Jane and Beryl Do the London Season
































And they're off... Of all the events to which a gal may get invited, few and far between are those which require a Dress Code. Those that do insist on a certain standard of dress can be summed up as the London Season. Wizened old men in a dark room somewhere, Jane and Beryl assume, dictate that we must only wear knee length dresses even if it's pouring outside - which it usually is - or that trousers are not allowed in the Member's Enclosure darling! So off we go for a trot around the seasonal offerings...

Beryl wears a hat made by Jane for Foxwell Moon.
Jacket Vintage Moschino Cheap and Chic £45, Marella trousers £150, shirt Ralph Lauren,
handbag Donna Karen, trilby possibly a tenner some time ago...
Jane is sporting her new red trousers here, so obviously isn't going to the Henley Stewards' enclosure. But by mixing a few vintage things and items that have been in her wardrobe for some time, she is giving them all a fresh new look and this would do very well for the polo, the Chelsea Flower Show or any other smart casual seasonal event.

Goat coat £160 White House Designers Sale,
 Striped Hobbs dress £150, Bag Laura Ashley £59
Beryl is feeling 'well turned out' here, by doing her favourite thing  of mixing a designer coat with a bit of high end high-street. This Goat coat has a matching dress but Beryl restrained herself on the grounds that the two together in pink go a bit Barbara Cartland. Beryl says no to head to toe pink, the nation breathes a sigh of relief.


Lily & Lionel dress £100 in a sale, M&S trench £15 charity shop, M&S shoes £29.50,
 hat Patricia Underwood for a figure undisclosed (all her winnings)
Jane is not known for a fitted Ascot dress which is the usual attire for a day at these particular races, so she makes a floppy Lily & Lionel maxi fit the bill instead. She does however love a big floppy hat. Jane and Beryl found great ones at Gant and Mint velvet for £49 and £39 respectively. Trenches over maxis are the new big thing she claims, so she's put Beryl's M&S summer trench over the top with silver shoes, also M&S and silver clutch.

Dress £120, jacket £99 both Phase Eight
Hmm, navy and cream, the safe fall-back position for any smart casual outfit for the WOACA. However, this stretchy dress is comfy and its stomach pouch thoughtfully hides Jane's tummy and allows for more cake-eating, so who are Jane and Beryl to judge a small point about ever-so-slightly boring colours?


Alex & Co jacket £120, Shirt, Ralph Lauren £40 at TK Maxx, trousers £118, Anthropologie,
basket, Orla Keily £100 in a sale, shoes M&S £29.50
Jane always loves a red, white and blue combo, and with all the Britishness which surrounds the Season, why not go the whole Wiltshire hog? Both the jacket and trousers have a slightly washed out look which Jane favours and the basket is right on trend for SS17. This too could go anywhere if the dress code doesn't bar trousers...



  There is no doubting that this second hand Kate Spade dress is a classy bit of kit that can be mixed   with Beryl's copious jacket and coat collection. What she also likes about this frock, is that it hides her tatty armpits (sorry to mention) and is very, very comfy to wear. Jane and Beryl are increasingly strangers to the restricting garment. They have decided that they want to have a happy and relaxed time where-ever they go, and most importantly eat cake. 

The Kate Spade dress cost £150
 second hand from Redress in Winchester
Kate Spade dress, teamed here with a this season's
 Massimo Dutti blazer £99 Euros


Boater £7 charity shop, Goat coat £150 White House Designer sale,
 red bag £45 Spirit Devizes, 1950's poodle broach.  
This seasons Hobbs dress £99. Hat £45
Here Beryl is in Henley guise, which has a strict below the knee skirt policy and no trousers (this applies to the men). Beryl and Jane like a bit of old school British dressing, boaters, piping, braiding, straw hats, red, white and blue, all are grist to their mill. Beryl would like this little Hobbs dress, which at a push could go to all events, but put it back due to birthday overspending, she may yet stalk it in the sale.

Red mock croc ballet flats £40
 Russell and Bromley children's department, which go up to a 5

Ella B, £125
Lets talk about feet... many a great day is ruined by the cocktail of grass, rain, mud, heels and sore feet. Beryl therefore has come up with something approaching SENSIBLE SHOES, two words that strike terror in her heart and immediately transport her back to Shrewsbury High School For Girls. These open weave flat shoes from Ella B, are pointy and therefore some-how smarter and more wearable with a skirt than their round toed sisters. Leather soled shoes however do not like the wet, and last year Jane noticed that gum boot wearing had crept into Henley for which she has a sneaking admiration.


Hat Helen Kaminski £120, shirt £29.50 M&S, pink trench £69 Zara, jeans £49.95 Gap,
plimsolls £60 Converse, bag Next £35
Wimbledon is as much of a what to wear conundrum as any of the events of the season. If you are queuing for returns, anything goes, and Jane and Beryl have been disturbed by reports of leggings and fleeces being sported (obviously they turn up their fashion noses at such wanton behaviour), but if you are lunching with debenture holders, then smart casual is the dress code. Jane is heading somewhere in between in this get up with a large brimmed hat incase of clement weather, flat shoes for all the trudging around and a capacious handbag for water/champagne bottles or even a picnic if she is feeling stingy. No doubt she has a mackintosh in there as well and probably a sausage sandwich too, says Beryl.


Ahh Wimble's, Beryl has never been, so this outfit will probably go no further than someone's bar-bee.  Lovely on a beautiful day, but if  rain stops play, this woman will be sticking on a mac, a cashmere cardi, and sensible shoes!


Jacket 99 euros, trousers 59 euros Massimo Dutti
 with Alfie the cocker spaniel who loves her.


Jane and Beryl are delighted to hear any of your WOACA dilemma's and are available for shopping adventures. If you would like to contact them, please leave a comment on the blog.







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