Girl In The Pretty Dress

The by-line for this blog has always been 'Country Chick, City Chic' - I came up with this because half of the time I can never decide what I like best. Recently it's a dilemma that's affected more than just my wardrobe - but more on that later. This post is most definitely for the the country bumpkins out there. I've rounded up 10 of my favourite checked pieces. It's a trend that I adore. It's cute without being too young and has a fresh, clean summery feel to it. I always associate this style of fabric with summer picnics. Sadly the weather in the UK is nowhere near warm enough for any of these items - but a girl can daydream right? 1st Row Dress: Whistles / Dress: ASOS / Top: Warehouse 2nd Row Dress: ChicWish / Crop Top & Skirt Set: ChicWish / Shirt Dress: Oasis 3rd Row Dress: ASOS Tall / Shirt: Lee / Shorts: Mango / Dress: ASOS

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to preview the F&F Spring/Summer collection in London. If you're a fairly frequent visitor to this blog you'll know that I'm a big fan of the F&F brand and have featured a fair few of their pieces in the past - so I was naturally curious about their latest collection. On a chilly, rainy November day in London, the collection was a breath of fresh air and has already got me thinking about my summer hols next year. The collection as a whole was heavily influenced by the idea of travel. The lookbook collection underpinned this by featuring linens and a nautical theme, interspersed with some corals, while the other collections all took inspiration from a different part of the globe (my favourite of which was 'Latin Rose'). Delicate fabrics with intricate florals and watercolour inspired designs were interspersed with slightly heavier fabrics which leant themselves to the ongoing trend for 70s nostalgia. The ...