Intelligent Style

A couple of weeks ago it seemed like Paris had suddenly skipped a season. We went from 25c one day to 15c the next. For me, anything below 20 is cold..so I immediately started searching around for warmer clothes. I may have grown up in the UK, but I do not fare well in the cold (being half Californian might have something to do with it!) When looking for clothes I always make a list and I'm one of those people who will spend hours searching online to see what's out there. I know it takes the spontaneity out of spur of the moment purchases, but I like to know that what I’m buying will fit in with what I already own. Wardrobe essentials therefore (to me) are rather ingenious - not just a ploy to keep you buying, they actually make you look good easily and effortlessly. I usually add pieces every season - clothes that I know will stand the test of time and wear; spending my money on items that are timeless, elegant and have longevity. I like to think of myself as an intelligent shopper. 

Despite now living in France, I still love British brands and ME+EM set up by Brit, Clare Hornby to offer contemporary clothing with a focus on cut, material and quality, caters to my taste perfectly. Luckily she gave me the opportunity to select my top five items from her collection that I not only consider essentials, but also the perfect foundations to a autumn/winter capsule wardrobe. I shot them around my neighbourhood (the 10th) in a few of my favourite locations. 

Scroll down for more and I hope you enjoy the post! 

I have a tendency to wear a lot of black during winter (clearly I’m subconsciously colour-coordinating with the weather), but it leaves me feeling a bit drab. While I don’t like wearing a lot of colour and pattern, I do like wearing lighter shades. This cream ribbed funnel neck jumper is the perfect compromise between cosy and stylish. Not only is it warm, but it can easily be thrown over anything from jeans to being dressed up with a skirt and heels. 

(Photographed in Liberté Patisserie.) 

When I’m not lugging my laptop and camera around with me, I like to carry a clutch i.e. the lightest bag possible – this gorgeous cream leather clutch is a perfect everyday one (and it's not black!), with different compartments (plus one central zipped) for all your small essentials for day or night. It also comes with a detachable strap so you can chose how to wear it. I personally like to carry it in my hand, but it's great to have the option. 

(Photographed on rue Legouvé.)

I’ve had my eyes on a pair of leather trousers for a while. They’re a great alternative to jeans and these black leather and garbadine stretch leggings are seriously comfy. If I didn’t think I was going to ruin them or the fact that they're just too nice to sit in for hours on end, I would happily fly in them! They also sit high enough on the waist that you can tuck tops into them. 

The 'whiskey' merino wool roll neck jumper is a great transitional item that will take you from autumn (if there is one) to winter. And if you're like me and don't wear a lot of colour, this is a great shade to ease you into brighter hues. (Take note of the colour-coordinating wall!)

And finally the Breton stripe... A Breton top might seem a little clichéd for someone living in Paris, but it’s a piece that doesn’t go out of fashion, made timeless by the original chic Parisian – Coco Chanel. This navy an white lyocell/ cotton style has even been worn by the Duchess of Cambridge no less - if it's good enough for Kate...! It's got a good stretch to it, but is tight in the right places, with a nice ruching detail towards the bottom on the sides which look great when worn over jeans. Again this is a piece that can be dressed up or down, or used to layer under a knit when the temperature starts creeping to zero. 

What are your wardrobe essentials?

This post was created in collaboration with ME+EM.

Photos by Ylenia Cuéllar, edited by me.

London Happenings

Every time I go back to London, my experience of the city seems to get better and better, probably because now having lived away for two years, I enjoy the city with fresh eyes and can appreciate, as well as take full advantage of the city. Here are a few of the things I got up to during my week: 

+ I purchased a few spring wardrobe updates from COS, including these tees. It's by far my favourite brand for well-designed basics and wardrobe essentials. 

+ I breakfasted at new Spitalfields restaurant Blixen which is guaranteed to become a summer hotspot, with its outside terrace. Try the smoked trout, pouched eggs and avocado and I went with Clerkenwell Boy - following him on Instagram for London culinary goings on is a must. 

+ I went to Hackney based shoe brand Miista's pop-up shop launch in Shoreditch with the talented designer Brooke Roberts and walked away with these beautiful powder blue sandals, which I'm sure will be making many an appearance over the summer. 

+ I enjoyed breakfast at the delicious Honey and Co with my friend Ruth from Vintage Books - go for the fig toast! 

+ Tried and tested tasty cocktails at new Shoreditch bar Joyeux Bordel, which opened just last week on Curtain Road - part of the Experimental Cocktail Group crew.

+ Ate pizzas from my favourite London pizza restaurant Franca Manca

Notes from the Weekend

I finally kicked my chest infection after taking a round of antibiotics, so was a happy to get out and about again in Paris and looking at what I got up to below, I think I made the most of it!

+ Friday eve I dined at Le Potager du Marais (a good choice for any vegetarians/vegans visiting Paris!)  It was one of the best vegetarian meals I've had.
+ Saturday I guzzled pancakes at the Rose Bakery, wandered around le Marais buying candles at Muji, an umbrella at Uniqlo and a glass mug at Merci
+ Saturday eve we dined with friends at Marylou in the 10th. A lovely little (and reasonably-priced) bistro serving small plates. 3/4 is enough sharing between two. Followed by drinks at Le Rosie in the 18th.
+ Sunday we roamed around the market at Bastille on rue Richard Lenoir - open until 3pm, shopping for fruit, veg and the bunch of tulips featured on the mantlepiece.
+ Sunday afternoon I met friends for afternoon tea at the newly refurbished Pavillion des Canaux

Spring Essential: Le Tote

Nothing updates a wardrobe for spring like a new tote, and this stone blue number from J.Crew is just the ticket for me. It's big enough to hold all my daily essentials, including my laptop, this fun cork notebook I picked up while in Manila whilst in the Philippines, as well as this month's must-read - the new Cereal magazine, complete with a fresh redesign. I love the colour and funnily enough already have a small clutch and silk top from COS in the same shade, which didn't even cross my mind when choosing it. Something subconsciously must have drawn me to it!

What will you be updating your wardrobe with this spring? 

Winter Wardrobe

I am not built for cold weather. My hands are the first to freeze, then my feet, then nose and before I know it I need to be thawed out. I know that 'chilled to the bone' feeling oh so well - when they invent wearable hot water bottles, I will be the first to buy one. So this year, I vowed I'd be prepared for the first sign of frost. I bought my winter coat when it was still warm, having spied this dressing gown navy number in COS. It's over-sized, snuggly and keeps me warm. Better yet, it slots into my wardrobe.

Since moving to Paris and in my quest to live better, I've been trying to streamline said wardrobe and throw out the clothes that I don't wear, with the aim of building a uniform (note irony when you scroll and see the grey jumper/navy skirt schoolgirl combo) of items that are stylish, timeless and made to last. It's an ongoing task, this shopping better and only trying to spend money where it counts, (it helps to keep a list) and I am constantly on the search for classics that will last longer than a season. My taste is pretty minimal and varies between shades of black, navy, grey and white, with the odd shot of colour, usually in the form of lipstick. This winter, I have been literally living in a variation of the following looks, switching it up with a pair of jeans, white tee and navy cardigan  (I have a thing for navy right now). And thinking I perhaps needed a little more colour in my life, I bought the trainers to match my lipstick, yep not the other way around.

How much thought goes into your wardrobe? 

Photos by Hana Pedajnianska, edited by me.

Notes from the Weekend

This weekend was rather special as we celebrated our new apartment on Saturday, just before the arrival of the couch. Much fun was had and dancing done by all and admittedly I didn’t set foot outside yesterday.  Instead I spent the day cocooning at home, cleaning and watching films – lucky too as the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees in the last few days. Winter is finally here. Anyway this one’s short and sweet, so here are a few links and current favourite things from the last week. 

+ The new Le Fooding guide came out last week – it’s essential reading material for any Parisian foodie. I've already ear-marked a few places. 
+ Friday night I attended a lovely soiree hosted by La Maison du Chocolat and drank chocolat chaud, ate macarons and trotted off with a tasty box of chocs. 
+ Chocolates were followed by tacos at the newly opened Death by Burrito. I went to the one in London when it was a pop up in Shoreditch. So to see it in Paris was a real treat, especially with it being so close to my new place.
+ The ceramic dish pictured was made by my mum, who has been making pots on and off for years. Every time I go to visit her back in the UK, I return to Paris with at least 3 more.
+ I found the perfect wooden fruit bowl from Muji (ok it says 'salad', but I think it works for fruit too!)
+ I finally watched Interstellar last week. Incredible film and it had me getting a little philosophical and pondering about life...It also satisfied my inner Sci-fi geek. Don’t get me started on the new Star Wars trailer..
+ And I purchased this top from COS – it’s perfect for winter layering

J'ai Crew

See what they did there? J'ai cru in French means 'I believed' - it's the hashtag they're using. Clever. Pretty much sums the brand up, since the ever-inspiring Jenna Lyons took hold of the reins. I discovered J.Crew about five or six years ago whilst on a trip to LA to visit a friend and have been a fan ever since. It's a brand you can wear for every occasion - office, evening, party, wedding - and there is something for everyone. I popped along to their presentation last Thursday to check out the new SS/2015 collection that will be launching in Paris in March. Yes, we are getting a shop in le Marais. I am très excited. 

I don't do a lot of fuss when it comes to clothes, opting for a palette of mainly black, navy, grey and white, but as I walked around the beautiful Parisian apartment with the lovely Carin (always good to have a partner in crime at these events), with a view of the Arch de Triomphe, I was picturing myself wearing almost every (colourful) look. Well, truth be told Carin was picturing me in various outfits: 'oh, I can so see you in this outfit come spring.' Am I that predictable? Clearly being 'normcore', as it's been dubbed in the fashion industry, has its disadvantages. I obviously need to shake things up a bit and up the ante in my wardrobe - luckily J.Crew has some lovely colourful and embellished pieces that would fit right into my various shades of grey and do the job of making what I currently wear a little more interesting. 

Seeing things clearly

I was one of those geeky kids with the glasses. I became a little four eyes aged 5, with a pair of My Little Pony glasses. Remember those? I had all four colours. Aged six I had to wear a patch over my right eye because it was lazy. Not a look that endears you to other kids. As I got older I hated wearing glasses and throughout my teenage years, I would only wear them during class for lectures, so I could see the whiteboard. During breaks I would walk around half blind, totally oblivious if someone was trying to make eye contact with me or trying to catch my attention. Walking down the high street on the weekend was an obstacle course. University was the same. I'm quite sure I missed a few winks and sneaky looks from fellow male students (I wish), because I just couldn't see them. As soon as class was over off came the glasses, which made walking around campus a little tricky, if not dangerous.

Thank goodness for contact lenses. In my last year of university I finally got my first pair. I remember looking in the mirror, whilst standing in the lift on the way up to my room in the university halls, mesmerised at how big my eyes were. I'd never seen them in focus except behind a pair of frames. It took me six months to get used to putting them in and taking them out (they still make me cry today). But I was determined to look 'cool' and 'normal' - I used to wear my contacts 7 days a week for a minimum of 14 hours a day. Sometimes I even slept in them and in the morning when I woke up, they'd literally be stuck to my eyeballs. (I can envisage opticians shaking their heads as I write this). But as I've gotten older, I've started wearing glasses again, it might have something to do with a little thing called fashion. Glasses are trendy, and people look cool in them. Geek is good. So when I was looking around for a pair of new specs that I'd happily be seen walking down the street in, Oscar Wylee caught my eye, not just for their vintage-inspired designs, but also because when you buy a pair of glasses, they give a pair to someone in need. I love a good deed. And they don't take long to arrive. I chose the Stafford style in Ivory Tortoise as I wanted a bold frame that would stand out and match my usual monochrome look, sent off my prescription they made them for me in their factory, and I received them in just a few weeks. Fuss free, et voila. 

I hope you enjoy the little story that was shot in the Used Book Cafe at Merci, with the help of my friend and talented photographer, Carin. I wanted somewhere a little darker and moodier, and well bookish. Sadly I don't have much time to sit around drinking coffee, eating scones, reading books and staring out of the window contemplating life, but if I did this is where I'd do it, and with a good friend like Carin. I'd love to know what you think.

Photos by Carin Olsson, edited by me. 

Jumper from & Other Stories, lipstick 'All Fired Up' by Mac.

Margaret Howell

I just came back from another weekend in London to celebrate a friend's engagement party - so thought it apt to post a few photos of Margaret Howell's beautiful central London store that I took last time I was in the Big Smoke. I have a bit of a penchant for clean, modern clothing that supports a palette of grey, navy, white, black, and I particularly like wearing structured lines with minimal fuss that can be spiced up with a slick of bright lipstick. (And let's be honest, I neither have the inclination or time to spend faffing around trying to figure out what to wear in the mornings, so opt for a personal uniform of sorts). So I wandered off Wigmore Street and into the eponymous Margaret Howell shop to peruse a spectrum of greys, neutrals, browns and army greens, peppered with the odd pop of colour, checks and tartan. It's a lovely space flooded with light that streams in from the glass ceiling to showcase the collections, as well as the vintage furniture and homewares. It's more concept store, than clothes shop, creating a lifestyle rather than just offering apparel for the average clotheshorse. And boy, could I have happily bought everything in there. Or moved in. Luckily I had a meeting, otherwise I would have camped out for the rest of the day, in that grey armchair, asking the sales staff to bring me cups of tea in those pretty ceramics. 

Stylish Living: Stéphanie from White Bird

WHITE bIRD is tucked just behind Rue de Rivoli, only a few minutes from the Jardin de Tuileries in the 1st arrondissement, in an ideal location for locals, as well as tourists wandering just off the tourist track. I headed over there on a particularly warm September day to photograph and chat to the owner, Stéphanie - purveyor of fine, pretty jewels - in collaboration with my good friend Kate who runs the London-based jewellery blog The Cut London. If you're ever looking for an engagement ring, she's your girl!

Stéphanie opened WHITE bIRD a few years ago after the plug was pulled on an exciting project to launch a fine jewellery collection at Chloe because of the economic crisis. After putting a year of hard work into the project, only to see it cancelled, Stéphanie decided the timing was right to go solo - and it was the push she needed to set up on her own. 

She always wanted to work with luxury products and has spent most of her working life in jewellery or watches, starting at Cartier: "I had no special jewellery training. I just did some business studies, but I knew one thing when I was young - I lived with my parents in Bordeaux and I knew that I wanted to live in Paris. I also knew that I wanted to work with fashion or in the luxury industry." She later worked for Chaumet, and it was during her time there, whilst travelling to the US that she started exploring other jewellery designers. "I went to Barney’s when they'd just opened their little department of fine jewellery. It was just a tiny room in the beginning and they only had one or two brands. But every year it’s grown and grown, and it’s now a huge floor where they have a fantastic range of designers. One of the designers was Cathy Waterman and I loved her designs. So I started to think about what I wanted to do for myself. I didn’t want to work for brands anymore, so I decided that in France, there was a real need for a space to showcase new designers." So she opened WHITE bIRD, which is very different to most high end jewellery shops - she wanted to create a space that was cool and cosy, a place where kids could come, and where husbands could happily sit on a couch answering emails while their wives perused the designs. She's done just that - it's warm, welcoming, cosy and beautifully designed to show off the pretty jewels, without being too stiff or strict; it doesn't have the stuffy air of a place like Cartier, where you feel afraid to go in.

Scroll down to read the rest of the interview! 

Earliest fashion or jewellery moment? 

The first collection I directed at Dinh Van with a freelance designer. Jewellery is a small piece of art that involves a lot of emotion from the designer to the wearer. It’s on your skin. It’s like perfume, it’s very sensual and personal.

Describe a typical working day… 

When I’m in Paris, I take my youngest daughter to school, sometimes have a coffee with other parents, walk to the office which is half in the shop, half in a small office nearby and work non stop until 7pm, usually without lunch. I often meet and chat with some customers of the shop, which are delicious breaks 

What do you do to relax? 

Read and garden at our seaside house.

What piece of advice would you give someone who wants to launch their own jewellery brand or boutique? 

Have faith in what your doing, don’t let people discourage you and when there are tough days always think: "tomorrow will be a better day".

Who are your clients? 
People that come here are looking for something more personal – they are investing more of themselves into the piece, rather than buying it because it’s a particular brand.

What was the inspiration behind the boutique’s interior style? 

I wanted natural and rough materials to contrast with the jewellery, which is precious and delicate. I wanted people to feel relaxed, finding a cool sofa was key and authentic 50’s furniture to make it a bit like a home.

Where did you source the furniture? 

Vintage markets and online

Interior styles that have inspired you?  

English homes, the Isabel Marant shop in Le Marais, Astier de Villatte, APC in Soho New York, the decorator Ilse Crawford.

How would you describe your personal style? 

Unsophisticated..

Last good book you read? 

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent – it's quite dark, but I love historical books – this one takes place in Iceland in the 19th century.

What’s in your magazine pile at home? 

ELLE and the rest is online.

Evening drink of choice?  

Champagne and Chablis white wine.

Bedside table essentials?  

My Aesop hand cream and my book

Favourite Paris places for coffee, clothes shopping, dinner? 

Le Telegraphe coffee shop, Toraya for lunch, Septime restaurant, Acne, Pierre Hardy, Journal Standard (Palais Royal) and Stouls for leather clothes.

Words and photography by Marissa Cox.