Discotheque Confusion

usa phone diary #1

2012-01-21T05:18:00.001Z

After spending 2 days in Boston I'm now in Amherst, Massachusetts with my stomach full of clam chowder and my fingers slowly giving themselves up to frostbite. Here are some of the things I've seen, eaten and done since arriving.

There's Something About Sidney

2012-01-19T13:40:00.003Z

Sidney Williams in 10 Magazine (Spring Summer '11).

Has anyone else noticed more and more plastic carrier bags appearing in magazine editorials as props? I like it. It's a kind of 'Hey, the Jil Sander bag is cool, but I have these ones underneath my kitchen sink too.' approach. I actually know someone who took a plastic bag to a club after her handbag broke. True story.

Ice Cube on the Eames

2012-01-18T22:23:00.000Z

"Before I did rap music I studied architectural drafting" Who knew!

via 2 or 3 things I know.

This is an old version of the Eames Lounge Chair we have at home in Bristol. It used to be my Grandpa's and I think he bought it in Habitat in the Seventies, unable to afford the original Eames design. I've always loved it so much, though we don't tend to sit on it much these days as without the ottoman footstool you feel like you're falling backwards into a black hole every time you sit down. (It takes admirable ab strength to get back up again.) But I like the idea of one day reuniting it with a footstool and sinking into it again maybe with a gin and tonic and a tall stack of magazines at my elbow.

massachusetts

2012-01-18T11:28:00.000Z

After what feels like the longest wait ever, today I leave for the United States. I'll be spending a semester studying in Massachusetts and couple of months traveling around afterwards. The blog will continue as normal, there'll probably just be more pancake stack coverage. If anyone has any must-sees or tips for Boston (where can I find the best lobster roll?) please do sling them my way. See you on the other side!

crushing on holiday style

2012-01-16T11:45:00.001Z

I can't stop thinking about Emma's Haitian holiday snaps over at Anywho. There is a fine art to holiday dressing and Emma's approach is completely up my street. Those sherberty Stine Goya trousers paired with these Nike Lunars are what dreams are made of!

weekend wishlist

2012-01-14T11:40:00.001Z

In an ideal world these would be my tools for the weekend: The Case for Working with Your Hands by Matthew Crawford, J.W. Anderson angora jumper, Dog State bronze ring, Phillip Lim leopard print underwear, Deena and Ozzy ponyskin boots, Arrested Development Season 2, Malin + Goetz Tobacco candle.

On a side note, I think I may be the last person in the world to have jumped on the Arrested Development bandwagon. It feels like when I was 10 and had an awful realisation that after years of turning my nose at at houmous I actually loved it. That sort of, 'man, I've been wasting time' feeling. Still, better late than never. All I want to do this weekend is guffaw at back to back episodes and then awkwardly replicate Buster's behaviour when forced to socially interact.

mood

2012-01-13T13:22:00.003Z

A few things on my mind: Taking a trip to California to visit my friends studying at Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, a desire which has been further increased after coming across fantastic blog A Restless Transplant, written by a guy who has jacked in his design job and set off on a road trip around America in his VW. Think lots of beautiful photographs of coastal california (and the verdant landscape of the pacific northwest too..) Green bomber jackets as worn by this Susanna via Hel Looks. The Giles Spring/Summer 2012 collection which I've only just seen it and have been completely wowed by. All of those metallics and beautiful swan prints! I've never had any idea what sort of dress I'd like to wear if I ever get married but I think Giles's laser-cut silver number comes pretty close. Lately I've been wearing my puffa jacket a lot and really loving it, so particularly appreciated the puffa shot on Stevie Dance's blog. Also thinking about the 90s tortoiseshell sunglasses on the Topshop website and lobster rolls. I've never even eaten a lobster roll but I'm experiencing a ridiculous craving for seafood at the moment after reading this post by Vanessa Jackman and reading about the Lobster Roll eatery in Amagansett, New York.

Eley Kishimoto Flash Case

2012-01-13T11:46:00.000Z

Hey guys, check it out. It's me holding a shiny new Eley Kishimoto laptop case. A proper laptop case! That's like, a really grown up thing to have isn't it? When you spend money on something that's just going to look after your possessions and stop them from getting scratched or being treated without consideration. Like a babysitter just for your technological stuff. Whatever next, blow dries and mortgages?

The Faith

2012-01-12T10:54:00.000Z

I've been eyeing my friend Jack's Northern Soul sweatshirt for ages and given that he's going to China for a few months and I'm off to America I figured now was the time to buy it without having to fight him for 'wearing rights' in Manchester. The inside has that 'soft as a baby's bum' fleecey quality to it, sure to disappear after a few washes but lovely to stroke for now. It's also refreshing to actually own a jumper that isn't a solidly hot commitment of wooly knitwear. Instead I can relish it's sweatshirt material and chuck it on oversized with skirts and mood dependent, hardy heels or trainers.

Mr Touitou

2012-01-11T14:07:00.000Z

Fantastic interview with APC's Jean Touitou over at Interview Magazine. But of course it's fantastic. I don't think it would be possible to read a bad interview with Touitou, he always manages to slip in a few thought-provoking gems.

"Being rich is fine, but there should be a limit to it... For many in this business, if they can make something and multiply it by nine, it’s like having a shot of heroin in the arm, a kick. I don’t have a kick from that. I get off on running the company, making a decent profit, paying people fairly, and having more than a decent life for myself—but that’s it."

I've been thinking a lot recently about the ways in which people approach business. How to do something that works financially whilst staying true to your own values and interacting healthily with others along the way. In other words not being wooed by the big bucks when it's at odds with a healthy lifestyle philosophy. It sounds obvious but I really think it's much easier said than done. Jean Touitou appears to have it sussed. I like that he lets his employees use the A.P.C studio for band practise because he likes seeing amps and music equipment being carried through the office as a reminder of creativity.

I don't have any clear or concrete resolutions for 2012, but chilling out a little bit (tempering the internal monologue and tendency to over think things) is something I'd like to do. Working hard while remaining calm and able to switch off when necessary. So Jean Touitou is my Poster boy for 2012. Along with The Dude.

personal wears

2012-01-10T18:56:00.002Z

top, topshop, dungarees, secondhand.

It's probably been over a year since I last wore my dungarees. But today I slummed it in the library like a dungareed bumblebee listening to Chic and it felt good.

Hobbies and The Hobbyist

2012-01-09T13:03:00.000Z

When I was younger any sort of 'hobby' generally consisted of sitting quietly in a corner and drawing. I would draw people for hours on end, creating networks of invented families and communities on sheets of paper, their names and jobs and pets and likes and dislikes written next to them. That's pretty much all that I remember drawing when I was younger and sometimes I'd write stories about these characters too.

Unlike with many other hobbies there wasn't really an visible end point, I'd just keep on drawing and I think it's because of this that I really like the idea of conventional hobbies, the type that require input and then you can finish and stand back and admire before starting, if you wish, all over again. I'm interested in the sort of hobbies that people had at school, especially the ones that were fitted into a weekly schedule. My Mum tried to get me to 'do stuff' when I was little but a couple of failed gymnastics lessons, a muddy football match as a 5 year old and a sprinkling of non-plussed piano lessons never came to fruition. (I never practised the piano and preferred to spend the lessons talking to Ms Gowdy in her lovely big Clifton house with the big cream carpet that you had to take your shoes off before walking on.) I was never that bothered about extra-curricular activities and my Mum was never one to push so instead I returned to my drawing with a relieved sigh. I did join the Brownies when I was 7 and I remember enjoying that. I liked that to get badges I only had to do the things I enjoyed anyway, like writing short stories and baking and this all suited my preference for hobbies that were non competitive and you could just take your time with.

Hobbies aren't something I think an awful lot about now. But when I start talking to somebody who has a distinctive hobby, I always want to hear more. People with a passion are naturally attractive and when it's something that seems unusual or based on skill or maybe just something you haven't considered for a while it's always interesting to hear more. Often hobbies are only consciously considered in a boring context, plucked from the air in an obligatory way when writing a CV. 'Travelling, socialising, cooking...blah blah..' Pretty much everybody likes those things, myself included, but what about the hobbies that take a greater level of input and commitment? I commit to writing this blog and I have done for a long time but it's not necessarily a 'skill based' hobby. When I think of skill based hobbies, I think of crafty hobbies, like my Aunt who makes amazing quilts or maybe something like 'Horse riding' or 'Fishing' because those were the kinds of hobbies we learned to say in French lessons, inferring they were the approved activities of pen pals.

Other peoples hobbies are inspiring, especially when they make you focus on your own, or the things you'd like to know more about. They also make you think about time management and how to make the most of your time to do the things you really want to do rather than just idling away hours on crap. And that's massively liberating, especially when it involves turning off the wi-fi and returning to 'the real world' to fully concentrate on something. I like the idea of calming hobbies like doing puzzles or hobbies that involve ticking things off a list. The brilliant DJ Derek has his own hobby, aside from reggae djing, that involves visiting all of the Wetherspoons pubs around the UK; odd but cool, he just hops on a bus and visits each one.

Opening Ceremony and Twin Bike teamed up to produce the Hobbyist series which documents the hobbies of well known creatives, and I really really love it. The chosen hobbies range from needlepoint to cars, showing that hobbies can be something requiring total concentration or none at all. Every time I watched one of these videos I loved it more than the last. Watching Lake Bell zooming around Hollywood in a shiny red 600-horsepower car to the Knightrider theme made me gasp "I want to be youuuu" and I can't even drive and have never, ever been interested in fast cars. On the other hand Max Osterweis of Suno has a more obscure hobby, a sport called 'Ride and Tie', a cross-country event that involves two team mates and one horse and is awesome in an equally alien way.

There is so much potential for variety in other peoples hobbies and the fact they're so personal makes them extra interesting. Hobbies tell you a lot about a person and also what they want to get out of their interests- switching off, creating or bettering their bodies and minds. I urge you to watch the Hobbyist videos-I'm posting all 5 parts of the series because they're all inspiring and also because they're hilarious in parts (I'm looking at you, Dean Spunt from No Age on your nerdy 80s scooter.)

Jalouse does Spoof: Une Fille Comme Les Autres

2012-01-07T11:55:00.001Z

Matthew Frost and Jalouse Magazine have created "Une Fille Comme Les Autres" a clever and hilarious spoof video which lays out the successful formula for the classic viral lookbook video and absolutely hits the nail on the head!

I've spoken before about online viral lookbooks and videos for brands and how they end up being a bit of a advertising heavy lifestyle pornfest. (Think the Todd Selby for Zara video featuring Lucy Chadwick) I'm of the view that it's great to experience a bit of glossy voyeurism and as long as you realise (as with any other advertising) that it's a healthy portion of branding rather than a 'real life' film showcasing of somebody just from the love of the directors own heart.

Jalouse's parody is brilliant with Matthew Frost narrating as a Woody Allen style marketing dude, brainstorming ideas for the quintessential lookbook video while Ashley Smith skips around Paris acting out them out. 'We should feature a super hot chick..that model Ashley Smith and the title...Une Fille Comme something-very 60s, Godard, they love that shit..' The video proceeds to follow the typical formula of sexy yet natural girl wandering aimlessly yet with purpose; through bookshops, grinning with friends and miraculously changing outfits every few seconds with plenty of product placement in the process.

High five to Jalouse for poking fun at the modern day lookbook, which we often find ourselves falling head over heels in love with, while managing to follow, with a large portion of irony the exact framework to make us coo.

Heattech and Names

2012-01-05T01:02:00.001Z

One of my oldest friends Lily is in town this week. We met at the age of 5 and bonded over our mutual hate for each other whilst fighting for the affection of a friend in the playground. We like each other more these days but don't get to see much of each other after she moved to Edinburgh 5 years ago. But she's in town and while out for drinks last night she gave me a little present-a name necklace she picked up whilst in India last year! A name necklace, one of those classic items wedged at the back of my head that I knew at some point I'd like to get around to buying but never have. But Lily got it for me and that makes it a million times for special (partly because she never bothers with birthday gifts. Even those she receives from others; she accidentally and spectacularly smashed the Chinese teapot I gave her last year mere seconds after opening it!)

I don't buy new clothes that often, my frugal brain always seems to mentally slap my hands away when they're caressing items in shops. But when I find something that works well I often end up wearing them for multiple days in a row sort of trotting along to myself thinking 'this is going really well, isn't it?' So a couple of new purchases; along with all of my new 'temperature appropriate items' (hullo puffa jacket, hullo hat and gloves, hullo vests) I bought a couple of heat tech tops from Uniqlo as well as some (not so temperature orientated but still a much welcomed addition) royal blue cords from the Topshop sale which have padded out some lacklustre corners of my wardrobe.

The Uniqlo top I went for is from the men's department and because the fit is so nice I've been wearing it most days as a t-shirt. It is the perfect 'tight grey top'; the neckline neither too low nor too high, lightweight and flattering without being too tits-a-go-go. It is snug without being sweat inducing (ever) and I think I'm going to have to stock up on a few more because I like them so much and they're so easy to chuck on.

And about the cords...I know I made a slightly high and mighty declaration the other week that I would never dabble again in Topshop jeans but that was after a bit of a teary session in one of their changing rooms; it's much better when you can just go home and order a pair online, saving yourself from the horrified look of the sales assistants when you ask if they can get another size for you. Plus unlike their other jeans these cords are highwaisted and I mean highwaisted for real, no fanning around on that crucial muffin top cut-off point and I always find their others do. Perfect for tucking some soft heat tech into.

BRB

2012-01-04T09:42:00.002Z

1. Turned Out. 2. Debbie and Andy.

Be right back! Posting may slow down a little while I have essay hand-ins and attempt to work out how on earth to pack six months worth of loot into my suitcase before I leave for America in two weeks.

New Years Eve

2012-01-03T10:48:00.003Z

New Years Eve was a good one, but spending the whole of the next day in bed watching TV (and sharing an all round Big Fat Quiz of the Year realisation of 'Oh, Jamie's a bit of a burke isn't he? That's a shame..' ) with my ladyfriends and making a big old macaroni cheese together in the evening was probably my favourite part.

2012

2012-01-01T07:00:00.000Z

Hailey Clauson shot by Angelo Pennetta for Garage Magazine.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wrapping Up

2011-12-31T14:40:00.001Z

BRR! My Christmas presents this year were bought with Massachusetts in mind and very temperature orientated: a snuggly Berghaus puffa (best tip if you're after the closest thing to a duvet-day on the go), some sheepskin gloves from my Gran, a pretty little thermal vest from Marks and Spencer from my Mum and a bobble hat bought by myself in that 'one for you, one for me' Christmas shopping patterns from the mens section in Urban Outfitters.

I'm spending New Years Eve in Manchester, giving it one final big squeezy hug until I return in the Autumn. It's grey, it's wet, it's crap but it's Manchester. Yesterday I ate a homemade cheese and bolognese sandwich while standing in the rain, all wrapped up in my coat and hat and layer after layer, my fingers freezing and bread disintegrating and I still grinned like an idiot in love with the place.

A collection of thoughts on the Rita Liefhebber lookbook

2011-12-29T11:55:00.000Z

I really like this lookbook for Rita Liefhebber, a Canadian designer completely new to me thanks to One Sleepless Night. It has extended the small consideration of colour which has been bubbling away in a corner of my brain just behind the bit that has been ignoring my alarm every morning for the last fortnight and slightly below my sense of humour. But I've been thinking more about colour recently and ways of incorporating it more into my wardrobe. I've never been a massive colour person, but recently I always notice if a person I'm with is wearing something bright. I feel like it's my brain telling me something. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the bright green Kermity wool skirt I saw in Cos when I was in London a few weeks ago and now these little red booties are irresistible to me in an alien way. I look at them and think 'Yes!' and then the other half of me whispers out of the side of my mouth 'Are you sure? They're a bit, y'know, Alison Mosshart and not very you.' When faced with an item of clothing available in a few colours, I'm often drawn to the safer colours; the navys or blacks or beiges not because I'm scared by brighter shades as such but because I always associate the plains as a more practical option 'I can wear it with more', I'll nod as I tuck it under my arm. (To go and pay for it, not because I'm about to shoplift and sprint.) So flashes of colour are a good place to start, I don't think I'll ever be one of those people who 'colour blocks' and I like smaller flashes of something bright; some neon pink fingernails or a tangerine coloured jumper. Either way, the little red boots have signaled the start of my promise to myself to experiment with colour more. As close as I'll come to a new years resolution. Less of the dark knitwear!

In similar revelations the ombre shouldered dress induces interested nods. Ombre shoulders! But of course! It seems like everything else in the world is ombre these days so I suppose why not shoulders too? It looks like the sort of dress that would be satisfyingly easy to recreate with some shocking pink or turquoise dylon and an empty afternoon. And hey presto, a flash of colour, hugging across the shoulders like a loyal pet cat.

And last but not least, in my 'Rita Liefhebber lookbook analysis', I really do love trousers with stripes down the side. I've been meaning to get classic Adidas leggings with the stripes down the side for an age but I like the idea of something more slouchy too, less Sporty Spice and more 'woman about town' in their tailoring. (Not that I doubt that Mel isn't a woman about town.) The sort of trousers that require a Katherine Hepburn, hands in pockets stance, a handbag probably full of really good stationary and an all-round nod to the classic Kate Moss and Mario Sorrenti 'his and her' suit look which will never cease to be a much returned to style reference in my book. The charity shops are calling.

New Years Eve

2011-12-27T21:41:00.000Z

These post-christmas days are my favourite part of the holidays. For me they lack the pressures of Christmas or Boxing day and I enjoy being able to graze the contents of the fridge in peace without having to force a smile every time a relative points at a random object and asks 'you going to blog about that? heh...heh...heh.' I can slump on the sofa laughing gently at You've Got Mail while feeding myself Jaffa Cakes sort of like a pasty self-service English equivalent of a Roman leader being fanned by palms and having grapes laid on his tongue.

There is also time to do further indulgent things like 'mulling over New Years outfits' without worrying that the turkey will combust once you've stepped out of the room. Beyond the glittery nail varnishes here are my fantasy options.

Knitted star jumper, Miss Selfridge / Metallic pleat skirt, Topshop / Novelty Beer Sunglasses / Miss Sporty Sparkle Nail Varnish / Tortoiseshell hair comb, Asos / Platform Shoes, Office / Hubba Bubba for blowing bubbles at midnight.

Riviera top, Weekday / High waist shorts in Moss, Topshop / Gold and silver party squakers / Glitter nail polish in Supernova, American Apparel / Love necklace, Zoe and Morgan / Pink plastic frosted purse, Topshop / Boots, Etsy /

At Home with Chloe Sevigny: Part Three

2011-12-27T00:17:00.002Z

Here we are, the third and final part of Chloe Sevigny and her wheezy, wheezy laugh in the 'At Home with Chloe Sevigny' series by Opening Ceremony. In which she sits at her dressing table and takes us through an album of holidays with ex-boyfriends* and a prom photo. Note to self: must update personal photo albums.
*I remember reading about Mischa Richter in one of those profiles in the contributors section of Vogue when I was about 15 and thinking he was the sexiest man alive and that I was so clever for crushing on a man who wasn't a big name. Shame for me, he was Chloe Sevigny's first boyfriend.

Christmas Wears

2011-12-26T03:30:00.000Z

What I wore yesterday (A Christmas Day special):

Vintage shirt from Uncle Sam's, freshly unwrapped American Apparel High Waist Jeans (I always used to tut at the price tag but I'm not going back, ever; nothing will make me return to that Topshop denim department which lacks anything truly high waisted and only ever leaves me weepy and uncomfortable and marginally self-loathing in their dusty tumbleweed strewn fitting rooms) as well as my super glittery and favourite ever new Barry M nail varnish in 'Hologram Hexograms' which sounds like the name of the brilliantly shit band you might have been in when you were 15.

I ate, napped, guffawed at the Downton Abbey Special and performed my annual 'custard undercut' on my Granny's christmas trifle-the bountiful custardy layer is the best bit and you really have to scoop under and cunningly steal more than your fair share for the full impact. It's a given that by the end of Christmas Day the trifle will always have collapsed in on itself and I'll be lying in a supine position on a sofa, satisfied and slightly dying after three portions.

Easy Listening

2011-12-26T03:19:00.002Z

Two fantastic songs I recommend you listen to: Garnett Mimms's "It Was Easier To Hurt Her" and Adrian Younge's "Gloria (Zodiac Lovers)". I'd never heard of Adrian Younge until an acquaintance posted this song on Facebook and it popped up on my feed. I know very little about him (there isn't a go-to Wikipedia page for swallowing a factually dupious biography and regurgitating but you can read this over at Flea Market Funk) It's really worth having a listen to 'Something About April', the album he released this year as well as the soundtrack he produced for Black Dynamite, a blaxploitation spoof film made a couple of years ago. The two albums merged into one as I've enjoyed the last of Christmas Day with a couple of slices of bread slathered in turkey and mayonnaise and new reads (like Ned Hepburn's recommended by Kirstie) and new music. I'm now going to listen to Venice Dawn, Younge's debut album which has been released and offered up on the world wide inter web for free by his record label. Yeah!

25

2011-12-25T01:57:00.000Z

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

Venetia Scott for Self Service

2011-12-23T11:45:00.000Z

Brilliant editorial shot by Venetia Scott for Self Service Fall/Winter 11/12. See the rest here.

Blue Jeans and White Trainers: A How-To

2011-12-22T01:25:00.000Z

Big! Christmas is the perfect time of year for rewatching old favourite films, guffawing not because they're hilarious but because they were when you were younger and your belly laughs have grown loyal to the memory of previous viewings. Who hasn't at some point wished they lived in an loft apartment decked with trampolines, drinks machines and enough floor space to simultaneously skateboard like Farrah Fawcett and slurp milkshake through a straw? Pretty jammy then for Tom Hanks's Josh Baskin who spends his days doing exactly that, just, you know, in a man's body. He is also a stellar rapper and pulls off his teenage-boy-dopeyness in a loveable way. Most importantly (though he is technically still 13 years old) he is ripe for enrollment into what I like to call 'The American Dad' brigade, a member of the 'Blue Jean and White Trainer Club', if you will.

It's a look that is very precise and I shall be your tongue-in-cheek tour guide in all things American Dad. Firstly, the jeans. It all comes down to a particular shade of blue and a perfectly proportioned leg. The jeans should be the same shade all the way throughout the fabric, no stonewashing or fades, and certainly no dark indigo-these should be a 'light to medium' blue. (The exception to this rule being these jeans from Cos because what they lack in 'Medium blue' they make up for in 'Relaxed Fit') And in terms of the shape they should be snug not skinny, straight at the ankle and not too baggy around the bum.

Look to the cinema of the 1980s for referencing purposes. Coming of age films, buddy movies, and family comedies should be your port of call. Look also to the Kings of the brigade-Steve Jobs was of course an original leader. And Steve Martin's George Banks in 'Father of The Bride' who is so dedicated to the look that he owns his very own sports trainers factory and manufactures his daughter a shiny white pair of 'bridal' trainers to wear down the aisle at her wedding. Commitment. Vinyl baseball bombers and baseball caps are acceptable accessories to this look, or sports kits-an old college hoodie with your alma mater emblazoned across the front implies to daughter's boyfriends that yes, while you may currently be 'chilling' in relaxed clothes, you have the intellectual capacity to destroy them in a game of Scrabble. Some white shorts for 'shooting hoops' with family members (extra points if the shorts err on the side of inappropriate shortness) are also a useful go-to for the American Dad. The key to the American Dad look is that something should be 'off' but in a subtle way with a serving of thoughtlessness. Outdated without being garishly 80s. Socks can help here-a wedge of thick white sports sock between the trainer and the bottom of the jean which should be about half an inch away from ankle grazing is perfectly 'off.'

When it comes to the trainers, brands and models actually aren't of significance, as long as the shoe is at least a Size 10 (if you're not buy bigfoot anyway, it's off the utmost importance) and you're going for a Nike or a New Balance or any old running trainer that looks similar, you're good to go. Equally, though I have indeed classified this the 'blue jean and white trainer' look, there is plenty of space for light greys, off whites and blues that perfectly echo the shade of the jeans. Remember, thoughtlessness is key! These trainers should look like they were chosen by a 50 something Dad who is called Henry and mostly grey and who scratches the insides of his ears with the end of his car keys and just wants a pair of trainers that will protect his feet and 'do the trick' when he goes for his weekly Sunday run.

I'll leave you with a couple of those 'guffaw' scenes, because they are silly and good. And also the 'Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Pop' rap because deep down, I'd still love to learn the words.

Have A Nice Dahlia

2011-12-21T17:21:00.000Z

My Stepdad designed this awesome t-shirt! He's a gardener at the Botanic gardens at the University of Bristol and has come up with a load of 'plant pun' t-shirts to raise extra money for the Garden. He brought a couple home to show us and I've now claimed this as my own, proud to wear something created my Stepdad, King of crap jokes and now rather unexpectedly..T-shirt design? Yeah!

A Magazine curated by Rodarte

2011-12-21T14:01:00.002Z

Elle Fanning looks like a real-life, walking, talking pastel-bathed Californian Mermaid in the latest issue of A Magazine curated by the Rodarte sisters. The magazine has just gone on sale and is a 200 page typically Rodarte-esque ode to all things West Coast, inspired by their Santa Cruz childhoods and with a wealth of photography, interviews, and editorials. Go-to muses Fanning and Kirsten Dunst of course feature (the former is photographed by the fantastic Bill Owens), as well as (my personal favourite idea..) a tribute to the extinct California Grizzly Bear from the National Geographic archives. Look how he sits, so perfectly chilled, warming himself in the mountain sunlight on the cover of the magazine. Good bear. I'm adding this to my pile of New Years reading, a perfect portal of dreamy Cali-porn.

eBay Time

2011-12-21T14:01:00.001Z

Heads up! I'm doing a big clear out and selling a load of things on eBay. Dalmatian loafers, a Ralph Lauren polo jumper, 1961 issue of US Vogue and lots of old Topshop all starting at 99p. Have a peruse, I'll be adding a couple of sheepskin jackets later in the week too..

Have a look here.

On George Clooney's shirt and au naturel make-up

2011-12-20T01:35:00.000Z

Today I received this fantastic Burberry shirt from Sarah at Edie Mac; she has fantastic memory as she'd remembered me featuring something similar in this 'Style Notes for the Guys' collage at the start of the year. Now I may spend my days drifting about feeling sexy like George Clooney in One Fine Day. Yeah!

In news that seems in a way significant to the blog; I am now the owner of a Macbook Pro! Cue just about repressed shrieks on my behalf while my clammy hands tap away at a gloriously shiny new machine and I venture into the world of blogging from the Mac camp after 5 years on Team PC. The laptop is an early 21st birthday present from my super generous Granny-sort of apt seeing as how over the past 5 years she's been a bit of an honorary figure in the background of the blog; forever my cafe visiting comrade and all-round influencer.

For the last week I've stopped wearing mascara and it feels really good. The sans-mascara look is something I always thought was reserved for other people. I'd read profiles of people on Into The Gloss in which they'd profess their au naturel approach and I'd usually retort with a cynical wave of my hand "Bullshit, you're half-french and beautiful, of course you don't need to wear make up, but some of us aren't so lucky.." Well, that in turn is also bullshit and was all down to my own approach; toning things down make-up wise is liberating and I like that it's one less thing to think about in the morning that actually benefits me in that I no longer associate mascara as some kind of 'confidence tool'. In other words I don't feel 'naked' without it. Instead I'm extra dedicated to eyebrow brushing (yes, it's true, I brush my eyebrows in the morning with an old toothbrush..) and a bit of lipstick as my skin is always at it's palest and most in need of colour this time of year. After wearing my Mac in Morange more over the autumn, I've returned to my more punchy and faithful Chanel Rouge Allure in Passion which was my first ever red lippie and is just about holding out, with the tower of red a smidgen lower every time I twist it from it's fantastic gold case.

On My Way

2011-12-16T12:39:00.001Z

I'm moving on again! The tedious packing process continues in my little house Manchester, as I box away my room, take down my pictures, roll up my clothes and fob left over food cupboard essentials onto my friends. ("Guys, guys? I have half a packet of falafel mix and some frozen lamb neck on offer, who wants them?" "........") While I do grown up things like 'hand in the keys' and 'scrub the floor' and move back home to Bristol for a month until my move to America, have a listen to Dean Parrish's Northern Soul classic 'I'm On My Way', which I've been listening to all week-I recommend it five or six times in a row at least. I also have a new Manchester based sponsor (hurrah!), vintage site Edie Mac if you fancy having a peruse for some last minute Christmassy gifts. I'll be back shortly!

bright white

2011-12-12T21:10:00.001Z

A uniform I wouldn't mind: These little white dresses worn with tan tights and bright white shoes at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I also really love the boxy jackets with the back to front Peter Pan collar details and the dress in the top picture makes me think of a more 'work friendly' version of the Versace Versus dresses. From Alistair Cooke's 1972 'America' series.

mood

2011-12-11T15:31:00.000Z

Clockwise from top left: Baseball cap and long jacket, Emelie Johansson shot by The Sartorialist/ The object of my current desire: Nike Air Vortex Vintage/ New (and until now) unpublished photographs of Kate Moss shot in 1994 for Vibe Magazine-read more here/ Really love this Ophyr ring set by Estelle Deve after seeing them worn by the brilliant Fashion Polish/ Young Steven Spielberg via Marshall Matlock/ Street Bauble 'Oui' ring/ The Surf Lodge in Montauk, shot by Vanessa Jackman/ The lovely shoes of this girl shot by Mr Newton.

xmas gift guide #3: for the guys

2011-12-10T12:32:00.001Z

Crew Neck Jumper, Uniqlo/ Paul Smith Toothbrush/ Nike Air Max 90 Ripstock/ Rebel Youth by Karlheinz Weinberger/ Universal Works Marl Socks/ Vintage Drinking Set, Darwin and Delilah

Compiling gift guides for men is just as much fun as dreaming up gifts for women, though it always seems to be the case for most male gift guides across the board the formula goes something like this: shaving brush, hard liquor, good socks, TECHNOLOGY as if they're the hallmarks of masculinity and strictly 'not for the ladies.' My own guide doesn't veer that far from said formula but it should go without saying that I'm not a guy but I would be a very happy bunny to wake up with any of these presents on Christmas Day. Those Nikes!

At Home with Chloe Sevigny

2011-12-09T17:39:00.000Z

Chloe Sevigny gives Opening Ceremony a tour of her overwhelming wardrobe in part one of 'At Home with Chloe Sevigny', the sort of title that is synonymous with a excited sigh and rubbing together of hands.

She also laughs about that photograph taken with Kate Moss backstage at a Miu Miu show in the 90s and how she was "totally nerdy, uncomfortable and out of place" standing next to a sexily posing Kate. I'm also fascinated by Chloe Sevigny's ability to hoard so much when she must have collected lots over the years-clothes and newspaper cuttings and invitations and all of those miscellaneous objects that find their way into our homes-check out the masses of shelves as she walks down her stairs, like a cave of storage or the storeroom in the back of an old shoe shop which would require ladders and a great memory in order to navigate.

And a word on the new haircut-it's not my bag but another example of how much better it is to take risks and try to new things especially when it comes to hair. It's always interesting to chart how different hair styles can affect the way others perceive and react to you and in turn how this impacts on your own behaviour. 'The psychology of hair', if you will. Plus, I'm convinced that being a bit braver about changes in appearance and stepping outside of your comfort zone is simply 'good for the soul'.

More fisherman love

2011-12-07T12:59:00.000Z

Yeah! Fisherman coats in the January issue of Vogue Nippon.

On a similar note, I've signed myself up to a class next semester called 'New England Maritime Culture 1620-1840' because yes, I find myself surprisingly curious to learn about the history of 'whaling, fishing and shipbuilding' and amazed that such niche sounding courses even exist. I'll probably need to get over my slightly goofy Peter Griffin-esque 'guys, guys, I'm doing a course in Maritime culture haw haw haw!' approach by the time January comes around, but until then..

Dalmatian Loafers for sale!

2011-12-06T18:40:00.000Z

It pains me to do so, but I'm selling my lovely Dalmatian loafers because they are too small! I bought them on Etsy and I may recreate the ugly stepsister shoe-squeezing scenario as many times as I like but it won't change anything.

So if there are any takers with UK size 6-6.5 feet, email me at smackenziesmith@hotmail.co.uk and let me know. I'm selling them for £25 which is a few quid less than I originally paid but I'm open to haggling. Posting and packaging will depend on your location and payment through Paypal.

You can see the more detailed original listing here which contains the exact measurements of the shoe. Hopefully these will go to a good home, it's such a waste having a pair of such rad shoes gathering dust.

Practically Cool

2011-12-06T00:20:00.001Z

Top: An unidentified Berghaus puffa and the Moncler advert Fall/Winter 2009 by Bruce Weber.

Second top: Arsene Wenger in the Football Manager look and Spring/Summer 2011 Moncler ad by Bruce Weber. Middle: The famous get-ups in East 17's 'Stay Another Day' music video and Penfield Summit puffas. Bottom: Supreme puffa (see similar here) and a trusty Uniqlo Ultra Light Men's Down jacket.

Yes, it's cold. It's cold, it's cold, it's cold. It really is bloody cold. But that's old hat and not enough to warrant the 'snow causes disruptions' headlines that plague British news channels year after year. Although perhaps because the bitter breath of winter is once again breathing down our necks, I've been looking at puffa jackets in a whole new light. I have realised that sensibly swaddled Football managers, and, well East 17 are the surprising key holders of the wisdom of keeping warm. Of course, there are lots of things that can keep you properly warm but they're not always the things that we might like to wear. Puffa jackets used to belong in this league for me. They were something I didn't think much about, by no means a 'rare' un-traversed item of clothing-loads of people wear puffas-just something that maybe I associated with school children or Italian men and not myself. But the quilted down, the voluptuous Michelin-man curves have an new appeal because my semester abroad in America is now just around the corner and I've been looking to Bruce Weber and wise on-location Directors because they are exactly the people to know about riding out a severe chill of which I'm to expect in Massachusetts.

There is unsurprisingly a wealth of variety when it comes to puffas, do you like them nipped in at the waist or bulky and 'turkey fat'? There are those that graze the knees-not much my bag as then it really does avoke the 'child eaten by coat' look as seen at school-or boxy ones that hit just under the hips to avoid muffin top breezes. Brr. In my book the most important decision probably comes down to the fabric. The Moncler type puffa is flashier with it's super duper shine while it's more matte, waxy counterparts suggest that 'Director getting a job done' practicality which is exactly what I like about puffas in the first place. The idea of wearing this type (see the Supreme one in the collage) with a stubby pony tail, a sliver of green boiled wool skirt (see Cos) maybe a Dries Van Noten gold hair band and some leather boots or Nikes is to me, the holy image.

Although that doesn't sound too unpalatable an outfit, I suppose the Puffa is also an extension of the other geekier items that have wooed me over the last couple of years and which read like a list of Dad memorabilia (if such a things exists) Fishing jackets, dungarees and teva sandals move over, for the Puffa! Or just love each other in a brotherly way, united in your common purpose. The common purpose of being Practically Cool. In which practicality ever so slightly limits the end result and that in itself is is what makes it not only snug but slightly smug-the wardrobe equivalent of a nonchalant shoulder shrug 'It's cool, I'm warm in this.'

xmas gift guide #2

2011-11-30T19:37:00.000Z

Fortune Teller Fish/ Cream Silk Ruffle Bra/ Grey Gardens DVD/ Egyptian Magic Secret Cream, Liberty/ Gold stacking rings, Mango/ Jossi Jumper, Monki/ Reflex 'Learn to tell the time' watch/

How to endure Christmases when the childhood magic is very much a thing of the past? By mixing the best of what constitutes 'grown up' presents; silk underwear, muted block jumpers and skin cream with nostalgic stocking fillers of the past; those relentlessly amusing 'miracle fish' fortune tellers and vel-cro reflex watches. All whilst watching Grey Gardens on the sofa with a plateful of cold turkey sandwiches.

Palm delight: Versace x H&M

2011-11-25T20:27:00.001Z

I really never thought I'd lose my cool over the Versace for H&M collection. And now I say this like one half of a smarmy couple, holding hands across the table and retelling their dinner guests a 'Benedict and Beatrice' tale of the love that wasn't meant to be. When the collaboration was announced last year I took it in, but wasn't too affected, I was born too late to appreciate the Gianni heydays and have never been someone that into 'gloss' which is how I've always viewed Versace; gloss and gold and things outside of my domain. However Donatella threw a serious curveball by including a smattering of palm prints in the collection. And not just any old palm, not a hawaiian print, but one of those luscious House of Holland types, very particular and tropical with wide leaves that nod to Henri Rousseau and wave to Balenciaga S/S 2003. I've been unashamedly slobbering over such a print for a while and with no luck to be had on eBay or Etsy which is why when I actually had a little look through the Versace for H&M collection I was happy indeed and plumped for the tank and pleated skirt.

The parcel arrived this afternoon and my flatmate looked at me blankly while I stammered and ripped at the packaging before returning to Toby making some terribly inspiring point in a moral monologue on The West Wing. (Nanon watches West Wing so much that sometimes she'll make an excellent contribution in a seminar and then cringe upon realising that it came word-for-word from the lips of President Bartlett.) I scurried to my room. I've quickly assigned a 'favourite' title to the top which surprised me by being gorgeous and smooth and made 90% from merino wool and 10% from cashmere (ooh) as opposed to a plain stretchy jersey which I'd just assumed it would be. The skirt is also lovely with the tiny little gold clamps clinging onto the edge of each pleat and the absolutely brilliant crocodile print on the back of the skirt which was also completely unexpected. Overenthusiastic excitement over, I'm off to lounge beside a palm. While eating parma ham. And listening to Robert Palmer.

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T03:53:00.000Z

Happy Thanksgiving Statesiders!

I'm sort of bummed out that I won't be having the same blow-out Thanksgiving meal as last year which involved lots of hands, one 'genuine' American, 5 overly keen American Studies students and the usual turkey crisis but in the end 22 contented stomachs and sweaty elation that we'd pulled off such a banquet in a small student halls of residence kitchen. Still, the memorieez of my first Thanksgiving live on, I don't usually do 'here are my friends' style posts but these are some photographs because I have the loveliest, fondest memories from that night because it was imperfect in so many ways yet it reminds me of the beginning of lots of brilliant friendships, and over a plate laden with food is exactly where I think those should start.

tennessee revelry

2011-11-23T13:01:00.000Z

Lindsey Wixson hanging out in Tennessee car lots, in jazzy shades and roller skates!
Shot by Will Davidson for Oyster Magazine #95. Styling by Stevie Dance.

xmas gift guide #1

2011-11-22T00:54:00.000Z

Breakfast, Lunch and Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery, Marimekko x Comme Des Garcons striped top, Vintage Tortoiseshell Barrette, Zoe and Morgan Love Ring, 'Pillowtalk' lipstick, Topshop, Fortnum and Mason Turkish Delight, Toast tote bag.

I know for a fact that I am 'in the Christmas spirit.' I know it because instead of listening to music to 'get me in the mood' before going to see Aphex Twin on Friday night, I closed my bedroom door and listened to Mariah and Wham. And I thought of George soppily moping on that awful group skiing holiday and then I thought presents. While I fairly often think about the challenge that it must be for features writers at magazines to recreate the same articles each year, the obligatory Christmas Gift Guide is something I will never tire of. They are as exciting as those first whispers of 'Holidays are coming' on the Coca-Cola ads. And if you're lucky, they will come with pleasing titles like 'gifts for the foodie', 'gifts for the creative' or, because it's Christmas and that is when everybody wears sequins and boleros (regardless of the decade) there is also 'gifts for the glamourpuss' so that we may leaf through the pages and actually quite enjoy the self-categorisation depending on how we see ourselves.

Because I enjoy this whole process so much, like the rest of the world and his Uncle I'll be creating my own in the run-up to Christmas. It's not at all a sly ploy to suggest present ideas to my friends all in the name of 'helping other feel inspired' (it is.) Also as part of my eternal loyalty to frugality, I've tried to be mindful of mixing genuinely affordable products with those that are more treaty to avoid it all becoming a shameless fantasy and because saving a few pennies for some pretty ribbon to wrap them in is always nice.

todd selby for zara

2011-11-21T15:27:00.000Z

Zara and Todd Selby know all about lifestyle envy. They know the components and they know which boxes to tick in order to seduce those who dream of classic gold jewellry and A-framed barns in Upstate New York, and even though I watch this film with knowledge of that manipulation, I still enjoyed 6 minutes of admiring Lucy Chadwick and her fluorescent tangerine toenails. I'm not sure that this video is 100% 'Zara' for me, I associate the brand more with sharper lines and high powered jobs than artists and time divided between the countryside and the city, and it's a little self conscious in places, but it's fun watching brands experimenting with what works as they branch out into different mediums of expressing their identities.
[You can see more of Chadwick and Duffy in the Todd Selby archives from when they lived in London, or Lucy more recently on Backyard Bill in the late afternoon New York sunshine with her ballet dancer sister.]

mood

2011-11-20T14:37:00.000Z

On my mind: Peeking PVC skirts and dreary days in Hawaii.

If there is one thing that Winter is really great for, it is it's ability to take a mildly obscene item of clothing, add an obligatory pairing of woolly tights (hello high count dernier), some choice knitwear and instantly tone down the previous sex appeal of the object simply with the necessity of keeping warm. This girl snapped by Mr Newton presents a summery take on the idea with her sliver of pvc, but swap the bare legs, throw on a mohair jumper, (and keep those fantastic cat eye sunglasses) and it would be perfect.

Also occupying a small corner of my brain: Hawaii. Maybe it's connected to the fact that I can't stop thinking about pineapples (yes), but I think it's mostly because of these photographs taken by Erin from Calivintage which make me wish firstly that I own a drivers license and secondly a white jeep for cruising around the gawping at the waves.

tom waits on kathleen brennan

2011-11-19T16:55:00.001Z

I love these two quotes from Tom Waits talking about his wife Kathleen Brennan. He eloquently and romantically describes his partner and collaborator and at the same time creates a template for the 'universal rad woman.'

"I'm Ingrid Bergman and she's Bogart. She's got a pilot's license, and she was gonna be a nun before we got married. I put an end to that. She knows about everything from motorcycle repair to high finance, and she's an excellent pianist. One of the leading authorities on the African violet. She's a lot of strong material. She's like Superwoman, standing there with her cape flapping."

"She's a shiksa goddess and a trapeze artist, all of that. She can fix the truck...she's outta this world...she's bold, inventive and fearless. That's who you wanna go in the woods with, right? Somebody who finishes your sentences for you."

november wishlist

2011-11-13T17:44:00.001Z

fluffy jumper, reality studio at topshop, leather skirt, carven, signet ring, martin margiela, purple stone ring, topshop, silver brogues, zara, kiehls lip balm, metals by feist.

I've already mentioned that for me Winter is a time when a reliance on material objects that are that bit more luxurious becomes stronger. It is when the urge to go to Space NK and spend ludicrous amounts of money on pleasingly packaged beauty products reaches its peak (hello dry skin) and it also explains how a leather skirt from Carven worth over £500 has made it's way onto my wishlist. At the moment all I want are shameless and shiny items of clothing, grown up jewellery and simple outfits ideally involving mohair and leather. I feel myself developing an affinity with magpies, shiny items must simply be a developed coping mechanism from bygone winters. And quite appropriate when it comes to alloy-lust, Feist's new album 'Metals' has been on repeat in my bedroom while I ponder what defined masculinity and femininity in American antebellum slave culture and hammer out word after word in what feels like a never ending cycle of essay-dom.

Note Feist's awesomely outfitted backing singers, like folksy Rosie Riveters in peachy tops and the cool hand-in-pockets stance topped off by those bleached jeans! (Reminds me of these..)

happy corduroy day!

2011-11-11T12:49:00.001Z

It's 11.11.11! The holiest day in the corduroy calendar.

what I wore

2011-11-10T18:33:00.000Z

What I wore yesterday- my friend Nanon's grey school jumper (I find myself in a 'better late than never' school uniform habit at the moment with my Marks and Spencer pleated skirt also thrown into the mix) as well as my Marc by Marc Jacobs 'I Love You' charm (I'm sure most people who ever visited the cheapy Marc Jacobs store on Bleeker St in New York own it?) on a thin gold chain received from my Mum on my 16th birthday. I also found this 'so awful it's delightful' Paris signet ring in a drawer when I returned home last week. I'd completely forgotten about it and now I like to wear it closing my eyes and pretending that I am in fact wearing the Martin Margiela version that I've been hankering after. Yes..

I seem to have an increased interest in jewelry everytime winter comes around, it's one of those subconscious lusts that hits when Christmas is around the corner and when luxurious items are a million times more appealing; cashmere and puppies and perfume and piles of fluffy untouched snow all combining to create the ultimate seasonal dream with Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman romping in a corner somewhere (optional).

winter fantasies

2011-11-10T17:34:00.000Z

Jourdan Dunn, Joan Smalls and Hailey Clauson covering i-D Magazine Winter 2011. Simultaneously boosting my Christmas excitement (how can rollnecks, sports thermals, puffa jackets and the cosy title 'warm up' suggest anything else?) and looking like they've stepped straight out of the Bobbie Brown Teenage Beauty book I used to own, with nude faces and eyeshadowed lids and all-round healthy countenances. These three covers are winter fantasies-they're what the cold months would be if central heating didn't try skin out. As the 'Winter Warm Up' issue it's also packed full of feel-good mantras Jane Fonda would be proud of, imploring exercise, endorphins and toothy grins. "Keep it loose and breathe deeply!" "Early to bed, early to rise, keeps you healthy, happy and wise!" Whether this well intended tone is put into practice or treated as a voyeuristic calorie burner there is one thing we can all agree on, I'm sure. Jourdan's eyebrows. Those eyebrows..

home

2011-11-09T15:25:00.000Z

A five day break back home in Bristol was just what I needed. The mid-term University fatigue has kicked in, with a piling workload and seasonal colds synchronizing for minimal production. But catching up with my Mum, eating well, wrapping up for the huge bonfire on Bonfire Night (which ended up looking eerily like some sort of 'villagers come out to witness witch burning' ritual with the vast circular crowd surrounding the fire), going to Mark's Bread on Saturday morning for a french stick warm from the oven and enjoying the late afternoon pink light from my garden were some of the simple pleasures which have energized me now that I'm back in Manchester and balking at the combined work count of my essays with 'I'm His Girl' by Friends playing on a reassuring loop.

bonfire night!

2011-11-05T18:07:00.003Z

red beanie, alexa chung for madewell, metallic nail varnish, fur trimmed mittens and spotty jumper all topshop.

It's bonfire night! Tis a night for warming your face right up close to the flames, gobbling hog roasts and toffee apples and swaddling yourself in knitwear while you 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the fireworks. I really, really love bonfire night and I'm home in Bristol to celebrate by doing all of the above in the park next door to my house.

on rotation

2011-11-03T15:45:00.000Z

1. Jumper, River Island. Dress, secondhand. 2. Le Monde top, Zara. 3. Parka, Urban Outfitters.

4. Shirt, Urban Outfitters 5. Top, Zara. School skirt, Marks and Spencer. 6. Snakeskin shirt, denim shorts and Birkenstocks all secondhand.

Some items I've had on seri-ous rotation recently. Serious rotation as in verging on a "is there nothing else to wear?" crisis but for now still in positive territory. During my stay in London last week I met up with Charlie from Urban Outfitters and was allowed to choose a few items. The old 'like a child in a sweet shop' idiom may be cliched but in this case it is wholly appropriate. Afterwards I padded quietly out of the shop, mentally executing a self defence strategy to deal with the security guard I was sure would pounce at any moment and wrestle me to the floor. Luckily all was okay and I managed to avoid any Peaches Geldof shoplifting skurmishes (haw haw haw). Instead I left with a couple of pairs of boots to fill my wardrobe's shoe void, a pretty lace bra, a shirt and a big parka coat which has been sheltering me from the Manchester chill since.

Also getting lots of wear is my Le Monde top from (who'd have thought?) Zara. It hangs so well which is something of increasing importance these days as my boobs have jumped a cup size in the last year and I've learnt about the daily trials of maintaining any sign of silhouette. (Don't even get me started on wearing knitwear) I've been wearing it lots to seminars, tucked into my Marks and Spencer school skirt or with simple black Topshop jeans and Birkenstocks.

On a final note, it's taken me this long to realise the joys of the coat hood. 20 years! Why has it only just clicked? But during a relentless period of rain last month in Manchester (about 10 days!) it was my saving grace against the downpour and also a cosy insulator which is particularly welcomed as I'm not a hat person at all. The parka count is steadily increasing around Manchester University, the sea of khaki green is reaching laughable levels. At first I wondered if it had been added to a 'must have' list of items distributed to Freshers along with reading lists, a sort of 'You're in Manchester now, so make like Ian Brown, FAST!' conspiracy, but now I understand, we all know about the powerful warmth of the parka hood.

tis the season

2011-11-02T23:57:00.003Z

While waiting for my train at the station earlier I had a little mosey at the magazines in Smiths and was bowled over by the Vogue UK December issue in all it's glossy glory. A sexy head-to-toe shot of Gisele as the bearer of the news "Tis the Season!", this is exactly what I want from a Christmas cover; 90% glamour, 10% tackiness in that early noughties, Carrie Bradshaw sort of way. If it's Christmas, I want balloons and metallics and something that screams 'party!' with a nod to vaguely trashy decadence. Hurrah!

pineapples

2011-10-31T22:56:00.000Z

1. A pineapple picker in 1941, still looking cool despite the prickly job.

2. The power of the pineapple. From the Arnsdorf 2012 lookbook.

school rules!

2011-10-27T15:28:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I received official confirmation of my place at University of Massachusetts next term (woo!) and as a result my brain was in overdrive as I slept last night, dreaming up the archetypal 'American college' imagery as it lead my overwhelmed parallel self through crowds at baseball games and seas of college scarves and sweaters. So it's nicely appropriate that today I stumbled upon this old editorial from T Magazine shot by Angelo Pennetta and styled by Vanessa Traina, showing a selection of models at their respective places of education, proudly bedecked in college merchandise, peering from under baseball caps and standing on grassy quads.

Joyland

2011-10-21T13:57:00.003+01:00

I love these brilliant stills from the SS12 B Store film 'Leaving Dreamland'. While the film itself didn't dazzle me, the Patent Saints soundtrack and the Great Yarmouth film location did. I've been seduced into the idea of taking a lazy trip East to the Joyland Amusement Park and sliding into a booth and getting my fingers greasy at the chrome-clad American Family Diner.

mood

2011-10-17T23:29:00.000+01:00

Things on my mind: Stella McCartney Spring 2012-the tea towel patterns, the matching of sunglasses to dresses, the Mark Zuckerberg-style footwear and the chilled out baggy trousers. Transparent footwear: see these Clear Jelly Mules from eBay or a silver heeled variation at Phillip Lim 3.1 Spring 2012 (minus the model's bloody toes-ouch!) The May Peace Prevail on Earth editorial via Through A Glass Darkly, and if that takes your fancy it's worth having a look at some of the other editorials on the same site (like Here And There With Celine)

window shopping

2011-10-11T01:46:00.000+01:00

Some 'window shopping' snaps from the last month. I am aware of the irony of following a post in which I talk about how I don't want style inspiration to always go hand-in-hand with the notion of 'needing more stuff' with one full of 'oh, I want this, and I want this..' high street porn. But when the store I'm walking into contains clothes with attainable price tags, I don't feel quite as strongly. And besides, I saw the Zara jumper in the first picture, fell in love, and then put it back. Because those America funds to finance my time studying in Massachusetts from January aren't going to start themselves. So this is a liberated dream scenario, if you will. I came, I saw, I stroked and I put back. And only 10% of this post contains any shred of denial about that turn of events.. Ok, I purchased the jumper in the middle picture. From River Island! And it doesn't have an ounce of diamante on it! I really never thought anything from River Island would take my fancy but it looks rather jazzy in a primary teacher sort of way when worn with my Marks and Spencer pleated school skirt and Mens marl socks. See also the Unique Dalmatian Bomber jacket. I know I've been doing an awful lot of Topshop hankering recently but I've been completely seduced by their stock this season. Plus the jacket is made from ponyhair and mohair (a real treat for the fingers) super snug and super unattainable. "Hooray?"

on the changing nature of street style

2011-10-10T02:20:00.002+01:00

I liked Lara Stone in Holland, but I love Kim Noorda in London from the Fall 2011 issue of Tank Magazine. I'm all about prop-heavy styling so the jar of apple-flavoured boiled sweets and tempting bookshop shelves are appreciated additions to Kim's day of wandering.

It's also nice to see Viktor Vauthier's photography featured in a fashion magazine, I much prefer his professional work to his personal, ironically it seems feels more relaxed, maybe because I always consider how his personal photos probably involve just as much planning, so that although they are 'off the cuff' they actually feel more contrived. When leafing through a magazine editorial there is a suspension of disbelief; you know that the clothes featured will have been painstakingly called in and steamed and ideas will have been scrapped, advertisers consulted and you know too that the model is essentially acting. Street style and personal photography blogs however are more real, usually disconnected from commercial incentive and their success lies in the honesty that they project. While I once loved personal photography sites like (the now defunct) The Skullset, or even more recently Viktor Vauthier, because they felt real, these days as with street style blogs the boundaries are more blurred. I find that sense of 'ad-hoc' photography, as something that counters the glossiness and exclusivity that once defined mainstream fashion publications harder to find because the two styles have themselves blended. Anna Della Russo dresses up to be photographed just as street style photographers are commissioned to shoot campaigns and editorials. And this merging is okay, in fact it's exciting (the Anna Della Russo part not so much, that makes me feel uncomfortable) but I feel like there needs to be more honesty about the photographs. This Viktor Vauthier editorial in Tank Magazine works for me because I know it's a commercial piece of work but sites like The Sartorialist, Garance Dore or The Facehunter aren't as believable to me anymore, particularly when the photographers plan to meet subjects in order to photograph them.

For me it's also about always seeing the same faces on the sites, so that person becomes defined as a clothes horse rather than style being just another facet of subject. But arguably this then turns into a debate about the changing nature of street style photography; who is the subject of street style and should well dressed Fashion Editors be excluded just because they have become familiar after previous documenting? It's an internal debate that always resurfaces around the time of Fashion Week as that is when the current contrived nature of street style is at it's most apparent to me and it becomes a thread of conversation between those attending. That street style photography encourages a more entrenched 'parade' mentality isn't anything particularly new but it does feel like a backlash is in swing, both from those tired of being involved and those who, like me, want more from sites which seem preoccupied with snapping subjects for the 'it' status of their clothes. Of course capturing the zeitgeist is of great importance to many street style photographers, but it can mean that their sites become less about showcasing true flair and more about 'grabbing that lady over there to photograph her Prada brogues' as if she is part of a universal club regardless of what the rest of her outfit is like.

I find myself thinking about the nature of street style photography a lot and for me it says a lot about our approach to the way in which we consume fashion because it is very easy for the 'real style' bracket that encompasses street style it to become just as 'fantasy' orientated as magazines. Is there a difference between seeing that glorious Balenciaga dog sweater in an editorial or snapped on the street? I think I'd be more inclined to buy it if I saw it on someone 'real' but at the same time, I don't want to read street style blogs so that I can leave myself lusting after the same items featured in magazines. I read street style blogs because I want to be inspired by the clothes people wear without it going hand in hand with the notion of 'needing more stuff'. It also continues to surprise me that considering the wealth of blogs and sites across the internet, genuinely satisfying street style blogs are lacking. And the title 'Street Style' is itself increasingly confusing, because some of my favourite go-to sites like Turned Out or Closet Visit involve pre-planned shoots with subjects and therefore lumping all sites that showcase style under the one umbrella title feels too broad.

Though it's a topic that regularly pops up in my brain for mulling over, it's not something I've come to any concrete or even coherent conclusions about, just as with the nature of street style itself, it is constantly changing.

outfit

2011-10-04T18:35:00.001+01:00

What I wore yesterday (also known as 'sneakily stealing my housemate's laptop for photobook purposes in a moment of "agh, all of my technology is crap!" madness.' She doesn't know I did this. Ashling, I love you and I will buy you a steak.)

Vintage Liz Claiborne Dalmatian shirt from Blitz London and dark denim dress from Florence.

And some renewed appreciation for Stevie Wonder's 'Living For The City' after the deceivingly enjoyable first lecture of our 'Jamestown to James Brown' module which included 8 solid minutes of musical brilliance with The O'Jays' 'Ship Ahoy', James Brown's 'Say It Loud, I'm Black and Proud' and Sam Cooke and The Soul Stirrers 'It Won't Be Very Long' as well as some Billie Holiday, John Coltrane and uh, Sister Sledge.

hometime with lara stone

2011-10-04T00:17:00.002+01:00

'Little Dutch Girl' shot by Angelo Pennetta, styled by Sara Moonves. The New York Times Travel, Fall 2011 via Fashion Gone Rogue.

Lara Stone editorials usually focus on her wild adventures with her 'pair'. But wait, what's this, she appears to be having wild adventures with her parents in this wonderful spread. Well, sort of; she also gets distracted by pancakes and windmills and canals but who can blame her for enjoying a good old homecoming whilst doubling as a handsome guide of her hometown Mierlo, for the New York Times Travel special?

hot and cool

2011-10-03T23:00:00.000+01:00

I was glad that during London Fashion Week (which I haven't really talked about yet as I'm still waiting to get my films developed) I was able to meet Hot and Cool Magazine's Alice Goddard and Theo Sion. Of course now that everything can be done remotely these days I've contributed three articles to the past two issues and exchanged lots of emails without ever having met them in person. So when I met them at Sakura for some particularly slurpy noodles it felt sort of like Blind Date (though sadly without Cilla). But it was nice to talk more about the latest magazine while-"wait, did Paul Simonon and Serena Rees just sit at the table next to us?"-trying not to gawp at the pair who were sitting side by side while working their way through an absolute banquet of sashimi (who sits side by side in a restaurant? Brilliant!)

I really like Hot and Cool and love contributing to something that I'd still be excited to read regardless of any involvement, it's refreshing and personal and pretty to look at. This issue was particularly special because I was able to interview Maya Villiger whose site Turned Out is my ideal template for a 'street style' blog and I really enjoyed learning about Danish architect Arne Jacobsen in Asta Meldal Lynge's piece 'So Modern'. The Fashion pages are as pleasing as ever (a Big Lebowski style shot of model decked in a tartan dressing gown, anyone?) and my personal favourite 'fun fact'-each of the style spreads is named after an episode of Seinfeld, Alice and Theo's favourite show.

You can buy a copy of Hot and Cool 3 here

and peruse the online Journal here.

october wishlist

2011-10-03T01:58:00.001+01:00

Yellow begonias/ Gold Block Heels, Topshop/ Sabrina Dehoff Suede Bracelet, Goodhood Store/ Dog Sweater, Balenciaga/ Pleated Gym Skirt, Margaret Howell (or try Marks and Spencer Kids department which is where I got mine) Leather Shopping Bag, Cos/ The Gentlewoman Issue 4/ Marl 'Jolly' socks (shortened), Monki/

After seeing someone at the Michael Van Der Ham show wearing the Balenciaga Dog sweater I haven't been able to shake it from my mind. Which is handy because on a scale of '1 to Realistic' it sits really cosily among those minus numbers. In more upbeat news both Monki and Cos are now selling online! Which is bloody brilliant and signals the end of the record breaking collective finger-tap while we all waited. Also on my mind are begonias (even if we are approaching the frosty delights of winter), the new daisy-coloured issue of The Gentlewoman, anything gold (foil skirts, metallic nails and in particular these gold heeled boots), marl socks and once again the need for practical bags for lugging textbooks and protection against the rain now that I'm back at University.

on jane birkin

2011-09-29T10:04:00.002+01:00

I haven't got a lot out of the current issue of Vogue UK. I have a problem with the Style File interviews laying admiration on people for 'having caught the eye of Prince Harry over the Summer' especially when the same subject goes on to describe herself as 'a high-street girl' with the exception of an occasional Gucci shoe purchase. Or a Mulberry bag. Plus maybe a penchant for dresses from Erdem and Temperley. Which is all fine but in my book more accurately translates as a 'high-end girl who also likes Topshop.' I get tired of reading articles in Vogue which present people under the allusion that they're 'just like us' when they feel more suited to Tatler.

The interview with Jane Birkin on the other hand made my purchase of the issue worth it and I devoured it. It's honest while escaping any sense of false modesty. When asked about her 'high-street secrets', she answers that she doesn't have any. Her daily beauty routine? 'Frankly, I swish my face-and bosoms-with cold water on waking and then on with anything I can lay my hands on while I brush my teeth and put on the radio for the nine o'clock news.' I very much like that Jane Birkin calls her boobs 'bosoms'. The interview is full of interesting tidbits, thanks to the well considered questions. We learn that she buys cashmere socks which always end up heel-less thanks to their ill-suited coupling with her Converse and that fringes are fantastic for 'horse-faced people like me.'

Chances are that for anyone who loves Jane Birkin's style, they also have a soft spot for the wicker baskets which became one of her sartorial trademarks in the 1960s. 'Either she brings her basket or we leave,' Serge Gainsbourg would sternly warn any restaurant or nightclub that they entered and she was faithful to her favourite accessory until her second husband Jacques Doillon became so sick of 'gimmicks' that he ran his car over it, a fact that she relays without the mournful sentiment I would probably attach to a humorous yet tragic episode!

interview: florence sw

2011-09-26T23:20:00.001+01:00

Top photograph by Sophie Davidson.

I regard Tumblrs with a wariness, like a cat about to cross the road I understand the extent of the danger I am about to put myself in when I visit one of those blackholes of all things aethestically beautiful. Florence SW's is one of those pages, except that when I visit I feel completely safe. I may visit florencesw.tumblr.com and muse over bare-faced photographs of Natalia Vodianova and enjoy Florence's funny accompanying captions which read like the naive bursts of a teenage diary. With enthusiastic chronicles of trips to the shop for a packet of crisps, vaguely embarrassing mishaps or tales of recent eBay purchases, she is a Brit with a true Anglo wit and an ability to post picture after picture of some lithe 90s model without any real pretension. I like Florence's tumblr because in a sea of sites which often lack real substance, she will source consistently fresh (and funny) material and inspire and give you a good old pat on the back to help you through that early-morning-getting-dressed funk.

What’s on your bedside table?

My bedside table is more accurately a desk so presently a perennially dying cheeseplant, my radio (to indulge my radio 4 obsession), various magazine tear outs and school books

Some pieces of clothing you have on current rotation?

Raggedy old jumpers in sombre colours, leather trousers, t-shirts under dresses, doc martens shoes and black or grey socks are my style staples.

Which are your go-to blogs?

rebeccalily.tumblr.com, darceysw.tumblr.com, cheapskatechic.blogspot.com, twobreadsplease.blogspot.com, majacasablancas.com, sophiedavidson.tumblr.com, charlottellis.tumblr.com, sheepskinmagazine.blogspot.com, jesuismaya.blogspot.com, cool-and-beauty.thepop.com and hot-and-cool.tumblr.com here lies a much deliberated list of best friends, my little sister, my soul sister, long term faves and to avoid sounding like an impossible “brown noser” discothequeconfusion.blogspot.com.

What would you like to be ‘when you’re a grown up’?

To be a stylist would be the ultimate fantasy, dressing hot chicks in saggy jumpers and tattered jeans; however I would be equally happy devoting my life to indulging all of my history student desires as a museum curator.

How do you start your average day? (Please discuss breakfast.)

Ideally I’d like to wake up to, my eternal hero, Jenny Murray’s dulcet tones on Woman’s Hour followed by a breakfast of croissants and blueberries/raspberries, however a far more apt description would be my waking up at about 12, missing Woman’s Hour and eating some quavers around 2 o’clock when I finally drag myself to Tesco Express.

Tell us a joke.
Have you heard of anti-joke chicken? “Knock, Knock, Who’s there? It’s the police, your wife has been badly injured in a car accident”.

If you were creating a moodboard to sum up your own style and your favourite references, what would feature in it?
An excess of a barefaced Kate Moss, Angela Lindvall in Miu Miu turtlenecks and Chloe Sevigny in homemade hats and overalls.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Cigarettes, Halloumi and Glee.

Is it accurate to say you have a frugal approach to clothes?
It couldn’t be more accurate, the best indication of my clothes expenditure is to say that I usually have to have a serious think if the item is over £1. I am an ebay fiend first and foremost and since starting Uni my charity shop obsession has intensified, it is Deptford that caters to this obsession (the Methodist church, the Salvation Army, the list goes on!)

A couple of songs you’re listening to at the moment?
I remain a committed fan to Dev Hynes and his accomplishments so naturally the Blood Orange album has been one of my priorities, Etta James 'A Sunday Kind of Love', anything and everything by Sam Cooke and 'C'mon Every Beatbox' by Big Audio Dynamite.

Do you have a beauty routine?
I’d prefer to not wear make-up, but in order to avoid the much dreaded “prawn eyes”, I usually wear Rimmel kohl eyeliner, Maybelline Great Lash mascara (because its the cheapest!) and if I am feeling festive I occasionally wear orangey or red wine coloured lipsticks.

Your favourite films to stimulate the sartorial senses?
Amelie for the awkwardly long skirts, perfect hair and chunky shoes and Woody Allen for Gershwin, New York, his passion for Ingmar Bergman and Diane Keaton.

Aside from direct style references, what are your other interests?

The first thing that springs to mind is Joe Strummer and The Clash, an infatuation that I can only credit my parents with. In my opinion, The Clash are the ultimate British band; political, clever, funny and original and Strummer and Jones are my Lennon and McCartney. Seeing Big Audio Dynamite with one of my best friends at Bestival not only made my summer, but my life. Additionally, history lessons with Mr Merriman can attribute to my interest in Cold War era American and the hours spent pouring over books on Civil Rights or the Johnson administration in my former life as a Waterstones bookseller.

Meadham Kirchoff SS12

2011-09-26T21:30:00.000+01:00

AWOL for over a week! I've been properly settling into my new house in Manchester and I do very sincerely apologise for the absence. Please find as compensation (while I finish getting through Uncle Tom's Cabin at my typical s-n-a-i-l-s pace) some phone pictures from the Meadham Kirchoff last Tuesday. The show really was incredible, it felt like the visual equivalent of receiving the warmest, tightest hug imaginable and having someone lovingly dust a little icing powder into your head for good measure. Young ballerinas, a troupe of Courtney Love can-can dancers, an old railway platform filled with candy coloured balloons and streamers and a Spice Girls soundtrack left a room full of regular (and often unflappable) show attendees completely weak at the knees and grinning like lovestruck softees. I was so glad to leave London on such a high after that show feeling like I'd been part of something really special. One of my favourite moments was seeing the ballerinas rush backstage after their performance and watching them excitably hugging and jumping up and down behind the screens and out of sight, having their own sugary adrenaline rush.

christopher raeburn

2011-09-17T17:28:00.000+01:00

There's a lot to like about Christopher Raeburn. I like that his surname sounds like the best and crunchiest variety of Apple. I also like that with his Spring 2012 collection he advocates both wearing plain grey school skirts and matching your socks with your vinyl rainwear. And just for good measure, all dedicated chameleons should place themselves against a matching rainbow appropriate backdrop, just as his models did. These anoraks are a prime example of a 'power by numbers' uniform, to be worn by packs rather than individuals. Earlier today I saw Francesca Burns and another of her Love Magazine collegues (can't remember who) strolling out of Somerset House in matching JW Anderson paisley trousers and I'd love to see Team Love each opting for a different coloured Christopher Raeburn anorak in a 'fashion tellybubby' sort of move.

lfw diary

2011-09-17T12:56:00.003+01:00

1. Boris Johnson and Erin O'Connor. Fun facts- Boris does indeed walk around mumbling 'Hullo, Hullo, Hullo, Hi..' in real life (does like he does 'on the telly'..) He also had two builders shouting 'We Love You Boris!' Ironically.
2, 3, 4. The fantastic B.Store Presentation. Lots of braids and sturdy sandals galore. Models sloped about, nonchalantly chatting on the grand staircase.
5. Issue 3 of Hot and Cool! Had a excitable moment seeing the latest issue on the shelves of Wardour News with my two articles inside yesterday. Shamelessly said 'that's me, that is!' to the man behind the counter while pointing at my interview with Turned Out's Maya Villiager.
6, 7. Sheepy Knitwear at the Espirit x RCA launch party.
8. The delicious dalmatiany Unique collection at the Topshop Oxford St store.
9. Vintage crochet dresses at Topshop.

nail envy

2011-09-14T09:10:00.001+01:00

Lots of love for these nails, spotted by Refinery 29 at NYFW. So clean, so well buffed, the perfect Pillarbox red and a world away from the current state of affairs where my own fingernails are concerned.

outfit

2011-09-10T17:30:00.000+01:00

What I wore yesterday: Topshop Ampersand jumper, second hand bloomer-ish shorts, New Balance 420 for packing and last minute chores before leaving Bristol behind again. I am now just getting settled into my new house in Manchester. This is my first time in a 'real' house of my 'own' which is rather exciting.

I'm also thinking of doing a 'Freshers' (cool!) related post for those of you who are starting University this year if any of you have ideas of things you'd like to know? I know when I started last year I became a bit compulsive when it came to devouring any information I could find, not because I necessarily needed it but just because I found a bizarre pleasure in indulging in Guardian Student Food guides and hearing how people budgeted. So do throw any questions/ideas my way if this appeals at all.

rachel comey SS12

2011-09-09T14:59:00.001+01:00

Hurrah, Fashion Month is GO! First up on my 'list of appreciation' is unsurprisingly Rachel Comey SS12. Comey continues her love affair with Bucket Hats (which I wrote about last year and still like just as much) in a collection featuring Moroccan sandals, slit skirts, seascape prints, halter dresses and a slight 'gone camping' Spring vibe with large, practical handbags.

the wild ones

2011-09-09T13:45:00.000+01:00

With it's bright mishmash of Missoni, Meadham Kirchoff, Eley Kishimoto and clashing pattern galore, I've fallen a little bit for editorial 'The Wild Ones' styled by Katy Lassen and shot by Mark Lean. I love the innocence of the teenage girls, all lithe and cool, drinking Coca Cola and looking like Upper Class Italians in the 1970s in palazzo pants and intricate knitwear without any hint of precociousness.

I also thoroughly recommend The Contributing Editor which until now seems to have bypassed me and acts as an online magazine showcasing talent from emerging photographers and stylists. The editorials differ in their style but are all of a high standard, whether shooting Z-Boy reminiscent stories or subtle odes to denim and slicked back hair.

that september feeling

2011-09-08T12:17:00.000+01:00

I know, I know hankering after all the hallmarks of September and that back to school feeling is a cliche. But it's a cliche for a reason and that synthetic smell of just-photocopied pages, the feeling of a chunky pen on a fresh page and new pencils can't be beaten. This novelty of newness goes hand in hand with new-season excitement in the wardrobe department which lives on long after school days. Even though I am no longer confined to a school uniform, I still see September as an opportunity to add some pieces to my very own personalised uniform. And of course, the perfect homage to That September Feeling has to be the school walk-through scene from Donnie Darko, one of my very favourite film scenes for the synchronised playground dancing, goodboy vs badboy, folders clutched to chests and Tears For Fears soundtrack.

Yellow Breton Top, Topshop/ Pleated Gym Skirt, Margaret Howell/ Karen Walker Patsy Sunglasses/

Moleskine Notebook/ Fur Ponio Hairbobbles and 'Heart of Gold' Nail Varnish, both Topshop/

'You Look Really Good Today' Jumper, Markus Lupfer/ Leather Trousers, Topshop/ Cable Knit Socks, Toast/ Adidas Gazelle in purple/ Postalco Notebooks, Brookfarm General Store/ Koss Porta Pro Headphones.

Cashmere Rollneck, Margaret Howell/ Metallic Heel Sandals and Tortoiseshell Barette both Topshop/ Mac Lipstick in Morange/ Aqua PVC Clutch, Christopher Kane/ 'What Would Mozzer Do?' pencils, Classic Sigg Water Bottle, Brookfarm General Store.

Rome

2011-09-06T00:27:00.002+01:00

Some photographs taken from my European trip, these ones from Rome.

I arrived hot and bothered and without anywhere to stay but once I'd found a hostel (after a few 'no room at the inn' moments) a walk to see the colloseum and the city before it got dark seemed like a nice calming antidote to the journey. I hadn't thought a lot about what Rome would be like before arriving but on that walk I found myself thinking 'of course' as mopeds zipped in and out of traffic, horns beeped and the shirts and suits of dapper drivers on their vespas flapped in the wind. All of this with the huge body of the colloseum ahead of me and the moon just coming out above it. It all felt a bit like one of those adverts that play on tv in the depths of winter, commissioned by tourist offices, it was exactly what you'd expect of Rome; loud, hot, busy and wonderful and I felt like Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck might as well have riden past in CGI just to complete the illusion.

I did lots of walking around and reading. I visited the Orto Botanico and climbed up to the top of the hill with it's view over Rome and the multiple Basilicas sticking up and out in the sea of red roofs and I bought a huge, fuzzy peach at Campo Dei Fiori. My favourite moment was probably when I was walking back to the hostel one evening through the maze of alleys in the centre and turned a corner to be completely unexpectedly greeted by the sight of Fontana di Trevi, the gushing sound of cascading water and the swarms of people crowding around it. Italy was constantly crowded (of course, it was the Summer) but standing in front of that huge white fountain, with marble men and horses wrestling in the water while surrounded by a huge crowd of people equally excited to see such an infamous landmark was a really nice feeling. Seeing such a famous sight emerging out of nowhere felt very true of Rome and Italy in general, you could be in what felt like a completely 'ordinary' street and some building, or sculpture, or in this case fountain would pop out of nowhere, extraordinarily decadent and beautiful. It's the sort of decadence that doesn't exist anymore but most of the awe comes from the age of the buildings and relics themselves because you wonder how on earth you can be looking at something that was built in the Roman period.

mood

2011-09-05T01:10:00.000+01:00

Brigitte Bardot having a whale of a time/ Chloe Sevigny in Harper's and Queen, October 2003/ nice workspace/ Underwear on the Staten Island Ferry, Araks Lookbook/ Angora Jumpers in general (this one is by J.W. Anderson)/ Socks and sandals, Rochas Resort 2012.

style notes for the guys

2011-09-03T18:30:00.004+01:00

White tee-shirts, sharp haircuts, rolled up jeans with black socks and polished brogues. Wear this look until you die and ye shall never falter.

From 'Hackney Road' in Spray Magazine, styled by Charlotte Briere.

got a girl crush

2011-09-02T21:58:00.000+01:00

It's a wonder that a magazine like Got A Girl Crush didn't pop up sooner, as girl crushing now seems to have reached the status of a fully fledged and fairly legitimate pastime for women around the world. As our hunger for 'nosey culture' grows in the form of voyeuristic personal style blogs, websites specialising in informal house visits and in-depth interviews, the girl crush phenomenon is bigger than ever and the everyday woman is just as important and inspiring as those famous idols that smiled down from the posters on our teenage bedroom walls.

Got A Girl Crush Magazine is the brain child of Meg Wachter and Andrea Cheng and it perfectly understands what the girl crush is all about. Guy crushes are nice too but as much as I enjoy smiling at the TV screen when George Clooney's face is stretched across it or laughing at Chris Addison on Twitter, nothing quite beats the proverbial kick up the arse a girl crush will give you for wanting to get your act together. Girls with projects, girls with nice clothes, girls who are funny and proactive, girls who can create something amazing in the kitchen, can say no firmly but nicely and girls who juggle a million things at once are the receivers of my serious admiration and this magazine takes 10 such women from across America and simply hangs out, talks to them and takes beautiful photographs of the whole process. It's sort of like having a lunch with an interesting friend but in magazine form; the interviews ask all the right questions and the result is a wonderful publication that leaves you inspired to enjoy your life as much as they do. It's not all 'isn't she brilliant' gushing over high-flyers, it's about people who spend their time doing things that are enjoyable and completely achievable. Reading this magazine doesn't feel like reading fantasy and it provides little gems like the anecdote from comedian Jenny Slate who was overwhelmed by the desire to fart under the duvet and then waft while shooting love scenes with Jason Schwartzman. Another favourite interview of mine is with Jeana Sohn who writes one of my favourite sites Closet Visit (which I was thinking about when talking about 'nosey culture') and talks about how she juggles her two websites and her painting and who her dream Closet Visit subjects would be (Miranda July, Isabel Marant, Jenna Lyons and Stevie Dance if you were wondering).

If you're all about girl crushing and 'real life stories' that aren't of the incest variety, Got A Girl Crush is a lovely magazine to dip in and out of and I'm looking forward to reading about Meg and Andrea's next spate of crushes.

cotton fields

2011-09-01T13:03:00.001+01:00

I'm really excited to have another vintage store, Cotton Fields Vintage sponsoring Discotheque Confusion. Cotton Fields is a newbie, just started by Jillian Smith in Scotland with a small selection of reasonably priced vintage dresses ranging from the 50s to the 70s. If there is anything that takes your fancy you can use this code (lovediscotheque) to receive 10% off over the next fortnight. Having another sponsor means that I can get the train to London (which I'm about to do right now..) without having to scrape by eating only vegetable soup the week before, ahem to that!

moodboard

2011-08-31T14:38:00.003+01:00

Things I've been crushing on: Men's Sunspel jumper, perfect worn baggy over a cord skirt/ Turned Out/ Isabel's awesome snakeskin blouse/ I'm really hung up on Zoe and Morgan's Love Lasso ring/Navy lace bra bought from Topshop last week/ Abby's sweater top/ Me with Kate's triumphant Red Velvet cake last week in Stroud.

And on repeat is Lost and Found by Steve Mason..

Remembering Corinne Day

2011-08-31T11:45:00.002+01:00

A couple of dates that are firmly penciled, nay prominently biro-ed into my diary this month. Tomorrow sees the launch of the Corinne Day The Face exhibition at Gimpel Fils Gallery which runs for a month, marking the 1st anniversary of Corinne's death and looking at her early work for magazine The Face in the early 1990s. The exhibition will feature her infamous 'Third Summer of Love' fashion story with the young Kate Moss (yes, 'young Kate Moss tumblr post' fans) as well as two other The Face editorials 'Heaven is Real' and 'Borneo'.

It's also worth making a trip to the Whitechapel Gallery on September 25th where they will be celebrating the life and work of Corinne Day by with a talk and screening of Corinne Day: Diary, 2002, the documentary directed by her husband Mark Szaszy with interviews with Day, Rosemary Ferguson, Kate Moss and Vincent Gallo.

In the mean time, have a look at some of the photographs from the wonderful 'England's Dreaming' spread published in The Face in August 1993 scanned by Dazed or Something for lots of fantastic metallic cigarette trousers and Adidas trainer combination styled by Melanie Ward. These photos (as well as some previously unpublished) are featured in Heaven Is Real which I'm already tempted by, just so that I can lie on my bed in a pair of knickers, smoothing my fingers over the pages in some vague attempt at a Corinne Day parody.

crap dancing is cool!

2011-08-30T08:17:00.001+01:00

We have all experienced that moment first thing in the morning, of brushing your teeth and realising that the dance moves you so confidently showcased the night before maybe weren't quite up to scratch. That maybe they truly didn't match the unabashed sense of 'I look like Beyonce right now!' There is solace for that moment of realisation and it comes in the form of this Lanvin video. My fellow shit dancers rejoice, crap dancing is cool!

vogue and fashion's night out

2011-08-30T08:15:00.000+01:00

Some pictures taken last week at Vogue House. (I feel that I cannot continue without stating that the man in the photograph just above is innocently waiting for a lift rather than 'taking a slash' behind the Conde Nast screens. Even though it would arguably be better if it was the latter.) I was invited to a small breakfast to hear about Vogue's plans for this years Fashion's Night Out on September 8th. Everyone politely ignored the granola and yogurt and salmon canapes and little piles of shiny strawberries (I didn't) while being filled in on the various in-store events that will be taking place across central London next week. Because the British love any excuse to have a Street Party (we even feigned monarchical patriotism back in April just so we could string up some bunting in the street) this year the whole of Bond Street will be pedestrianised with live music, Vogue information 'sheds' which will house photobooths and customization points as well as lots of party over spill from the stores participating in the late night shopping knees up.

While digesting all of this information Alexandra Shulman popped into the room and quietly worked her way around talking to people and although I feared that upon meeting her I may do something inappropriate like spontaneously curtsy, as soon as myself and Navaz started chatting to her any nervousness was dispelled. I ended up feeling like I was talking to the parent of a friend as she asked how I balance blogging with univeristy and I just about resisted the urge to casually begin my answers with 'Well Alex..' She was wearing a long-sleeved vintage dress with small tropical patterns in greens and oranges and a pair of kitten heels which were suddenly very appealing; an overall get-up that could have equally suited a Mad Men-era Summer party or a glamorous Ibiza dinner in the 1970s.

My personal favourites of the planned in-store events are the Hawaiian-themed do at Liberty, complete with a Rum Shack, DJs and Lulu Kennedy and her Fashion East friends and family Richard Nicoll, Jonathan Saunders, Simone Rocha, Michael Van der Ham and Bella Freud who will all be around for a fashion show-and-tell, talking customers through their collections. Beyond Retro are hosting an evening of presentations from top stylists on how to 'survive' the fashion industry with the chance for Q+As and complimentary drinks (a challenge in itself if you're quaffing free drinks while trying to impress your idols.) Endless brownie points go to Mulberry for their genius idea of serving mini toad-in-the-holes and laying on fortune tellers, manicurists and the prize draws every half an hour. In a double-nod to all things Seventies revival Tiffany and Co's Bond St store is being turned into a Warhol-era disco with body paint artists, photobooths and hairstyling salons while in his Mayfair store Rupert Sanderson will pay homage to the glamour of a good old fashioned Roller Disco.

last week

2011-08-29T00:55:00.003+01:00

My friend Nanon took these pictures last week when she came to visit me in Bristol. I proudly showed her the sights and took her to Magic Roll for the famous O'Piratha wrap -lamb patties, haloumi, spinach, mushrooms and hot chilli sauce which culminated in a silent 5 minutes of mutual awe and respect for the perfect taste sensation we were both experiencing. We also went up to Stroud to go to a 'surprise party' (would have been surprise if Nanon hadn't accidentally texted the 'suprisee' the night before giving a blow by blow list of the plans, duh) But it was still lovely and consisted of catching up with friends, saying goodbye to those leaving us to study in faraway lands, face warming beside a bonfire and in my case eating so much pate that I was forced to retire early to bed to sleep off the livery nausea. Nice!

pop autumn/winter 2011

2011-08-27T08:00:00.002+01:00

How apt that after yesterday's discussion of Dasha Zhukova's post-Pop magazine Garage, the first post-Zhukova Pop has also been released onto newsstands. Seeing Georgia May Jagger looking demure with a brunette bob and no 'tits and gap teeth' angles is a small truimph in itself. Instead she poses like the subject in an oil painting on the cover of an issue dedicated 'towards a redefinition of the lady.'

garage magazine

2011-08-26T12:29:00.006+01:00

Although these pretty polaroids could easily be mistaken for a new Band of Outsiders campaign, they are in fact Dasha Zhukova and Shala Monroque proudly presenting their soon to be launched magazine 'Garage'. I'm very exciting to see what comes next in the fashion-meets-art magazine saga as Dasha builds on the same concept she championed as Editor in Chief of Pop Magazine. The shoots in Pop Magazine were always a beautiful feast for the eyes and flicking through the fashion pages you felt you could easily have been wandering around a Ryan McGinley exhibition. The first issue comes out on September 5th to coincide with Fashion Week (and indication The New York Times suggest of the magazine's fashion-meets-art, rather than art-meets-fashion stance.) It features a collaborative shoot between Nick Knight and Dinos Chapman as well as a cheeky 'peel and see' butterfly sticker placed atop a naked model's crotch on one of the 3 covers. (That one is designed by Damien 'Butterfly' Hirst, naturally. He also designed the butterfly covered Tavi covers for Dasha's first Pop back in 2009.)

While I could do without fashion fannies just for the sake of being provocative (so can WH Smith who have banned the first issue from their shelves), I'm looking forward to taking a snoop at the shoot featuring an Alexander McQueen dress made from a lettuce, a Prada dress of orange and Moncler coat of anchovies masterminded by Giovanna Battaglia. I will always be appeased by the collision of clothes and larders.

JW Anderson's 'Craft Goes Machine'

2011-08-25T18:25:00.001+01:00

Sometimes there are odd and unexplainable combinations that crop up in life. Sometimes baffling and sometimes plain perfect. Mel B and Eddie Murphy or Chilli Jam and Houmous sandwiches. And rather than questioning why they work (or don't) you tend to wonder how they happened. I always like the idea of manatees in a tank as a way of explaining unusual concepts after that episode of South Park which revealed the Family Guy scriptwriters as manatees dictating the episode plots though a simple selection of 'idea balls' each containing a verb, noun and a pop culture reference. This is surely a beautiful and organic way of crafting a fine, fine story concept. Paul the Octopus had the same allure during the 2010 World Cup when he predicted the results and well, it's a tenuous link but I like to think that the brains at J.W Anderson belong also to aquamarine creatures given a random assortment of themes and images to create a lookbook video each season. This time for the Spring/Summer 2012 video 'Craft Goes Machine' the tentacles delved in and scooped out airport corridors, tetris blocks, a man carrying a box and Da Vinci's The Lady with an Ermine. Collated together with some trusty Mozart for two minutes and you have a sparkling finished product, just another days work for a manatee.

outfit

2011-08-25T12:32:00.001+01:00

Today I'm wearing: Top from Cos, Second hand jeans and dalmatian print nails.

moodboard

2011-08-25T02:24:00.001+01:00

A young Jurassic Park reading Alexa Chung/ 1940s Chinatown, New York by Charles Cushman/ I don't want a kiss, I don't want a Krispee Kreme, all I want in the world is this Faux Fur Faun (say that three times fast) top by Perks + Mini. Sorry Bambi! / in the Cos changing rooms wearing the t-shirt that I bought/ Girls Say Yes to Boys Who Say No! Baez Sisters Vietnam draft resistance poster/ Hailee Steinfeld chowing down on some especially appealing pizza (still has nothing on the Deer top in the lust stakes, though..) in the current Miu Miu campaign.

puppy love

2011-08-23T01:26:00.001+01:00

Anywho, Marc Jacobs Fall 11, Dalmatian loafers bought from Etsy, Unique Fall 11.

I like to tell myself that when it comes to new seasonal trends I can be cool. I can nonchalantly lick my finger and turn the pages of Vogue and be unaffected when it comes to the arrays of all things novel and shiny before me. I can continue deciding what to wear each morning without referencing the runway images that may or may not be floating around my head. But the fact is, I would be kidding myself with a bare faced lie because each season, and usually in winter, one little trend will always gets me big time. It gets me right under it's thumb and I'm like a jelly-legged fool hankering after any item that will owe itself as a little nod to said trend. And I like to think that because I'm not someone who usually goes out of their way to follow catwalk trends, I'm allowed this one little yearly heart pang. I wallow in the desire like the keeper of unrequited love and search with appropriate keywords on eBay or scour charity shops. Last year the crushing centred on Brown and after the camel coats nudged their way into a mass of collections, anything of a Werthers Original hue found its way onto my hit list. There was my winter with dungarees and also the long (and continued) flirtation with leopard print. But during the Topshop Unique show back in February I caught a whiff of my next conquest just as the apt background soundtrack of 'And they call it Puppy Love' blared.

Dalmatian is in the eyes of Cruella De Vil "cosy, cuddly classic and less trashy" than leopard print and though I'm not really down with the leopard dissing, dalmatian does indeed seem fresher. It's also a pattern that acts as a much needed alternative to the universal reliance on stripes and polka dots which, yes are lovely and faithful but sometimes just bloody well over-done. I'm all for classics but there are only so many times that you can meet similarly striped friends for drinks and realise you could pass for the Annual Mime Artist Meet Up before you start to look for other options. Dalmatian it is.

school

2011-08-18T09:15:00.001+01:00

On this glum, rainy day. John Martyn's 'Small Hours' covered by Robert Smith. And Gisele in i-D Pre-Fall 2011 looking awesome and Back-to-School flavoured while staying just on the right line of those sexy school girl connotations which always make me think 'Yawn.'

that september feeling

2011-08-16T11:38:00.002+01:00

Jil Sander Fall 2011/ Ampersand Jumper, Topshop/ Chloe Sevigny by Patrick O'Dell, Self Service Magazine/ Beth Gibbons/ Stripe Guernsey Jumper, Topshop/ David Bowie via Church of Man Love.

August. Back to School season at Marks and Spencer, the heavy clunk of the Vogue September issue onto a kitchen table and terribly premature knitwear lust. As with every year Topshop is really at it's best in the Autumn when their jeans turn the colours of mulled wine and dense forest and their knitwear outdoes itself with each new delivery of stock. The Ampersand symbol jumper is I think quite sufficient in proving this theory and it just so happens to be taking up about 20% of my functioning brain space. I need it in my life, there are no two ways about it. Also adding fuel to the fire of knitwear lusting; Jil Sander's Fall 2011 swirly, spacey jumpers, personalised knits in the form of Chloe Sevigny's 'Chloe' cardigan or Portishead's Beth Gibbon's 'P' jumper (even if neither 'Beth' or 'Gibbons' begins with 'P', maybe she just really likes parking signs.) and David Bowie with a charming grin and block striped sleeves. One of the pleasures that comes with the transition between Summer and Autumn are the crisp days that allow a combination of bare legs and and jumper, when it is starting to cool enough to slip into something sweatery without seeming ungrateful towards the last of the sunshine.

interview: cheapskate chic

2011-08-15T14:29:00.002+01:00

I love to interview fellow bloggers because it means that you can ask really nosey questions that borderline on the freaky like 'what's on your bedside table?' and it's completely appropriate and under the guise of 'an interview'. Michelle Wu of Cheapskate Chic is one of my favouritest of bloggers. She live in Brighton, has a fantastic eye for old school and forgotten about editorials, chunky shoes and an insane ability to find personal style blogs that are absolute gems yet have remained under everyone else's radars. Besides this, she's been blogging for about as long as I have, so I always have a bit of a soft spot for 'fellow dinosaurs' who have also had to get to grips with modern stuff like 'Twitter' and 'Wireless'. I gest, I gest. Kind of. It's taken me a while to get round to publishing, but as follows is my interview with Michelle from back in May. Her cat may or may not still be hanging out on her bedside table.

What's on your bedside table?

My cat.

Some pieces of clothing you have on current rotation?

Baby blue cashmere jumper that I won from a tug of war with a desperate housewife in Oxfam. Rusty orange corduroy skirt from Topshop. Navy Fjallraven Kanken Backpack and taupe ankle boots from Isabel Marant.

Which are your go-to blogs?

There are many but I really like:

Cool and Beauty, Through a Glass Darkly, Love Ship, Young Shields, Seaweed Tea, Two Breads Please, Phantom and Hipsters Musings.

What would you like to be ‘when you’re a grown up’?

Since I am technically a ‘grown up’, I want to be a teenager.

How do you start your average day?

I have croissant and coffee followed by quick dash to the train station (with another coffee) to go to university. I stack German Language books in the library and make more coffee for my colleagues. If there are still time at the end of the day I might even do a bit of research for my degree! And drink more coffee.

Tell us a joke.

Have you heard the joke about the bed? It hasn’t been made yet! Hur hur hur.

If you were creating a moodboard to sum up your own style and your favourite references, what would feature in it?

The English countryside. ‘Vintage’ Kate Moss. Turned Out. 60s meet 90s. Chloe Sevigny’s casual style. Leather. Alasdair McLellan. Cigarettes.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Internet memes and Charlie Sheen. My sense of humor is not exactly, ah, refined.

Is it accurate to say you have a frugal approach to clothes? Where do you buy clothes and how much would you say you spend on clothes?

The majority of my clothes are either from H+M or charity shops. I scout vintage/second hand clothes on Etsy and occasionally I will splurge on a designer item during sales time. I probably spend way too much of my income on clothes though these days I rather buy one nice thing than a plethora of shitty things.

A couple of songs you’re listening to at the moment?

On Battleship Hill by PJ Harvey and She Was Surprised by Psychic TV.

How do you like to spend your weekends?

I see my friends and go on adventures till the mornings, followed by Sunday lunch with my mum. Though most of the time I like to stay in bed trying to read three books at once and browse Tumblr.

What is your approach to beauty? And whether high or low maintenance, what is your routine?

I cleanse, moisturize and tone religiously. I have sensitive skin so I try not to wear too much make up, but I do like lipsticks and eyeliner. I also wear perfume everyday, Stella’s Absolute Rose is my favorite.

Your favourite films to stimulate the sartorial senses?

Anna Karina’s wardrobe in Une Femme Est Femme gives me palpitations every time. I also like the punk girls in Vera Chytilova’s Daisies and Derek Jarman’s Jubilee. Margot Tenenbaum is of course an icon, forever and always.

Aside from direct style references, what are your other interests. People that you find interesting, other ways you like to spend your time etc..

I read a lot of Science Fiction and listen to ‘banging’ Italo Disco, alone.

outfit

2011-08-14T01:07:00.000+01:00

This is an outfit I've been wearing a lot over the past week. Something simple for the summer which is easy to throw on in the mornings with little thought process yet without the slumminess that early morning outfit nonchalance can sometimes lead to. The top is secondhand Marimekko and has little poppers leading up to the neckline that remind me of when I used to absolutely love clasping together the poppers on my little sister's babygrow with the same enthusiasm reserved for bursting bubble wrap. The skirt is from Colours in Berlin and doesn't come with any kind of gimmick but I can live with that.

mood

2011-08-12T08:39:00.000+01:00

Anouke Lepere's cheeky smile in this old Prada advert/ Herbert Terry Anglepoise lamps, just bought myself a different model from eBay for my new place in Manchester and I can't stop smiling and switching it on and off/ Kylie from Nice and Shiny's amazing new hair. See also her Keith Haring 'Free South Africa' poster/ James Dean, best known for this lifelong dedication to standing in really nicely decorated rooms/ can't stop hankering after these tops designed by Anywho's Ingrid Munch in collaboration with Copenhagen label Nørgaard Paa Strøget. They're inspired by Mondrian and the fantastic 80s aerobics mash-up video for 'Round and Round' by Ariel Pink. Boo, shall have to keep dreaming as they are only available instore in Copenhagen/ vintage Vivienne Westwood Gold Label jumper which has distinct Missoni vibes about it.

tati

2011-08-11T10:01:00.000+01:00

Tati Cotliar in Paris, photographed by Shawn Dogimont for Hobo Magazine.

Tati Cotliar-all round awesome model and perhaps one of the best advocates for going make-up-less.

love

2011-08-10T14:39:00.004+01:00

Love Magazine fw11, Models.com

Despite my feeling that having eight different covers for the new issue of Love magazine is teetering at the top of the decadence barometer, Katie Grand and co can do as they damn well please when they look this good. It's all about Chloe Moritz's little glittery devil horns just poking from her auburn hair. I like the casual 'yeah, I'm wearing devil horns' stare she's giving, like 'and maybe they're always there, they're part of me, because I am the devil.' Makes me think of Vivienne Westwood's goatish white horns and all of a sudden a 'devil horn as fashion accessory' rabbit hole has swallowed me up. Also loving the perfect thickness of her brows, my love for a girl with a strong brow will never cease.

mood

2011-08-10T00:53:00.002+01:00

Some things on my mind: Mismatched nails in the style of Chloe Dennis (one of the subjects on Anne Bernecker's blog). Which on closer inspection is actually a bit of a red herring as instead of having painted one hand set of nails baby blue and the other a gentle peach as I had first thought, one of the hands has been completely chipped with a few tell-tale flakes left on the nails. Girl after my own heart! Only because this is a refreshing sign of laziness that I recognise in myself. Still, I digress because painting my nails baby blue and peach is exactly what I will do.

Maja Casablancas' feast of mussels, king prawns and white wine. If one day I woke up as Maja Casablancas, after the initial confusion I think I'd be able to live with the Freaky Friday turn of events because this girl seems to have it so right with her nice little apartment in Oslo, natural handsome-ness and regular delicious dinners with friends. My 20 year love affair with food continues to blossom as I just booked myself onto a bread-making workshop next month which I am very excited about. I spent part of today sneakily reading The River Cottage Handbook dedicated to Bread in a bookshop and learning about the pros and cons of dried vs fresh yeast and the possibility of using mineral instead of tap water.

Orange lipstick is an ongoing interest but after returning from traveling with much blonder hair (thanks to the sunshine..and John Freida's Sheer Blonde Lightening shampoo and spray) and a nice tan it seems the most suitable and un-barbieish lipstick option for the Summer. I may just have to put my money where my mouth is and buy MAC's famous Morange shade but for now the quest for something cheaper and just as satisfying continues.

The fantastic Bauhaus Archiv in Berlin. (thank you to Jess for the suggestion)

Old computers in a shop window on Kastanienallee in Berlin.

The all-white poloneck and shorts outfit from a nice spread in the July issue of French Elle.

Chloe Sevigny's change of colour. Although I will always regard her as a true blonde at heart, I think this is a good look. She is so associated with her blonde hair, and whether or not it was for a film role I think it's healthy to push yourself out of your comfort zone when it comes to hair. In my experience you're usually glad after a change, it's rare I've regretted doing something different. It is also interesting to note how people respond differently when you have a different hair colour. I remember reading a silly little feature in US Ellegirl that surveyed the different reactions a journalist got from men when she went from blonde to brunette to redhead, and although (crucially!) I can't remember what the results were I certainly think there is some weight to the theory of different initial behaviour towards the different hair colours. It's quite possible I'm overanalysing or projecting but since going blonde I feel like strangers find me more approachable. I shall continue to observe for the sake of this theory.

colours

2011-08-08T17:19:00.003+01:00

Some of my purchases from Colours in Berlin where you can buy a kilo of clothes for €14.99 (or if you're around on a Thursday, 30% off during their Happy Hour from 11am-3pm.) I must admit when I walked into the huge loft room I was very excited by the vast quantity of clothes before me but in reality the selection wasn't quite as great as I'd hoped. But I did manage to find some goodies and left with shorts, a skirt, a dress, a jumper, a tee shirt, a coat and a pair of cute gold heels. Which actually in hindsight is a new addition to just about every corner of my wardrobe. Despite the horror of having to pack this new loot into my bag while evading Easyjet baggage regulations it feels so good to finally have some new clothes after what has felt like a bit of a sparse year purchase-wise. Also looking forward to cooler weather when I can wear my new gingham shorts and striped jumper in homage to ALL Knitwear.

how to spend your sunday

2011-08-07T16:44:00.002+01:00

1. Visit Sublime Images and scroll your way into sensory overload of the best variety. If you like haw-lin.com and intelligent-----clashing.com this is will be just your sort of thing.

2. Listen to the fantastic Toe Jam by Shadow and pretend you're lying on a beach surrounded by people dancing to Calypso. Da da da..