The Sneaky Magpie

The bump started to show properly over the last couple of weeks and I don’t think I can squeeze into my jeans and skirts for much longer. Some adjustments are necessary however I don’t want to spend a fortune on maternity wear. I am trying to be clever how I put together my outfits and the autumnal weather is making me yearn for warmer outfits so layering is essential.

The only investments I will need to make are a couple of pairs of trousers with a stretchy band for comfort, I am on my last wearable pair of jeans and they won’t stand the pressure for much longer!

I love shoes and I am really scared that my feet will swell up, then I can only say good bye to Church’s (they are launching Chelsea style boots this autumn which I simply must have!) My brogues will probably not fit but perhaps suede boots would be more prone to stretching?? I definitely don’t want to wear Uggs, never had a pair and hopefully never will!

The rest of my shortlist is easily adaptable for when I get back to my normal size.

I have spent a lot of time at V&A lately. As the museum has got a lovely indoor cafe and even better outdoor space it’s the perfect place for meetings and fun.

I have visited the Grace Kelly show which was really really lovely. Grace had an incredible class and style which, among other things, was reflected in her wardrobe. Apart from beautiful ‘movie siren’ dresses and classic suits she loved fabulous Madame Gres’ gowns, floating, kaftan-like things of beauty. I was surprised how tall she was and I couldn’t help but think of Betty Draper throughout the exhibition.

I have also visited Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill which made me really want to visit the real thing. Unfortunately it is closed for refurbishment till autumn so I will have to wait.

And last but not least I have attended Osman Yousefzada’s fashion show which was a lot of fun. It’s my first fashion show and I loved it. The pictures came out rather badly, here are a couple of acceptable ones.

Every time I do a shoot I go and get myself something nice. Yesterday I went to the Mulberry sample sale, crowds of girls battling for accessories, 5 last season’s It bags on each arm, evil looks, general frenzy.

I don’t like It bags as they go out of fashion pretty fast. As for Mulberry I only like the natural brown leather bags that get better with age. Unfortunately the shelves were full of over-sized totes in bright colors made of shiny leather. Not my thing. And with the discount at only 50% it was not such a bargain. I ended up with a cute top.

But my craving for fashion did not stop there. Every day I pass by the Luella shop screaming at me 80% off. So I walked in, tried a dress, and bought it. I thought it might be my last chance to get a Luella dress, they are even selling all the shop decorations and furniture. And it’s my birthday in 2 weeks so I kind of need it.

I’ve been so happy to ditch my winter boots. I ended up wearing one pair for most of the winter, well at least for the cycling trips, and got so bored of them. Every year the same old story.

Time to make a spring selection.

1. Black Church’s brogues

2. Beige Topshop shoeboots

3. Dusty pink and brown D&G shoeboots

4. Yellow vintage heels

5. Blue patent leather and red suede Marc by Marc Jacobs heels

6. Brown metallic French Sole flats

Waiting for a friend in Carnaby Street I popped to Liberty to have a quick look at the new stock and absolutely fell in love with this dress by Michael van der Ham.

The shape and combination of different patterns and textures made me drool for few minutes before my friend came to drag me away.

This young Dutch designer had stints at Sophia Kokosalaki and Alexander McQueen in the past so I am not surprised that his pieces are masterfully crafted and absolutely to die for.

I haven’t taken part in the designer H&M collaboration craze for few years now.

This is the brief history:

Karl Lagerfeld – I lived in Amsterdam and went to check it out, the Dutch didn’t think much of designer collaborations back then so I could just pick anything in my size, I think I bought one dress which ended up on ebay few years later.

Stella McCartney – my first year in London, queuing with two best friends in Covent Garden from very early morning hours, lots of coffee runs and new friend made. Total chaos when the door opened, buying frenzy, everyone was on a massive shopping high. At some point I held a dress when a girl’s hair got tangled into the hanger, for a second I considered freeing the girl who had no idea what was attached to her head but I quickly decided that would be a waste of time and continued shopping. In a normal situation it would never happen! Anyway, I left with few items, 2 old friends and 1 new friend and went to a nearby coffee shop to try things on and calm down. The next day I returned half of the items.

Roberto Cavalli – not interested

Victor&Rolf – I just started new job so could not attend the opening, I sent a friend who bought me a gorgeous coat I am actually wearing today. I did pop in during my lunch break and managed to buy a beautiful dress which I still wear. Up to date it was the best collaboration for me.

Comme des Garcons – not my cup of tea, missed the whole thing.

And now Sonia Rykiel, I love the woman, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel is one of my favorite brands. I forgot about the underwear collection and didn’t rush to check out the clothes but when I finally made it there last week I got exactly what I was planning to buy – fabulous chunky pink and yellow bangles.

Have you seen Grey Gardens? I just saw it and I am absolutely smitten with the two batty ladies, mother and daughter of the same name Edith Bouvier Beale aka Big Edie and Little Edie.

This fascinating documentary was shot in 1975 by Albert and David Maysles in East Hamptons when they got to spend time with the Edies at the height of their eccentricity.

Grey Gardens is the name of their run down estate, they were under threat of being evicted due to the bad state of the property, they lived with lots of cats, raccoons and fleas. The house was a damp, big Eddie had a cooker on her bed, animals went to the toilet behind Edie’s portrait, the fridge was in the bedroom and they mainly ate ice cream. They were only saved by Jackie Kennedy who was Big Edie’s niece and Little Edie’s cousin, she helped to get the house sorted and kept the ladies till Big Edie’s death.

Little Edie had some sort of acting career in New York but went to take care of her old mother and 10 years later she found herself still taking care of her. Little Edie always wanted to go back to the city and acting but her mother wouldn’t let her which led to both ladies arguing a lot, Little Edie always complaining about not being married and reminding herself of all her suitors, very often getting upset. Big Edie, who was a singer, got very upset when her daughter tried to sing badly. And that’s how they lived till the death of the mother.

But they weren’t always that way. Both were real beauties and very often in the film you see them looking at pictures and remembering the past.

Big Edie.

Little Edie.

One thing that strikes the most is the wonderful yet eccentric sense of style, especially of Little Edie who despite being in her mid 50s is not afraid of showing off her legs. She is always wearing a scarf and usually dresses in tight tops and hot pants or some kind of home made skirt. She also has a wonderful brooch that is mostly pinned to her scarf.

Big Edie is usually seen in her bed but she appears once in a stunning colorful kaftan dress. Her hair is long and silver.

If you fancy getting acquainted with the ladies Channel4 is airing the documentary on Tuesday at 22.00.

I am in an absolute need of a stripy dress for spring. I can only imagine how I would jazz it up with colorful accessories: necklaces, scarves, a good satchel bag and those fabulous colorful bangles by Sonia Rykiel for H&M.

It must be made of jersey or cotton and flexible enough for cycling. And the stripes could only be blue and white.

There are 3 contenders:

Dress no 1: long Acne dress – the obvious problem with this dress is that it is long but I could cut it and maybe even make an extra skirt out of it.

Dress no 2: Alice by Temperley – wonderfully draped, the right kind of stripes, not too short not too long. I love it so much I got it booked at Net.

Dress no 3: Alexander Wang T (if jane, thanks for posting it) – wonderfully clingy and the perfect timeless cut.

And now for the accessories. Lots and lots of color, ideally scarf or bangles. Comfy flats and a satchel.

I love my Church’s shoes so I wouldn’t mind them in a different color.

I really think this is the winner.

Yesterday I went to see a fun exhibition at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum: Foale and Tuffin and Made in England.

I first came across Foale and Tuffin 4 years ago at the 60s exhibition at V&A and loved their quirky colorful designs ever since. It’s easy to spot which contemporary labels got their inspiration from Foale&Tuffin, and nice to see that the company’s heritage lives on.

A classic trench I would wear now and a dress reminiscent of Eley Kishimoto and Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Kate Moss must have gotten very impressed by this flowery dress (yours truly in the mirror too). I love the frilly top of the second dress.

The Double D dress and a fabulous green summer dress. A breath of fresh air after New Look era.

Peter Pan collars were everywhere. The ‘Boyfriend’ jacket in the background.

It’s all about color and comfort.

Simplicity is the word.

There were pictures of Twiggy and Jenny Boyd sporting the brand often photographed by the young David Bailey as well as drawings of the designs.

The exhibition also had few hippie frocks but that’s not my cup of it, let’s leave it to Bill Gibb, shall we?

And this is the workshop of Sally Tuffin and Marion Foale, the queens of Carnaby Street. They loved Liberty prints.

If you have got interest in fashion history this is a major chunk of the 60s London.

My weekend started at Osteria Antica Bologna in Northcote Road, a nice family run Italian restaurant where I enjoyed delicious scallops with lentil, apple and parsley salad accompanied by good wine and fabulous company. I actually tried to recreate the lentil salad but it wasn’t as good, truth be told I used the wrong kind of apple. If you are ever in Clapham Junction area do go, it’s a fantastic place for lunch, dinner or drink. Beware of a slow service but the wait will be worth it!

Saturday was all about food shopping and a very early spring cleaning of the flat, we have thrown out a bagful of old papers and organised a lot of cupboards. We also visited the local charity shop to offload some stuff where I couldn’t resist buying F.Scott Fitzgerald collection of short stories for 50p.

After last two weeks of ebay madness I hardly have things to get rid of which feels so good.

Sunday was spent on cooking and playing with my little niece. I baked Allegra McEvedy’s Swedish apple cake which is more of a pudding than a cake, especially when served with good vanilla ice cream. Very easy recipe, it takes about 10-15 minutes to put everything together and 50 min to bake.

Got to read a little too, Vogue and ELLE arrived, The Sunday Times had a good article on Mad Men which btw won the best drama at Golden Globes for the 3rd year in a row, well deserved!

I am reading Chekhov’s stories and this weekend I enjoyed Ward no6. I also got D.V. by Diana Vreeland which I am very much looking forward to. Following the Norman Parkinson show at Somerset House I decided to re-read The Golden Age of Couture – the book accompaniment to one of my favorite exhibitions.

I watched the rather bad Breaking and Entering (a total waste of time) and the very graphic yet beautifully shot Antichrist.

Few things I am looking forward to:

a visual feast of A Single Man thanks to Dan Bishop

visiting V&A to see Quilts, Grace Kelly and Horace Walpole shows, and might even pop in to see a rather intriguing sounding The Metropolitan Police Service’s Investigation of Fakes and Forgeries

Foal and Tuffin at Fashion and Textile Museum should be fun, along with a stroll down Bermondsey Street

William Eggleston at Victoria Miro Gallery

Irving Penn Portraits at NPG

whole lot of good stuff at the Tate Galleries

buying some plants – I quite like the idea of mother-in-law’s tongue in nice mid-century pots, at the moment I own no plants whatsoever, even my basil died so this will be a challenge.