The Women's Room | Daily Life and Style Inspiration

Home & GardenNovember 3, 2010

Simple pleasures: Second hand books

By The Womens Room

There is something about the smell and feel of old books that is really special. The fact that they have already been read and are a little bit tatty and worn, adds to their sense of history and provenance. Barter… Read More

Home & GardenNovember 2, 2010

Martha moments: waxed flowers

By The Womens Room

Amanda went to see the film Over Your Cities, Grass Will Grow, Sophie Fiennes's film about the artist Anselm Kiefer, due to middleagedad wanting to get inspired for his art projects. We both found it hugely absorbing (well, I… Read More

Fashion & BeautyNovember 1, 2010

We love: getting the right size bra

By The Womens Room

Truelove in Barnes, which supports Breast Cancer month throughout October every year with Pink Friday One area of the body that sags inevitably with age, no matter how much anti ageing cream you apply, is your bust line. Skin tissue… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 31, 2010

Style icon: Franca Sozzani

By The Womens Room

Editor of Italian Vogue since 1988, Franco Sozzani is believe it or not, 60 years old. Ok she works in fashion, so she should know how to dress. But doesn't she look amazing, she even manages to pull off wearing… Read More

Novels & Biogs, We Are ReadingOctober 30, 2010

Beautiful Darkness by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia

By The Womens Room

When we heard about Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia’s method of writing novels together, we couldn’t help but be interested, since Jane and I are a writing partnership of sorts too (although sadly, nowhere near as rich). The ladies write… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 29, 2010

More fashion art: Rene Gruau

By The Womens Room

And there are more drawing treats at the Fashion Illustration Gallery, where the work of Rene Gruau is on display. Gruau illustrated many an International Textiles magazine cover and worked closely with his mate Cristian Dior to bring his designs… Read More

Fashion & Beauty, Out & AboutOctober 29, 2010

See this: Drawing Fashion

By The Womens Room

Drawing Fashion at the Design Museum showcases some of the most influential fashion illustrators from the twentieth and twenty first centuries. Featuring show reels, film clips, music and photography as well as original illustrations, from the collections of Chanel, Dior, Comme… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 28, 2010

Shopping with experts: Wallis’s 1923 coat collection

By The Womens Room

70s Cape, everyone’s favourite at £90 Do you remember we were talking about Wallis being a place EVERYONE used to go to for their coats? Back in the days when clothes shops were scarce and Chelsea Girl ruled the… Read More

Middle Aged MumOctober 27, 2010

Middleagedmum.com: Walking the dog

By The Womens Room

After three weeks of enforced indoor activity it is finally time to take the puppy out. We are both a little nervous, him whimpering nervously, reluctant to leave the safety of the house, me, feeling like a new parent exposing… Read More

Home & GardenOctober 26, 2010

Simple Pleasures: Violet

By The Womens Room

There really is nothing nicer than a cup cake and a cup of tea, and these mini cakes from Violet, one of our favourite stalls at Broadway market, are amazing. Food writer and stylist Claire Ptak, makes American style cupcakes with gorgeous… Read More

Home & GardenOctober 25, 2010

Reader testing: we need you, ladies!

By The Womens Room

No, this isn’t the Pure Line from Panasonic, I can’t get the picture of that to work this morning so we’ve got this lovely retro one instead until I can sort it out…. To start the week on a jolly… Read More

Middle Aged MumOctober 24, 2010

Middleagemum.com: So mum, can you fix my internet?

By The Womens Room

The Mifi in action You might remember that Amanda's middleteenageson has recently fledged the nest and moved into halls of residence at his university. MAD and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching from afar as he learns to cope on his… Read More

Art & CultureOctober 23, 2010

RIP: Ari Up

By The Womens Room

Cut by The Slits would be very near the top of my ultimate all time favourite albums and The Slits one of my all time favourite bands. Fascinated by their unique sound and style, they provided a complete contrast to… Read More

Health & Happiness, We Are ReadingOctober 22, 2010

The Natural Wedding Book by Louise Moon

By The Womens Room

After admiring the lovely wedding photos on our friend myvintagevows blog this summer, we rather liked the look of this more home spun, charm-rich wedding idea, not that either Jane or I are thinking of abandoning our MADs for new… Read More

Art & CultureOctober 21, 2010

We (well make that I) love: The Only Way is Essex

By The Womens Room

I love Downton Abbey, Modern Family, Mad Men, even Newsnight and I am a big fan of BBC4. I love culture of all kinds, and I mean all kinds. I love galleries, weird interactive theatre, read a couple of (serious-ish)… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 20, 2010

Shopping with experts: Hat Gallery MV

By The Womens Room

A while ago, TWR reader Pat from Wales asked us to look into interesting hats to wear for every day as things got colder. For a while we were a bit stumped. You can pick up smart event hats quite… Read More

Out & AboutOctober 19, 2010

See this: Flowers That Bloom Tomorrow

By The Womens Room

As a lover of bright colours and pattern, especially polka dots, I have long admired the work of Yayoi Kusama. The 81 year old from Japan is a sculptor, painter, writer, installation artist and performance artist. Having experienced hallucinations and mental… Read More

Out & AboutOctober 18, 2010

Shopping with experts: Kate Spade’s pop up store

By The Womens Room

We feel obliged to point out to you that the super-stylish Kate Spade brand, one of our favourite New York stores to stop off in if we are visiting, has opened a pop up store in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 18, 2010

Frieze 2010 fashion part two: accessories

By The Womens Room

Amanda’s favourite shoes spotted at Frieze Art Fair Continuing our fashion trend spotting at Frieze this year, here’s what was happening with accessories… Decorative tights. Patterned, brightly coloured, striped and lace details all livened up legs at Frieze. It was… Read More

Home & GardenOctober 17, 2010

We love: Orla Kiely kitchenware

By The Womens Room

The Orla Kiely range just keeps getting better and their latest addition is definitely going on our Christmas list. If you grew up in the 70’s you will love the Hornsea potteryesque shapes, complete with wooden lids. The casserole dishes… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 16, 2010

Frieze 2010 fashion part one: clothes

By The Womens Room

At Frieze Art Fair this week we couldn’t help but be impressed with the well groomed ladies that were admiring and buying the art. There was lots of style and a strong trend for very expensive boots and bags….not to… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 15, 2010

+J at Uniqlo: A reader writes….

By The Womens Room

Cashmere blend jacket from Unilqo's +J range £129.99 Yesterday neither Jane or I could get out to see the new +J range due to having to actually do some work for the day jobs. However we were lucky… Read More

Out & AboutOctober 14, 2010

Frieze Art Fair 2010: TWR edited highlights

By The Womens Room

Middleagedad and Amanda reflected in the work by Geert Goiris Today we were thrilled to be invited along to the opening day of Frieze, supposedly to look at the art, but I was FAR more interested in the clothes. Really,… Read More

Health & HappinessOctober 13, 2010

Happy Birthday to us

By The Womens Room

We can't quite believe it, but we are two years old today. It really does feel like five minutes since Amanda and I were hatching a plan to come up with a blog to appeal to women like us. We… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 12, 2010

More from the Sartorialist….

By The Womens Room

Another stunning picture from The Sartorialist……but of great interest to me this lunchtime, as I sat skimming through the 140plus comments on this picture, was how all the bright young things seem surprised and pleased that someone 'so old' still… Read More

Fashion & BeautyOctober 12, 2010

Gold hooped earrings and sheep at Wool Week

By The Womens Room

I have long wanted a pair of classic gold hooped earrings. I used to have a sweet pair that were my first ever earrings, the ones I had when my ears were first pierced, but they have long been lost.… Read More

Middle Aged MumOctober 11, 2010

Middleagedmum.com: Powdergate

By The Womens Room

In the last few years I have decided that my skin is no longer youthful enough to stand just any old skin care and cosmetics. Throughout my 20's and 30's I was happy to wash and go with any old… Read More

Health & HappinessOctober 10, 2010

Tea: we knew it was good for us

By The Womens Room

We've only just picked up on this bit of research on tea (via Country Living's October issue, we take our scientific research seriously here at TWR), which states that lots of cups of tea a day are not only good… Read More

Fashion & Beauty, Out & AboutOctober 9, 2010

See this: Ballet Russes

By The Womens Room

The Ballets Russes performed under Sergei Diaghliev between 1909 and 1929, using avant-garde composers, such as Stravinsky and designers such as Bakst, Goncharova, Picasso and Matisse and made a major contribution to the Modernist movement. Diaghilev and the Golden Age… Read More

Home & Garden, Out & AboutOctober 8, 2010

Store alert: Labour and Wait has moved

By The Womens Room

Just to let you know, the wonderful home wear store Labour and Wait has moved to bigger premises. Once of Cheshire Street, the new store is just around the corner in super cool Redchurch Street (surely the hottest retail street… Read More