a little more joyful

what's your best-kept fashion secret? i like to pretend carnaby street is mine, but the jostling crowds of tourists and city workers i encounter whenever i venture out of liberty would beg to differ. sometimes, brilliant brands can be hiding right under your nose. i think joy might be my new high street champion; sure, they have a chain of little shops across the UK, but the company is owned by a husband and wife duo, they design their own label, louche, in-house and have a really hand-picked, home-grown feel to their stores. it's the accessibility of topshop with the charm and care of an independent boutique! joy stock housewares and gifts as well a brilliant selection of quintessentially british clothes, from quirky workwear to garden party ready numbers. the prices are seriously affordable, but they've not skimped on quality - a good rifle through their rails in their stores and their south london showroom had an impressive array of fabrics and colours. i really fell for joy when they announced they were opening a store on brick lane (it's notoriously difficult to convince die-hard east enders to permit anything resembling a chain onto the hallowed grounds of brick lane bagels, rough trade and the truman brewery) because it proves they've got the hands-on approach that'll help them stick out on the crowded british high street. you might not have heard of them yet, but you're going to want to head down to one of their stores or bookmark their site - i'm definitely going to support the brand as they emerge even bigger and better! i loved this shirt, the trinity, designed by louche, in particular - such a simple idea, but so prettily executed. it's a simple way to dress up a workwear outfit or add a twist to a more classic look. ps, just like monki, this is a proper fan girl post. i haven't been paid to write this, and i reached out to them about the shirt.

i'd like to also give a mention to ridiculously talented daniel who is worryingly turning into this blog's creative director. he drew my header image with his own fair hands, and snapped these photos for me even though it was pretty cold and windy. i need to start befriending people who are rubbish at everything to make me feel better about myself. but i think he's after my job. or at least my blog...