in egypt

Apologies to anyone who has come here to see a style post. I was about to put an image up - a 'self style' photo - and it just felt wrong somehow. That is not what I'm thinking about now. That isn't what I've been waking up and turning on the tv to watch.

This is a photo I took last week, in our secret, locked garden: the first signs of spring. I took this when the protests had already begun.

One of my closest friends, perhaps my closest friend in London, is Egyptian. Another of my sweet, sweet friend's parents reside in Egypt (she is a friend to many of you, too). While my photo is of wild crocuses, the symbolic flower of Egypt is the Lotus, which closes at night and sinks underwater. In the morning it re-emerges and blooms again. The flower, which is also blue, became a natural symbol of the sun and creation. In Hermopolis, it was believed that it was a giant lotus blossom that first emerged from the primordial waters of Nun and from which the sun-god came forth.

I put this up as a prayer, for the Egyptian people, for their safety, and for their freedom to be achieved peacefully. Enough.

We 'style' bloggers don't normally enter into political territory, but today, I'm afraid, I must.

thai influence

EVERYONE is either going to Thailand, it seems, or has just been there, or is there now. I have never been (yet) and am longing to go. But I've got my tickets booked to go home and see my mom at the family winter home in West Palm Beach, so I really have no right to complain. I'm thrilled to bits!



Because we were all running around like headless chickens - this challenge took place in like 20 minutes, mind you - Jen didn't realise when she wrapped a scarf round her head that Sandra happened to do the same thing. I saw them both but they weren't in the same place at the same time. Soon as Jen realised it of course she whipped it off and switched to a black hat. That's one of the many things I love about Jenny Jen.



Didn't want to just do nonstop posts from that same one Next event, but there are so many friends I want to profile. Like Sandra, of 5 inch and up. She is Finnish, you all know her blog, it's beautiful, so is she, and what amazed me was how - having just come back from Thailand - she took her style challenge and made it so... Thai. She said when she's in Thailand she just basically goes native. And as she's never seen in heels under.. well, 5 inches, it must be a great feeling for her to be barefoot the whole time she's there.



Sandra also had her hand henna'd while there, it's different than the Morrocan kind, which is more intricate, but it's a great look. Apparently it fades over time. I'm waiting for some smart cosmetics company to launch a product like that, because with all the focus on large cocktail rings right now, painted hands are sooooo chic. Doncha think?

Lovely weekend, everyone! xo



p.s. YOu know what? Your comments so far inspired me to upload a shot I took from the catamaran we chartered with friends.. not in Thailand, but the British Virgin Island. My little inspirational shot for you. And Adrielle: you might want to try out that tattoo as henna first ; )

talk to the hand

When we were @ Shini's sleepover, doing our nails, I chose this colour with little brown dots, then last week Kit tweetpic'd this. I actually style influenced the Style Slicker!

Have some shots of her from the Next challenge thingy that are so great, but it will take time to put that together. Was thinking last night about the whole Black Swan/White swan thing, and how in nature and in our styles, we tend to lean towards one or the other. I feel a post coming up on the subject but first, have you seen the Natalie Portman uncensored rap video? Nearly seven million of you have, so chances are, that's a yes.

Oh btw I illegally copyright infringed this photo from Kit Lee without her knowledge or consent.

bright bright sunshiney day

You know how sometimes when you decide to let something go, and you just feel so great? Doesn't matter if it's an ex boyfriend, a job you really wanted to quit but they sacked you first, or even a friend you couldn't do enough for and she unfriended you on facebook. It's just the part where you let it all go that just feels so delicious.

I was just skipping in the darkness, earlier, on the way home from visiting Major Bobby in hospital (seriously: he is such a delight, such a charming charming man: perks me right up) and strolling thru the Boltons in the dark, heading home, I passed half a dozen college girls, singing and laughing, and it's like none of us realised it was rainy and cold.

Mr. D and I had a great dinner, now we're hanging out with the cat, and I just clicked on a folder and found some shots I hadn't posted of Emilia, last fall, wearing Goodone for Topshop, and suddenly the song 'Bright Sunshiney Day' popped into my head. I had no idea it was Jimmy Cliff: I somehow thought it was more.. mainstream.

Whatever. Hit play, turn up the volume, and sing along with Jimmy. Tomorrow heading to Shoreditch, meeting with Robinson Pfeffer, and you betcha I'm bringing my camera. If I see anyone in the East End style worthy, I shall go up to them and ask if they'd like to be dotted.

World, I am back.

angels everywhere

On Sunday morning, in the damp chilly Brompton Cemetery, shooting an idea for our conceptual art, I passed this statue. Someone had placed the flower there. I have no idea who, or why.

Today, I've heard back from Roz's mum regards our ElleGate story, and she feels, as I do, that it's time to let it go. Let 'them' win. I'll go into details another time - the story is too stupid and too unpleasant to even try to explain - but as she said "I can think of many examples from past personal experience where bitter anger over injustice has led not to the injustice being redressed, but to shattering of peace of mind."



Or, as my wonderful friend Karin Robinson said:

"When something like this happens, it's so easy to get distracted from what we love to thinking about fixing the things we hate. Sometimes that's important and right. But equally often, we risk losing sight of why we are doing what we love in the first place.

That's what's important. And, forgive me if this sounds corny, but I think that in any battle between the passionate person who is doing what they love in a creative and inspiring way, and someone who steals from others, trying to gain undeserved fame, the creative person wins because THEY GOT TO DO THE WORK. Nothing the thief can do will ever really make the work theirs."



My father taught me that in any situation that causes pain or conflict in our lives - any at all - there is always, always, something positive that we can glean from it. Some learning experience.

I had wanted to win this, not for the money (it was such an insignificant amount anyway - Carmen's editor, Sibila, had asked ME how much I wanted to go away, it wasn't like we were suing them) but to try to set a precedent. I wanted to be the big strong older sister to help all you youngsters out there so when it happened with you, you could site Adams vs. Elle. I wanted to fight this stupid war with a large and powerful corporation so that you wouldn't have to. But it was really starting to seep into my brain and make me angry: I haven't had the stomach to take a single streetstyle shot of a stranger since this started, because I couldn't guarantee that their image would be safe. So Carmen B, and her boss Sibila, won in a sense, because they filled my head with all that bad stuff, and stopped me from doing what I had once loved to do.



But here's what's come from this experience: the force of support, the genuine passion, that I've received from each of you has at times moved me to tears. Our friendship (my husband and mine) with Roz and her family have grown. And most importantly, an angel appeared in my life in the form of Lucia Rubio, a young lawyer who lives and works in Madrid, who has studied French in London, and who has given so much time, and worked so hard, refusing payment, just because she felt a strong sense of right and wrong.

I now have a new friend: Lucia, and that's all thanks to Elle.es. And in the end: no one died. What they took was a copy of a few images, a few pixels of light and dark on a computer screen, and besides, living well is the best revenge.

before the aviator overload

Took these shots of a model less than a year ago: February 2010 fashion week, Somerset House. It just occurred to me: at the time, we hadn't yet seen Burberry's show, Christopher Bailey had yet to introduce us to the idea of wearing a men's style Shearling/leather aviator jacket over pretty dresses. It hadn't yet filtered down to every high street chain. We hadn't yet been so saturated with Aviator Overload that unless those of us who were fashion forward enough to be rocking the look in early spring we were too burnt out to care, by the time the autumn rolled around.

Just curious: did anyone buy or wear an aviator jacket A/W 2010? If so, please send an 8x10 glossy to: jill@haybooks.com. I'm trying to think of another trend whose star burnt so bright in 2010 and was so quickly extinguished, but none comes to mind.

happy because

It's a grey day outside and I've already missed yoga class AGAIN. This is like a world record for me - haven't been swimming, either - neither has Mr. D. We're both semi on the verge of getting that bug everyone's had. So I'm staying in drinking coffee going thru photos wearing old grey soft velour sweats by God knows who. Looking at these photos of Frances (HAPPY BECAUSE) and Jen makes me smile: they are both those rare creatures: pretty, stylish girls who are really smart and funny and fun loving and don't have a bitchy bone in them. I met Frances @ LFW last September and within minutes, we had already plotted a blogger's revolution. Every time I see her, it's just this ongoing hilarious conversation.

It's funny: on Frances's post today ('better than tux') she's wearing red lipstick and it's amazing how just that one thing can transform her look. Which is exactly what Jen was saying in HER post today, 'vamped'. I wish I could wear red lipstick but I can't. I just can't.

Frances's own grey knit dress is ASOS, and Jen's grey cardigan, as per her post 'grey scale', is from Cabbages and Roses. And I love the way Frances chose for her style challenge men's grey sweat pants, then dressed them up with heels. It's so Ironic Chav. Oh speaking of ASOS, when I tried to find Frances's dress, instead I found this dress by Motel, isn't it GORGEOUS? Is it just me - I love turquoise and black - or is this not just amazing?

the year ago today game

When we were teenagers, my friend Leslie used to love to play the game 'a year ago today..' I don't know why: I kind of do, I guess: to get a sense of perspective. So today I thought I'd try it with my blog.

A year ago today, I posted a shot of a really sweet girl named Ashley, ('Serendipity..') who I ran into, coming out of a Starbucks in South Beach, Miami, with the Dotster. When I asked where she got her seersucker skirt and bustier she indicated across the mall with her latte 'American Apparel: I work there'.

Coincidentally, I just happened to have just been approached by them to run an ad on my blog. You might have noticed: I don't do ads. But Milt, the guy who emailed me, seemed so nice, so I said yes. A year on, my ad is gone: they hadn't paid me since the first time, in March (they pay $10 USD for each click thru: I would get maybe one, two a week) and it had added up to about $850 that they owed me, and my husband and I were spending so much time chasing it down, that finally some guy named Ryan said 'right, we're rounding you up to $1000, now go away.' I woke up and my ad had magically disappeared off my sidebar. And I discovered that another very talented streetstyle photo blogger, who I'm friendly with, is now running their ad instead (she had tried last year to advertise with them and they turned her down). In other words, as Ryan told me in not a very nice way: you are totally dispensable, Mrs. Dot.

I wrote Milt a nice note over Christmas, saying I was sorry it had to end this way, as I felt he was so nice. He never replied.



Ryan said that with all the bloggers they work with round the world, I'm the only one they had a problem with. I'm just wondering if anyone else had the same problem. I really liked the brand - I was always buying their clothes anyway (full price) and when they started sending me stuff I thought thought that was so nice of them, but I only promote what I like anyway. So it wasn't a far stretch to wear some of what they sent, and tell you guys who made it.

But I actually like it better now, having no ads at all: I don't like the idea of being paid off to say anything, and besides.. I wasn't actually getting paid! I've heard AA are in trouble, and as I said in each email while trying to get them to please pay me, I wanted to help any way I could, but somehow.. I don't know, I just haven't felt like walking into an American Apparel shop since they dumped me.

A year ago today I was more.. I don't want to say naive, but perhaps less jaded about blogging than I am today (I've yet to tell you the ElleGate story! It is coming soon: just trying to work out what to do) certainly more enthusiastic. Today I am a year older than I was a year ago today, but am I wiser? What have I learned from this experience?

So I'm putting it out there: where do you stand with regards ads? Can you be bought? And if so, what's your price?

. . .

p.s. Funny old world: right as I posted this, I got contacted from someone about running a small Land's End banner on my sidebar. The man was so nice and their approach is so different than AA - and sooooo straight forward. Easy Peasy, I've done it. And it's just for a nice tidy small fee, no 'commission' basis - and I don't feel like I've sold out in any way, as I quite like Land's End. It's just so uncanny sometime.. really. And on a day like today, I could so go for a yellow slicker just like this.

16.67% of the antwerp six

Many years ago in NY, my sweet and talented graphic designer friend Robin (blackbird design), who now resides in Chicago, introduced me to the '24 hour theory': if you hear of something new, out of the blue, chances are you'll hear it again from an unrelated source within 24 hours.

When I first met Charlie May (Girl a la Mode), at the Next event, and discovered she'd graduated from Central Saint Martins and is a fashion designer, I asked what her work is like. It's like the game I play with my NY friend Lisa, before I'd meet her boyfriend, for example, it's 'who would play him in a film?' (it's a great game: everyone can either resemble someone, or in a pinch, a cross between two). Charlie said her influences are Celine and 'Ann Smushmushsmush'. 'Ann who?' 'Ann Smushmushsmush'. After a few rounds, I finally asked her to spell it: Ann Demeulemeester. And I realised I'd never actually heard the name spoken aloud. But of course, I knew OF her. And less than 24 hours later, I forget why now, Mr. Dot brought up her name.



Ann Demeulemeester sounds fascinating. She's married to a photographer and lives in Belgium with their son in the only Le Corbusier house in Belgium. And she emerged as a designer in Antwerp in the 80s along with a kind of 'school' of Belgium designers, including Dries Van Noten, who became known as the Antwerp Six. Charlie's friend Amy worked for her and she'd visit Antwerp and that's how she started collecting her clothes. I mean, check out her website, isn't it amazing? I love how in her 2011 collection some of the details on the white jacket are echoed in the boots Charlie's wearing here (also by Ann D). And she was saying that, for example, with the white top, her friend wears it back to front, with the ties in the back.

I love wearing things backwards. V neck jumpers especially. I just like having more detail in the back and a plain front. I can see this top worn that way. Sorry it's so blurry: I really want to shoot Charlie in this in brighter light, but there's something about these blurs that I think are just so beautiful.



So when I met her for late lunch @ Vapiano the other day, and she was wearing almost head to toe Ann Demeulemeester, I had to snap her. But while I'd brought my camera I'd forgotten my battery, so we used her camera - and it was dark - and it all came out these lovely blurs. (Charlie's done a post already but I'm purposely not reading hers before posting mine).



At a time when it seems to much of fashion is looking backwards, to the Seventies, mostly but still referencing the Fifties, Sixties, bit of the Eighties, this is the direction that, to me, feels most like the future. It's not 2001 Space Odyssey astronaut futuristic, but something more organic, layered, fresh, comfortable, clean yet still feminine, asymmetric, geometric yet soft, and above all, beautiful.

shoes don't grow on trees, you know

More from the Joshua Tree series... Mr. Dot is making me photograph his conceptual art idea at Brompton Cemetery today, in the rain, so no time for chit chat. I've tinted the brown genuine alligator court shoes in the shot so you can see them: that's another thing I used to do in those days, carry a pair of shiny red patent pumps around and shoot them when I didn't have a tripod: they were my alter ego. Self portrait of naked invisible woman wearing red shoes.

to be real

This week's FBFF questions are about 'authenticity' and I have chosen to illustrate my post with more self portraits from Joshua Tree, in California. While most shots from that time were taken by me, with my tripod and a timer, I can tell that these were taken when the then-boyfriend went with me. Why? Because, artist/perfectionist that I am, I would usually focus on a spot - say, put my shoe on that spot - then replace it with myself (that's why I shot myself: I knew no friend would be that patient).

I can tell the ex shot these, because I'm out of focus. And I manipulated these in photoshop - thus making them 'unauthentic' photographs - about four years ago (pre-blog, basically).

Thank you to Katy Rose of Modly Chic: I haven't read her post yet - I like to do my answers before I read anyone else's - but you'll find her post here. And my title is a reference to an 80s disco song that they played on the S&tC episode when Carrie tripped on the runway ('little acts of bravery') and now I can't get it out of my head. Again.



1. Most readers and fellow fashion bloggers value authenticity in the blogs they read. How would you describe blog/blogger authenticity?
Great question. I've been thinking about this all week. I can't describe it: it's just a feeling. I only know when someone isn't being authentic. I can think of some of the more 'famous' style bloggers : even before I met them, I could just tell that they weren't as nice, or modest, or cutesy, or whatever personna they were trying to be, and meeting them confirmed my suspicions. Conversely, more often, I've met style bloggers, especially some really popular self style bloggers, (FrouFrou, for example) who seem more austere and intimidating and are in reality just the sweetest, bubbly, generous spirited, modest, girly girls. In fact FrouFrou and I were talking about that this week, over lunch: how you do, as a blogger, tend to take on a persona that sometimes is a slight variation of your real self. It's like with an actress playing a role. There's an element of you in it, but it's not exactly you. Your blog persona can kind of take on a life of its own.

And sometimes the person you meet is exactly what they claim on the tin.

I'd say that every blog that I love - and there are so, so many - I am relating to the person behind it for being 'real'. It's the same criteria of authenticity/honesty that determines how I relate to people in my real life.

2. When it comes to your blog how to you infuse it with that true/authentic feeling?

It's simple: in my blog, as in my life, I find it easier to be honest and, ugh I so hate this cliche, 'be myself'. Whatever myself is.

Actually, that's the reason that my art, pre blog, was what I called 'self portraits', what is now called 'self style'. I had no clue who I was - and I still don't - but my challenge as an artist was, and still is, to try to peel off the layers - to take off the mask.

So for me it's about being honest, being vulnerable: when I'm having a tough time, I try to focus on the positive, but like this week for example, when I can't act perky, I find it easier to just admit I'm having a crap day.
Believe me: if I could find a way to lie without giving myself away, or come across as someone different, 'better', than I am, I'd do it. I just find that being honest, 'authentic', in my posts or in my real life, is easier: there's less to keep track of. Tangled web, and all that.

3. Have you stopped following a blog in the last three months? What made you lose interest?

If you mean 'unfollow', no. I just don't get to visit all the blogs I love - again, time factor - but over the two years that I've been blogging and reading others' blogs, yes, that handful of 'famous' ones, absolutely what made me lose interest was that realisation - which happened pretty quickly - that they were showing off, pretending to be modest when they actually possessed huge egos, and disguising it as 'oh lucky me, I just happened to be invited to Paris.' For me blogging is about community and friendship, and I have no interest in hero (or, heroine) worship, or in being anyone's fan base.


4. We can't communicate effectively on our blogs, something we don't live in real life... what are some ways you try to live an authentic life?

See above. ; )




5. Give a shout-out... Which bloggers do you think are truly genuine and why?

Oh, so many.. there are the ones who I sense are genuine but haven't yet met (everyone on my 'friends' blog roll) and anyone who I've met and am friends with in real life, I can see from their blogs that they're doing what I'm doing: posting their 'truth' without using their blogs as emotional dumping grounds. After all, that's what spouses and friends and family are for ; )

The most genuine real life blog friends I know are.. Oh really I can't choose even three top ones. I don't want to leave anyone out. Everyone on my top few blog rolls. Stephanie (Style Odyssey) and Sabine ('Psynopsis') - both of whom I've met and are closer to my real age- spring to mind first. And of course, the usual suspects, and you know who you are.

But of the bloggers I haven't met, there is one who tops the list for me. I don't know her real name. I have never seen a photo of her face. She doesn't often write much, but what she writes feels absolutely authentic, from the heart. She has a strong sense of humanity, and compassion. But most of all, she speaks her truth through her art, and her heart: her compelling, incredibly moving photos. She is The Photodiarist, and I feel she sets the bar for me, as a photographer, and as a real human being.

the sound of one hand clapping

Back BB (Before Blogs), when I didn't know another soul who was doing this - and I didn't know WHY I was doing this - I used to lug my heavy metal tripod on trips, and do these mad fashion shoot self portraits.

This one was during a visit to an ex boyfriend in California: rented a car and drove into Joshua Tree park, every day. Set the timer and run into a the landscape.



There was one day that was the most perfect of all: one of those absolutely inspired, magical moments where you just know that every photos is perfect. When I finished the roll of slide film, just as the sun was setting, I realised that I hadn't loaded the film correctly, and I had shot all day and no one would ever see it, not even me. And I just smiled at the sky thought, how Zen is that.



Speaking of Zen: Sunday nights, BBC1, 9:00 GMT. No one has asked me to promote this, I'm just telling you because it's the best thing on TV right now. It's like you wake up and you're Italian.

flight

We were walking thru Brompton Cemetary, Mr. Dot and I, and there was something about the light. I took out my camera, a bit blurred cause we were moving, but I was focused on the girl moving towards us, and all the birds on the lawn. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a runner passed by, and all the birds fled. The sound of their wings fluttering in the sky.

'Hurry up, Jill', said Mr. Dot.

the empire strikes back

Thank you to everyone who's written privately or publicly re: ElleGate. I was feeling ready to throw in the towel and shut this baby down but the night before I got the bad news from Elle's lawyers, Mr. Dot and I happened to go to the Premiere for a new Martin Scorcese-produced series coming to Sky HD (Channel 108) called Boardwalk Empire. It stars three of my favourite actors: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald (she was great in the UK series State of Play) and a really cute Michael Pitt. It's just such a class production. Even Mr. Dot loved it, and he's more of a Wire type. (Shot these off the big silver screen).

AND I got to watch it sitting next to my lovely friend Carrie of WishWishWish, and we got the best goodie bag to view a film with: a bag of 'American style' (i.e. salted) popcorn and candy with the Sky logo and most of all, the show is absolutely amazing. They screened the first two episodes and the Dotster is fighting this flu bug so we had to leave before the 2nd, but I can't wait til it's on. Which is soon. My husband, typical guy, scoffed his candy all in one go, but I'm saving mine, as I'm a)a pack rat and b)sentimental.

Thank you to Leanne from Jam for inviting us and for choosing the greatest vintage aqua velvet hat: style post coming up soon!

from the bottom up

Do you ever have one of those days where you just can't summon the energy to get anything done, least of all a post? I am just feeling so.. defeated at the moment, at the injustice of it all. My and Roz's family's Elle Hell is so not over (anyone who wants to know more, just email me, I don't want to dirty my blog with it, it's just dominated my December) but it's making me feel like just throwing in the towel. I've tried ALL DAY to get this post up and I just can't feel all perky and excited about anything at the moment, let alone shoes. I just feel like 'what's the point in putting my watermark on' and further: I don't want to keep putting up my photography for free so someone else on staff at Elle or somewhere else can just swoop down like a falcon and steal my baby birds from my nest and laugh at me when I say that's so unfair.

Whew. Rant over. Feel better. Not really, but I'm visiting our lovely friend Major Bobby in the hospital and I need to put on a smile.

The reason for this shoe post is I was thinking about what someone commented recently in regards to how we dress ('purple reign') - and now I can't find who it was to credit them! - about starting with the shoes and working their way up from there. Something like that.




These were all shot either at Next's Style Challenge day last week, or at Shini's place the night before. We all fell in love with one pair or other of the Next shoes: I've already used some of my voucher to buy the ones I chose, the Two Part Knot Sandals in black (£46) - we tended to fall into two camps, the ones who chose nude, as Jen did, above, and the ones who chose black - but other favourites were the Raffia Criss Cross sandals for £38, and the Tan Colour Block Loafers (such a pedestrian name for such an elegant shoe) at £45, below:






So many more looks I'd like to show you, but if you want to see each blogger's style challenge results (including me looking particularly unstylish and rather bottom heavy - I was wearing my jeans over leggings and they were six sizes too large) simply click here.

I totally forgot my point but the gist of it is: when in doubt, I start with the shoes and work my way up from there. It's amazing what a good pair of heels can do to lift a girl's spirits.

How's YOUR day going so far? Thank you to Jennifer, The Style Crusader, for posing for this post. I really hope it doesn't end up on Spanish Elle's blog. Again.

the butterfly effect

Elisabeth, of Thrills and Frills, who I met at the Next event last week. Everything was happening so fast all at once so it was just a quick 'ooh I love your skirt, where'd you get it?' 'It's Acne!' (I think she got it on sale at a great price). Admired the way she dressed it all down it with brogues (or Oxfords, as I vaguely remember calling them in my previous life, in NY) and black tights and that great Oxford tee shirt and brown cardigan, then went back all ladylike with red lipstick.

A quick shot and back to the mad shopping spree of our styling challenge. So I didn't even get to see what she wore for that.




Elisabeth is 'a Northern Irish lass living in London' and what does this have to do with butterflies? Absolutely nothing, it's just I stumbled on these shots from last summer when we went to a hummingbird sanctuary that is only open for one day a year, and the images felt proportionally compatible with her outfit. And somehow in my memory the pattern on her Acne skirt, which someone calls the Nelli skirt (this is the only link I could find - I guess they're not selling it now) seems to be floral, but hey, ho, it's lovely just the same. (Speaking of Acne: on twitter recently, I think it was Marin, tweeted something about Acne and immediately got blitzed by pharmaceutical companies. And I replied and they started tweeting me, too. Funny old world.



I wanted to call this post 'the butterfly effect' and didn't have a clue what it meant, well READ THIS because it's tied in with chaos theory and essentially a small change in one place can have a large effect somewhere else. It can lead to Time Travel! Part of this idea which I am so smitten with, that we're all connected in the most random ways and that - and tracking style trends feels somehow proof of this - sometimes things can happen all over the place, at once, for no apparent reason. Like watch: someone, somewhere, reading this, will suddenly see a butterfly today.



Have you noticed lately that we no longer dress all up or all down? The dress it up, dress it down concept is what, to me, feels so new and creative about the 21st century. I love how I can wear leggings and a jumper and if I throw on heels it's a look. But if I'm wearing a dress or something girly I pull out the scruffiest boots I can find. There seems to be a scruffy/girly balance these days (oh and by the way THANK YOU: I love your comments on 'how we dress' - please join the conversation!) I mean think about it, when's the last time you were ladylike head to toe? Anyway, stop by Thrills and Frills and say hi to Elisabeth, she's a wee lovely lass.