Cléo de 5 à 7

Watching Corinne Marchand's Cléo in the second half of Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda 1961)(above) it's hard to believe she is the same woman as in the scenes from the opening hour of the film, such as the girlish character we see in the bright and dreamlike scene in her apartment, below.
Read more about this beautiful piece of French cinema vérité.

Take two

Two distinctly similar outfits and the pose is almost identical. These two Vogue shoots demonstrate the power of classic mannish dressing and how this easy, off the cuff look never loses its charm. 
The top photo is taken from UK Vogue Greatest Hits (by Bay Garnett) in November 2009 (Caroline Trentini wears blazer by Gerard Darel, blue shirt by Ralph Lauren Blue Label, 501 Levi jeans and Tod's loafers.)

Winter food

Roast beetroots and whiter than white rock salt almost look like something from a crisp Wintry landscape. Like the way things become silhouetted and at the same time lit up against the brightness of snow.

Wood

 

These different shades and types of wood are everywhere in my mum and dads house and it creates a real warmth throughout. I love the mirror and pictures in the Hallway here which are the first things you see as you come in. 

Stone

This leather skirt has the same gradient of colour as pale stone, and I love this colour for clothes as you really can wear any colour with it.

I love the way these chairs at Fontevraud Abbey in France mirror their stone surroundings. 

Hallowe'en...

...is creeping up on us, I absolutely love this time of the year, I just wish I was still young enough to go Trick or Treating.
Last year I made a replica of this mop outfit from a Vogue Shoot. It took me a total of 5 and a half hours tying mop after mop together (then retying all knots ten times) and sticking cloths to a basque with safety pins to create the top. Here's a tip if you're thinking of you doing this yourself - don't

..still it was one of the most enjoyable, fun (and uncomfortable) outfits I've ever worn, and it will certainly get you a reaction.

Goodbye Summer

It's now time for the drama and romanticism of winter dressing - yes romanticism! I love wrapping up for a cold day even if come February I've forgotten the wistful feeling I got back in September. I can't wait to channel Carmen Kass in this years Michael Kors' Autumn Winter ad campaign, for the warmer Autumn days...

...The colder it gets the more dramatic my outfits start to become, and Dior AW'10 is the epitome of the clothes reflecting darker days and cooler temperatures.

Bay of Biscay

This summer I spent a few days at La Rochelle, the capital of Charente-Maritime in Western France. From there we visited the beautiful St Martin on the Ile de Rey, which was full of gorgeous hotels, shops and of course the Atlantic all around you.

Swedish Style

Lena Endre plays Public Prosecutor Katarina Ahlsell in the Swedish detective series Wallander. She has an understated glamour that a lot of nordic women seem to have. Katarina's wardrobe in the show is so stylish and minimalistic - linen trousers, oversized wool coats, shearling jackets and sharp grey skirt suits. When at home and off duty her outfits often have something wild and natural about them such as rough knit jumpers in the colour of driftwood (mirroring her windswept home by the sea in the show).

Isabel

This is a slouchy open front cotton dress from Etoile by Isabel Marant. It's a about 6 years old now but I don't think there's ever been a time when I haven't felt comfortable wearing it. This is why I love unusual materials, in particular black silhouette patterns reminiscent of tribal fabrics or even charcoal prints.

 (Incredible Marchesa tribal dress worn by Blake Lively here at Fashion's Night Out '10.)

Picture Perfect

There is something gallery like about pictures arranged together on a white wall. Black frames look good against a black and white photograph or a bold print.

Bellissimo

An absolutely stunning part of Italy: Emilio Romagna and Lombardy. The Italian talent for aesthetics is demonstrated in everything from the buildings to how to serve the perfect aperitif is an inspiration.

Cuir de Russie

My inspiration for this blog's title: the words 'Cuir de Russie' make such a great mysterious and evocative name for a perfume and I love the idea of smoky earthy Russian leather as a scent. LT Piver's take on the scent of Russian leather is one of the most masculine fragrances I've ever smelt, and I love it's great red box with it's lively imagery. I wonder how Chanel's version measures up as a perfume..

Red

WELCOME to my blog, I love clothes, and looking at other people and what they wear. I also love red shoes, and I'm always looking for a replacement for the perfect patent cherry red flats that I wore every day (Mellow Yellow from a Department Store in Paris) until they wore out -  but these Nine West (or 9 West as it was going by back then!) vintage stilettoes are great as they show a lot of the foot including the start of the toes, which I think helps to elongate the leg.