Weekend Read: The September Issue

We say it every year but September is one of our favourite months. The weather is still warm, but the new arrivals are in and there's a sense of excitement for the new season ahead. We all feel like we have a bit more energy after the summer break and good intentions are set. Fruit and veg are available in abundance, and it is also the month that we celebrate all things organic in #OrganicSeptember. Read on for some of our top tips for this beautiful month. 

GO ORGANIC

Organic September is a celebration of all things organic. Organic is one of our most sought after Philosophies - quite rightly we find that more of you are seeking out organically produced materials, especially soft, ethically produced cottons. In addition to our clothes, organic beauty is also increasingly popular. Sensitive skin can be healed and nurtured with gentle organic ingredients - so often simple and considered is best! 

Shop all ORGANIC here and look out for some special offers throughout the month. 

SECOND HAND SEPTEMBER

As founders, we have always loved vintage and second hand buys - rummaging through second hand stores and markets and discovering unique pieces that have been loved before is something we've enjoyed doing for years. Secondhand September encourages us all to buy more second hand - and we think it's a great initiative to help get clothes worn for longer and avoid ending up in landfill. Keep an eye out on stories this month to see how we've been styling some of our second hand pieces with new G&S styles.

FLOWER ARRANGING

This is so therapeutic! Bringing flowers in from the garden is always such a pleasure but recently we have been following Willow Crossley's online tutorials and can't recommend them enough. She shows you how to use readily available flowers and plants including hedgerow finds to create beautiful displays. We highly recommend!

FORAGING

Following on from the above the hedgerows are currently bursting with fruit. Blackberries are the obvious choice but there are also gorgeous sloes to be found which make one of our favourite winter tipples - sloe gin. Just add sugar and gin and by Christmas you'll have something special to drink.. it looks like we are going to need it! We'll also be searching out mushrooms (just look for the right kind - if you are unsure check!) and rose hips to put in vases indoors.

CRYSTAL HEALING

So this might be deemed a little bit 'woo woo' but we are getting more and more interested in crystal healing. The properties of stones and minerals have been used to heal, cleanse and protect since ancient times, and we are enjoying learning more about it. There is a crystal for pretty much anything. We've also teamed up with the brilliant Little Joy to produce some bespoke crystal healing jewellery made using tourmalines which help reduce anxiety and promote feelings of love and security! Amen to that.

BARBICAN CONSERVATORY

We talk a lot about getting out in nature and and the benefit of being close to greenery. If you are in London that can sometimes be easier said than done but one place you can now visit any day of the week, no matter what the weather is the brilliant Barbican Conservatory. Concealed inside all the Barbican Centre’s concrete, the Conservatory is a room overrun with 1,500 species of tropical plants and trees, exotic fish, tiny turtles and three indoor ponds. Great for kids too!

WHAT TO EAT

So much good stuff right now. Top of our list are figs - freshly cut onto porridge in the mornings with a swirl of honey or with some blue cheese and rocket for a simple but delicious salad. It is also apple season. We love a humble apple, and there is nothing much better than an apple freshly picked from the tree. We'll be baking them in pies (obvs!) but also grating into slaws and roasting with sausages. A real, nostalgic taste of autumn.

WHAT TO WEAR

We are so delighted to have some beautiful knitwear just landed which we crave at this time of year as the evenings get cooler. Francis Stories pieces are exquisitely crafted from the finest materials. The neutral colours will go with everything. Organic plaid pieces from Skall Studio have a sense of autumn nostalgia about them and we are also back in denim. Great for this transitional period we are big fans of high waist and straight leg at the moment UCM's Maya and Mud's Relax Rose in particular. Our bestselling UCM dungarees also come into their own at this time of year - so very useful!