If you fancy a great adventure this weekend (well maybe not this weekend but one in warmer months), may we recommend a trip to Scafell Pike  – England’s highest mountain, in the Lake District, Cumbria. Our very own John and Rachel went there recently with some friends to tackle the mountain, which was not an easy feat! 8 hours of solid up hill and down dale, totally, utterly and mind bendingly exhausting! But so worth it once you get to the top! Johnno was the forerunner in the best way to keep warm, sporting our bamboo tights under the rest of his clothes …. genius, and Rache lead the fashion pack in her excellent yellow bobble hat and one of our brilliant bamboo hoodies. We were all super impressed on Monday morning, when they said what they had been up to over the weekend. When you live and work in a big city,  you really need this kind of escape now and again. You don’t have to climb the mountain; you can hang about at the bottom. This type of peace you can only get from really being with nature, out there with the elements. It is easy to forget that that is really what being alive is all about – as we cram ourselves into our tiny cars, and mooch around our mammoth supermarkets. Nature will continue to tick by whether we notice it or not, but when we do notice it, it can really take our breath away.

Last week we had another exciting day, with part 2 of our Spring Summer shoot getting underway. We had fabulously gorgeous models in and it was all go with Tara and Sarah running the show. Our interns were hands on deck as always! In fact, we have a new fab intern, Caroline, all the way from Finland! So welcome Caroline – she’s been here less than a week and already we love her. So thanks peeps for all the hard work!

Us lot in the office do love a good tune, and we rely on BBC Radio 6 every morning to wake us all up. We’re especially happy when Huey Morgan from the Fun Loving Criminals is hosting, (we love you Huey!!). Whether it be a bit of Fleetwood Mac, Kanye West,  some old school hip hop, Motown Classics, or maybe some Guns n’ Roses on a Friday afternoon, we like to have the classics banging out to get us through the working week! Now – we do not like to think we are music aficionados,  but we know what we like, and we think that there are going to be some top stars coming up in the next year, that are going to be on everyone’s attention list…  so if you have a minute to go onto YouTube to find these rising stars , we promise you won’t be disappointed .

Lana Del Ray – This Noir New Yorker knows how to pen a dark and dramatic ballad that makes you think of your first broken heart, and her beauty really is something to behold. She’s different from the Gagas and The Rihanna’s, she’s subtle, intense and that illusive ‘cool’. And her music is beautiful.

Michael Kiwanuka – This guy is super funky, super chilled, and he wears cardigans and has got a brilliant beard.  He writes songs that are inspired by the Seventies and you can hear the nostalgia in his music. This is definitely sleepy Sunday afternoon music, and he has definitely got soul.

The Maccabees – This London five piece indie band are about to get noticed.  There are already onto their third album – Given to the Wild, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sit up and take note. It seems this is going to be their year as everyone else wakes up to them, not just the uber cool indie kids. Find their new single Pelican, it’s really good!

We would like to let everyone know, that at the moment Braintree HQ is going through one great big change. We are moving offices to some very exciting new digs, as the building we are in at the moment (and have been for 10 years!) is being closed down. It has been a wonderful home for us for the past few years, and Braintree has gone from strength to strength here, but it is exciting to move onto pastures new! Our warehouse, where we hold all our lovely stock for you people, is being moved to a huge warehousing facility, and it is big change for us not to have the warehouse right next door to us anymore! We are packing everything up now, all ready for the big move and as you can imagine, this mammoth task is taking a lot of time and effort. So thankyou to everyone for all their hard work! This is a brand new chapter in the Braintree story and we are looking forward to all the new changes that are coming up! So we please ask you all to be lovely and patient with us, as your orders may take a bit longer than normal to come out to you. We will be working to get them out as fast as possible, but there may be some slight delays. We just wanted to let you know. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions! We are always on the end of the phone on 0207 354 7374. We will let you know how it all goes!

So we have all survived the glittering storm of Christmas and silly ole New Year’s Eve and now it’s back to reality. We’ve all had enough of chocolate and telly, and the dreaded in-laws, so it’s time for a fresh start – time to stock up on salad and maybe get a new gym membership. If the celebrity workouts DVDs aren’t enough to kick start your New Year’s Resolutions then let Braintree lead the way! One of our resolutions is to make our office as paperfree as possible. We have cut down on how much we print when it comes to invoicing and crediting our accounts. We no longer duplicate anything , and use our raw paperwork for our records instead of printing new paperwork where it is not needed!

We use recycled paper as much as possible, and if anything can be emailed – it will be – as opposed to being printed and put in the post. Scrap paper is our gold, we print and write on this as much as we can – to avoid using new paper. It is a difficult task but here’s hoping we can be 100% paperfree in the future!

It is only a little step but we hope it helps even if only a small amount. So maybe this is the year for you to think about how you use everything in your life, and how tiny changes can help the environment. Simple steps like recycling your cans and bottles always help – maybe this is the year to start? Little things like switching the TV off standby, not filling the kettle up all the way and turning off the lights behind you, always help to save energy and money! If you can’t start something in January, then when can you?

Whatever it is you want to change this year, whether it is choosing healthier foods, quitting smoking, reading more books or not watching those trashy TV shows anymore, we wish you luck. It is never too late to make a positive change in your life so here’s to the exciting New Year ahead! We know there have been difficult times in the past, and there are bound to be some more ahead, but let’s put our positive hats on, not pay too much attention to the news, and go into 2012 excited and happy! We think it’s going to be a great year.

Happy New Year from all of us here at Braintree

Here at Braintree we like nothing more than a good movie that warms the cockles of your heart, and what better time of year than Christmas to cuddle together with you loved ones, in your new, silly pyjamas, and watch some classic, Chrimbo films, that always have a message of good will and positivity. So we have compiled a list of some absolute classics that will make you laugh, cry and feel super festive. Happy watching.

10^th – Home Alone Home Alone tells the tale of a child, forgotten at home by his (frankly stupid) parents, as they leave him behind by mistake when they go on holiday, and he has to spend the Christmas period fending of nasty burglars. Is one of those Christmas classics that may be a bit silly, but the message of how important your family is once you are deprived of them, really rings true at this time of year, and little tyke Macaulay Culkin is at his child star best.

9^th – The Snowman This is 30 minutes long, has no words apart from a song sung by a choir boy. The animation is beautiful and the music is unforgettable. The story line is not your standard schmaltzy Christmas story, and it’s likely to move small children, and even grown men, to tears. This is one that you will never forget.

8^th – Edward Scissorhands Even though the main body of this story is based in a sun-drenched and pastel framed 1950s California, let’s not forget it begins with a Grandmother telling her granddaughter why it always snows at Christmas. The most beautiful moment of the film sees Edward sculpting ice for the girl he loves, producing a shower of the first ever snow, and it emerges, even though they cannot be together, he has done so for her ever since. This is also where the magical partnership of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton began, and it is a beautiful, emotional and haunting film.

7th – A Muppets Christmas Carol Michael Caine is one of the best movie Scrooges ever, and him singing along with a bunch of puppets shouldn’t work, but it does. The Muppets bring their own manic comedy with them (“light the lamp, not the rat !!”) and bring a fresh take on this classic winter’s tale. Anything the Muppets touch turns to gold, and this retelling is no different.

6^th – A wonderful Life Frank Capra classic will always remain essential Christmas viewing. It follows the story of George Bailey, who is a man desperate to do the right thing, but finds that life is against him at all times. It is tough to watch in the first part, especially when an angelic intervention shows us how his life could become even more of a nightmare. Therefore, that happy ending, when it comes, feels earned rather than fluffy and the tears will always roll.

5^th – Scrooged This is a bit of an 80’s classic, and is a great version of the Dickens classic – A Christmas Carol. Ebeneezer Scrooge is transformed into a yuppie TV executive by Bill Murray, and he is on top sarcastic form. His obnoxious behaviour is made almost likable by Murray, and this movie is so good we don’t mind that it ends with a cheesy singalong.

4th – A nightmare before Christmas This film is great because if you fancy feeling all festive super early, you can watch this as far back as Halloween! It is based on a Tim Burton story, so it is deliciously dark, and the stop-motion animation is really special. It tells the tale of the Pumpkin King – Jack Skellington , as he learns about Christmas and all the joys that come with it.

3rd – Elf This is a newbie, and a brilliant one at that. Buddy the Elf is probably one of Will Ferrell’s finest comedy creations, and he’s the most adorable movie character ever! You’d have to be a ‘cotton-headed ninnymuggins’ not to love this movie.

2^nd – White Christmas This film really is a Christmassy romp. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play soldiers turned entertainers, who go back to help out their former commanding officer, with a show at the inn, and on the way they romance a couple of sisters, and there is a lot of skating, smiling, singing and romantic entanglement. It may be cheesy, predictable and a little OTT but it has the best Christmas song ever, and if you can’t enjoy something this fluffy at Christmas, then when can you? And all the girls want one of those amazing red dresses!

1st – Love Actually This is the queen of all British romcoms, and is Richard Curtis at his best. You are bound to find a story that you like within this ensemble, whether its Colin Firths fumbled attempts to woo a women who doesn’t speak his language, or Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister falling for his tea-girl, in the shape of an Eliza Doolitte-esque Martine Mccutchion. But it is the sad stories that really touch your heart, from Emma Thompson’s quiet heartbreak and Laura Linney’s devotion to her brother. This film has a mega cast, and tells us love really is, all around.

The past couple of days have been quite exciting here at Braintree HQ. While everyone else is thinking about winter coats and Christmas pudding, we were thinking about warmer times ahead, because we had our Spring Summer 2012 photo-shoot! It’s always so lovely to see all the hard work that has been poured into creating the collection, actually come to life on the models, and the pictures really do look great!  Big thanks to our intern Flor for all her help and Tara, our photographer and director extraordinaire.  These behind the scenes snaps give you a sneak peak of our new collection!

The run up to Christmas can be ridiculous. Too much build up far too early, too many tear jerking John Lewis adverts, and too much pressure to get presents presents presents! It can be frantic, it’s all bright lights and crowded streets, and it’s terrifying to watch Delia and Nigella being far too domestically competent.  Then suddenly it’s Christmas Eve and even through all the planning and preparation, it’s a mad rush to the corner shop to get more cranberry sauce, surplus booze and extra bags of chocolate money…  PANIC. But then the 25^th arrives, and even through all the excitement and hyper storm of children – who probably woke you up at 6am – there is a kind of peace. It is quite, it is calm, it is just you and your loved ones, and the whole world has shut down for a day. We are allowed to stay in the house the entire day and eat our body weight in chocolate and drink too much Cava and watch the Great Escape for the 15^th year in a row. But then it’s all over, and ooh what to do! So let’s take a moment to think about the day that follows. The day no one really likes because it’s the day AFTER Christmas. But here at Braintree we think this is a pretty special day! It’s normally a great day for the local pub, and there are still heart-warming movies on and plenty of TV specials! It’s the day where all your pressies are really new and exciting, and you all get together to brave the chilly weather and go for a big family walk. On the 25^th we allow ourselves to over indulge, but to make everyone feel better, the Boxing Day Walk is the perfect way to feel healthier and less sluggish after a day of pure indulgence and laziness. We have picked out some of our fave Braintree pieces that would be perfect for this tradition, and will look fab once you reach the pub at the end of you walk! They work as great last minute presents if you’re stuck for that perfect gift for your loved one. Braving the cold is all about layering and with our great cardies and scarves this is effortless, and our 100% organic knitwear is super soft, and they come in such beautiful rich deep colours. So even if you feel a bit overstuffed, you will look great! So don’t panic in this final run up to the big day, and make sure when Christmas day does come around you eat tonnes of whatever you fancy, because you can walk it all off on Boxing Day and join a gym on the 1^st of January.

Happy Days!

It is not just the food and the prezzies and the telly that we love at Chrimbo, the parties are definitely up there!  It means lots of fancy clothes, silly dancing and maybe getting a bit tipsy. But it doesn’t necessarily mean breaking your personal “carbon footprint” record or creating a massive amount of rubbish. You can have a white, AND a green Christmas party at the same time!

Earth-saving Invites – The average household sends out upwards of 60 Christmas cards each year. Nearly all of those will end up in a recycle bin or a landfill. However, when sending out your Christmas party invitations, you can save paper and even keep track of who is and isn’t coming by sending out eCard invitations. Take it a step further and send out all your Christmas cards by email too!

Permanent Plates, Cups and Glasswear – It has become very commonplace to buy a large number of non-recyclable and disposable plates, cups and eating utensils, all for an easy clean-up. However, many people don’t realise the vast amount of rubbish this creates! While using recyclable table-ware is one way to get round this, an even better solution is to avoid that waste entirely by using proper plates, and washing them up when you’re done. Even if you don’t have enough dishes of your own, friends and neighbours are almost always more than happy to help out if you ask. If you want everything to match perfectly, there are also services that rent out reusable Christmas party equipment, from the tablecloths to champagne glasses. Some of them will even do the washing up for you if you are feeling super lazy!

Environmentally-friendly Party Food and Drink – There are a few ways to make your party food and Christmas dinner green too. Organic and local items support your local tradespeople and farmers, and saves on transport energy.  Don’t worry about the booze! There are even plenty of organic wineries popping up everywhere. Given that the average Christmas dinner travels several thousand miles to reach your table, turkeys from Europe, cranberries from America and veg from Africa, this equates to a lot of travel around the world – so where you can,  buy locally produced food and drink to save transport energy. Local and organic food hasn’t already been on a road trip, it is bound to taste better and fresher.

Most importantly, frock up from Braintree, and have a good time!

What a delight to behold on a chilly Friday morning when our garment technician Sarah (right) and our intern Flor both came in rocking the Braintree Coombelake Cardi in mustard. The girls wear it so well – Sarah teaming it with girly florals in navy and blue tones, and Flor complimenting it perfectly with salmon pink jeans. It’s nice to have such cheerful colours in this grey December weather, and so good to see our gorgeous Braintree clothes being modelled so well! It’s normally a fashion disaster when two girls turn up in the same thing, but not when you look this lovely. We have to say bon voyage to SarahColonal because she is off to her motherland of New Zealand for 3 weeks, to celebrate Christmas and see her family. We are not jealous AT ALL of her lording it up in the sunshine by the beach, while we drag our turkeys through the ice, and then face the post-Christmas blues in minus 2 degrees. Nevertheless, Merry Chrimbo to our Kiwi! Safe flight, send us a postcard, and we’ll see you in January.