Category: Coats
Lust Lust Lust..
Maria Grazia Chuiri and Pierpaolo Piccioli are producing the type of Valentino Collections that bleeds my soul.
I tell myself – it’s only clothes…but my heart knows better.
It’s as if they’ve stepped inside my head and cherry picked my favourite things: Blanket coats, proper boots, Doc shoes, loose but crisp, colours on the side of dusky..and handed them to me as a lighter than air, perfectly baked clafoutis.
The proportions make me smile with pure pleasure.
At first glance I thought this was a play on the boyfriend blazer..it is, but better – it’s a cape.
So clever.
How do they get it so right?
And then there is the Butterfly motif, Damien Hirst re-invented.
How understated can this be? And still pack a punch..
I need to lie down.
Laters, Kate x
Winter is Coming..
I freely admit I am behind the curve on the whole Game of Thrones phenomena. Forsooth, I only devoured my first box set after New Year..but I’m learning fast. The obessesion has bitten and Season 2 is already underway – of course the joy of coming late to the party? There’s no horrible wait for next Seasons to start (yet)..they’re all lined up like the most delectable dishes at a banquet. But it’s not only the storyline, I’m also smitten by the fashions..and it’s the men’s rather than the ladies: The leather, the studding, the macho winter layering and enormous shaggy shoulders. I lust. A little bit of searching revealed that Helmut Lang’s 2012 Fall Collection was inspired by the series. And how very very appropriate it looks as the Polar Vortex attempts to do it’s worst. I’d bet good gold that that sheepskin coat above would be ready to fight beside any wolf in a storm…
(A touch of the Katniss Everdeens? I wonder what came first?)
And then there’s Chloe Pre-fall 2014, showing that layering can be warm, furry and coloured. Might need a pair of woolly tights though..
For this night..and all nights to come..
Laters, Kate x
Toast Becomes her..
Sometimes it’s the little things like the cut of a waistband, a delicate brushstroke of detail that makes a pair of trousers sing with more than just noise and Toast has some of the best…and they’re having a huge Sale.
The label is known for honest clothes for both men and women that are strong and confident with a sense of self.
There’s an emphasis on masculine tailoring.
As well as a a nod to the past that smiles like a warm, buttered crumpet.
Like a sip of fine wine, there’s a magic touch of satisfaction of knowing these pieces will be timeless and won’t lose their allure: Quality not quantity, and that’s worth a great deal.
Laters, Kate x
Spring Edition x
The February edition of UK Vogue landed with a plump thud on my doormat yesterday. Such a thrill to flick through the pages and drink in the professional visuals. I always have to look through first..then I read, starting from the back, last article first. Lord knows why, it might be something to do with being left handed, but that’s the way I like it. There’s a feeling of freedom and stepping away from the norm..which is what this edition is all about…enjoy the mismatching matching, the return of colour and the championing of the midi, whether it be in skirts or trousers. Pure lush.
Laters, Kate x
The Sales..
After the gluttony of Christmas the January Sales have to put on their best bib and tucker to draw us out again by dangling tempting morsels of true fashion aristocracy…like the chance to clutch an iconic Charlotte Olympia creation reduced from $1556 to $785..tempted?
Or fall asleep knowing these Sleeping Beauty suede pumps are yours: Magically reduced from $995 to $500…almost a steal..
All the rage and quality guaranteed: Balmain skinny leather pants – were an eye-watering $4560 now $1370..a deposit on a car..but these are Balmain!
Made for elegant entrances: MSGM wide leg side stripe pant..dress up, dress down..and down from $400 to a cool $120..
Subtle yet uber sexy, 10 Crosby Derek Lam pyjama shirt. Once $375 now a reachable $190..
Easy on the eye, easier on the wallet: 10 Crosby Derek Lam faux belted leather shorts reduced from $295 to $180..
Add a splash of provocative colour: MSGM floral printed Gazar top, was $905 now $545. You’ll certainly get noticed..
Carven has the best jumpers and this one sings on multiple levels: Colour, texture and the perfect length. Was $390 now $235. (And check out The Outnet for more woolly bargains)
Vamp style: Sergio Rossi Optikala high heeled striped sandal, were $835 now $420…temptation has a name.
An undisputed stalwart of any wardrobe: The biker jacket. This quilted version by Carven was $1995, now $1000…just think, it could be your new best friend..
True fashion will always have a price but I’ve always thought if it takes a bit of pain to gain then it rises above normality and takes on special powers that naturally envelope the wearer. On that basis I think I’d better learn the lesson…and get saving for next year…
(However, if you want to start with a simpler challenge and some group motivation for support then check out Kat the designers Blog..She’s leading the charge for spotlighted New Years resolutions and aims to keep you on the straight and narrow! Good luck!)
Laters, Kate x
A walk in the Woods..
Did you have a lovely Christmas? I hope so!
Spot my new baby..yep..a Hipsters for Sisters leopard bag as drooled over here..and I LOVE it! Versatile, accommodating and a true thrill to wear..the belt option is GENIUS…but it’s so easy to wear cross body as well…love, love, LOVE!
One happy bunny!
We spent yesterday taking the Blanket Coat for a walk, enjoying the blue skies (after all our storms) and blowing some cobwebs at Richmond Park..
You’d never guess we were still in London..
We played poo sticks (I lost).
Saw a woodpecker..
And stood under a parrot tree! (Not for too long..)
Till the dusk came down and it was time to head home..
To a roaring fire and left-over Christmas pudding…heaven!
Laters, Kate x
Counting Down…
These are the photos of what I should look like, instead I’ve reached that peak of frenzied chaos where I’m no longer waving but drowning. It’s completely my own fault – I made the slightly bonkers decision to re-arrange all our furniture under the pretext that we have to fit 16 in for Christmas day but the truth of it?…I just wanted a nice spot for the Christmas tree. The resulting domino effect has been apocalyptic with all my ancient secret stashes of mess exposed in all their glory..the piano? moved to the dining area where the large wardrobe/hide everything cupboard was…the cupboard? It’s contents exploded throughout the entire house and has been moved to the top floor and is now sitting in a pool of debris waiting to be re-stocked. The large carpet in the sitting room on which life sat? (the ‘things’ under the coffee table? the bits down sides? the paper monsters that breed on their own?) moved to our bedroom.. to go under bedside cabinets/ the chaise/little tables all full of hibernating stuff – and do you know what lies beneath our bed? I do now and it’s not a pretty…and has been filling our bathroom for the last 2 days…
Somewhere under the layers of boxes, bags, files and papers I have presents waiting to be wrapped, cards to be sent, decorations to be put up…the children broke up from school yesterday..and for the last 4 days? Playdates every single day…my parents are living with us whilst their house is re-built….the cupboards are bare, the supermarkets are heaving and I just want to find a nice black hole to climb into…
Say a little prayer for me to the God of sanity..it’s either that or alcohol..and any more and I’ll be permanently pickled…
Laters, Kate x
Oooops I did it again…
Such a beautiful jacket non? Vintage 70’s, never been worn – was left over stock from a shop that when it closed down got packed away in an attic..light weight wool with that gorgeous navy edging…it was crying out for a new home and a bit of love…it would’ve quite frankly been cruel to walk on by…and the best bit? A mere £15……..sigh. Gotta seize these opportunities when they presents themselves hashtag you always see the best stuff a) When you’re not meant too or b) When you’re broke.
I bought it at a Christmas vintage fair in Belsize Park last weekend where I was very lucky to meet up with the lovely blogger Gabrielle from Wee Story Book.
Who can resist a cup a tea in a proper china and a good gossip surrounded by delights?
There were little secrets in every corner waiting to be explored.
And live music.
This was a fantastic stall selling everything from Pucci to Gucci..Crystal the stall holder really knew her stuff.
Just a lovely day to pretend to Christmas shop and buy more stuff for me and dip into power of the Blogging Community. I hope we do it again in the New Year Gabrielle!
Laters, Kate x
So Good x
THE MANIFESTO AS WRITTEN BY TOOGOOD
WHEREAS for too long we have witnessed the honest clothing of working people being stolen and arrogated in the name of so-called utility wear and industrial chic;
WHEREAS in an age of digital reproduction the individual is beset on all sides by the bastions of mercantilism and commerce, those false profiteers who prescribe with one hand and proscribe with the other, while forcing allcomers into constrictive sartorial templates;
WHEREAS the entrenched power bases of couture houses and multinationals mete and dole grotesque sumptuary laws to a compliant populace in the form of biannual ‘seasons’, weaving obsolescence into the very fabric of their garments;
WE HEREBY reject and reprehend the cruel diktats of the discredited fashionista treadmill: the voracious cycle in which spring/summer is devoured by autumn/winter, and autumn/winter is in turn devoured by spring/summer. Let them be rendered obsolete by the very inconstancy they thrive upon — we want it to happen! We will create only when we choose to create. Never again shall free thinkers be in thrall to the caprices of chainstore buyers or of marketing consultants!
OUR AIMS are simple, our methods straightforward. We shall sweep aside the crumbling detritus of plutocrat designers and clear the way for a new aesthetic rooted in individuality and honesty, a liberating mode that is available to all, male and female, old and young. We celebrate the craft and the toil of the workers — not faceless serfs running up disposable fads in farflung sweatshops, but named artisans with pride in their labour.
WE SHALL harness the techniques and forms of this mechanised age and return them to the people. The inherent worth of any object lies not in the pronouncements of the self-appointed arbiters of collective taste, but in provenance and the craftsmanship of manufacture.
The Beekeeper
The Road sweeper
The Oilrigger.
The Courier
The Chemist
The Mechanic
Each coat is groundly based in the the workwear of a specific trade – authentic and pactical. There is no gender bias instead they are available in 6 sizes to enhance or disguise individual frames.
Unique labels inside each garment celebrate the workmanship and craft of each process and layer of creativity: The buyer, the seller, the manufacturer right back to the designer and pattern cutter. A simple, clear badge of pride.
Integrity, style, class and…excitement.
Laters, Kate x
The Obsession Continues..
Navajo Blanket Coats are not the only fruit. An integral part of Canada’s fashion history is the Hudson Bay Blanket Coat..they hit you right in the imagination..gotta love those pockets..
(Photo from http://www.geekychic.ca)
As an example of love, craftsmanship, necessity and creative courage they are genius.
Looking through pictures you’ll find each one just a little bit different.
Such a simple idea that still packs a punch. Check out www.pointblankets.com for more historical information.
But I likey this tartan blanket coat too with it’s clever use of the fringing. 
And that zip-off collar…sigh
Now..where are my scissors……..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 
