Jazzy jeans




This picture appeared on The Sartorialist with a commentary commending his jeans. The comments that followed argued whether they were jeans or not. Now I don’t think they are but it got me thinking, tailored Capri jeans… has anyone done such a thing for girls? Surely they’d be the ultimate elegant trouser-jean. I’m loving the slim ankle-grazer jean at the moment, with loafers or lace-ups and a tucked-in shirt and something flamboyant or feminine such as a silk Hermes scarf or a giant f*ck-off necklace but for smarter days, a denim trouser with side pockets and no stitching would be so appropriate, no?

Incidentally, I’m convinced I read a denim article in US Vogue years ago which mentioned Adriano Goldschmied setting up a denim design academy in London. When is someone going to take that idea and run with it?

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Madonna remembered



When I read this New York Magazine article on Madonna this morning, it took me right back to the days when I used to load on the rubber bracelets and red lipstick (Revlon, Love That Red) and yes, even draw the mole on with an eye pencil. The article makes good observations on how Madonna lost her magic (by taking herself too seriously and losing her spontaneity to sum it up). Plus the desperate fight against aging certainly hasn’t made her popular with those who grew up idolising her. How else could she have grown up gracefully? Perhaps by following the Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde models, still authentic, still cool but less desperate. I still love her though.

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Prom power




Lovely Claudia who did work experience with me last year is in today’s Times magazine. Their reporter followed her and two other teenagers around at their school proms and published a feature in today’s supplement. Claudia also sent me this picture which wasn’t used but I absolutely love* – behold that rainbow of dresses! If I’d been in charge, this would have made the cover of the mag rather than boring old Brad Pitt.

I’m slightly resentful that we didn’t have proms in my day, God knows we had seen Grease enough times, we would have loved a prom. It’s also interesting that prom is only just being picked up by the mainstream UK media now. A few years ago when I worked on teen magazines, we would do a prom issue once a year and oh, what a production it was. We’d do the prom fashion shoot, the prom makeover, the prom beauty feature, the ‘Are you a Promzilla?’ quiz, the Win a Prom competition and on and on. But could we get decent prom dresses to use in the fashion shoots? No we could not, the only time you could get dressy dresses was at Christmas so we would cobble our features together out of whatever bits and pieces we could find. Here’s a message for high street retailers – prom is bloody massive, start exploiting it!

*Double click for full effect
[Pic: Louis Quail]

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A cape to covet




Summer’s not over yet (although it might as well be) but the new collections are flooding in so of course I’m going to get excited about them. A few days ago I was interviewed for a book on bloggers and was asked a question about my must-haves for autumn-winter. After the Isabel Marant ankle boots I saw at Merci in Paris, and the entire Sonia by Sonia Rykiel collection that has just landed at My-wardrobe.com, the only thing I could think of was something that doesn’t exist. Or does it? I’m hankering after a knee-length gold sequin cape – or chain mail at a push. Something dramatic and luxurious that would work as an entrance-making evening coat. Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about a namby pamby Primark flammable capelet sprinkled with a few cursory gold-coloured beads, but something substantially fabulous that weighs a ton – something Patrick Wolf might wear. 

The more I think about it, and the more I realise it just isn’t out there, the more I want it (of course). In the meantime, at the other end of the cape spectrum, I’m really feeling ASOS’s duffle cape with its straight front, draped back and nice school uniform-ish navy blue colourway. Not quite the show-stopper I had in mind but possibly something that might get more wear. Hmm, fabulous or practical – such a tough call, no?

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