a little winter warmer

the sun is setting for the season over london. i'm finding myself reaching for a second pair of black tights, doubling up my duvet and craving hot chocolate, so it's probably time to hang up my summer dresses for a while. i do love winter in its own way; all the best festivities are now (i'm a sucker for fireworks), and the temperature validates my love of throws, cushions and generally decking out my room like the inside of a tissue box. but, as a through and through summer dresser, winter can present a few problems. the biggest for me is that it's often so cold, you keep your coat on all day. it doesn't matter how sweet your jumper looks if you're bundled up in a huge parka, and so for me, coats become kind of an outfit in themselves. a good-fitting, flattering coat or jacket come winter is worth it's weight in gold. personally, i tend to go for versatile, lightweight coats that look country-cute over jeans, or toughen up pretty patterns. the sort of classic, heritage farmer-girl jackets. i always choose one with a flash of colour from a printed lining - i love milbury's william morris-esque prints in their coats - to add a kind of girly feel to what's otherwise a pretty androgynous coat. or, when december sets in and my hair freezes before it dries after washing, a big, paddington bear coat never goes amiss. it has to have toggles, though, so you can put on your wellies and jump through frosted leaves in proper, wintery style. i love the selection of women's jackets they have at joules; they've got some gorgeous, classic waxed coats and some uber-cosy, wrap-me-up numbers. i'm always willing to pay more for a good coat - you wear it every day six months of the year and it has to speak volumes about your style when everything else is covered.

dreamtime hot chocolate, £5.50 at whittards (an entire snuggle in a mug). fox cushion, £26 at urban outfitters. chelsea rose mug, £5 at cath kidston.

a post in partnership with joules