From her TOWIE days to her enviable gym wardrobe, Lucy Mecklenburgh has always had a knack for looking stylish. Whether she's dressed in a glitzy two-piece that deserves its own grid post or has opted for understated knitwear and her favourite denim, the mum-of-two always looks incredible.
Luckily for us, she's on a mission to make dressing well both affordable and a doddle thanks to her long-standing partnership with online retailer, Very. She's just launched her fourth collection and it's made with your fancy festive plans in mind. We're talking satin suits, cosy yet chic knitwear and the cutest PJ sets - all of which you will fall in love with instantly.
To celebrate the new edit, Lucy chats exclusively to heat about her favourite style tricks, TOWIE outfits and her favourite thing in her wardrobe right now...
Hi Lucy - congrats on your new Very collection! What was the inspiration behind it?
"This has been my fourth collection with Very and actually, I've enjoyed this the most because this is when the glitz and the glam come out. It's all about the build-up to the festive parties and Christmas Day. Oh, and the matching family PJs! Yeah, it's really sparkly but subtle if that makes sense. A little bit of diamanté, a little bit of satin…"
What are your favourite pieces? If you had to pick?
"It's really hard but I absolutely love them all. I think the velvet two-piece is going to be a best-seller, I've just got a feeling. The velvet just feels so luxurious and you can actually wear them separately, as well as together. You can also eat in it which is perfect for Christmas! It's really comfy to wear with a lovely diamanté trim on the cuffs and the collar. I think it just gives that hint of luxury and festive glamour.
"I also love all the knitwear pieces, I must admit. There's a cream knit and a black knit with gorgeous, almost pearl, gold detail buttons. They're so nice for dressing up and wearing for festive lunches with the girls."
What's your current everyday uniform?
"It's got a bit colder now so it's all about layering for me. There's a lovely green knit and a deep wine knit from my edit that I love wearing with a leather pant or a jean and a trainer or boot. I love the trench coat from my previous collection, I wear that a lot. That and my chunky trainers, leather trousers and knitwear are go-to's at the moment."
How has your style evolved since the TOWIE days?
"Oh my god, so I was 19 and now I'm now 32 so obviously have evolved fashion-wise, but I'd say this collection kind of represents that a bit. I do love all the sparkle and the glam, I still love it like I loved it back then. But I think it's just toned down slightly and it's maybe a bit easier to wear for more people. That hint of sparkles on the colour and the silky satin skin. It's certainly toned down and a bit more mature, more tailoring, that kind of vibe."
What was a stand-out outfit from that era?
"I look back and want to burn most of it from my memory! There was actually an outfit I wore once, it was a long-sleeved blue dress with lace on the top and I wore it on a trip. On the same trip, I wore the white swimsuit which kind of signified a change in my style and growing up. That's sort of when I left [TOWIE] and toned down my make-up and cut off my hair. That white swimsuit was a significant moment in my life."
What are your top tips for dressing up this party season?
"Tailoring is going to be key for a lot of people. For me, I definitely feel more comfortable with tailoring, so even with a bralette underneath a blazer or a sparkly clutch for a hint of the glitz. I love adding hints of sparkle, whether that's metallic shoes or a metallic bag… silver is huge at the moment, isn't it? For me, that's how I build my outfit for party season."
What's your favourite item in your wardrobe right now?
"I would probably still say my trench from the last collection. The trench coat and the two blazers from my last collection are still available online and they're my go-to. I wear the blazers a lot in the evening and then my trench coat. I'm not wearing it right this second, but I am wearing it today! They're definitely my favourite pieces in my wardrobe."
www.very.co.uk
Who are your favourite people to follow online for style inspo?
"For my day-to-day, school-run vibe it's Chloe Lauren. I love the way she puts outfits together and I'm always thinking, 'Right, I'm going to do that!' Then for super glam, I love Olivia Culpo. She looks insane."
What's a trend we would never, ever see you in?
"Crocs, you'll never, ever see me in Crocs! My kids wear Crocs, I wouldn't wear Crocs. They're an absolute crime."
Finally, what's the best style advice you've ever been given?
"I remember going out and my dad would drive me to places and drop me off if I was going out with friends and I would be like, 'Am I too dressy?" And he would always say it's better to be overdressed than underdressed. That was my dad's thing. He would always it's better to be over than under!"
Lucy Mecklenburgh's Very collection is available to shop online here.