Theresa May's Budget Buys

There's no doubt that the Prime Minister is one of our best dressed Britons. Showcasing the very best of British design, Theresa May frequently wears pieces from Daniel Blake, Amanda Wakeley and Russell & Bromley. But like the rest of us, the PM also loves a bargain.

It's not all fine tailoring and Italian made shoes for Theresa May. The PM knows how to spot a bargain- and importantly, make it work for her important job and quirky love of fashion.

Theresa May has long turned to French brand Longchamp to house and carry her personal possessions. Established in 1948, the Le Pliage nylon bags have been a familiar sight on many famous arm, and are my go-to bag for lugging around my laptop and other bits that I can't live without. Like many Longchamp fans (me included,) May has several types of Le Sac bags.

She continues to use the Backpack Le Sac, opting for a classic black model with tan leatherwear. She has added to her collection with a khaki version. May also used a Tote Bag L on her recent holiday to Italy, this time using a utilitarian khaki colour. Mr May is also a fan of the Longchamp Le Sac, often carrying the document holder. All priced at the £65-£75 mark, these bags are extremely affordable, durable and a classic edition to your everyday wardrobe.

Staying with European designers, Theresa May is also a fan of the Italian brand, Mirta Bijoux. May has worn this striking, oversized navy blue Balls necklace on many occasions- from her first day as PM to trips around the world, this is one of her favourite pieces. And for those of us looking to capture a piece of May jewellery, you can snag your own Balls necklace for a purse friendly 45euro.

What about footwear? Theresa May memorably wore a pair of white classic low top Converse on her recent Lake Garda holiday- and the fashion world went wild because of it! Selecting the optical white colour, these £50 sneakers were also worn by May on a recent trip to an outdoor centre in Wales. They're the perfect low-key, high-fashion shoe!

And who can't forget the pink linen dress Theresa May also wore on her Italian holiday? The £26 linen blend dress has caused much discussion in the fashion press, but for a world leader who just wanted to chill in the hot Italian sun, it was an ideal choice.

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It's important for our leaders and politicians to be able to relate to the electorate, and for the electorate to feel a connection with those that lead us. May's choice of affordable items- and the fun that she has with her clothes is just one successful way in which she does this. What will her next budget buy be?!

World Athletics, Teeside and Guildford: Theresa May's Week

The summer hasn't been a quiet one for the PM! This week, Theresa May hosted a reception at Downing Street for British athletes that participated in the World Athletics and World Para Athletics Championships.

For this special event, the PM wore a navy shift dress, a new textured navy coat, Russell & Bromley multi-print kitten heels and the Amanda Wakeley oversized silver chain necklace and bracelet.

On Thursday, Theresa May was in Guildford visiting the Alexander Dennis bus and coach factory. The firm has been awarded a significant contract to export to Mexico. The PM debuted a new season jacket by Paule Ka for her visit- she paired the caramel floral tweed jacket with trousers and the Delicious pumps by Russell & Bromley. Her necklace was a Bakelite circular chain.

Later in the day, the PM travelled to Teeside, visiting the Northern Powerhouse project.

Portsmouth and Wales: Theresa May's Week

The PM is back from her holidays and headed right down to business this week!

On Wednesday, Theresa May welcomed HMS Queen Elizabeth back into port at Portsmouth, heading on board to meet with crew and company.

For this event, the PM wore a black Amanda Wakeley suit, a blue patterned blouse, oversized plastic chain necklace, a Celtic Treasure ring and the Divine flats from Russell & Bromley.

On Thursday, Theresa May was in my home nation of Wales, visiting a NCS project at Glasbury-on-Wye as part of her mental health awareness initiative. More details on this great scheme and training can be found here.

For this event, May wore her blue and white Peserico jacket, blue jeans and a white top. She accessorised with a string of pearls, an oversized bangle and for the outdoor event, trendy white Converse.

After this event, May attended a private event at Llangoed Hall, Brecon. I was lucky to be in attendance - and see May's navy Cocktail flats from Russell & Bromley! It was great to spend a few minutes with the Prime Minister herself.

The Omega Constellation: Theresa May's Watch

When you become Prime Minister, time is no longer your own. So, making sure you keep track of the time you do have with a sophisticated watch is perhaps one of the best personal choices you can make.

Much was made of Theresa May's choice to wear a Swatch to church in her local village earlier in the summer. Even Mr May joined in the act with a Swatch marking the Rio Olympics. But Theresa's go, to everyday timepiece staple is something a little grander.

May's watch is the Omega Constellation. A classic timepiece, the Constellation model from the Swiss watch maker is a dynamic and contemporary expression of a design that has long been an essential part of Omega's heritage.

The watch features a Constellation star at the 6 o' clock position and a bracelet of horizontal links engineered for maximum comfort. The watch has a small face (likely 2.4 diameter) and is unobtrusive in its design and appearance. May has a stainless steel and 18 carat gold version, with an analog dial and quartz movement. The face is mother of pearl at is water resistant for up to 100 metres. May's Omega watch is a real investment purchase that offers durability and the flexibility to wear with a whole host of both gold and silver jewellery.

Omega is a brand that has been around for years, and is perhaps the watch of choice for Prime Minister's - Margaret Thatcher was regularly snapped with an Omega watch during her time in office.

May's selection of the Constellation is not unpredictable, and mirrors her other classic wardrobe and accessory choices. Fuss free and placing trust in high quality brands, May relies on effective design and function focused pieces for her unique look. The dual construction of the watch in both stainless steel and gold offers strength and the opportunity to mix this traditional timepiece with fashion forward pieces of jewellery such as sterling silver rings from Celtic Treasure and bold necklaces from Amanda Wakeley.

We all have one or two pieces of jewellery that never leave our side, and for Theresa May, the Omega Constellation will always be on her wrist.

New Season Arrivals at Russell & Bromley

I've been super excited about the new season arrivals at Russell & Bromley since I went to their press day back in May. Rich autumnal colours, bold patterns and daring embellishments are a common theme in this AW17 collection. It's one of my absolute favourites.

I shared a few behind the scenes photos of the new arrivals on my Instagram page, including the Link In Snaffle Trim Court in leopard- I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since press day!

So without further ado, here are my favourites from the collection.

Podium Heel Trim Court

Chester Loafer in Tortoise

Link In Snaffle Court in red suede and purple

Delicious Bow Flat in Bordeaux 

Jem Boot with a jewelled heel

Link In Snaffle Court in leopard

New Season Arrivals at LK Bennett

The new season arrivals at LK Bennett are out of this world! Here are some of my favourites:

Juliet Navy Lace Courts

Suzette Navy Dress

Jacqui Grey Melange Merino Jumper

Shippa Black Tweed Jacket

Poppie Oxblood Leather Flats

Amana Navy Dress

The great Theresa May jacket hunt

I have lots of emails, messages and tweets asking me about Theresa May's collection of jackets. Many have been in the Prime Minister's wardrobe for a while, whilst others are new additions and have been particularly tricky to identify! 

But, the waiting to identify two of Theresa May's most recent jackets has come to an end.

The first, a bubblegum pink cocoon coat was first debuted by May on her trade mission to Qatar and Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

This striking coat is by Harris Wharf London. The British outerwear design house is based in the Islington area of London, and makes a beautiful array of classic formalwear from a variety of felted wools and cashmeres. All in bold and bright colours, we can see why May gravitates towards this modern take on classic tailoring.

And the second jacket is perhaps the one I have been most regularly emailed about. The eye catching navy and white, almost tie dye pattern was one of my favourites on the General Election campaign trail. The jacquard design is by the Italian brand Peserico, a company well known for beautiful tailoring in high quality fabrics. Synonymous with elegance and sophistication, the metal tag on the garment's right hand sleeve is an indicator of attention to design detail.

As it turns out, May owns a fair few items from Peserico. Her almost neon white blazer worn on Election Day and to the State Visit of the King of Spain are two recent occasions where the PM turned to Peserico. 

May also has a few other Peserico jackets stashed in her wardrobe, including this oatmeal version that she has worn many times.

One mystery is solved- and now onto the next set of pieces to identify in the Prime Minister's wardrobe!