Grace Wore - An Obituary For Some Of My Favourite Clothes

I write this with a heavy heart. My original post was going to be about what I wore to a wedding in Switzerland last weekend - not madly exciting but still - just a couple of outfits I had put together for a magical moment in the snow. I had intended to document what I wore but ended up having SO much fun (and a SO much Gluhwein) that this was the extent of the photographs:
Well done.

 Thanks to some thieving gypsies this post is now a lament for clothes I have loved and lost.

Due to baggage restrictions each item of clothing had been carefully thought through and considered. There was no space for anything I didn't like. I thought it was the perfect occasion to wear a few things that I don't often get the opportunity to. SO I took all my favourite clothes. Of course I did. 

 Unfortunately also due to baggage restrictions my clothes got a lift back to London in a car which was broken in to on Sunday evening and my bursting suit bag was swiped along with various things that hold huge sentimental value.

I felt a bit guilty for feeling so bereft about material goods, for as we all know there are much more important things in life, but it's strange how one has an emotional attachment to clothes. Certain pieces can trigger recollections and happy thoughts - I have a peach coloured tie dye dress (sounds monstrous!) which I wore nearly every day during the funnest summer of my life and I can't bring myself to wear it ever again because I don't want it to remind me of anything else. It's now scrunched up in the back of a drawer at my parents house making all the other clothes jealous. 

I have a library of occasions and outfits in my mind and have always remembered life events by what I was wearing rather than what I was doing. There is a lovely book by Justine Picardie called 'My Mothers Wedding Dress: The Life and Afterlife of Clothes' which was one of the things that inspired me to start writing. A memoir in which she relays stories behind particular bits of clothing and how evocative they can be of a time, place or person.  It is funny how something so seemingly trivial or ephemeral as clothes and fashion can mean so much and hold so many memories. Some of my most precious possessions are items of clothing or jewellery left to me. It's never the financial value but more the sentimental one. 

Chinese Vintage Beaded Coat

 This was my Mums vintage coat which would probably be the one thing I would rescue from my wardrobe in a fire. (It's probably now been burnt anyway sob sob.) It was exquisitely embroidered with scenes from a Chinese water garden with little bridges, dragons and men in hats. It weighed a ton and always reminded me of the photo of Diana Vreeland in her New York apartment - I used to wear it with heavy white bracelets as a homage to her. I miss it so!

Feather Cape(s) from Malene Birger

 I remember seeing this Chanel dress in a magazine once upon a time, not so long ago and consequently ended up with a feather OBSESSION. My mother said it was a wonder there are any birds left in the sky. Very greedily I had not one but two feather capes. One was a gift and the other was a gift...to myself.

Cape #1 - My Birthday Suit 

I had the best night EVER wearing this along with my Zimmerman Splatter dress (it's the design, not red wine)

Cape #2

This rather depressing photo below (the first practice shot on my iPad) is the only one I have of cape number 2 (which I also mentioned here).  The blue dress underneath the feathers was a vintage pastel two-tone Jean Varon dress which was also nicked. A beauty. A very light silk with a thin veil of net petticoat and pistachio bodice with straps. I had visions of wearing it barefoot,running through a field, flowers in my hair tra la laaaaa. Now that's not going to happen. 

The Dream Dress

A wonderful dress from a mysterious company called Rare Opulence. Trawling through the ground floor of some strange shop it appeared like a ruby in the rubble -  complete genius...it was a copy of the Gucci Fall 2011 gown. The most magical thing to wear. It had a ruched top and lengths of silk chiffon with fluttery pink petal sleeve-lets. It had a very fun last hurrah at the wedding. So that's nice.

This is the last known photograph of me in it - teaching the younger generation how to use disposable cameras.

After lots of effing and blinding I called the council to see if anything had turned up and the computer-says-no-lady told me with (I detected a hint of glee in her voice) that the H&F rubbish isn't sifted through but instead piled onto BARGES, sent down the Thames and BURNT. Which is exactly what happened to my mothers cat when it was run over.

So on the off chance that you happen to come across any opportunist skanks dressed to the nines in feathers and fur or see something glittering in a flowerbed around Kempson Road in Fulham, please holla. 

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Selfies...You're So Vain

"I loathe narcissism, but I approve of vanity." - Diana Vreeland

So in other news this week...the words 'Twerking', 'Vom' (my favourite) and 'Selfie'  have made it into the Oxford English Dictionary. I had to just Google Twerking to understand what the hell that is (Miley Cyrus' raunchy dance moves at the VMAs apparently?) and well, Selfie is a word borne from an egomaniac generation of narcissistic iPhone users. A few days ago, while having a mani pedi on my lunch break (yah!) I watched a girl parked in a van outside the nail bar spend half an hour taking pictures of herself from above, below, round the side...about 27 snaps later, each with a different shade of pout, she finally settled for the perfect pose. Maybe for a boyfriend (lucky chap!), maybe to stick on Instagram, Twitter, Facey or Tinder (my ultimate favourite!)...I just sat there with my hands under a grill and thought WHAT A LOSER! And hummed Carly Simon to myself...tralalaaaa.

I woke up yesterday morning thinking I had lost my phone. In my Aperol induced haze I lay in bed lamenting the photos I had taken in the last year and phone numbers of people who I would have no way of contacting ever again. After twenty mins of winding myself up and feeling like it was the end of the world, I rolled out of bed and realised that in fact the phone was actually on the floor and I just hadn't put it on to charge. Phewee. You don't know what you've got til it's gone I reckon so I spent the afternoon appreciating my phone, flicking through all of my long forgotten photos, digging into the darkest depths of old albums, reminiscing about happier times and then I realised...I AM A SELFIE TAKER! I remember thinking that if I were going to start blogging about what I wore then I had better document it properly. The thing is, they're all rubbish. I absolutely haven't perfected it and then it dawned on me the chick in the van had it about right...I would need on average 27 (or more) goes to get the perfect pose. I give up after about two, mainly due to time constraints and actually, boredom. Or in one case nearly garotting myself on a loo roll holder in the Pizza Express lavatories. It's embarrassing to explain why you've taken so long in the bathroom when you've innocently just been trying to make your arms look rexi while half smiling. You can't say "Oh I've been doing Selfies in the bog!"

Anyway, as an apology to the poor, judged van girl I am showing you my hashtag Selfies which I never thought would see the light of day. So here they are...me being vain and self-involved in various locations and WCs all over London. Knock yourself out!

Took this one to show a friend a dress (which turned out to be a brilliant purchase from Topshop here) I had been forced to buy because I had sat in tramps pee on a bus and needed something else to wear. Truly. It looks like I'm smiling but I was actually crying.

(I blogged these glorious Poplin PJs once before here )

Favourite ASOS ring - I think they do the best costume jewellery.

ASOS Jewel Print Dress and Clutch

Foot Selfie. Waiting for my close up in the Borders General Hospital.

Evil Eye from House of Harlow but you can get amazing EE stuff from Baublebar which has lovely things.

Another Topshop dress, Anya Hindmarch clutch and Christian Louboutins at St. John.

Best rezza in London I reckon. Cleanest loos.

You can't see it but I am wearing this Zara dress which is my new favourite thing.

Me and my Anya Hindmarch Huxley. I know, I can't see it either.

Me in the office today. Bye then!

I will endeavour to do MUCH better next time. Any Selfie tips are most welcome from you all. Unless your name is Miley Cyrus.

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