Smart, tailored and just the right side of masculine: all reasons why designers return time and again to the military theme. This winter it is the dominating coat trend and there are plenty to chose from. Here at Lovestretch we’ve gone for an utterly wantable cavalry coat by Groa which has all the right details, down to epaulettes and turned-back revers.

A friend recently visited from Europe on a London stopover/shopping odyssey. To make the most of her visit she checked in The Arch, a townhouse behind Marble Arch – just a stone’s throw from the world’s most popular shopping street. If you’re looking to make that Christmas shopping trip something special, this comes highly recommended – especially HUNter 486, the hotel’s chic bar and restaurant. ‘Cosy and chic, a hard combination to find’, is how she sums up the style and there are winter deals available for bargain hunters.

Deal with those rogue areas at the back of your arms with tricep dips. Using a coffee table or a chair, place your fingers in line with your shoulders with your bottom close to the table. Lift the right leg off the floor and hold it straight in front of you. Bend and straighten the arms, targeting the back of the upper arm. Complete 1 set of 12 with right leg out and then 1 set of 12 with the left leg out. Then place both feet on the floor and finish with another set of 12.

Dee is wearing Earth Couture’s  Chic Sleeveless Vest and French Terry Track Pants.

There is no falling out of love with our classic Emu Stingers from Emu Australia. The latest consignment has arrived and we’re glad to see them, especially as the temperature plummets.  Emu Stinger Hi boots quickly become the default footwear of anyone who snuggles their toes into them just once whether it’s for a post-yoga chill-out or simply slopping down to the shops. Ugly? No way. They’re beautiful to our eyes and toes and they’re here to stay.

Sounds like a weird claim? Not for us at Lovestretch. Yoga pants for women are at the core of our collections – virtually every brand delivers either yoga pants straight up or trousers that are so supple they will work for yoga when you need them to.  And we’re not shy in trying out the very latest styles of yoga pants. Harem yoga pants, cropped yoga pants, bamboo yoga pants, gathered yoga pants, roll-down yoga pants, and palazzo yoga pants are just a few of the many varieties we’ve managed to source. The brands who deliver them are just as diverse. Wellicious is a fashion-forward label for yoga-istas who always want to turn out in the very latest yoga pants – the current trend for pants gathered into ankle cuffs started with this amazing company. For a pair of yoga pants with the greatest ethical credentials there is lots of choice: EKO Sense, Asquith London, Earth Couture and Kelly Hoppen can all oblige with the best and cleanest materials, including certified Organic cottons, bamboo and soy bean fibre. If it’s a pair of yoga pants you’re looking for, Lovestretch really is the first place to come to.

Okay, terrible pun but this Organic cotton tank dress by Kelly Hoppen is anything but. Grazia, which knows all about great fashion, puts it beneath a body-skimming pencil skirt but it works many ways. Lots more Hoppen is on the way so watch this space – especially if you’re looking for the ultimate in yoga clothes for women.

Forget hibernation, autumn really is one of nature’s great show-off moments and there’s nothing better than getting out there to watch it. The combined pleasures, physical and mental, of walking through a landscape as it changes from green to gold is unbeatable. For me it’s a simple experience and proves that at least one of the best things in life is free and entirely uncomplicated. Recently I found an article in the Independent that reminds us how to do it:  http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/how-to-really-get-back-to-nature-2072094.html. Turn off the mobile, Leave your money at home and enjoy the free show.

More wantable, featherweight  knits are floating into Lovestretch  as I type. This time from Groa, better known for the cosy boiled wool coats and jackets we all rely on. Designer Gro Abrahamsson fuses her edgy, contemporary style with a feminine feel for curvy shapes and soft details and there are none softer than the wrap top (above right), a wool and silk mix delight. Soon to arrive are the other pieces featured so keep checking in.