7.1.11

a thousand words for snow




Shini should be back in London (shot at Topshop's press day in November) and I can't wait to see her: I've missed that girl. She's wearing: Jacket - Uniqlo, Shoes - Clarks, Sweater - Gmarket, Skirt - Storets.com, white shirt - AA, bag - Lithuania!


My husband, Mr. Dot, walked in the door tonight shortly after I did. (I had the most perfect of days with Jenny Jen, starting with scrambled eggs @ Pain Quotadien and culminating with trying on the most GORGEOUS suede stacked heeled shoes at Acne (my first time in the shop: she's been in Sweden several times) and ogling everything at Dover STreet Market). I was wearing a large sheer creamy white blouse under an old grey cardigan (I actually found it on the street on my first London Fashion Week, right outside Somerset House: I like to think a supermodel discarded it while stepping into a limousine, like Cinderella, and was whisked away. It feels like good luck). I was also wearing nude coloured riding pants style leggings from H&M. He looked me up and down and said 'Good look'.

Lately I do like what I'm wearing, after about three months of always feeling I was getting it wrong. I go through stages. Mainly, these days, I'm just wrapping myself in the softest most comfortable knits: big white jumpers, creamy warm cable tights by Tabio, leggings, white thermal underwear.. it's like wearing warm snow.








I recently read somewhere - The Telegraph? - typical January article predicting what we'll all be wearing this spring. No offence to whoever I wrote it, but really: Stop it. Stop telling us that we have to throw away everything nude, or camel. I didn't rush out and buy everything in nude or camel (or TAN: the colour is tan - or if it's lighter, it's called BEIGE). I bought some new things but mostly, I just opened my close because I've always been wearing: white. Beige. Some grey. Pale pale pinks. Navy. Black. And dammit I'm not going to give my wardrobe to charity and wear only bold patterns - altho I do love the pattern on pattern thing.

These days, and all through December and especially, the snowy time in Herefordshire for Christmas, all I've wanted to wear is a million shades of white, ranging from pinky whites to grey to warm toasty tans. Don't they say the Eskimos have like a thousand words for snow? Well there must be a million words for white.










All photos here shot by me, apart from the trio from Topshop's SS 2011 collection, and it's either from Topshop's press day, or our car in Herefordshire during Christmas. And I haven't put my watermark on all the shots, because by now, anyone who's crazy enough to use my photos without my knowledge or permission: good luck to you!

Thank you to Liz for the Topshop Press Day invite, for the link to the look book, and for just being so nice. Anyone can see it, you don't need a written invitation: simply click here.

Have a lovely weekend everyone: hope you're all where you want to be.

20 comments:

Veshoevius said...

"...typical January article predicting what we'll all be wearing this spring. No offence to whoever I wrote it, but really: Stop it. Stop telling us that we have to throw away everything nude, or camel"
It really really REALLY irritates me when they do that. We don't all have unlimited budgets, a fashion attention span of a week nor do we all want to keep fueling this consumption-debt-waste dumping merry go round that fashion seems to depend on for its survival. I wish they would get real sometimes.

jill said...

TOTALLY AGREE, V. x

SabinePsynopsis said...

Are you talking about the black sheer blouse? I love this on you! In fact, I've got a bit of a thing for sheer these days. It's the anti-winter mood... xoxo

jill said...

Good memory, Sabine! (actually it was midnight blue but it was dark - both at Sketch, and the Maybelline party). Yeah, same one but in creamy white. I'm really into sheer, too: that green two ton number you're wearing in the style challenge is gorgeous.

Pearl Westwood said...

God those types of articles make me laugh, I just read how I am meant to chuck out my low heels - ok they were £400 from Prada but gee I wont wear them if Grazia says not to. Really how silly, I was saying this to my friend Sacramento on her blog that magazines really need to change the record and write something fresh and new not recycle the same old dross year in year out!

I also demand more shots of your outfits, especially ones Mr D approves of ;-) xx

mtg said...

Beautiful shots of snowflakes. I actually have a book with W. Bentley's actual photos of snow crystals. It's amazing
http://www.amazon.com/Snowflakes-Photographs-W-Bentley/dp/0486412539/ref=wl_mb_hu_m_T2_1_dp

xx
maya

styleeast said...

"like wearing warm snow" - this is SUCH a perfect description for all the soft and cosy knits! I wore a red angora jumper to work a few weeks ago and it had a layer of fuzz on it, as angora tends to. Someone told me I looked like the Ready Brek kid...and it only made me feel warmer!

See you tomorrow I hope x

Love Food said...

I agree with you about the articles, I wonder if anybody actually takes them seriously?
I think the colours you say you have in your wardrobe will always be in style and are classic. Bold colours as we've seen on the SS11 catwalks will look dated very quickly, actually I've just done a post along these lines.
Really like the photos, particularly the third, that could be a poster for topshop! And Shini looks lovely, I really like her skirt.

Lydia xxx

Veshoevius said...

I should have sent you this link with my earlier comment - but it irritates me so much that I had a rant on my blog about one of Vogue's more irritating January editorials:

http://taxonomyofmywardrobe.blogspot.com/2011/01/anti-fashion-resolutions.html

In case you don't get my answer to your comment on mine - I don't want to imply Schuman is a God (and actually I don't say anything about Garance's blog as I don't read it) and my praise was really for the standards set by his blog. I will say that regardless of what he is like as a person I think he is a pioneer in his field and that the quality and standard of The Satorialist as a body of work is what propelled fashion blogging into the mainstream spotlight and launched a thousand wannabes. You don't get on the Times Top 100 Design influences without some serious credibility behind you. Just as it's possible to seperate what an artist has achieved through his/her work from his/her personality so too with The Sartorialist and Scott Schuman.
Going to see Gaugin today - from the quotes in his letters on the Tate website seems that guy was a very flawed human being!

jill said...

Hi V, totally agree in fact I really like him (I haven't seen his blog for ages but his was definitely one of the ones I held myself up to - the point of the post I mean). He's quite funny: when I met him I was actually nervous at first but immediately got really bossy with him and altho usually at that time with streetstyle shots I didn't want to waste people's time, was really kind of timid about what I asked them to do, how to pose etc, with him I started saying 'stand over there' (in the corner), and he obediently went over - facing the corner. Actually a picture tells a thousand words:

http://streetstylelondon.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-shot-sartorialist-but-i-didnt-shoot.html

WE were going to go to the Gaugin exhibit today! (it's our anniversary) but the Dotster's got a cold - rare for him. Hope you have a great time, looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I'll put this on your post, too.

Will check out your link and Maya, yours too of the book, thank you. And thank you Lydia, Style East (LOVE fuzzy Angora!) and Pearl. That is so insane that you read that flats are OUT - I read in the same article that flats are IN, which means I should have chosen the gifted Kurt Geiger ballet flats instead of the court shoes.

Don't these fashion journalists like, you know, know each other? Can't they get together over a coffee and figure out a way to get their story straight?

daisychain said...

Meh, I ignore what the journalists say we should be wearing and stick to what I like and what suits me. I resent being told what to do ;) x

Carrott said...

I also hate it when they write about what to throw away and what to buy now. I actually get new trends when they're telling us to throw them away. I saw a camel coat in Zara that I'm looking for, and I'm not going to stop myself from buying it because they're telling me so. xxxx

Unknown said...

Reading through all the comments just really makes me want to be in London again...there's so much to do and see up there and so little going on down here (in Devon) a lot of the time....as for what to throw away and what to keep I'm very much of the mind that fashion runs in circles so I keep everything I like and even some of the things I don't as one of my friends might get some use out of them....:)

meg said...

actually that thing about eskimos having thousands for words for snow is untrue, they only have two; one for falling snow and one for snow lying on the ground. (saw it on QI 8) )
i don't mean to pour cold water on your lovely post, just thought it was an interesting misconception. lovely pictures........ xx

jill said...

HAHA Meg, I should have checked my sources before proclaiming that! ; )

(actually it's one of those things I don't even remember where I heard.. just sort of 'knew' it. Usually I look everything up in wikipedia).

thingsandstuff: just left you a comment. The gist of it being, I love Devon! Want to switch lives? : )

Carrott: you go girl! I'm going to start wearing camel with a vengeance!!

Daisychain - ditto. On both accounts.

Thanks all! Have a lovely night xx

jill said...

p.s. Haha, blame it on anthropologist and linguist Franz Boas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_words_for_snow

Speaking of which: anyone reading this, run don't walk to The King's Speech! I knew from The Single Man that Mr. Firth was more than a simmering Mr. Darcy, but this is the most moving performance. By everyone. Just a gorgeous gorgeous film.

mtg said...

Oh, some of you are going to see Gaugin! I'm so envious! If I were single my next move probably would be to London! I would live in Tate. William Turner is one of my fav artists since my childhood. Big sigh!
enjoy your weekend, dear Jill!
xx
maya

Style Odyssey said...

"Stop telling us that we have to throw away everything nude, or camel"

i agree but i have a method to this madness: i don't listen (i know you don't either). i scarcely read anything that remotely suggests i do this. i'm so over what's "in" or "out" season to season. granted, i'm not suggesting i'm ignoring contemporary fashion- not at all- but extreme trendiness/fads/what colors and styles are "in" for the next 3-6 months....please. neutrals are always right, whether it's "camel" or plain old tan. they're classic and never go "out" of fashion.

next topic: your snow photos are heavenly! and the soft light in your indoor shots is very relaxing, wintry, serene.

xoxo

Fayoona said...

oh jill, i wish i could put things together like that. i have a habit of falling for those Must-have trends far later than everyone. like clogs. i refused point blank to get them. and now i have them. but i want to wear them forever, rather than just last season. if you want to wear tan all year round go nuts!
secondly, i love that you described yourself as wearing snow. it's a brilliant juxtaposition, of being reeeally cold in the snow, while wearing all these awesome comfortable white layers.
lots of love
http://www.sos-saveourshoes.com/

Anonymous said...

Lovely blog ....great pictures...really stunning !