Signposts

Courtesy: Fashionologie.

• The gorgeous Chanel Autumn collection was shown on a boardwalk along the beach at dusk. I’ve just booked two weeks off for surfing and to go to Helsinki in July and this makes me think of how I will feel at dusk by the sea and by the lake. And how I will look of course.
• Actually, whenever I leave London I end up woefully underdressing because I think the countryside people will hate me if I turn up in my usual clothes. This is a completely irrational fear that is the product of watching too many films about an unlikely friendship between a stuck-up city girl and a down-to-earth country boy, and every time I turn up anywhere I just feel dowdy and miserable.  Instead I would like to look like this:

 

Courtesy: The Cherry Blossom Girl.

• Is there any outfit you could wear anywhere, with anyone, and still feel right? At work; at the pub; to meet Karl Lagerfeld; to meet Barack Obama; to sit in the park; to meet your boyfriend’s parents. I remember reading years ago that Kate Moss decided to go on holiday and all she packed was a gold bikini. This may well work for Mossy. I suspect A has packed considerably more than this for her current holiday. The Times says the statement dress is the “ultimate all-occasion frock”. If it’s made of jersey, I can only agree, The Times.
• However, this perfect jersey dress is currently eluding me. In my mind it is maxi-length, navy blue and has long sleeves. In real life this garment would probably require quite a lot of engineering and that’s probably why it hasn’t been produced by Asos or Topshop. Comes on M&S! I want something in return for championing you earlier.
• Bits and pieces: Fashion on Film in 2009, including Coco Avant Chanel, a documentary about Anna Wintour called The September Issue and Bruno.

Courtesy: The Guardian.

 S

Sparks

Where are this lovely Balmain-esque silver jacket and tropical feather-embellished bag from? You literally cannot guess.

If you frown at the idea of buying clothes and accessories from Marks & Spencers, I hope this little collection, piked from DisneyRollerGirl’s roundup of her recent press day adventures, will change your mind. It’s sometimes awkward posting M&S things on a fashion blog because people tend to think: knickers, sandwiches, suits.

There is a lot to like with the M&S Limited Collection. The quality is high and it’s cheaper than a lot of other high-street shops, including Topshop a lot of the time, because it’s the definition of mass-market, catering for everyone old enough to have a full-time job. Crucially, it does an actual variety of sizes and doesn’t relegate 14+ women to another part of the shop as if being the average size for a British woman (16) is a terrible aesthetic crime.

I don’t know why I’m so feverishly loyal to M&S but it’s probably in part because they do decent underwear for mutants like me who can’t wear those dainty little triangle affairs and have no need for padding. Also, that crayfish and rice salad thing is delicious.

S

p.s. We are sadly missing beloved blog buddy A for the next few days as she is jetting off on one of her regular holidays abroad. She does the Disco, I do the Nap.

M&S day

 M&S yesterday was nothing like the carnage described in the papers and in between buying myself a ready-meal and my aunt a cashmere scarf, I wondered into the underwear department and spotted some rather nice stuff. It’s a cliche that M&S does pants: these were not just any pants! Sadly I had no camera on me, but if you like silky satin in jewel colours with bows and frills and crystals and general loveliness, you will like their Christmas knicker range. It’s much more quality than it sounds as well, with good fabric and flattering designs.

I didn't say it was really classy or anything.

I always used to struggle with buying underwear as I have unusual proportions, but in recent years M&S has really stepped up.

Although I usually wear Elle McPherson, M&S has a really good and varied selection and on this occasion I came within a whisker of buying this awesome leopard-print set. Very boudoir, very sexy when worn with a simple outfit on top. Lots of girls have been reclaiming leopard-print recently and I may join them just as soon as I have a few more pennies – first the underwear and then the faux-fur jacket!

 S

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.

The M&S surprise

Following my earlier post about Patricia Field for  M & S, I chanced upon this article in today’s Guardian. Laura Barnett challenged M&S on their lack of clothes suitable for 20-somethings; she was pleasantly surprised when she shopped with Stuart Rose, M&S CEO. She found a number of suitable, fun items especially in the ‘Limited Collection’.

I was in M&S buying tights earlier this week and I had a quick look at their shoe section. I was pleasantly surprised, much like Ms Barnett, to find purple patent pumps nestled alongside grey suede shoe boots. And the M & S reputation for quality convinced me that these pumps might not immediately fall apart a la Topshop pumps. And the clothes were fun.

These are not just any shoes…these are M&S shoes.

Patricia Field for M&S

Today, Patricia Field’s range for Marks & Spencers goes on sale in the UK. Patricia Field, of Sex & The City stylist fame, is an off-the wall choice for M&S, which is usually seen as a safe option, especially clothing-wise. Now, I was in New York earlier this year and popped into the Patricia Field shop – it was very young, very shiny and a bit unwearable – and a million miles away from what I expected after watching the programme.

So, I popped to my local M&S at lunchtime so see what I could find – despite all their efforts to attract a younger, more fashionable crowd, I am amazed at how banal their shop layout is, and remains. But I was attracted to all the shiny shiny Patricia Field range. The clothes are muted and the accessories are in eye-popping colours. A few of my favourites and one that is from the shop in New York:

The Stunning Sequin Catsuit

Rose Puffball Dress

The New York Scarf

Glamour Mac

Chain Detail Bag

My friend in the Patricia Field shop in New York

A