Fragments from Chelsea

For auntiegwen...shame on you!

I am currently on holiday and will be back June 7th

Go and make a cup of tea, get comfortable because Sartorial Chelsea Flower Show is here.

This from Hilary Rose from here

What a judgmental cow..Talk about miss the point. I do understand the sentiment, hence I struggle to wear stripes at the seaside for fear of looking like some pastiche but Chelsea is all about FUN and I hope Ms Rose you did not attend for either because the irony of your name is as about as relevant as your sartorial judgement. Rant over.

The whether was very chilly so more coats than normal myself included. I saw less flowers I hope not because of what Ms Rose wrote. Still I found plenty to inspire

I will not debate the logistics of the day just yet, instead look at the amazing style on show. All this was taken in 3 hours..think what I could do with a whole day! I will do so next year.

COATS

Some lovely cream macs on show

The coats were amazing, both plain and floral.

Dresses

I LOVE the outfit far left, I really really want that cardie, yes I know Jigsaw do one maybe I will have to bite the bullet and buy it.

Vintage Fabric

Stripes

Muted textures

Spots

Clotted Cream

Tomorrow some closer fragments, I used my Pentax which was slower to focus and a bit intrusive but I did get some lovely images come back tomorrow.

Shopping

Since taking photographs of my clothes actually being worn I have learnt so much. One thing in particular which I have found a shock is that is everything I own from GAP looks really horrible on.
Why?
I think it has a lot to do with the quality of fabric which unlike other shops is poorer and so clings, emphasising my spare tyre. I also think they are cut for someone slightly shorter..who knows. What I do know is I will not shop there again, I will stick to shops whose clothes look good both in the changing room and in the photograph. So for a chuckle I took the camera shopping and here are the results The top row all looks pretty grim except the middle jumper. The photograph (taken too close in the changing room) is not good but it was flattering and a lovely moss green. However bat wing sleeves and teaching art do not mix so no purchase.
The bottom row repeats my unbelievable addiction to shrouds, including a stripy one that I tried on in Muji. again the middle top is OK... but I will talk about arms in a minute...
So the last image is of the top in the picture just before it is a lovely khaki green but worn with a belt. The trousers are out of my comfort zone but I loved the combination and so KERCHING No shrouds today.


On to Next, not my usual hunting ground but I spied those trousers in the window and so had to try them on....but.... no I did not buy.
1. they were the wrong green a bit too bright.
2. the pockets stuck out too much.
3. not cheap at £35
4. Do you detect a bit of mutton here...I'm not sure. maybe if they were darker.
I confess I bought the stripy top, it hangs like a dream it is cream and green and was only £14.

Oh arms... Dear God I go to the bloody gym 3 times a week. I work like a dog on those triceps I tell you and seriously would you get them out in public? Are they not horrible? I will NEVER buy a sleeveless top again unless it is to be worn ONLY under a cardie.

It is half term and so from here on in the posts have been prepared in advance, I will return 7th June

Wardrobe Watch 6

Some serious temperature swings had to be coped with this week staring with nearly 30 degrees falling to 14 degrees by Wednesday! Oh joy. I think this may be my favourite week.
Monday 9/10
Cool for the heat a COS artists smock, very light, very cool, very comfy, teamed with a very old pair of linen trousers from Oasis via EBay.
Tuesday 10/10
I LOVE this outfit, you have seen the cardie from Primark, worn over a really thin loose viscose top from Jigsaw, a couple of years old, teamed with black trousers from Zara that I altered the hem of to get the right length.
Wednesday 10/10
So cold I had to put some tights back on, I LOVE this skirt from COS with my back buttoned cardie from Muji.
Thursday 10/10
I know, black again, Zara trousers again, but different ones, slightly thicker jeans style. This was worn with a loose COS top and that really lovely heavy gold cardie I bought way back in January from Massimo Dutti
Friday 10/10
Warmer so Black linen trousers from Monsoon via EBay, with the lovely rosette necked top layered under a thermal cropped cardie from Toast.

I am almost beyond exhausted. I have marked and moderated 40 GCSE's and over 20 A Levels sounds easy but that represents a LOT of work and HUGE amounts of stress. I went home Wednesday and Daisy broke down with the stress of revising and the pressure of having to achieve such high grades to get into university.
We all gave her counsel and she survived the following day a statistics exam followed by physics exam.
I met Mother who tapped into reserves of patience I didn't know I had, Chelsea was great, but seriously, I will have to go on my own next year.
More on Chelsea later.

Magazine clippings

I love a cross body bag and my favourite is the Ally Capellino below, a close second would be the Alexa from Mulberry, but the surprise above left is the tan satchel from Hobbs, a shop I hate but maybe I should go and check out the bags sadly not this year as the final holiday payment beckons closely followed by some dental work. But are they not all most covetable?

Grazia as if to rub salt in the wound has identified further celebs all wearing my ache to own trousers. Please please Zara make some for my chunky monkey frame..

I blew the price of these trousers in Ikea this weekend I could have wept, seriously it was so galling on every bloody level. I hate buying new furniture, I like furniture to tell a story, have a history, I go to considerable lengths to make sure it does but for some reason I was taken by surprise when Daisy moved into the spare room. I guess I never thought we would be free of au-pairs and so did not have a plan for when they stopped coming.

So out went a vile chest of draws in came a bloody "HOW MUCH" desk from Ikea. My aim was to buy a cheap trestle table, but none would fit the space, so in the end I bit the bullet and because I had driven especially and so was standing in the shop I was forced to spend a fortune on a pine desk. She loves it I hate it. I then had to buy a lamp, a lamp shade and duvet cover. Boom there goes my trousers.

Roll on Chelsea....

Maison Martin Margiela

Is coming to town and is on my MUST SEE list for this coming half term. It is the construction of the dresses I love the most so getting a chance to see them close up rather than pressing my nose against the shop window will be a real treat

images from here

Resort Love

In my effort to track down the name of the previously listed spotty shirt I was convinced it was Chanel Resort, I was wrong but ended up finding these images from style.com from last years Resort collections Chanel

I just love this dress, especially those amazing billowy sleeves.

Sonia Rykiel
I am still toying with getting some of these trousers if only I could find a less 'full' style.

Victor & Rolf
Again it is the trouser love especially the ruched up bottom part.

Marni
I love the shapes and proportions of this outfit especially the slight kick at the bottom of the trousers

Lutz & Patmos

Well you have seen what I wear and so why I love all of this is a no brainer really. Again those trousers I now really want, and with the slouchy tops these images will be stuck in my brain until visually and sartorially realised.

I always forget about the Resort collections, which I shouldn't as they are probably the most accessible in terms of translating an idea into practise than some of the others seasonal collections, plus I like the pared down capsules.

Sister Wolf's 'So What' definition of bloggers who posing in fairly ordinary daily outfits and have family photos only of interest

to a minority of readers. As Saliieri says in Amadeus "I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint"
So shove it Sister Wolf*.
What a difference a week makes, I started fairly wrapped up and ended up in a linen top, out of the closet a week earlier than anticipated. Monday 7/10
A bit frumpy with hindsight, that skirt could do with a coloured top, I had bought a blue one last year but gave it to Daisy because it was too clingy, I will keep trying. The grey marl top is from Muji it has a lovely boat neckline. Skirt from COS lovely, but a bitch to find a top for, the cardie is a loose one I found in a shop in Narberth, it too is lovely, very forgiving a Norwegian design I think.
Tuesday 10/10
I LOVE this top from ASOS (can you believe it was only £10?)I am so glad I bought it a size bigger so it hangs really well, worn with fairly structured Zara trousers the one draw back was the friction between top and trousers meant the t-shirt runched up when I walked. You can just see the coral necklace I made.
Wednesday 9/10
Now known as that "baby doll dress that makes me look like mutton" Like I say shove it, Dress from COS cardie from Kew. shell necklace I made, another favourite.
Thursday 10/10
Don't be deceived by the photo I loved this outfit, It is a long COS dress worn over very light loose jersey leggings with buttons down the side from Zara last year, for the chilly morning I put another cardie from Kew, grey again but the long length works well with the dress, it is the photo that's crap. The necklace from Toast is now a firm favourite.
Friday 8/10
I bought this shirt from Zara last week it could do with being an inch longer and having a couple of vents down the side. That said it is lovely and cool and I like the detailing which Zara is particularly good at. Worn with some old black trousers from Mango.

A good week but the difference in temperature has thrown future plans and I will have to work in more linen than I anticipated. Plus next week will need a Chelsea outfit as it is the Flower Show on Thursday afternoon. The other stripy top from ASOS was perfect too but very autumnal so I have kept it and bagged it up for October! I have to say ASOS could become a firm favourite especially with free P&P.

* This is a joke by the way, her blog is blocked so I can't read it. The quote came from God knows where, but made me laugh as it summarises by blog perfectly so if the cap fits.......my lovely dress has a silver lining!

Silver linings and Polka Dots

Long John Silver

OK, first up and no snickering, but a few weeks ago I was watching a Jamie Oliver cookery programme, he goes to Venice and visits a woman's prison where they grow all their own vegetables. One of the prisoners looked so cool, she was wearing a pair of these cropped peg trousers in black with a khaki top I though it looked so amazing that whilst waiting for Kitty to try on something in Uniqlo I spied these Just as I toyed with trying them on Kitty breezes out and says, "No Mum they will just make you look like a pirate" So with a heavy sigh I held that image of Long John Silver in my head and put them back.
Then on Wednesday Emin decreed my blue dress made me look like Mutton, maintaining dignity in my house is a loosing battle I tell you.

Polka Dots

Buying Grazia each week, which I thought I might do since I am so tired of the post election drivel currently being served up by the Guardian, is going to bankrupt me, since each week I spy a 'look' and ache to replicate it. This weeks squeeze was the image on the left, quite frankly the most stunning polka dot shirt EVER. Unlike the stripy t-shirts from last week this was a gauntlet that threw up a considerably harder challenge to rise to.
Google Breton t-shirts and you will trip over an embarrassment of riches, few of which are 'the one' but you get a sporting chance.
Google polka dot shirt and tumble weed blows across the screen. What makes the search even harder is whilst I love stripy jersey, spotty jersey I hate, the way spots distort is so not flattering and so the ONLY fabric that looks good in spots is silk, preferably a heavy crepe. My best shot came with the shirt on the right found at La Redoute Sadly even from the photograph we can ascertain it is not silk and the dots are very fine, still I quite like it and it is on a maybe list at present.

Silver Lining

I am snowed under marking and moderating at present, whilst also conducting a sixth form exam, but will leave you with this delightful bon mot.
Leyla is currently trying to improve her English and does some extra work each night, last night one section of her text book asked her to fill in the blank part missing from some well known proverbs.
One of which was .........................has a silver lining.

She wrote .......My lovely dress..........has a silver lining.

Sometimes my heart aches with love.

Feeling fragile

Having borrowed a dress from my sister I decided to wear my usual black tunic over silky black trousers, with a lot of crystal. I took some picture of Leyla and I, but either I left the memory card at home or I failed to put it in the camera. hey ho.
The wedding was very tolerable, good food but I drank too much so am feeling fragile. Many guests had flown in from Cyprus, the bride was so tiny I thought the cake decoration had fallen off and come to life, she wore a huge retro dress, you know the ones with a big bow and a train? Leyla danced despite her legs still aching from her school disco and everyone wore their best red carpet dresses, OK well not everyone, but I'm English so I don't count.
The dress Lucy had let me borrow was pink and turquoise blue and I just felt way too out of my comfort zone.

Robin Hood was a tad disappointing, the problem I guess is was he was a dull fellow but King John in real life was an awesome piece of egotistical megalomaniac. Nottingham too was squeezed out into tiny glorified pimp role. You came away feeling that Mr Crowe so as not to be upstaged had marginalised all the baddies, too many opportunities were missed just to give the all be it gorgeous Mr Crowe a star vehicle.
It is 3/5 good fun but lacks bite. I think if they do another they really should cut the schmaltz and let King John do his worst.

I laughed at the SATC 2 trailer, so that's all the good bits seen!

Wardrobe Watch 4

The weather was really really cold this week, mornings were barely above zero so much layering was required. The best purchase of this month was a pair of charcoal grey opaque tights. They are slightly less wintry than black, but go with everything, as does an old navy Tabio pair I have from a couple of years ago, for some reason they don't do a nice grey in the opaque style so charcoal grey tights are something I am always looking for but not at Falke prices.

Monday 7/10
oops wore the same skirt I wore last week, a double breasted on from H&M, this time with a cowl neck top from M&S which is a size too big simply because I bought it on line and couldn't be bothered to swap it. belted it's fine.
Tuesday 8/10
I realise that this actually does not look very flattering, it has not photographed well at all, but I love the combination hence the high mark, both the jumper and skirt are from COS but different seasons. The skirt was from the very first collection and I was lucky enough to get it in the sale, which means I buy 2 rather than actually save any money!
Wednesday 7/10
My sister once told me I did not really suit a long skirt, I think my leg body ratio was wrong, however that does not stop me buying them and this one is quite an old specimen from Jigsaw but bought from EBay. I love the structure of it and I found it worked best with a longer more fitted jumper, this one from Massimo Dutti layered over an old stripy t-shirt.
I of course did not wear my mac with this, nothing would have looked worse proportion wise. had I done so I would have probably found my self flying across London's roof tops Mary Poppins style.
No instead I wore it with my black leather biker jacket since while cold it was not raining.
Thursday 8/10
Very similar in the photograph to Monday but the skirt is quite different although from H&M again. I was with my sister waiting for Daisy to try on some clothes. We chatted for a while before I spied this skirt hanging on the end of the sale rack, I picked it up and not only was it my size but it was only £10! She laughed, she too was going to pick it up but decided it was too short (she is 6ft) it is shot through with metal which give it a lovely stiff silhouette. Teamed with a loose black top from COS and another cardie this time from Kew.
Friday 8/10
Finally the sun is out and it is warmer, I am hiding 2 vests (1 thermal) under this top again from COS but worn with some old black trousers from GAP via EBay

4 weeks down 2 to go.

Thursday already

So Thursday already, Of all the days of the week for some reason it is my least favourite, I can't even blame the timetable as I am fairly teaching lite.
This morning was different though, after 4 years of Au pairs we all woke up without one. Au pair number 5 was our least favourite, she was oblivious to our irritation but in the end under the premise of sending her home early to be with her father who had just had heart surgery we re booked her flight home yesterday.
This coincides with Daisy's study leave which combined with Emin working from home should allow us to cope with The Leyla Monster.*
Both Daisy and Kitty had argued over who would take over the vacated room, trust me it is a small box room compared to their current palace, the only reason Kitty gave in to Daisy was it had no TV aerial point, (she does love her television in the morning). I told Daisy I would get the room ready for her at the weekend, but Kitty had other ideas and bounced Daisy out last night before the mattress had chance to air. It must be a girl thing because she had already 'accessorised' the room when I went in to wake her this morning!
So Daisy will be, I hope holed up in her garret for the next 6 weeks revising like stink in an effort to get into university. I have done my bit, it is time for her to do hers.
That she leaves school tomorrow is so unbelievable, when I can almost reach out and touch the memory of her first day. That she even went to that school was a fortuitous, having failed to get in anywhere else I picked up the phone to the grammar school next door to where I teach, they were testing the final batch at the end of the week, she passed with flying colours despite a bout of flu. But she then spent the next 7 years having to get up early and travel 10 miles each way to get there. She knew no one but has made many, many friends over the years and even though she did not shine academically she has blossomed into a wonderful adult, all be it a pocket sized one (she's tiny!) To celebrate their last day they are all wearing their original school uniform!

* Talking of the Leyla Monster, she came home last week clutching a piece of paper that announced they were having a school disco, she asked if she could go, I was happy but I really did not think Emin would be so accommodating, she asked and amazingly he said yes! Shock horror, of course there was a list of provisos longer than the Magna Carter and Leyla has spent the last two week sucking up her anger and instead giving us "yes sir", "no sir" "three bags full sir"...God help Emin Saturday morning because that child is going to unleash Hell, I am hoping to soften the blow by promising her a visit to what looks to be the best blockbuster for years... you know what I'm talking about.

Then we have a wedding, my sister has lent me a very 'summery' dress, I am not sure if I like it and I am not sure if it will be warm enough since I am currently wearing two vests under a top and cardie. It is still freezing here and I blame Lisa Armstrong who a couple of weeks ago declared we should ditch the tights now the sun is out. Ha, no way, the sun may be out but it is 0 degree's and my tights are staying put.
To make it worse, tomorrow my sister will fling back the curtains of her 5* hotel suite overlooking the bay of Monaco. Yes, she is going to see the Monaco Grand Prix courtesy of her work. I could weep... but hey at least I get the holidays...

B&W love

From Whistles
I ache for this one but they do not seem to have it in my size, the website has others but charges p&p unlike ASOS which is free.

this although not what I want, I like and may order it from ASOS

this one is only £10 from ASOS and by ordering it in a large size I am hoping to get something fun for the weekend.

I did another bit of polyvore with my wardrobe on Tuesday and I am beginning to crack what works well as well as breathing a new lease of life into old favourites. Afterwards I identified two items I really wanted and knew would help. The first was a green pair of straight leg trousers, and would you believe it this photograph was in Grazia the following day. How perfect are these? Indeed how perfect is the whole outfit? (more here found by a complete accident) It brings me to my second object of desire, a b&w top, better still a.....

b&w stripe top, this is now my holy grail.

This picture from The Sartorialist is just fantastic and again coincidentally appeared after I added the b&w top to my list. As you see it looks fantastic and will be mine....this article from the Guardian sings it's praises
Finally something I have longed to own for some time is a mans red spotted scarf which I'm sure could be picked up from a vintage shop would that I had the time. This site has every colour combination but at what price? In the end I settled for this one just in case the sun ever ever comes back again, you have NO IDEA how COLD it is here at the moment, arctic, I have 3 vest on 2 of them thermal plus a fan heater on my feet.