It's fashion darling!

An important part of my role involves reading through fashion magazines to make sure I keep up with the latest trends and styles. A hard task but someone has to do it :o)

Rather than keep my finds all to myself, I thought today I would create a couple of mini montages to show off the key looks which seem to be standing out in all the glossies over the past few weeks…

Here’s the first one…

Image credits;

Instyle April 2011 – Kirsten Dunst wearing a Mulberry trench coat
Instyle April 2011 - Emilio Pucci S/S 2011
Grazia 30 May 2011 – Fringed Waistcoat by River Island
Harper’s Bazaar April 2011 – Silk dress by Roberto Cavalli

Nude, camel, taupe, blonde…with this trend, whichever shade you prefer to wear, the message seems to be to embrace all things neutral! This applies to smart and casual pieces alike from waistcoats to trench coats and from t-shirts to sheer blouses. I love the hint of the seventies era which has generally pervaded this season’s trends, and this fashion is no different with details such as fringing which can be seen on everything from jackets to boots to bags.

I thought you might be interested to see Celtic’s take on the Nude trend…

Pictured above are the Drapey Trench, Sleeveless Tape Drape, the Short Sleeve Slouch Cardi and Suede Shoulder Bag.

I would wear the Short Sleeve Slouch Cardi undone with a pair of jeans and a pretty floral top or it could be worn done up as in the picture.

For the ideal neutral accessory, the Suede Shoulder Bag points subtly towards the trend and it has a fringed tassle too!

The Sleeveless Tape Drape emulates the feel of the fringed waistcoat from the magazine image above and is a good choice for adding a neutral touch to an outfit.

The Drapey Trench works well as a water-resistant cover up on warm rainy days (ideal after the bank holiday weekend we have just had!).

Now for the other trend which I wanted to draw your attention to…
Image credits;

Grazia 30 May 2011 – Crochet Top by River Island
Instyle April 2011 - Cotton Mix Jumper by French Connection
Instyle April 2011 - Cotton/Broderie Anglaise Top by New Look

I used to think white could only be worn by those with olive skin or a hint of a sun tan but with the rise in the market for fake tanning products as well as the popularity of the ‘pale and interesting’ look, maybe white is becoming the new black! It is EVERYWHERE.

I love the pretty details which seem to adorn even the simplest looking items. Broderie Anglaise and lace detailing appears to be very popular as are other traditional texturing details such as crocheting and macramé. Delicate knitwear is also in the spotlight in many of the major glossies.

So as before, here is Celtic’s take on the White trend…Pictured above are the Drop Shoulder Tape Knit, Lace Knit Slouch and Knitted Vest Top. I have chosen these pieces because as well as being pure white, they show off the textured detailing which I mentioned above as popular this season. When it comes to delicate knitwear, we like to think we do this quite well!

Doesn’t the Drop Shoulder Tape Knit look very similar to the French Connection jumper in the previous image? It would look gorgeous over a brightly coloured top (maybe you could wear a strappy vest underneath in one of the bright neon shades which are also on trend right now!).

The Lace Knit Slouch is a perfect cover up for the beach or it can be adapted for the evening by wearing it over a simple top. Lace itself is a huge trend this spring/summer so even more fashion kudos with this one!

And the Knitted Vest Top ticks the boxes for not only being white but also delicately knitted to give some lovely textured detail.

I think both of the trends I have highlighted are easy for us (mere mortals) to wear and longer lasting than some of the fast fashions of recent years without being boring. Hopefully you can see ways in which you could invest in some key pieces this season which will also carry through into many years to come.

Time to go shopping I think!

Finding out about...Melissa Wiltshire, our Financial Controller

Melissa Wiltshire (busy at work in the image above!) is Celtic Sheepskin’s Financial Controller and with both of us being fairly new to the company, I thought it would be interesting to get to know her a bit better so I set her a Q and A to delve a bit deeper…


When did you start working at Celtic Sheepskin?

Almost 4 months ago - 1st February 2011.


What do your day-to-day duties mainly consist of?

I was taken on as Financial Controller to take over a lot of the financial duties from Nick [Whitworth, Director] to free up his time so that he could concentrate on developing and expanding the company (which keeps him busy enough!). Therefore my day-to-day duties are varied and range from making payments through to preparing the monthly and year end accounts.


What do you love about your role?

I really enjoy working with figures (not everyone’s cup of tea I know!). I love the variety within my role and being busy always makes the time go really fast! It helps that I really like the product as well – it makes it easy to be enthusiastic about my job.


How do you feel about Piper’s recent investment in Celtic Sheepskin?

I think it’s excellent; Piper’s knowledge and experience in expanding companies will help Nick and Kath to grow Celtic Sheepskin and achieve their goals – exciting times ahead!


How long have you lived in Cornwall?

5½ years. I’m originally from Stoke-on-Trent but moved to Kent when I was 20 and lived in Bromley working with the same company for 17 years before moving to Cornwall with my family.


What brought you to Cornwall?

We used to regularly come to Padstow on holiday and with all the beautiful beaches and restaurants I never wanted to go home! Eventually we took the plunge in a "now or never” move and have stayed down here ever since.


It’s coming up to a bank holiday weekend so for our readers what are your top three “must visit” places in Cornwall and why?
We are very lucky, there are so many to choose from! The Eden Project near St Austell is great for the children as there so much to see and do there. It’s a brilliant choice when it’s raining as most of it is undercover (comes in handy in Cornwall!). Our children love the café and I must say the food is great.

Image courtesy of EdenProject.com

We spend a lot of time on our local beach at Perranporth. There is a great family-friendly pub on the beach called The Watering Hole where we often sit outside and watch the sunset. The children have recently discovered the fun game of Geocaching. Have you heard of it? The best way to describe it is like an advanced treasure hunt whereby you use a phone or other GPS device to navigate to a particular place and then attempt to find containers (geocaches) hidden at that location. It’s a great way to explore the area as the geocaches can be found all over the country and in fact across the world and it keeps the children entertained!

My third suggestion would be to explore the River Fowey, specifically in a kayak. We have recently kayaked from Lanhydrock to Lostwithiel – Swallows and Amazons style - with the children and friends. Being on the water is a brilliant way to see Cornwall from a new angle and it’s a really fun way to spend a day especially if you take a picnic!

Image courtesy of ILoveCornwall.com

If you could have anyone’s job in the company, whose would it be?

I have racked my brains but in all honesty I wouldn’t want anyone else’s job because I love doing what I’m doing! I like the methodical and logical approach required in my work – starting a task, getting it done and moving onto the next one.


If you had just one favourite item in the current spring/summer collection, what would it be? It doesn’t have to be something for you!

My favourite item is the Cotton Fisherman’s Cable Jumper which is on the front cover of the latest catalogue. I just really like the colour!


If you only had one phrase that you lived by, what would it be?

It’s more of a philosophy than a phrase and I’m not especially religious but I like to follow the general principle of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. I think it works in all situations.


-Thank you, Melissa. I love your ideas for Bank Holiday activities!

Fashion Press Week

The press office has been a hive of activity over the last few weeks as we have been planning and preparing for our Autumn/Winter 2011 press day which this year took place over two days as part of Fashion Press Week (FPW).

As with previous press days, this was our opportunity to showcase our AW11 collection to expectant journalists, bloggers and fashion editors with the hope that they will feature our lovely clothing in their publications.

Rather than hosting our own day as we have done for previous seasons, this time we were accompanied by a variety of other brands at the event held at One Marylebone, a beautiful Grade I listed converted Church in central London. Other exhibitors included Helly Hansen, Troll Beads, Austin Reed and Marc Cain so there was a diverse mixture of names which attracted journalists from all sorts of different publications including fashion editors from Vogue, The Times, You Magazine and Top Santé.
We split our stand into indoor and outdoor themes to demonstrate how our clothing can be worn in the different settings…

As we only use natural fibres in our clothing, we thought we should continue the theme of nature by including two real Holly trees and a Birch tree in our display – British trees to tie in with our British clothing.
Our inside area was designed to look cosy and homely, complete with leather bean bag and sheepskin rug. All in all, it took us around 3 hours to set the stand up the way we wanted it; our new range is most definitely bigger than ever before, which may come as no surprise to you considering that we are planning three separate Autumn/Winter catalogues this year!

After a relaxing evening and an early night, we were up bright and early on Wednesday and took a brisk stroll to the venue to get ready for the day ahead. In no time at all the doors opened and we waiting in anticipation for hoards of journalists and fashion editors.

The day was steady but busy. As I am still fairly new to Celtic (I started in March), it was great to be able to put faces to names and learn more about the industry.

Wednesday was a long day for all the exhibitors as there was a drinks reception between 6pm and 8pm (the champagne helped keep us going!) to encourage networking. By the end of the day Charlotte’s feet were not happy after spending the day in heels. I wore Biker Boots though so mine were fine!


Thursday was another productive day with more contacts made and an audible buzz around the venue. We are well aware of the difficulty in conveying the high quality of our pieces so it was great to hear that that the press were impressed by the feel of our sumptuous wools and sheepskins. It was also apparent that our love of flying the flag for Great British manufacturing is supported by many of the people we met.
All in all, Charlotte and I thoroughly enjoyed FPW and left London on Friday morning feeling very positive about the coming season. Watch this space for special previews of our AW11 collection and of course look out for us in your favourite magazines!

Summer Dreams...

Have you noticed this week that the magazines and online fashion pages all seem to be talking about summer trends and holiday pieces? I certainly have and it has put me in quite the summery mood, so much so that I thought I would jump on the seasonal bandwagon to show you some of Celtic’s summer goodies!

As a company which specialises in knitwear and cosy sheepskin coats, I’m aware that some of you might not necessarily associate Celtic Sheepskin with high summer but believe me we have some real treats in store this year which will (hopefully) tempt you. Knitwear is so much more than just big chunky winter woollies (although we like to think we do these very well!) – the natural qualities of wool can help you keep your cool on warm days and will warm you up on chilly summer evenings.

I know it’s only mid-May but I thought you might like to see some of our high summer pieces so you can start planning for a holiday perhaps or simply for a barbeque summer (do you admire my optimism?). If recent years are anything to go by we might have to keep our fingers crossed.

I have created an outfit from an assortment of pieces which I think go together quite well…
The first piece I would like to draw your attention to is the Knitted Vest Top…
Knitted patterns and lace effects are big trends this summer and I love the intricate detailing in this vest. It can be layered over a bikini or another vest top, depending on how daring you feel. Nothing better than a crisp white top to show off a hint of a sun tan either!

If you need an extra layer at the end of a blissful day on the beach (a girl can dream…), the Gauzy Mohair Jumper should suit just perfectly…
I think this sheer lightweight knit complements the Knitted Vest Top as an extra layer and it would also work well over a summer dress or teamed with jeans and a pretty tee (it looks lovely worn off one shoulder or tied at one side to flatter the figure). Mohair is luxuriously lightweight and feels so soft against the skin so even on a warm evening you won’t feel too hot.

As we all know, every pretty summer outfit needs a coordinating bag…
Our colourful Stripey Beach Bag is a practical size as a day or night accessory and it has plenty of pockets to carry all your beach essentials. It is reversible so you can coordinate with plenty of different colours.

Finally to finish off your outfit, how about a pair of these adorable Nubuck and Suede Crossover Sandals…
As well as being stylish, with their crossover design these flip-flops are comfortable too so you needn’t suffer in the name of vanity! I really like the range of colours (my favourite is Tan - in the front of the image above - because it goes with everything!). They are lightweight but sturdy so they will last much longer than cheap plastic alternatives.

So that’s one outfit sorted to take you from the beach to the bar...

Now it just remains for us to keep everything crossed and hope for a long hot summer!

CLIC Sargent Topless Tour!

We have mentioned before that we are very pleased to be able to offer our support to a wide variety of charities across a very broad spectrum.

While I must point out that we wouldn’t usually single out any particular charity, on this occasion I am breaking my own rule to let you know about a very different kind of fundraising event which takes place in Cornwall on Sunday 12th June 2011 for CLIC Sargent and has been organised by one of our staff members; Jos Cole.

You might already live in Cornwall and be keen to explore the county from a new angle or you might be planning to come down this way for the weekend. Either way, why not do your bit to help a brilliant cause at the same time with the Topless Tour!The Topless Tour is a convertible car rally from Newquay to Land’s End and is held in memory of 13 year old Harriet Cole from Newquay who sadly lost her life to leukaemia. Harriet’s family help organise the event in her memory as driving in their convertible car was something she enjoyed so much.

The event starts at Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay, which offers a great opportunity for people to show off their cars and enjoy the hospitality and entertainment. The cars leave Newquay at around 10:30am making their way down the coastal roads of Cornwall to Land’s End. There is a suggested lunch time stop off at Godrevy Point which offers another chance to enjoy the spectacular Cornish views, a spot of lunch, display the cars and raise awareness of the charity to the general public. The journey then continues down to Land’s End which offers further opportunity for promotion.

Previous events have attracted many different cars including Jaguars, MG’s, Lamborghinis and a large Pink Cadillac. This is the third year of running the Topless Tour here, and to date it has raised just over £5,000 for CLIC Sargent.If you own a convertible car and would like to take part in this unique event, please text 07876 653829 or go to the website to receive your entry pack.

About CLIC Sargent

CLIC Sargent has one simple aim: to ease the burden of childhood cancer on children, young people and their families.

Every day 10 families are told that their child has cancer. Diagnosis often comes as a shock. Treatment usually starts straightaway and can last up to three years.

As the children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent is there… with clinical, practical and emotional support, every step of the way.

The team here in Cornwall support over 60 local children and their families each year. Right now, they are only able to help two out of three families whose child has cancer. Please help … so they can be there for each and every one.

Thank you for your support. We will of course keep you posted with pictures from the day if you aren’t able to join in.

Bag yourself a bargain!

With summer on the horizon I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been spring-cleaning their wardrobe recently. Isn’t it lovely to be able to pack away the winter woollies at last! It’s a shame that it isn’t quite warm enough to brave the elements on cooler days without some sort of cover-up but I’m sure it won’t be long.

If you’re in the same between-seasons predicament as me (coat or cardi? One layer or two?), you might be interested to see my selection of some of the featured items from the Offers section of our website.

I have specifically highlighted pieces which you can wear now as well as into the coming season. You might also be interested to know that these items are all reduced by up to half price!

These offers won’t last long and when they’re gone, they’re gone…


I particularly like this eye-catching top because it comes with its own belt which can easily accessorise many other outfits! The Houndstooth pattern is still very much on trend and this lovely Houndstooth Belted Kimono can be worn loose as a waistcoat or cinched in with the belt to add an extra layer to a summery outfit.


As I’m sure we have mentioned on here before, this gorgeous merino Sleeveless Waterfall Drape goes with anything! It looks fab over jeans and a tee or I would probably even wear it over a jumper dress. It is the perfect layering piece all year round.


I can’t tell you enough how much I love this versatile Cape Jacket; it’s such a good cover-up for windy days and cool evenings. Being wool it’s great at controlling body temperature and the cut is stylish and very flattering! This is the kind of piece that I would wear time and time again so at over ½ price it is definitely a bargain!

Finally for an offer with a definite summer feel these sandals should tick the box…
These Grecian Goddess style Plaited Leather Sandals are so dainty and comfortable. And the Hide Buckle Sandals will add a summer touch to any outfit. I think I would wear them with white linen trousers or a pretty floral dress.

As I have already mentioned, this is just a pick of my favourites and there are lots more bargains to be found on our website. Just visit the OFFERS page to keep up to date.
To be among the first to know about future special offers, ‘Like’ our page on and/or follow us on

Celtic Sheepskin announces private equity investment

I hope you don’t mind a bit of trumpet-blowing!

You might have seen the piece in The Sunday Times last weekend announcing that we have been provided with growth funding from leading private equity specialist, Piper. This wonderful opportunity will enable us to continue developing as a business with the added support and expertise of a company which specialises in helping consumer brands to grow (Piper have worked with names such as Boden and Pied-a-Terre).

Nick Whitworth, founder of Celtic Sheepskin, stated: “We are immensely proud of what we have built at Celtic but recognised that we needed to work with a partner to support us through our next phase of growth. Ours is a family business with strong values and a passion for providing exceptional products for our customers”.

So what does this mean for you – our customers?

Well for starters it means we will be able to offer you an even wider range of clothing and footwear, with plans already in place to launch a third catalogue to showcase our extensive Autumn/Winter range. So even more choice of gorgeous knitwear and organic natural pieces!

From a business point of view, as you can imagine we have many ideas in the pipeline but our first priority will be on staffing; We are the first to admit that regrettably we struggled to keep up with the demand for stock last year, primarily in the run up to Christmas (if you were affected by this we can only apologise) and this is something we must avoid this year to keep you - our customers –happy. To do this we need to ensure that we have enough staff in our factory to fulfil all your orders. We already have 55 employees across the company but we need even more! As our footwear is hand-made on site here in Newquay, we take great care to achieve the quality standards which you have come to expect (and quite rightly so!). In order for this to continue, we will be taking on more production staff than ever before to cope with the demand so that we do not disappoint you - our customers - this year.

Along with this, Piper’s investment will also enable us to expand our management team; Kath Whitworth, Director says “We are actively recruiting staff for pivotal management roles within the company, specifically Managing Director, Senior Buyer and Senior Merchandiser to help streamline and organise our systems. With these roles will come investment in the appropriate technologies to monitor and manage their designated departments efficiently.”

So as you can see there are exciting times ahead! We will of course keep you updated on all things Celtic Sheepskin as and when they happen.

Location, location, location...

The recent spell of barbeque weather reminded me how lucky I am to live and work in such a beautiful and picturesque part of the country as Cornwall. We are very privileged to have a vast array of stunning beaches to enjoy and as 80% of the county is surrounded by water, there are still many which I haven’t yet visited.

So I thought today I would shine the spotlight on one of my favourite places in Cornwall – Crantock.

Even if you haven’t been to Crantock you may well recognise the beach as it was featured in our Spring/Summer catalogue. With golden sand and clear waters, it isn’t hard to see why we chose such a photogenic location.

Crantock is only about 3 miles from Newquay and I love how you can walk at low tide from the Pentire headland to Crantock beach across the river Gannel which makes it even closer. I like to walk this route on a summer evening to take in the scenery and unwind from the day.

I think Crantock village is charming and quaint with its mixture of cottages, B & B’s and hotels. It also boasts one of my favourite places for Sunday Lunch, the Bowgie Inn. I love sitting next to the windows to make the most of the stunning views of the beach below.

From the car park there is a meandering footpath that takes you around the edge of the West Pentire headland passing Crantock beach on one side and Polly Joke on the other. You can see the two beaches in the picture below. Crantock beach is the large beach and Polly Joke is the small beach to the left of the image;


On a sunny day there are not many places I would rather be and there are plenty of benches along the way to rest weary legs!

As I mentioned earlier, I think Crantock beach is simply stunning. I like exploring the multitude of rock pools and caves or hiding away from it all in the sand dunes. Crantock Beach is also a good surfing beach throughout the year so you will often see local and visiting surfers catching some great waves.

Here are some behind the scenes photos from our latest photo-shoot at Crantock beach;

If you’re wondering about the top which our model is wearing, it is the gorgeous Lace Knit Slouch. Isn’t it the perfect summer beach attire!
I love this slouch as it looks lovely over a bikini or swimsuit, giving enough coverage to keep you warm without feeling heavy yet it works just as well over a vest or tee after a day on the beach.

The Lace Knit Slouch has clearly been very popular with our customers as well – we are taking backorders for this piece already! With this in mind, you might like to order it quickly to get your delivery in time for the summer holidays.

If you get the chance to visit Crantock (and you really should!) we are just up the road in Newquay so make sure to drop in to our factory shop too.

Best of British

Well I can hardly write a post today without commenting on how wonderful the Royal Wedding was, can I?! Maybe you were in London for the day or celebrating the momentous occasion with one of the many street parties taking place around the country? I opted to stay at home and had friends over for a barbeque and I must say I truly felt a sense of patriotism and British pride.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the day’s events and, while I thought Kate’s dress was stunning, I’m sure I wasn't the only one who watched in awe and amazement at some of the outfits, especially the hats…


(Images courtesy of Getty Images)

Very appropriately, here at Celtic Sheepskin, we are very proud to be British and highlight all of our Great British products with a Union Jack.

Paying homage to the great many photos taken on Friday, I’ve put together a family portrait of our British footwear…

So let me introduce the footwear “family”…

For “Dad” I’ve chosen a pair of regular height Aqualamb Boots. Their special weather-proofing treatment means they hold up well on rainy days.

“Mum” is represented by a pair of our popular Popper Boots in Spice (they also come in black and mocca but these are my favourites!). I love how you can wear these with the poppers done up or down, so they will go with any outfit.

Nestled between Mum and Dad is a pair of our Mini Celt Boots which needless to say represent their young child. These adorable mini versions of our best-selling Celt Boots are available from size 5-6 upwards and they are machine washable - ideal for cleaning up the evidence of muddy puddles (just use our Celtic Wool Wash).

“Grandad” is portrayed by a pair of navy Windsor Slippers. With a name like Windsor, it seemed only right that they were included!

I have depicted “Granny” using the elegant Ballerina Slippers, one of our truly classic styles. Their generous cuffs keep feet and ankles lovely and warm all year round.

I thought that by including some Flip-flops it would signify two older “children” with the Shearling Flip-flops for a rebellious son and the Nubuck & Suede Crossover Sandals as a pretty-in-pink teenage daughter...

All of these products are lovingly hand made in Great Britain from the finest natural materials. And if you’re keen to hear more on why we think it’s so important to make the most of being British, click here (http://www.celtic-sheepskin.co.uk/join-our-community/made-in-great-britain/).