The Women's Room | Daily Life and Style Inspiration

Art & Culture, Fashion & BeautyNovember 27, 2015

Guest Blogger In Residence: Selvedge Magazine Looks at Fair Isle

By Amanda

Today our guest blogger in residence Polly Leonard, editor of Selvedge magazine, takes a good look at the Fair Isle jumper. It was the invention of the criss-cross structure of weaving that led to the development of architecture and shelter.… Read More

Home & GardenNovember 26, 2015

Alternative Christmas Pudding

By Jane

If you’ve missed stir up Sunday and like me, are not overly fond of Christmas pudding anyway (all that small fruit makes me gag), you might want to think about trying out the rather delicious sticky toffee alternative below. I… Read More

Home & GardenNovember 25, 2015

The Powerful Smell Of Home

By Amanda

I don’t think either Jane and I are there yet, but there will come a time when we might want to downsize from our family homes to something easier to handle as we get older. Personally I have my eye… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 24, 2015

Shopping for Glasses Online

By Jane

When I was asked if I wanted to try out shopping for glasses online, it couldn’t have come at a better time. A month ago I had an old lady fall and bashed my nose on the pavement. After five… Read More

Art, Culture & Craft, We Are ReadingNovember 23, 2015

The Crafted Garden by Louise Curley

By Amanda

I can never get enough of these garden ideas books, particularly when they are full of fabulous images and easy to follow instructions. This lovely book by Louise Curley divides its decorative botanical projects by season, its winter section is… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 23, 2015

A Very Good Denim Dress From COS

By Amanda

A quick post today telling you about a very good denim dress I stumbled over in COS last week. I was Christmas present shopping for twentysomethingsons and it just fell into my vision, honest. I was drawn to the deep… Read More

Fashion & Beauty, Home & GardenNovember 20, 2015

Guest Blogger-In-Residence Polly Leonard, On Protected Status For Textile Heritage

By Amanda

Our second post from guest blogger in residence Polly Leonard of Selvedge fame. This week Polly’s putting forward a strong arguement for textile heritage recognition…do I feel a campaign coming on? What do Single Gloucester, Arbroath smokies and Whitstable oysters… Read More

Home & GardenNovember 18, 2015

Mid Week Cooking: Dish Next Door

By Jane

Imagine this – it’s 6pm, you have at least another hours work to do and nothing in the fridge. And even if there was, the thought of cooking when you get in is a step too far. Take aways are… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 18, 2015

The Best Perfumes For Women I’ve Worn This Year

By Amanda

This has been my year of fragrance, what with setting up We Wear Perfume and all the sniffing and research that’s entailed. I reckon I’m in a pretty good place to tell you about the perfumes you might want to… Read More

Home & Garden, We Are ReadingNovember 17, 2015

The Kinfolk Home by Nathan Williams

By Jane

Kinfolk Home focus’s on slowing down and creating more considered, simple living spaces. Author Nathan Williams explores 35 homes, from the US to Scandinavia, Japan, Asia, Africa and Australia – ranging from an old cabin in the woods, clean-lined modern… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 16, 2015

The Perfect Velvet Trouser Suit for the Christmas Season

By Amanda

I’m writing this post because I’ve fallen in love again, it happened last week in Zara, when I clapped eyes on this delicious winter-green velvet trouser suit in a sloppy-silk velvet that felt like I was wearing, well, those pyjamas… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 15, 2015

Party Dressing Dilemmas: Sparkly Shoes

By Jane

I was recently invited to a black tie dinner which sent me into something of a occcassion wear spin! I am not one for dressing up and hate heels, but was aware dressing down wasn’t an option. Having made many… Read More

Art & Culture, Home & GardenNovember 13, 2015

You Have To Be Careful About Craft, by Selvedge’s Polly Leonard

By Amanda

We had an AMAZING response to our Guest Blogger call-out, thanks to all of you who mailed us and today we are delighted to introduce a month long guest blogger Friday residency with Polly Leonard, founder and editor of our… Read More

Home & Garden, Out & AboutNovember 12, 2015

Writing With A Needle with Rosalind Wyatt

By Amanda

Today our regular guest blogger Julia Little, tells about the joy of re engaging with a needle and thread….over to you Julia. As Alber Elbaz said, when he recently stepped down from the creative reins of Lanvin, “Maybe we are… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 11, 2015

Night to Daywear: Luxury PJs

By Jane

Nightwear for day wear is definitely a thing and Milanese designer Francesca Ruffini has tapped in the whole maximalist/eccentric trend perfectly with her F.R.S. (For Restless Sleepers) range of PJs made from finest Italian (Como to be precise) silk. Featuring… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 10, 2015

Textile Fabulousness with Ace & Jig at Liberty

By Amanda

There is something infectiously thrilling about discovering young women who truly love what they do and are good at it too. I met Jenna Wilson and Cary Vaughan, the duo behind New York based design studio Ace & Jig at… Read More

Middle Aged MumNovember 9, 2015

middleagedmum.com: The Cult of Busy

By Jane

‘Hi love, I’m so sorry for the late reply, I’ve been absolutely manic this week. I can’t do next weekend or the weekend after, and then it’s Christmas… maybe we could get a date some time in Jan? Would love… Read More

Food, We Are ReadingNovember 8, 2015

Good Things To Drink with Mr Lyan & Friends by Ryan Chetiyawardana

By Amanda

This, I can vouch from recent practice, is an excellent book on drink. Since I received this to review last week I have thumbed enthusiastically through the recipes, considered a cocktail with pureed aubergines and made the Nuked Negroni, a… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 6, 2015

Making The Connection with Selvedge Magazine

By Amanda

My complete immersion in all things perfume over the last year has seen me pop up in places like .Cent Magazine and November’s Selvedge, writing about fragrance. This is my recent Making The Connection feature for Selvedge, about the changing… Read More

Home & GardenNovember 5, 2015

10 Years of Womens Fiction

By Jane

This week I went along to the ‘Best of the Best” event at the Piccadilly Theatre to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Baileys Womens Prize for Fiction. Presented by Kate Mosse Co-Founder and Chair of the Women’s Prize for… Read More

Art & Culture, Out & AboutNovember 4, 2015

See This: The Fabric of India at the V&A

By Amanda

The Fabric of India at The V&A is a no brainer exhibition to visit, even if you have only the very smallest interest in textiles, or just own a pashmina. It’s a gloriously colourful round up of the importance of… Read More

Health & Happiness, Home & Garden, We Are ReadingNovember 3, 2015

How to live Danishly

By Jane

Ever since I wrote about living softly at the beginning of the year, I have been ever so slightly obsessed with the concept of Hygge and all things Danish. Denmark is apparently the happiest place in the world, one imagines… Read More

Things We LoveNovember 2, 2015

The importance of a great dressing gown, with The White Company

By Amanda

We are big fans of The White Company and its beautiful but practical range of home ware and clothing. I am very fond of the Hydratowel range, having been introduced to it by The White Company’s own bedlinen buyer Vanessa… Read More

Art & CultureNovember 2, 2015

Synaesthesia and Instagram with Philippa Stanton

By Amanda

Despite having two Instagram accounts myself (@wewearperfume and @thewomensroomblog) and spending half my life on it, I had never heard of Philippa Stanton or her fabulously uplifting Instagram account @5ftinf with its 465,000 followers. It is possible you already know… Read More

UncategorizedOctober 30, 2015

Seeking Guest bloggers…

By Jane

It’s that time again, when Amanda and I find ourselves slightly overwhelmed with the demands of our day jobs, blogging and trying to have a life. So we are seeking contributors, either long or short term, to guest post for… Read More

Home & Garden, We Are ReadingOctober 29, 2015

The Shop Keepers Home by Caroline Rowland

By Jane

Taking a peek inside the homes of the owners of the most stylish lifestyle retailers, Caroline Rowland offers decorating advice inspired by their shopkeepers’ shops and houses, featuring inspirational furniture and lighting ideas, advice on layout, walls and floors and… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 29, 2015

Up close with Peruvian Connection

By Amanda

Years ago, back in the mid 80s, I regularly received the Peruvian Connection catalogue and its colourful and complex ethnic designs looked deliciously different from all those power suits and massive shoulders we were wearing. I loved it. Mail order… Read More

Middle Aged MumOctober 28, 2015

Middleagedmum.com: Age is no excuse

By Jane

There are two things that I refuse to buy into as I age. The first is the notion that age will hold me back from experiencing life to the full. I have absolutely no time for people who declare ‘I’m… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingOctober 27, 2015

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

By Amanda

Just in case any of your are as addicted to murder mysteries as I am, I’m just flagging up that the third book in the excellent Comoran Strike series, written by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) is out. Career Of… Read More

Home & Garden, Out & AboutOctober 27, 2015

Anthropologie’s Auction: how to get your hands on some stylish Christmas decorations

By Amanda

This has got me very excited, our friends over at Anthropologie are selling their super-creative in store display props to raise much needed cash for the Save The Children’s charity Child Refugee Crisis appeal. We love Anthro stores, they are… Read More