Maze x Angharad Jones
Meet Angharad Jones, freelance copywriter, content strategist, and creator of bestselling Substack, The Jones Report. With a background in luxury fashion, beauty, and interiors - alongside a dedicated audience of 51k+ Instagram followers - she has established herself a trusted voice in fashion and personal style. We teamed up with Angharad to look at the enduring appeal of the colour blue, specifically for spring, and to see how she styles five of her favourite blue pieces from our SS25 collection.
As an advocate of supporting small, independent brands and retailers, Angharad also sits down with Hannah, our second-generation shopkeeper, to discuss 40 years of Maze, the art of curation, and the future of independent retail. You'll find that Q&A at the end of this post.
Look 1
For Angharad, a navy button-up shirt is one of her favourite things to wear in spring: "I have a few in varying shades, shapes, and fits, and I reach for them whenever I want that light shirt feeling but it’s not quite warm enough for head-to-toe light colours."
"This YMC shirt, crafted from organic cotton seersucker, is a perfect example. It’s a cool fabric that works well in warmer weather while adding more texture and detail to an outfit. The fit is relaxed but not oversized, so if you want to tuck it in, like I have here, there’s no excess fabric to deal with."
Angharad contrasts the inkiness of the navy shirt with ecru linen trousers, finishing the look with dark brown caged fisherman sandals, and a crossbody bag.
Shop the look
 YMC Marianne Shirt |
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Look 2
When it comes to spring dressing, Angharad Jones knows that layers are essential:
"I always imagine spring being warm and sunny, but the reality is we have plenty of days in the UK when boots, coats, and extra layers are still necessary. The trick is choosing pieces that are light and versatile - so if the temperature rises for a few hours, you can easily shed a layer or two."
"The YMC trousers are an ideal choice for transitional dressing. They’re made from a midweight cotton-linen blend, so they feel light without being too summery. They’re high-waisted, have front pleats for shape and a wide leg that adds so much to an outfit’s silhouette." I love navy with green, so I’ve paired them with an olive green quilted jacket, breaking up the two colours with an ecru linen shirt."
Angharad wears the YMC Deadbeat Trousers with with a green quilted jacket, breaking up the two colours with an ecru linen shirt layered underneath. For extra practicality, she adds an oversized trench:
"With my realistic hat on, I popped my trench on top - it’s a colour and shape that complement the rest of the outfit, so it feels like a considered extra layer rather than an afterthought. It’s also light enough to fold up and tuck in my bag when I’m out and about."
Shop the look
 Indi & Cold Linen Shirt |
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Look 3
Some outfits don’t need overthinking. Angharad points to the tried-and-tested jeans and t-shirt combo: "The moment I slipped these Sessùn jeans on, I thought of Jane Birkin. This outfit isn’t revolutionary, but aren’t the best ones often the simplest?"
The Sessùn jeans, made from TENCEL™ Lyocell, offer a high-rise waist, tapered leg, and a perfect fit - "no gaping, no pulling, and no need to roll up the hems for my 5’4” frame."
"Then there’s the T-shirt. It’s from Sunray, the Cornwall-based brand that makes its pieces in Japan on vintage circular knitting machines. This process helps each garment to hang perfectly and stay in shape, which is particularly good when it comes to T-shirts. This tee is made from 100% recycled cotton. It’s soft but it feels hardy; the kind of piece you’d keep for years."
Finishing touches? Classic brown leather, square cross-body bag and fisherman sandals, a nod to Jane Birkin’s effortless style. "One of those everyday looks I know I’ll always feel good in."
Shop the look
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Sunray T-shirt
Sessun Nica Jeans
Look 4
Angharad’s first instinct was to layer this Girls of Dust quilted vest over a long-sleeved tee, but she loved how it paired with the YMC trousers so she kept it simple.
"The vest is 100% cotton. It's soft, quilted, and light so it’s perfect if you want an extra layer that doesn’t feel too thick or warm. It also works on its own when the front ties are done up. It’s quite short so if you do wear it like this, it’s best paired with high-waisted bottoms (or you could wear it over a slip dress for a vest-and-skirt look)."
Angharad finishes the outfit with fisherman sandals, but it would work just as well with canvas trainers or chunky boots for a different feel.
Shop the look
 YMC Deadbeat Trousers |
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Shoedesign Sandals
G of D Quilted Vest
Angharad’s edit highlights the beauty of simple, well-made pieces that work seamlessly together - timeless, effortless, and always wearable. Whether it’s a crisp navy shirt, perfectly tailored trousers, or an understated t-shirt, these pieces prove that great style is all about thoughtful details.
Discover the full collection online and in-store, and find your own go-to pieces for the season ahead.
The Q&A
Hannah, daughter of Maze founders Glenn and Gillian Vaughan, chats to Angharad about the business, how they choose the pieces they stock, and why eco-conscious design is a top priority.
You’re celebrating 40 years this year. What inspired the opening of Maze in 1985?
My dad started Maze as a menswear store. He’d been working as the manager of a clothes shop for over a decade and decided that he’d rather do it for himself. He was putting in long hours, but he wasn’t reaping any of the rewards.
His decision to go it alone came from a gradual process of learning the trade and taking a chance, rather than a single lightbulb moment. I was five at the time. It was quite a gamble, and my folks risked everything they owned to start the business. Failure just wasn’t an option. They grafted and made it work. Once it was up and running, my mum left her job and came on board to open a womenswear store. Over the next decade, they expanded and opened in several different cities, including Bristol where we are today.
I joined the party quite late after working as an art editor in London (I studied History of Art) and now I get to enjoy the glory of their hard work as the second-generation shopkeeper.
What's changed, and what's stayed the same since then?
On one hand everything — the proliferation of high street chains, the internet, the rise of direct-to-consumer websites, and the decline of other independent stores — but when I think of Maze, I see consistency.
We’ve always set out to work with people like us, who care about their craft and want to create something a little bit special. We champion design-led products and present them in a way that hopefully inspires people to find new ways to mix and blend the collections.
Despite working with many different brands over the years, the way we edit and curate the product in-store has given us a clear aesthetic — a distinct Maze style that remains the same. Not many people wear one brand head-to-toe and our way of presenting different collections by colour encourages people to discover new combinations that suit the way they want to dress.
We’ve always had high standards of customer care and product presentation, and we love making each piece look the best it possibly can. Good design is inspiring, and we try to filter and refine the pieces we’ve found to give a polished selection. Our love of good clothes and our desire to share the joy they can bring hasn’t changed a bit since we opened the doors in 1985.
The retail landscape has changed a lot over the last 40 years and many independent retailers have sadly had to close their doors. What’s it like running an independent retail business in 2025?
Much like my parents in 1985, I don’t really consider failure an option! Maze has played a significant role in my life, and I hope it will continue to do so. There’s a lot of work involved in keeping all the plates spinning, but I enjoy turning up each day, trying to improve on the day before. The cyclical nature of the job — buying, then merchandising and selling — appeals to my nature. I enjoy the creative renewal it brings. The physical store attracts a great community and we’re lucky that we get to work with an interesting and inspiring team. There are always so many fascinating people to meet.
How do you choose the brands that you stock? What do you look for?
Do we love it? Would we wear it? Does it have a strong identity, a core style that’s more than just a passing trend? We can’t possibly wear everything we buy, but it’s still about whether it’s relevant to how we want to live. We tend to keep a group of people in mind when we’re buying and ask ourselves, would they wear it? We’re fascinated by brands with heritage, those who stake claim to a particular style and make it their own. We want to sell things that are honest and genuine. Above all, we just have to love it.
You’ve always championed eco-conscious makers. Why is this important to you?
We all need to be aware of what we buy and the impulses behind that. Where we spend our money can have a lot of influence and if you choose brands that care about the environment and the people they work with, that makes a difference. We hope to encourage the purchase of long-lasting pieces and support good employment opportunities for those involved in clothing production.
I’m all for online shopping but there’s something so special about an in-store experience. What can someone expect from visiting Maze in Clifton? What else should they check out in the area?
Physical retail is hugely important. The shopping experience is as essential as the collections we champion. We want this to be an enjoyable process for our customers, and that extends beyond our store into the local area. We choose to be in a village location at the top of the city. We’re surrounded by sweeping Georgian crescents with Brunel’s impressive suspension bridge nearby.
Clifton is one of Bristol’s most striking neighbourhoods, filled with independent stores, restaurants and coffee shops like Burra and Mercy Mercy Mercy that keep it feeling vibrant and youthful. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a stroll and find some great clothing. We hope it brings a bit of beauty and positivity to the world.