Our New Year Fashion Resolutions

Happy Sunday! We can't quite believe the month of January is almost over. We must admit, however, that we are not too disappointed in saying goodbye to the post Christmas blues, freezing cold weather and severe lack of funds in our bank account. Yes, we are so ready to embrace the warmth of February before we can finally hop into Spring and embrace all the fashion the season has to offer. Before that, however, we thought we'd give you the lowdown on our New Year Fashion Resolutions - they may be a little overdue, but we are fully embracing these good habits after this dreary month of January and all the way into 2019.

- Shop Less and Well 

  (Pictured : Clemmie Tote in Charcoal)

A high street find here, an impulse Asos order there.....we are so guilty of over buying and ending up with a wardrobe full of clothes and accessories we will never wear. For this reason, we have decided to not only buy less this year but also ensure that what we do buy is of high quality and will last for more than a season. There is nothing better than investing in pieces that become trusted allies in our wardrobe and we are looking forward to shop consciously. 

- Invest in Personalisation 

                                         (Pictured: Clemmie Tote in Blush and Polly keyring in Blush)

Embracing personalisation in all its forms makes such a difference. Think of, for example, how some clever tailoring can completely transform a pair of high street trousers or how a touch of personalisation on an accessory enhances the simplest of accessories. These little adjustments are relatively inexpensive and we can't wait to elevate our everyday outfits with some quirky additions or simple alterations to our staple pieces. 

- Embrace a pop of colour 

(Pictured: Gold Flora Clutch)

When it comes to everyday minimalism, we love black and neutrals for that effortless city style. It's so easy to find yourself in a style rut however and even the palest of pastels can appear, at once, intimidating for seasoned monochrome wearers. For this reason, we shall be easing ourselves into brighter shades in order to fall in love with colour all over again. Our recipe for success? Simple - we will channel Spring elegance with the palest of corals and delicious sunshine yellow details. For those days where we simply can't renounce our monochrome wardrobe, we will pair our outfit with metallic shades. Finally, a  bold pop of colour peeking through our clutch will also add much needed depth for glamorous evening outfits. 

What are your New Year's Fashion Resolutions? We would love to know.

Love,

Pepper Alley HQ X 

Festive Look Book

Happy start to December! How is everyone doing? Are you ready for Christmas? It's safe to say that here at Pepper Alley, there is great excitement round the office with Christmas tunes in full swing, wrapping paper everywhere ready to package up your festive goodies and competitive mince pie eating. We have also been giving festive dressing some thought and as you probably have your festive parties, drinks and events coming up, we thought we would share our top 3 outfit picks in a festive look book. With a leather accessory for every outfit as well as the team's fashion recommendations, what's not to love? Enjoy!

The Christmas Drinks Outfit - A touch of red appears obvious at Christmas but is there anything more stylish or warm? Do like VB and pair a bright matching clutch and shoes to your outfit to add a touch of contrast. We suggest a Rose Gold Flora for extra festive points. We can't promise your very own David Beckham with the outfit but one can hope - 'tis the season after all!

                                 

The Christmas Ball -  Whether it's a fancy do or the office Christmas ball, there are occasions where a  little glam is not just necessary but absolutely mandatory. We love glitter, sequins and everything sparkly but when it comes to balancing an outfit, nothing beats our nude clutches perfect to tone down the boldest of dresses. Having said this, a touch of grey suede looks incredibly elegant and can really bring an outfit together. 

The Cosy Christmas Drinks -  Not all Christmas events take place during the evening and require a tight dress or killer pair of heels. Whether it's some casual Christmas drinks, a festive evening at a friend's house or a Christmas play date with your children, dressing practically whilst adding a touch of glamour is key. That's why we love a slouchy jumper and a Clemmie tote to wear over the shoulder - perfect to pack Christmas presents, baby wipes and (why not!) a much needed bottle of fizz! 

What are your festive go - to looks? We want to know! All style pictures are courtesy of Pinterest and, in fact, they are from our gorgeous December board filled to the brim with our selection of festive treats, night in ideas and style picks. You can find our festive board right here for all your December inspiration.

Wishing you a lovely festive month ahead.

Love,

Pepper Alley HQ X 

An Exciting Announcement!

Happy Sunday! Hope you are all enjoying the weekend - we are looking forward to a big brunch with the team later (where the oh so instagrammable avocado on toast will feature heavily) but managed to tear ourselves away from our cups of coffee to share some exciting news! If you have been keeping up with our sneaky clues, you may have noticed that we have decided to shake things up a little with our personalisation service to offer you waaaay more options and way more fun along the way.

                                                     (Polly keyring available here).

It's been a long time coming but we are thrilled to let you know that our personalisation service is no longer limited to initials only. We have extended it to 16 uppers and lower case letters including numbers - these can be hot foiled in silver or gold and are just perfect for those who love to go all out with their personalised goodies to truly make a statement.

For all the personalisation geeks out there (including us!) , the font used is 30point Gill Sands and, as well as upper and lower case letters, you can also personalise your bags and accessories with symbols. Personalisation is available both in silver and gold options - for key rings, we offer three characters in upper case or 4 characters from a mixture of upper and lower. Should you need a longer word on your key rings, we are also happy to print width - ways - however wacky your request, drop us a message and we will try our very best to accommodate your wishes.

When it comes to our totes, we typically print in the middle width ways and a few centimetres below the zip. We can also print on the handle but it is also possible, should you wish, to print on the bag itself.

So, here we have it, just a little note on our personalisation update that we hope you are as thrilled with as we are. For those looking for a little inspiration, here is a little top tip from our founder, Gillian, who has made personalisation a way of life really!

"For a stylish understated look, silver type looks great on silver leather or gold on gold to rose gold leather. It's very subtle. For a more stand - out look, then it's better to amp up the volume and play with contrasts".

Whether you play it neutral and go matchy matchy or mix and match shades, we hope you enjoy adding that finishing touch to all your Pepper Alley goodies. We just can't wait for you to tag us in your pictures of Pepper Alley goodies personalised and styled by you. 

Love,

Pepper Alley HQ X 

                   

Summer in The City // Part One

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

— Samuel Johnson

Even Johnson said it, if you are tired of London, you are tired of life. However, we are pretty sure that Johhnson did not have to deal with rush hour on the tube, paying £7 for a pint or petty arguing over outside seating with other Londoners once the sun graces us with its presence. For this reason, we thought we would start a new series sharing all that we love about the hidden side of London, one where selfie sticks are (thankfully!) not in sight. See it as a form of escapism from the busy side of London, a holiday in your own city or simply, the opportunity to have fun, be inspired and recharge your batteries without the expense of an international flight.

                                            

Graduate Fashion Week //  

This event presents the work of students and graduates from around the world. It is your ticket to fast inspiration courtesy of the most creative bright minds in the industry with the promise of exhibitions, shows and a Gala Award show. Unconvinced? What if we told you that this platform helped launch the success of the likes of Christopher Bailey MBE, Stella McCartney and Julien Macdonald to name a few? See you there! Get your tickets here. Oh and remember to wow the fashion crowd with statement accessories, this number we wore at Cardiff Fashion week fits the bill perfectly - metallics anyone?

London Wine Week //

In need of a holiday? Always dreamed of dropping everything and escaping to the Mediterranean? Well, now this is (almost!) possible - a three day pop - up is coming to East London bringing all the charm of European vineyards for a fraction of the price. With music, drinks, food and all the best parts of a holiday rolled into one major event, you really can't say no ; grab your tickets here and pass the rosè! Oh and a fuss free style tip? Simple, drink your marsala and wear it too with our wine coloured tote.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend! Do tweet us @Pepper_Alley if you have any recommendations of events going on around London, we will see you there!

Love, 

Pepper Alley HQ X