Triple Stripes

It's no secret that stripy tees are an essential part of my day-to-day uniform (apologies to those who follow me on Instragram for the regular Breton updates), so when online boutique Atterley Road asked me to style up some of the nicest stripes I've seen yet (by French label Saint James), it felt like one of the easier tasks I've been set.

Embarrassingly enough, I was actually wearing stripes when I first went to meet the lovely Gemma from Atterley Road so the task in hand was immediately very apt! There's just something very easy about the Breton top; it dresses down leather trousers and short-short skirts and feels almost nostalgic, without being twee, with just about everything else. My favourite way to wear it is with denim cut-offs and Vans in the summer, but given we're firmly in the throws of Autumn in London, I gave the basic a bit more of a wintery spin. 

Classic French staples up top, elevated basics from the waist down; I like the mix of mannish, oversized pea coat and mini leather skirt - it kind of detracts from the glaring sight that is bare legs post August. 

Wearing Whistles boots, All Saints skirt, Saint James T-shirt and Saint James pea coat. 

These stripes were the loudest of the three so they needed the most dressing down. Ripped boyfriend jeans, biker jacket and patent booties (yep I succumbed to the new skort of Zara world) managed to veer the whole look away from the obvious seaside connotations.

Wearing Saint James tee, Gap jeans (customised by me), HnM biker jacket, Zara boots. 

Black leather skinnies and pointy heels don't feel quite so 'done' (or corporate come to that) when teamed with a Breton sweater. 

Wearing Saint James top, Twist & Tango coat, Whistles clutch, HnM faux leather pants, Zara heels.

Ph. by James Wright

Le Weekend

I thought it might be nice to do a little weekly post after the weekend just so I can succinctly highlight any great eats, purchases or general things I got up to. So here goes, let me know what you think. 

After a busy Thursday and Friday, I was ready to do very little this weekend and much of it was spent catching up on sleep, movies and visiting family. Here's how it panned out. 

I ate... Pre-cinema chicken fix at Nandos (I'm sorry but its just so good) and an awesome homemade prosciutto and cherry tomato omelette Jamie whipped up. 

I drank... Delicious blackberry Mojito's at Ruby's in Dalston. 

I watched... Captain Philips at the Cinema (amazing true story - perfect edge-of-your seat Saturday night stuff) and the beautiful, thought-provoking Breathe In on the sofa.

I wore... Lilac lace undies by New Zealand label Lonely from Urban Outfitters (the black straps and longline shape make the pastel really doable and cool) and lots of gold fine jewellery. My current faves are this one by Jessie Harris and necklaces by Orelia (find them in Topshop). 

I went... To the hairdressers. Round two of highlights with Neville at Vidal Sassoon on South Molton street. I'm now blonde all over rather than ombre... 

You can follow me on Facebook  and Instagram for updates over the weekend and more... 

The Coat

Maybe its because of the slightly sickly aftertaste of the 'pink coat' furor, or the fact I've been re-watching Dawson's Creek and thoroughly enjoying the kids' oversized geeky overcoats, but I'm really feeling a proper camel crombie this winter.

I like mine in the vein of 90s Kate; long (not hard on me), loose and mannish. From the ones below, I'm toying between the Smythe and Maison by Michel. Both pretty near to perfect.

All images via Pinterest (last image is from my Instagram).

Budget Beauty

I couldn't decide whether to call this post budget beauty, drugstore beauty or old school beauty, because truth be told, its a bit of all three. I used to be a real product junkie and a sucker for new releases promising the world, but over the years I've learnt what to spend money on and what to scrimp on. So I thought I'd share some of the basic, budget bits you'll always find in my bathroom that may not be the prettiest, but are staples for a reason.... 

First up, Cetaphil - find it in the medicated section of drugstores and chemists along with the likes of Sudocream (bit off-putting I know, but don't be deterred). 

This super gentle cleanser is how I start the day and even though I don't have hyper-senstive skin, I've found it really good for sensitized, reddened winter skin - and don't worry, its not so gentle that you don't feel like its doing anything. I used to use Neutrogena's Pink Grapefruit cleanser but I've noticed a positive difference in my skin since cutting out the salicylic acid from my routine. That's the spot-fighting, oil-stripping ingredient you get in 'anti-blemish' cleansers and while it has its place, I do think it ends up having a pretty negative effect long term, even on sport prone skin.

Cetaphil's great on a Clarisonic too - I use with mine once or twice a week and wouldn't use anything else on it now.

Yes we've been using them since the 80s, but the old VO5 hot oil is still a winner on parched, straw-like ends. Warm up in hot water, put on wet hair for a minute, rinse and you're done. It pays not to forget the faithful oldies but goodies sometimes.... 

I think good quality shampoo, conditioner and masks are worth investing it, but when it comes to styling, there's a lot to be said for basic hair spray and dry shampoo. For me, a bit of dry shampoo (on clean hair) at the roots works to add volume and texture, while hair spay on finger tips can both mess-up the roots and smooth down flyaways. 

I prefer oil textures over creams when it comes to moisturising and use Bio Oil all over after a shower (when I remember) and on my legs before I go to bed - especially good when you've been in the sun or have seriously dried-out, winter skin. I have lots of little scars on my legs and its good for that too. Plus, I use about 3-4 drops on my face at night occasionally when it needs a bit of TLC - don't be scared on using oil on your face from time to time, it works wonder and won't make you break out if done in the right way.

Another two cheapies, Carmex is surely the ultimate budget lip balm - the smell has some kind of nostalgic quality to it now too - and while standard Cocoa Butter is great (if a little sickly),  this dark spot corrector is something I've started using since developing a few sun spots... its really good for scars and discolouration too. 

And last but not least, probably the least glamorous of the bunch - and that's saying something.

Yep, we all get them occasionally, and if you can't stretch to Dermalogica's overnight clearing gel, a tiny dab of Quinoderm cream should dry spots up in no time. I've been using it since I was a tea tree oil wielding teen, and while I wouldn't slather it all your face (especially if you have very dry/sensitive skin), it's something I find myself going back to again and again when I have one of those really stubborn, inflamed blemishes that I need to get rid off and quickly. 

Just use a tiny drop on clean skin at night and you should notice it clearing up by morning.

I Bamboo You

You might have seen me on Instagram quite a few weeks ago sporting some big eyes and roller-clad hair for a project with Gucci. That was all I could reveal at the time but after launching this week, I can share what I was up to with you all.

Gucci very kindly asked me to be involved with a short film project they were producing with Clara Paget as the leading lady to celebrate Gucci's bamboo bag, an icon of the accessory world that's been gracing many a glamorous arm since 1947. I of course jumped at the chance and subsequently spent a day filming in London's Bermondsey with an incredibly talented bunch of friendly people that made me feel totally at ease on set. While blogging has meant I've slowly had to become more at ease in front of the camera (definitely a work in progress), filming was a whole new ball game but I ended up really enjoying trying my hand at a medium that's still somewhat new to me. And while it's undoubtedly lots of fun, having worked as a fashion assistant for several years, I still find it a little strange being on the other side of things on big shoots and always find myself feeling like I should be steaming or packing suitcases. Old habits die hard I suppose!

So myself, Chloe Hayward and Lead Wood were transformed into 'Gucci mean girls' and basically spent the the day strutting around South London teasing Clara with our Bamboo wares, the result of which you can now watch below. 

Note: The version I have seems to be a bit grainy and pixelated so if you have trouble viewing it, you can watch it in better quality on Grazia here until I get it sorted. Sorry - working on it as we speak! 

To celebrate the release of the project earlier this week, there was a delicious dinner at the beautiful art deco Cafe Royal on Regent's Street. It was one of those nights you end up chatting so much you barely register you have a phone (pretty refreshing to be honest seeing as it tends to morph into a 3rd hand most of the time) but I managed to to snap a couple of quick pics of what I was wore to event. Thank you snazzy bathroom mirror for your part in that.

Vintage velvet jacket // Zara belt // HnM leather pants // Gucci bag // Zara camisole

Thank you Gucci for a wonderful experience and a great night on Wednesday.I feel so lucky to have been a part of it all. 

xx

Back to Black

When in doubt, go all black is one of the few 'fashion rules' I'm happy to adhere to. Just make sure there's a bit of leather in there to save from getting any mime artist comparisons.

Images mostly from my Pinterest (bottom one is from my Instagram)

Top Looks from PFW

Finally had time this weekend to really hone in on Paris properly, narrow down my favourite looks and generally relive some of the best of S/S 2014. 

Marc J's swan song at Louis Vuitton was clearly a highlight and on top of the spectacle of the show itself,  I really loved the collection. Teaming ornate Victoriana with loose, low-rise denim and biker jackets was the kind of dressing-down I could instantly get on board with. Elsewhere, there were surprises in store as age-old favourites like Isabel Marant and Stella McCartney failed to impress quite as much as usual (blasphemy I know), while the likes of Claire Wright Keller at Chloe and Anthony Vacarello pretty much dictated how I want to dress next summer, albeit in very different ways.   

So here goes. The final leg of the new season highlights as concisely as I can possibly me....

Just when we all thought we knew what we were getting from Phoebe Philo, she took Celine in a totally new direction this season, successfully giving the finger to her reputation for the queen of minimalism. I can't see myself jumping on board with the primary-coloured paint strokes (even if Philo doth say we should) but the fringed hemlines, lace-ups sandals, ethnic jewellery and netting skirts are all takeaways I'm already excited about. 

Loved the African-Asian influences at Givenchy and the finale look on Joan Smalls finished it all off perfectly - the pleated satin coat was pure drama while the flat, 'fugly' sandals kept it real and cool. 

Sweet, simple and a little bit Lolita, I loved this retro-feeling suede look at Vanessa Bruno - can imagine Lux from The Virgin Suicides wearing this for a date with Trip....

Okay, okay - I know I sort-of-dissed Marant in my opening paragraph but lets be honest, there's always a wealth of covetable pieces up for grabs at Isabel Marant... I think it was just those lacy, ruffled bra tops that turned me off. Or indeed the abundance of ruffles full stop. But the simpler, tougher looks that saw those pretty, sheer lace tops beefed up with leather and sporty separates were just as good as ever.

Perhaps my favourite collection of Paris (big statement), Claire Wright Keller really stepped up her game this season with the most perfect summer-in-the-city silhouettes at Chloe, all of which moved in the most easy-breezy elegant way. 

Always offering a lesson in how to do sexy without clingy fabrics and cleavage, Anthony Vaccarello makes a simple shirt, shorts and sandals combo the ultimate come hither look women actually want to wear. Maybe Anja Rubik has something to with that too....

Have a feeling Bermuda boy shorts are going to be something of an obsession next summer and I love these slinky, silk ones at Dries Van Noten. The same goes for the loose, easy separates and ethnic details that immediately caught my eye at Dries. 

My favourite Louis Vuitton look - decadence and showgirl drama finished of with blue denim and leather loafers. A marriage of opposites that worked perfectly. We'll miss you Marc... now just hurry up and tell us who's next LV. 

Beautiful tribal opulence at Valentino - I liked how the warrior princess vibe of so many of the dresses gave an injection of strength to all the feminine detail. 

Nautical gets the Acne treatment... and you all know I like my stripes. Once again with the baggy Bermudas and somehow I get the feeling clumpy Geisha sandals are going to be nest summer's Birkenstock. 

 For me, Stella failed to wow quite as much as normal this season - the cuts of those nightie-esque slips just didn't sit that well with me. But the affirmation of navy for summer and silk suiting was a look I immediately wanted to replicate. On that note, I need to own a matching two-piece suit before too long....

All images via Style.com