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Blame it on our ongoing obsession with The Queen’s Gambit and Drag Race, but checkerboard print is everywhere this season – championed by brands such as Miu Miu and Stand Studio (creators of that Instagram-famous coat) and even influencing our interiors choices. Want in but unsure about going head-to-toe chessboard? Accessories are a great way to do the print in small doses.

Fans of statement rings – another key look for spring, according to Etsy’s latest jewellery trend report – will love Mika & Moon’s handmade polymer clay rings (£11), which come in two brilliantly named colours (‘Green’s Gambit’ and ‘Checkmate’). Also made from polymer clay are Studio Niamh’s graphic chain link earrings (£10), delivering maximalist impact without weighing lobes down. If your hair’s in need of a dopamine hit, just add a checkerboard claw by Asos Design (£8) or Wolf & Moon’s acrylic hair clips (£30 each), which intersperse deep jewel shades with shimmery pearlescent tiles. And on the bag front, Baggu’s recycled nylon shopper (£12) will energise any outfit – whether you’re heading out for brunch or to the supermarket. Beth Harmon would be proud…

The co-host of new podcast British Scandal shares her current obsessions

Dress Your Family In Corduroy And Denim by David Sedaris
“My friends bought me this book of short stories by David Sedaris, who is a fantastic voice on radio, but first and foremost a brilliant writer. He’s an eccentric who writes these tales about growing up and about families, including his sister Amy Sedaris from Broad City. He uses language beautifully and is really funny with it too.” £9.99, Bookshop.org

Indoor fig tree
“I have loads of house plants and a lot of them have grown to be quite tall. But fig trees are really difficult to grow and they look really brilliant once they’re established. They’re just beautiful.” From £12.99, Happy Houseplants

Hourglass Mechanical Gel Liner
“A friend gave me this eyeliner – it’s one of those retractable ones that you push up. It’s somewhere between a kohl and a liquid eyeliner. I rub my eyes constantly, or I’m on my bike and my eyes are streaming so everything smudges and I have panda eyes wherever I arrive. This is really good because it stays put, but you don’t have to scrub to get it off.” £17, Feelunique

Sentimental In The City
“This podcast hasn’t got the glory it deserves. A mini-series with Dolly Alderton and Caroline O’Donoguhue, they take an episode from each of the six seasons of Sex And The City and do a serious deep dive. For me, SATC wasn’t a massive cultural moment, it somehow passed me by yet I still love hearing them talk about it because they’re really smart and funny.” Listen on Acast

Hershesons Almost Everything Cream
“Luke Hersheson cuts my hair at his salon in London – I love this cream that you can use for styling but it’s also good for dry ends to make them look like they’ve got life. I’m a big swimmer and they must despair when I go in there because my hair is highly flammable – it’s like hay.” £10, Hershesons

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Image credits: David Loftus; Alex Cameron; courtesy of brands