Who else woke up with that back-to-school feeling in their bones today? It’s the first Monday of September and This Morning is back on our screens after a seven-week summer break. You might be mourning the slow fade of your tan and the even slower march to winter, but many will be celebrating the return of daily wardrobe inspiration in the form of Holly Willoughby. The TV presenter, who has 5.7 million Instagram followers, is cut from the same cloth as Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle when it comes to pushing product. She’s so brilliant creating sell-outs, in fact, that her nickname is ‘Holly Will-you-buy’.
Her collaboration with British institution M&S for her ‘Holly Loves’ collection was a typically savvy move. The latest 15-piece edit dropped in July, with utility overalls, linen shorts, printed shirt dresses, cowboy boots and T-shirts starting from £4.50, and was trend-led but, crucially, right for women IRL.
You only need to join Holly’s 5.7 million-strong Instagram following, or search the hashtag #hwstyle, to know that she, along with stylist Angie Smith, is masterful at the high-low mix. Take today’s back-to-work outfit - a blossom-printed minidress by Oasis - still available online for £48 - and barely-there sandals from Stuart Weitzman.
So what other lessons can we learn from the nation’s favourite clothes horse? A hint of leopard is all it takes to brighten up the school run - Holly dropped youngest son Chester off for his first day at school before heading to work - you can’t go wrong with a square neckline and wearing head-to-toe colour like Holly in a lilac sweater and skirt combo will always get a big tick. See? September’s doesn’t seem so bad after all.