Category Archives: Fashion & Style

MADEWELL IS COUNTING ON FRENCH COOL FOR AW 2013

11 September 2013

We all know that our American cousins love the French and Paris in particular. Somehow they’ve got the reputation for being effortlessly stylish, chic and arrogant which infuriatingly contributes to their ‘cool’ factor and their ‘je ne sais quoi’. Putain, how do they do it!?

Madewell has cunningly cottoned on to this open secret and aligned themselves for the AW 2013 season with achingly cool Parisian model, mum and music producer Caroline de Maigret. Never heard of her? Don’t worry, I hadn’t either but I’ve since fallen in love with her ‘romantic tomboy style’. That and the fact that she’s in her late thirties. Just by being herself as well as reading her Madewell interview she’s sold the entire collection to me. I’m sure Madewell’s marketing and Social Media guru’s are climaxing right now but you’ve got to hand it to them. This is top notch marketing of a VERY good product.

I couldn’t help including an excerpt of Caroline’s interview with Madewell as it demonstrates all that I love about fashion and ok, I admit it: Fench style! [Please read with a French accent and a croissant.]

WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH TO STYLE?

It’s almost unconscious. A lot of it comes from what my mother taught me: to seek out a nice cut and a quality fabric. It’s in our roots not to show off or be too ostentatious, but rather to understand the classic beauty in the understated.

OTHER THAN YOUR MOM, WHO HAS INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE THE MOST?

My boyfriend taught me to have fun with clothes and to look in the mirror and find that little twist, that one signature or special item. I don’t follow trends but my style evolves with fashion in the sense that I incorporate new pieces into my wardrobe every season—a mix of closet staples with a few of those statement pieces to give it that unique twist.

YOU WEAR A LOT OF HATS. HOW DO YOU TRANSITION FROM A DAY SPENT IN THE STUDIO TO HEADING OUT AT NIGHT?

In France, we dress the same almost 24 hours a day. What you wear during the day can always take you out at night, because it’s already cool enough…I only wear things that can carry me from day to night.

CREATE THE LOOK WITH STYLEJUICER AND POLYVORE

Such is my affection for the brand that I’ve even created a MADEWELL AW 2013 collection with key pieces.
I must be mad!

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information & photography | Madewell

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AUTUMN 2013 FASHION TRENDS

9 September 2013

I love the beginning of a new season and working my way through bulky September issues and Sunday fashion supplements. Having had a picture book summer here in the UK the thought of putting on winter woollies sounds quite appealing and I’m looking forward to updating my Autumn wardrobe with a few key pieces.

The current trend of ‘any colour as long as it’s pink’ sounds fabulous to me and combining it with soft luxurious fabrics in shades of grey or denim is a winning combination for the office or at home. I’m also totally sold on the tomboy look which can so easily be given a feminine edge by adding heels, skirt and tights or a smart handbag. Checks [or plaid to my American friends] are also a must-have for me this season and I might just nab that classic red tartan scarf from the boyf. Good job he never reads my posts!

Finally, I’ve picked up a cool trend from fashion oracle Vogue who claim dots and stripes are a ‘successful merger’, see for yourself on my moodboard below.

And if you can’t get enough of fashion trends at the moment, pop back later this week for a post on French cool by an American label who’ve got it sussed this season. Plus you can draw more inspiration from my ever expanding WOMEN’S FASHION & STYLE board on Pinterest.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

Credits | I’d like to give credit to all the photographers and designers whose work is featured on this board. Sadly, most of the originators can’t be identified anymore so if you recognise your work here please email me and I’ll happily credit you and add your link.

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SAVILE ROW TAILOR PATRICK GRANT FOR DEBENHAMS

3 September 2013

I have to admit that I’ve had a soft spot for Patrick Grant ever since I saw him in the 2009 BBC documentary about Savile Row, London’s quintessential English mecca of gentlemen’s tailoring and bespoke clothing since the 18th century. At 6ft something he is quite a dish and the owner of Norton & Sons, one of the oldest tailors on Savile Row. He’s also fabulously British and won’t name living customers but past ones include Edward VII, Winston Churchill, Cary Grant and Alexander McQueen.

Patrick calls himself a bearded bicyclist and bird-lover on Twitter but recently has come to more mainstream fame through judging the ‘Great British Sewing Bee’ competition, another BBC programme. Norton & Sons’ house style is two-button, single-breasted and a handmade two piece suit will cost you upwards of £3,600 depending on the cloth.

His reason for joining the ranks of designers like Matthew Williamson and Henry Holland at Debenhams is that he wants to make clothes for urban professional guys who are not earning the big bucks. He claims his target market wants a great suit to wear to work, a sports jacket, a shawl neck knit, jeans and a classic looking shoe. Patrick himself would have bought these clothes 15 years ago if they existed but instead he had to save up for a year to buy a Prada suit. He says

I think young men are seeing a return to dressing in a more elegant way.

A welcome trend which should support his range of knitwear, suits, shirts, ties, chunky leather shoes, belts, wallets and handkerchiefs. His attention to detail is impressive and rumour has it that only after countless prototypes would he give each garment his seal of approval. He fiercely supports British industry and insisted on using British cloth which he considers the best in the world by a ‘country mile’ though he claims Italians did a much better job of telling the world they were cool.

Needless to say I love his style, attitude and his AW 2013 collection for Debenhams and fully support him in his quest for more TV programmes about fashion history and style.

There are a lot of people who think fashion is too frivolous for somewhere like the BBC, but clothing is serious. It’s important. It says a lot about who we are.

Ok, now all I need to do is convince my American dude to buy into the look and grow a beard.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information | Hammond & Co. by Patrick Grant for Debenhams
Photography | Chad & Paul

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SUPERFUSSY, THEY AREN’T!

27 August 2013

Wouldn’t we all like to be a bit more bohemian? Not care so much about children’s routines, nap and meal times and go more with the flow. Travel, experience, live and don’t get so bogged down with everyday life. I know I would which is why I admire Nathalie and Khairi the founders of superfussy so much. They took their baby daughter Milla Rose on their travels and didn’t worry too much about routines and sure enough Milla adapted beautifully.

Superfussy was born just over a year ago when the couple travelled from New York to Singapore, Bangkok and Myanmar in three weeks. A week into the trip they realized the little harem pants they got along the way had become Milla’s daily wear and soon the idea of bringing ethnic, versatile and comfortable clothing for kids back to the US was born.

It’s a genius culmination of their love of travel and functionality. Their website is laid back and approachable and includes a blog and a tumblr page giving the user an insight into their lives, thoughts, travels and sourced products. I adore the chikan kurtas and above mentioned little harem pants, all available in beautiful colours. Their eclectic selection is innovative and different and everything feels hand-picked and special. I’ve got a feeling that great things are lying ahead for superfussy as they expand their range to adult apparel and home goods. What a great way to combine a passion for travel with what others would call ‘work’.

But before you dive into the stunning selection of travel and lifestyle shots let me leave you with this beautiful quote by superfussy:

with our daughter milla rose as muse and inspiration, our goal is to share things we love that are timeless, functional and affordable on superfussy. sometimes directly from our travels, other times thru inspired learnings and explorations. we hope they all become a staple in your kids closet and your home. and a source of happy findings for your bohemian life.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information & photography | superfussy

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IT’S ALL WORKING OUT FOR SWEATY BETTY

19 August 2013

Ok, firstly let me get one thing straight: I only post about brands I genuinely like/love or that have a new and different angle to them. Stylejuicer can not be blackmailed or coerced into giving somebody a seal of approval, my arm is not made of rubber and it can’t be twisted. I value integrity and have a name to live up to! Ha! Glad I’ve got that off my chest.

So today I’d like to introduce you to UK active wear brand Sweaty Betty who revolutionised my workout routine and made me look forward to exercising. Yes, really! But why, you may wonder. Simply, because their sports apparel is comfortable, supportive in the right places, breathable and most of all it’s sexy and makes me look good(ish) even when I’ve got a beetroot face and sweaty hair sticking to my head.

Now I might be getting a bit nerdy here but Sweaty Betty’s fabrics really are outstanding with innovative knitting techniques creating seamless silhouettes that stretch with you and avoiding any uncomfortable rubbing or chafing. I even found out that some of their garments are made of bamboo. Yes, bamboo! Bit rough and stiff I naively thought. But apparently not so. It has a texture similar to cotton, is inherently natural and therefore sustainable, grown without pesticides and is biodegradable. It’s even anti-bacterial and hypo-allergenic. Wow! I’m having one of those tops in every colour please! Wether it’s jerseys, fleeces or merino wool their collection is versatile, light-weight and specifically designed for your particular sport from running to swimming, cycling, dancing and yoga to everyday workouts. But best of all you can just wear it out and look cool. A ‘casual active’ I’d like to call it.

Am I losing my American readers here? Wait, as I found out Sweaty Betty is currently bringing British style to the US. Recently they practiced yoga in the Hamptons and were sweating it out with non other than THE Tracy Anderson, personal trainer to starts like Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez.

Let’s hope they won’t turn into a global monster and start selling coffee but stick to what they know best: working out!