28.11.09

musing on snoods, scarfs, muffs, and coincidence



Minutes before meeting Tamzin (below) and minutes after leaving Topshop for the Dress Me Up event (below that), I saw this girl walking down Conduit Street. She told me her name, it was beautiful & unusual, and now it escapes me. I almost thought she was a stylish boy at first, and it's funny because in today's Telegraph magazine, under my favourite section called 'wild life', the theme was on tomboys.



The area around New Bond Street that day - as is often the case - was a sea of crisp black. And yet, within minutes, I saw two very different girls in cool grey with blue. As different as their looks are, each works so beautifully against those cool neutral colours. Tamzin's warm, red hair, and this girl's cool, slightly blue toned mahogany skin are both perfect foils for these tones.

I hope she'll get in touch, but she was quite shy actually, and I'm just grateful she posed. There's something about this shape jacket that can make one look a bit pregnant, which I'm assuming she's not: it's just the way the pockets work. It's kind of an internal old fashioned 'muff' effect.

I wonder: do you think muffs will ever come back? Not ear muffs: they're already seen on London streets. I mean those round tube things you put your hands in. Or what one would, in a Jane Austin novel. I'm just thinking out loud here... I mean, according to Burberry, snood sales have gone thru the roof! Such a funny word... snood. Not to mention, 'muff'. Scarf sounds pretty funny too if you say it a few times, but let's face we've all got tons of scarfs so the word doesn't sound weird. Yet how many of you actually own a snood? Or, for that matter, a muff? My sister & I, as young girls, had matching muffs, in white rabbit's fur with little dolls' heads sticking up. Or were they bunnies... must ask her. Okay, I'll stop now!

. . .

p.s. Thank you to Lydia of roses, tea cups & lemonade for sourcing this jacket: it's Zara, and she's got one, too.

13 comments:

StyleSpy said...

That jacket is spectacular, it makes me nuts!

I'd love for muffs to come back, although they're less practical for folks like me who live in places where you're in cars all the time -- gloves are easier when you're driving. I did have a muff when I was a little girl -- it was pink rabbit fur with a black velvet cord that went around my neck and a little black velvet bow sewn on the front, and the lining was pink satin. Oh, how I wish I still had that...

daisychain said...

I NEED muffs to come back, and I also require a snood in my life.
I am such a cold person, haha. I had to make an emergency gloves purchase after work today as the pair of mittens I had on just weren't cutting it!

Team Inglis said...

i have two snoods, and i think they are great.

is this super immature? but are we all aware of what 'muff' means in england? it's not the type of hand warming contraption mentioned here... just in case you are ever inclined to talk to any boys about your muff jill, it's probably best to come up with a different term to describe it (the hand warmer, that is).

i do think they are pretty fab though, and glamorous. but probably not very practical for me on my bike... haha. that would be tricky.

coralie said...

Beautiful jacket like a Rykiel one!
(in yellow)
xoxo
Coralie from Paris

Poppy said...

What a great jacket, she looks so lovely and warm.

Pearl Westwood said...

Ah ha well I actually have a muff! It was given to me by an old neigbour. I would love to wear it.But it is rabbit fur and so stuffed in the back of my cupboard becuase Im stuck between standing firmly being anti-fur and between the fact that it is vintge and the rabbit was most likey someones dinner and it would be a shame to throw it out! Oh the dilemas I set myself, so if anyone sees any faux fur I will be first in line!

Zara said...

i really like her jacket actually! xoxo

Love Food said...

Oh I have that jacket! I love it, it's from zara. And I wear it in a similar way to how she's wearing it too.
She really suits it.
Lydia xxx

StyleBytes said...

If the weather in London continues to get colder every year, muffs will definitely come back. The West End and the UK in general will always have rain, but I'd rather not have the cold :(

Cafe Fashionista said...

I think muffs should come back. They're so reminiscent of the Victorian era - which I simply adore! :)

Susan said...

I love her look!
have a lovely day, xoxo

dot said...

haha (Jen: Team Inglis) do you know I was actually hesitating about posting this - but this is the 2nd time I've shot this style jacket & the same effect has happened: the first time (on a shot I haven't posted yet) I truly couldn't tell if this slim beautiful woman was 9 months pregnant, or just keeping her hands warm in the pockets because that's where they were placed... and I really did try to think of an alternative word to 'muff'! And I'm not even sure any longer, can you tell me: which country is it a rude word in???

On the other hand... what do we think of 'bootie', huh? This season it's all about the bootie. Which country has a 'bootie call'?

I'll never forget seeing Tom Hanks on Parky (Parkinson: the Oprah Winfrey of the United Kingdom, bless his cotton socks) and he's telling this whole story about stuffing something down his pants.. and good ole' Parky is laughing along, but the audience is laughing every time he says the word 'pants' and he's too polite to interrupt poor Tom & explain that, uh, in this country, you're talking about your underwear.

Coralie: did you mean Soni Rykiel did a similar jacket in yellow? Do you happen to have a photo by any chance?

Style Spy: UNCANNY that you have that memory & the detail so clearly. I wish I knew where my muff ended up... ; ) It was white rabbit fur, and also had a little head in the middle... I'm picturing a bunny head but that's because we also had these magic white fake fur rabbit hand puppets for Easter. We LOVED them, and those, I'm pretty sure I've still got!!

daisychain: I'm always cold, too. My theory is it's a downside of being on the slim side. Does anyone else out there have that problem?

Thank you all for your comments. If I ever hear from this sweet stylish girl I'll post an update. Hope you're having a fabulous weekend! xox

The Photodiarist said...

WOW! She looks awesome. I love her look.