Our Little Black Book features people and brands that we personally use and love, and are delighted to share with you.

Fashion

Fashion Blogs We Love 

9 to 5 Chic
The very stylish Anh showcases her work wardrobe. I have followed 9 to 5 Chic for years, and just wish a little more of her style had rubbed off onto me.  Anh used to work in a very corporate world but now works in more relaxed environment, but I believe her outfits have something to inspire everyone no matter how professional their workplace.  She invests in key pieces, and you’ll see her wearing her investment pieces year after year.  And, yes, she’s also a working mum! (Kath)

Le Catch 
At the more informal/creative end of the scale, Marlien showcases her own style in the Le Catch blog.  Great for a realistic preview of  the new season trends, and for inspiration in everything from party outfits to holiday dressing.  And yes, she’s a working mum too! (Kath)

Little Spree 
I am delighted to have known Sarah since before she started this blog – in fact, I’m convinced that my nagging is what made her launch it in the first place.  She’s a Fashion Stylist and Fashion Editor with serious credibility in the industry, but she’s also a realist when it comes to fashion and is not shy to find a great high street alternative to expensive designer items.  Her Mama Spree section of the blog will provide workwear inspiration for creative industry women and inspiration for all of us for weekends, evenings and holidays. Oh yes, and she’s a working mum! (Kath)

*Notice a theme – we do love a working mum!

People We Love

Deborah Sheridan-Taylor – Stylist

A styling or shopping session with Deborah is always high energy and loads of fun.  She is cool but is not intimidating in the slightest – and she works with women and men of all shapes and sizes (and budgets).  She will not let you look mumsy or boring, and will push you to try things you might never have considered but will fall in love with.  With her expert eye and immaculate accessorising, you will look – and feel – fab!

Website: deborahsheridantaylordesigns.com
Instagram: @dstdesigns

Belinda Wates – Stylist

Belinda launched her styling career after a very successful City career.  As a result, she has a real appreciation of corporate dressing, and she will help you to add interesting details to an overall polished look.

Instagram: @belindawates_stylist

More information to be added, but if you’d like to speak to one of our favourite stylists in the meantime, do contact us and we’ll put you in touch.

Fashion Brands We Love for Work Wear (and more!)

& Other Stories  Great for interesting shirting, one off dresses and good basics.

Anthropologie Best for creative women with pattern and quirkier pieces, and statement jewellery.

COS At COS the interesting cuts can make these dull-on-the-rack clothes look fantastic when worn.  Our tip: go and try everything on, and don’t be shy to chop off a hemline to suit you better.

The Fold  Founded in 2011 by two of my London Buiness School alumns, this brand has become well loved by many professional women.  Their dresses are particularly well regarded.  Pricier than the other options on this list, with dresses retailing for £300-400, fans tell me that they wear extremely well and should last for years.

Finery A newer brand than the others listed here, but Finery can be a good place to find interesting pieces to mix with your work wardrobe.

Mango

Reiss

Zara

J.Crew  A workwear list would not be complete without a mention of J.Crew.  It is a good place to look for classic shirts, tailored trousers, neat pencil shirts and statement jewellery and shoes.  Sadly it is more expensive here in the UK than in the US so if you are lucky enough to travel (or have friends who do) get them to make your purchases Stateside.

Family

The Pedal Project – www.pedalproject.co.uk
Get your children cycling in three sessions. The lovely Ed, who set up The Pedal Project and personally runs the sessions, sets a calm tone for classes in which the kids work together to get everyone cycling.  All levels of ability are welcome and Ed adapts the exercises for each child so everyone is learning throughout. He provides as new super-light Isla bikes and helmets, making this even easier for parents who haven’t yet invested in a bike.

“My bike-avoiding four year old loved Ed’s sessions, and went from not even sitting on a balance bike to just about cycling in the three sessions, with a smile on her face throughout.  All the older children and those who had been on bikes before were not only cycling by the end of the third session, some were even doing little tricks.” (Kath)

YumBox Panini Lunchboxes – www.eatwell-uk.co.uk
The best lunch boxes for packed lunches (for you too!)  If you children have to bring a packed lunch to school or camp, then this is the lunchbox you need.  It is non-leaking, and has 4 separate compartments, and an easy-to-open child-friendly lid.

“My kids both take packed lunches to school and I swear by these lunch boxes.  I pack a sandwich, pasta or leftovers in the big compartment, vegetables, fruit or cheese in the smaller compartments, and sometimes humus in the smallest round space.  They hold enough food to fill up my “I-can-eat-more-than-my-Dad” 6 year old, and add a little variety to lunchtimes.  They are not the cheapest but we’ve used them daily for over two years and they look like new!” (Kath)

Masterplan Diaries – www.eatwell-uk.co.uk
Organise the whole family, weekly.

Tinyme.com – www.tinyme.co.uk
Sticky mini labels – microwave and dishwasher proof too.

In Car Safety Centre – www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk
Expert advice on the right car seat.  The experts at In Car Safety Centre take into account not only your child’s age but also other factors such as your car’s make and model.  The advice is free, and they also have a great free YouTube channel with videos demonstrating how to fit various car seats. They also have centres in Milton Keynes, Essex and Belfast that you can visit in person.

“I personally used In Car Safety Centre to advise on 2-way (rear/front facing) car seats for my children.  Our car is a VW Golf so space was limited.  I was impressed with their knowledge of seats available in the market, and have been very happy with the seats they recommend for us.  I did buy my seats from them – with free delivery – but you don’t have to buy in order to ask for their advice.”  (Kath)

Business

Website Development  Behold Studio  We finally found a great website developer in Ross and Sally at Behold Studios. They created this website for us, and we couldn’t be happier with it.  Highly recommend and we’re delighted to be featured on their project page here.

Business Phone Services  Voipfone

Printing (flyers, brochures, etc) SoloPress

Branding  Bina Tarulli at Nuova Creative (who has branded two of my previous businesses) & Julia Belling at Free Range Creatives (who created our Runneth logo).

Website copy and corporate speech writing  Lawrence Bernstein and the team at Great Speech Writing and Communications helped us get this website up and running fast, with a quick turnaround on our web copy.  They can also help you with everything from wedding speeches to corporate presentations.