A familiar dilemma....

Busy with the day job at the moment - researching tinned mushrooms if you need to know, I am very happy to call on the talent of Charlotte Renon for today's post. Although she is at a different stage of her life, juggling her young family and her career, her drawing captures a universal female moment of truth.

Every woman above the age of 12 has experienced the plunge into the abyss, the desperate search, the ultimate irony of life: a desperate stare into closet full of clothes and the impossibility of getting dressed... The clothes are too old, too naff, too tight, too big, too drab, too colourful but also not elegant enough, nor sufficiently relaxed, not capable of projecting the right image for the day, the occasion or the moment.  Derided by men, the truth of that existential dilemma will certainly have the ring of familiarity to your ears.

More from Charlotte on: http://www.charlottedujour.com/

Highstreet watch - Uniqlo and Jil Sander

Jil Sander's Spring collaboration with Uniqlo, is now available in the shops. With a slight improvement on the weather front, I went to have a look at the collection. I liked it. The billboards show the usual 20 year olds, looking intense and broody in black and white but I think that the clothes can also work on happy, active and relaxed 40+. Jil Sander's influence is obvious in the limited and chic colour palette, the streamlined and androgynous look but the starkness of the winter collection is softened in the Spring by lighter shades and supple fabrics.   In her own words: "In textiles, I looked for fluid behaviour that doesn't so much sculpt as underline movement." (Evening Standard, 5 January 2010).

I particularly like the "Short Tailored Blazer" in 100% polyester, which come in nice shiny colours - caramel and navy blue in particular. Polyester used to come with a health warning but I imagine this version is breathable. The same cut also exists in"tech-satin", a soft blend of cotton and a synthetic fiber, which might be less of a risk for hot-weather stewing.

Her Macs also look very good.  For those who have managed to resist the Mac craze until now, the "Double-breasted Long Trench Coat" is a good buy at £99.99.

The "Bonding stand collar coat" shown below also makes a very attractive light coat at £89.99.

I have not yet tried any of the trousers or T-shirts. I'll return for another trip with a bit more time and fewer layers to take off!

Here is Uniqlo's website for more details:
http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/catalogue/women/j

The perfect Valentine!

Valentine - words as jewelry. 

Jewelry is relatively new to Valentine whose background is in costume design - she started making jewelry in 2005 and trained at Central St Martin. Born in London and growing up in France, Valentine uses her command of both languages in her word-based jewelry.  She works from her home studio, a cubbyhole of a studio actually, warm and cosy with just enough space for the tools of her trade.

Her style is pared down, playful and poetic. No room for frills or chichi as she goes straight to the essential but humour always plays its part along with surprise and a taste for the whimsical.

Valentine creates unique jewelery that she calls "tags", inspired by military dog tags. Those can be worn as necklaces held on a delicate silver or gold bead chain, or used as key tags.

Each tag is hand-made by Valentine, making it unique and individual, one letter applied at a time to make up words with slightly irregular spacing.

Made mostly in sterling silver, there is a small collection in 22 carat gold, "the most beautiful gold" and Valentine can make any model in gold on demand.  The tags come in two sizes, "slim tags" and "fat tags" that can happily be worn by men.

Just for you.
She also has a wonderful bespoke service where she designs tags in response to a questionnaire.  The resulting tag will surprise and intrigue as it captures Valentine's interpretation of your answers. The questionnaire is thorough and insightful and I am still working on some of my answers! Valentine's jewelry comes from words and the metal tag communicate a message that comforts, amuses, startles or shocks.

Playing with French and English words, she contrasts clashing ideas, tells little stories that can remain very private or invite conversations.

Worn close to the body, they draw you in as lean in to read the words. Or they can act as a private talisman, a motto for your life, a direction to follow.

 

 The beauty of the tags is that they provoke a reaction and literally speak to us. One will inevitably touch you or remind you of someone. The question is: who do you spoil first for Valentine's day, you or your friend?

http://www.valentinetags.com/information.php

Wash at your peril!

I am indebted again to Alasdair who posted the ad on his own blog that I thoroughly recommend: http://lowleveljetstream.com/

The actress in the US ad for Method, a company that makes environmentally friendly cleaning product is probably below 40 but I think the ad is well worth watching!

Meryl Streep wins Best Actress Golden Globe for Julia!

Nominated for both It's Complicated and Julie & Julia, she got the award for her portrayal of Julia Child, a well deserved prize!

It's not that great!

I was so looking forward to watching Nancy Myers' It's Complicated as I had enjoyed Something's Gotta Give and as it features Meryl Streep whom I admire. She is one of the very few actresses over 40 or even 50, whose name can open films and who seems to work continuously. Her beauty is not spectacular but she is instantly recognisable whilst wonderfully versatile and her expressive face doesn't seem to have resorted to plastic surgery (bar from a supremely skilled surgeon) or been botoxed into a waxwork of herself.

Unfortunately and in line with most critique I have read, I was underwhelmed by the film, a rather lightweight affair - forgive the pun, punctuated by "embarrassed chuckles" as a means of conveying the "complications" of the situation, over-acted by the starring couple, Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. Still, there were some funny moments and it is refreshing to see a couple in their late 50s/early 60s starring in a film, being amorous, sexy, in bed and having a much more interesting life than their rather dull offspring. In any event, Mery Streep has had a stellar past couple of years and her film wardrobe runs the sartorial gamut.

I can only marvel at an actress who can convincingly wear couture (The Devil Wears Prada),

overalls (Mama Mia),

a nuns habit (Doubt),

 

1950ies outfits (Julie and Julia) and contemporary chic (It's Complicated)!:

In Julie and Julia,  she is not exactly a fashion icon and appears as a giant, frizzy-haired, bespectacled and apron-ed creature. However, the clothes are spot-on and her matronly appearance is belied on occasion by her high pumps and the unmistakeably sexy glint in her eye when she is in the same room as the wonderful Stanley Tucci, her film husband.

In Its complicated, sharing the screen with slick but rotund Alec Baldwin and white-haired and numb-looking Steve Martin (botox?), she appears as a successful Californian entrepreneur.  Her wardrobe is key according to director Nancy Meyers who wanted a certain look for her star: "I tracked down Sonia Grande, the Spanish designer of Vicky Cristina Barcelona, who didn’t speak English. I met her with a translator, and liked her immediately. I brought her pictures of the look I wanted for Meryl." as told to Anne Thomson: Anne Thompson's blog on Hollywood

The resulting look is decidedly sophisticated - silk, cashmere and good taste, but also quite boring. Meryl Streep looks like a rich housewife, not a hard-working bakery owner - we'd need a trace of eggs and flour somewhere,  and her clothes lack charm and personality in my opinion.  The wardrobe actually ties in very well with the aspirational and rather fake feel of the film - it's not that great but you might want to catch it on DVD with a group of girlfriends on a slow night. 

http://www.itscomplicatedmovie.com/

Collection

No direct link with fashion but I'd like to recommend this blog on collections. Lisa Congdon from San Francisco takes a daily picture of a collection, or draws one - she is an illustrator.  Thanks to Alasdair for alerting me to its existence. A little bit of heaven for those of us who like everyday objects and see beauty in simple things! Enjoy her blog!

http://collectionaday2010.blogspot.com/