A jewellery edit inspired by life between city and coast.

There are people who simply know how to dress. Not in a way that feels effortful or studied, but in that instinctive, considered way that makes even the simplest outfit feel entirely intentional. Emily Dawes is one of those people.

With over 13 years at the forefront of the fashion industry as Senior Shopping Editor at Who What Wear UK, Fashion Editor at The Mail on Sunday's YOU Magazine, and contributor to Glamour and Condé Nast's Grazia Emily has spent her career helping women dress better. Now splitting her time between London and West Cornwall, where she lives with her young family, she brings that same impeccable eye to a quieter, more coastal life.

We invited Emily to curate her own edit from our collection: ten pieces she would genuinely reach for, day after day, season after season. The result is Essentials by Emily Dawes a 10-piece jewellery edit for women who want jewellery that works everywhere.

Why jewellery, always

As a busy mother, Emily's approach to getting dressed is refreshingly practical. Her wardrobe is built on capsule basics the perfect white shirt, Levi's denim, breezy cotton and linen for summer and it is jewellery that does the heavy lifting.

"I love how easy the collection is to throw on or layer up with your everyday wardrobe and immediately make it feel more special," she says. "Whether it's a T-shirt and jeans at the weekend, tailoring for an important meeting or a pretty summer dress for an event, everything in this collection makes an outfit feel cool and polished. What more could you want?"

It is a philosophy that aligns entirely with how Milly Maunder pieces are designed. Handmade in Devon using traditional lost-wax casting techniques, each piece carries an organic, tactile quality elevated without ever feeling precious.

What drew Emily to Milly Maunder

"I come across so many jewellery brands, from affordable to super luxury," Emily says. "They often offer quite similar things, so when I first visited Milly's website I was instantly impressed by how she made the classics feel unique and personal and far from boring."

"There's an earthy quality to her granulated metals that I was drawn to, especially living life at the beach now, but everything still feels very chic and elevated. Plus, I loved the fact that everything is handmade and incredible quality it makes the pieces feel really special without having to break the bank."

How Emily wears it

Emily is a committed layer-er. Her go-to combination right now is the Shell Pendant and the T-Bar Pendant two pieces with different chain length options that sit perfectly together. "If I'm going all out, I'll throw the fish on too!" she says. As the seasons shift she will swap the shell for the Diamond Pebble Pendant alongside the T-Bar what she calls "that delicate combo".

The Fish Pendant on Cord is her unequivocal favourite. "I'm loving a rope necklace this summer and it just adds an effortless cool every time I throw it on." She finds it works as well over a simple tank top as it does to toughen up a pretty dress that rare quality of a piece that genuinely does both.

The Cova Hoops are her everyday anchor. "I've always been a classic hoop girl and I wear mine all the time, whether I'm on appointments in London or on the beach down here." She switches between the small and classic versions depending on the occasion. The bangles she has been wearing stacked up the arm, or layered over linen shirt cuffs a simple styling trick that instantly elevates the most relaxed summer outfit.

On mixing metals

On mixing silver and gold something she used to avoid Emily has changed her thinking entirely. "I used to be a traditionalist in this sense and keep my metals separate, but actually these days I'm throwing out the rulebook to get a more relaxed and beachy feel. I find the more pieces you layer up, the more intentional the mixed metal look feels."

When asked what makes a piece last a decade, her answer is characteristically considered: "More and more these days I look for pieces that don't pander to trends. But you don't want anything too simple and boring either pieces that last need to feel special enough to cherish."

The Edit

Ten pieces, curated by Emily. Designed to layer, mix and wear every single day. The edit includes the Shell Pendant, Fish Pendant on Cord, Molten Shore Cuff, Cova Hoops, Diamond Pebble Pendant, Onda Ring, Tidal Cuff, Mira Cigar Ring, Mini Cova Hoops and T-Bar Pendant, available in sterling silver, 18ct gold plated silver and 9ct solid gold, with prices from £25.

Shop the full Essentials by Emily Dawes edit