It was pretty exciting to be invited to the press day for one of Britain’s best-loved highstreet institutions…

And one that Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman (among a load of top fashion industry peeps) attended and tweeted “Definitely a good place to buy an autumn coat…” – in one fell swoop solving many a British woman’s winter coat dilemma. M&S AW13 had already won me over, not only with their fabulously cut coats, but their chunky woollens and shoes too. The turn-around of Marks & Spencer under the helm of new style director Belinda Earl (former boss at Debenhams and Jaegar) is one of this week’s big fashion news stories (this piece in the Telegraph is worth reading) and I, for one, am thrilled. Who doesn’t have a soft spot for Marks & Spencer? For much of my generation it’s where our mums would loyally shop for classic quality pieces, including a good winter coat! This collection also boasts better quality Chinese-sourced cashmere for cheaper and a Best of British collaboration with the British Fashion Council. So, for what it’s worth, here’s my pick of the AW13 collection (snapped on my iPhone), pieces I would genuinely like to see in my wardrobe. Tell me what you think! I should also mention that my first MANDSAW13 favourite pick tweet – the Best of British camel coat (RRP £299) – was also tweeted by disneyrollergirl as her hero piece!