Do You Think Women's Cardigans are Stylish or Dowdy?

Halloween is already over, and even bonfire night has passed us by, which means that Christmas will be upon us before we know it. Some people are eagerly counting down, and others think it is far too soon to be thinking about Christmas, but you can’t deny that after an unseasonably warm October, it is quite refreshing to have a spell of season-appropriate weather.

With this new chilly weather setting in, it is the perfect excuse to hunt for some new cosy items to keep you warm. As women, we seem to favour cardigans more than men, and there is nothing easier than throwing on a comfy woolly cardigan that goes with everything, so you know you have a few reliable options for colder weather.

Cardigans are a popular cover-up throughout the year, but some people still feel that women’s cardigans can be a bit frumpy or dowdy. As with most fashion items, the choice is so wide and varied that you are sure to find a style or shape to suit you, leaving you feeling stylish rather than unfashionable.

Long Wool Mocha Cardigan – made in Italy

This thick wool cardigan is perfect for keeping you warm, but long waterfall style is also on trend at the moment, along with the seasonal mocha colour. This cardigan is certainly far from frumpy and firmly stylish and could easily be thrown on over jeans and a t-shirt for some weekend errand running, or it would look lovely with black trousers and a blouse for the office.

Fluffy Grey Cardigan – made in Italy

This women’s cardigan could not be anymore cosy. This is perfect as a festive addition to your wardrobe, and will certainly add interest to any outfit. It is the perfect piece to show off a bit of glamour on a night out or a festive party, and would look great paired with a black jumpsuit and stand-out heels.

Plum Floral Kimono Cardigan – made in Italy

Kimonos really made a splash in the fashion world this summer, but that doesn’t mean they have to be relegated to the back of the wardrobe for the winter. This plum colour kimono lends itself to the festive season, and the fringe adds another level of interest. This might be a cardigan choice for milder days that aren’t so frosty, but it would look great with almost any outfit, and you can continue wearing it when the weather warms up.

Grey Wool Stripe Gilet Cardigan – made in Italy

This is not a cardigan in the traditional sense, but it will still provide warmth and comfort on colder days. Similarly to the kimono, the gilet has become an increasingly popular item of winter clothing, and this particular piece will lend some classic elegance, without feeling ‘puffed out’ or frumpy. This gilet would look great paired with a long sleeved top, jeans, and knee high tan boots, for a perfect winter outfit. 

Swansea City Centre Upbeat Despite Recent Closures

Swansea city centre has faced some tough times in the recent economical climate, and as the Co-operative store on the corner of Portland Street and The Kingsway is closing its doors this week, it would seem that the city centre is still suffering.

The Evening Post reports that the Co-operative store, which was once the home to Mothercare and C&A, will be empty once again on Saturday. The same article also reflects on the recent closures of Mountain Warehouse on Oxford Street, as well as Phones 4 U and Monsoon, which have been part of the city centre for years. However, it is not all bad news;

“A planning application has already been submitted for the Mountain Warehouse site, and Barclays is carrying out a major refurbishment of the former La Senza building on Oxford Street as it prepares to relocate from The Kingsway.
National chain Las Iguanas has confirmed it’s moving to Wind Street and independent fashion retailer Goose Island, which has shops in Mumbles and Cowbridge, has opened in Plymouth Street.”

We opened a new store in Swansea city centre on November 1st. At Goose Island, we believe that it is important to invest in the city centre, as we believe it can still be a successful and bustling place where people can find everything they are looking for. Our new store had a successful opening day, and has remained busy since, seeing a steady footfall of new customers.

The Evening Post article also highlights a number of figures and statistics which show that Swansea is actually fairing a lot better in the retail sector than most of the UK. According to R3, the trade body for Insolvency Professionals, 21.82% of Swansea city’s retail businesses have a higher than normal risk of insolvency, compared to 22.21% of retail businesses in Wales, 25.04% in the UK, and 26.65% in London. These figures show that the city centre is heading in the right direction, which will surely give retailers a boost coming up to Christmas, however, more still needs to be done through schemes such as Swansea BID.

Goose Island’s owner and manager, Karen Hutchings, was given a chance to comment in the article on our new store opening, as well as the city centre situation in general;

“Swansea city centre is facing serious challenges with a number of national chains closing down, continued competition from out-of-town shopping centres, and the growth of online and mobile retailing.
Our shopping centre needs to be a social place with a vibrant daytime economy, offering something that neither shopping centres nor the internet can match. We want to show our commitment to the city centre rejuvenation by opening a boutique that offers shoppers a personal and high quality shopping experience. We hope that other independents will follow suit as we believe this approach will be a huge step in the city centre regeneration plans.”

We are looking forward to connecting with a lot more Swansea customers at our new store, and hope to see the growth of other independent retailers within the city centre in the near future.

You can read the full Evening Post article here.

How to Use Accessories to Change the Look of Any Outift

Most people have a few favourite items of clothing that they love to wear more often than others - those go to outfits that are thrown on when you can’t think of anything else to wear. Some people even have a ‘capsule’ wardrobe made up of a few different items that they can mix and match. But how do you stop yourself from becoming bored? There is only so much you can do with just a few items of clothing.

However, this does not mean that you need to stop wearing your favourite top and jeans combination, or you need to go out and buy 50 new outfits. There are other options that can bring to life boring outfits, or add a bit of personality back in to over-worn pieces of clothing.

Ladies’ accessories have such an incredible range and variety, you can find so many different pieces to suit any occasion, style, or mood. The right accessories can help you bring life back to old outfits, and even adapt them to certain occasions that you never would have thought of before.

Adding a necklace to an outfit can instantly change the entire tone and purpose. If you have a faithful black top that you wear often, try choosing a necklace that stands out against the black. Statement necklaces are extremely popular at the moment, and adding a beautiful, oversized necklace, with a bit of sparkle, against a black top would be perfect for a night out or special occasion. Additionally, add a long, simple, pendant-style necklace for a touch of understated elegance suitable for weekends or the office.

Similarly, other jewellery and accessories can create the same effect. Try wearing larger, brighter, and more ostentatious necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, when you are heading to a part or a night out, and simpler, plainer pieces for day-wear. However, try to remember to balance out your look – don’t wear large necklaces, bracelets, and earring all at once, it could be too much!

Another accessory that ladies can’t seem to be without is a handbag. Again this accessory varies wildly in style and quality, and can be used to make a significant change to any outfit. We all have a favourite handbag, one that we take with us wherever we go and is full of our daily essentials – as well as a lot of non-essentials – but as your styles and occasions change, it might be worth mixing up your handbag habits. A large black handbag is great for carrying around every day; it can fit your lunch in for work, and gives you plenty of room to carry around an umbrella, a hairbrush, and anything else you might need to survive the winter weather. However, you could try just changing the colour of your regular handbag if you are looking for a subtle deviation. Brown and tan colour bags are always on trend through autumn and winter. If you are heading out the evening, step outside of your comfort zone a little and opt for a glittery or sparkly mini clutch bag. This will instantly add glamour to your outfit, and the upcoming festive season is the perfect excuse.

Necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, handbags, as well as scarves and hats, can truly change the look of any outfit, and carry your style through day to night, and many other different occasions. When you are next putting on that same old outfit, take a moment to consider your accessories – change something, mix different elements up, and be creative – you could have a whole new outfit without buying a single piece of new clothing.

The Right Jacket Could Lift a Lady's Style

As the good old British weather dictates, a suitable jacket is an essential item in any lady’s wardrobe. Even in the summer, a jacket might be needed to ward off any cold spells, and cover up when the heavens open. However, a lot of ladies will only have one jacket in their wardrobe that they wear again and again in all weather.

There’s nothing wrong with a good reliable jacket, but wearing the same one day in day out can become a little monotonous, especially when there are so many different styles of jacket available that can really add something to your style, as well as keeping you a bit warmer.

There are numerous styles of jackets that come in and out of fashion, but something like a blazer will always remain classic. You can get tailored blazers, boyfriend blazers, cropped blazers, waterfall blazers, and much, much more, so there is bound to be a style that suits you. You could add a plain neutral-coloured blazer to almost any outfit, and it would instantly make your style seem smarter and more ‘put together’, and a patterned or bright colour blazer would always add some style and excitement to a monochrome outfit. Jackets can be like an accessory themselves.

Similarly, cardigans are another kind of jacket that can have the same effect as blazers. They needn’t be saved for colder weather, as there are so many variations available, that you should be able to find one for all kinds of weather, styles, or occasions. A cropped cardigan would be perfect to add over a shirt for appropriate office wear, and a long-line waterfall cardigan would be great for a relaxed weekend style. Even on formal occasions, a cardigan-style shrug is a perfect way to cover up with something easy and light.

As we are now moving in to the colder months and winter is approaching, it might be wiser to also start thinking about warmer jacket styles to keep out the cold, while still delivering on style. Gilets and vests have had a resurgence in popularity over the past couple of years, and there is almost as much variety as there would be with any other jacket style. A gilet, or a waistcoat, such as our own Made in Italy ones, is a great choice for a winter jacket as it keeps your body warm, but allows your arms to move freely without being constricted by any thick coat sleeves, not to mention that they all look incredibly cosy.

In a similar way to gilets, ponchos are also becoming more and more popular as a style of ladies’ jacket. They are perfect to simply throw on over any outfit, and instantly appear appropriately snug and wintery, as well as leaving your arms free from any heavy sleeves like a gilet. Our own Made in Italy ponchos are perfect for this winter.

There are so many jackets styles to choose from, including some that you may not have thought of, that it seems like a bit of a wasted opportunity to only stick to one reliable jacket. That jacket will always be a staple in your wardrobe, but you can really change up your outfits and sense of style by trying out different jackets. Try thinking of a jacket as an accessory the next time you are looking to cover up.

New Goose Island Store Opens in Swansea

Goose Island is extremely pleased to announce the opening of our brand new store in Swansea.

The grand opening was held on November 1st, complete with champagne, nibbles, and a whole host of lovely new customers. Princess Jasmine and Alibaba, from the upcoming Aladdin pantomime at Penyrheol Theatre, also attended the opening and helped us welcome new customers, and even gave out their own personal fashion and style advice. Alibaba particularly liked our long red jumper dress.

We will be stocking all of our regular Goose Island favourites at our new store, such as our very popular shirt jumper and magic dresses, as well a whole host of new stock ready for the festive season. Look out for our new sparkly, glamorous clutch bags, soft tartan scarves, crystal bracelets, subtle tie dye dresses, dainty necklaces, and much, much more. We’ve even got a range of Christmas gifts ready to go.

Our new store is located on Plymouth Street in Swansea city centre, opposite the Eli Jenkins pub. This now means that we have three stores across south Wales, in Mumbles, Swansea and Cowbridge, and we look forward to meeting all of our new customers, as well as other exciting ventures in the future.

Spoiled for Choice with Women's Party Dresses

October may have only just come to an end, but November means that the party season is drawing closer and closer. It may be too early for some to start thinking about Christmas parties, but there are a lot of women that like to be well prepared and have everything sorted before the parties and family fun gets started.

There is nothing quite like a gathering with all of your friends or work colleagues for a festive party or night out. Everyone always seems a lot more happy and positive at this time of year; but some women do find themselves stressing out about what to wear to a Christmas party, especially if they have several to attend. That’s not to mention taking into account the weather, the venue, and the type of party it is.

However, the range of dresses available these days should be enough to dampen anyone’s fears about finding the perfect party dress, or dresses, for any festive event.

We’ve talked previously about how long sleeved dresses can be a saviour in these winter months, and the same principle applies to women’s party dresses. You might think that long sleeves are better reserved for the office or a more casual occasion, but they can really lend themselves to a wide variety of different events.

Lace, organza, or a bit of sparkle, can elevate any dress and make it something special that you would love to wear to a festive occasion.

Long navy party dress – made in Italy 

This deep colour is the perfect shade to imply a little bit of sumptuousness this Christmas. As well as the navy grandeur, the lace overlay on this dress adds a stylish element of sophistication. If you add a long silver pendant, and a pair of sparkly heels, you’ll be all set for any Christmas event coming up.

Cream Lace Party Dress – made in Italy

The pattern on this dress is perfect to add some personality to a party outfit, and the fit and flare style dress is an extremely versatile style that has remained one of the most popular styles of dresses over the past few years. The bright, snowy colour of the lace on the dress is also a great colour to compliment the festive season.

Navy Velvet Party Dress – made in Italy

The velvet material of this dress was made for party season – what a better time for a little indulgence? The simple shape lends itself to traditional party wear, and lets you add almost any accessory to make it your own. The glamorous navy colour will make sure you stand out int he crowd.

Mocha Lace Party Dress – made in Italy

Opt for something a little different with this mocha colour dress. The fitted style and lace overlay would be perfect for a festive party or gathering, and the long sleeves and the velvet accents  at the neck line add something a little extra glamorous suitable for the Christmas and winter season.




There is such a huge variety of party dresses available for women these days that everyone is sure to be spoiled for choice. No matter what your personal style is, there are so many possible party dresses that you are sure to find one perfect for any events or parties you will be attending. Whether that is one or ten!

Goose Island Fashion Apprentice Wins Training Award

Helen Brickley, our fashion apprentice, has won the Young Achiever of the Year category in the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru held at the end of last month at the Celtic Manor, Newport.

Helen was nominated for these awards by Talk Training, the training provider supporting her during her apprenticeship. Helen has been working for Goose Island for a year and has put her Textile Degree to good use by assisting our design and buying team both in Swansea and Italy. She also assists with photo shoots and on top of that she travels 80 miles a day from her home in Blackwood, Gwent to work in Swansea.

The Awards, organised by the Welsh Government and National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW), celebrate excellence and outstanding achievements by showcasing excellence in skills development in Wales. A record number of apprentices applied for these awards and there were 36 finalists shortlisted in the different categories.

This event brings together the best of learners, employers and training providers, who have shown total dedication and commitment to skills development and business improvement.  The awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of learners, employers and providers involved in the delivery of quality Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Jobs Growth Wales programmes across Wales, which are funded by the Welsh Government through the European Social Fund.

Commenting on her award, Helen, said, “It feels great to win this award. It’s a huge confidence boast for me and it a fantastic achievement to put on my CV.”

Helen at the Apprenticeship Awards