Pentlebay Life

1. The Power of a Statement Dress

A well-chosen statement dress can be the hero of your wardrobe. Opt for a midi or maxi dress in a breathable fabric like cotton or viscose. A wrap dress or dress with a bold print or elegant cut works beautifully for a night out when paired with strappy heels and gold accessories.

Transition tip: For a daytime beach look, swap the heels for flat sandals and toss on a wide-brim hat and oversized sunglasses. The dress does the heavy lifting while the accessories change the vibe.

Try our strappy sundress - dress up with a blazer and heels with gold jewellery and dress down with flat sandals, a hat and sunglasses for a day by the pool.

As the blossoms emerge and the temperatures rise, it's the perfect time to give your wardrobe a refreshing makeover. Spring cleaning isn't just for your home – it's also a fantastic opportunity to declutter and there's nothing better than a completely organised space where you can see everything you own at a glance and not have to dig through piles of old clothing!

We recently had another photoshoot for our latest range so I thought it would be fun to give you a little glimpse behind the scenes!

All in the planning

Planning is key! We have done this a number of times now as we generally photograph clothing twice a year. Obviously, the planning does become easier with experience. The first time we did this we were learning as we went along!

First point of call, a few months out, is booking our photographer, Mark. This is shortly followed by a venue for the shoot. We tend to book a venue for the morning to get all our product detail shots for the website done. This time we transformed the village hall in Trumpington near Cambridge into a photography studio for the day!

The location shoots are done in the afternoon, these are needed for lifestyle pictures for the website and social media. We plan where we are going in advance - this time Cambridge - and we always walk the route ahead of the shoot to familiarise ourselves with spots for a great shot. We also contact the local council, and any other property owners, to get permission to take commercial pictures in the location.

I love summer dressing. Everything is so easy in the warmer weather - a simple dress with sandals and we’re good to go! Plenty of fresh bright colours to love too such as our beautiful cobalt blue & red tiered dress or our sleeveless dress in a mix of ocean blue shades, perfect for being beside the sea.