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It’s a known fact that the star of American Vogue fly-on-the-wall doc, The September Issue (see my review of it here), wasn’t Anna Wintour, its fearsome editor. It was Grace Coddington, Vogue’s creative director. She is the soul and the heartbeat of the magazine.
So I was delighted by Vogue’s thoughtful article on one of its own, in the latest issue of British Vogue. Pure bliss for me, reading about inspiring style while getting over a nasty cold, in the Sonoma sunshine!
Grace is an original, and a rare person in the fashion world that hasn’t let changing times, new technology and commercial pressures, muddy her pure point of view. Grace creates the most inspiring fashion tableaux, and will to go any length to get the perfect shot. Driven purely by her artist’s eye, her pictures sell clothes more effectively than any number of Z-list celebs with a massive Twitter following could ever do.
One of my favorite ever shots of her, (sadly i can’t find it online to share with you), was of model Stella Tennant, snapped mid-dive into a swimming pool, wearing a tweed suit and rainboots, yet somehow the epitome of chic. How does Grace do it?? And how much work must have gone into getting that shot?
Here’s to an inspiring original.
So i’m now firmly entrenched in my yoga practice again. And after so many years, it feels great. Today I even suffered my way through a very hot, Sunday morning class, while it was 72 and sunny outside! Now that’s dedication! What’s more, I loved it, and practically bounced out of the studio afterward. I’m really hoping I’ve found my exercise path, and that I can stick to it.
And I’ve also written about the broader benefits that a regular yoga practice can bring. Increased mental clarity, more focus, and a greater sense of control over the things that well, you can’t control. It’s very different to the Lindy Hop adventures Rick and I went on last year, but I’ve experienced similar benefits. Dance and yoga – I always hoped I’d find my way back to both.
So, now that we’ve discussed these benefits, can we get to the good stuff? Because girls, really, when all’s said and done, yoga is all about the clothes…
I joke of course, but come on! Admit it, there’s definitely a culture of yoga style out there, and even just looking at some of it makes you feel healthier, more glowing and more zen. Or at least that’s what the advertisers will have you believe! And even though I consider myself a fairly savvy consumer, and am definitely into yoga for the holistic health benefits, I’m not immune to some gorgeous yogi style.
So I was thrilled to discover Athleta, a Gap offshoot, very similar to the ubiquitous LuLu Lemon in style and aesthetic, and a brand that seems able to balance the practical needs of various sporting activities with every girl’s need to look cute while doing them!
So far, i’ve only plumped for the black harem pants pictured below, hoping that they look a fraction as cute on me as in the picture, but there’s a whole long list of things I’m lusting after. Of course, that would be denying my yoga principles, but a girl can dream while she takes a few long breaths from the diaphragm. Right??
(Photo credit: Athleta.com)
Very excited and setting my alarm for this weekend. The newest designer collection at Target is from Liberty of London, a company known for its iconic floral prints. I have fond memories of childhood dresses in pink Liberty print, and even teddy bears with the distinctive paisley motif. So, i can’t wait to see what’s on offer with the latest Target designer collaboration. Neither can Apartment Therapy, it seems!
However, rather than struggle against the crowds, think i’ll just do a little couch surfing this time around, inspired by these images:
I was downtown yesterday, shopping for my husband’s birthday gifts. (Sidenote: i still default to starting to type ‘boyfriend’ instead of ‘husband’!) After a successful haul (will share what they are, once the day is done – Feb 26!), i somehow found myself sidetracked into H&M. I still love H&M. Knowing that i’m a good 10 years older, at least, and several dress sizes larger than the majority of the clientele, still doesn’t deter me from bargain hunting when i feel so inclined.
Yesterday however, the usual Saturday scrum was even worse than usual. The reason? Super chic French designer Sonia Rykiel was debuting a new collection for the mega giant Swedish brand. On entering the store, i was thrown headlong into the melee, finding myself fighting over items with 16 year olds and 65 year olds. Of course, the size meant for normal women were the first to go , leaving a glut of XS and S on the shelves, but I still managed to find a few items to feed my nascent longing for French chic. I purchased the first two, but sadly, the last one will have to wait until i lose, ooh, about 50 pounds! All pics are courtesy of the official H&M Website:
Don’t these clothes just make you want to move to Paris, spend all your time in side-street bistros, drink wine and smoke a Gaulois? (Another sidenote: that could be one of the ways to lose all those pounds and look super skinny French chic, were it not for the very obvious fact that cigarettes can kill you – not to be recommended!) I was reminded of the way Carrie Bradshaw fell head over heels for Paris, pulling out all her special ‘French chic with a touch of whimsy clothes’, before of course getting her heart broken and finding her way back to Mr Big. And who do you think provided the clothes for those scenes? Well, Ms Rykiel of course.
So, my new fashion kick is going to be French chic all the way. Well, all the way that someone British with very un-French curves living in America can go… Think stripes, black, white and navy, with the odd touch of a bright pink or red, feminine and a little quirky, but with a few structural touches. My other inspiration, the beautiful Audrey Tatou in Before Chanel. So-so movie, amazing style! I might not pull this off all the time, but for special nights out, it’s definitely going to be my aesthetic of choice. Vive Le Chic!
Photo credit: http://cherriesandpearls.wordpress.com
Rick and I had an unpleasant surprise just before Christmas, when we were told we had to move out of our lovely cottage, due to the owner selling. Since then, we’ve gone through a large range of emotions, twinned with some immediate practical stresses, such as finding somewhere new to live! Moving house should be an exciting and positive time, as it usually signals some sort of life change. The last time we both moved, it was to move in together, and the cottage is where we started married life, and where we’ve been really happy. So, being told to move, less than 12 months later, is a bit of a kicker, and something that it’s been hard to get excited about.
Nonetheless, we have found somewhere new, and the excitement is (slowly) starting to creep in! One of the fun things about moving so often is that you get the opportunity to re-decorate, and can have some fun with it. Hopefully, we’ll be able to stay in the new place a bit longer this time, so will have the chance to actually follow through on some of our interior design plans. Hard to believe, but we still have some pictures we never unpacked from last time, so the golden rule has to be ‘speed of decision making’ in the new place. I tend to agonize over things like rug choices, furniture placement for far too long, when the sane thing to do is probably just make a few ‘good’ decisions, and hope that a few of them turn out to be ‘great’. Here are a few other rules i should listen to when we move:
- Move quickly and make decisions – most things can always be undone, and anything is better than piles of unpacked boxes!
- Go with your gut feel – I’ve learnt that any decor scheme that looks ‘planned’ often lacks a special something that can make a home really sing. If you have even somewhat of a taste level, then you can probably throw things together and still have them look great. And it’s more fun that way!
- Make a few risky choices – linked to the points above, if you’re renting, you can get away with a few choices that might not work out in the long term. But if they make you happy while you live in a certain place, then it’s probably worth it
- Hold onto the good stuff – if you’re lucky enough to own a few good pieces of furniture, they’re bound to look good anywhere, so keep them wherever you go. I have a great vintage, mirrored vanity that’s just too large for our current place, so we took the mirrors off and converted it to a TV stand. Works perfectly, and is so much nicer than the bog standard ones
- Don’t hoard – take it from me, a reformed hoarder. When you’ve moved every one or two years for the past 6 years, you’ll want to keep things light. I moved out to San Francisco with two massive suitcases, and one framed Audrey Hepburn print, and it didn’t do me any harm! I have a lot more stuff now of course, but Rick and I still plan to purge and give away to the Goodwill.
Let’s see how Rick and I do following our own rules! Meantime, here’s a snap of our latest design inspiration – enjoy!
The white type of inspiration
(Photo credit: Apartment Therapy SF)
On the first day of a new decade, I kind of like this juxtaposition between the old (yes, red mailboxes still exist in small English villages!), and the new – the stunning exterior of the Bull Ring shopping mall in Birmingham.
This Sunday, I FINALLY had a little time to sort through the ungodly heap of tangled and creased clothes on my bedroom floor, where they’d been flung three weeks ago, in a frenzied spate of ‘getting organized’. Ahem. My aim, as you’ll know from my previous posts on the topic, was to sort through my over-stuffed closet (note to self: sharing one small closet with your husband is not to be recommended – only bad things can come of it…), and finally start building more of a classic, timely, ‘capsule’ wardrobe.
What should be in a capsule wardrobe you ask? Good question. The ultimate arbiter of style, Tim Gunn, defines it thus:
- Basic Black Dress - The basic black dress has been around for a long time. It is often called the “Little Black Dress”, and it’s true that shorter skirts on the basic black dress, when they hit you in the right place, can be more flattering than a long black dress.
- Trench Coat - The trench coat is one of the pieces that is both classic and currently a hot fashion item. Most any store sells this piece now. It is great for fall and you can pick it up in a wide range of lengths.
- Dress Pants - Although it doesn’t say black, this is probably what you want to look for. Black is flattering on all figures and goes with everything.
- Classic Shirt - The white shirt is a definite classic. But it can also come in many different styles to make it look trendy and not dated or like a man’s piece of clothing. Find one that accentuates your best attributes and minimizes trouble spots. For example, if you have wide shoulders, stay away from large collars.
- Jeans - Everyone has a pair of jeans, but does everyone have a pair of jeans that make them look great? The wider leg, low-rise jean style has been popular (and still is) but a narrower leg is coming back along with a higher waist, which eliminates the unflattering “muffin top” look.
- Any Occasion Top - Find something you look great in that can look respectable under a jacket but bring on the fun after hours.
- Skirt - If you need dress pants then you also need a skirt. A skirt is womanly and can be flirty or businesslike. Nowadays women do not wear many skirts or dresses, which makes a lot of them fall into a rut of dressing sloppily or like men. See number 8.
- Day Dress – Women also are not wearing as many dresses anymore. It was certainly liberating to go from the ’50s when women wore dresses every day to wearing more practical pants for gardening, exercising, and so forth. But the dress does not have to be abandoned altogether. They can be very flattering, and there is nothing wrong with “dressing up” for daytime.
- Jacket - A jacket does not have to be masculine. Find one with a proper, fitted shape. Women’s jackets should follow the silhouette of a woman’s body and accent the hourglass curve at her waist. It is also a perfect piece to put with the skirt or dress pants, and white shirt. Or make it casual with a pair of jeans.
- Sweatsuit Alternative - As mentioned before, women wear fewer skirts and dresses these days. But some women have taken casual to the extreme and spend days on end in sweatsuits. It is possible to be casual and comfortable without looking like a slob. Find a comfortable material (that’s why this doesn’t say jeans again – denim is not as comfortable as a nice soft cotton) that you would want to wear every day. It could be khakis, cords, a cotton dress, or much more.
Bonus: One Indulgent Trendy Item
Hmm. This might be a little too strict for my tastes, but I think it’s an excellent start. I actually think I have all of these items. Question was, do they fit? Do they need mending? This was where I started.
Then, it was onto the rest of my existing clothes. I made five piles on the floor:
- Keep in my closet, because i love them and want to wear them: great prints, casual and dressy trousers, cute dresses that can be worn day AND night, layering tops, dressy tops
- Store away, because it’s not the season to wear them: long summer dresses (although it’s actually warm enough to wear during the day at least during a San Francisco November – lucky us!), shorts etc
- Give to the Goodwill store: if they don’t fit anymore (sob! next stop – diet!), or i really NEVER wear it and hand on heart, can say it hasn’t left my closet for the last 12 months
- Take to the cleaners, tailor, or shoe mender: erm, things that are dirty, too big, or broken, and can be fixed, so i can love them again!
- CHERISH pile: I’m not sure whether this is really acceptable by capsule wardrobe standards, but I have a few items that even though I know full well I will never wear again (hello to a baby yellow vintage cashmere cardigan from my high school dance that i can barely fit over one arm, but is sooooo beautifull), I just can’t bear to give away!
At the end of three hours of trying things on, debating and deciding, I was left with a much more workable wardrobe. One that actually fit in my closet! And one that left me with much clearer options in terms of what I pick out to wear every day.Phew! Feels good.
Now what? The fun part! Shopping to fill in any gaps that were left by my excavation. Here a few things which have already made the cut, and which i’m LOVING:
More work to be done, but it felt good! Here’s to the next rainy day when I can finish the job!
I just got back from New York, and while I was there, I attempted to kick start my much-needed wardrobe overhaul, with the selective addition of a few new ‘classics’. More on that in another post.
However, as i was looking around the racks and rails, I noticed that alongside purple, which surely is this season’s hottest hue (I had purple shoes for my wedding!), royal blue is making its presence felt. I love royal blue. It’s bright and stunning, deep enough to look good in Fall and Winter, yet light enough to lend a cheerful accent to any outfit.
Stupidly, I didn’t pick up a great wool scarf in the shade i saw at the SoHo branch of Uniqlo. It was Saturday, the place was a zoo… And i’m still regretting it! But I thought i’d look around on the Web for inspiration and post my favorites here. As if needed motivation to shop!
Enjoy…
Anthropologie
French Connection
Gap
Forever 21
Steve Madden
Reiss
