Top Holiday Reads 2013

June 14th, 2013

Having time to read is one of the greatest pleasure of a holiday. Afternoons by the pool are meant for reading, whether you prefer to be swept away by a classic novel or indulge in a summer fling with something deliciously trashy.

No one will judge you on your holiday reads so shed any inhibitions and indulge in the guilty pleasures of literary escapism.

Here’s our guide to holiday reads, or what the Clinkard’s HQ staff will be reading this summer…

Book: The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory

Who: Larah

Job: Email Marketer

Holiday: Sunbathing in Barbados

What it’s about: Set in the time of the War of the Roses, The White Queen is the first of “The Cousin’s War” series and evokes the life of Elizabeth Woodville, as she ascends from common woman to royalty.

Why I’m reading it: Even though I’ve read them before, the TV adaptation of The Cousins’ War series is starting at the weekend so I want to really get to grips with the story again.

 

Book: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Who: Megan

Job: Social Media Marketer

Holiday: Walking in France

What it’s about: Cheryl Strayed’s memoirs detail her physical and emotional journey along  1,100 miles of the Pacific Coast Trail in an attempt to escape her personal demons.

Why I’m reading it: Although my holiday won’t be quite as adventurous as the Pacific Coast, I want to read something inspirational and motivational.

 

Book: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Who: Aimee

Job: Graphic Designer

Holiday: Sightseeing in Italy

What it’s about : The book begins in the 1960s on the Italian coast, following a love affair that leads to Hollywood decades later.

Why I’m reading it: I like the idea of being in the place I’m reading about, to really escape into the book and relate to it.

 

 

 

Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Who: Ali

Job: Digital Marketing Manager

Holiday: Family Fun in Portugal

What it’s about: If you’ve not seen the recent film adaptation, The Great Gatsby takes place in the summer of 1922 in America and offers an insight on the views of the nouveau riche at the time.

Why I’m reading it this summer: Having been blown away by the film, I wanted to sink my teeth into the original prose to further explore the celebrations and jeopardies of excess.

 

What do you think to our choice of holiday reads? Are we packing wisely? Head over to our Pinterest boards to find out what else we’ll be reading this summer and tweet us your suggestions for top holiday reads!

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The Perfect Picnic Bags, Food and Places

June 11th, 2013

Now that summer has finally made an appearance, it seems that picnics are back on the menu. With our guide to the perfect picnic you can ditch the damp grass and soggy sandwiches, and serve up an al fresco feast.

Perfect Place to Picnic

Laden with Tupperware, we pack our picnic bags at the first glimpse of sunshine, in search of that perfect picnic spot. But choosing the perfect place to picnic can be tricky, and usually ends up with us being tormented by insect life or shivering on a wind-lashed beach. Not anymore. We’ve narrowed down our top 3 places, from the North, South and Midlands, to lay down the quintessential picnic blanket.

1. The North Pennines (Cumbria) offers something for everyone. With heather moors, tumbling rivers, hay meadows and woods, this special landscape is a picnicker’s paradise. The area has been highlighted as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is home to unique birds, animals and plants.

2. Dating back to 1680, Ragley Hall (Warwickshire) is magnificent. In the heart of the Ragley Estate, the Hall is open to the public on select dates throughout the year.  As well as beautiful gardens, the estate has a maze, pony rides, an adventure wood and woodland walks.

3. Horniman Museum and Gardens is located in South London and provides a great family day out.  The gardens feature a bandstand, nature trail and wildlife garden. This free attraction includes 16 acres of award winning gardens, perfect for a picnic!

Image Sources: North Pennines, Ragley Hall and Horniman

Perfect Picnic Bags

Gone are the days when a wicker basket was a picnicker’s preference, now a stylish shopper bag will do the trick. Not only will it match your summer sandals, a handy shopper is big enough for all your picnic treats. Take a peek at our favourite picnic bags …

1. Sirco Lily

2. Sirco RB-3354

3. Fossil Hunter

We don’t want your little ones to miss out on some summer style either. Check out our kids summer style guide for some sunny summer trends – just for kids.

Perfect Picnic Food

The great thing about picnics is that they can be quick and simple, so that you can take full advantage of the fleeting sunshine.

But if you have the luxury of time to prepare something a bit more special, The British Larder have some mouth-watering picnic recipes to inspire. Here’s what would be on our picnic menu:

1. Malted Prune Loaf; a sweet treat that’s not only scrummy, but a great energy boost too.

2. Cheddar, Apple and Pickle Pasties make the perfect snack and the whole family can help to make them.

3. For a light lunch we think the Chicken Caesar Salad is an easy picnic recipe which makes great use of seasonal ingredients

Source: The British Larder

So whether it’s a romantic picnic for two or a fun filled family day out, enjoy the sunshine while it lasts and pack your picnic bags properly!

Don’t forget its Father’s Day on the 16th of June! Why not treat your old man to a homemade picnic? Or check out or Gift Guide for Father’s Day for some other gift ideas.

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Blogger Competition – Win a pair of Hunter Wellies!

June 5th, 2013

With the festival season in full swing, and the ever present threat of the rain clouds drowning out festivals across the country,  we’re giving you the opportunity to win a pair of Hunter wellies!

Here’s how you can get involved …

  1. Choose your favourite pair of Hunter wellies from our website here.
  2. Put together a style board of how you would style the wellies for the perfect festival look.
  3. Upload this as a post on to your blog, making sure to include your chosen pair of Hunter boots in your post
  4. Submit your entry by commenting on this post with the URL to your blog post.

The competition closes 5th July and we will pick the winner on Friday 12th July. The winner will be get to choose any pair of Hunters from the Charles Clinkard range and also the opportunity to be featured on our blog with their very own post.

Keep an eye on our social channels, where we will showcase some of the entries with the the twitter tag #ClinksHunters. It’s a fantastic competition to get involved in and we are really looking forward to seeing your entries!

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Trend Spotting: Nude Court Shoes

June 3rd, 2013

There’s something about nude underwear that just screams ‘granny pants’. And you may be a little concerned that neutral hues may look a little old fashioned, no matter how they are worn. It’s boring. It’s muted. And it’s so right now.

Whilst bright, bold, intense pops of colour have been touted as this summer’s hottest trend, the new wave of a softer pastel palette is a refreshing switch. To keep feet feeling fresh without a sugar overload, nude court shoes offer a casual sophistication, and they go with everything.

Still not convinced?

Here’s our top 3 reasons to fall in love with nude court shoes.

1) Leg lengthening properties.
Find a pair of nude court shoes that complement your skin tone and voilà! Instant insanely long legs. Even if you prefer your flats, in nude shoes you’ll soon feel like the tallest supermodel, strutting your stuff with the street as your catwalk.

2) No more colour clash.
If you’re wearing navy, black is a no-go (it will look like you got dressed in the dark, trust us). If you’re opting for a print or pattern, you want it to stand out. Keep it simple; keep it neutral.

3) They’re in vogue.
Kate Middleton is the reigning Queen of Nude Shoes, but this is a trend that has been spotted on several notable names in recent times. At the BAFTAs, Doctor Who’s latest assistant Jenna-Louise Coleman sported a nude number, alongside Jenni Falconer and Louise Redknapp to name but a few. And at the premier of The Great Gatsby at Cannes it seemed nude was the only trend to  be spotted, in with Carey Mulligan alongside co-stars Elizabeth Debicki and Sarah Marshall all working neutrals.

 

Hispanitas Vivian                           Peter Kaiser Samos                          Peter Kaiser Milli

Nude shoes are a bare necessity. Are you joining the nudist nation? Comment below with your thoughts on the trend!

You can also check out our Trend Spotting Pinterest board where you can follow all the latest fashions.

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Win Crocs Shoes!

May 31st, 2013

Snapping up the ‘Comfort/Wellness Footwear Brand of the Year Award’ at the UK Footwear Industry Awards 2013, Crocs are renowned for their comfort and functionality.

Celebrating their 10th anniversary in 2012, Crocs are a world leader in innovative casual footwear. With distinctive designs, advanced materials and radical technology in every pair, they are soft, lightweight and odour-resistant.

From Monday 3rd June, you can be in with a chance of winning a pair of Crocs™. Simply  add Charles Clinkard to any one of your circles on Google+.

No longer just a clog company, Crocs™ now offer a whole collection of different styles – from ladies’ wedges and flats, to men’s sneakers and loafers – not forgetting the kids’ range of course! Since its inception, Crocs™ has sold more than 200 million pairs of shoes in more than 90 countries around the world.

See below for details on how you could be in with a chance of winning a pair of these revolutionary shoes.

How To Enter

You can enter by  addding Charles Clinkard to any one of your circles on Google+.

Don’t have a Google+ account? Set one up here.

Full terms and conditions can be found below.

Winners may choose any one pair of Crocs shoes from the range stocked at Charles Clinkard.

Good luck!

T’s & C’s

  1. To enter the competition, all you have to do is add Charles Clinkard to any one of your circles on Google+.
  2. Since you can only enter by adding us once to a profile of yours on Google+, this gives you one chance per profile of winning. If you have more than one profile, then feel free to add us to those circles too – they’ll all be counted.
  3. The competition will run from the 3rd to the 9th of June 2013.
  4. Winners will be chosen at random and prizes will be delivered to the winner, free of charge.
  5. We’ll let you know if you’ve won in the week beginning Monday 10th June.
  6. The prize is one of 5 pairs of any Crocs shoes from the Charles Clinkard range.
  7. Unfortunately you won’t be able to choose an alternative prize, or the cash equivalent.
  8. The prize draw is open to all UK residents aged 16 and over, with the exception of The Clinkard Group employees, their families or anyone connected with the promotion. No purchase necessary.
  9. Although it’s unlikely, we might need to change some of the dates above, so please bear with us if that’s the case.
  10. If you’d like to enter this competition, you’ll have stick to these rules and any other stipulations in the promotional material.
  11.  And don’t worry, you’re covered by English law for this, and indeed all, of our competitions.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide

May 29th, 2013

Seeking something for Father’s Day that doesn’t include golf balls or toiletries? We understand.

You may think that attire (other than ties, and they’re a no-go) is perhaps a little bit risky. That’s why we’ve put together a Father’s Day gift guide to ensure you can find the perfect pair of kicks that your dad will love.

My dad is a…



You can’t go wrong with a sturdy pair of wellingtons, and the Hunter Balmorals are just that. Make sure he takes them off before he comes in the house!

Whether he’s a spectator, a player or thinks he’s the ref, a pair of Superga Andrews are spot on for the sporty dad.

Planning a holiday this year? Whether he’s off abroad or praying for UK sun, no man should be without his trusted Birkenstocks this summer.

You can’t go far wrong with a pair of classic brogues, and dad does dapper in the Loake Woodstock. On stage or in the crowd, he’ll feel like a rock star.

If your dad has discovered the joys of being lazy, or simply loves putting his feet up at the end of a long day, the UGG Scuff slippers will make sure he feels right at home.

We would love to know if what you’re planning for dad this Father’s Day! Why not leave us a comment below, tell us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+, or send us an email to hello@charlesclinkard.co.uk

 

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Kids Fashion: Summer Trends from Elfin

May 24th, 2013

Kids fashion is almost as important to little munchkins as catwalk trends are to mums. In fact, taking ice cream, Moshi Monsters and Christmas into consideration, it might even make it into the top 10 list of bestest ever things.

So with this in mind, we’ve joined up with childrenswear boutique, Elfin, to come up with a couple of outfits that won’t elicit immediate morning meltdowns. With their help we’ve sussed out the latest trends in kids fashion, that don’t have to break the (piggy) bank.

From shoes to shirts to shorts, the key is to choose staple pieces that can be mixed and matched, giving the tantrum prone wee one the illusion that she is choosing whatever she wants, and all the while maintaining a modicum of matching style.

With colour pop dominating the catwalks for SS13, it’s no wonder it makes an appearance in kids fashion too. For the perfect girls summer outfit we think Elfin’s Catimini dress makes the cut. The vibrant mix of royal blue and pillarbox red makes it bang on-trend. We’ve teamed it with the Ugg Nikelle in white, as these simple sandals contrast the bold tones of the dress. Add the matching Catimini leggings to this outfit for a casual look or for colder weather.  These versatile leggings can also be worn with a blouse and cardigan in the transitional months.

Undoubtedly, the floral trend is in bloom this season and these boys’ camo style Scotch Shrunk shorts will create an edgy summer outfit. We’ve teamed them with a classic Scotch Shrunk polo shirt that highlights the floral prints. Classic Converse Youth trainers make the perfect summer canvas shoes as they can be worn with shorts and a polo or with jeans on a cooler day.

If you want to add a touch of floral to your own summer wardrobe check out our trend spotting newsletter for all the latest on this blossoming trend.

 

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1920s Fashion and The Great Gatsby

May 21st, 2013

The Great Gatsby is finally here, and with it all the glamour, high drama and frills-you-never-thought-necessary that have had our office on tenterhooks for months!

Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of this classic story has been eagerly awaited, and is it any wonder? Filled with 1920s fashion, Art Deco style and jewels from Tiffany and Co, The Great Gatsby is the one thing fashionistas should make a pilgrimage to this month.

         Image Credit: i.telegraph.co.uk 

The end of the war brought a new perspective to women’s fashion. Restrictive apparel was shunted unceremoniously out the door to herald a freedom of movement was key to the “roaring” twenties look. 1920s fashion is defined as an era of flappers, independence and shorter hem lines! It’s a period that is never out of style, both in literature and fashion. For our comprehensive round up of footwear fashion through the ages, be sure to read Style of the Century.

With the new adaptation of The Great Gatsby in cinemas now, we have been inspired to update our wardrobe with 20s twists. Our range of 1920s fashion inspired styles include Mary Jane shoes, such as the Gabor Henrietta, Van Dal Jump and Gabor Equinox, all noticeably lavished with buckle and bow embellishments.

Our latest 1920s inspired style is from Rieker and is new for SS13. You can wear Rieker Maris in the office or at the weekend, as it boasts a vintage inspired look that can be dressed up or down. Wear this style with a pencil skirt and blouse for a head to toe vintage look, or add 1920s inspired diamante jewellery for dressy evening occasions.

Want to find out how to swing in the 60s or power through the 80s? We’ve got a great guide right here. Enjoy!

 

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How (Not) To Wear Film Festival Footwear

May 17th, 2013

The 2013 Cannes Film Festival is once again playing host to an array of fabulous, glamorous and often somewhat interesting outfits, but we personally enjoy film festival footwear spotting – something that can be quite difficult with all of the red-carpet-length gowns.

Enter Julianne Moore, who posed in a stunning ankle-skimming Christian Dior Couture gown. With a black bodice and gorgeous feminine iridescent lilac skirt, the ravishing redhead wowed the crowd, completing the ensemble with a pair of strappy silver sandals and conspicuously flailing pinky toes.

Wait, what was that?

As fabulous as she looked, squeezing her feet into a very narrow, delicate pair of silver heels made the star’s wayward toes are something of a distraction. That cannot be comfortable.

If you’re lucky enough to be heading to any red-carpet events, or indeed any occasion where more fancy footwear is in order, we don’t recommend you follow in Moore’s fashion footsteps. Instead, we’ve rounded up some of our own film festival footwear styles that we think are red-carpet-worthy, and will keep feet comfy so you can concentrate on perfecting your pose and flashing that winning smile.

 

Which pair would you choose for your own film festival footwear?

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Trend Spotting: Flower Versus Floral Shoes

May 10th, 2013

This season , floral fashions are flourishing on the high-street, in full bloom on bags and feet.  Floral shoes are a perennial favourite, but they are taking a fuller form for 2013 with embroidery and embellishments competing with prints for the spotlight.

The good news is that any age group can wear this trend. And no, you don’t have to be green-fingered, as full-on flower power can be a bit much for some people. Accessorizing with flirty floral bits and bobs can really make your look pop.

And what better time to don your florals than the week of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show?! The gardening-world equivalent of Fashion Week, the floral trends can be spotted in both the flower beds and on the visitors. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the show and to celebrate the ban on garden gnomes has been lifted for one year only – though we don’t recommend this as a style tip.

Day to night, flowers are the badge of femininity for summer.  Even if the sun isn’t shining as much as we’d like, you can still put a spring in your step once and FLORAL!

All that remains to be answered is whether you’ll be wearing them in their textured, three-dimensional form or opting to keep it flat with a floral printed fancy…

Floral Footwear

Weekday

Sabrinas Flower v Dr. Martens Wild Flower 

Weekend

Joseph Seibel Caspian v Rieker Splash

Evening

Marco Tozzi Delta v Rieker Maris

 

Blooming Bags 

Weekday

Fiorelli Dreams v Sirco Lily

 

Weekend

L.F.B. Handbag v Kipling Enora

Evening

Lotus Mayorette v Fiorelli Together Forever

How are you wearing this floral shoe trend?

 

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