Topman Christmas Wishlist

Blame it on too many Doctor Who Christmas Day specials, but Victorian London always conjures up images of the quintessential Christmas. So where better to shoot a Christmas collaboration with Topman than a beautiful nineteenth century neighbourhood? The addition of television aerials, block paving and a basketball hoop brings us forward to the present day, yet I still feel as though I have stumbled back in time, surrounded by these quaint cottages with handsome brickwork and painted front doors.

To mark the season's festivities, Topman has enlisted four menswear bloggers to create the "ultimate Christmas wishlist", and I am very pleased to say I was selected as one of said bloggers. The four of us having each chosen five must-have items from the website, the folks at Topman have drawn up a special feature to see you through winter in style. What's more, they are offering you lovely lot the chance to win my favourite piece from the AW14 collection, details for which you can find at the end of this blog post.

My must-have items for the Christmas season are very much practical choices: a warm winter coat, a colourful Christmas jumper (see it in my next blog post!), a snug roll-neck jumper, a cosy bobble hat, and the ever-versatile plain white shirt. The coat was naturally my number one item on my wishlist, a smart cut in navy herringbone and white fleck, almost as if I have already had a light dusting of snow. For my shoot, I have styled the coat with black Levi's jeans, my favourite Cuban heel boots by Jeffery West, and the softest cashmere scarf from Topman's older brother, Burton, which barely leaves my neck when I leave the house. You can preview all of mine and my fellow bloggers' must-have items by visiting the Topman website.

For my first ever giveaway, Topman is offering one lucky reader their very own Premium winter coat. To be in the chance of winning this wonderfully warm prize, all you need is to read the Bloggers' Christmas Hit List, then answer the following question: "Which Christmas movie taught me that roll-neck jumpers are the bee's knees?" The competition closes at 11:59pm on Friday 12th December, so get your entries in quick. Best of luck!

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Winter warmers, London Waterloo

Quilted

I had rather hoped the first day of December would grace us with a beautiful blue-sky morning, followed by plenty of winter sunshine. Who was I kidding? But now everyone is officially (hopefully) in the Xmas mood, the British weather shall find it hard to put a downer on my spirits, even more so when I am wrapped up in cosy Barbour goodies and watching my cats pounce on the oak leaves in the back garden.

Barbour Liddesdale quilted jacket & Barbour lambswool scarf c/o Repertoire Fashion

Quilted jackets are iconic to the Barbour brand, and the Liddesdale is considered an all-time favourite - warm yet lightweight, and featuring a contrasting corduroy collar. Though I normally prefer slim-fit jackets, the Liddesdale provides room for those all-important extra layers (such as my many, many patterned jumpers). Here, I am also wearing a Barbour lambswool scarf in colourful houndstooth pattern, breaking up the black of my overall outfit.

If you too would like to bag a Barbour jacket in time for Xmas, you can claim 10% off all orders over £100 at Repertoire Fashion. Simply enter "JK10" at the checkout.