Tricks and Treats

Before we get completely bogged down in thinking about everyone else, shopping for Christmas presents etc. What about a treat.

Arctic temperatures are kicking in  and I have only just brought out my winter kit. Recently I was shopping with a friend who definitely needed a fashion treat. She had been ill and stuck at home for weeks.

We decided to have  a gentle cruise round Fenwicks with nothing particular in mind. She found the most fabulous coat by Sophie Hulme in a red so sublime it pinged. The shape was completely simple, the cut disciplined and clean. The coat will work with all her chic clothes and she was incredibly buoyed up. Red has a real impact on the way we feel the colour is associated with confidence and power. Then as icing on the cake we found some earrings in crystal and dayglo resin by Shourouk. Completely whacky but a real treat. They will give an instant thrill to the plainest black sweater and be a real talking point and as she said “happy making”

The tricks. Wardrobe building is something I have learnt over many years as a Fashion Editor and Consultant to the retail fashion industry and as a personal shopper. Women do need to invest wisely in certain good pieces that are versatile and in a way anonymous. Pieces that work season after season, classic items that transcend fashion trends.. Often they are in a neutral palette of black navy grey khaki cream.  To these little treasures we need to add the treats. The bright, the fun, the bad and mad.

About. Sophie Hulme is a young British Designer. Shourouk lives in Paris and has created jewellery for Chloe and Galliano. Both are sold widely in department stores like Fenwick and Harvey Nichols and on line at Net a Porter and Matches

It’s a long time since I have thought about a statement jacket. You know the one -　the one we yearned for. The one you wish you had bought at the time. The one that’s still in your wardrobe that you will love forever.

There was the precision of Yves Saint Laurent’s “le Smoking” among many other YSL collector’s pieces.

Balenciaga with the shoulders and the gold buttons. Chanel, of course, defined by the perfect soft cut and the skinny-making sleeves – Cate Blanchett’s delectable costumes in Blue Jasmine makes you want one all over again. [I still hanker for] Galliano’s jackets from the vintage collections of his Artful Dodger period. And Alexander McQueen’s jackets over pencil skirts were just the most powerful clothing ever.

Marc Jacobs said about his Summer 2014 collection shown in September in New York that he didn’t want the cliché of spring/ summer and he wanted to decorate things you don’t need. He certainly decorated.On a rather distressed catwalk with girls in mini tonka boots and shoes there was this raft of divine jackets. Jackets for clubs, jackets for restaurants, jackets to fall in love with. Tasselled and fringed and plunged in passementerie .Hints of the bullfighter or the Cossack or Victorian upholstery. These are the jackets of desire.In a fashion mindset that is currently focused on chic, minimal and clean I was not surprised that the collection didn’t get rave reviews, but I adored it.

Celebrities dead or alive love gold jewellery in particular the gold cuffs

Over the last year or so jewellery has got bigger bolder golder. Gone are the delicate chains, semi precious stones, dangly earrings. There is a proliferation of large classic bracelets. Cuffs and link chains. It all looks positively 50s. Even the spring collections 2014 from New York were showing gold on the catwalk.

Get the look with real gold or plated and gilded

There are oodles of gold bracelets cuffs and links to choose from. All the big name jewellers Tiffany/Bulgari/Cartier have dozens to choose from. Vintage are often the nicest. Of the contemporary gold chain links to wear everyday I saw a v smart one on the website of Kiki McDonough

Internet Shopping/Winserlondon/Autumn

It is amazing how we have all taken to internet shopping for clothes. Living in London as I do it has rather taken me by surprise.
The new collection from the internet site www.winserlondon.com has just dropped into the virtual store in the clouds. I have been lucky enough to have viewed the real clothes. So have had the opportunity to touch, feel and try. There is so much to love this season. The knitwear is just divine, in various weights of top quality merino wool. There are sophisticated  Jersey pieces, check out Two Way Top, long skirt, elegant trouser – lots in navy. A wrappy dress is on my shopping list, as is one of the most fab is a pencil skirts in leather and ponte de roma knit. The whole seasons merchandise will be available over the next few weeks I will be posting on my blog pictures of other favourite pieces when they are.

This site is unique because it is the vision of one woman Kim Winser. It has evolved in it second season as a must visit for the intelligent fashion shopper.
Obviously if we are searching for froccky  designer kit I recommend www.polyvore.com as a good research site. Just tap in, Lanvin pink dress size 12  and all the boutiques who stock it  pop up. www.yoox.com is my go-to to cruise designer sale items. www.net-a-porter.com is fun too but a bit too glamazon for me. Ditto Matches and Browns

Contact me if you would like to talk about any for your fashion dilemmas. I take clients shopping usually  after I have worked with them at home editing their wardrobes. Where we find out what needs to go and what needs to be bought to make their clothes collection right for their lives.