be afraid to wear your Chanel or Chloe bag with your Mango lace up shoes this winter.

Finish off your look with a pair of designer sunglasses - Even when you are wearing basics like jeans and a jumper, a pair of designer sunglasses will make your outfit look more expensive.

WIT mama Friday: Greta's winter box

If Mamma has a Winter Box... why shouldn't Greta? Well, she doesn't actually, but I like to keep  a little document on my computer with sweet things I want to buy her so that from time to time I can get her a little fashion fix. Some of the things below are things I've already got her (how cute are these Felt star slippers £10 Marks and Spencer), some she's been gifted (my super talented friend Georgie Abay from The Grace Tales has just launched a kid's clothing range called Atelier/Child - do check it out) and some are on my wish list. 

Coat £40 Navy coat £40 Monsoon

In winter I like to dress Greta with Liberty print tops, skinny corduroy trousers and a cashmere cardi's (I always get them right at the end of the sales from J.Crew and Bonpoint - the yellow one below is down from £115 to £57!!), and then accessorise the lot with super cute girlie shoes, hats and hair clips. I love Mango KIDS (sells online only) and I'm obsessed with the cheap gems you can find in M&S and Monsoon  (check this poncho out!)

Wool cape £32 and wool poncho £32 both Monsoon

At the moment I am loving yellow, especially when paired with balck and grey - now that Greta is a little older I like brighter colours too. So here are a few things that are on my wish list (including a tutu she can wear ti nursery... don't get me started..), but something for WIT mama Fridays girls mums only I'm afraid!  

Glitter lace up shoes £14 Marks and Spencer

Animal print sweater Atelier/Child

Mouse bag £20 Boden

Glitter hairclips £3.99 Mango

Star necklace £4.99 Mango

Crew Cuts cashmere cardigan £57 (from £115)

Metallic tutu £12.99 Mango

Pom pom hat £9.99 Mango

Cord slim jeans £19 Boden

Confetti print dress £29 Gap

The winter box

Isabel Marant Etoile jumper and boots, Whistles skirt, Bally bag

I've been back for a couple of days, but I've been preparing for the new season for a while now, compiling mental wish lists and jotting down the things I'm going to buy. Some of them will be investment buys (a  new coat, possibly a green one) and some of them I will buy on the high street. It's my way to make coming back from holiday a little bit more exciting, especially when saying goodbye to sunny days and beach life, so here's what's in my 'Winter Box'...

The two trends I'm most excited to wear next winter are jumpers (over on The ICONS Update I've been calling it jumper dressing because it's not just jumpers, it's jumper fabric - dresses, skirts and trousers too!) and knee high boots. When I was on holiday in Italy I was trawling on the website of my home town's website Luisa Via Roma, (which is the most amazing shop in the city centre of Florence selling everything from Isabel Marant to See by Chloe and Gianvito Rossi think the Italian version of Net and Matches - next time I'm in Florence I will do a post about it), and I stumbled across two buys that will build the foundations of my winter wardrobe.

The first winter buy is a cosy, navy roll neck jumper - I will wear with everything, from winter maxi skirts and jeans to statement skirts both at the weekend and at work.

Isabel Marant Etoile jumper £290

The second buy is my 'winter Transformer': thigh high boots. I've been wanting for a long time and these ones were just perfect. I love it that they are flat making the thigh high style much more wearable, plus since I hate wearing tights in the winter these might allow me to wear more skirts!

Etoile suede boots £585

PS. About LVR - I found that the website gives you the option to pre-order a lot of things, showing you what's been bought ahead of them hitting the on line store so it's a great place to grab your favourite pieces early  (I'm monitoring this Burberry dress...) and possibly also to find the most popular items that have sold out on the usual places.