Month: September 2015

India

I don’t normally do personal updates, but this time it’s a big one! I am currently living in India for six months whilst working at a girls boarding school in Rajasthan. As with every country India has its positive and negative points but for fear of making this post too heavy for a Sunday morning, I’m going to focus on the things that have made me fall in love with this beautiful country. Rajasthan is known for its architecture and I am lucky enough to be based in the rather unexplored Shekhawati region, home to many havelis. Inside these traditional residences can be found beautiful painted murals and ornate artworks. Whilst many of these beautifully preserved artworks are in private homes it is possible to see some of them and it is nice to get away from the main Rajasthani tourist sites. My architectural highlights to date include the Amber Fort in Jaipur, the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Safdarjang’s Tomb in Delhi and the Tomb of Etimad ud Doulah (Baby Taj) in Agra. The forts …

Co-ords at Zara

As a lover of all things grey and baggy I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled into the coord section of the Zara website. They’re low-key, simple yet effortlessly stylish. Sometimes on the high street the importance of texture and shape in clothing gets left behind but it’s so refreshing to see them being brought back to the forefront. A subtle flick of a hem or a tactile fabric can really make all the difference, the adjacent pictures emphasising this. Their baggy style makes it look like they’ve just been thrown on and the monochrome palette makes them easy to work into your wardrobe as individual pieces. I’m all about not overthinking outfits and with these two-pieces, all the work has been done for you. Shop the collection here.

Transition Collab

Ella and I love to collaborate and work with bloggers from all around the world. Recently we did a guest post for Menellia at nothingbutvelvet.com. We discuss layering up your look to fight those cold autumn winds and give you a few tips to help transition into the new season. This was a bit of a whirlwind project with a turn around of a week but we had great fun doing it and are really happy with the outcome. This just shows that launching straight into something and stepping a bit outside your comfort zone really does pay off. This post is a bit different to our usual format but that’s what I love about collaborations – the opportunity to try something new, share ideas and inspiration. We were also slightly apprehensive about shooting the looks as I am currently working in India for six months (India post coming soon) and Ella has moved to Birmingham. We have been very fortunate to have supportive friends and family that are willing to stand in as photographers …

MASC/FEM

As a woman I am interested in the other meaning of sexy, not bodycon dresses but wide-leg trousers and structured blazers, the appeal of ‘not trying too hard’. In search of this alternative uniform I will occasionally dip my toes into men’s clothing, finding sometimes that I prefer the fit of a ‘male’ piece to a ‘female’ piece. Is this because menswear is more functional therefore more easy-going? Masculine tailoring has been drifting over into womenswear more and more and now designers have started blurring the lines by showcasing both collections together (Prada, Loewe) and sending men and women down the runway together. This gender-neutral take on clothing gives us more freedom in choosing how we dress, and lets us explore different definitions of words such as ‘sexy’. Designer Jonathan Anderson claims ‘it’s more about garments for garments’ sake. T-shirts, jeans, duffel coats, biker jackets – it all means the same thing, no matter if it’s a man or woman wearing it. They are a neutral zone.’ At the end of the day clothing has to make …