{Sandwich at House of Fraser}

I was delighted to be invited along to an intimate evening at House of Fraser for a close-up look at some of the new brands that have arrived in store. 18 new brands have arrived into womenswear and accessories for Autumn/Winter 2013!

I arrived a teeny bit late (I missed my train, oops!) and was feeling a bit frazzled, but soon was relaxing with a glass of fizz and some canapes with the HOF team and fellow bloggers Thank Fifi, Bee Waits, Frock Trade, Betty Swollocks, Lisa Ringrose and Emma Watson.

We heard pitches from the brand managers of Hallhuber, Norr, Stefanel, St Martins and Sandwich before being paired up with a brand to hit the shop floor. I was escorted from Hugh's Champagne Bar to have a closer look at Sandwich, the brand that was selected for me (I felt very special being in the store after hours!). Anyway, it was a perfect match and I loved a lot of the pieces. I had to admit that I hadn't heard of sandwich before, have you? They're a Dutch company that is still family owned, which I love.

"Sandwich is fashion to be worn in the everyday"

{Sandwich at House of Fraser}

I am trying to stick to a capsule wardrobe and need my clothing to be versatile. I also need my wardrobe to be practical... I spend my working hours at my desk and then when I'm with the kids I can be crawling on the ground, lots of kneeling down and will inevitably end up covered in paint or flour (or worse!). So I need my clothing to fit and wash well. I've been reliably informed that Sandwich clothing washes very well... perfect :-)

I tend to spend a bit more money on classic pieces rather than changing with the trends, and I loved the look of so many of the Sandwich items. Right up my street! I also thought that price-wise the clothing is reasonable, and is in the same range that I would normally pay for such items normally.

This wrap dress would be perfect with tights and court shoes for my work; but equally perfect with leggings and boots for a day with the kids. Layered wrap dress, Sandwich at HOF £79

I also loved this dress:

Crepe dress, Sandwich at HOF £99

And I thought this jersey top would be quite versatile:

Long Jersey Top, Sandwich at HOF £49

I think the only negative for me is that the trousers only come in one length, whereas I need an extra long inside leg! I loved these textured grey trousers:

Textured fabric trousers, Sandwich at HOF £99

All the items tone together beautifully, making it easy to mix and match. I was reminded of Mint Velvet, and I have a number of their items in my wardrobe right now.

The other brand that I fell in love with was Hallhuber. Again, I hadn't heard of them. But they have some gorgeous pieces. I have my eye on a fabulous black and gold dress for my office Christmas party!! I am definitely going back to House of Fraser soon!

Make sure you have a peek at the other girls blogs to check out the other brands, and I'd highly recommend you pop into House of Fraser - there have been some big changes over the two womenswear floors of late. Plus the Christmas lights will be going on soon... it's magical!!

I received an amazing goodie bag from the lovely people at HOF for attending this event. All the opinions above, as always, are my own.