The Women's Room | Daily Life and Style Inspiration

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingJune 27, 2013

The Folio Society illustrated books

By Amanda

As we see ebook purchases overtake paper books (both in 2011 and 2012) there is a worry that the pile of soon-to-be-read books teetering dangerously on the bedside table will become a thing of the past. But really, this is… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 27, 2013

Street Style: Arty dressing at the Venice Biennale

By Amanda

I was in Venice last weekend for the Art Biennale and so I took the chance to shoot a few stylish exhibition attendees. It was gloriously sunny (remember what that’s like?) so I concentrated on women who had got that… Read More

Art & CultureJune 26, 2013

Outsider artist and alternative style icon: Lee Godie

By Jane

I’ve been a fan of outsider art ever since I saw Henry Darger’s work at The Folk Art Museum in New York several years ago. I found his story as interesting as his art and was intrigued how outsider art… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 25, 2013

Older models: Jenni Rhodes, looking good in Zara

By Amanda

Last week I was doing some work with MA fashion journalism students at the London College of Fashion and was thrilled to see that one of them, Ana Rosado, is working on a final project that’s a fashion magazine for… Read More

Health & Happiness, We Are ReadingJune 24, 2013

Lean In: Women Work & the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

By Jane

Sheryl Sandberg joined Google when it was a start-up and went on to become COO at Facebook. Clearly a clever, ambitious, women, she also professes to be good negotiator and a strong networker. She also puts her success down to… Read More

Art & CultureJune 24, 2013

Womenomics: and why brands need to listen to us

By Jane

Last week we were asked to join a group of inspiring women to talk at the LSN Global network evening. LSN is part of the Future Laboratory, a trend forecasting, brand strategy and consumer insight company, who work with brands… Read More

Home & GardenJune 21, 2013

Bedlinen care with The White Company

By Amanda

Last week we talked to Vanessa Hurley-Perera, head buyer for bedlinen at The White Company and discovered that she has slightly OCD tendencies when it comes to bedlinen…which only endeared us too her more and of course, makes her a… Read More

Middle Aged MumJune 20, 2013

Middleagedmum.com: the one where I develop an addiction

By Jane

It all started innocently enough, a casual remark made by a work colleague, which I didn’t really engage with. Something about a new game they had downloaded on their phone – whatever. Not for me I thought, I’m too busy… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 19, 2013

Marni Denim Edition, while we are talking about denim

By Amanda

While we are talking denim, how lovely is this new Marni Denim Edition collection, coming for Autumn 2013? Posh denim at its best, available from Marni stores world wide. We can but dream… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 19, 2013

New ways to sell: Selfridges Denim Studio

By Amanda

Selfridges has opened a new Denim Studio and increased the size of its denim floor until it’s the size of Ireland, or something like that (the world’s largest dedicated denim dept, to accurately quote the press release). The reason this… Read More

Health & Happiness, We Are ReadingJune 18, 2013

Living the Good Life by Martha Stewart

By Amanda

Martha has written a book about ageing. Just launched, it tells us how to stay healthy and happy, Martha-style, by eating well, keeping fit and remembering that family and friends are more important than a stress-y job. I It’s an… Read More

Out & AboutJune 18, 2013

Ginstock & Street Feast

By Jane

Food is quite possibly the most interesting/fashionable thing happening in London at the moment, as entrepreneurs turn previously disused buildings into coffee shops, start micro breweries and distilleries, sell food from round on the world on market stalls and trucks… Read More

Middle Aged MumJune 17, 2013

Middleagemum.com: losing your best friend’s handbag

By Amanda

I have absolutely no problems at all with growing older, there is a joy in maturity that frees you from the angst-making neurotisism of youth that I’m finding hugely liberating….However, I could really do with NOT forgetting where I put… Read More

Home & GardenJune 15, 2013

Happy World Gin Day!

By Amanda

We couldn’t let World Gin Day go by without a comment. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve switched to gin from wine, which has been making me feel a bit poisoned of late (I’m blaming the menopause). Gin is definitely having… Read More

Art & CultureJune 14, 2013

When Caitlin met Suzanne!

By Jane

Last weekend was a frenzy of all things literary here in the peoples Republic of Stoke Newington. The Literary Festival kicked off with Irvine Welsh in conversation with on John Niven Monday night, who drank and swore their way through… Read More

Home & GardenJune 13, 2013

Learning about Bedlinen with The White Company

By Amanda

Continuing our mini theme of finding the best bedlinen out there, I got the chance last week to interview the fabulously knowledgable Vanessa Hurley-Perera, The White Company’s bedlinen buyer and all round fabric geek. She demonstrated a nerdy OCD-ness about… Read More

Art, Culture & Craft, We Are ReadingJune 12, 2013

The Hand-stitched Home by Caroline Zoob

By Amanda

If you love those country-style floral embroideries you come across on vintage tea cosies and napkins, this book is for you. Caroline Zoob spent ten years living in Virginia and Leonard Wolf’s Monks House and the experience has influenced her… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 12, 2013

H&M and Isabel Marant

By Jane

So Isabel Marant is to be the next H&M collaboration and unless you were on a desert Island yesterday (or don’t use the internet) you will have heard the whole world (well fashion people anyway) waxing lyrical about how fabulous… Read More

Things We LoveJune 12, 2013

Sticki-mitts from Lakeland

By Amanda

Where have these been all my life? I have a sticky clothes roller for super-dust removal before I go out the house and to roller the boys whenever I get the opportunity to make them look more presentable. But these… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 11, 2013

Street style: how to look glamourous in a kaftan and an all-in-one

By Amanda

Demonstrating that style definitely has no age limit, I came across these two gorgeous women modelling for Jeannie McQueeny last week and they looked absolutely stunning in their kaftans and all-in-ones. Genie (mostly) makes heavily embroidered and bejewelled kaftans… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingJune 10, 2013

The Crow Road by Iain Banks

By Amanda

We are so very sad to hear about the far too early death of the writer Iain Banks at 59. For those of you who have never read any of Iain Bank’s books, can we suggest you start with The… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 10, 2013

Birkenstocks are back!

By Jane

Have they ever been away I hear you cry and why on earth would we give up on quite possibly the most comfortable footwear ever invented? Even when they introduced the not quite so comfortable, toes post and one straps… Read More

Things We LoveJune 10, 2013

Philip Kingsley Hair Dietary Supplements

By Amanda

I started to take these dietary supplements from Philip Kingsley around Christmas time because I was a bit concerned my hair was thinning with age. Around April time, people began saying things like ‘have you changed your hair colour?” or… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 7, 2013

Two things to buy from Gap

By Amanda

Back in the day, Gap used to be fabulous. Light years before Uniqlo took over cheerful casual dressing, Gap had everything you needed for stylish weekend dressing plus a splash of Californian cheer. Original supermodels looked chic in the capris,… Read More

Art & CultureJune 6, 2013

Who runs the World – Girls

By Jane

Occasionally in life you feel you are in exactly the right place at the right time. Be it fate, or luck, or simply good planning, things come together at one time and everything just feels right. It may not last… Read More

Out & AboutJune 5, 2013

Laurie Anderson and LUCZA give-away

By Amanda

Exciting news…we have two tickets to see Kronos Quartet & Laurie Anderson at the Barbican…. TO GIVE AWAY! I know, aren’t we the big hearted blog! The tickets, which are for 28th June 2013, have been kindly donated by LUCZA,… Read More

Things We LoveJune 4, 2013

Grenada Chocolate Company at Rococo Chocolate

By Amanda

I love everything about the Rococo Chocolate company founded by Chantal Coady. Obvs the chocolate is fabulous, so much more interesting than anything else I’ve ever tried, but I’ve loved her store from the moment it opened on the Kings… Read More

Fashion & BeautyJune 4, 2013

Street style: dressing for a chilly summer

By Amanda

One of the first spring Hammersmith Vintage Fairs back in April saw some of the stall holders looking beautifully styled in maxi lengths. If the chilly weather carries on, it might be worth thinking about a maxi dress as a… Read More

Art & CultureJune 3, 2013

Behind the Candleabra

By Jane

Following on from yesterdays post. Check out the new film about Liberace’s life, Behind the Candelabra. Out on June the 7th, it stars Micheal Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as is Scott, the animal trainer and would-be vet, who… Read More

UncategorizedJune 2, 2013

Will and Grace and 70’s camp

By Jane

Will and Grace has long been one of my favourite TV programmes. In the way that I loved the Mary Tyler Moore show in the 70’s and Friends in the 80’s and 90’s, Will and Grace were my fantasy room… Read More