No matter how much you love fashion, and like to look out for fresh inspiration everywhere – from Vogue to Instagram to the shop windows you walk past in your lunch break, have you ever noticed how easy it is to fall into a bit of a style rut?

Personally, I tend to buy near identical dresses (or occasionally the same dress in different colours if I really love a particular style). And having helped one or two good friends de-clutter their wardrobes in recent years, I don’t think I’m alone in this. (By the way, de-cluttering wardrobes is basically my favourite organisational activity, so if you’re planning a wardrobe sort-out this spring, call me!)

I know not everyone reading will agree with me on this, but I genuinely believe that emptying out your wardrobe and working out what you want to keep and what you’ll be taking to the charity shop is one of the best ways to fall in love with your clothes again. Once you’re looking at a lovely orderly wardrobe with nothing in it that you don’t like, or that doesn’t fit anymore, it’s so much easier to lay your hands on what you want. And I kind of enjoy the process of whittling down my wardrobe to one that’s full of treasures almost as much as (whisper it) I enjoy shopping.

However, with even the most organised capsule wardrobe, there still comes a point at which it’s worth asking yourself: Am I basically buying the same pieces over and over again? Even if the answer’s yes, this isn’t necessarily a problem. It just means that you’ve identified your wardrobe staples – those trusty styles that you know suit you.

However, if you can choose just a few new pieces that take you slightly out of your comfort zone, the chances are that you’ll have a lot of fun wearing them. For me, this means not shopping at the same stores you’d usually go to. Because just like sitting down at your favourite restaurant where you know exactly what you’re going to order, your usual go-to brands are probably still offering versions of your old favourites and it’s just too tempting to choose something you already know you like.

So, in a bid to shake things up, I very happily accepted a lovely challenge from Elvi Ladies Clothing, a brand I’ve never shopped with before, to choose something new from their website and incorporate it into my day-to-day wardrobe. As I wanted to use this opportunity to shake up my style a bit, I resisted the urge to stick to neutrals and instead chose this KYRAN coat (£60) with its checked detailing. I felt that this was classic enough that I’d wear it, but different enough that I wouldn’t just feel like it was a ‘like-for-like’ replacement for my previous grey jacket, which I’ve virtually lived in this winter.

My first thoughts about the Elvi website were that I liked the range of sizes available (from 8-28) which means you’re unlikely to experience the frustration of spotting something you love on their site only to discover that it’s not available in your size. Plus, I scrolled through their new in section thinking: ‘hmmm, I could wear that’ at several points. This is a big bonus after recently perusing the ‘workwear’ section of a leading online retailer thinking that all of the looks featured would only really qualify as workwear if you were a Kardashian and today’s work was a lingerie shoot. (*If you’re reading this and you are a Kardashian, I salute you and your relentless work ethic and I love a good lingerie shoot. I just like a bit more coverage when I’m writing about fashion and eating biscuits!)

The Elvi website serves up a mix of simple classics (think denim and classic white T-shirts) alongside on-trend pieces like this yellow skirt or dress, which would be perfect for injecting a dash of colour into your wardrobe this summer.

My Elvi delivery arrived in a very stylish box, which was a nice surprise, and was tissue wrapped, which I always think looks lovely and also helps to avoid your clothes being creased when they arrive. I was impressed with the presentation and am very much looking forward to making the coat a new wardrobe staple.

My overall verdict is that if you’re looking for some grown-up fashion inspiration online, Elvi’s a great place to nudge your style in a slightly different direction without forgetting your fashion roots. Now I just need to get my head out of the wardrobe, stop obsessing over that yellow skirt, and take my coat out somewhere nice! 

The Elvi coat, featured, was gifted, but the words are all my own.

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