A fashion copywriter's favourite things

Long may she reign, the Queen of florals, polka dots, candy stripes and all things homespun and lovely, Cath Kidston.

At Sarah Lamballe Copywriting we're big fans of the brand, as we slurp tea from pretty floral mugs that add feel good factor to a day in the office.

This summer especially we've been enjoying content rich email marketing that brings the collection to life with style. Pretty, practical and packing a punch!

We are delighted that the brand is still so popular; every home in Britain has at least something so clearly Cath or an item inspired by her fabulous ditsy designs. From homespun roots, this passion for print has literally taken over the home counties, is spreading its magic across the water to the continent (Katie reports that her French neighbours drool over her floral bits and bobs). Clearly it is a global trend that melds shabby chic, vintage revivalism and a touch of rough luxe. Happily I've always loved peeling paintwork, now the world wants to invest in armoires stuffed with mismatched floral sensations and take tea in the garden on a make-shift table. And why not? Sure, there are plenty of detractors out there who knock the Joules, Boden, Sarah Raven and Cath Kidston vibe and the New Posh crowd that Jenny McCartney refers to rather amusingly as taking charge. It is easy to find it all a little twee. However, I do think we in the creative industries at least should recognise that these brands support what we do in a way that many do not. They celebrate the visual, love the written word, they have generous budgets for marketing, photography, styling, artwork, copywriting, websites and email marketing which means creating jobs, both freelance and inhouse - all good news for the British economy. I'm delighted that the Cath Kidston brand appears to have survived the overkill and copycats sprouting floral wings in every direction. And not only that, but been able to realise something from it by selling to investors whilst retaining a UK stake. So as it seems that summer might finally be arriving, why not lay that old garden table with pretty china, slip into a swishy print skirt - incredibly flattering - and soak up some simple pleasures in celebration of what a British lifestyle brand can achieve from such humble beginnings. 

A great piece of email marketing from Boden last week introduced me to this fun, online tool for creating your own fashionable outfits. MixMatchMe.com is used by Boden (and other retailers) to help customers visualise an outfit before they buy.

Like the back of a Bunty comic but without the palaver of fiddly cut outs and tabs, it's a useful addition to women's online fashion shopping. There are recommended outfits and top picks but the fun bit is piecing together your own look from accessories, coats & jackets, dresses, knitwear, shirts, shoes & boots, shorts, skirts, swimwear, tops & t-shirts, trousers & jeans, tunics and leggings. I really enjoyed creating different dress/tunic/legging combos where the length is key to success. Whilst not perfect, (note the tiptoe stance with these flats - necessary for showing heels too) it genuinely does work to give you an idea of how it might all look together.

My chosen outfit comes in at £209 which is far more than I would contemplate in real life, but I love that jacket. If you're really looking to buy you can filter results by colour, price and brand which will be awesome when there's more choice than just Boden, Next and French Connection.

Mix Match Me's About Us page says that if you are a cool clothing brand they'd love to hear from you. So please lovely clients, online fashion and accessory retailers, put a little more in our dressing up box, won't you?

I love to see tradition moving with the times and Brora is one of my favourites. While you’ll still find plenty of that delightful Scottish cashmere, their latest lines have a distinctly vintage appeal. An artistic eye gives design and photography bags of glamour with international appeal. This beautiful Italian silk dress is case in point. A soft A-line creates an antiqued look with the edge you don't get from Boden et al. Love the subtlety of the print and mother of pearl detailing. Even more impressively, Brora, still almost exclusively manufactures in the UK using a skilled workforce. And that rocks.

Ethics and elegance all wrapped up in cashmere – that's a brand I could find it easy to discover a soft spot for. Couldn't you?

Wall stickers – add a little French Flair to your home.
We’ve all been there, you revamp a room in the moment’s understated slushy palettes à la Farrow and Ball and your chalky looking backdrop warrants a masterpiece to finish it off. All very well if you have the budget or a stately home, if you don’t, wall stickers could be just the ticket. Deco Stickers is a genius little business run by a French Native so this wall art is full of Parisian flair. I’m already head over heels with their colourful Birds Wallborder and am searching my home for the perfect place to put it. Still not convinced? If I told you these stickers come from the stylish workspace of top French designers would you be swayed? Most of the collection is sourced using designs from France and beyond and while the collection offers pretty much something for everyone you can also ask for the colours and size to be tailored to your project. So swish up your country study with a striking leaves frieze or pourquoi pas add a chic urban skyline to your city loft space?

Exclusives. You can search high and low, but you'll only find these here at Urban Outfitters.

So says the simple and beautifully designed email from Urban Outfitters. Beneath links to Women's Men's and Cameras is a visually merchandised montage of stunning prints, textures and up close details of what they have in store. Then follows a link to their music stream, tiny but visually clear links to PayPal, ship to UK & Europe and the chance to share on Facebook and Twitter. 

Neatly followed by links to Find Your Nearest Store:

It's such a pleasure to see a multi-channel fashion retailer doing something other than the now established Grazia, Net, Asos email blueprint which was fresh at first but now a little predictable to say the least. 

And all without words...well that's not strictly true. The few that are chosen say it all, sparingly, stylishly, allowing the customer to navigate quickly and cleanly. Best of all apostrophes are in place! How that gladdens this copywriter's heart.

I have been writing copy for Christmas gifts my whole career. By the time Christmas comes along I'm generally all gifted out. Occasionally a product comes along that stops me in my tracks with such freshness and originality that I dump the keyword research to fill my online shopping basket.

All of this goes to prove that even to industry savvy professaionals, we're in the business of selling the dream, we market the aspiration - especially in the luxury goods arena. Fabulous shots of handmade silk knickers make me want them with a passion. I may even undertake an extra bike ride or power walk in pursuit of the perfect peach.

Q: Will my bum look big in this? A: Almost definitely, but the lure of lovely shots, luxurious fabrics and exquisite finishing could very easily lure me into a purchase anyway, couldn't it you?