Last week I was invited by Long Tall Sally for afternoon tea and to check out their autumn/winter and Christmas collections, as well as their newly refurbished flagship store on Chiltern Street, London. I love it when brands reach out to bloggers in such a positive way, and it was such an intimate gathering that LTS put on it was hard not to get enthusiastic about the brand, which has had a major revamp in recent years.
The event was hosted by Jane Woolf, Buying Director, who has previously worked for Warehouse and Oasis, alongside the brand’s celebrity ambassador, Lisa Butcher, you know the one used to be the presenter of BBC’s What Not To Wear, who is more than just the face of a campaign, Lisa also designs her own collection and is very passionate about the brand.
The flagship store is on Chiltern Street, tucked away slightly, but I think that works as for me as LTS is more of a boutique brand than high street. I say that because the staff are all adorable, all dressed head-to-toe in LTS, happy to help, and most of all extremely knowledgeable, for me it just felt like a boutique rather than a national chain, which it is as Long Tall Sally has 19 stores across the UK including Bath, Birmingham, Manchester, Exeter, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Albans and York.
When I asked people what they thought about Long Tall Sally a lot of it to be honest was quite negative, from poor fabrics to bland colours and lack of style led pieces, and I have to admit I had never shopped there before as I just thought it was mail-order. But trust me the brand isn’t the same as it was even a few years ago, as it has had a totally revamp and it is much more fashion-forward in its designs and that is all down to the creative direction of Jane and Lisa working together so closely.
This is a brand that has to cater for a wide range of ages, as being 5ft8 or above doesn’t age discriminate, so it is quite a hard task for the design team but I think Long Tall Sally have done really well. There were a number of pieces in the Christmas collection that caught my eye, from this polka dot stretch dress that I am told is just like wearing Spanx it nips everything in and creates a gorgeous silhouette.
No bland colours here, these gorgeous silk blouses are so on trend for autumn/winter, I am loving the electric blue one. I also took a shine to this Art Deco beaded top, I can see it paired with skinny jeans and a tux-style blazer with bright sky-high wedges for a funky night on the town.
Most of the clothes looked even too long for me and I am 5ft8ish, but what stood out for me was the quality of all the pieces especially all the coats. As if like me you are tall you probably have a problem finding coats long enough for your arms, it is something that I painfully go through every winter, well not this year as LTS has something for everyone. Because I loved so many pieces I have decided to do a separate post on them, so pop back tomorrow.
But there was so many pieces I want, from the pleated maxi *finally found one that will sweep across the floor*, this gorgeous bird print blouse, which will look amazing under a leather jacket, and they have an amazing denim section which includes brands from America as well as their own, I am looking forward to trying some of their styles on for my denim challenge *coming soon*.
Thanks to the team at Long Tall Sally and Frank PR for the invite and wonderful afternoon.
