purple polaroid prints

Don't it always seem to go, that you want what you can't have.

And I can't have Instagram, at the moment, because I still haven't switched from an earlier model Samsung to an iPhone. So I have to spend that extra bit of time in Photoshop, making faux polaroids. I think it's the square format that I love so much. It's weird to shoot though, because you're composing in horizontal or vertical rectangles. But it's perfect for that fast, frenzied, off the cuff street style stuff.

Really into bright colours at the moment, because it's still so friggin' cold and dreary. Everyone's hunkering down, like it's Russia in the time of the Soviet Union, Cold War, bread lines, everyone's wearing dark colours and it's like they've given up. Today I wore: bright neon lime green jumper over hot pink purple and white print summer shift, black tights, black Chelsea boots, navy knitted cap, multi striped jumper and my husband's brown suede soft as butter jacket. Looked mad as a hatter, but at least I was smiling.

It's actually becoming a fun style challenge: adding something bright to winter clothing, and calling it Spring.

Shot after Burberry, LFW February A/W 2013.

purple reign

For this week's FBFF (Fashion Beauty Friend Friday) questions, the topic is how we go about choosing an outfit. So I'm illustrating it with a little photo shoot I did last Sunday with my old man, Mr. D. I feel this is a perfect example of not really getting it right. Last summer while on holiday with my friend Annie & her cool sons in the Dominican Republic, I got inspired by the colours during lunch at the beach in the rain. I wanted to wear forest green and luminescent shades of purple and navy, so I built this ensemble around that lunch. In my head.




But as Mr. D pointed out, somehow I ended up looking like someone's mad Gran. Still, since Tabio so kindly gifted me my choice of two pair of tights that really cover my whole wardrobe this winter - one in purple, the other in beige - the least I could do is post these shots here, if for no other reason than to show you what not to wear.

Jury's out: what do you think? Tell the truth: I can take it. And besides, soon as we took the shots, I ran inside and changed.



My FBFF questions:

1. How do you determine what you will wear that day?
The process is similar to how I cook: I'm usually in the mood for something, and I kind of have this idea in my head.. then I see what ingredients I've got handy in the closet or refrigerator, and whip it together. Like with my cooking, it's not always successful. But I rarely starve, or walk out naked.



2. Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month, weekend?
Oh, god, no. Absolutely not. Does anyone? If so, I'd like to meet her (or him) and shake their hand.

3. Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already worn so you don't repeat?
Haha, no, but I remember as a teenager, we all had these little diaries. I'd cram so much information into these tiny white square in a really fine point pen. The girl who could go the longest without repeating won, obviously (my rotation goal was about three weeks). But then again, I did grow up on Long Island, so that should explain a lot. I will often meet a friend a few weeks after I've seen then and realise I'm wearing the exact same 'outfit' I wore the last time I saw them. These days, I dress primarily for comfort and mainly wear the same pair of nude H&M riding pant style leggings.



4. How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet? (Trial try-ons? Hanging items together?)
Like a musician, I start composing in my head: it's an 'organic process'. I usually don't try things on, just feel in the mood for something. Sometimes I can't find a key ingredient and have to take everything off but usually I'll just substitute something else. I hate that feeling of being out across town and being stuck all day in the wrong outfit, but there are worse things to happen in life.

I was fascinated recently during our recent a sleepless sleepover with Shini, Kit and Jen, to watch their getting dressed process: Kit in particular did that stylist thing of wrapping a belt, say, around a dress on a hanger, or holding something up together. I probably should to that, but I don't.



5. To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time?
Well as I get dressed really fast (I'd make a great fireman), I don't know how to cut the time down. (And that still doesn't explain why I'm often late: probably because I'm not as good at time management online). I'd love in 2011 if we redid our home and I had a really really fabulous closet/wardrobe/storage system, because my closet is actually divided in two rooms and the thing under the bed, and sod's law, I have to look in all three til I find what I want. My organisation system is totally crap. But even with the most wonderful storage system, I still don't know if that would help me get out the door on time. I suppose giving away my laptop would help speed things up.



I am wearing: vintage fifties faux fur jacket, Claude Montana purple leather biker's jacket a British friend gave me in the 80s in NY in lieu of the $100 she owed me, thrift shop skirt I bought 10 years ago for £1 and haven't worn yet (should I? I can't decide), very very old v neck navy jumper, oversized navy AA sheer shirt (which has zero bulk factor), forest green leather backpack by Coach that I bought before I got married and got put on restricted spending, SNOOD which was the most thoughtful Christmas gift from Jennifer, by Jigsaw, necklaces I made myself, sunglasses by Fabris Lane, vintage shoes by Prada, and my warm luscious tights, thank you TABIO.

Thank you Katy Rose of Modly Chic for hosting FBFF. You spark off the most interesting conversations. Oh and if you want to read a hilarious and accurate depiction of the getting dressed process, run don't walk to today's post on the Style Crusader.

John and his purple trainers, sketching

Inspired by a recent post from the gorgeous Erica, of Fashion Chalet, I'm going for a purple and red theme with these three shots taken within minutes of each other on Friday at the V&A. I love that combination even tho I recently said I don't like a) red, or b), purple with grey.

As I was posting this, our reincarnated cat decided that we didn't give him enough attention (we've just come back from the weekend in the Herefordshire countryside) so he knocked my entire full mug of PG Tips tea off my night stand, all over my favourite White Company pj's, the carpet, the laptop case, and several innocent books in the area. AND the last episode of Emma has already started & I'm missing it. I'm hardly jumping for joy about the situation.

So, lucky you, you get the shots without much explanation apart from the top shot is a sweet student from Germany (more about her & her friends soon), middle is a purple hair/coat combo I saw on the front steps and bottom, John, sketching a statue in purple trainers from China.

go ahead: make my day

Wow, what a joy to wake up this morning and see comments from yesterday's post. It is so like sending messages in bottles, and seeing replies wash up on shore! And it helps me get to know you better. Our colour preferences are so emotional, so tied up with our identity.

Yesterday I wrote that I used to hate grey because I pictured it with black and purple, and couldn't get that image out of my head. Wish I had a photo: a flash of a memory, perhaps a mannequin on a high street in London in the late 90s: cheap grey pin striped suit, on WOMEN... waist coats worn over shiny synthetic black shirts with big lapels, touches of lavender... sorry, I will never like that look.

UNTIL.. the Photodiarist pointed out: "But wait a minute . . . what if the purple is vibrant and bright? Why not with grey?" and I realised: there is ALWAYS a look that will work, if you just look at it from a different angle.



Mr. Dot & I were crossing the Wobbly Bridge, as everyone calls it, leaving the Tate, and we both saw Elizabeth (or, Effy) moving at a fast clip. When I caught up with her & asked to shoot her for my blog, she hesitated as she thought she looked bad that day. (I'm always amazed when people say that: I wonder, if this is their style on a bad day, what else they've got up their fashionable sleeve!)



I love her wonderful red suede elf shoes. I say I never like red, but shoes are the one place I make an exception. She had such an unpredictable, subtle, sophisticated colour sense. I asked if she was in fashion and she said no, she's an artist. Of course.

Effy wrote me later to say she was feeling a bit low that day, and when I asked to shoot her, it made her day. Which makes MY day.



What first caught my eye was her big blue Peony, ironically, as I'd just drank my first White Peony tea, but then.. look at this, she's got this steel blue greenish grey trench working with some kind of black net skirt poking out, and PURPLE TASSLE SOCKS!!! The very combination I said would never work.



I so love being proved wrong.