leopard variations

Here's my dilemma: I've got so much I want to show you, photographically. I am practically paralysed with indecision. Like a lot of you, I'm sure, I've been to some amazing press events - it's still going on and will continue to - and while in some ways, like the artists in Paris in the 20s who hung out together and competed in a healthy way to urge each other on to new directions, I do find that when my peers and friends are posting the day they've been to an event, I feel like a lazy cow in comparison, but it's not my nature.

I work hard, spend a lot of time in photoshop, editing, dodging and burning and just generally inhabiting my imaginary world - photos are for me, memories - but in the same way that my friends and even my own sister would just gobble down the Halloween candy on the night, I'm a hoarder. I hoard my images and release them in bits and pieces.

All this as an excuse and apology to all the wonderful people who have worked hard for the press events I've been to thus far: please be patient, I'll be releasing them over time - and an intro to the ongoing Endangered Species series.

This one, above, is one of my favourites. I never saw the girl's face. I don't even know if this is a real fur: it has that authentic, albeit vintage, feel. I just love the way she's styled it. That's exactly how I'd wear a coat that scale.



Next up: same day, also at S/S 2011 fashion week @ Somerset House in September: a girl in the press room. I love that kind of fuzzy.. what's the word for that kind of jumper? Word's in the tip of my tongue. It reminded me of one I saw the same time, on Haneli (I didn't know who she was at the time - but everyone else did. Model, photographer, blogger. Style icon. And her blog is absolutely brilliant.)



Uncanny, actually: both women paired it with a kind of blue/grey accent: the girl in the press room with that fabulous cocktail ring (I have no wish list, per se, but if I did, a great cocktail ring would be on the top of the list), and with Haneli, her nails.



Speaking of leopard: last December I got the idea to do a series I called The Great Motel Challenge - borrowed a faux leopard print coat from Motel Rocks (which I now own), and wore it around town and asked strangers to pose in it. (Here's me, two girls @ the V&A, but in probably the freakiest thing, I did a post with a girl I met on the King's Road ('totally rad maddy') and when the tabloids went wild for about 15 minutes last spring, that Peter Andre had had an affair after he was divorced and Katie Price was going mental and 'obsessively googling her love rival's photo' I could actually SEE on my sitemeter, one address in Sussex going to that post over & over. I was watching Katie cyberstalk Maddie Ford in my coat!)

I've just checked and they're still selling them - 85 quid - click here. If you buy one please tell me in a comment - it would really impress the people at Motel, to know I've got that kind of selling power ; )

ANYWAY.. as I'll be wearing it today - baby it's cold outside outside - I might just keep this Challenge going another season. Why not? If the shoe fits, and all that.

LFW Day One: nudes, nudes, nudes!

It's after midnight, Mr. Dot is asleep, I'm going thru a few hundred photos, have seen three catwalk shows, gave away my ticket to a fourth, and saw a great talk @ Topshop. So I'm going to just post a few shots (these are models from one of the first shows) and tomorrow, I'll show you stuff from the shows, which were just unbelievably gorgeous.



In general, my feeling was there were two (no, three) ways to go: go for attention, have fun with patterns & kooky, unexpected fun stuff (lots o'patterned, flowery tights - it's COLD here, and we all know we'd rather go bare legged, but if we did, we wouldn't live to see Day Two).



Second choice: NUDE (or, as we used to call the colour, beige). Neutral. With black. With pale rose. With grey. But definitely, beige & black.

The third choice: neither of the first two. In other words: honestly, mon petit choufluers: anything goes. But for the first post, I"m going with the neutral theme, and let the wacky stuff wait.



As we expected, fur, fuzzy and faux, was everywhere. Gilets or jacks, layered with black leather, layered with unexpected things. As Garance has already noted in NY, and as we've seen on the street all winter: the key to layering is, make sure the top thing is shorter than the thing under it.

A look I have been perfecting all my life, just not necessarily on purpose.

I don't have a self portrait for my Day One outfit, but I wore: chocolate brown fur jacket over pale pink Gap cardigan, pearls & Laura's lovely 'drink me' necklace, tan - I mean, nude- half slip that I've been wearing for over a year, over my American Apparel grey mini sweater dress, for warmth. Over black opaque tights & black Oxfords (sorry, brogues), for speed. I can't do crazy heels & get these photos snapped, alas. And the beauty of being an old married lady is, I go right under the photo radar. I am invisible. I am just an Eye. Altho: someone did actually ask me to pose. Actually, come to think of it, so did someone else. Okay, maybe not totally transparent: more like translucent. But still: I'm here to see more than be seen.



Surprisingly, leopard spots were still seen: but less so. I love Venka's look, and she's just such a charming, delightful girl. These shoes are by Ashish, for Topshop. I don't think she set out to match her shoes to her bag, I get the feeling this one, by Mulberry, was a freebie, just judging by how I've seen it around. (Turns out, it's the bag they give when we get our badges: hopefully they'll still have one left tomorrow ; )





The other thing, which is part of the whole underwear-as-outerwear thing, is floaty, gauzy, light sheer fabrics (or lace), paired in interesting ways, because of the weather factor. Shin's shoes are from Office, tights from Wolford.



Isn't she fabulous? We met early in the day: she's a fellow blogger, and I hope to see her again.* Her necklace is from H&M. So far, nothing I've seen, and loved, (apart from one the catwalk, of course) has been remotely expensive.

*(and I've just discovered: her blog, Park & Cube, is excellent. In every way. Beautiful. clever, AND funny. I'm a total fan).



So much more to show you. Pink, for example. Pale rose, or hot fuchsia.

But first, while the strange larks sing outside (they start at midnight, and have the loveliest sound), this is Polka Dot, signing off. Because, as Scarlett O'Hara would say, tomorrow is, after all, another day.

tube stop in the name of love

I saw Dorreen on the Northern Line, on the same ride home from Camden as previous posts (it really was quite a street style day!). She got on when I did and had the most serene manner, and reminded me of a Supreme, or perhaps a Shirelle.





As we got to each Tube stop, I SO wanted to ask to shoot her, but it was rush hour on a Friday, people were going home or going out, the train was packed, and here I am, staring at a strange girl's eyeliner with longing.



Finally I just asked her. She said yes, in that same quiet, modest English manner. She was getting off at Leicester Square, where I took these quick shots. This was just before started my own Motel Rocks Challenge, and hers is Topshop (I now know the difference: Motel's is shaggier, and Topshop's sleeves are shorter: a nice 3/4 length). She couldn't remember where she got her sandals. I just love the whole look.



You know how artists go thru periods where they just keep taking the same theme and revisiting it in different ways? Picasso with his cubes, Grayson Perry with his pots.. well, I guess for this Polka Dot, it's leopard print spots.

I'm very very sorry for the title today. It is soooooo cringeably lame, but I really must dash. The sun's out & meeting my wonderful American friend, Maralee, for sushi. Yum. Have a lovely Tuesday! xox

totally rad maddy

I don't know about the rest of the world, but the ubiquitous leopard print phenomenon is spreading faster than swine flu. (Hey: it's December. Weren't we all meant to be dead by October?) My Great Motel Rocks Challenge is coming to an end: they were really kind about loaning it to me, but I've held onto it way too long, mostly because it's rained so much. So Mr. Dot & I are off to the V&A today for one last Challenge, and then, sadly, it's goodbye to The Coat that has become a warm and cherished cuddly friend.



Here is Maddy Ford, who rose to the challenge. We were in Green & Stone & I was choosing coloured pencils when suddenly Mr. Dot pulled me out of the store to meet someone 'perfect for you.' I'm wondering if our marriage is getting a bit weird if my husband is now scouting out beautiful blondes. Maddy is a Celebrity Fashion Stylist, as it says on her card, and altho as you know I only post people's first names, I'm including her surname because it's got such a great sound - Maddy Ford - and this way, if you're a celebrity, you'll know how to find her. She's totally rad. And very, very sweet.



She wasn't sure The Coat would work with her outfit (note: the polka dots on her leggings are evenly spaced sequins, and her blackberry has a matching silver sequin covered case) but that's the point of my experiment: I've yet to find a look that doesn't work with this coat. And yet, come tomorrow, it's goodbye. I just hope the next lucky girl loves it as much as I have.

Maddy's tee by McQueen, bag by Louis Vuitton, but jacket 'only Zara'. Leopard print coat, stylist's own.

motel rocks @ the V&A

I met Jess (blonde) & Laura (brunette) at the Victoria & Albert Museum my first day out with The Coat (see previous post, if you don't mind, or this won't make any sense. And for those of you who have, I'd only be repeating myself). I'd have wanted to shoot them regardless, as they are friends with such different looks & styles, both equally great. Turns out they were game to take the Great Motel Challenge.



One thing I love about the V&A (there's just so much I love) is it's got so many facets to it, so many wonderful places & exhibits, and yet they kinda leave you alone. I mean, we just took over a large marble staircase for a few minutes for a photo shoot, and no one stopped us.



Jess & Laura are studying fashion and art at university, and especially studying something I thought they called 'foundations'. I didn't understand them at first and thought it was yet another American/Brit thing but that's what they meant: Ladies Undergarments.



Note Laura's underwear as outerwear thing going on, (the slip dress is a lucky find, from shopping her mum's closet), in my favourite crisp combo of navy, black, white, bits of gold, and pearls. Lots o' pearls. Oh so Chanel with a twist.



And Jess has a bit of a Edie Sedgwick/Agyness Deyn pre-black hair look, don't you think?

(faux fur leopard print coat, Motel. Everything else, models' own).

motel rocks!

Boy do they ever. I first heard of this online brand from Erika, of Fashion Chalet, then noticed people I street shot were wearing Motel, and spotted it on celebrities. I love their dresses.

So I went online & found these fabulous faux leopard coats & had an idea for the Great Motel Rocks Challenge. I approached Beth, who works with Motel, told her my idea, and she sent me a sample coat (on loan) and basically said, 'Go for it, babe'.



It arrived soon after, and I immediately asked Mr. Dot to shoot me. I doubt the other 'self style' bloggers have photo shoots that last under a minute with their bf shouting 'Hurry up, Jill'. But this isn't about me.

I'm posting this because my challenge is to find different people with different looks and see how the same coat works on them. So if I see you on the street, you could be next.

Some people have reported that leopard has peaked in their part of the world (and some parts of the world it's irrelevant, obviously, due to the heat - in those places, there might actually be REAL leopards), but I chose the leopard print because it hasn't peaked here by any means. And besides, I love it. It's cuddly and warm like a great big stuffed animal, it's lined with silky leopard print, it goes with everything, and (don't tell Mr. Dot) I'm angling buy it when I'm done. But we'll cross that marital bridge when we come to it.

(Oh btw, I'm wearing: Motel Rocks coat, Blue Velvet black riding boots from last season, black thermal leggings from American Apparel, and skinny rib cardigan from Massimo Dutti: you don't need layers under this baby!)