The view from here

I once read a book by Gerald Durrell where he described how having collected a variety of animals he was then unable to ship them home, he opened the cages to release them and they just sat there so used to the confines of their cages had they become.
I felt a bit like that on Friday, I had carved a couple of hours out of my day and so decided a walk around London was in order. But where to start? So, Julie Andrews style, I started at the beginning and walked up to Jermyn Street, through the Burlington Arcade, up Cork Street, over to Bond Street, the across to Bruton Street, Over Berkly Square and across to Selfridges.
I popped into Zara, hugely disappointing, they have had little I want in for ages, but that is because I no longer require glamorous evening wear, the outfits I have rarely see the light of day.
Muji too, was disappointing. In Uniqilo my patience was rewarded and finally I bagged a pair of +J tapered trousers,I love them. The cashmere was in the sale, but the women's was a little too snug and the men's only had naff colours.
I prevaricated for ages as to whether to buy a polo neck, they are not flattering but I think I may crumble as the impending life of a peasant looms ever closer.. anything to stave the chill of cold concrete.
Emin is laughing at my impending confinement in his village, I have looked forward to other breaks more it has to be said.
On to COS, oh the damage I could do to my bank account, I whittled down eight wants, into two eminently sensible purchases. A simple fine knit grey round neck merino wool jumper, really lovely with brown, as you can see later here. Plus a fine knit long blue drawstring V neck, it is a lovely colour and will rock with my new trousers and ankle boots, if it stops raining I may wear and draw them tomorrow.
One shop I have virtually stopped even going to is Jigsaw. This is a shock even to me, but one of the main reasons (apart from the ridiculous prices they now charge), is when I hauled out my heavy duty winter clothes last week, you know the stuff, tweeds, velvets, the thicker woolies. All the jigsaw stuff looked so flat, limp and lacklustre. The knitted stuff is so poorly made, it pill's at the touch of hand, it sags and looses it's shape after a couple of wears, for the price it is not worth it. They do some lovely styles and I have always liked their shapes but compared last years Uniqlo it looked very sad. Both COS and Uniqlo knitwear looks good after one season and I see little sign it won't look good next year, so I will stick with that for a while.

Louis Vuitton Bond Street. Waving a cheery two fingers up to global warming!

Stella McCartney Bruton Street using eco' energy' I would have thought using no energy at all would have been better. I do hate rich people that bang on about using more expensive resources, they should try living on a normal income before moralising.

I did feel a little sorry for her as bang next door. Matthew Williamson had a window FULL of fur!

Selfridges, not quite as amazing as in the past, but fabulous all the same. It had a kind of Panto' feel to it, very colourful, if a little manic/Steven King like!

Bennetton, my favourite Christmas tree, isn't it lovely? I used to buy loads of sweaters from here, and now I don't even look. Even this time I only went in to take a photograph! I have a hunch they don't knit for chunky monkey's like me.

Anthropologie, finally I made it. It was like stepping back in time for me. All the clothes reminded me of what I wore in the late eighties early nineties. I used to make skirts out of vintage fabric and wore them with vintage beaded cardies I found on Greenwich market.

Even the hotch-potch eclectic mix of ceramics reminded me of when we ate off charity shop china. what was very noughties was the prices, I stepped away pretty quickly. You can still source a similar look far cheaper than this, but I guess they have rent to pay.

Maison Martin Margiela, I think this is from there. How lovely is this dress?

Jane Edden @ Flowers Gallery I saw little on Cork street that rocked my boat except this, I would if I were less obsessed with all knitwear that is grey have bought this. I loved her work and this piece was my favourite, simple, but beautifully executed.

I then went to see The Taylor Wessing Prize on at the NPG. Brilliant Go see.

My batteries are charged. I had the dullest weekend you could imagine and I could not have enjoyed it more if you had wrapped it in marzipan. Perfect. My last for a while however. Coming up a weekend of theatre and dining. The following weekend York and then Cyprus. Oh my middle name is globetrotter!