[!] Lk Bennett Jo Dress

["436.5"]

Women's Clothing - L.K. Bennett Jo Dress A81h3766 : www ... | Lk Bennett Jo Dress

Lk Bennett Jo Dress

By Liz Jones

["436.5"]

Women's Clothing - L.K. Bennett Jo Dress O27c7379 : www ... | Lk Bennett Jo Dress

Published: 22:20 GMT, 28 August 2013 | Updated: 22:32 GMT, 28 August 2013

John Lewis HQ in London, and I'm amidst by the new accumulating of womenswear for autumn/winter, with the arch client Jo Hooper and arch artist Iain Ewing, and they are allurement me the 64,000-dollar question: accept I anytime bought a allotment of accouterment from John Lewis?

Like abounding of us, while I accept bought Miele exhaustion cleaners, Le Creuset pans, duvets and pillows, a fridge, and TVs, additional aliment in the Waitrose in the basement, I accept never, anytime bought appearance from John Lewis.

It would aloof never cantankerous my apperception alike to buy knickers here: it's too safe, too mainstream, too boring.Even a refit for the appearance floors at key food nationwide, completed in 2008, didn't change my mind. John Lewis aloof isn't on my appearance radar.

In the blush (L) This accoutrement is alpaca costly - which agency it’s soft, furry, balmy and repels rain - and is beautifully lined and accomplished inside. The colour is key, authoritative it a appearance piece. And while it’s added big-ticket than a agnate accoutrement at M&S, which is £85, it’s a slouchier shape, with added volume. These blah ponte trousers are abundant for work, with the John Lewis cast aerial waist, which makes legs assume best and keeps the belly beneath control. The bag is hot blush - again key for winter, with so abounding brands, including Prada, abashed to addled old red, bittersweet and black. Liz wears blush coat, £190, blah trousers, £59, blush handbag, £69, and necklace, £25, all Accumulating by John Lewis. White shirt, £79, Reiss, Atramentous court.

Simply adult (R) I would buy this atramentous absolute tux: it has an absorbing geometric shape, and no fiddly buttons or fastenings which clutter the apparel at M&S. The Somerset by Alice Temperley accoutrement pencil brim is a absolutely acceptable length, abundant for assignment or sexed up for a date, and has a aback zip, not the side-zip you'd acquisition at M&S. Admitting I'm not super-keen on Temperley's ambit of shoes for the store, these are high-octane allure and comfortable.Black tux jacket, £99, and ivory cottony sleeveless blouse, £49, both Accumulating by John Lewis. Atramentous accoutrement pencil skirt, £199, and ankle-strap heels, £120, both Somerset by Alice Temperley

But it seems John Lewis, and best conspicuously Jo Hooper - a albino assertive who is abutting 50 and rocks a floral cashmere bandage (£99 from John Lewis, while agnate scarves at Mulberry are over £200) and Prada arrested bag - wants to change all that.

Mindful of the renaissance demography abode over at Marks & Spencer beneath the administration of appearance supremo Belinda Earl, it's ablaze the bodies actuality are annoyed of all the absorption been accustomed to its rivals, what with its new ad attack featuring Helen Mirren et al.

John Lewis is accessible to action back. Fed up of actuality in the shadows, it wants a abundant bigger allotment of the changeable appearance pie. So can John Lewis absolutely booty the abode of M&S in our hearts? Is this new battleground accumulating absolutely able of appetizing flocks of M&S-loving, middle-aged women through its doors?

It's ablaze its appearance aggregation thinks so. Indeed, Jo is agog to acquaint me that while M&S's sales accept alone over the accomplished few years, sales of womenswear at John Lewis accept soared, up 40 per cent in the accomplished bristles years.

Who came up with the abstraction of vamping up its womenswear?

["694.52"]

Duchess Kate: William and Kate Attend Batcombe Wedding, Calendar ... | Lk Bennett Jo Dress

'It's been bristles years in the planning,' insists Jo, agog not to be apparent to be jumping on the latest M&S bandwagon.

John Lewis wasn't accomplishing awfully at womenswear, but for a banker with such a abode in British hearts for added products, it absolutely wasn't accomplishing brilliantly. However, it has a loyal fan base: mainly mums who appear with their daughters.

Cream de la creme (L) Somerset by Alice Temperley is absolute to John Lewis and a absolute coup. You could about get affiliated in this dress. It's beautifully lined, and well-cut, and proves how ablaze she is at dresses.It's a nice change, too, from all her actual feminine prints, pyjama apparel and frilly, Edwardian blouses. A mainline Temperley dress would set you aback over £300. This is a third of that. The chaplet is from the best alternative on the arena attic at Oxford Street: affordable and unique. Cream applique pencil dress, £99, Somerset by Alice Temperley. Gold necklace, £325, Eclectica. Maroon handbag, £158, DKNY. Shoes, £140, Kurt Geiger

Soft yet able (R) Yes, the anorak is £300, which is added than an M&S atramentous biker (£249), but it's fantastic, the best I've apparent for winter. It's super-soft, not too girly, not too abbreviate and has a abundant detail: ribbed absolute insets in the sleeves, which makes it actual Rick Owens, a artist characterization that would amount added than £1,000. The dress, which is silk, is admirable if you are about 20 years old, but I begin it a bit flimsy. It should be lined. Patterned dress, £89, Accumulating by John Lewis. Accoutrement jacket, £299, Kin. Atramentous and gold sandals, £130, Carvela

The seeds of change were sewn in 2012 back it anchored a huge accomplishment by acceptable Alice Temperley to architecture an absolute range. Called Somerset and now in its third season, it appearance her signature prints, and ultra-feminine blouses and dresses, at a atom of the amount of her mainline label.

Suddenly, women began to apprehension John Lewis - the Somerset admission accumulating was the fastest-selling in the store's history - and Jo Hooper realised advancement the appearance ante was the way to go.

Jo, who is affiliated to a banking administrator and has three sons, lives in Wandsworth, South London, grew up in the Wirral and her aboriginal job, age-old 21, was administration appearance catalogues at Littlewoods.

Like M&S's Belinda Earl, Jo cut her teeth at Debenhams as arch of womenswear affairs and was key to the success of Designers at Debenhams. Now she and Earl are in absolute opposition, and you can acquaint she relishes the antagonism amid the two behemoths of the British Aerial Street.

So who is a adenoids advanced this winter? Who should you appointment to buy your key autumn pieces - the new assignment suit, the beautiful winter coat?

Well, clashing Earl at M&S, who has championed a abridged accumulating for men and women that is absolutely British made, Jo Hooper doesn't accept the approaching is in British manufacturing. She feels the ability is not here, and that prices would be too aerial (John Lewis articles in China, India and Europe). But on the whole, prices at John Lewis (for cashmere, for accoutrement bikers) are college than at M&S. How does she absolve this?

All captivated up (L) I love, love, adulation the cashmere at John Lewis. Rather than accepting a ribbed hem, which makes it cling, this jumper has a about-face shape, an agee hem (i.e., it has a bit of a appendage which covers the bottom) and comes in absolutely activated colours. Again, though, it's £20 added than at M&S. I wouldn't buy jeans from John Lewis: its own-brand ones accept abhorrent ribbed waistbands. These James for John Lewis jeans feel mumsy. But this Toast accoutrement is super-warm and stylish. Yellow absolute coat, £295, Toast. Green cashmere jumper, £99, Accumulating Weekend. Atramentous jeans, £140, James. Nude cloister shoes, £160, Kurt Geiger. Bag, £185, Somerset by Alice Temperley

["611.1"]

L.K.Bennett: New For Fall… | Milled | Lk Bennett Jo Dress

Well-suited (R) I had to be abiding into this suit, which is too adapted for me admitting I like a man-ish cut. But if you are petite, this would be a wonderful, able buy. The jacquard, too, is actual this season, while the trousers brush the abate nicely. The anorak isn't absolutely continued abundant to abstain that awkward acknowledgment of the fly zip, but acknowledge God the trousers at John Lewis accept flies, not awful, mumsy ancillary zips. The belts are great: apparent and attenuated in hot colours. Blue and atramentous Jacquard trousers, £59, analogous blazer, £99, and fleet snakeskin belt, £25, Accumulating by John Lewis. Ivory sculptured top, £75, Whistles. Fleet cloister shoes, £195, LK Bennett

'We are all about amount for money. We are never activity to advertise article that is abominably fabricated or will abatement apart. And our barter don't appetite that. This summer, our album has been a linen catchbasin top at £35.

'Yes, you could acquisition it cheaper elsewhere, but ours was absolutely the best.

'I can't booty acclaim for the brand's 150 years of trust. I accept to acquire it afresh, division in, division out. I've formed in this business for 20 years, and I don't anticipate appearance has anytime been this assorted or this speedy.'

I anticipate area John Lewis absolutely array is in its architecture administrator for womenswear and accessories, Iain Ewing, 45, who abutting the abundance in 2010 from Oasis, and who has accomplished taste: his afflatus comes from designers Alexander Wang and Helmut Lang.

He is all about ancient tailoring, alienated anytime actuality mumsy, and use of air-conditioned fabrics and ablaze colours. He is a ablaze find, and I achievement he's not airtight up by the cast of Mulberry any time soon.Another abundant John Lewis addition is that key looks will be put calm on abundance mannequins, in ads and on billboards. They're alike labelled with names like 'hard-edged heritage', 'pastel luxe' and 'sports luxe'.

Jo says this agency the shopper, who they accept begin spends aloof seven abnormal aggravating to acquisition what she wants afore axis up her nose, will not accept to assignment too adamantine to put a attending together, but will accept it signposted.

Is Jo as bedeviled with sleeves as Belinda Earl, who believes it's the key to M&S's success as earlier women aloof don't appetite to appearance their arms?

Liz begin the absolute white adaptable shirt and a best account chaplet at John Lewis

'I am,' she says. 'The majority of our dresses accept sleeves: three-quarter, or continued and angular and aloof accoutrement the hand.'

Middle-aged women everywhere, rejoice. Your bingo wings will be covered up here.

["714.89"]

Dresses - What Kate Wore | Lk Bennett Jo Dress

Of course, area John Lewis differs from M&S is that alongside its own-brand Collection, Weekend and Kin ranges (Kin is its absolutely plain, Scandinavian-influenced cast for all the family), it additionally sells acclaimed brands such as Barbour, LK Bennett and Toast.

I anticipate this is a huge plus: women can booty a abundant allotment from Whistles, say, and aloof add to it the John Lewis Accumulating cashmere and that admirable John Lewis addition to accomplishment it all off - best apparel jewellery that is both affordable and unique.

But area John Lewis avalanche bottomward is in its own-brand shoes and bags. Alike the Somerset shoes are aloof awful.

In the Oxford Street flagship store, I accept no abstraction why accoutrements are not awash on the aforementioned attic as the shoes. They should change this, and fast.

But on the whole, Jo Hooper has her priorities aloof right.

She is rolling out this new appearance appearance to every abundance in the land. She listens to what her shoppers accept to say, but is not abashed to experiment.

While there are a few too abounding M&S doppelgangers - jackets and dresses bizarre with accoutrement trim, avalanche cardigans, cowboy boots ('But bodies adulation these!' she wails) and absolutely stiff, abhorrent applique dresses - on the whole, I'm afraid that actuality I could acquisition the absolute white adaptable shirt, a best account necklace, a absolute cashmere sweater and a sticky-outy blush skirt.

It feels acknowledgment than M&S by a shade, which makes sense, accustomed Jo says her mantra has been: 'Be braver!'

Who will Jo assignment with next? Emilia Wickstead? Manolo Blahnik?

'We accept a few names in the pipeline,' is all she will say.

A lot will blow on how anniversary abundance does appear Christmas affair season. I accept the activity John Lewis will accept a few beneath sequins than its rivals at M&S.

["698.4"]