Red Alert
I have been “feeling” red for a while now and seeing it on the runway at Prada confirmed my need to buy something red asap.
Lily Allen also went for red (and Yellow nails) on the Graham Norton show last… Read More
Backpack research part three: the Shinola mini backpack
*UPDATE* 13th November 2014. The good news is that Shinola has opened a store in London (Newburgh St) and has a UK site, so my back pack is now available here.
I thought I’d up date you on the back… Read More
Middleagemum.com: Dear Radio 2 Folk Awards, please get a stylist next year
Oh my goodness, the Folk Industry makes it hard for any self respecting fashion girl to love it.
Last night through the magic of BBC scheduling, the Radio Two Folk Awards were on TV at the same time as The… Read More
Menswear triumph at FAD
FAD (Fashion Awareness Direct) is a charity which aims to provide young people (from 13 – 25) with a realistic insight into what it means to work in fashion. Workshops, industry days and work placement opportunities, allow the young people… Read More
Tiger, my new favourite store
Oh my, Tiger!
The Danish home and lifestyle retailer Tiger is absolutely my new favourite shop. Heading from one Fashion Week show to another on Monday, I stumbled upon the new-ish (it opened in August 2013) Tottenham Court Road Tiger… Read More
One Summer, America 1927 by Bill Bryson
If Bill Bryson had taught history at my school, or even written the history text books to be as entertaining as this is, I’d have become an historian. I absolutely love the easy accessibility of Bill’s writing, he spices up… Read More
Marks & Spencer get it right with Best of British
Ok so I admit the last few times I have attended an M&S press event, I haven’t been impressed. I go along full of positivity, I want to like it , I really do, but despite my good intentions, somehow… Read More
YSL Beauty’s Touche Eclat in its new leopard print wrapping
So, last week we learned how to apply YSL beauty’s Touche Eclat properly. What a difference a good teacher makes! In the pictures is Lloyd Simmonds, who is chief global honcho at YSL for all things make up and put… Read More
Possibly the Perfect Pencil (skirt) from J Crew
While perusing J Crew’s lovely new Regent Street store (for research purposes, obvs) last week I spotted a selection of perfect pencil skirts. In particular, this beautifully printed navy and antique white one, which looks like a bit of wearable… Read More
Limited Edition Love candle by Neom
Delicate, white flowers, Tuberose and Jasmine flowers, mixed with essence extracted from the Mimosa tree create a sweet, yet warming fragrance with a hint of honey and spice. This is divine and will make your house feel spring like –… Read More
How to wear the “new” flats!
You will notice more than a degree of sacarasm in my voice, as I write this post, as over the last few seasons I have steadfastly refuse to buy into the trend for high shoes and watched as friends I… Read More
Le Meridien’s Longitude cocktail bar in London’s Piccadilly
Regular readers will remember I have pledged this year to ensure we can all make an assortment of good cocktail by the end of 2014. Before we start to become experts in making our own ‘house’ cocktails, it’s vitally important… Read More
Barney’s trans gender campaign
The fashion industry is generally tolerant and gay friendly but not always open to embracing transgender models. Over the last few years however this has been changing, with Givenchy featuring Brazilian transgender model Lea T in Riccardo in its ad… Read More
Where Are The Women? Tate and Le Meridien get the conversation started
A while ago you may remember we wrote about Art Under Attack at Tate Britain and how we’d discovered a terrific mini exhibition about Suffragette art curated by artists and academics Olivia Plender and Hestor Reeve. How fabulous then, to… Read More
Perfume review: Roads by Danielle Ryan
Another interesting perfume launch by a young female artist, this time an Irish one. Danielle Ryan has launched Roads, a concept that covers books, films and fragrance and I got the chance to meet her recently at the UK launch… Read More
This is Paper
Check out This is Paper, which sums up the unique way blogs are becoming online shops, magazines and even online recruitments companies and all with a stunning visual sense and attention to detail.
Digital and analog meet to bring together… Read More
Terrariums, are they the new taxidermy?
It’s just a thought, but I am wondering if terrariums are the new taxidermy.
Particularly after a trip last week to Paxton Gate, a most fabulous store in the Mission district of San Francisco. I first learnt about terrariums from… Read More
Felt Dogs by Mitsuki Hoshi
For anyone who doesn’t own a dog but would quite like one, a felt one could be a useful mid-way help.
Easy to make and desperately cute, this how-to book will have you making a whole menagerie of pups by… Read More
Humans of New York
One of the many great things about living in a city is the weird and wonderful people you encounter on a daily basis. It teaches you tolerance, fosters an interest in the human race and encourages you to see the… Read More
A Breath of Hope by Angela Flanders
Last week we were invited to smell the new fragrance created by our favourite bespoke perfumer, Angela Flanders.
Breath of Hope is a limited edition perfume inspired by the poem that writer and fragrance critic Vicci Bentley dedicated to her. … Read More
Street shots, San Francisco-style
Last week, I was working in San Francisco and had the chance to observe how older women there dressed and snapped a few for inspiration.
First is the super-stylish Emmanuelle Linard, who works for Trend Union, the forecasting site run… Read More
The Ace Hotel
When the lovely people at the Ace Hotel offered to give away a nights stay to a lucky attendee at our salon, back in October, we were delighted. We carefully placed the lucky ticket under one of the seats and… Read More
Face creams for menopausal skin, from REN
Being menopausal is sometimes a bit like reliving your teenage years, skin care wise. Forget anti ageing and anti wrinkle, what a lot of us want now is skincare that stops us breaking out in spots and dehydrating to the… Read More
Karen Walker Visible: Spring 2014
Remember Karen Walker’s fabulous 2013 ad campaign with the women from Advanced Style? Well the New Zealand fashion and accessory brand have only gone and done something equally amazing for Spring 14.
Calling the new range of sunglasses KarenWalker Visible,… Read More
Pepto-Bismal pink lipstick – would you?
I’m developing something of an obsession with older women in the fashion and beauty industry. First I got a real girl crush on Catherine Walsh, who is SVP at beauty behemoth Coty and looks just fabulous in every picture I… Read More
Blue is the new pink
I don’t like to say I told you so, but remember who told you about pink back in March last year? Now you can’t move for shades of pink all over the high street and even good old M&S featured… Read More
We Love: Rivet and Hide
*Update! Danny now has a shop! At 5 Windmill Street, Fitzrovia, London*
While we were doing our Christmas pop up with Grenson’s, the lovely James and Florence, from Petalon Flowers introduced me to Danny Hodgson of Rivet and Hide, a… Read More
Three things to make you smile
It’s Monday morning and probably raining. Spring feels a long way off and no-drinking January is beginning to wear a bit thin. Here are three things I am currently loving, which will hopefully make you smile on a dreary Monday.… Read More
Style inspiration at EGG
I had completely forgotten about Egg, the tiny store in Kinnerton Street, Knightsbridge that punches well above its weight in terms of influence amongst fashion folk, considering its size. Then recently I saw my friend Lizzie looking amazing in a… Read More
Why I love soaps
Soaps have always been part of my life. Back in the 70’s I was a huge fan of the ridiculously camp Crossroads, set in a Birmingham motel, (Alan Partridge would have been a regular) and I watched Brookside religiously for… Read More