Project 100 - the posts

Back to the serious stuff of staving off the great austerity bite for your wardrobe.


I will be posting a series on the ten most essential items in different categories.

• coats, jackets
• trousers
• dresses
• little black dresses
• tops
• skirts
• shoes
• boots
• jewellery, accessories
  
• summer vacation essentials

Tomorrow starts with coats!

image:fotosearch

Feeling Blue

Normally I'm not allowed to mention garcon the major, but after a double victory for his favourite football team I'm ignoring this because I not sure who is the handsomest, major garcon or Frank Lampard?

It was a very VIP evening and a few went on to China Whites but Frank is a good boy just like mine. Shame the same can't be said for major garcon's mother...

Costume analysis

InStyle feature a great retrospective of Carrie's Sex and the City costumes plus a feature of the ones in the forthcoming SATC2 The Movie. I always think of the outfits as costume because Carrie is fictional. I wasted a lot of money and time on creating my own fictional Carrie lifestyle/performance but it was worth it!

Image: InStyle from new forthcoming SATC movie

I have to confess to being a bigger fan of the TV series and the more eccentric Carrie outfits from it. The movie costumes are too polished and contrived. Does this reflect the lifestyle development of Carrie's story? Remember how her style changed when she met the Russian! Oh well I will no doubt bustle along to the cinema to watch it ....

Reminisce of a bygone time at InStyle
And get to see the credits for WendyB's Cleopatra earrings oh and few outfits too.

High Street Pick of the Week

Psst don't tell anyone I posted this one. Especially not that Johnnie Boden. Okay I know it is wrong but ssshh come closer - this is a bit of a timeless easy bag for the summer, go for blue or ivory. Okay runaway now and no telling.



Sumptuous Leather Handbag Boden £99

Football and Fashion

I hope one day to do a Phd and my area of research would be fashion and football. It comes as no surprise to me that Louis Vuitton have embraced the love too. A stunning photograph by Annie Leibovitz is part of a new campaign and features Zinedine Zidane, Pele and Maradona and of course some LV suitcases!

Wardobe Sort Out Anyone?

Next Saturday morning May 22nd I've got a trainee stylist who need to observe and assist me on a wardrobe sort out. Anyone in Central or South West London who would like their wardrobe examined/sorted/advised upon?

Let me know in comment box.

Blogging power/love/insight/kick arse

I am in the midst of series of post designed to recession proof your wardrobe. The UK is in the midst of hard times. We are facing a big squeeze and probably personal cash flow issues. I will resume Project 100 next week but yesterday and today I read two really important post for different reasons.

The first one is a personal favourite. It is the point of blogging in my view - when the establishment is challenged. I love my work within the fashion industry but sometimes the freedom of creativity is abused. Sister Wolf has worked tirelessly to expose the hideous behaviour of Terry Richardson and then Tavi posted this! Resulting in this post. All I can say is watch the blogosphere... and don't buy bikinis from H&M, ok they are cheap I'll let you off but write to them and register your disgust at them using sleazy Terry.

The second one is really really useful - it is the insight into the suffering of someone else. I once wanted to shoot some clothes in a situation that was emotionally difficult but it was deemed too subversive! It was only about break ups. I wanted the models to be in despair at the end of an relationship. Great clothes with messy make up due to tears, a drink throwing situation etc. Oh well someone else has probably done it now. I still use being 'dumped' or 'stood up' as a direction tool with emerging models who need to imagine things to change their body language or get a bit of attitude and it always makes them laugh in the end so we get the great happy shot too.

All of which is a bit flippant given the rightly serious nature of La Belette Rouge's post on living with infertility. Just take some time to read it.

Hello Lover

What with the last few days of political change it was a bit of a relief to be the recipient of a light hearted tag from Wildernesschic. And I thought I could do with a rest from the enormity of Project 100 and thinking about hard times.

The lovely and talented Forty Not Out has invented a new award the "Hello Lover" award where you are to display seven pair of shoes, your favourite seven pair of shoes... I was good I limited myself to just seven and opted for six heels and one pair of flats, despite living in flats on a daily basis.


My much coveted Manolo Blahnik silver pair. I just had to have them and these were the only pair in all of Manhattan in September 2007. I really could have done with the size 36 as the 37 are slightly too big, my left foot is a bit smaller. The helpful Bergdorf Goodman sales assistant gave me some half insoles to help my foot from flipping out. What price a pair of shoes. They are great to wear but I feel compelled to put something on the leather sole. Which would be sacrilege but London is so wet and dirty!

My Roger Vivier shoes are my favourite, I got married in these despite thinking Mr MDS would shout out some panto joke when he saw them. Luckily he was too nervous and had been drinking. When I wear them I glide rather than walk. They say sophisticated and also something else if you've seen Belle de jour the Luis Brunel film starring Catherine Deneuve.

I love these mesh flats I bought in Russell & Bromley in 2003 after seeing them in Marie Claire (probably the last time I bought a copy). I ran down Bond St in the pouring rain and arrived drenched but I got them! They are by shoe designer Beverly Weldmen and actually they are crying out for a pleated skirt or something similar. I haven't worn them for a couple of years but I love them and they stay.


I bought these Studio TLS wedges last summer and they are fab ...but they do leak orange dye on my feet. It rubs off! However they look great and are very comfy. It takes about 4 - 5 hours of hard wearing before pain sets in.

These are Marc Jacobs and although they show too much toe in my book I don't care because they've got great gold heels. The patent green is gorgeous and I should wear them more but haven't really been out. I think they might hurt quite quickly but will have to road test them again.

My honeymoon shoes! I changed from my wedding dress into a white shirt, blue velvet straight pants and these Mui Mui shoes. I did dance for 3 hours in these and only at the end did my feet hurt. On honeymoon in Rome I wore them with a short little black dress and a black tuxedo (with fake tanned legs of course) to go out for dinner.

The first collaboration Pierre Hardy for Gap produced these babies. I can and have run for a bus in these. I wear them a lot and when/if they fall apart I will cry.

I need to tag a few people so we can see their shoes too! Let me see...Faux Fuchsia, WaceyStyle, Miss Peelpants, teawithonesugarplease and Vintage Vixen will do for a starter....

Project 100 - attitude

There really is no point in giving up or compromising one's style when hard times are threatening but with limited funds at the ready some basics need to be in place to work that wardrobe harder.

This is were attitude comes into play. You need a lot of it to pull everything off. I was reminded by a great giveaway on the Shop Curious blog that neither glamour nor grooming is to be forsaken. Get these two basics right and everything else will be a breeze.

1. Good grooming - I should just direct you to Faux Fuchsia for a lesson in good grooming! FF takes attitude and uses it to good effects. Grooming doesn't mean big hair dos and a brazilian. The essence of good grooming is well cut and washed hair, and clean nails. You can varnish your nails - Coco Chanel never used nail varnish on her hands. She thought colour on nails vulgar! I adore nail varnish, although for years I abstained with my superior Chanel knowledge and kept varnish purely for my toe nails and only red or orange at that. However times have changed and you can't go wrong with a white tee shirt, jeans and painted nails.

2. DIY beauty - save pennies and pounds by setting aside a couple of hours a week to undertake your own personal beauty salon regime. I put on a hair mask (usually a John Frieda on or a freebie), soak my feet in a bowl with lemon in the warm water and a splash of olive oil. Then I undertake pedicure and paint toe nails. I tidy my eyebrows and like a lie down with tea bags or cucumber on my eyes. I finish with a manicure. The manicure never lasts when you do it yourself so be prepared to carry the varnish around with you to top up any chips. When I can afford it I use Barielle products when I can't Nivea creme is my default. As for hair removal well I managed with Veet bikini wax strips for tidiness and use men's shaving products for legs and armpits - I prefer them.
You can have one defining item that is your beauty staple like Sister Wolf who is a red lipstick devotee!

3. Accessories - Choose well. I think you can use costume jewellery to great effect but equally a well chosen piece can add drama to your look. This summer I'm making do with a my lovely Hermes leather bracelet from Mr MDS and a pair of old pearl earrings. I would if I had the money buy a pair of the lovely Wendy Brandes Cleopatra earrings, which you can win on her Polyvore challenge I think they are very glamorous and no wonder they ended up on the ears of Samantha for SATC2. It is an item like this that adds the Martini factor to a look. Another item is this necklace from By Marlene Birger at my-wardrobe


4. The Martini purchase - I can make do with all my clothes this summer. I have no problem with wearing things until they die on me. But I firmly believe you need one wow item that makes you feel fabulous or gives you that Martini moment. For me, this season, it is the jumpsuit. I bought one for work so I had one item that was current and now I would like a few more! I never knew jumpsuits were so much fun. This season the high street has some great ones from Topshop, French Connection, Reiss and Next to provide a selection to think about. You will have the one item that you love - add it to your wardrobe and work it.


5. Get Creative - Charity shops, car boot sales and swishing events all offer opportunities to inject something new or provide retail therapy for a few pounds. Sharon Rose Vintage is the queen of thrifting and is a wonderful example to all for bargain hunting yet staying on trend and stylish. Your personal style is your own and you can find things to bring you joy by searching. I often reorganise my wardrobe to make me look at what I have with fresh eyes and create looks.
One reader asked me about swishing and if they could do it themselves. I would say so! Just invite a group of friends to come around, make it fun by assigning them drink or nibbles to bring too. Each item gets a ticket and then you have a browse period before the grabbing or negotiating starts.

The basic premise of Project 100 is to choose glamour first and find the practical way to deliver without throwing money at it - that's where attitude comes in.

Project 100 - first things first

Baton down the hatches austerity measures are on the way. To date Keep Calm and Carry On has been an amusing diversionary phase that allows the middle classes to nod in a knowing way and think about allotments. Then there is the affluent and super rich for whom at the worst the coming 'economic hell is freezing over period' will mean less eating out for the former and and less super yachts for the latter.
Those of us with bills to pay, roofs to keep over our heads will face rising costs with the likely increase in VAT and the continued increasing food costs to mention a few. This is without the mention of inflation or unemployment. Gosh I'm a bundle of joy aren't I!

But for those of you who want style savvy without breaking the budget, not making mistakes and not breaking the bank then... I'm afraid it calls for restraint, planning and budgeting.

Cut up the credit card or at least freeze it in the freezer to save for a proper emergency (sorry shoes and handbags don't count!). And sort out your finances properly, that means saving too.

If you need a head start then read India Knight's The Thrift Book to get your brains cells from shopping bags to money bags. Tomorrow I'll give you first base...