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 

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 

                   

Dear Dad, Thank You!

From fragrance to fashion to DIY tips and advice on bad boyfriends, we have an awful lot to thank our dads for!

It all started with an old article, one of those you loved reading and cherish in a memory box despite it being all crumpled up and almost illegible as the years inevitably make their mark on the ink. This particular one was courtesy of Annabel Meggeson at Red Magazine and reflected on the evocative power of male fragrance.  Meggeson explored fragrance and romance yet, on reading, we were instantly transported back into a childhood reverie of Sunday mornings, fresh croissants and dad's Hugo Boss waltzing round the kitchen as he read the morning papers. 

Nowadays, thanks to the phenomenon of brands such as Jo Malone, it is fashionable for women to wear male fragrance and a cloud of Dior's Sauvage on the tube radiating from an impeccably dressed woman is not uncommon. This truly got us thinking about how much we borrow from male fashion daily and, particularly, how many things we owe to our dads so to all the fathers, in no particular order, thank you for:

Your free advice from everything from finance to DIY:  You know the drill, you have just moved into your new flat and you just want to shout 'INDEPENDENCE' from the rooftops. You know exactly what decor style you're going for, you have the pinterest boards ready and you're planning your housewarming canapé menu until disaster strikes and you realise you need a hand with the painting, the floorboards and just about everything in this new house of yours. Cue the panic text to dad who loving comes around to help at no extra cost not counting numerous cups of tea throughout the day!

The Unlikely Fashion Inspiration: Had you told us twenty years ago that we would have been taking style inspiration from our dads, we would have laughed at you yet it is hard to deny that the 'dad charm' has taken the fashion world by storm. Think plaid shirts, fitted tailoring and structured silhouttes; yes, you've guessed it, if you're looking for us we will be raiding dad's closet!

The Free Taxi Service: 'Don't worry, I'll call an Uber', you shouted as you rolled your eyes ready to leave the house. However, it's now 2am, it's raining, you're in high heels and your modern day carriage has effectively stood you up as you refresh the app for the millionth time. Yep, little does it matter if you're thirteen or thirty, if it's late and you're stranded, you're calling dad.

The Right Word at Exactly the Right Time:  Dads sometimes get a bad rep for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and being just a little clueless especially in relation to their teenage daughters. However, one day or more times than that (depending on how lucky you got with your dad!) the miracle will happen and your father will suprise you ; be it a mention at a new band you love, unexpected  yet informed advice into the world of social media or a snide remark at an ex boyfriend you hate, your father will completely surprise you and you will feel just a tiny bit proud!

So here we have it, a little thank you list for dads all over the world in time for Father's Day! And if you want to spoil pops this Father's Day, do treat him to a Lou Tote perfect for work and travel and impeccably stylish with its urban feel and creamy Italian leather!

Happy Father's Day!

Love,

Pepper Alley HQ X 

Happy (Celebs) Mother's Day

How are you going to spend Mother's Day?
Falling next Sunday, Mother's Day is the perfect time of the year to celebrate the woman that gave you life and probably a bad haircut when you were 6.

Here at Pepper Alley, we love our mums: they taught us everything we know about love, patience and fashion of course.

That's exactly why we can't help but adore celebrity mums-daughters duos as well.

Have a look at our favourite couples in our top 3 list now.

1) Kate Hudson/Goldie Hawn

Both blonde, both beautiful and both successful actresses. This duo is just adorable...can we hang out together, please?

Picture courtesy of media3.s-nbcnews.com

2) Mamie Gummer/Meryl Streep

We love Meryl, who doesn't? Her daughter Mamie clearly inherited her talent becoming a successful actress and starring in The Good Wife and Cake. Also, don't they look so much alike?

Image courtesy of The Telegraph

3) Beyonce Knowles/Tina Knowles

Image courtesy of E-Online

Tina is the perfect mums-manager and she always knows what's best. They do make a wonderful team.

Are you looking for something for your just as glam and talented mum? Go for our lovely Flora and make sure you treat her properly on Mother's Day.

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