CHRISTMAS GIFT 2014 EDIT - PERSONALISED GIFTS

Personalised presents require that extra effort, but in return they offer a genius gifting solution. A monogrammed tote or an engraved necklace will make a thoughtful statement without breaking the bank or a fraught trip to Oxford Street. For affordable bespoke jewellery, my go-to is Anna Lou of London - I wear my monogram S necklace daily. Buying for a committed coffee consumer? [aka me - my chap and I have matching Keepcups!]  Then check out KeepCup – the first company to offer barista standard reusable cups. The best part? You can customise your KeepCup in colours of your choice, or gift a voucher to allow the recipient to choose their own – genius! Similarly, The Bathory offer the opportunity to invent your own bespoke bath soaks; I trialled the website earlier this year and it’s such a smart concept, plus the monochrome packaging is incredibly chic. A bespoke print makes the ideal choice for a new homeowner – my fellow blogger Victoria designs chic prints on request, available at her I Heart The Home Etsy store. Get your orders in this weekend to meet her Christmas delivery deadline!

Top row L- R: Reusable coffee cup, KeepCup, from £7. Monogram disc necklace, Anna Lou of London, from £54. Bespoke slipper service, Penelope Chilvers, POA. Middle row L-R: Maria Black gold plated + diamond engravable ring, Net-a-porter.com, £230. Willow monogrammed bag, Aurora Living, from £55. Wanderlust print, I Heart The Home etsy shop, £15. Bottom row L-R: Letter B tote, Alphabet Bags, £13. Customisable Nike Free Runs, Nike ID, £115. Bespoke bath soak, The Bathory, £18. 

GET YOUR COAT

Coats are one of my favourite purchases to make; thrown over the most unremarkable outfit in your wardrobe, a great coat holds transformative power. I like to have at least two coats in rotation at any point, although if budget was no object I'd be a collector. Before you make your seasonal purchase(s), here are my tips on what to look for [and what to avoid] in your winter wonder:

Trims and fastenings: 
If you're buying from the high street, try to avoid coats that draw attention to buttons. Retailers can scrimp on fastenings and as a result budget buttons cheapen the overall look. 

Fabric-mix: 
Wool and cashmere mixes will keep you warmer than polyester. And when the temperature drops even further, a quilted down-filled coat is the smartest choice. 

Cut + fit: 
Pick a coat with roomy sizing to layer knits underneath. Oversized coats generally look chicer, too. 

To get you started, here's my edit of some of the great styles available online now: 

Top row from L-R: Claremont camel coat, The Fold, £425. Herringbone overcoat, Whistles, £375. Paul Smith Black Label classic tailored coat, Farfetch.com, £529. Middle row from L-R: Blue handmade double breasted coat, Zara, £159. Straight pink coat, John Lewis, £190. Wool blend purple coat with cashmere, M&S, £120. Bottom row from L-R: Chloe wool blend cape, The Outnet, £1,765. Grey hooded cape, Warehouse, £66.50. Black wool mix cape, New Look, £39.99. 

THE JEWEL STREET EXPERIENCE

I recently left my job in the jewellery industry to move back into fashion, after a 5 year stint spent working with all that glitters. It was whilst working in London's jewellery quarter, Hatton Garden, that I developed a passion for independent jewellery design and discovering upcoming names in the industry. Contrary to belief, earning dollar in the jewellery trade isn't easy, margins are tight and only a small handful of designers make a name for themselves. Here lies the case for supporting independent designers and investing in talent in the UK - which in turn brings ethical benefits - invest in quality trinkets and adornments and they will stand the test of time. Which leads me to Jewel Street, my new virtual go-to for jewels. Described as an online market place, the new jewellery e-tailer enables customers to buy straight from the designer. JewelStreet invited me to trial the website [I'm now the proud owner of an exquisite pair of Anna Byers earrings] and I'm really impressed. The curation of brands on the site is A+, just about all my favourite designers make an appearance. Check out Lestie Lee, Astrid and Miyu and De Anna Kiernan for starters. It's the kind of website you can spend hours browsing and discover treasure upon treasure. To get you started, here's the LFF edit of my favourite pieces online now: 

Top from L-R: 1. Gold Prism ring pendant, Sonal Talgeri-Bhaskaran, £145. 2. Black rhodium honeytags earrings, Gia Belloni, £186. 3. Indian teardrop stacking rings, Sophie Breitmeyer, £610. Middle from L-R: Long shard earrings, De Anna Kiernan, £95. Gold vermeil deco earrings, Anna Byers, £195. Bottom from L-R: Golden sparrow ring, Jana Reinhardt, £129. Shiny wishbone necklace in rose gold, Astrid and Miyu, £29. Hope stacking rings, Faye Marie Jewellery, £165. 

LFF COMPETITIONS - WIN A £50 DEBENHAMS GIFT CARD

If you liked the outfits I put together for the Debenhams AW14 Blogger Style Challenge, then this is the competition for you. The go-to UK department store have kindly offered La Fashion Folie a £50 gift card to give away to one lucky blog reader. If you've yet to splash out on your winter wardrobe, £50 will slash the cost of an investment coat or new-season boots. Personally, I'd be hard pushed to decide how to spend the gift card - one of my favourite departments in Debs is the Debenhams homeware, but Todd Lynn's AW14 luxuriously tough handbag collection has also caught my attention [pictured below, modelled by Leah Weller, no less]. To enter the competition, simply put your details in the Rafflecopter ap below and either follow LFF on Facebook,  Twitter or both to double your chances of winning. The competition ends on Sunday 2nd November - good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RETURN OF THE BACK(PACK)

The whole nineties revival capturing the fashion world's attention at the moment sure is making me feel old; namely because it's the first trend in my sartorial lifetime that I can remember the first time around. Chokers, mini backpacks, platform trainers - thanks  to the Spice Girls I've owned them all. Fashion rules dictate that wearing a trend the second time round is a faux pas - but I believe that's a myth - the secret is to rework the look and incorporate pieces effortlessly into your current wardrobe. Enter the updated backpack - the grown-up girls entry into the nineties trend. 

DEBENHAMS AW14 BLOGGER STYLE CHALLENGE

Debenhams are hosting a fun bloggers autumn/winter style competition at the moment, challenging bloggers to style two looks using new season trends, one for themselves + one for a fellow blogger. This is the first outfit that I put together for myself, inspired by the 'Autumn Luxe' trend. In truth I just fell in love with Coast's autumnal hued Harper skirt and designed my look around it. I am a fan of a jewel earring so that + a cherry red Mac lip are all the accessories this luxurious statement skirt needs. 

From clockwise: Warehouse black side spilt tee. Coast domenica earrings. Mac lip pencil in Cherry. Coast harper skirt. Dune pony detail dressy loafers. 

I designed the second look for my fellow blogger Katie from Glass of fashion. What I admire about Katie's sense of style is that she isn't afraid to mix and match unexpected pieces; it's that J. Crew-inspired styling aesthetic that defines her look. Katie and I often like the same clothes (we've bought the same Zara bag in the past!) but we rarely style them in the same way. In truth, I'm not as sartorially adventurous as Katie, so it was a challenge to style an outfit for her. I settled upon the 'Blue notes' a/w trend and subtly clashed prints within the look to capture her playful sense of style. So now I nominate Katie to take on the challenge too. Good luck Katie! x

From clockwise: Alice and You blue wool coat. Mood large blue peardrop earrings. Clinique chubby stick lip balm. Nails inc polish in Belgrave Place. Miss Selfridge graphic jacquard trousers. Carvela blue laurel flats. 

COFFEEGRAPHY WITH NESCAFE DOLCE GUSTO

When Nescafe Dolce Gusto invited me to a blogger's calligraphy workshop last month, I was puzzled. Was it just me that failed to see the link between calligraphy and coffee? Intrigued, I agreed to attend as speedily as I shot an espresso on a Monday morning.