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Tuesday 21 April 2015

Deconstructing Summer Style: A Gentleman's Guide

As Summer suddenly seems to be right around the corner, I am thrilled that I have been asked to write a second guest post for Amanda and Jane over on their classy, inspirational blog The Women's Room and this time I am deconstructing Summer Style for the gentlemen in our lives.

Jane Fonda & Alain Delon Photo: www.galerie.parismatch.com

Speaking from experience I have found that a gentle nudge in the right sartorial direction can only be a good thing, so drawing inspiration from some of the male style icons of the 50's and 60's and their different takes on European seaside attire, I've highlighted how to keep the gents cool in the heat and avoid that last minute pre-holiday panic.

Jean Seberg and David Niven. Photo: Everett Pictures/Rex Features

I am also introducing a small company in Norfolk called Carrier Company that sells beautiful locally made traditional clothing for men, women and children with a maritime feel - the kind of clothes that are effortlessly stylish and only get better with age. More on this brand soon.

Photo: www.carriercompany.co.uk

So grab yourselves a coffee and have a browse over on The Women's Room - there's so much to read across such a variety of topics - enjoy!

Monday 20 April 2015

Denim Days Part 1

Do you remember your first pair of jeans?  After too many crimes against fashion of the Crimplene variety in the early 70's, I first hit denim gold aged about 12 with a dark wash, straight legged pair that I wore with some (I thought) very cool cowboy boots. Photographic evidence unfortunately proves that I was never going to give Brooke Shields a run for her money, but no matter - I was hooked.

Brooke Shields for Calvin Klein

That's the thing about jeans, when they work, boy do they work, and you will go on wearing them until the day they fall apart, and parting is indeed sweet sorrow when they do. By the early 80's it was all about Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, the tighter the better, which meant having to lie down on the floor to zip them up - remember the days before lycra?

French Jeans Store New York, 1977. Photo: WWD

Farrah Fawcett for Gloria Vanderbilt

Back then there was really only one style per season and if you wanted to keep your fashion kudos intact you had to keep up with the times. Now, from 'normcore' to designer denim, there is a style for everyone (though please don't ask me the difference between The Girlfriend and the Mom Jean - it's a step too far) but for Summer 2015 I'm afraid it's all about the flare (again) and for me, this means the wide-legged flare à la Farrah Fawcett above, and 70's jean queen Jane Birkin, below.

Jane Birkin Photo: Rex Images

The other version is the floor-skimming kick flare as seen here on Geraldine Saglio, Emanuelle Alt's Editor and right hand at French Vogue.  It helps if you are tall and willowy and of course she looks great in them, but somehow this just seems a bit dated and try hard to me, and whilst it works for Paris Fashion Week, I'm not teetering around on the school run in 3" heels with my hems dragging along the ground, non merci.

Geraldine Saglio - Photo: Pinterest

So it's flares 'n flats for me, and it was this pair of wide leg jeans in dark denim from Whistles that really swayed me:

Photo: www.whistles.com

Photo: www.whistles.com

I like the frayed hem, the colour and the slightly more structured feel.  Ditto, the Eva high-rise wide-leg jeans from J Brand at Matches Fashion:

Photo: www.matchesfashion.com

And when I fell over this pair in that old 1970's haunt Etam we still have out here in France - bingo:

Photo: www.etam.com

I'm wearing mine with my Stan Smith's and yes, you guessed it a striped Breton top - perfect Spring attire. Plus, they are super-comfy, the high waist hides a multitude of post-Easter sins, and the dark wash is just that bit less then and more now. Job done. What are your thoughts - been there done that, or do you dare to flare 2015 style?