The Essentials

Essentials #1 - The Trench Coat

I am on a life long quest to pick up the perfect charity shop Burberry Trench. Whenever I discover a new Vintage shop, the first thing I do is scour the rails for the Trench coats. Double breasted, slim fitting and finding just the right shade of beige are a few things that are, for me, key. Looks perfect with cropped denim jeans, repetto flats and a breton top.

Essentials #2 - A pair of trusty Brogues

There's nothing like the juxtaposition of a pair of men's brogues against a floral dress. It's that old age trick of androgyny: to have that one masculine element which sets off an otherwise perfectly feminine look. A pair of Church's would be my dream buy, but due to being 1,000 ft tall, my feet are a whopping size 42 and I don't want to stray into clumsy feet territory!

Essentials #3 - An understated, practical leather bag

Bags are one of those items you can really afford to splurge on (along with the perfect coat) - good quality leather only gets better with age and wear. Case in point; my mum's old mulberry binocular bag which must be the same age as me! Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton's exquisite example sadly takes splurging to a whole new level... I can but dream!

(Images from Jak & Jill)

All children, except one, grow up.

Despite my current love of all things minimalist, sometimes there's nothing I'd rather do than throw on a flirty 1960's baby doll dress with a Peter Pan collar... I think it's the Lula girl within me. Although at first these two styles seem to sit at opposite ends of the fashion spectrum, one label has managed to marry the two, resulting in a line that perfectly tiptoes the line between playful and ladylike-chic. I'm referring to Carven, the French couture house founded in 1945 which has recently had a resurgence thanks to Guillaume Henry's appointment at the creative helm and exposure from fashion's current darling Alexa Chung. At the top of my wishlist is the crepe collar which could be coupled with everyday staples such as a black wool skirt, a cashmere jumper and a pair of loafers. Girlish without falling into fully fledged Lolita territory.

I like dresses but it doesn't have to be a costume. It's something you want to wear to straight away. You don't need make-up or strong hair. It's effortless. At Carven, we took off more than we added with the clothes. We like the idea of not making any distinction between day and night. It's more about living in the clothes. - Guillaume Henry

Ode to Isabel

So yesterday I was strolling through the Marais on my way for my favourite lunchtime treat at Breizh Cafe when who should I bump into but the most sought after of French designers and one of my ultimate style icons, Isabel Marant. She gave me as a smile of recognition as she clocked my jacket... the exact same one she was wearing! Marant is one of my favourite designers for a number of reasons but namely because she is so indifferent to 'fashion' despite being one of the most desirable designers of our generation. My love affair with her designs started upon seeing her Fall-2007-Ready-to-Wear on vogue.fr, something I am still constantly returning to for references. These looks are as relevant today in fashion as they were three years ago. Her designs embody the essence of Gallic insouciance... low-key basics which have become steadfast classics. The label's philosophy has slowly become embedded in fashion's conscience, encompassing the of the moment trend for real clothes for real women. Indeed, Marant designs for herself, forming a very personal relationship with each and every garment... she is even her own fittings model. Most of all, I love the fact that her pieces sit perfectly within my wardrobe of slouchy basics from lower end stores such as Zara and Cos, serving to enhance them and adding that distinct something which takes my outfit to the next level. As Marant herself says, the Isabel Marant girl embodies 'discretion, style and attitude. But, above all, comfort.' What more could a girl want?

Voilà!

A couple of you on my FAQ post suggested that I start doing outfit posts which is definitely something I will consider. In the meantime I'll save you my mediocre photography skills and leave you with one of the images Tamu Mcpherson of All The Pretty Birds took of me during Paris Fashion Week outside the Grand Palais. (The other image can be seen here.) To be honest, my day to day outfits are mostly a variation on the above theme!

I'm wearing heeled desert boots by Carvela, Acne jeans, a COS polo neck, my beloved Isabel Marant coat and my mother's old Mulberry bag which she passed down to me!