Summer Essentials: The Black Bikini

 































With less than a month to go until my summer sojourn to the Côte d'Azur, my thoughts have turned to the dreaded topic of swimwear. Never an easy task, this year I have vowed to keep it chic and simple inspired by Romy Schneider's little black numbers in Deray's cult classic La Piscine. Pared with a crisp white shirt as a coverup and a battered pair of brown leather sandals, this look should see me through summer. Nothing left to do except pray for sun!

(Photo credit: tumblr)

Une femme est une femme

Whenever I am in a style rut, one thing never ceases to inspire me: the sixties. This decade wholly encompasses that perfect balance of elegance and Lolita that is ever-present in my style. It that signifies both independence and emancipation, whilst at the same time being alluring in a way no other style of any other decade achieves. Yesterday I watched Godard's Une Femme est Une Femme and was once again stuck by Anna Karina's coquettish yet chic way of dressing which to me epitomises what is missing in fashion today. It's that unassuming sexiness which French women do so well, the antithesis of 'in your face' dressing. Today I'm wearing a tartan skirt, knitted cardigan, black opaques & my trusty penny loafers in homage to a true style icon! All finished off with a smattering of liquid eyeliner and my hair in a chignon.

(Images from the fashion spot)

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

Une Femme Parfaite

Sixties girls are just the best. In fact, I spend most of the time wishing I was Jane Birkin...

When it comes to the francophile pop chanteuse and indeed my long time style inspiration, however hard I try, I cannot overlook that certain je ne sais quoi of Birkin's style when getting ready in the morning. Her look is synonymous with the gamine, boyish beauty of the sixties and a nonchalance that exudes out of every perfect photograph taken of her. She is natural and effortless, able to transform the simplest of pieces to must-have style classics. Take everyday pieces the such as the sweaterdress, the peacoat and high-waisted jeans worn with a white tee-shirt, all of which seem to take on level of veneration when coupled with those wide, alluring eyes and heavy fringe.

When I met Serge, he said he liked girls who looked like boys and I thought, ‘Wow, what luck.’ - Jane Birkin