Brrrr Cold

This is not the actual image I wanted to post of what has to be the best dressed of all the fashion editors on parade at a fashion week near you, no the image I wanted was from the style.com web site shot by Tommy Ton, but it was a 'print screen' only and I'm just way too lazy for that so bear with me.

What originally caught my eye was not the dress (which is hideous) but her hair of course, just to ram home a point I love the way she frequently ties it up, it was after that I realised the incongruity of the scarf. Giovanna does do good scarf, but with short sleeves? Then of course you see the raging nipple erection and realise the scarf is really needed before hypothermia sets in, as her body fat must be below 15%.
Then I did some research and she is really very good with a scarf, I now covet some heavy silk numbers to tie closely like this too.

This is even more of a contradiction when you realise her dress skims her bum! but I love the Turkish style wrap, plus warm ears = warm butt.

One of my favourites of her, both these illustrate a nice tidy scarf, and both illustrate the early days when practicality won over fashion, and to be honest she looks better for it.

OK sandals plus scarf?

Something Stripey For the Weekend?

The long and short of Primark.
Both my Primark cardies have been serendipitous purchases, it is not a shop I choose to go shopping in for various reasons, but it ticks Daisy's boxes and the sleep wear is great for Leyla. Walking through last year I spied this cardie, if you can grab the largest size the clothes are fine, this is a lovely stretchy cotton so it goes over most t-shirts and is perfect for the seaside.

This too is from Primark only this time I was waiting for Daisy to appear from the changing room, standing bored witless I started to look around and could not believe this shining beacon of taste and style. Again cotton, but this time loose and soft, this too goes over most things as I managed to procure a size 20.

I love wearing shorts, I do wish we had the climate for them, I love playing around with layering different lengths with them. These shorts have a story too, I bought them 8 years ago for a holiday to Turkey, the summer was unusually hot and so I wore them before we went, of course I washed them and hung them out to dry the day before, and there they stayed until my return.... I could have wept. I have worn them every holiday since, although they are a tiny bit tighter now, but they are the perfect length for me and will, I hope go on for another 8 years, until I retire!

When class is defined by a pony tail

These images were in the Times recently, and although I have never seen the programme the girls have become famous from I did love the two images for the message they send.

Above poor taste is defined by shiny fabrics with lace detailing or a frill or 20, or a shed load of ruching, a la knicker blinds.
Best of all the message is big hair = low class.

Here class is signified by matt fabrics, muted shades, judicious pleating and folding, and best of all the ubiquitous pony tail. Basically no matter what you look like or what you wear, instant class is obtained by a slick back pony tail.

YEAH

Be still my beating heart

Have you ever seen such a beautiful cardigan? Grey, with the perfect sleeves. The only tiny little problem? The price. £155! Which if you think about the money I fritter on cardies barely worn.... then in that case it's a bargain. No? From Toast

Flicking through last weeks Stella Magazine I fell in love with this image, well the whole dam lifestyle actually. I coveted the apron so much I went to order it, but it was sold out...sob.
I really do need an apron, I am so fussy I can't wear any old thing, I like the idea of neutral tones in linen. I will now keep an eye out for something similar, and yes I know I could make one, but really where is the fun in that?

Oh the cardie is pretty lovely too. Looking for aprons I tripped over this school uniform on the John Lewis web site, is it not divine? I want one!

The view from here

One of the fringe benefits of having girls as opposed to boy is that it is possible for me at least to upcycle my clothes.This summer I managed to achieve this not once but twice.
Daisy has taken a big bag of all my old silk camisoles that I failed to off load on eBay plus my treasured but languishing collection of Jigsaw thermal cardies, she looked so lovely in them that I decided to let them go and begged her to hand wash them and under no circumstances were they to go near a tumble drier. And yes, I am the worlds biggest optimist.
The more surprising upcycle was a bag of cardigans that had eaten away at my guilty psyche, it had been a couple of years since I had bought them. On impulse I spent far too much money on some cotton cardies from Kew, I really though they were the answer to all my problems, great colours, lovely shapes, etc, etc, in fact the colours were faded and really belonged on the beach and really the shapes were a little boxy and they lacked the fluidity of my COS cardies. So they sat unloved and unworn. Then recently Kitty adopted some Uniqlo cardies of mine and I thought maybe she would like them. She loved them, and what is quite sobering is that despite the fact that they are L & XL they look lovely on her, they drape so much better draped over her tiny frame she is an 8! So really they were probably not big enough. Now she is happy and I am happy especially as she wear them a lot, and now they can be machined washed without fear of loosing a couple of crucial millimeters.

I have found that by just not going into these shops saves repeating my mistakes, but I confess that despite all my very best laid plans my fingers have twitched in GAP recently. I did not succumb but really there are some lovely jumpers in there!

My favourite fashion writer has thankfully jumped ship from the Times and gone over to the Telegraph, Lisa Armstrong is such a good writer and now you can read her on the brilliant Telegraph website. Her description of hair disasters is identical to mine and the book she describes I have ordered on amazon, any book that recognises the style of Nancy Cunard will always be welcome on my bookshelf.

Screen Saver AKA Sanity Saver

My computer at work somehow managed to host a virus on Friday, so everything was wiped and reloaded fresh, this meant I had to reload my screen saver which was a particularly vibrant image of blossom. Now it is this, when I look at this my karma re-boots itself and I think to myself, not long now.

Autumn most defiantly has arrived along with gale force winds, i'ts quite humid so we sleep with our dormer windows wide open along with the bathroom window, it's like we're camping in our bedroom, but I love that feeling of a breeze whistling past me whilst wrapped in my duvet.

I broke my first resolution yesterday and bought a Vogue, primarily because there was a lengthy interview with Tacita Dean who is creating the next turbine hall instillation at The Tate Modern. I am also very much looking forward to the Rothko opening at The Whitechapel Gallery, plus I have tickets for the Degas coming to the R.A. on Friday, so whilst day time is grim playtime is looking good.

Wishing I was here ..a few more

Above is my dream house, I wish I could dare climb the wall to take a closer peek!

Everywhere you go there are wetsuits drying

And exotic birds too!