ad-pr Autumn Jackets Worth Investing In

Lands' End is a clothing brand that was founded back in 1963. I found it interesting when looking at their website that the placement of the apostrophe in their name was an accident at the start that turned into a deliberate decision to keep it where it was and it became a permanent position within the name. Originally selling sailing equipment, Lands' End moved to producing clothing in 1977 and has built up a reputation for extraordinary quality and great value. Lands' End offered to send a few items from their coats and jackets section of their website. The first item we chose is the Men's Blake Shelton x Lands' End Sherpa Fleece Lined Cotton Jacket in Black Slate. This has a cotton canvas shell with stretch that has Sherpa fleece within the body and hood sections of the jacket to add warmth, as well as having insulated sleeves. Even with this lining within the jacket, my husband commented on how lightweight the jacket still felt.

The jacket felt cosy and warm while still giving a great styled jacket perfect to fit in with the country style, thanks to the riveted angled hip pockets and chest pocket that add some nice touches to the overall look of the jacket. Elasticated cuffs also pull the sleeves in nicely at the wrist, and the lined hood also helps to keep the heat in on those cold days. The jacket is made from 98% cotton, 2% elastane shell, with 100% polyester linings, with the sleeve insulation being made from 100% recycled polyester. Being machine washable is an added bonus to make sure that the jacket stays looking its best. As my husband wears a lot of black and grey clothing, it really works well with his typical everyday outfits and can be paired with multiple clothing items. He is really looking forward to wearing this jacket and was really impressed with the quality and design. It also comes in a Coriander colour if you want a different style to suit what you typically wear. 

The item that I chose was the Women's Water Repellent Waxed Cotton Parka in black, which is part of the Women's Coats & Jackets range. I've always liked wearing parka coats so was really drawn to this one. I have to say that I was immediately impressed with this when I got it out of the box as you could feel the quality of the material. It's s water-repellent, waxed cotton-rich shell with 100% recycled insulation made from recycled plastic bottles. The lining is a really soft faux fur within the top half of the body section as well as the hood and provides a really cosy feeling when wearing it. The bottom section of the body has a quilted lining to ensure you are kept warm all the way down the coat. There are multiple features within the coat designed to keep the wet weather out, including a popper storm flap across the zip, popper adjustable outer cuffs and rib-knit inner storm cuffs. You feel well protected from the elements while wearing this coat, without compromising on design.

I love the length of the parka as it comes down to roughly mid-thigh height and I'm 5ft 4" which is the perfect length for me for walking around and also when sat down. My nan always told me to make sure I keep my hips warm in the colder weather, and this definitely does the job of keeping me nice and cosy without getting too hot. This coat is available in a variety of colours and sizes, ranging from a size 8 to size 30 across their regular, petite and plus sizes. It's great that they have catered for different body sizes, it's 2023, so why aren't more companies doing the same I wonder. The parka is made from 60% cotton and 40% nylon shell, with 100% polyester linings & insulation. I like how this is also machine washable, making the upkeep of the parka easier. 

The final item that we chose from Lands' End was the Men's Blake Shelton x Lands' End Cotton Utility Jacket in Golden Oak Brown. This is a fully lined jacket with a shirt collar and a popper front. It's a lighter-weight jacket that has a flapped chest popper pocket on one side, and a patch chest pocket on the other, with rivets on these pockets and hip weld pockets for added style. It would be a great jacket for when it's a little colder but you're not needing a thicker jacket or coat. Especially when the weather isn't sure what it's doing. The lining, made from 52% cotton and 48% viscose provides a soft material that is comfortable on your skin. My husband really likes this jacket as an option to complete an outfit with something more than just a hoodie or jumper. 

The jacket also comes in Forest Moss and Flint Blue colours if you prefer an alternative colour to suit your style. Like the other products we've been able to try out, this jacket is also machine washable making it easy to keep clean. Myself and my husband have been really impressed with the quality of each of these jackets and coats from Lands' End, and you can tell a lot of care and effort has gone into producing them. We're both really happy with these products and feel like they are going to give us many years of use. Thank you Lands' End for gifting these amazing jackets.

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An Introduction to DH Design

Hi, My name is Daniel (Lau's brother), a multi-disciplinary designer based in West Yorkshire, UK. I’ve been working in the industry for 2 years now after achieving a degree in Graphic Arts and Design from Leeds Beckett University. I'm glad I can guest post here today.

My practice is varied, working across multiple disciplines from branding, graphic design, illustration and more. I love finding new, exciting ways to work from ai generated art to new ways to explore typography. My online portfolio can be found at this link and you can find a variety of projects I’ve worked on, from industry to personal work and there are exciting projects getting added soon.

My current project focuses on experimental typography, creating a book of my typographic exploration throughout my career so far- from typographic sketches to 3d typography and more, this project is constantly being updated which can be found here.

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Nova Scotia Liverpool Restaurant Review

I was recently invited to review Nova Scotia on the Liverpool Waterfront and I was delighted to accept. Nova Scotia is an independent bar & eatery that serves breakfasts, small plates, lunches, main meals and desserts. Dishes include burgers, Dockside hotdogs, full English breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and traditional UK meals like Scouse and fish and chips. For drinks, Nova Scotia offers Signature Serves including Sea Brow Iced Tea, Jamaica Street, NS Old Fashioned and French Martini cocktails. They do serve mocktails too, which was very pleasing as I don't really drink alcohol. There is a selection of beers and wines too, so there is something for everyone. The menu includes veggie and vegan options, as well as clearly indicating allergens including eggs, dairy, gluten, mustard, nuts, fish, soya and more. This is great as it makes it nice and easy to see what is suitable. They are open 9am to 9pm 7 days a week so they should be open at a time suitable for everyone.

I knew I wanted a mocktail as soon as I was told they could make one and it had raspberry purée, lemon and pineapple in it, topped with a strawberry and a piece of orange. Andy chose an ice-cold San Miguel which was lovely to have on a warm but rainy summer's day. He said it was a nice refreshing beer to accompany the meal. There is a good selection of drinks at the bar so there should be one for everyone.

To start, we had the Halloumi Popcorn (£7, Vegetarian), which were beer battered halloumi nuggets which came with a roasted red pepper mayo. There was a fair amount of these given they were only a small plate item and were so light and delicious. The batter was crispy and the halloumi was soft and cooked perfectly, with the mayo pairing well to give a nice additional flavour. We also had the Salt N Pepper Fries (£5, Vegan) which was a plate full of homemade fries with salt n pepper seasoning, fried onions and red peppers throughout and topped with red chillies and salad onions. I was so impressed with these fries, so much so I would say they are one of the best we've ever had. If they ever got in a plant-based 'chicken' burger they would be so perfect together. Salt and pepper seasoning is most definitely one of my favourite flavours and these fries are perfect. 

For our main meals, they asked if we would like them brought over not long after we had started our small plates, which we said yes to which was kind of them. I had the Mauretania (£12, Vegan if you choose the plant-based hotdog), which had salt n pepper seasoning, onions and peppers. I'm not normally one to choose hot dogs, but the salt n pepper flavour swayed me and I really enjoyed it. Andy had the Marco Polo (£14, Vegetarian), which is a Moving Mountains burger topped with cheese, house burger sauce and beer battered onion rings. This was a really tasty burger, and the onion rings worked well and gave a little added crunch and flavour. Both meals came with a generous portion of the Nova Scotia seasoned fries which were homemade skin-on fries and were the right mixture of crispy and soft.

Nova Scotia is located in the Mann Island building, right next to the World Museum and the Three Graces right on the waterfront. At the end of the 19th Century, the Mann Island area was actually a shanty-town called Nova Scotia and the dock served Canada and the lumber trade. It twinned with Nova Scotia in Canada, and there is also a Liverpool in Canada along with a Mersey River and a Mann Island over there too. Check out the video at the bottom of the post that showcases the creation of a composite 19th Century map of Liverpool’s waterfront and city centre, focused on the Nova Scotia dockland area.

The restaurant had a great atmosphere, with lots of plants and beautiful green and white tiles. It has a nice casual feel but in the best way possible. It's perfect to have a catch-up with friends and family, or a few drinks outside when it's sunny. It was open and airy and had a good view out to the Liverpool Museum and docks area. They have a selection of seating, including raised stools, booths and standard chairs. There is a small curb outside of the restaurant but after this, the restaurant is step-free (apart from a couple of small steps to the regular toilets) although there is an accessible disabled toilet down a small ramp as well. There is space within the restaurant to use a wheelchair where you could wheel up to a table.

The only criticism I have for the menu, is that it would be great if Nova Scotia could add the option to upgrade your Seasoned Fries to Salt N Pepper Fries with your meal, potentially for an extra few pounds. If an upgrade to the fries was available, I highly recommend getting the Salt N Pepper Fries with a main, but if you really want to try them you could get a few small plates to share as the Salt N Pepper Fries easily serves two people. The staff were really friendly and helpful and contributed to a really enjoyable and relaxing visit. I'm definitely going to be returning at some point soon and would recommend making a visit if you enjoy great food and drinks.

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