Irish Blood, English Heart

Next weekend I shall be attending the Secret Garden Party festival deep in the heart of the English countryside and the theme is fantasy/fiction. The British (and Americans) love fancy dress and will don a costume at the drop of a hat. However it is actually super difficult to come up with something interesting and original which also looks good, without spending a fortune. If you go on the internet (ebay/other fancy dress websites) the adult costumes for women tend to be tacky, tacky, tacky with an extra large dollop of slutty and mixed with a severe lack of imagination. So despite the wide scope granted by the theme 'fantasy/fiction', I was having serious trouble.

However the other day, inspiration hit me like a bolt of lightening, courtesy of the online Net-A-Porter magazine. The theme was 'Gypset': one part gypsy, one part jet-set. I have always had a fascination with gypsies: the way they travel from place to place, making their own medicines, running around barefoot.... I think it appeals to my romantic bohemian tendencies and my free spirit in that I have little ability to stay in one place for a long time without getting seriously itchy feet.

Gypsies have long featured in musical and literary motifs: witness the rise in popularity of Gypsy bands such as 'Gogol Bordello' and look to the references in the stories of D.H. Lawrence and Jilly Cooper. The sense of movement and freedom associated with gypsy culture are undoubtedly perfect themes for the escapist nature of music and fiction.

Anyway, I digress. I have now found the ideal costume to wear next weekend and the best part about this is that I already had it. When I was last in Vietnam (jet-set) I found a dress which is going to be perfect: it is long and made from scraps of coloured and printed chiffon (so very gypsy). All I needed then was a ton of jangly jewellery and some gold hoop earrings: 5 minutes in Accessorize - done. Easy. This look could work either with heels (more jet set) or flats (more gypsy); but as it is a festival I will choose the latter.

Perfect for the Irish one.

Let's Get Physical

Has anyone else ever noticed how on Gossip Girl, Blair Waldorf is never seen without the most divine underwear, even if she's just getting ready for school or hanging around her apartment? There are actually three schools of thought on girls who pay attention to detail like this:

1. They are obviously always prepared for action and therefore potentially slightly slutty.

2. They want to feel fabulous about themselves even if no one else will see or appreciate their efforts in this department.

3. This last one is slightly morbid but I have heard it said that if you have some kind of fatal accident and someone has to identify your body then you want to be discovered/remembered in an entirely positive way.

On second thoughts maybe number three was actually about bikini waxes but I can't remember where I heard it from! Anyway, you don't even need a reason to wear beautiful lingerie, so I am about to let you girls into one of London's best kept secrets: Apartment C on Marylebone High Street.

The essence of Apartment C is less 'boudoir'; more like stepping into your uber-chic best friend's bedroom, complete with art-deco inspired black walls, a Louis Quinze wardrobe, and a vintage chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The very best part however and what makes it so unique is that the store is split in two. At the front, you have a range of beautiful fine lace and silk underwear, bodices and stockings, with designers including Stella McCartney, Lake and Stars and my all time favourite: Princesse Tam Tam. As well as this you can also purchase French perfumes and other gifts such as scented candles and writing sets. After indulging yourself, walk to the back of the store to complete the experience where you can curl up with a trashy novel and drink a gin and tonic (what else?!) out of a teacup.

You'll want to move in and never ever leave.

Mars and Venus on Fashion

As outlined in the previous post, men and women clearly have completely opposing views when it comes to fashion. On the other side of the coin this time: men on women's fashion.

A few months ago, on my way into law school I was photographed in Apostrophe (the coffee shop) wearing a pair of orange silk harem trousers, a military type jacket and a beaded necklace. The photographer wanted my picture for 'the Apostrophist' (a bit like the Sartorialist, she said. Not really at all, I was thinking, but that's not the point here). It wasn't an outfit I loved, or one I have even worn since, but of course girls love being flattered when it comes to their style which is why both my 'Apostrophist' picture and my 'Facehunter' picture form part of my Facebook profile picture repetoire. Other girls also got quite excited by the outfit, proclaiming it 'cool'; boys - not so much. 'So Kate, MC Hammer wants his trousers back', quipped my friend Nick loudly and oh so amusingly in the middle of the library. Undaunted however, I held my head high with pride that day as I strutted around school in this aforementioned outfit.

The cold truth is this: (straight) men do not 'get' women's fashion. Short skirts, tight dresses, high heels: sure. Harem pants (particularly of the brightly coloured silk variety) will never cut the mustard. Nor will ballet pumps (because women fancy Audrey Hepburn, whereas men fancy Marilyn Monroe). Jumpsuits and playsuits continue to baffle. Maxi dresses and leggings are abhorred. However it must be remembered that women do not dress for men. Sometimes we do (on a first date). But most of the time we care more about the opinion of other women - apart from our mothers.

Could modern men cope with capes?

For the Dior Homme Spring Summer 2011 Menswear collection, there was a focus on coats that were cut away from the body to billow out behind the models as they walked like capes. Capes are of course set to be a 'may-jah' trend for Womenswear Autumn/Winter 2010. Personally I have long adored wearing them purely for the dramatic flourish they add to any outfit (and this is despite the fact that capes were the part of my boarding school uniform despised by almost all of the pupils). Indeed, looking at this collection, feminine critics may describe these robes in precisely this sort of romantic manner: dramatic; bold; aloof; broody. However most men I know tend to be wary of anything too experimental when it comes to fashion and I rather think they would still be more inclined to associate capes with comic books and superhero films rather than wearable fashion for the urban man about town.

Who knows though: coats shaped like capes (copes?), coming to a British high street near you next summer? I reckon it'll take a braver man than Superman himself to try out this particular trend.

The contradictions of Karl

In 2009, Karl Lagerfeld said this about the recession:

'Bling is over. Red carpetry covered with rhinestones is out. I call it the new modesty.'

Some might say on first glance then that Chanel couture collection for Autumn/Winter seemingly belied this statement as it could only be summed up in one word: Decadent. Oversize bejewelled cuffs adorned the model's wrists and the collection was heavily embellished with fur and jewels.

Despite this however the collection was far from bling, nor was it modest. It was opulent, certainly, but at the same time supremely elegant. Coats with bracelet sleeves and midi-length hemlines invoked a glamour that was refined; more belle epoque than modern. Black and jewel like tones of gold and ruby exacerbated the sumptuousness and richness of the collection.

All in all it was classic Chanel and classic Karl: oh so modern; but exquisitely timeless.

Image Source: vogue.co.uk

I wanna be in Wang's gang

I am aware that it doesn't seem right drooling over winter fur boots in the middle of July but LOOK at these boots. I did get rather excited when I saw them this morning on Net a Porter so couldn't wait to post them!!! The boots are by Alexander Wang (the genius) and made of leather and goat hair. I have an addiction to completely impractical footwear and I would wear these with my black leather mini skirt and maybe a pretty romantic vintage shirt. Fiercely cool.

Lovely Legs

I love the tights in the new Miu Miu ad campaign, especially the white and the light pink pairs which look more 60's. What's the betting Blair Waldorf will be wearing tights like these when the next series of Gossip Girl comes out in September?! The advertisement also features the new kitten heel height which is in vogue this winter. All the better for running around town in.