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.

influence: the vanishing twin

This isn't the post I planned to do today: I've been storing up a whole collection of leopard print images, far too many for one post. This is, instead, about an amazing Singapore born, London based designer named Eugene Lin. I was so grateful to Jen for finding him at LFW and bringing me along to his studio a few weeks back.

Her post about him, about the concept behind his S/S 2011 collection, The Vanishing Twin, explained it so well, I felt, that I just didn't feel the need to do my own post.





And also, I was so impressed by Eugene, so inspired by the magic of the light in that studio, his intelligence and keen mind and sense of humour and irony.. as time went on, I felt I couldn't do it justice. And I had too many photos to fit in one post.. and I had done one already ('ghost in the machine')..




But the idea itself, and that day, kept haunting me, like my own invisible twin growing in my imagination. These pieces, you see, were inspired - influenced - by a rare medical condition where one's twin can develop, be absorbed, into our own bodies. Jen said her husband, Mr. Crusader, who is a scientist, was scoffing that it's not a real condition. And I was laughing when she told me because when I told Hedvig, she had looked at me in her stoic Norwegian way and said, totally deadpan: 'I know what it is. My friend had it. In her butt.' You had to be there, to know how calmly serious Hedvig can be, to know why I found that so hilarious. Or maybe I've got a really sick sense of humour.






I'm fascinated how an idea, sketches, can become a reality. Or rather, how rarely we bring our ideas to fruition, which is why I so admire those who do.






So why did I choose to finally post this today? Because I happened to see my friend Shini's post about being 'in exile' in Warsaw: Atelier Klimas (I love this girl's deadpan humour). And reading her post, the way a shot of a cup of tea could transport me to a designer's studio in Poland, influenced me to get off my own metaphorical butt and get this post done and dusted.




Can you see how even this jacket has a kind of 'twin': the vest is part of the jacket. Each piece has that element. I'd love to do a little shoot, like I did with Topshop/Goodone, because everyone I know could easily wear a piece from this collection: while it's all clearly Eugene Lin's vision, his voice, it also is versatile enough that there's something for everyone's unique style.

Is that something you'd like to see? If I can get enough interest, I'll ask to borrow some clothes.

Photos by me, apart from the shots with the model, which are by Anna Feyimi courtesy of Eugene Lin. Photos of me in the jacket are from Jennifer, the infamous, ubiquitous Style Crusader. And by the way, I'm aware it's Halloween but no one's invited me to any Halloween parties, I'm not dressing up this year, and this post wasn't intended to tie in with Halloween. Altho... in a way.. I can see the influence.

home is where you hang your hat

Thank you for yesterday ('the blues'). I really do feel better. It's amazing. (Shini & I had the most lovely lunch/chat yesterday, at a wonderful cafe, Hurwundekii in Bethnal Green, and she said exactly what I feel: the response we get from posting is the reason we do it).

Anyone who's reading this, please take a moment to read the comments, they're so wonderful and beautifully written. Can I ask those who commented, or even if you didn't - if you have any photos of the places you miss, can you email them to me? (jill@haybooks.com). I'd love to do a post - or perhaps, a series on it.

Because I've realised what I've always known: home really is where you hang your hat.

I can get homesick for so many places. Sabine mentioned missing Italy. I long for Italy, for the places I've been there, the friends who I've been with. I've read somewhere that, because she travels so much, Kate Moss (according to her friends) will bring her own scented candles, start lighting them, fling a scarf over a chair.. that's just what I do. Not that I'm fanatically neat. I just like the colour accents to echo my mood that day. It's quick, innate, but it's important to me.

And then, when it's time to go, having made that room my own, I miss it. One more place to be homesick for.



Whew. I really am mouthing off. And this has really nothing to do with the post. I saw this girl the day we were back in London, in Marylebone, outside the original branch of Daunt, a wonderful wonderful bookshop (they've also got one now closer to us, on Fulham Road). The moment I saw her I thought 'See, that's what I love about London. They've got such great style.'

So when I introduced myself, asked to shoot her in her original pose ('No, more like that, that's right. No, a bit more to the left. That's it. Pretend you're reading the titles') it suddenly occurred to me: she's AMERICAN. From NY. So much for that, then. She - and her friend who joined her while we chatted - were on a work study thing, and returning home to NY the next day.



Her stripes reminded me of a shot of Norris, in the Dominican Republic, which made me homesick for THAT lovely house, and for Norris, who cried when we left. Especially saying goodbye to Annie. I was only a guest for a week, Annie and the boys lived with her for a month. I could see why her heart was breaking when she had to say goodbye to them. They had become family.



There are so many places I've been that I long to return to. Room 23 at the Hurricane Hotel in Andalusia, for example. The OMM Hotel, in Barcelona, where I only went for the weekend (shown here) and shared a room with my childhood friend Sheila while her husband, a lawyer, was on 'a boat with 1000 law partners'- actually a cruise ship going to Cannes. His idea, as he told me cheerfully after, of hell. (Hedvig, who has, by popular demand, just started her own lovely blog, Northern Light, is going there tomorrow, at my recommendation. I hope she loves it as much as I do: I'm longing to take Mr. Dot there someday soon).



I want to show you more shots from Barcelona, but for now, just this one, in keeping with my black and white theme. Across from the rooftop of the OMM, you can see the Gaudi museum. We happened - by sheer luck - to catch their first friday night Jazz night - champagne and a wonderful crowd. But more about that another time.

Oh one last rambling thought: speaking of bookshops, in a recent post when I asked what you'd pack to take to a desert island, several of you said a good book. I wanted to thank those of you who took the time to recommend favourite books ('what's black and white and read all over') - I actually took your list to my mom's library. I've read some great books this summer, The Secret Life of Bees, and now I'm reading The Help, and some great novels by Joan Didion, Democracy, and The Last Thing He Wanted.

I'd love to do a virtual book club post from time to time, maybe monthly. Or quarterly: 3 months notice to read a book & talk about it. Anyone game?

Is it just me? When I finish a great book, I can even get homesick for that world. I guess I just hate saying goodbye to places or people I love. I guess I just never can say goodbye.



And by the way, I haven't forgotten the agony aunt idea. I've got my first customer. We are in touch. Watch this space.

shini's snippets of shiny thoughts

Two phrases keep going thru my head lately: 'snippets of shiny thoughts', and 'it's not about the clothes.' The second phrase will be in my next post. The first, is the name of Lucy's blog and as you know (see end of previous post) today Snippets is having her first birthday. (Are blogs female? Anyone who's French, can you answer that? Actually.. Le Blog de Betty.. guess blogs are male).

Anyway, this post isn't about Lucy, it's about Shini (Park & Cube). This is Shini's shirt, and it's her Shiny Thought of the Day.



Take one lacy body (in this case, I believe it's Topshop, but lots o' brands are doing it). Add a ribbon or two, criss-crossed, attached with a small box of gold safety pins. Add a few more. Do it - presumably - as a procrastination procedure when you're meant to be studying for finals.

Coincidentally - altho, really, is there such thing as coincidence? Or is it just God working in small ways? - my lovely friend Toni, who was actually a 'real' friend - recently met - before I even knew her blog - has just done a fabulous post ('seeing double') which starts off with the line:

"Inspiration comes mostly from others not from ourself, and anyone who tells you they are never inspired by others is probably not being completely honest with you."



I am so inspired by Toni. I'm inspired by Shini, by all of you. I've frittered the morning away letting tweets by brilliant women like Rachel Johnson lead me, like woodland fairy sprites, to Caitlin Moran, to Claudia Winkleman, to a hilarious piece on SATC by Lindy West.. just totally energised with inspiration. All these beautiful minds.

p.s. Oh joy! Pure coincidence: just went to tell Shini her post is up, and saw she's done the definitive post on the Perfect Day. ('Princess March') It looks just like the post I was about to do, only better. Influence out of sequence.

variations on a sorbet popsicle

An ex boyfriend - much younger than me - used to use this word: meme (click on it if you have time: wikipedia explains it best). It's something I'm fascinated with: how ideas travel, take on a life of their own. Everything we're doing with our blogs is a perfect example. Everyone suddenly feeling like wearing oxfords (okay, BROGUES).. even the underwear-as-outerwear thing (I saw that phrase AGAIN in the style section and said to myself I'm going to start charging them: it's MY phrase!) but of course, I can't.

We can't own a meme.

A meme has a life of its own.



For example: the phrase 'sorbet colours' to describe a current trend. Almina, of Rare, mentioned it to Jen & I when we visited for Press Day (more about that to come) and then the brilliantly talented Shini of Park & Cube showed up to Ella's Cupcakes - maybe an hour or two after we heard it. We both photographed her, at separate times, each dragging her off somewhere. It never occurred to either of us to ask 'which spot did you shoot Shini at', or even to see each other's photos - so we didn't know we'd done a photo shoot in the SAME SPOT (and oddly, Shini didn't mention it). So much was going on at once, anyway.



So the next morning, I thought to myself 'I'm going to do a post on Shini and call it 'sorbet colours and popsicle days', was toying with variations of that theme, but I posted Hedvig's shot first. Then I went to her fab Style Crusader blog.. well, read her post, because she basically said everything I was thinking. One thing she didn't mention, tho, was that Shini's nail varnish was orangey red on one hand and pale turquoise on another: I do that, too: I like the relationship between two unexpected colours. Oh, and Hedvig had the same turquoise nails.. which I'm typing with now.. and at least two or three of those present had large, turquoise rings... everything is connected, that's all I'm saying. It's all good. It's all a Sign. I get great comfort in knowing we're all on the same page.



Shini's tangerine jacket is from Reiss, not sure who made her mint sorbet jeans, her peach gelato pumps are by Kate Kanzier (more about that brand, also to come!), lacey coconut custard shirt is vintage. It's a rainy day ANd a Monday, which usually gets me down: perfect day for a sorbet refresher course.