Harriet Phillips' Penelope Chilvers espadrilles return in a warm tan velvet for early autumn

Sandals feel too summery, but boots are still a step too far
The Express writer explains why tan velvet espadrilles suit early autumn after the green pair sold out.
Mark

So what actually happened here? Someone wore shoes to a horse trial and a newspaper wrote about it?

Mimi

Essentially, yes. Harriet Phillips wore green Penelope Chilvers Chico espadrilles at Burghley, that colour is sold out, and the writer suggests a tan velvet pair instead.

Mark

Why tan velvet, specifically?

Mimi

The argument is timing. Early autumn, dry sunny days, sandals feel too summery and boots too heavy. The velvet and jute sole suit that gap.

Luke

I'd flag that the sold-out claim and the summer popularity both come from the article itself. No sales figures are given, so we can't say how fast or how many.

Mark

And the royal connection? Sophie and Catherine are mentioned.

Mimi

The piece says both have been spotted in the label's designs over the years, and that Phillips has worn it repeatedly. That's offered as a reason the shoes are tempting.

Luke

Worth noting that it says nothing about Sophie or Catherine wearing this particular style. It's the brand, not the shoe.

Mark

So is this news or advice?

Mimi

Advice, mostly. The writer says tan is the most versatile, which is an opinion.

Luke

Right. Nothing here tells us the price or whether tan stock will last, so those remain unknown.

  • A sold-out green pair has left shoppers chasing a colourway that is already gone.
  • Harriet Phillips' sighting at Burghley has turned a single outfit into a talking point.
  • The Express steers readers toward a tan velvet alternative with criss-cross straps and a jute sole.
  • Royal endorsements from Duchess Sophie and Princess Catherine are cited as fuel for demand.
  • Navy and red options remain available, so the search is far from over.

On a weekend when the country's horse-trials season was in full swing, Harriet Phillips was seen at Burghley in a pair of green Penelope Chilvers espadrilles, and that colourway has since sold out. The Daily Express has taken the moment as a gentle nudge toward the season ahead, offering a warm tan velvet version for the in-between days of early autumn. It is a small story about shoes, but it touches the old human habit of watching what the well-known wear and then wanting something similar for ourselves.

Over the weekend, Harriet Phillips arrived at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials in green Penelope Chilvers Chico espadrilles. According to the Daily Express, that exact colourway has since sold out, having already proved popular through the summer.

The paper's fashion piece offers a way forward: the same style in a warm tan velvet, described as right for dry, sunny early-autumn days, when sandals feel too summery and boots are a step too far. Plush velvet, elastic criss-cross straps for a secure fit, a traditional jute sole, and hand-stitching give the shoe what the writer calls an easy country-luxe feel.

Phillips is not presented as a one-off wearer. The article notes she has worn the label repeatedly, and that Duchess Sophie and Princess Catherine have also been seen in its designs, a royal seal the writer clearly sees as persuasive. Tan is recommended as the most versatile choice, pairing with denim, autumn florals, tailored trousers, or a floaty dress, while navy and red remain on offer.

Over the weekend, Harriet Phillips turned up at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials wearing a pair of green Penelope Chilvers Chico espadrilles. That exact colourway has since sold out, according to the Daily Express, which says the green had already proved popular through the summer.

The piece, a fashion recommendation, points readers to the same style in a warm tan velvet. Its writer describes the rich brown as suited to the in-between days of early autumn: dry and sunny, when sandals feel too summery but boots are still a step too far.

The construction is laid out in some detail. The shoes are made from plush velvet and have criss-cross elastic straps for a secure fit. They sit on a traditional jute sole and are finished by hand-stitching, which the writer says gives them an easy country-luxe feel.

Phillips is not presented as a one-off customer. The article says she has worn Penelope Chilvers repeatedly, and that the British label is also a favourite of Duchess Sophie and Princess Catherine, both of whom have been seen in its designs over the years. The writer treats that as a royal seal of approval that makes the pair more tempting.

Tan is not the only option left. The style is also sold in several other colourways, including navy and a bolder, glamorous red. Still, the writer calls the tan the most versatile choice for the moment. It is said to work with denim, autumn florals, tailored trousers, or a floaty dress on warmer days.

The item reads as a personal recommendation rather than reported news, and the claims about popularity and sell-outs come from the article itself. What it points toward is the label's autumn range, where royal endorsement is cited as a driver of interest, and where the tan velvet is now the closest match to what Phillips wore at Burghley.

The tan is the most versatile option for now, working with denim, autumn florals, tailored trousers or a floaty dress.
— Daily Express fashion writer
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