Category: Summer Clothes

September 8, 2016

Dodo Bar Or

In London we’re still breathing clear blue skies and warm rays. It’s so nice to be able to still look at light, cotton clothes without thinking goosebumps. This label – Dodo Bar Or, headed by actress turned fashion designer Dorit ‘Dodo’ Bar Or is one that unashamedly flaunts all things summer and features on my wish list radar.

Sigh. There’s what I’m doing in my present. What I want to do in the future. And all the dreams inbetween.

Laters, Kate x

August 25, 2016

Charlie boy..

It was two years ago I wrote this post about my Charlie. To briefly re-cap it was to honour his sense of self and lack of inhibitions, particularly when it came to clothes..but I wondered how long it would last – there’s a big difference between 5 and 7. However I believe the photo above: Charlie holding a shell he found himself on an exploration round a rocky headland whilst illustrating his love of a fine sarong proves that nothing has yet changed..

He’ll happily have flowers in his hair..

Or braids. (When the girls had their hair braided..so did Charlie..)

When we did a wander around Covent Garden and Soho, to both find the BFG dream jars..and do a sneaky vintage shop trawl. All Charlie wanted was his own bow tie!

We did another shop, getting ready for the new term…he chose and black felt cap with ears (which he then wore to the Oval for the England v Pakistan test match)

A bag with pink tassels, a polka dot shirt and a sheepskin lined embroidered jacket..

All from Zara girl! (far better colours than the boys section I was told)

I think he’s going to be OK – they haven’t subverted him yet!

Long may it last!

Laters, Kate x

August 3, 2016

Stunning Storets x

This is a new label for me: Storets (based in the States, but they do free shipping, even internationally for any purchases over $75) Their USP sings a happy siren song: Interesting fashion with a feminine element that won’t break the bank.

Prices are roughly $60 – $150..but they look a million dollars – like straight off a red hot catwalk with the cats licking their paws to cool them down.

The only downside is – and this could be due to the season winding down – when I looked, the only sizes available were small. Maybe that’s how they keep their prices so low..

I can only hope they expand. In more ways than one.

Laters, Kate x

July 25, 2016

Mochi x

There are many kinds of happiness in the world..I’ve just spent an utterly lazy, child-free weekend with the husband that I refuse to regret as I look aghast at the weeks to-do list, slightly lower down that list of love is my passion for beautiful embroidery and textiles..which is all the more ring-starred when it can be married to intelligent, bridging the distance fashion.

Mochi is a brand whose identity lies deep in the love of ancient embroidery and needle craft. It was set up by Palestinian Mochi Ayah Tabai to produce visually stunning, wearable clothes that celebrate world-wide stitching communities.

Handcrafted by local artisans in their own countries, Mochi isn’t a melting pot of ideas but an acknowledgement of what each culture has to offer, from Jaipur, Palestine, Thailand, Uzbekistan to Hungary, all items produced are claimed under their own makers.

A top from Palestine, so easy with a pair of denim shorts.

A summer dress from Jaipur, ideal to dress up or dress down.

Shorts from Uzbekistan.

A crop top and skirt from Thailand.

They appeal to my love of the past, of inherent quality and the deep vein of romanticism I have running though my middle.

It’s a refreshing change from the polyester re-runs of the high street…we can have more, pay less and think we’re clever…or we can just put up our hands and say what we really love.

Laters, Kate x

July 6, 2016

Favourite season x

Who can’t love and feel the force of summer where the smell of adventure lies round every corner?

A summer dress, a pair of sandals, beach hair, don’t care and languid evenings to the point of feeling guilty.

Except I never will.

Laters, Kate x

July 1, 2016

Temptation..

Ahhhh the summer sales..that obstacle course of want versus need against lust. Thankfully there are some good places to plunder – MiH being one of them. Offering reductions up to 60% at the moment and they don’t just flog off crap stuff. Hold out if you dare and it eventually drops to 75%.

Practical, effortless and the right side of quirky.

Laters, Kate x

June 16, 2016

Shibori..

Yesterday was spent teaching a group of friends (I’m a rep for Charlie’s class) how to shibori tie-dye. It’s something I love to do with its heady mixture of deep indigo, spontaneity, freedom and promise.

I’ve posted about it before (here) but this year was a little bit different/lessons learnt – the scarfs are longer (2m – possibly the perfect length) and the dye is a new one: If you’re making a large dye bath with the more commonly used Dylon, it’s hard to keep the solution warm so I went for a procion dye that works with cold water (it’s the dye they use for batik dying) and it produced excellent results. If you want more info on dyes and techniques, check out this website (makes me wish I lived in Bognor)..this is a brilliant craft for kids in the summer..and imagine on duvet covers, sheets..or even larger pieces of furniture! Bella spent her evening after school dying..socks!

Gloves are always useful..

This may be old school..but it’s still the best.

Laters, Kate x

May 17, 2016

Deja Vu..

I’m in need of distraction: It’s the return day of the crittall door fit and there’s lots of sweaty men and heavy drilling in my house. At least the doors have made it inside this time (she writes as something loud and metallic crashes to the newly fitted parquet floor). There seems to be an emotional kickback for days like this..You want to pretend that everything is totally normal…but you get to the evening and realise you’ve actually achieved nothing..yet desperately need a large vat of gin – because these days are in fact, the black hole of time suck.

Time to mentally check out..and what better way than to surf through Pinterest..it was the summer dress above that first caught my roving eye..a simple flowing line, easy to wear but with a modern silhouette and pockets. So I followed the bread crumbs and discovered Canadian designer Kaelen Haworth.