We’re so close to the end of the year now, but at Etton Taylor HQ things are busier than ever! As we pen this blog, we’re just two days away from our last order deadline for Christmas and it's all ‘go’! We’re looking forward to a few days off over the holidays before we get on with packing and dispatching orders that people place during ‘Twixmas’, that marvellous time between Christmas and New Year when it’s totally acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast and forget what day of the week it is. This time last year we’d just got some news that really turned our world upside down for a while, so it's safe to say it’s been a real rollercoaster of a year. Thankfully, we’re ending it on a high and that’s all down to you, our amazing customers and followers! So, we wanted to say a huge ‘thank you’ for your support during 2023, and let’s look back at the highs and a couple of lows from the past 12 months.
A stressful start to the year
If you were following us during the early spring, you might have noticed that we were a little quieter than normal. That’s because, as mentioned in the intro, Jo received a letter a few days before Christmas in 2022 from an overseas (and unrelated to women’s fashion) business telling us we needed to change the name Eton Taylor. Jo has poured her heart and soul into this business, so the whole process was very upsetting. It meant weeks of lengthy and expensive chats with legal advisors before we got to work on a new brand name and logo. We finally unveiled our new look - Etton Taylor - in May, and your response was wonderful. It was such a stressful time, and along with the really rubbish, wet spring weather, we just couldn’t wait for the warmer weather, sunshine and good times to return. And, thankfully, they did!
May brought weddings, Badminton and happiness!
Luckily, there was plenty to look forward to, including the gorgeous wedding of Jo’s son Harry to his gorgeous Harriet. Jo shared some photographs from the big day on Facebook and we were just overwhelmed with all the lovely messages people sent us. Jo didn’t have much time to stop and reflect before it was time to head to Badminton Horse Trials with the trade stand. The five days were a brilliant whirlwind of meeting people, helping them select and style their goodies and spending time with other business owners. This year we’ve returned to Deer Park in Staffordshire for a few pop-up shopping days which are such a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet more customers. Jo has also had the pleasure of receiving photographs from brides and bridesmaids who had ordered our fur trimmed wraps to accessorise their dresses. We had a limited edition run of ivory wraps which were stunning - look out for those again next year!
Summer went by in a flash
The summer saw us take the trade stand to Ludlow Racecourse for their Ladies Day, the Staffordshire County Show and Newport Show in Shropshire. With higher temperatures and lots more sunshine, we were thrilled to unveil a stunning summer collection of gorgeous dresses, short sets, jeans and tops which went down a storm. Behind the scenes Jo was working on the finishing touches to our first limited edition tweed collection, and it all arrived just in time for The Game Fair in late July. With jackets, coats and gilets all made from real wool tweed and manufactured here in Britain, this collection was very popular at Ragley Hall and has continued to sell out repeatedly since! We had a superb three days at the Game Fair meeting so many customers! It’s one of our favourite events of the year and offers Jo an excellent chance to see all her favourite country brands in one place.
Burghley and Blenheim were busy…
As the end of the summer approached, Jo was busy preparing for two huge equestrian events in a row. The first was Burghley Horse Trials in Stamford, the second was Blenheim a few weeks later in Oxfordshire. Both were just fantastic this year, with the stand so busy with customers and familiar faces that the time just flew by. It was our first time exhibiting at Blenheim Palace Horse Trials and there were a few teething problems, including rather non-existent Wi-Fi for the first day, but the atmosphere and location were superb. Jo also took the trade stand to the Thame Food Festival in September, a new event and so a new customer base who just adored our clothing and accessories. We also unveiled our new private personal shopping experiences in the autumn. These are perfect for helping you discover your personal ‘look’ and learning how to style outfits, all under Jo’s expert and friendly eye! They can be at Etton Taylor HQ or when we’re out at events - you can learn more here!
…and so were autumn and winter!
There was no let-up for Jo as autumn rolled around, with dates at Cheltenham Racecourse looming in October and November, as well as more pop-ups at the Deer Park all the way up to Christmas! Jo launched two stunning new tweed coats in the autumn, the Cheltenham (obviously unveiled at the home of jump racing) and the Kempton. These were perfect for elevating a race day outfit and balancing warmth, style and excellent tailoring when the cooler weather is here. More recently there have been new fur collars and cuffs, even more wraps added to the website, and we’ve exhibited at Christmas fairs all over Shropshire and Staffordshire. All in all, it’s been a busy end to a busy year, and we know Jo is looking forward to a quieter month to recharge her batteries!
So, as we prepare to sign off for the year, once again we wanted to say thank you, as we quite simply couldn’t do any of this without you! We hope you have a restful holiday, and we can’t wait to share 2024 with you too.
