Liberty & Co

I did not feel like I had achieved much on Saturday, I had managed to walk into COS and leave empty handed, that was an achievement of sorts. I did visit the NPG but felt strangely disappointed by the Taylor Wessing Prize Arrogant though it sounds I felt that some lacked the punch needed to stand out and the only thing that separates me from them is they took the trouble to send in their images. I should pull my finger out really, I am so lazy at putting it 'out there' but the entry fee's charged really irritate me.
I did managed to add to my own personal portfolio of images, I have a folder of these that I am collecting for a blurb book, again the folder expands weekly but I have yet to put money where my mouth is!
Most uplifting of all was the windows at Liberty's. Once again they are a triumph of perfectly executed fantasy.

Manolo Blahnik

One for Daisy!

Festive Fun

A necklace I covet

I am beginning to tire of my endless baubles, I have in the past struggled to cope with costume jewellery, preferring the cold weight of semi precious stones. lately it has felt narrow and cloying in the same way only hanging my own photographs on the wall would feel. Sometimes I ache for a greater variety and since I can't afford the silver collars I crave I had a look for something different. I found one in Noa Noa and have ordered two from Toast, a strange shop that appears to not stock what it sells in it's catalogue and only has one branch stuck off the beaten track in Islington.

Emin asked no less than six bloody times if I was dropping Leyla off then coming home, he cannot fathom how I can fritter away a whole day in London, but I can and will do so again next Saturday. This time the V&A is calling.

Wardrobe Watch

This weeks wardrobe was very much dictated by the internal collapse of my uterus, clothes need to be machine washable and subject to a quick change if necessary. This coupled with what can only be described as inclement weather led to some comfort dressing this week.
Once again I appear to have gone from lightweight jacket straight to the duck down puffa coat with no degrees of wool coat in between.

Monday

Skirt M&S
Cardie COS
This cardie did come in a very garish mustard which I noticed another outfit blogger had bought but she is blonde and somehow it worked better on her, I of course love nothing better than a grey cardie. This one ticks so many boxes I wish I had bought two as I like my clothes to stay looking pristine for a year, but I have already worn this to death at the weekend I love it so much.

Tuesday

Dress COS

Top Uniqlo
Whenever I wear this dress now I think of Belgian Waffle's rant about Japanese asymmetry. I saw someone wearing this dress at Frieze Art Fair she had layered it over a long sleeved top, this is a Uniqlo thermal one which works well. I am making more of an effort to layer below rather than shroud above with loose cardies, it creates a better silhouette and work wise I drag far less in my wake!

Wednesday

Top COS
Cardie COS
Trousers Primark
By now my reserves are low so very slouchy, that said I still feel it echoes my Yohji mantra.

Thursday

Dress Phase Eight
Cardie Muji
Not much Yohji here but I have loved this dress so much, it makes you feel quite girly to have so much fabric swishing around.

Friday

Jumper COS
Trousers Zara*

This is about as close as I get to echoing that Stella McCartney silhouette, again one of those 'wearing it..' blogger's had bought the same trousers, they are the only item I have purchased from the normally very productive Zara. I have found the prices higher but quality lower and the styles verging on frump. Another outlet bites the dust joining such luminaries as Monsoon, Jigsaw, Kew, Coast etc etc etc..Mmmm maybe I should check out this ACNE store!


*

Francesca Woodman

On at the Victoria Miro gallery from next week.

I may have had a bit of a result, Leyla is attending some extra classes just south of Angel tube station, to soften the blow of taking her I will of course have to visit some exhibitions. it will be a novelty at first, but I can imagine not so much fun after a few weeks. However first up will be a catch up at the NPG. If the weather is nice I maybe might even take the camera out to play!

'Don't eat oysters unless there is an R in the month'.

Like the Oyster season my life is governed by the the letter R when one appears in the month I am lashed to my desk marking, I am half way through and already my car crash of a weekend seems a million miles away, if you would like to leave your calm and settled life and live mine all be it vicariously for a while then let me take you on a journey....
The idea was to leave early on Friday night and go to York with the main thrust of the visit centered around She Who is Missed Greatly, Daisy. Daisy clearly did not see the arrival of her mother plus 'not seen for months' sister as any great shakes and so had that very same weekend invited her boyfriend, you know the one that she said she was going to 'dump'? Yep that one. So now my thrust was as a courier of the various flotsam and jetsam she had left behind.
The traffic was horrendous and we limped into York past 9 o/c exhausted and went to bed.
An expensive mooch around York relieved me of £50, thank you Kitty, we then all decamped to the pub after a full and frank exchange of opinions with Daisy who kept us waiting for over 20min's, my mother does not 'do' waiting, ever, not without a bitter diatribe against the source of her irritation. Throughout my journey on Friday night my stomach was agony by Saturday it became clear my monthly hemorrhage was upon me a week early and my energy was being sapped rapidly. I dropped Her Majesty's stuff off, collected her plus said 'soon to be dumped' boyfriend to take back to Mothers to be fed. I felt worse and worse and after waving them goodbye went to bed only to wake up and creep quietly downstairs to die a slow, cold, lonely death. After throwing up copiously I crawled back to bed only to wake an hour later and bleed all over my mothers cream bedroom carpet. An hour of cleaning up later I went back to bed to sleep fitfully before giving up. It was a beautiful blue sky day, but it is impossible to go out without my Mothers shadow so instead of taking photographs on what was a glorious day I had to endure a march around town with her.. Not good, then because Daisy is so lovely I threw more money at her by taking her and the 'soon to be dumped' boyfriend for a pizza.
Home in time for Downton Abby? No way, the traffic was really bad and we decided to go through town, we limped through the center of London, only once in there we discover there is not one single, teeny, tiny, solitary left turn, because why would the Neanderthals who live South of the river ever have the intelligence to drive a car let alone afford one, in the end after seeing way too much of Smithfield market than was good for me, I did two U turns and finally managed to drive across the river, I was greeted by a dog who had barely left the house plus armful's of bedding he'd pissed on, as I stood up after enduring 5 hours on the road, I hemorrhaged another 2 pints of blood leaving Emin to recoil in horror before cleaning up muttering "I didn't sign up for this"

There's something about the colour green

This from Madewell

and more so these very luscious suede trousers from Apiece Apart

The later website has much to covet, well if I'm honest they both do only I lack the funds to indulge.

I seem to have read far to many blogs today, especially ones that say "Oh, I am not keen on shopping I never spend money...but here's something from ACNE I just happened to have bought to tease and taunt you with". I sit here thinking is it only me that counts the days until payday so I can score another hit from COS like a crazed crack addict?

Wardrobe Watch

So, it is back and bigger than ever with new and much improved shapes....Well I hope so.
I have found a couple of new blogs that post outfits which are enjoyable, although one did come up with one of those silly rules "harem trousers can only be worn with heels"! The whole point of styling is there are no rules, that is what makes it so much fun, you only have to look at some Japanese street style blogs to know that harem trousers look amazing with all kinds of flat shoes, boots and even converse trainers. Brogues come to mind as well as those riding ankle boots. So no rules here only brutal analysis, and the mantra "What would Yohji say?"
On a technical note I am these are taken from my reflection so may not always be clear and they were photographed on the same day! I have whittled 78 images down to 45 which should see me through until the end of term but day to day I do wear different coloured tights, only I could not face changing them between each outfit, I know hang my head in shame. From doing this I have pared my wardrobe for this term down considerably and it is saving me no end of time, as each outfit can be layered over my uniqlo thermals. The colder it gets the more thermal layers I wear!

Monday

When I tried this on in the shop it must have been in front of a magic mirror because I was convinced it made me look 7lb's lighter...WRONG But I would say it was difficult to photograph and I think my sister was right when she said I should steer clear of longer lengths. That said I do like it.
Tunic dress from COS
Long sleeved top Uniqlo

Tuesday

I love this, having shed a few pounds this year I am wearing a skirt that I love but that has been far too tight for comfort, layered under a trapeze top with very long sleeves and a scoop neck I think it really works.
Wool top COS
Skirt Kew

Wednesday

Another success, I have finally grown to love this +J skirt from Uniqlo, I did not wear it for ages as it needs quite a short top, but recently I have found a couple of jumpers that work well with it, so it is getting out a lot more this year.
Jumper Next
Skirt Uniqlo
Yeah, a COS free day....

Thursday

As is today, I can do it, just not very often, I had previously worn this tunic with trousers but the miracle purchase of this skirt* gives it a much better shape and proportion, what it needs now is a nice long necklace to garrote me every 5 minutes.
The skirt is very unusual in that it is from M&S not a shop I am a huge fan of, like Jigsaw and Whistles I question the quality of their fabrics, plus they're shops my mother frequents so it could be that too!
I found the skirt when Kitty was trying on bra's can you believe, as I sat patiently waiting it was swinging on the rail opposite me and I was transported back to my late 20's when I would wear this style all the time with a trapeze top. I had many, many versions in acid bright colours that my Mother referred to as bandages. I liked and still like the proportion of them when worn with a long top.
I failed to locate the skirt in the shop but found it on line and tentatively ordered it. It fitted like a glove and has transformed some of my tops giving me some new shapes for a change. I notice that Isabella Oliver has a really nice version which if it goes in the sale I will buy, I have not found another one but would like a grey marle version in the future.
Tunic Great Plains
Skirt M&S

Friday

I have only this year manages to squeeze into COS trousers then amazingly had to buy these in a size M! I love them although they smack a bit of WWII! I feel like I should be digging with the women's land army. But who cares I think Yohji would definitely approve.
Jumper House of Frasier
Trousers COS


*The skirt in close up

The Art of Frieze

Richard Wentworth

Rachel Whiteread

Roger Ackling

Sergej Jensen

Simon Dybroe Muller

Tony Swain


Yeondoo Jung

Sara Deraedt

Mark Manders

Lorea Herrera Rashid

Lesley Vance

Eva Kotatkova

Cathy Wilkes

Alexis Temarguerite Teplin

So that was my shopping trolley full!

I nearly forgot I had not posted the art which is pretty shameful considering it was the whole point of the fair!