Around a year or so ago I was wondering through Manchester city centre aimlessly shopping (doing what I do best) and I was horrified to discover French Connection had so abruptly disappeared from St Ann's Square! WHAT? How? Why? When? Where?! French Connection was one of my top go to stores for beautiful blouses, day dresses and basics which stand the test of time. Now here I was, stood scratching my head with so many unanswered questions. Well fear not fellow shoppers of Manchester, I now have some answers and phew... It's good news!
I can confirm French Connection is finally returning to Manchester. Hooray!! Yes, as of Saturday 11th November (consider it an early Christmas present) one of my all time favourite stores will be welcomed back with open arms... Don't worry FC we won't hold it against you that you ever left us in the first place! The store will be situated in Manchester Royal Exchange, Exchange Street- just a stone's throw away from it's old haunt in St Ann's Square. Which makes this area of town my new found favourite spot to shop. So to celebrate French Connection's new Manchester Flagship (did I mention) store, I thought it would be nice to talk you through some of my top pick pieces and how to style them this Autumn/Winter.
First and foremost I've GOT to talk about my new found star discovery so far this Autumn; my French Connection check coat. When I first got this I loved the idea of it but was a little dubious. It has so many (beautiful) colours going through it, I worried it would actually be difficult to match up with any one outfit in particular. Oh how very wrong I was! I have categorically not had this coat off since I received it. It goes with EVERYTHING! I'm a big lover of burgundy, navy, cream and mustard, all of which are included in this check and all of which go with indigo denim/jeans perfectly. Plus with so many check/houndstooth print coats around this season, this multicoloured design stands out from the crowd and is a welcome variation on a classic. Simply team with a good old chunky knit and your staple jean of choice- You've got yourself, your favourite outfit this winter! And speaking of chunky knits, lets discuss my other pieces...
I think it's essential to grab yourself a classic turtleneck in a thick knit for that "snuggly", vintage inspired winter outfit. I particularly love this Nixo Distressed Knit from French Connection. It's a wide body fit which means it's super slouchy and ideal for layering. The distressed, "laddered" detailing just kind of breaks things up a little and gives the turtle neck a modern twist. Plus it perfectly demonstrated the point I was making regarding THAT coat and a classic knit. I've styled up this jumper with one of my all time, top winter must haves- An A-line leather mini skirt! They are such an easy way of mixing up your autumn outfits and ensuring you don't spend your entire winter in the same old jeans (I'm so guilty of this). I love the deep forest green tone of this French Connection skirt, a colour which was made to style with autumnal classic colours like burgundies and mustards.
To finish off my complete look and my list of top picks I've chosen two amazing accessories. The first is this simple cross body bag in a rich burnt orange colour- another tone made just for autumn. I love a cross body bag, mainly because I spend most of my life rushing about from one place to another. I just find cross body's easy- you simply throw them on, your hands are free and you don't have to worry about your bag again until you're taking it off! It's the little things that make your life easier and this minimal bag is one of those things. My last pick is of course a black leather boot. They're a winter wardrobe no brainer and I'm one hundred percent certain you all own a pair BUT I just love the strap detailing on these French Connection ones. This multiple strap look is really on trend (I never usually use "fashion" phrases like "on trend" but when they're needed, they're needed) this season and a great modern take on your timeless black boot. They're definitely one of those designs you can imagine still having in five years time and STILL loving...
And that would be the tally up of my top French Connection picks! If you do fancy shopping any of these pieces there's links in the post above or alternatively if like me you're Manchester based, why not pop by to the new store this weekend and see them all in real life? Full address is: Manchester Royal Exchange, 8-9 Exchange Street, Manchester, M2 7EE. Maybe see you there?
Sophia x
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