Cappuccino nails, boho blouses and pilates pumps: Jess Cartner-Morley's March style essentials

The Guardian

01-03-2025

We think before we buy these days, right? And so we damn well should. Shopping should not be a pastime. Style is eternal, not disposable. Each piece that has made the cut into my edit of March treasures has earned its place. A pair of £10 socks that are an instant wardrobe update. A £39 blazer that would pass for a designer investment. The ideal new-season nail polish for £8.
The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.
And you don't have to buy anything at all for it to be worth having a look at my list. See below for my thoughts on what makes a boho blouse cool rather than twee, and a tipoff about the return of the brooch. That's what I love about fashion: you don't have to buy it to buy into it. But whatever you do, don't buy anything until you read this.
Yves Saint Laurent tricolour logo brooch
£49 at Vestiaire Collective
Yves Saint Laurent gold and crystal brooch
£99 at Hewi
The favoured accessory of minor royals and secondary-school art teachers is making a fashion comeback. The return of the brooch was my number-one takeaway from a recent trip to New York fashion week, where the chicest show-goers all had something fancy pinned to their coat lapel or beanie. I don't think many people are on to this yet, which means that now is the time to pounce on a bargain vintage brooch before they get in on the act. Why wait for the high street to catch up (although it will, mark my words) when you can source something original and preloved? I have my eye on two fabulous Saint Laurent brooches: a tricolour logo brooch on Vestiaire Collective, and a sleek gold-and-crystal number, £99 on in-the-know resale site Hewi, which stands for Hardly Ever Worn It.
Bow socks
£10 at Calzedonia
It is impossible to overstate the importance of socks in fashion right now. These are adorable. If you wear them with jeans, you flash a bow now and again, but they come into their own with a party dress. They come in white with black bows or all black, but the pink-on-pink is giving Simone Rocha, for a tenner.
Essential overnight bag
£125 at Antler£125 at John Lewis
After 20 years in fashion, I have a pretty tasty handbag collection, but the bag that has had complete strangers stopping me in the street and on the Eurostar platform recently is this Antler overnight bag. The clever thing about this bag is the integral back strap, which allows it to slide over the pop-up handle of your wheeled suitcase. This keeps it sitting securely on top of your luggage without everything falling over in chaos when you try to buy a coffee or get on to a train. It's designed to go with Antler luggage, but I find it works with every case. Fits under the seat in front of you when you fly too.
Anyday Hennriette Point
£49 at John Lewis
Ballerina flats never quite live up to their elegant name, on me. Something about the way a ballerina flat leaves the top part of my foot flat lacks grace, visually. And yes, I know we have bigger things to worry about in the world right now, but it still bugs me. I've found the solution in a new genre of ballerina/Mary-Jane hybrids, with a strap across the top – like the socks people wear at pilates, hence the name. Looks much more pleasing, and is more comfortable, being more secure to the foot. This John Lewis pair, with a ruched strap and pointed toe, look very classy for the price.
Cheesecloth blouse
£75 at Me+Em
There's a fine line between boho and trad-wife, and it feels important to stay on the right side of history here. A boho-style blouse is a useful buy because it works for daytime but can be easily dressed up with a kitten heel and some nice jewellery when you're going out for dinner and want to make a bit of an effort. But I've learned the hard way that what feels charming and feminine in the heady atmosphere of a store changing room can seem costumey and twee in the cold light of day. Me+Em is never cheap, but its clothes are thoughtfully designed and beautifully made, and always walk the right line in looking feminine but not cloying. This cheesecloth blouse has an elevated neckline that gives a pop of interest poking out under a crew-neck knit, so it's great for layering and will come into its own in summer. The peach sorbet shade is delicious, but it also comes in white and two alternative blues.
Sign up to The Filter
Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.
after newsletter promotion
Heart resin ring
£15.99 at Mango
Rings are so cheering to look at if you spend your day with your hands on a keyboard. Show yourself some love with a heart cocktail ring.
Black tailored buttoned jacket
£39 at River Island
And that, my friends, is my favourite kind of blazer. I always keep an eye on River Island for tailoring, because I've got a cropped, caped tuxedo-style jacket that I've had for more than a decade from there. It's one of my high-street treasures. This jacket has a beautiful silhouette, flaring very gently at the waist in a wearable take on the peplum shape. An alternative is this collarless boucle jacket. Snap up.
Melie Bianco Larissa bag
£88 at Anthropologie
Squishy basket-woven leather is a fashion flex because it instantly calls to mind the artisanal delights of ultra-high-end Italian house Bottega Veneta. The real thing calls for some serious saving up. In the meantime, this faux-leather Melie Bianco Larissa bag, £88, has caught my eye – I love the chocolate brown.
Turks And Caicos Beach nail polish
£8 at Nails Inc£8 at Amazon
Cappuccino-coloured nails look great with everything. This polish shade is subtle enough that if – like me – you're not exactly a dab hand on the DIY, a few application wobbles won't show.
Aurelia waisted check dress
£139 at Aligne£139 at Liberty
I'm calling it now: check is going to beat florals and stripes as the print of the year. Do you know Aligne? Really cool British brand (and yes, I know the name sounds French, deliberate perhaps) with affordable, interesting pieces like this navy and white dress with cleverly shaped side panels.