The Women's Room | Daily Life and Style Inspiration

Art & CultureJune 19, 2014

The one where I interview Middleagedad on his art project Resonate Generate

By Amanda

Regular readers may remember Barnes Middleagedad is doing a fine art degree at Chelsea College of Arts. Well, it’s Final Show time and Resonate Generate is his final piece of work. it’s a pop up 70s vinyl Punk V Prog… Read More

Things We LoveJune 19, 2014

We love: The Inspiration Pad notebook

By Amanda

The inspired line arrangements on the Inspiration Pad, by Brussels design agency TM, may help you to think laterally. Or at least improve your doodling. I found this notepad on one of my favourite blogs, This Is Colossal. The notepads,… Read More

Health & HappinessJune 18, 2014

All hail Wallace, the Sartorial Schnauzer

By Jane

To mark the launch of its new range of bespoke leather accessories for dogs, Hanson of London has teamed up with Get Müllered and Dance (Robert Francis Müller & Jessica Dance) to produce a fun, tongue-in-cheek short film showcasing Hanson… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 17, 2014

Dressing for summer: the perfect kimono jacket

By Amanda

Kimono jackets -currently having a moment in the fashion sun – are the perfect menopausal summer jacket, just look at all that ventilation on the sleeves! Plenty of room for a cooling summer breeze to bring down your hot flush … Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 16, 2014

Dressing for summer: the sequin skirt

By Jane

A pencil skirt is a thing of great beauty and believe it or not, can suit almost anyone if styled in the right way. As bums are officially now a “thing” (thanks Kim Kardashian – at least you have done… Read More

Health & HappinessJune 14, 2014

Weekend Woman: Julia Forte from the London Gin Club

By Amanda

It’s World Gin Day today, hurrah! So we thought we’d put Julia Forte (born1965), founder of the London Gin Club up as one of our weekend women. Julia runs her delightful gin club from the Star At Night, a bar … Read More

Health & HappinessJune 14, 2014

Weekend Woman: Suzy Menkes

By Amanda

Suzy Menkes is a regal queen in our fashion world and one of the most respected fashion journalists working today. For 25 years she was style editor of the International New York Times, formally the International Herald Tribune. Now, at… Read More

Home & GardenJune 13, 2014

We love: organic edible flowers from Maddocks Farm

By Amanda

Middleagedad will only allow me to have one dinner party a year as he is not a fan of them. I think I might have put him off them right back when our sons were younger and we were busy… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingJune 13, 2014

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

By Amanda

Americanah manages to weave issues such as race, culture and immigration around a captivating love story spanning three continents. I’d avoided this book for far too long, mistakenly thinking it sounded much too depressing and heavy for the early-morning commute.… Read More

Health & HappinessJune 12, 2014

See this: The Rebel Menopause

By Jane

85 year old Therese Clerc thinks “Menopause is when a woman’s life begins,” and reveals her thoughts on ageing as a ‘time of complete freedom’ in the new film Rebel Menopause. Therese is a militant feminist whose passion for politics… Read More

Art & CultureJune 11, 2014

Guest Blog: Julia Little reviews East London Art Tours

By Amanda

Today we are joined by guest blogger Julia Little who recently went on one of Hymie Dunn’s East London Art Tours and loved it, so we asked if she would review the tour for us here. Over to you Julia….… Read More

Things We LoveJune 11, 2014

A TWR readers special discount at The Secret Linen Store

By Amanda

If you are thinking about swapping your bedlinen to lighter summer-weight numbers, only to find those sheets and duvets looking less fabulous than you remember them, it might be time for some new purchases (particularly because of our special offer,… Read More

Health & HappinessJune 10, 2014

See this: Bright Days Ahead

By Jane

There is something liberating about growing older and shedding some of the responsibilities that have dominated our day to day lives for the last couple of decades. Who knows what exciting adventures lie ahead, both at work and in our… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 9, 2014

Designer watch: Sofie D’Hoore

By Amanda

I’ve got another girl crush, this time on the grown up Belgian designer Sofie D’Hoore. Sofie started her design company in 1992, previously she was a…dentist. That’s not a job-swap you write very often. But it does help you understand… Read More

Health & HappinessJune 7, 2014

Weekend Woman: Chrissie Hynde

By Amanda

We don’t normally blog at the weekend but I feel the need for a new visual post here on TWR to recognise some truly awesome older women doing great things. It’s hard enough to be a working women in this… Read More

Out & AboutJune 6, 2014

The New Craftsmen Gallery space, our kind of shop

By Amanda

You might remember my enthusiastic post on the pop up New Craftsmen Garage late last year, which I was a little late telling you about. Well I hope I’m the first to flag up the collective’s fabulous new space, in… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingJune 5, 2014

Love Story With Murders by Harry Bingham

By Amanda

This is a cracking read for anyone who likes an intelligent crime novel. The heroine is a wonderfully written mash up between Saga from The Bridge and Sarah Lancashire in the dismally grim but completely compelling Happy Valley. The story… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 5, 2014

At Last! The perfect T shirt from The White T-Shirt Co.

By Amanda

Penny Jones, the founder of the White T-Shirt Co made contact with us recently to let us know that she was in business again, having closed her company in 2010 because her organic yarn supplier closed and she was reluctant… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 4, 2014

Unique Style Platform: A new trends service for the fashion industry

By Jane

Six months ago I decided that just for once, instead of talking about what I’d like to do with my life, I should actually get on and do it. I’d spent many months thinking the only way I was ever… Read More

Things We LoveJune 3, 2014

Oxo Good Grip electronics cleaning brush

By Amanda

If, like me, you have a laptop keyboard that is encrusted with baked on hand cream, unidentified sticky lumps and a general aged patina that might make the experts on the Antique Road Show look twice, you need one of… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 3, 2014

FitFlops, no longer a style free zone

By Amanda

So FitFlops, until recently I wouldn’t have thought to go near them, as I was under the impression they were a style free zone. I know, I know, friends have told me they are marvellously comfortable, brilliant for walking over… Read More

Home & GardenJune 2, 2014

Read this: Anthology, Style at Every Age

By Jane

Anthology is a refreshingly good read, in a magazine market saturated with celebrity obsessed trash and beautiful but “samey” lifestyle publications. Stunning images, nice paper and contemporary design doesn’t always make for really interesting features with people you’d actually like… Read More

Art & CultureMay 31, 2014

See this: Phyllida Barlow at Hauser & Wirth Savile Row

By Amanda

Do you remember we posted recently on the wonderful artist Phyllida Barlow and her DOCK installation at Tate Britain? Well some of Phyllida’s drawings are on show at the Hauser & Wirth gallery on Savile Row, conveniently close to Regent… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingMay 30, 2014

Still Life with Breadcrumbs by Amy Quindlen

By Amanda

Still Life with Breadcrumbs will have you immersed from the first page and leave you wishing for a sequel at the last. It centres around the life of Rebecca Winter, a 60 year old photographer forced to up sticks to… Read More

Home & Garden, Out & AboutMay 30, 2014

The Cocktail Gardener talks plant powered cocktails with The Women’s Room

By Amanda

Cocktails mixed with flowers and gardening? Does that sound like the perfect combination in our quest to learn how to mix an interesting cocktail? The delightfully grown up Lottie Muir is the Cocktail Gardener and we caught five minutes of… Read More

Health & HappinessMay 29, 2014

Calling all interested women: Are you a Libertine?

By Jane

Our favourite magazine for interested women, Libertine, has just launched a crowdfunding campaign – and they need your help. If your interests extend beyond fashion and beauty and you want to see more thoughtful, intelligent, and useful content that will… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMay 28, 2014

Marks & Spencer, an update on AW14 and a few things to buy for summer

By Amanda

We know you -like us- have strong feelings on M&S, so just while the weather is a bit wintery (I was going to do a post on summer dresses but I’ll save that until I’m not sat here wrapped in… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMay 27, 2014

Are you Kaftan ready?

By Jane

It’s that time of year when our inbox starts filling up with helpful emails from PR’s tasking “are you bikini ready?” and “do you have the perfect beach body?” The temptation to reply to these inane emails and tell them… Read More

Fashion & Beauty, Home & GardenMay 26, 2014

Talking cashmere and moths with Angela Bell from Queene & Belle

By Amanda

I’ve all but given up buying cashmere due to moth issues here at the Barnes division of TWR, which is a shame because there are lovely sweaters around to tempt me, such as these delicious ones (below) from cashmere expert… Read More

Food, We Are ReadingMay 26, 2014

Top Bananas by Mumsnet

By Amanda

If you’d rather clean the toilet than think about another evening meal, but find the formidable list of ingredients in most cookbooks deters you from trying anything new, Mumsnet’s latest publication might be just what you’ve been looking for. The… Read More