Farmers may be digging lambs out of the snow in the UK and they may be forecasting freezing rain here for Easter weekend, but I have to believe Spring is tantalizingly just around the corner. Lovely new season items are creeping into my wardrobe and the one I am currently most pleased with is a denim tunic dress by new UK label Kin.
Dress by Kin/John Lewis
Denim has had a bit of a revamp for S/S 2013 and is looking a lot more luxe than it has done of late. The fabric has become more fluid and versatile and whilst still hard wearing and classic, it is now lending itself to re-interpretation by various designers, so think beyond your jeans and a denim jacket ladies - you'll be surprised by what you might find.
Miu Miu S/S 2013/Photo: Style.com
DKNY S/S 2013
John Lewis is my one stop shop when I have a moment's shopping time to myself in the UK and I was really pleased to come across their latest in house clothing line - Kin - last time I was in there. Launched in February and promising to be a 'family, lifestyle' brand, John Lewis is aiming firmly at the Toast and Cos market with this collection. It has a pared back Scandinavian aesthetic, promising contemporary laid-back styles with a classic feel. The men and children in your life can also get in on the act and it is very much a mix and match affair so these are items to add to your wardrobe and wear for years, as opposed to the fast fashion we are so often force fed these days. The pricepoint is excellent and The Observer listed Kin in their 'Style highlights for 2013' column, so I'm feeling rather ahead of the game. My tunic dress is a perfect example of the brand's timeless and
effortless look and the perfect interpretation of the Spring/Summer luxe denim trend, so I can't wait to wear it with some block heel
sandals, bare legs and a tan. Wishful thinking maybe, but we'll get there.
My lovely friend Cala runs Rose and Lula - a wonderful bag and accessory business, and in tandem she writes an inspirational, whimsical blog about setting up shop, realizing her dreams and achieving her goals. She recently posted a very entertaining piece about turning 40 - you can read it here and has allowed me to shamelessly copy her (thank you Cala). Whilst mine isn't a milestone birthday, I'm certainly another year older, definitely greyer and just possibly that little bit wiser. So here are 47 random things about me I thought I would share with you:
1: Happiness is being on a beach, anywhere, in any weather.
2: I wish I could play jazz piano.
3: My favourite book? "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
4: The song that makes me cry - "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol.
5: I can't bear busking accordion players - they bring out the worst in me.
6: Wardrobe staple? Converse Allstar lowtops in white or cream.
7: Donny Osmond or David Cassidy? Definitely David Cassidy.
8: I can happily watch "Finding Nemo" on a loop.
9: Would like to spend the day? Discovering Paris with Inès de la Fressange.
10: New Year's Eve makes me melancholy.
11: Favourite movie - so hard to choose but I'll say "The Way We Were".
12: Clothing obsession: Breton tops - blue and white stripes are like a magnet to me.... I have one that was my father-in-law's by Armorlux, it's still going strong.
13: I'd like to escape to - Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos.
Photo: www.cntraveler.com
14: My favourite season? Spring.
15: In 2013 I'm trying to "dare greatly" as Brene Brown puts it - watch her TedTalk and be inspired.
16: I dislike bananas in any shape or form.
17: Anger is such a negative energy - I try to give it as little houseroom as possible.
18: I'm superstitious about magpies (1 for sorrow, 2 for joy), ladders and the number 13.
19: Lifestyle guru: Mary Poppins. There's nothing she couldn't solve with a dash of common sense and good humour.
20: Audrey Hepburn is my ongoing inspiration, for her style, sincerity and love of humanity.
21: I take great satisfaction in crossing things off my 'To Do' list.
22: I'd say I'm a patient person except at 8.19 in the morning when we should be out the door.
23: I'm a very British girl who doesn't drink tea.
24: If I could come back in another life? I'd be Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette -with 2 maids and a Twitter account, what's not to like?
25:Herbal tea or stiff drink? Stiff drink - preferably a Martini (Hendricks gin, stirred, with a twist of lemon - or cucumber).
26: Best smell - my childrens' hair when they are sleeping. Yes, I still do it....
27: Good mood food: a Thai duck curry.
28: Best song lyric: "Don't get me wrong, if I'm looking kind of dazzled, I see neon lights, whenever you walk by" - The Pretenders.
29: Practising yoga makes me a nicer person - fact.
Photo: Pinterest
30: I find other people very interesting - I think I am inherently nosy.
31: I wish I had skin that tanned easily - sadly with my Celtic roots, factor 50 is essential to avoid the lobster look.
32: Laughter is definitely the best medicine - my boys' laughter is the best sound in the world.
33: Favourite Christmas movie: "White Christmas" - I am completely word perfect (ask English Gent).
34: Other people's junk is so often my treasure - upcycling is my byword.
35: Fresh flowers will always lift my mood and I would love to be a trained florist.
Flowers: Scarlet & Violet
36: Favourite art form? Cinema. I was lucky enough to work in the film industry for 10 years - crazy but good.
37: My greatest achievement? Giving birth to my two sons.
38: Yotam Ottolenghi is my current culinary hero, I am obsessed with sumac.
39: Glass half full or half empty? Half full.
40: Guilty pleasure? Watching "Lewis". (I have a secret crush on Laurence Fox.)
41: I don't like wearing skirts.
42: I absolutely love a bargain, in any shape or form.
43: Hope, truth and love are my three Graces.
44: I believe if you spend time doing good, then good things will come to you.
45: Favourite love song? "Fix You" by Coldplay.
46: Shoes and handbags - you can never have too many.
Jane Birkin & her Birkin bag/Photo: Telegraph
47: Official Middle Age: more time to live, laugh, love well and be true to myself, oh and try to grow old gracefully...
I'm off to Venice with English Gent for the weekend - lucky, lucky me! It also happens to be my birthday tomorrow so I shall report back on wandering around La Serenissima and how it feels to be another year older next week.
Photo: Alamy
Photo: Alamy
In the meantime, have a lovely weekend, whatever you are doing.
So Planet Fashion has gone a bit quieter now that London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks are all over but I wanted to round up my impressions post hoc, so here goes.
London first - a bit subversive, a bit rough around the edges, LFW still feels like Paris and Milan's younger, naughtier sister and it's all the better for that. We Brits embrace the non-conformist, eccentricity is our middle name, and this year, like any other didn't disappoint.
Cara Delevingne for Sister by Sibling. Photo: Vladimir Potop
Isn't this look just brilliantly bonkers? (I think it's the tam o'shanter that tips it over the edge). Only the beautiful Cara Delevingne, the 'it' model du jour, could carry it off - just. I so could NOT.
Colour was one of the big trends at LFW. The genius Peter Pilotto showed El Greco inspired jackets, skirts and coats in vibrant reds and yellows - Summer sunshine in an outfit - olé!
Photos: Vladimir Potop
Paul Smith showcased his usual mix of gentlemanly tailoring with a pop of the unexpected - that oh so British twist we all love, and even if it wasn't groundbreaking, it was still all pretty desirable.
Photos: Vladimir Potop
On the paler end of the spectrum, Simone Rocha took inspiration from her two grannies and presented a Pepto-Bismol pink collection that looked very fresh - we will all be wanting to wear muted, dusky pink in 2013 - trust me!
Photo: Vladimir Potop
Photo: Vladimir Potop
And as the high street labels make their presence felt on the catwalk, Whistles didn't disappoint with a slick collection of camouflage inspired pieces, sleek leather skirts and luxe sweaters. Jane Shepherdson we love you.
Photo: Vladimir Potop
Photo: Vladimir Potop
Across the Channel, the City of Light gave us the perennially chic Parisienne the designers hope we all aspire to be. Phoebe Philo for Céline, Raf Simons for Dior and Chritophe Lemaire for Hermès all showcased effortlessly chic clothes for A/W 2013. Some considered it all a bit serious and sombre - a backlash perhaps against the "Peacocks" as IHT fashion editor Suzy Menkes termed the streetstyle fashionistas who are seen outside the shows in ever more outlandish outfits, desperate to have their photograph taken, but there's no doubting it looks like it's going to be a very classy season indeed.
Celine A/W 2013 Photo: Vladimir Potop
Dior A/W 2013/Photo: Vladimir Potop
Hermes/Photo: Vladimir Potop
In Milan, Marni, Mrs. P and the wondrous Thomas Maier at Bottega Veneta all proved that Italian fashion know-how can produce stunningly beautiful clothes with that Italian sense of laissez-faire that they are so good at.
Marni A/W 2013/Photo: Vladimir Potop
Prada A/W 2013/Photo: Vladimir Potop
Bottega Veneta A/W 2013/Photo: Vladimir Potop
A dress, trouser suit, masculine coat, luxe knitwear, leather, draped wool, pinks, both dramatic and muted tones - these are all things to look out for later in the year but let's not wish the days away too fast, we haven't packed away this year's thermals quite yet, and we're desperate for warmer weather... Top trends for Spring/Summer 2013 coming very soon!
Everybody needs at least one. Sometimes they know you better than your own family, they nurse you through a broken heart, laugh with you, cry with you, encourage you, make you believe in yourself, in short they make you a better person - and you in turn, do the same for them. There is a large hole left in your heart and your life when for whatever reason that friend is no longer there.
When it comes to on screen versions of female friendship they can often ring hollow, but "Sex and the City" changed all that when it burst onto our screens way back in 1998. Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte were real women, with real feelings and more importantly, they felt like our friends. They were sassy, funny, bitchy (in a good way) and sexy and their friendships rang true in spite of all the Hollywood glitz. I really wanted Carrie's life (not to mention her wardrobe), but elements of all 4 womens' characters resonated with me and I can still be found sobbing when Big rescues Carrie in Paris and brings her back to NYC where she belongs - with the girls.
Photo: HBO
Now we have Lena Dunham's brilliant "Girls" - a sharper, bleaker, more explicit look at life in New York, this time for a group of 4 single girls in their 20's and we are no longer in glossy Manhattan, but somewhat grittier Brooklyn, yet the issues - finding a job, looking for love, trying to make something of your life, are all issues close to every girl's heart - and that of her best friend.
Photo: HBO
Season 2 of "Girls" has just finished and whilst I don't love the characters as much as I did those in "Sex and the City", there is no doubting that Dunham's writing - she is writer, producer and star of the hit show - is incredibly insightful and at times this makes for both painful and hilarious viewing. (Warning: watch an episode first before settling in with your Mum....)
At only 25, Dunham can currently do no wrong, her career has skyrocketed, she is a champion for real women with real bodies, won two Golden Globes earlier this year for Best Comedy Series and Best Actress in a Comedy Series and has just made her first foray into fashion with a short film for designer Rachel Antonoff.
Shot in a quirky, Wes Anderson-esque style, it features two girlfriends sharing an apartment in New York and made me think back to my time spent in Paris as a student living in a garret with my best friend. We just didn't have quite such a fab wardrobe....
Photo: Lena Dunham for Rachel Antonoff/Style.com
Fast forward 24 years and 'les filles' were reunited here last weekend, along with my other flatmate from university - the three of us shared together in our final year. We loved, laughed and lived life to the full that year - English Gent told me some years later that we were apparently known as 'the knockout flat', and I have to agree - my girlfriends are just that - knockout. Whilst we now all live in different countries and our interests and daily lives may have diverged somewhat over the years, the core friendship is still there and always will be. It is one of the best feelings in the world to be sitting with two people who know you so well, catching up, reminiscing, turning back the years, and now that we are mothers, looking to the future too. The boys left us to it - Rock Boy practically winced when he summed up what we would be doing: "Lots of girlish things, like fashion and chatting". I'll admit it - I do speak fluent girlish and I'm very glad that I do.
The ever inspiring fashion icon Jenna Lyons, creative director and Queen of all things J Crew, has talked about her love of shoes in a short video for the company in which she explains what separates a "shiny pony' from an 'ugly dolly". It's a slightly bonkers take on women's footwear but at the same time rather genius. She takes us behind the scenes to the factory in Italy and explains the design process and attention to detail that J Crew insist on for each pair of fabulous heels.
Photos: J Crew
Lyons has 289 pairs, some of which she has never worn (that makes me feel so much better), thinks leopard is a neutral (yeah!) and believes that "there is a sense of sparkle in a shoe, and I don't mean sequins, I mean that little extra". She also adds that "Shoes are like fairies, that little magical piece that finishes everything...."
Photo: J. Crew
Blue floral pumps with a sequin block heel, colour contrast courts - I'm wanting all of this season's gems and it just makes me love Jenna that little bit more, because I feel as one shoe person to another, we would of course be best friends - like immediately - if we had the chance to bond over traffic stopping stilettos.
In the meantime, I'm dreaming of crazy coloured fairy shoes and dancing the night away in my shiny ponies!
Do you have a favourite shoe and if so, does it have a name?
Every year, Spring brings me to the subject of the white shirt, and every year I find that there is still a hole in my wardrobe where that perfect, classic staple should be. A Holy Grail item, can you ever find 'the one' and if you do, is it still wearable the following year, or does it somehow just look wrong when you put it on again? Why should something so simple, prove to be so hard to find?
Alexa Chung for Vera Moda
Part of the trouble is knowing which style to go for and what works best for you. Whereas some women (notably chic French women) can seemingly throw any old thing on and look amazing regardless of the type of shirt or material, I veer between looking like I'm off to an interview circa 1992 or about to do some DIY in an oversized belted number. Neither, I can assure you is a good look.
Vogue editor Emanuelle Alt
Ines de la Fressange Photo: Getty Images
The undisputed Queen of the white shirt is of course Jil Sander, and she is finally back where she belongs, designing again for her eponymous label. Her timeless uniform of navy trousers and a white shirt has never gone out of style and her current S/S 2013 collection is a classic example of her immaculate tailoring.
UK Vogue/Photo: Alasdair McLellan
I love this shirt paired with the pastel polka dot skirt. It's fresh, feminine and beautifully cut. The image is from an amazing spread in April's UK Vogue entitled "Plain Song" - it makes me want to wear white every day though perhaps I would draw the line at wearing a linen napkin on my head... then again, anything in the name of fashion?
I do however think I may have found my perfect white shirt - for this year at least - and possibly even two. The first is by Bottega Veneta, modelled here by the beautiful stylist Giovanna Battiglia:
Photo: Alex Franco
Sleek, chic and easy, in light cotton with interesting fastening details this shirt is one for my dream wardrobe, as pricewise it is sadly out of my league. Slightly more accessible is Vanessa Bruno's silky white blouse - feminine, with a vintage twist - Bruno's signature style.
Photo: Alex Franco
Bruno says she prefers to leave a few buttons undone for a laidback look and likes to look 'smart with a touch of scruffy' - how perfectly Parisian is that - must try it. You can see the rest of this photo shoot here.
So whilst the perfect white shirt continues to elude me, I'm wearing leopard print. But that's another story.
