South-west London’s bag trends

For a little while longer I will be living in swishy south-west London, before I move back to the area closest to my heart, the south-east. People from my home area do not carry designer bags because they will get stolen, end of. So moving over here to Posh London was interesting from a fashion perspective. Top bags on the arms of the lovely ladies of the SW:

The Mulberry Bayswater. This is the daddy of them all: simple, classic and 700 HUNDRED POUNDS. If you see a lady with this bag, you are looking at a £700 bag. I know bags are expensive but it’s still weird to be standing next to someone with this much cash slung over their arm. They are not short of a bob or seven hundred, clearly. But if you’re going to spend that much money, this is probably a safe bet. You will always like it and it bespeaks old-school British quality, lending subtle classiness to the rest of your no-doubt prim and proper ensemble.

The other Mulberry bag I see often is the Anthony:

Practical and much nicer in real life than this stern photo suggests because it’s so soft and nice. I see this most often on ladies who look like they own art galleries rather than run hedge funds (like the Bayswater crowd).

No Alexa has yet crossed my path but I know they’re out there.

I have a real soft spot for women with Louis Vuitton logo bags. There’s something so wrong about an item with such obvious logos and in celeb-land I find them tediously ubiquitous but in real life I think there’s something fabulous about an older lady with a nice blow-dry and her “it’s my money, I’ll spend it on what I like” bag mentality. Plus I imagine it’s a very well-made piece of kit, which isn’t at all a given with designer bags despite the prices.

Possibly even trumping the Bayswater in terms of how many of them there are about is the Longchamp Pliage:

It’s wipe-clean! Because it only has leather trim rather than being all-leather I imagine this is much more affordable than the other bags and I approve of its demeanour. A friend has this bag and it is very understated but nice. I am addicted to canvas bags but I have a nylon-y Luly Guinness one that they kindly gave us when we went and scoffed all their cakes and it makes a nice change. Possibly one day I will have a leather bag like a proper grown-up person (a post on the topic of my next bag purchase is to come).

Lastly, and not surprisingly because it is LUSH, is the lovely Petal to the Metal Marc by Marc Jacobs bag. I have looked at it on Net-a-Porter. I have fondled it in Liberty. I have seen it on several adorable girls in the vicinity of my house. Think skinny jeans, shiny brown hair, navy blue coat and this bag and then cry because you are not that cool chick with the bird bag.

And here ends todays sociology lesson.

S

A little bit Disco, a little bit cups of tea

Hello devoted readers.  The blog has made it through its first year and to celebrate the blood, sweat and tears that went into our many posts about Topshop, we are throwing a soiree.

It is in the downstairs room at the lovely Scooter Caffe in Waterloo, tomorrow after work. My directions above are a little vague, try this Google Maps link instead.

The lovely Scooter Caffe.

There’ll be cakes, some little presents, tea and hopefully people who read blogs, write blogs, make clothes, make crafts, and generally people who are lovely. Feel free to turn up and introduce yourself.

xxx S & A, proud blog mothers

Out and about in London Bridge

I was out and about in Borough Market yesterday afternoon, and as I have been terrible on the olde outfit posts (I always look wooden when I pose in any faux serious way), I thought I’d share a few of the afternoon’s delights with you.

First off to Konditor & Cook, bakers to the gods. And if the gods don’t exist then for a couple of minutes they were bakers to me which was just excellent. The cakes aren’t cheap but they are delightful so it felt good to spent my hard earned pennies in this delightful shop and on these delightful cakes.

I love how meringues look on the stand but I don’t actually like them very much. I spent a long time thinking about these biscuits before deciding on something else. There is no photographic evidence of that one – eaten much too fast.

The cake was bought and then next door to Monmouth Coffee Co. where everyone who is bohemian, and rich enough, not to have a demanding job hangs out. Apparently.

Cappucino for the lady

I’d like a job where I could hang out in that coffee shop all day and read books. Sadly, that is not going to happen anytime soon but here’s what I was wearing when I was living the dream yesterday.

TopDress donated by S, scarf from Accessorize, leggings & belt from H&M, bag from charity ship and shoes from Poetic Licence

That’s my attempt at posing for this picture. But here’s another stab, mostly because I felt chilled that it was all over.

What a lovely afternoon.

A

Spotted for Locals – London

Today, I found Spotted for Locals, a great little site which collates people’s (ie locals) experiences of different locations in a fun, colourful way. I particularly like the London section which currently has recommendations for a great sushi place with karaoke, shopping hotspots and little tucked away delis.

I’m one of those people who always prefer to visit a place with someone who knows the place to point out the best bits, and this is especially true of a big city like London or Paris. I do enjoy a bit of meandering but when it comes down to it, I like to spend my hard earned pennies on somewhere/something that I know to be good. I’ve been to too many disappointing restaurants, I suppose. This site is also perfect if you’re planning a break to European cities like Stockholm, or similar.

A

House of Fraser

I generally do not go in House of Fraser unless it is to seek out the Benefit counter, partly due to a brief but traumatic experience working there. I was vaguely aware it sold brands and I think I went into the one on Oxford Street looking for Elle McPherson lingerie a while ago but in the main I give very little thought to HoF.

But with some time on my hands yesterday before meeting friends I went and had a look around the one at Bank and Monument and it turned out to be awesome! It must be new because it is small but perfectly formed, with a sort of art deco vibe. I scooted round the beauty hall and will have to come back for some supplies that ran out while I was jobless, but the best bit was a really excellent clothes department, which basically comprised the obvious Coast and Oasis sections as well as designer bags from Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Anya Hindmarch and Mulberry, and then a D&G, See by Chloe, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Day Birger and Mikkelson section. Joy! Just my level, especially if they have a sale… Shoes came courtesy of Kurt Geiger and French Connection.

I now have a little shopping list of things that I shall enjoy buying in this mini-HoF, which was the perfect amount of busy, i.e. just enough people to distract the perfume ladies but not heaving.

• Benefit Coralista blusher
• Lancome Adaptive foundation
• Black bow sandals from KG
• Yellow ultra-padded wooden heels from French Connection (I need a manicure before I can enjoy wearing either of these new sets of shoes)
• And this perfect white summer dress from Day Birger, which fulfils all my frolicking in the pastures dreams. When you see it in real life, it is that perfect white cotton dress.

S

p.s. I have not been able to find a picture of the bow sandals so this is my MS Paint interpretation for you.

 

M&S one-day sale

All day today, in stores and on the website, there is 20% off everything in M&S except food and technology. Twenty-four of the large stores will stay open til midnight so there is plenty of time.

Even if you don’t fancy a nice cashmere jumper or a piece of Patricia Fields sequinned partywear, someone in your family probably would. As a massive Christmas afficionado, I will be down there picking up presents for my small but discerning family and probably some nice food for myself as well.

You might also like to know that there is currently 25% of everything in Debenhams, until Saturday.

Portobello Market Style at your fingertips

Cred: PretaPortobello

I’m a South London girl at heart – for many years, Greenwich Market was my local market staple. I heard good things about this magical West London market on Portobello Road but could not be convinced to trek across town to visit. Until one day, and there it was, laid out in its full glory and really, Greenwich Market just does not compare.

We followed the crowds from Notting Hill tube station, past the antique stalls selling everything from cricket balls to horn handled magnifying glasses, all the way towards Ladbroke Grove, and the fun, clothes bit of Portobello market. As you can probably tell, I’ve always imbued the market shopping experience with a magical, mythical quality; the experience tends to live up to that until the moment I find something I love, realise I have no cash and I’m a bit cold. And on a wet day like today, the idea of a market just doesn’t appeal.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard about the new site -
PretaPortobello. They describe themselves as ‘a brand new fashion market on the web’ and you can even barter with the sellers; I think the site’s little flourishes really add to an already great idea. There’s even a vintage section. A.

Women & Stamps

A little off topic- I was pleased to discover that Royal Mail has brought out a set of stamps celebrating women. Now, I was particularly pleased to discover this as it brings together two wonderful things; women & stamps. It is not particularly to have collected stamps as a child, but as everyone who reads the London papers knows, at least it kept me off the streets.

Apparently these stamps have courted controversy as Marie Stopes, of family planning clinic fame, was known to have become increasingly eccentric in her views especially on eugenics. I was surprised to discover this but I think she does deserve to her place – it is vital that reproductive rights are represented and considered as an important part of the perception of women over the past century. And often the most forward thinking people have an eccentric aspect to their personalities – Newton, Einstein, to name but a few.

Today’s London news, over and out – for now.

A

London

As mentioned already by S, we, at Disco Nap, want to talk about stuff we like. The reader will breathe a sigh of relief once they realise that stuff we like includes: clothes, shoes, fun and accessories. We also like more serious stuff like politics, but we’ll only mention that when its relevant.

Unlike S, I am in London town and it is suddenly miserable weather after lovely sunshine over the weekend. Now, I find that erratic British weather plays havoc with my fashion sense. A few weeks ago, I hauled the winter suitcase off the top of the cupboard, dusted it down and leapt on my wool cardigans with glee. This weekend had me shunning the cardigans and attempting to ‘waft’ around the East end in little more than a sundress. I need the weather to make up its mind – sadly, I fear that the weather will say ‘rain’, which is possibly the worst result. Soggy wool? No, thanks.

A