Categories: Outfits

Magenta Cocoon Dress & Leather Leggings from Hope Fashion

I’m not quite sure where to start with this post, simply because a new British clothing brand for the 40 plus woman has been launched – and I’m officially very excited about it. I genuinely feel that if a group of over 40 fashion bloggers got together and told a brand what they wanted in the way of product, service and marketing, Hope Fashion would be the end result.

Just to give you an idea of what Hope is all about, it’s specifically aimed at the older woman who wants to look modern and stylish – and at the same time be comfortable – whilst creating a fabulous (and figure-flattering) silhouette. Music to my ears…!

Hope kindly allowed me to choose a couple of pieces from their current collection: I chose the magenta cocoon dress (I adore the colour) and leather-front stretch leggings (I’ve finally joined the leather trousers army)! The dress comes in one “free” size which fits UK 8 to 20 in both regular and long length (mine’s the latter). The leather-front leggings are stretchy, come in sizes “Super Slim” (UK 8) up to “Super Curvy” (UK 20) and you can choose the long length, or have them altered – for free. (I chose to have them a little shorter to show off a bit of ankle for wearing them with heels, and I like the little bit of skin showing between ankle boot and hem.)

To me, this brand stands out because they are, in my opinion, tackling head-on what the 40+ market needs from a clothing brand. Beautiful fabrics and colours, great quality, modern styling and choice. I chose to have my leggings that length, you could choose to have them longer. Same goes for the dress: I went for long as I’m a bit taller than average (5’7″, and these boots make me at least 5’11”) – but you can go for the shorter length if it works for your body shape and/or height better .

This is what Nayna McIntosh, the founder and CEO of Hope Fashion, has to say (which basically sums it all up):

“CREATING HOPE WAS ABOUT DOING SOMETHING TO PUT RIGHT WHAT MANY FASHION BRANDS AND RETAILERS ARE MISSING AND UTILISING MY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO CREATE A BRAND FOR THE 40 PLUS WOMAN THAT IS RIGHT FOR TODAY.

I HAVE EMPATHY WITH THIS WOMAN BECAUSE I AM THIS WOMAN. I’M LOOKING FOR GARMENTS TO HELP RESTORE CONFIDENCE – I UNDERSTAND MY BODY IS CHANGING YET STILL WANT TO FEEL GOOD, IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?”

So apart from loving this gorgeous magenta colour and soft fabric of the dress and the flattering fit and style of the leather-front leggings, I completely get the whole philosophy of this brand. When I was first contacted (just before Hope launched) about the possibility of collaborating with them, I made a list of all the things that impressed me whilst I was reading their press release and looking at the first collection.

Why Hope Fashion stands out

It is specifically aimed towards, and is designed for, older women
Its founder and CEO is a 40 plus woman
The clothes are modern and edgy in bold colours and classic prints (no mumsy, apologetic florals)
They’ve used a beautiful silver-haired older model and a gorgeous curvy model – hallelujah! (I know one brand who uses tall, slim 20-something models for their marketing and Lookbooks even though their target audience is 40+ and their clothes generally start at a UK size 12)
Unlike some brands aimed at the older market, the sizes start at a UK 8, i.e. they’re not assuming that all older women are bigger (some older women are tiny)
Hope’s Foundation range, basic layering pieces to shape and sculpt, is designed for both style and comfort
All garments in the Hope collection have been designed with the “Divine Proportion” (a template of thirds) in mind to give you the most flattering proportions
Many of the trousers can be altered free of charge and a lot of pieces come in a choice of lengths

One more great thing they offer is a new shopping experience. Everything in their collection is available online via their website, but if online shopping isn’t for you and you detest high street shopping (like me), you might be interested to know they do pop-up boutiques. With fully-trained Hope stylists you’ll get a personalised service in a relaxed environment – you can attend a pop-up boutique or even sign up to become a Hope stylist and host one yourself. If you’re passionate about clothing and style and want to run your own business this could be for you…!

There is so much more I could say about this brand, but I’ll leave it to you to check them out and decide for yourself what you think of their approach, their philosophy and, of course, their collection.

Let me know what you think of Hope’s collection – are you excited that a new 40 plus clothing brand has been launched? Tell me in the comments or tweet me @notlamb (and tag @hopefashionuk in as well, they’d love to hear what you think)!

Above: A selection of Hope Fashion’s AW15 collection

You can see my leggings really clearly here (studio lights show the leather better!) – and how gorgeous is that tomato-red dress? It looks so striking with the model’s white hair and bold glasses. Hope have a great selection of textures and fabrics that you can mix and match: It suits those of us who want to stay a little safer with classic black and neutrals, but the leopard print and bold brights appeal to my wilder side.

I can’t wait to wear the leather-front leggings throughout autumn and winter with a wrap knit or my longline camel blazer, and the magenta dress will also look good with dark denim or coloured opaque tights and heels. Watch this space!

P.S. Don’t forget to link up what you’ve been wearing on Monday’s #iwillwearwhatilike link up post – especially if you’re dressing up for Halloween (next week’s optional theme)! Link up your Instagram posts if you don’t have a blog post 🙂

Disclosure: I have written this post in collaboration with Hope Fashion (click here for my full disclosure). All content is original, however, and opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Catherine