Lessons in Lim (Pre Fall 2011 Edition)...
Rethink the sheath dress and the shell. Don't overlook a straight jacket or a pair of well cut trousers. The daily uniform never looked this good. Forget what your mom told you and mix black, navy and white. Arm yourself in sturdy multifunctional basics to fight against the daily grind. Lim's girls are warriors of the modern kind.
It's the colour that will take you perfectly from summer into fall - when days start getting shorter and tans start to fade. Wear it on its own to begin with and then layer soft greys overtop when the pale skin starts peeking out. To make a real statement, don't be shy, pile it on head to toe.
Raid your nan's closet and pile on your Sunday best. Then bring it back down to earth by throwing on some chunky black shoes and your most hard core biker jacket. A palette that rivals the feint blush of young love with moon-landing florals to boot. It's achingly feminine, slightly tongue in cheek, and reminds me a bit of what Blaire Waldorf might wear on a safari in Spring. Whatever you call it, I'll be adopting the look long before 'pre-fall' time creeps around.
Please note: I want to be a Lim lady.
All photos sourced from Vogue.com and can be found in their original format here.
Retro Super Future
The whiteness is almost blinding. I busted out my new Retro Super Future sunglasses today to help shade my eyes from the snow... even though the sun is barely making it over the horizon. Okay okay, who am I kidding, I just wanted to wear them.
Wearing: borrowed fur hat and sheepskin coat from the Inglis family cupboard under the stairs and Lucia Havana Glitter sunglasses from Retro Super Future that I got for Christmas.
a Nordic fog...
Venturing out to gaze across the frozen lake by my husband's family home in Sweden requires serious reinforcements. Only a short walk away, but I stashed sweets and a thermos full of hot chocolate into my bag. Don't worry, I wasn't crazy enough to wade through the snow and minus 10 degree weather in just this little dress. I've adopted a massive puffy jacket that makes me resemble the Michelin Man that I wear whenever I step outside. It's so big I can hardly lower my arms to my side but at least it works to cushion the fall when I slide and topple over in the snow.
Wearing: Monki Clementina dress, Näbb stövlar boots from the 1970s, Fashionology bird skull necklace, and The Bridge bag.
Giveaway Winner Announced
The Mulberry for Target giveaway has officially ended and a winner has been chosen at random. Thanks to all that entered! Hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas. I ventured out today to check out the sales and picked up two dresses from the Swedish shop Monki. Everywhere was crammed with people and the abundance of massive puffy coats made it even more difficult than normal to navigate the rails. I'm planning a little photo shoot out by a frozen lake tomorrow. Stay tuned for the result...
God Jul...
圣诞节快乐, Feliz Navidad, С Рождеством, عيد ميلاد مجيد... wishing you a Merry Christmas wherever you are in the world.
Blurried journey...
It has taken forty-six hours to make the journey from London to Stockholm, which should only take two and half. Arriving at Heathrow at 5am yesterday to an airport that was bathed in a sense of destroyed chaos. Rows of passengers without flights laid in rows on the tile floors under aluminum blankets. Disheveled and distraught, they bore signs that chastised their airlines for mistreating and ignoring them. Security guards blocked entrances to the airport, refusing to allow people to enter the terminal, forcing them to stand outside in the freezing conditions without any explanation. By some miracle, our flight was one of the few that managed to leave Heathrow. Originally meant to depart at 7am, we sat in the terminal, bags checked, for nine hours watching the screens move forward while our flight stayed frozen at the top of the board: 'please wait' it read. The 'condition', as it was being called, had brought one of the world's busiest airports to a standstill and was largely due to 5 inches of snow that fell in one hour in London on Saturday. Despite what might sound like a negative tone, the trip actually wasn't too bad. Heathrow has free wifi and plenty of coffee shops, once we made it to Frankfurt we were put up in a lovely hotel, given taxi rides to and from the airport, and were provided with three meals. We might have arrived a little behind schedule but, to be honest, I haven't got much to complain about.
Wishing good luck to anyone having to travel this holiday season... hope you make it to your final destination quickly and safely.
Oh, the weather outside...
It's slightly surreal stepping out into Oxford, like what it might feel like to float around inside a snow globe. Everything is covered and just about when you think it's starting to melt away someone flips us upside and it all starts sprinkling down again. Havoc has descended onto all transport, pipes are freezing, and toes are going numb. Despite all those factors though, it's impossible to deny how beautiful everything looks.
Wearing: cashmere beanie from Lord & Taylor, red satchel bag from Dooney & Bourke, gloves from Eddie Bauer, and coat from Jigsaw.
Keep calm...
The holidays are upon us and, although it's a time of immense joy and excitement, it can feel a bit overwhelming. Traveling, unpredictable weather, being crunched for time, and family gatherings - all generate a buzz but can leave you feeling slightly dizzy. Be sure to take some time out for yourself in order to avoid burning out too early. I was given this book, 'A Year of Mornings: 3,191 Miles Apart', as an early Christmas present today. Developed from a collaboration that begun on the blog 3191 miles apart, it is chocked full of simple but inspiring photos. It only seemed fitting to pour over the pages in a bathtub filled with bubbles. The perfect relaxation to a day spent frolicking through half a foot of snow. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and taking this Sunday nice and easy...
Mulberry for Target Giveaway...
This summer I was going mental about these Mulberry for Target bags. I ripped an ad out of a magazine, put it on my sisters fridge in the states, and wrote on it the date they would be released. 'Please, puhleeeaaasseee, get me these when they come out!' I begged her. They weren't being sold in England and she was my only hope of getting my hands on one. I was so surprised when, on the release date, I got a phone call from my brother-in-law, who was at Target on his own, with three kids in tow, picking out Mulberry bags for me. Seriously, what a star. So, it seems only fair to spread the love around... the one I've got up for grabs is the pebble mini cross body.
In order to enter please follow this blog and leave a comment below. Tweet about this post to receive an extra entry. I'll announce the winner on Boxing Day (December 26th). Good luck!
Rerum cognoscere causas...
Graduations are a funny thing. In England they tend to take place months after you've actually finished studying and, as of late, attempt to ease you into an economic climate wherein your newly gained academic qualifications fail to secure you a job. Regardless, they're an excuse to get a new dress and soak up the glory of your hard earned achievements. Ah, which I both did with immense pleasure. Today I rather shakily took to the stage to collect my degree and then roamed around Covent Garden and Knightsbridge. The shakes were due to my unsteady shoes but thankfully I managed to avoid toppling forward. The LSE school motto translates 'to know the causes of things'. Whatever great philosophical perspective I might have gained from my year there, one thing still escapes me: why I insist on repeatedly buying shoes I can barely walk in.
Wearing: Cos dress, Hue tights, Zara shoes, and Mulberry for Target bag. Thanks to the one-handed-photographer for these shots.
p.s. have put some slightly geeky photos of me dressed up in my graduation gear over on my Facebook group.
Pop In: Elizabeth Lau
If you're in London before Christmas I'd urge you to get down to Carnaby Street to visit the Elizabeth Lau pop up shop. It's a gem of a place, with iced cookies sitting on a table by the entrance and goldfish swimming in bowls attached to the walls. The atmosphere is quintessentially English, with tea flowing and well thought through quirky elements bridging the gap between the shop itself and the collection. Lau's knits are fined tuned with antique buttons and stitched hearts, all crafted from the softest knits. In her Autumn/Winter collection there is a velvet tiered one shoulder dress that is to die for and a Madeline-esque black and grey coat that would be the perfect addition to any outfit. One of my favourite parts of visiting the shop was watching Elizabeth in action. She would politely and discretely guide customers through the collection and help them make decisions about what to purchase. A true testament to her designs and personality, each person that came through the door left with a new item tucked under their arm. The shop is a little masterpiece. If you're able to, be sure to pop in and say hello to Elizabeth. I promise you wont regret it.
Location: Elizabeth Lau Christmas Pop up Boutique, 2 Ganton Street (just off Carnaby St.), London, W1F 7QL. Open until Christmas Eve. View the Autumn/Winter collection here.
bottles in the ice...
Hanging out in some back alleys behind the Breakfast Club in Soho wearing a combination of favourite items. I got this jumper back in the summer and I only wore it for the first time last week. Heather green and a waffled knit - it is the ultimate in cozy. It helps that I bought it in an extra large... ohhh, I love it. England has finally thawed out enough that it's possible to wear somewhat normal clothes, as opposed to three jumpers and multiple socks worn under massive puffy jackets.
Someone recently commented that they have never seen me in loose fitting trousers. I tend to stick to a generic oversized top and tight bottom combo. I think it developed when I was about seven... only then it was pink leggings and big white tied dyed t-shirts (with an obligatory knot in the side, yeaaah baby, brings back the 90s). Anyway, this uniform is partly due to my mode of transport: the bicycle. Wide legs really don't bode well when you ride a bike... unless you want to wind up with your face in the pavement. I'm not sure how I'm going to swing this whole 70s revival. I may have to fashion some sort of trouser decompressor for when I'm in transit. Enough rambling. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.
Wearing: J.Crew peacoat, Banana Republic jumper, Made in the Shade leggings, H&M boots, Alexander McQueen bag, Fashionology necklace and Jigsaw scarf. Big thank you to Kit and Jill for the photos.
On Deconstruction...
There is a certain unexpected beauty in the natural deconstruction of a favourite jumper. Just when you thought it was safe to haul your old knits over to Oxfam... jumper worn by Jill from Street Style London.
an Oxonian tradition...
Heritage is one thing the British certainly do well. They exemplify a respect for the past and incorporate that mentality into their dress. Take Will Lusk for example. He dug his Burberry trench out from the depths of his grandfather's closet and has made it his own. Mixed with a perfectly posh silk scarf, fit for a smoking room no doubt, and denim turned up at the ankle, he mixes youthful pieces with those that make a strong nod to days gone by. Loafers, cable knit, and Remembrance Day poppies - on paper it sounds like Will's outfit should teeter on the edge of being old fashioned but it is clearly anything but that. Will's style embodies everything I adore about British fashion.
Will wears: Burberry trench, French Connection jeans, and Russel & Bromley loafers. Photos shot in Oxford.