Selfie Scrapbook

'Selfie trend is getting a bit sinister'

-The Telegraph, March 2014

This outfit post has been evolving for a while. I had the dreaded Storage Full thing on my phone so went about deleting everything surplus to requirement from my handheld. I embarked on a journey through my photographs and initially I happened upon a variety of selfies (body not face - nothing worth hacking into my iCloud for) taken in the loos of St John - sounds a bit grotty but they just so happen to be the whitest, cleanest WCs in London and have the best mirror for a full body outfit shot. So this post started as 'St John Selfies' throughout the year. But I only found about four which maybe was not enough to keep anyone interested. Coming across another series of photographs taken in three different musical venues over the summer, therefore three different sets of clothes, I thought this post could be called something reeeally imaginative like 'Gigs - What I Wore'. The variety of artists being Paloma Faith at The Roundhouse, Jonathan Wilson at Village Underground and One Direction at Wembley. One evening of lipstick and saxophones followed by beards, harmonicas and patchouli, finishing off with screaming, sherbet and cherry chap-sticks but blog-post wise I still wasn't feeling enthused. And then I wore boring things to the Paloma gig so that plan was scuppered. 

It shortly afterwards became a post about my mini trip to the States. A bit of a 'Miami Vice' vibe but I wasn't very committed to the idea and sort of ended  up just wearing  a bikini and floaty things and taking a few snaps that I thought were good to go. That was until my friend and I lay on sun loungers next to supermodel Erin Wasson for an afternoon and I ended up deleting all my photographs and vowing to only eat broccoli and smoke cigarettes for the rest of my life. 

Then just before I decided that it would be a full on shameless selfie post I was pouring over the weekend papers and read that Kim Kardashian is bringing out a book called 'Selfish' entirely of her and her bottom. It also reported that obsessive selfie-taking is now a recognised mental disorder. Argh! Quick! Delete!  But then it seemed like such a waste. So before I consign most of these shots to the trash and free up some storage space - here are some of the clothes I have worn around the town, things I've tried on, things I've been given and things I can't wait to wear. There's no common theme except for the fact they're nearly all of me and lots have been taken in bathrooms around the world. A selfie-scrapbook if you will. I hope it doesn't make you feel the need to suggest I urgently require a stint in the Priory sans phone and mirrors. 

THINGS I'VE WORN

First St. John Selfie. You may have seen this one before.

Loos of LouLous

My favourite Cedric Charlier bag which is having a moment again

Close up of my dress from Lime Green Bow. 

Bathroom up The Shard. If you look carefully you'll see this is also a 'Belfie'.*

Close up of my Zimmerman Splatter Dress

Me wearing a sink and some tiles in Polpo

St John Selfie #2

We went to a Caribbean music night in Miami.

The pale pink bathrooms of Soho Beach House. Another favourite Zimmerman dress
which matched the interiors.

Boring outfit for Paloma.

St. John - last one. In my new favourite Zara dress which will see me
through these weird weather days.

THINGS I TRIED ON (and MAYBE bought)

I was nearly sold on this Kate Moss for Topshop dress until I saw LiLo
falling out of a club in it.

Obsessed with this Bonwitt Teller silk dress at Lime Green Bow. See it here.

Favourite handbag. Apart from the fact I can only fit some earphones in it. 

Another wonderful handmade thing found in the charity shop on Notting Hill
Gate. It looks like a night sky.

Kenneth Jay Lane Ring from eBay

Victor Costa pale pink origami dress. Also from Lime Green Bow.
I am in love with this dress.
More on it soon.

Chanello

GIFTS THAT WERE GIVEN (from people who clearly know me very well!)

Lucky me! A birthday gift. Viennese gem from a flea market. Emerald green is my
favourite colour. And my adored Amethyst ring from best friends.

Lucky me again! Favourite birthday gift. I had been dreaming about owning this. My dream came true!
The most beautiful gold Bluebell pendant by Catherine Zoraida. 

Christmas present from my sister...VIP ONE DIRECTION tickets at Wembley! Hurray!
Up there with one of the best nights of my life. Dress from Topshop. 

One Direction gave us a watch! With their signatures on the back. Yes!

I actually wear the watch...with my LLBean Tote.

Things I will be wearing

ASOS Salon dress.

I was going to show you this on the next post but I got too excited.
My magical Portobello blanket coat. More on this next time.

Topshop. Too good.

*Handy Glossary

Helfie: a selfie of hair

Belfie: a selfie of the derriere

Welfie: a work out selfie 

Drelfie: a drunken selfie

Shelfie: a selfie of your bookshelf

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Wanting For Winter

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” 
-Humbert Wolfe

Why is it that I spend all year wishing for summer and then half way through I get a burning desire to snuggle up in a jumper? In the hottest week of the year all I can think about is sitting by the fire drinking red wine. But then when you are actually sitting by the fire with red wine all you want to do is be sitting by the pool with an Aperol Spritz. However with a slight chill in the air today after the tail end of a hurricane, I feel I am justified in compiling a wish-list for the coming season.




APC Felt Trilby
Topshop Lace Crop
Eddie Borgo Necklace
Bionda Castana Red Heels
Antonio Marras Lace Top and Trousers
Olympia Le-Tan Clutch
Eugenia Kim Floral Headband
Ainea Faux Fur Coat
Ballet Beautiful Shoes
Charlotte Olympia Glance Alot Pouch
Merchant Archive Metallic Floral Jumpsuit

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Turkish Delights

After such a blissful holiday there last year, I felt Turkey was due another visit. We headed to the sleepy-ish village of Kalkan with azure seas, bougainvillea crowned houses and secret streets. Ummmm interestingly it also happens to have Chanel's Turkish flagship store! Who knew? We lay about like stray cats in the sunshine without a stag-do or tequila shot in site. (Not strictly true).

I hoped that by now being (what is considered) grown up I would be able to pack properly and not have to replenish my wardrobe  while I was actually on holiday because I had forgotten to bring all the things I needed and LOADS of things I didn't. This time I just about managed with my hotchpotch of things. Once I went to Paris for a winter weekend, having packed the night before in a bit of a haze, only to open my suitcase and find one shoe, a beret and some red silk long-johns which meant having to wear a mans coat the entire time and wanting to hide in a hole. I never learn.

So in Kalkan instead of purchasing anything practical and despite my buy 'more quality, less quantity' birthday resolution I came back with a whole other suitcase, a handbag, two pairs of earrings, five bracelets, two rings, a shirt, two sarongs, two pairs of shoes and a technicolor dream-coat. Handy. And because Turkey aren't in the Euro it makes it feel like everything is free! It's not. At Dalaman airport at 2 in the morning I was asked to weigh in my hand luggage which put the frighteners on me as I had spent all my holiday money on clothes and couldn't foot the exorbitant charges the airline were demanding. In front of a queue of very cross, tut-tutting, head shaking Brits-abroad I had to take out all my extras and hide them from the very formidable check-in ladies and then secretly re-pack them behind a pillar so Security wouldn't notice. 

DAY ONE!

I donned my favourite dreamy new dress from Cabbages & Roses. It actually came with sleeves but I took them off. I've kept them to sew back on in winter. I think it may be easier just to buy another one? No. No no no.
Maybe.

Slippers from Istanbul. Or more specifically, stolen from my mother.

DAY TWO

Melissa Odabash Robyn Kaftan and Turkish Towel

Heavenly holiday reading. My Ernest Hemingway obsession continues. I fear that had I lived in his lifetime, I too would have gone in search of him to try to become his wife (it didn't seem too difficult). This is a beautifully written, well executed story of the four wives in Hemingways life. Naomi Wood often uses clothes as a way of differentiating between the female characters which as you can imagine very much appealed to me! Subsequently I am now on the search for a black feather dress that looks like swan wings.

Rather a lot of this went on.

DAY THREE

Grocer Selfie

Zimmerman Sundress & Chanel Espadrilles

Local Barber. I find everything about this place aesthetically appealing. It's a pity I didn't photograph it straight.

DAY FOUR - THE BOAT

Topshop Palm Print Bikini

Another superb book which I started reading on my last holiday and never got around to finishing at the time. It is the biography of Sheila Milbanke, an Australian beauty who came to Great Britain and married in to the upper echelons of society. Its a picture of a life lived alongside some of the most famous people in British history and sheds a light on the whirlwind of parties and clothes and the fun they had but also how life was changed so drastically by two world wars.

Sunglasses from Le Specs

Espadrilles from the gentlemen's department in River Island. £3! 

DAY FIVE

ASOS Swing Dress

Tea to Tan By Terry - this stuff is incredible and useful if you don't like tanning your face. It's a watercolour bronzer which smells delicious and makes you look bronzed in a minute. You can shake it to make it a bit shimmery for the evening. Soleil Tan De Chanel Illuminating Fluid is a birthday present from my sister. Makes your skin look tanned and amazing. Caudalie Beauty Elixir....this stuff is heaven on a hot day and the recipe has been around for centuries. Queen Isabelle of Hungary called it the elixir of youth. I've googled her and she looks pretty good.

LAST DAY - BOO HOO

Topshop Palm Print Romper - hate the word romper. Sorry.
Sandals from Accessorize.

Heart Shaped Coops Pinch On Earring - obsessed!

Favourite Item I Came Home With...

My handmade technicolor dreamcoat. Spotted by my clever friend in a very strange clothes shop. We went back every day to haggle them down. 

This turned out to be all I needed in my suitcase. Note to self for next year. 

Nasty Gal Straw Boater

Coops Earrings

The Old Man and The Sea

Halcyon Days Evil Eye Bracelet

River Island Hello There Sailor Sunglasses

Topshop Palm Print Swimming Costume

Chanel Espadrilles

Tea To Tan By Terry

Clarins Sun Oil

Turkish Towel

Globetrotter Suitcase

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Fight Night

What to wear when you realise that you are about to spend an evening in the company of a load of glamorous and beautiful people out-dressing each other? It's been a while since I have been to a bit of a do...so I racked my brains to come up with something snazzy. As my friend pointed out, it's a boxing match...you don't have to look classy if you catch my drift! It ain't the opera. And in my opinion a touch of trash never hurt anyone.

I found inspiration in the unlikely guise of Victoria Beckham. I can honestly say I've never before looked to VB for good fashion ideas. The only thing in common I have with her is that I too keep my mouth closed while being photographed. But I saw pictures of her and Mr. Perfect at the Met Ball recently - simple in white and I knew exactly what to do....which was call my dry cleaners. I was thinking WHITE and I was thinking JEWELS and I was thinking FEATHERS.



 In the Reiss sale last Summer I bought a pure white jumpsuit sample which I found in a heap on the floor of the store collecting dust-bunnies. I took it to my beautiful laundrette and left it there.*
Until last week that is, when it came in to its own on the most beautiful night of the year so far.

*we have a storage arrangement as I have run out of hanging space and he's got loads.

VB & DB

This is the beautiful blogger Natalie Joos of Tales of Endearment.
She gave me the idea to add  feathers and go top to toe white.
 Follow her on Instagram!

The evening was The Charge Ball held at the glorious Syon Park in Chiswick in aid of Tusk - a really wonderful charity which funds wildlife conservation, community development and environmental programmes across Africa. To learn more about their work visit here

Syon Park

I was terrified of doing the white thing. All it takes is a bump, knock or elbow and it's game over. The last time I wore white, somebody sloshed a glass of rouge down the front. I spent the evening in a portaloo with a tin of table salt and a sympathetic friend. I proceeded to run the dress under a tap and then sat on a stray receipt which then imprinted the following on my bottom  'PERCY PIG X1 £2.50, LADIES TIGHTS 20 DENIER X1 £3.73, CASH TENDERED' etc etc. I had to go home.

The carrier bag contains a change of outfit in the event that there was a code-red wine incident. 

Or in case I got too close to the blood, sweat and tears.

Boxing. 

Then this happened, ringside. My life is complete. The style guru Marc-Francis Vandelli appeared like a vision in blue satin and kept growling at my feathers all evening, in a good way. Apart from my hand looking weird, this is one of my favourite pictures of all time. Hello new screensaver.

NBF

Apart from a small mark I came away relatively unscathed despite getting pretty close to the action and gallivanting until 3am. So it's going back to live at my laundrette until I feel another Posh Spice moment coming on.

Ciao for now!

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Old Things, New Things

Apologies for the hiatus I took from writing. I couldn't find the words, I had nothing to wear. I nearly did a Grace Wears Absolutely Nothing post but thought that sort of thing could go viral, in a bad Paris Hilton kind of way. I thought about getting back to nature. But looking out across the morning rain, I just felt so uninspired. If your soul is in the lost and found as mine has been in the past few weeks, I find the best thing to do is turn to familiar pastimes, get out and about to recognise the old and discover some new. In anticipation of more consistent writing in the coming weeks, I thought I would share a handful of restorative, simple pleasures that have returned me to normal. The main one being an evening with the English cricket team but for various legal reasons I am not allowed to share the photographs. Spoil sports.

NEW THINGS

Le Pamplemousse from Miller Harris

Pamplemousse is the best word in the French language! How could I resist? This delicious scent which has just been relaunched by Miller Harris (I have a love affair with the brand; read here) and is a refreshing change from my usual ones. Inspired by grapefruits in the gardens of La Pameraie in Marrakesh, it has top notes of Grapefruit, a heart of Orange Flower and a base of Vetiver, this is the fragrance equivalent of a gin and tonic on a verandah after a long hot day.

Bee Ring

My beautiful ring from Bill Skinner which brings me joy every day. The jeweller used to design for Butler and Wilson and Vivienne Westwood so that distinct charm and eccentricity comes through in his work. The costume jewellery is wondrous. Save the bees!

Buzzzzzz

NEW OLD THINGS

Charity Shop Finds

One of my favourite things is striking gold in a charity shop. Indeed one man's trash is another man's treasure...which is good to know. Only £12 for this rather wonderful Chinese silk dressing gown. The Trinity Hospice Charity Shop on Notting Hill Gate never ceases to amaze. A quick dry clean to get rid of the cooties and it was ready to go. Ni Hao.

Unicorn

Oxford Revisited to reminisce about my youth and a small trip to Unicorn. A shop I frequented in my academic years. If you have been there before, you will know all about it. The old lady is still there, quite comfortingly, sifting through mountains of clothes. She would be a top candidate for Britain's Biggest Hoarders....On my return home, I took one look at my bedroom and freaked out. I am starting to see worrying similarities.

The Shop...

My Bedroom....

The Right Trousers

 Lime Green Bow is the most wonderful company run by Clemmie Myers. When she first started out I bought a coat with blue and white harlequin print. It became a wardrobe staple. Ever since I have gone straight to her if I want something beautiful and unusual. She sources one off vintage items from around the globe. These vintage couture trousers are pale pink with diamanté in the middle of the appliqué flowers and graze the ankle. Look at her website - I defy you not to want everything.

OLD FAMILIAR THINGS

Bluebells & Blue Things

Due to a unusually mild winter followed by a bit of rain we are enjoying a bumper crop of bluebells carpeting the enchanted woods around the country. I happened upon these beauties over the Easter weekend while I was on a gloriously long walk. So intrinsically English, for me they summon up Penhaligon's infamous scent (Kate Moss' favourite), and Emily Brontes mournful poem (The Bluebell is the sweetest flower, That waves in summer air: It's blossoms have the mightiest power To soothe my spirit's care) and also reminded me of everything in my wardrobe the colour of bluebells that I haven't worn in an age and need revisiting. Inspiration really can be found where least expected.

Anya Hindmarch Shagreen Marano

Theyskens Theory Bubble Dress

Christian Louboutin Shoes

The Man With The Dancing Eyes

I pulled out this old favourite for a bit of inspiration. I used to carry it around like a bible and filled it with photos and letters. The most romantic old fashioned fairytale for a modern generation. Written by Sophie Dahl and illustrated by Annie Morris, the story follows the escapades of the heroine Pierre (a style icon of mine) who lives on a house boat called the Glimmety Glammety and falls in love with her Man With The Dancing Eyes who sings her Bob Dylan and brings her sweet peas.
Mr. Wonderful!

My obsession with Lapsang Souchong started here. Luckily Blue is not my style icon.

Bluebell Necklace from Catherine Zoraida

Bluebell by Penhaligon's

Bee Ring by Bill Skinner

Englands Glory Clutch by Anya Hindmarch

Le Pamplemousse Candle from Miller Harris

Pleated Sundress, Kate Moss for Topshop

Brideshead Revisited First Edition

When none of the above have made me feel better I have also turned to chocolate, vodka, Carole King and late nights which have helped maintain some equilibrium too.

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