My Recent On Line Marks & Spencer Splurge! - Blue Checks, Aztec and Stripes

I love to window shop and with easy access to the growing number of reputable brands on-line, this doesn't necessarily mean using my feet to get around the stores, often it will be the tap, tap, tapping of my fingers on the keyboard. Usually I am simply browsing and often log off before checking out my cart. However, this wasn't the case when I recently discovered Marks and Spencerare now delivering to NZ with free shipping on first orders. I decided to visit their on-line store with the intention of browsing but ended up doing some serious buying. My Marks & Spencer goods arrived last Friday and I was so excited I decided to share them with you. As I am not actually a fashion blogger, I thought I would also illustrate how fashion influences interior trends. Before I continue, I would like to add, this is not a sponsored post, simply my personal opinion on the service and products received.

My parcel arrived 2 weeks after I placed my order, one day later than their latest expected delivery date, so If you do decide to go shopping at Marks and Spencerbear in mind, if it is for a special occasion, allow 15 days delivery.

My items arrived, packaged in a sturdy M&S box, complete with hangers and wrapped in environmentally friendly plastic to keep them protected. First I unwrapped my Boho inspired blouse by their in-house brand 'Indigo'. It is probably a little young for me but I liked the casual, flowy, look and Aztec print. The fabric is soft and the blouse has a built in camisole. The top fitted perfectly although I thought the camisole underneath could have been a little more generous, it still fits perfectly however. I ordered a size 8, I am 5 foot 2.5" and weigh 115lbs and it was perfect.  It is flowy without using too much material, it is still slimming. I love this top and currently wearing it with skinny jeans.

Below: My next purchase was a Parker. I chose a linen cotton blend fabric that had been waterproofed with a wax like finish, hence they call it the 'waxy' Parker. I decided on a neutral colour to work with anything. It has a generous hood which is helpful as you can never tell when it is going to pour down with rain in Auckland.  I chose to go up one size to a 10 as I wanted to have room beneath for layering. Definitely I would increase one size more than your normal blouse/dress size for outer-ware in the M&S range. The size 10 was perfect for me as a jacket.

The jacket has what they describe as "button safe", this is where the cotton is heat treated to prevent loss of buttons...you know how annoying it can be wearing an item a couple of times and a button drops off, with any Marks and Spencer product that says, "button safe", this is not meant to happen. I love the look of this jacket, it is casual, yet smart and I have been turning the cuffs up to show off the stripes for a more casual look. I have been wearing it constantly and already had lots of favourable comments. 

Above: The Mariner striped duvet seen on the left hand in the centre row, is from Wallace cotton

Below: My final purchase, a trendy, easy iron, soft finish check (they say gingham), in pure linen. Being fairly petite I find that shirt collars can often be too large, however this one was absolutely perfect and the shirt is excellent quality and only cost me UK sterling 29 (NZ$59). It has since been reduced to UK sterling 20 (NZ$40). This shirt is quality and would most definitely have cost around $120 in NZ, as I have seen similar at this price in Trenery. The buttons which are also 'buttonsafe', are white with blue stitching which I thought was nice detail. It also has blue binding around the inside of the collar which adds to the quality. The size was perfect, It is not overly huge like some long-line shirts can feel. Another item I don't want to take off, it has a soft warm texture and is not at all bulky...love, love, love it!

Well, this was my shopping spree, unusual for me to blog about clothing but I am truly delighted with my purchases and would thoroughly recommend Marks & Spencer for on-line shopping. They have a fantastic choice, their website is easy to use and in the past when I used to shop in their Abu Dhabi and London stores, I always found their quality to be high. 

And...

As you can see from the images above, what we wear also determines our interior styles, so I shall be looking out for next years trends and meanwhile, maybe doing a little more browsing at their Spring collection - Shop Now.