Jacket or Blazer? Chinos OR Jeans? Sneakers of Lace-ups? So, you go online to search for smart-casual style guides that cover everything from shorts, which don’t seem especially smart, to cravats and ties that don’t come over as particularly casual.  As smart casual is destined to be one of those terms that are set to confuse, then here is our guide to help you get through this tricky phrase with effortless style and elegance.  Smart casual inspiration & style tipsAs...

Summer night out It doesn’t matter what you’re up to, really; even if it’s just watching the sun go down on beautiful balmy evenings, you’ll still want to look put together. Try the classic and favourite team of chinos and a top-quality t-shirt. Throw over a lightweight linen blazer to smarten up and fend off any breeze, and you’re good to go – rather more considered than resorting to combat shorts and flip-flops!Holiday smart casualJetting off to sunnier climes allows...

Long sleeved shirt & shortsThe trick here is to make sure you match your top and bottom style – keep smart with smart and casual tops teamed with casual bottoms. Make sure there is enough contrast in colour to some degree to avoid running the risk of trying to look like you’re wearing a playsuit!We’d suggest leaving a button or two undone on the Antigua linen shirt, rolling your sleeves up slightly, and tucking your shirt into your shorts. Another...

Colour code To start things off - colours. Fans of Life by the Blonde will understand this. The last thing you need to face on a lazy Sunday morning is a barrage of colourful clothes and various patterns and prints – none of which you are sure to go together. We believe an easy way to negotiate a wardrobe is to make sure it is filled with a collection of separates in subtle hues that all sing in harmony together –...

1 Grey & Caramel…actually grey and everything! Pay little heed to anyone who says that grey is boring. At Life by the Blonde, we love, love, love all shades of grey. Flexible, elegant, versatile and more importantly, pretty much any colours sit effortlessly next to it. The lighter tones are easy to wear, and darker tones tend to be less severe than a straight black. One of our favourite combinations is a sophisticated soft grey and caramel mix. Soft, elegant, oh...

From the 1920s onward, Europe’s most affluent flocked in their droves to cities like Nice, Marseilles and Cannes, as well as Portofino and San Remo on the Italian equivalent. Riviera style itself began to translate European elegance for a hotter-than-average locale where daily activities included little more than sunbathing and maybe some yachting for those feeling energetic. While fashion has changed over the years, the fundamentals of men’s Riviera style have remained the same.Of course, you don’t just have to...

Whose idea was this? There’s a Negroni loving woman at the helm. Life by the Blonde founder, Leigh Millar, is the real-life female eye for the modern guy: helping busy men live stylishly. With a career spanning 25 years over three continents in high-end interior design and 10 years in fashion styling, Leigh knows a thing or two about making things look good. Her vision was to create a suitcase-ready collection of mix and match pieces made from the world’s finest...

Some simple steps to love and care for your favourite summer pieces.“The linen is for the tailor what the marble is for the sculptor: a noble material” Christian Dior What is linen?Linen is a bit of a miracle fabric. Breathable, hypoallergenic, absorbent and antibacterial and with its high cellulose content makes it resistant to shrinking. It’s also highly sustainable, and it will grow in water-poor soil and requires little irrigation or fertiliser.  Originally, linen is derived from the fibres of...

At Life by the Blonde we strive to make the best clothes we can, not the most. Our limited-edition capsules are produced in small quantities. We like to offer each new capsule to purchase at a private pre-order event before we release the capsule to the general public for existing customers and subscribers. Not only does it reward our loyal customers, but it also ensures we have very little wastage; we only want to produce what we need to ensure...

Who doesn’t love receiving flowers? Over the years, I’ve found that it surely packs a punch for such a small gesture and produces oversized joy.Life by the Blonde Tip  Remember what’s important—set reminders of anniversaries, birthdays or special days in your diary. But …don’t always save sending flowers for birthday’s, Valentine’s Day or an apology. It’s the ones you buy just because you were thinking of your significant other when they weren’t around, which will score you more than a few...

Where to find Our founder, Leigh, a fashion stylist, has spent years sourcing great men’s T-Shirts. The T-Shirt has remained a constant favourite of hers throughout the years for the men she styles, and they never just want one! Once you’ve found ‘the one’, then nothing makes you happier than buying it in all colours, year after year. Leigh says if she had a dollar for every time a customer said: “Yup, this t-shirt is great. I’ll take it in...