~ naughty-cal ~
make a slow move into autumn by updating some summer favourites with sleeves and a little arm candy.
{ top/ new look ~ skirt/ topshop ~ bracelent/ forever 21 ~ shoes/ topshop}
~ clutch of the week ~
remember when fans were the accessory du jour? no, unless you are 200, of course you don’t.
make like a lady and start a revival with this number from french connection.
fan-tastic.
~ the lady ~
if you read my post on transitional pieces last week, you will remember this miss selfridge pencil skirt as one of my favourite items to take you from summer in to autumn.
well, here’s the proof!
{ top/ topshop ~ skirt/ miss selfridge ~ shoes/ new look ~ handbag/ aldo ~ bracelet/ vintage}
~ beyond the moulin rouge ~
you have until september 18th to head over the the courtauld gallery and check out beyond the moulin rouge – the tantalising exhibition dedicated to the relationship between toulouse-lautrec and jane avril.
‘In the midst of the crowd, there was a stir, and a line of people started to form: Jane Avril was dancing, twirling, gracefully, lightly, a little madly; pale, skinny, thoroughbred, she twirled and reversed, weightless, fed on flowers; Lautrec was shouting out his admiration.’ ~ Paul Leclercq
don’t miss this reflection on the 1890s landmark collaboration between artist and dancer that has come to define our understanding of the moulin rouge to this day.
~ i’ll stand under my own umbrella, thanks ~
this may seem like a post a little ahead of its seasonal time. it’s september, the sun still (pretty much) shines. but if you live in a country where rain is a frequent bedfellow, usually without much warning, this is for you.
for those who aren’t so unlucky, sorry about this. but really, it sucks, so feel free to read on and sympathise.
unless you are as snug as a bug in a rug watching notting hill with your warm beverage and perhaps a box of cheese straws, rain is annoying. which makes umbrellas, by default, also annoying. unless you rock the brolly-as-walking-stick-just-because-you-can look, they can be tricky to integrate into an outfit, and even trickier to manouvre into a handbang.
so, seeing as umbrellas are about to become a permanent feature of our wardrobes over the coming months, below are a few of my favourites that might just get promoted from necessity to must-have.
1. Lulu Street Scene Tiny Umbrella £28.00
2. Fulton Pink Daisy Pagoda Umbrella £35.00
3. Fulton Snakeskin Mini-Lite-2 Umbrella £14.00
4. Mango Polka Dot Umbrella £19.90
5. River Island Animal Print Umbrella £14.99
6. Marc by Marc Jabobs Panther Print Automatic Mini Umbrella £40.00
7. Lulu Guiness Birdcage Umbrella £32.00
8. Fulton Winter Floral Superslim £20.00
~ we need to talk about the jumper ~
i don’t even really know what to say about this.
whilst doing some serious timewasting the other day (i.e. a mega browse) this thing practically jumped out and hit me in the face.
so, i bought it.
the next ones are a little blurred, like the line between vulgar and excellent.
no cats were sickened or blinded in the making of this post.
i even match the decor!
f.y.i. the jumper came from tk maxx, from a brand called imagini. if you want to see what other delights they have to offer, put your sunglasses on and click here. i can only apologise.
~ in the clutch ~
this week, i have not been home. not in the rocking-up-to-work-in-a-man’s-shirt-and-yesterday’s knickers way. no no readers, I am not putting it about. but as anyone that is away from their hearth for too long knows, what you put your bag is very, very important.
lauren at elizabeth arden introduced me to this wonder product a few months ago. the 8 hour cream is the bees knees, toes, hands (do bees have hands?), face… I think you’re getting my point by now. You can use it anywhere, anytime, and it will sooth, smooth and make you smell really rather divine.
everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, just like everybody needs a notebook in their clutch. who knows what important things might strike you in the middle of the day? you might feel the urge to write a short novel. maybe you like to secretely draw people. i don’t know. but with this little lovely from liberty, you can do it all in beautiful exercise book.
p.s. remember a pen. can’t write much without one of those.
i appreciate that not everyone is a glasses wearer, but if you are, here’s one for you. this evening, i missed my train because I couldn’t see. that isn’t a joke. i stumbled around blindly whilst i tried to find my frames, and my train. attempting to stop this sort of situation occuring again, i will be investing in an ultra appealing case like this one from topshop that screams ‘open me and wear your frickin glasses!’
~ roar materials ~
this outfit is proof that even the last stages of the sales can be fruitful. this leopard print skirt from zara roared at me from the reduced rack and i can’t get enough. good now with bare legs, perfect with opaques when the temperature starts to drop.
more on my other surprise find, the shoes, later.
{ cardigan/ topshop ~ skirt/ zara ~ shoes/ m&s ~ clutch/ vintage }
~ clutch of the week ~
remember in the little mermaid, when ariel sings about wanting to frolic above the waves and comb her hair with forks? well i once wrote a song about wanting to use a golden shell as my handbag.
and guess what has just happened?! thanks topshop!
and no, you’ll never hear the song. it’s private.
~ try something old today ~
if you are at a loose end this weekend, go and rent/buy/borrow/steal how to marry a millionaire. yes, it was made in the 50s, but don’t let that put you off. if you never go near the hollywood classics, start here. starring marilyn monroe, lauren bacall and betty grable at their very best, you’ll wish they made sex and the city with these three.
not only is it one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made, we could all take some style tips from the ultra grooming of the three leads.
and if you can rock a pair of specs like marilyn in this film, i salute you.
