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Jess Cartner-Morley’s November style essentials: fancy flats, sexy knits and a Christmassy pigeon

Whether it’s a two-in-one coat or a truly delicious handbag, add some fun to getting dressed during the cold, dark months with our expert’s favourites • The best women’s shoes and boots for autumn The clocks have gone back. The mornings are cold and the evenings are dark. The world seems to be doing its level best to discourage any fashion ambition beyond the need to stay alive and warm enough to function. But clothes – even in winter – are not just about staying alive. They are about staying alive alive. Alive inside. So this month’s edit is about finding the fun in getting dressed when the w

Travel

10 spine-chilling places to visit in Britain for Halloween

Ghostly shipwrecks, an abandoned nuclear bunker, a haunted folly … we dare you to visit these weird and ghoulishly eerie sites A derelict, 24-metre tall redbrick and flint folly outside Chichester, Racton Monument (known locally as Racton Ruin) is said to be one of the most haunted places in Sussex and has been the site of many paranormal investigations. George Montagu Dunk, the second Earl of Halifax, commissioned the folly, but there is no conclusive account as to why he had it built. Some say it was as a summerhouse, others a viewing point to watch ships come in from the Solent. A ghostly w

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Why M&S director Kathryn Turner is the ultimate ‘Gay Halloween’ costume idea

Product development boss at Marks & Spencer inspires niche outfits after unexpected success on social media She is not the most likely viral star. But with 310,000 followers on TikTok and 270,000 on Instagram, Marks & Spencer Food’s director of product development, Kathryn Turner, has suddenly become one of the year’s big hits on social media. Her videos take the viewer with her as she goes in-store to look at new dessert launches, including its banana, caramel and pecan pudding, or taste test its latest products, such as its cherry and chocolate cookies. Turner is part of Marks &

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Basketweavers get in a twist over Alexander Skarsgård’s Wicker Husband

Why is he not made of willow? Why is he plaited and not woven? World’s basket makers have plenty of questions Hollywood heart-throbs are known for their good looks and charisma. But in a classic plot twist, the latest big-screen dreamboat causing viewers to get hot and bothered isn’t even human. Alexander Skarsgård’s Wicker Husband character in the romcom Wicker has sent the internet into a frenzy. Continue reading...

Style

DIY socks, messy collars and cummerbunds: nine wardrobe updates from the catwalks

High fashion looks without a big budget? Follow our frugal guide to pinch the biggest autumn/winter ‘26 catwalk trends for free • Don’t get Fashion Statement delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Dark mornings, darker evenings and the end of Celebrity Traitors. It’s easy to feel a bit meh at this time of year. However, without sounding too TikTok life coach, just as you are encouraged to winter-proof your morning routine (light a breakfast candle, make your favourite cup of tea) to start your day on a brighter note, the same approach could be applied to your wardrobe. An outfit you look forwar

Travel

‘Expect goosebumps!’: to celebrate Halloween, readers choose the spookiest places in the UK

From a ghostly hill fort on the South Downs to a haunted farmhouse in remote Northern Ireland, you guide us to some frightfully scary places • Tell us about an escape in the wilds of Scotland – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher Dunnottar Castle, perched on cliffs above the crashing North Sea, is one of Scotland’s eeriest places. The most haunting part is the Whigs Vault, where more than 160 prisoners were confined in dreadful conditions in 1685. Standing in that dark chamber, it’s impossible not to imagine their fear and suffering. With my Fraser ancestry, the castle’s history feels esp

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Travel

Cycling in the wild heart of the Netherlands: an autumnal break in the Veluwe

The untamed, magical landscape takes in a vast national park, palatial houses and a sculpture garden and museum stuffed with Van Goghs – all easily accessible by bike One minute I’m cycling through an expansive dusty pink stretch of heathland with sloping sand dunes in the distant horizon, the next I’m winding through a fragrant Scots pine forest as sunlight filters through the branches of red-barked trees to make a kaleidoscope of white shapes on the trail floor ahead. I’m in Hoge Veluwe National Park, a 5,400 hectare (13,000 acre) nature reserve in Gelderland, about an hour and a half from A

Style

From five-fingered trainers to the shoeless shoe: what’s with all the freaky footwear?

‘Ugly’ shoes, once the preserve of the catwalk, have gone mainstream. Why are so many people taking a walk on the wild side? Until recently, a busy commuter train would be packed with people wearing low-key, unobtrusive shoes. An elegant and inoffensive pump, a sporty trainer or a polite and basic ballet flat, they were the type of shoes that said background extra rather than main character energy. But now change is afoot. Deliberately strange designs are reaching new heights of desirability. Polarising rather than pretty, these shoes tend to be flat, a little bit orthopaedic and, according to

Style

‘A form of anti-status status’ – how much would you pay for a plain tote bag?

The ubiquitous carrier has been given a four-figure makeover. But why has an everyday bag associated with running errands and US supermarkets become so aspirational? • Don’t get Fashion Statement delivered to your inbox? Sign up here If you were in the blessed position of having £500 to spend on a bag, what would you look for? Would it be made of cotton? A nice light shade bound to sully quickly, like “paper white” or ecru? Would you want something that looks a lot like those ubiquitous totes sold by a certain US supermarket chain for a couple of dollars? No, thought not. But there are plenty

Style

‘I wanted to create the female version of a man’s suit’: how Roland Mouret’s Galaxy dress took over the world

One the most famous dresses of this century, it was worn by royalty and A-list celebrities in the noughties. Its latest fans are Maga women. Here, the designer, and former mentor to Victoria Beckham, reveals the story behind it The story of one of the most photographed and ripped-off dresses of the last 50 years came together with a simple zip. It was 1998; the designer Roland Mouret had shown his first collection at London fashion week and was looking for a way to produce good clothes at speed. He connected with a small British atelier and it was there that some old-school industry wisdom wou

Travel

10 nightime attractions around the UK this autumn

The clocks go back this weekend, so embrace the longer nights with these family-friendly activities and events, from a stargazing festival to moonlit crazy golf Legend has it that Faskally Forest – the Pitlochry location of Scotland’s most famous sound and light show – steals an hour from time itself every 25 years. This year marks a quarter of a century since the first Enchanted Forest, and the theme taps into the legend: Stop the Clock: The 25th Hour. The trail is a mystical, atmospheric wander through jewel-hued woodland, with misbehaving clocks, time-themed installations and immersive soun

Style

Sali Hughes on beauty: cream blush sticks for every skin type

With new shades and formulations, the latest cream blush sticks are eminently wearable There’s something so irresistible about cream blush sticks. The fact that one can scribble on and smoosh in the instant appearance of good health makes sticks a practical handbag essential that ticks off both lips and cheeks. Whereas previous incarnations were broadly samey and could mostly be differentiated by colour alone, the new crop includes a formulation for any skin type – even oily. Continue reading...

Style

Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: don’t want to get your Big Winter Coat out just yet? Try ‘onion dressing’

It’s time to learn the art of layering – and we’re talking a crew neck with a ballet wrap and blazer, not full-on outdoor explorer Is layering an art? Probably not in the traditional sense. We are not talking the Bayeux tapestry here. No one is going to queue round the block to admire the subtle interplay between your Uniqlo Heattech and your cashmere crewneck. Still, I think it’s nice to romanticise this stuff. The deeply unpoetic truth is that it is going to get cold and wearing one item of clothing at a time simply isn’t going to cut it. So let’s pretend that the sliver of white T-shirt ben

Style

From granny hoods to recycled macs: 13 more sustainable ways to stay dry when it rains

Whether it’s Pfas-free tote bags or wash-in waterproofing, here’s how women can stay dry in style – and with less waste • The best umbrellas – tested After the hottest UK summer on record, autumn 2026 could be wetter and stormier than usual, partly because of the El Niño climate phenomenon, which is predicted to be the strongest of its kind in living memory. But a lot of wet-weather gear – from flimsy umbrellas that blow inside out within seconds to single-use ponchos that will sit in landfill long after this winter has blown over – often isn’t very sustainable. While waterproofed polyester ca

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Alexandra Shulman: ‘Which book am I ashamed not to have read? Literally the whole canon of classic English literature’

The former British Vogue editor-in-chief and author on a romantic kiss on a traffic island, her school-run regrets, and a very expensive nude Born in London, Alexandra Shulman, 68, studied social anthropology at the University of Sussex. She was a secretary at Over 21 magazine and, in the early 80s, became a journalist at Tatler. In 1990, she was made editor of British GQ and, from 1992 to 2017, she was editor‑in‑chief of British Vogue. For her contribution to fashion journalism, she was awarded both an OBE and a CBE. Her books include novels and the bestselling memoir, Clothes … and Other Thi

Style

Victoria Beckham, ‘duck face’ and onesies: nine things Zoolander predicted about fashion

It’s been 25 years since the release of this film skewering an industry that famously takes itself very seriously. It might have been comedy gold but it was also, in its own way, prophetic • Don’t get Fashion Statement delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Critics were divided, the US release date couldn’t have been worse (a few days after 9/11) and the sequel was a flop. Yet few films have predicted fashion’s own present like 2001’s Zoolander. The memeable absurdist comedy about the “three-times male model of the year” was a cinematic Cassandra: correctly predicting themes, styles and sensibi

Style

20 of the best women’s shoes and boots for autumn, from ballet flats to knee-highs

Whether it’s sleek slip-ons or stompers that mean business, we’ve got the standout pairs for the changing season • 52 women’s autumn wardrobe updates You’ve dug out your knitwear, made a list of cosy TV shows to watch and posted a shot of your first pumpkin spice latte. Autumn is officially here! Now it’s time to start thinking seriously about your footwear. October is nice because it’s usually warm enough to still have a bit of flesh on show, so you can get away with Mary Janes or ballet flats. But it’s also not too hot for boots if you want something with a little more stomp. Here’s a select

Topic: Life and style | RocksNews