Absolutely Nothing To Wear : Tallulah and Hope Summer 2012 – the perfect kaftan

There was a time I thought Kaftans and Ponchos were only suitable when heavily pregnant. Perfect for loosely covering the bump and any accompanying lumps. Those times have very much changed and now my Summer outfit of choice (when it stops raining) generally involves the poncho / kaftan vibe. I’m not sure of the difference between the two so I’ll use both names. I’m basically describing the same thing.

Tallulah and Hope have been my favourite kaftan / poncho label since they wafted on to the web in 2010. I’ve always been very very partial to a Winter cape (their circle cape ponchos are amazing too) and they helped to lead me seamlessly in to the silk Summer versions. They can be worn over bikinis by the pool, over slips to transform in to the most beautiful dress, over jeans for a casually chic evening party outfit and pretty much anything else you fancy. The cut means you can wear them with the V-neck at the front or back. I like the V – front for daytime / holiday wear and at the back when styling as a dress or top.The belted versions are genius, the fit could not be more flattering and you can even lift your arms way above your head…..which when it comes to kaftans worn with belts is not often the case.

So, the point of this post is really to tell you that their new Summer 2012 collection is now available from their online store and it is completely exquisite.

Trust me, you’ll wear your T&H kaftan / poncho more than you ever believed possible.

Absolutely Nothing To Wear : Coat vs Husband

What do you do when you have a piece of clothing (in this instance, it’s a coat) which you absolutely love and which you’re pretty sure is both stylish and in-offensive but which your husband absolutely hates. Not just the sort of “I’m not really sure about that” kind of hate or disinterested kind of hate but proper, unrequited hatred. The sort of hatred which actually causes arguments every single time he sees it or even hears it being mentioned.

The coat in question is a beautiful TSE cashmere cocoon coat in a soft mushroom grey. It gives me the most enormous joy every time I wear it. I actually get excited about wearing it and trying it with different outfits. I haven’t felt like this about a piece of clothing in a very long time. I don’t usually really care about what other people think about my style choices and I’ve made some shocking mistakes in the past because of it, but this time I’m absolutely certain that I am right and he is very wrong. This coat is commented on by almost every single lady I meet, they admire it, stroke it and on more than a few occasions the words “ooh, is that Celine” have been uttered. You see, it must be fabulous. But I do, annoyingly, care what my husband thinks. I wouldn’t if it were just a snippy remark now and then but it actually forces him to carry another coat in the back of the car in the hope that I’ll change before going out in public. It’s starting to get to me a little and determined as I am to be myself and wear what I WANT, I’ve started leaving the house in my parka and folding my cashmere cocoon in a very big satchel and changing when out of view. Completely ridiculous.

So, dear husband, please stop going on and on about the coat. The more you go on about it, the more I’ll be determined to wear it, albeit in secret. Maybe use the energy to concentrate on your own wardrobe. Just saying.

Absolutely Nothing To Wear : Very Lovely Patent Brogues (which I should have shared sooner)

I’m not usually very sharing when it comes to fashion finds. And by that I mean the clothing and shoe types of finds. Mainly because I like to think that I’m the only person in the whole wide world who owns that particular item. Even when I’ve bought it from one of the busiest online stores in the whole wide world. So, for that reason, I’ve been keeping these to myself for a couple of weeks but seeing as I am far from unique and in fact probably dress like 99% of the population (over 35) I’ve decided it’s time to share them.

I present to you the Maurice Brogue, courtesy of the one and only ASOS. I saw them in Living Etc, they not only provided a welcome relief from the more of the same interior ideas but they were just kind of snuck in, quietly, when they probably should have had their own entire page. I always most like the objects which don’t really fit in, which have no reason for being there other than that the stylist took a fancy to them and hoped to make them theirs, permanently.

But what really made me take notice was the price, they were £38 which for a patent leather brogue seemed pretty good. And, seeing as the main reason I read these magazines is in the hope of finding a bargain to satisfy my online shopping needs, it was pretty much ideal. But the reason I’m really sharing them is because I did go online and I did buy them and they were in fact reduced to £26 and I now have them and they are simply, perfectly lovely. They shall be my daily Summer brogue (that’s how I’ve sold them to myself) and they are currently positioned in front of my wardrobe where I can see them, which for now, and for the duration of these April showers, will just have to be good enough.

Get them while it’s still raining. No one in their right mind (or of shoe size 5 or 6) would buy a pair of patent brogues in this kind of weather.

Maurice Leather and Patent Brogue from ASOS, £26

Absolutely Nothing To Discover : Lily Of The Valley, by Micki Myers

Lily of the Valley always reminds me of soap — probably because that’s where you tend to encounter it. It seems the most antique of scents, and well-suited for soap because it smells so nice. Drawings of it also look really pretty on soap wrappers, the little white bells delicate and fairy-like.

I was very pleasantly surprised to find the sneaky little bells popping up among the ivy and thistles that line the alleyway leading to my house this morning. I’ve never seen them before, but they’re rhizomes, like irises and ginger, who each year send up new shoots from a woody root. With luck, they’ll decide to stay and welcome in the Spring next year too.

Next time you see Lily of the Valley, and think how lovely and innocent they look, remember that every part of them is extremely poisonous. Make no mistake: eat these instead of sniff them and you will be made dead.

Absolutely Nothing To Be Confused About

For all those who just received a rather peculiar post titled “15th April 2012” I apologise. This was from another blog I write called The New Pickle Diaries. The diaries of a 3 year old.

A small case of blog confusion on a Sunday morning.

It had absolutely nothing to do with Absolutely Nothing To Wear!