Spend wisely

Did you know that Dame Vivienne Westwood was a spokesperson for my Slow Fashion campaign? Well her recent appearance on Jonathan Ross was straight from the pages of Make Do Style until she went into her global warming point - which was well made and heart felt. And she is of course the 'wear your tablecloth' campaigner for Sister Wolf.

The reason I keep banging on about our Dame of late is due to her wonderful Anglomania range. I like the fact the diffusion range she has created loses none of her creativity. I always expect and accept a difference in the construction of the garment but with Anglomania it has a point of its own and is creeping up in my affections and overtaking my Marc by Marc Jacobs fixation.

In short Dame Viv made the point that rather than spend money on updating your wardrobe with the latest fashion, buy one good quality piece if you have to but basically be creative with what you have. If I'm going to follow her advice and mine to the letter then this coat is the one item I should buy.

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Grey Propaganda coat £527 from the My-Wardrobe.com new A/W 09 range

The coat has it all, name, colour, detail and cut. This is a coat I can wear. Normally a coat wears me (apart from my leopard print one, but that has to go onto the back burner this season as I've worn it to death, although I'm opening to loaning it out!) It does everything I need it to, just sit on my body and perform. I have to say the way it is styled on my-wardrobe is quite bland but it does show that it can be dressed down and still look good. My savings are on target for an end of August shop to spruce up my wardrobe for the A/W and somehow I'm going to have to compromise on what I need to get this!

If there was one outfit I could buy this month

I wish I could be employed as a wit! Yes that is wit not twit or nitwit.

Some days I make myself laugh and that's just with my outfits. It was so cold last Monday (5th) that I added ear muffs to my layered stuff. As I descended the escalator from Waterloo station to the Northern line, two heavily armed police officers were stood at the bottom. One started to smirk as I neared the bottom so I immediately quipped:
Ear muffs are not a crime!

Thankfully, they both cracked up as being arrested wasn't top of my list that morning. My husband is never amused by my at large stand up comedy, but he does like my ear muffs. I think this is based on some Britney Spears fantasy, so, on that basis I heartily recommend to married and single girls alike, this skirt - its a winner on all fronts. I'd be buying it pronto if I could! Those two officers wouldn't be laughing at my descent in this.

Helmut Lang stretch mini skirt Net-a-Porter £181.07

Taken in for questioning!

'Tis the bleak mid winter

When we nipped out yesterday for a Saturday bookshop and cappuccino fest we knew it was -2 at 2pm in the afternoon! Honestly all I do is skulk round the house in roasty toasty sweatpants and thick socks or arm my legs with my H&M woolly leggings when I venture out.


I need the weather to change as I'm in danger of wearing my hat a lot and I usually only reserve it for my cycle to the station and then hide it under the child seat on the back. The trouble with exceedingly cold weather is warmth is the driving force, so, after a while one feels like a lost sock in a washing machine - will I ever get my style mojo back or am I consigned to looking like a layer cake or slob every day. Seriously I think of Carrie running to Miranda's in the cold of NYC on New Years Eve in SATC The Movie and I think heck where's my stylist when I need her!


Still the frosty visitation does make London and the suburbs look mighty pretty. I took photos to prove it!

Winter wonders

Those of us hoping for an Indian summer to make up for our complete lack of summer (this is the UK it is always the same) are now resigning ourselves to winter fayre. I had to change my blog to recognise that I could no longer pretend I was amusing myself in the South of France or the Amalfi coast.

Yesterday I went to pick a load of blackberries before anymore rain completely destroys the remaining crop. I managed to freeze a kilo of the little beauts. On my wanderings I also found the perfect tree to climb which I duly did to test it of course. I'm determined for the petit garcon to be adventurous and enjoy messing about outdoors. I really enjoyed a moment alone up a tree, it really was an easy young Oak with perfect wide seating branches. My outfit of Lucky jeans, Hunter wellingtons, American Apparel grey sweat top and a tartan scarf was suitable Sunday tree wear.

However had it been a week day I think I'd rather be sporting this wintery number from Warehouse

Winter Paisley Dress £65 - Warehouse