If like me you picked up Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall in a book shop/airport many times last year, only to put it down in favour of something less GCSE homework like, then the BBC 2 adaptation of this must read middle class tome is just the thing to
a. Let you join in the cultural conversation and
b. Get you through the rest of January and February.
Set around King Henry VIII’s court – we see get to see the the plotting, intrigue, hunting, fever, death, costumes and candlelight from the point of view of the man who became Henry’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell.
Personally I love anything set in Tudor times not least for constant chopping off of heads and fabulous frocks. With my (shallow) trend forecaster’s hat on I predict Wolf Hall will have a huge influence on lifestyle, fashion and interior trends over the coming months and here’s why…….
Fur is already on the fashion radar but Wolf Hall takes this trend to a whole new level. Those castles must have been pretty draughty, so real fur was a fashion ‘must have’ for the Tudors. Look for vintage real fur (it’s been dead a long time therefore ok) or tones of brown fake fur to re-create the look.
Silk, velvet and Brocade in sumptuous rich colours (also with fur trims) in both fashion and interiors will be everywhere – mark my words you will want your living room to match your curtains and brocade duster coats with be a huge thing.
Feasting, particularly feasting by candle light, will be the new way to host a dinner party. Throw away all of your knives and forks and electric lights, stick a pig on a spit and make merry.
Just when you thought you had had enough of Damien Lewis he pops back up as an smouldering ginger king, in tights – January doesn’t get any better than this.
So if you haven’t read the book or seen seen the first episode, don’t worry, catch up on iPlayer and get ready to turn Tudor. Remember Wolf Hall is the new Downton – you heard it here first!
Love it so much I’ve watched it twice – love the music too #tudorbeats
We haven’t got it yet, hopefully soon. The book was fabulous -quite an easy read I thought.
Might have to try and read it Mary! Jx
Your fashion prediction spot on again! ,see page 7 ,Daily Telegraph 29 Jan ,”Valentino gives Paris its own version of Wolf Hall ” by Lisa Armstrong, at the Paris Fashion Week.
Any good at predicting whether Hull City will win on Saturday??.
Too bad they are wearing so many dead animals around their necks. At least there were a lot of animals alive in that century–there certainly aren’t any more. Hopefully, this won’t renew the craze for fashion at the expense of animals.