The Women's Room | Daily Life and Style Inspiration

Fashion & BeautyMarch 27, 2014

Christina Strutt’s new Cabbages and Roses store – complete with fairy skirts

By Amanda

Christina Strutt has been at the helm of her home and fashion brand Cabbages & Roses for 14 years, sailing, at times, through rocky waters. We’ve always been big fans and despite a few set-backs along the way – “I’m… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 26, 2014

Me by Me at TK Maxx

By Jane

TK Maxx is a Marmite type retailer, you either love it or hate it, and until recently I was very much a hater. All that trailing through rail after rail of “stuff” just wasn’t for me. But when I met… Read More

Home & GardenMarch 25, 2014

Cocktail shakers: the Mother’s Day present for grown up mums

By Amanda

Enough with the scented candles. As an alternative present for Mother’s Day, can I suggest you encourage your offspring to treat you to some really classy cocktail equipment? Regular readers will know that this year I aim to get you… Read More

Things We LoveMarch 24, 2014

PetsPyjamas Pet Travel Bowl

By Jane

Every so often a product comes along that’s so ingenious, you wish you hadn’t just fantasised about it, but actually patented it yourself. Almost every time we go off on a long dog walk on a hot summers day, I… Read More

Art & CultureMarch 24, 2014

See this: The Company of Dogs

By Jane

When PetsPyjamas got together with portrait photographer Gerrard Gethings and the Dogs Trust to create an exhibition to celebrate canine life and raise money to help rescue dogs, who knew it would create such so much interest. The Company of… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 21, 2014

A new Marks & Spencer website….it’s all about the editorial edit

By Amanda

I’m just checking you’ve all noticed that M&S has upped its game with a new editorial website design. It soft launched during Fashion Week, shortly after its impressive static show -we wrote about that here – and I have to… Read More

Art & CultureMarch 20, 2014

Ultra Violet: Woman of the Future

By Jane

“I am Woman of the future,” said Ultra Violet, the 83-year-old French-born artist, author, lover to Dali and muse Warhol, when she met TWR NYC roving reporter Ali, at the Volta Art Fair NY to preview (and Instagram) her latest… Read More

Health & Happiness, We Are ReadingMarch 20, 2014

Toast & Marmalade by Emma Bridgewater

By Amanda

I’m only guessing, but I bet a good deal of our readers have a bit of Emma Bridgewater pottery in the cupboard. Emma’s ceramics started off as the coolest thing in the world to eat your supper off at one… Read More

Things We LoveMarch 19, 2014

Jo Malone’s Mother’s Day Floral Box

By Amanda

IF ANYONE”S LISTENING/READING FROM AMANDA’S FAMILY…THIS, PLEASE. In my dreams…how fabulous would this be if it arrived on Mother’s Day? Jo Malone has teamed up with one of our favourite florists Scarlet & Violet to produce this heavenly floral box,… Read More

Art & CultureMarch 19, 2014

See This: Boro, Threads of Life at Somerset House

By Amanda

Be still my indigo-loving, denim obsessed, all-things-Japanese-admiring heart, for this April there is to be an exhibition of 40 fine examples of Boro work dating from the late 1700s at Somerset House, of which some are for sale ……(‘carefully cuts… Read More

Middle Aged MumMarch 18, 2014

Middleagedmum.com; the teenage years in hindsight

By Jane

Recent birthdays here at Middle-aged Towers saw teen son turn 20 and teen daughter 18, so we are now officially a house full of adults. Although most adults I know don’t live in rooms that resemble squats and tend to… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 17, 2014

One useful thing to buy from Gudrun Sjödén

By Amanda

As I write, the weather here in London is as close to perfect for an early spring day as is imaginable. There are no clouds in the sky, the sun is warm and the blossom is bursting out all over… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingMarch 14, 2014

Mind The Child by Camila Batmanghelidjh and Kids Company

By Amanda

Camila Batmanghelidjh, inspiring head of Kids Company, was asked by Penguin Books to help celebrate the London Underground by writing a book about what it meant to her. She promptly turned the project into a chance to focus on the… Read More

Home & GardenMarch 14, 2014

Flowers for Mothers Day

By Jane

Whether you agree with Mothers Day or not (I veer between thinking it’s a commercial nonsense, to feeling hurt if no-one makes a fuss – contrary me?!) it’s tricky to think of original presents for 80 year old mums who… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 13, 2014

French Dressing with Ines de la Fressange and Uniqlo

By Amanda

Interesting Uniqlo collaboration klaxon! Ines De La Fressange, the lanky French model who pretty much personifies the word ‘chic’ has collaborated with our favourite casual brand Uniqlo to produce a range of grown up clothes. Normally I’d be very excited… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 12, 2014

Go Viv

By Jane

Vivienne Westwood has never been afraid to say what she thinks and her latest way of making a statement about climate change was more than evident when she took to the streets last week to join a protest in her… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 11, 2014

Spring coats: the lure of a denim duster

By Amanda

I’ve been hankering after a denim duster coat ever since I stalked a Japanese tourist last year who was wearing the very nicest denim coat I have ever seen. Sadly, despite my best translate-by-hand-waving-and-smiling-a-lot efforts, the language barrier proved too… Read More

Art & CultureMarch 10, 2014

See this: Yves Saint Laurent

By Jane

Frankly there is no better way to see a film than with a glass of procesco in a private screening room at the Soho Hotel, and last week we were invited to do just that by the lovely people at… Read More

Home & Garden, We Are ReadingMarch 7, 2014

Inspire, The Art Of Living With Nature, by Willow Crossley

By Amanda

I could fill my bookshelves with books like this lovely new one from creative florist and passionate crafty person Willow Crossley. Inspire, The Art Of Living With Nature, is full of i50 nnovative ideas on what to do with garden… Read More

Home & GardenMarch 7, 2014

A burst of spring from Scented Narcissi and the Blue Box Flower Company

By Amanda

Spring landed firmly on my doorstep this week with a giant bunch of heavenly scented narcissi, from the nice people over at The Blue Box Flower Company, who are based on The Scilly Isles. Narcissi must be some of the… Read More

Health & HappinessMarch 6, 2014

Are older women invisible in the workplace?

By Jane

Over the last few years, my friends and I have noticed a change in the way we are viewed in the workplace. We mostly all work in fashion, design or the media and many of us never imagined we would… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 5, 2014

Style Icon: Connie, Lady Keeble, of Blandings

By Amanda

Is anyone else completely hooked on Blandings, The BBC’s version of PG Woodhouses’s books? For those of you who haven’t been watching, it’s like a mad cross between Downton Abbey and Faulty Towers, with added pigs. It makes me giggle… Read More

Out & AboutMarch 4, 2014

See this: WOW

By Jane

300 speakers and performers from around the world will take part in more than 120 events at Southbank Centre’s annual WOW – Women of the World festival 2014 which starts tomorrow and ends on Sunday. The festival is now in… Read More

Things We LoveMarch 3, 2014

Eve Lom Radiance Perfecting Complexion range

By Amanda

This is a lovely new addition from Eve Lom, the Complexion Range, a selection of foundations, tinted moisturisers, concealers and powders that are top quality performers. As grown up women, we’re benefiting more than other age groups from all the… Read More

Fashion & BeautyMarch 3, 2014

Older models in fashion; slowly but surely making their mark

By Amanda

It’s been rather a good start to the year for older models. It’s not just that there’s more of them about in 2014, but we’re also seeing more coverage on blogs, websites and in the printed press about how having… Read More

Health & HappinessFebruary 28, 2014

Being Mindful

By Jane

Feeling overwhelmed with work, technology and hideous menopausal anxiety at the end of last year, I decided that I would try to live in the moment and be more present in 2014. It seems I am not the only one… Read More

Art & CultureFebruary 27, 2014

Watch this: 20 Feet from Stardom

By Amanda

The Oscars are this weekend, nominated in the category for Best Documentary Feature is 20 Feet From Stardom, directed by Morgan Neville and if it doesn’t win I will be hurling abuse at the TV. For anyone who reckons they… Read More

Art & CultureFebruary 26, 2014

A Brief History of Art Undressed

By Jane

Following on from Amanda’s insights into Women in Art, last week I went along to the Tate Modern to hear about role of the nude in art. Part of the Unlock Art series of events, Amanda’s girl crush Linda Bolton,… Read More

Out & AboutFebruary 25, 2014

Meeting Cressida Bell and a few things to buy from Heals

By Amanda

We were invited to meet the designer Cressida Bell at Heals last week, she of the innovative cake design book we wrote about so enthusiastically here. She was trying to teach us how to do her amazing decorative designs on… Read More

Things We LoveFebruary 24, 2014

YSL Kiss & Blush

By Jane

Now this is a useful product that you won’t regret buying. It looks like a nail varnish, but is in fact a lovely matt cream that works both as a blusher and a lipstick. I am not a fan of… Read More