This is thank you from me to John Lewis. If you don’t follow me on Instagram you won’t know what happened; I was supposed to do an advert for them for their knitwear and loungewear but I had a look at what else I had on and I suddenly panicked and said “I’m sorry I can’t do this.” I know that sounds silly but there is a lot of attendant admin to campaigns that I’m not very good at doing at the best of times so I was pretty confident that this one would just fall to bits.
They were within their rights to sue me. But they didn’t – instead they said “We are so sorry. Is it something we’ve done wrong?” And I said “No! You are awesome. It’s just all a bit much this time of year.” And then they sent me all the stuff I was supposed to be promoting ANYWAY plus an extra scarf.
When you are occasionally an anxious/paranoid person and worry powerfully at brief moments that everyone hates you, an act of generosity of spirit and forgiveness like this can be pretty humbling.
So to say thank you here are the links to the lovely stuff they sent me and an assurance from me to you that if you are looking for anything in this order of clothing, you really couldn’t do better than JLP.
This funnel neck yellow sweater comes up big so take your usual size.
I am currently a maniac for hot pink. I like to wear this very cosy boxy cashmere knit (nice and square and non-clingy around the middle) with very sparkly paste necklaces and a chestnut-coloured coat. I KNOW – it sounds like a foul combination but it works I promise.
Loungesuits: I think there is something very together and sort of “sorted” about having co-ordinating loungewear. The juicy couture two-piece was, I think we can all agree, a catastrophe – but the basic idea has come back in a more subtle way.
Lots of people are doing these – I tried a nice star-print one on in M&S for a shoot the other day – and it’s sort of amazing that we live in a world where you can come home, change into an outfit specifically for stylish lounging. I am an 8-10 and take this grey star-print jobby in a M for maximum lounging potential.
You must remember in the 90s the follow-on from the pashmina craze was the Shahtoosh, which was an ultra-ultra fine, featherlight and warm more-than-cashmere blend that only really mega super rich and spoilt ladies wore. I faintly recollect there was something slightly evil about them, too but I now can’t remember what. Anyway I did once touch a Shahtoosh and it was impressively gorgeous – so soft it was barely there – and this £99 woven scarf from John Lewis is a very, very close match for that lightness and softness I once felt.
So thank you, John Lewis; I have always had the sense that nothing bad can happen in a John Lewis, but it turns out you are looking out for me even when I’m not there (which isn’t that often, when I think about it).
Good old John Lewis. I was in the Brent Cross branch recently, walking along swinging my bag, and managed to sweep a whole shelf of expensive glasses off a shelf and onto the floor. And honestly they were so lovely about it that I ended up feeling better than if I hadn’t been such a malco in the first place. Absolutely my favourite shop.
Love that yellow scarf but fear the rest would make me look like a Teletubby.
That’s a nice story, the kind of thing I would do (the knocking the glasses off)
I STILL get terrified and handbag-clutchy walking through the glassware section of JL because of dire warnings from my parents as a child haring about bored and on a sugar high while they were picking out a new set of tumblers… get panicky and sweaty even thinking about it!
handbag-clutchy … love it
Me too – always extra bag-clutchy near breakables for the same reason!
When I was pregnant I used to live in John Lewis in Kingston because I was convinced that all their staff much be trained midwives as well as magicians at being so nice and so it was the safest place for me to be. Nothing can ever go wrong in the Mothership.
I have a friend who says that some families go to church, hers goes to John Lewis. I don’t often shop there but always so good when I do.
Could they take over from Mrs May do you think? It’s a serious point in a way, their partnership model could be what we need in these troubled times
That is good of them. I’d usually rather be whacked into a corkscrew by a giant mallet than take my kids for a browse in a toy shop at this time of year, but I make an exception for John Lewis. I always take my son in their toy section to choose something for his sister and it is almost relaxing and like Christmas in a movie. And so many discreetly available loos! I think the pink and chestnut thing works well.