Weekend shopping in Robinsons Galleria
Mall, Manila, seems to demand a uniform of the giggling Filipinas. The uniform goes a little something like this: colourful t-shirt, shorts/leggings, flat pumps. And so I set about finding
those who wore it best...
One of my favourite outfits came from Jean
Pedreno, who did biker on the bottom with simple black shorts and boots, then
switched it up with girly sunglasses and a blast of pink on top. Filipinas
(from my observations in Manila, and in Dubai) tend to dress simply, keeping
accessories to a minimum and applying Coco Chanel's tactic of taking one thing off before leaving the house. Jean proves that the
latest arm-party craze isn’t a must and opts for sunnies and a watch instead…
You know that earliest part of the day when the clouds are
light and pink, and the air is fresh and the wind is just enough to make your
eyes bright? I don’t get to see it too often as I’m always in my bed at that
time of the day… but on a trip to the truly beautiful, postcard-perfect Roma, I
experienced it midday. Pure loveliness.
I was forecasting sunshiney,
gelato-friendly weather, but instead this intermedium of daybreak and dusk was
following me around town – and conveniently creating an amazing backdrop for my
photos. How nice.
My mission on this one-day venture was to find really tasty Italian
food. Yummy pizza, amazing gelato and blogworthy pasta. No mean feat when my
available time extended to an afternoon and early evening (must get back and
sleep before working the flight back the next day).
I started my search, as I’m sure many do. Lonely Planet
guidebook firmly grasped in one hand, map in the other, camera over one
shoulder… and some sniggering locals behind the other I’ve no doubt. Laughing,
and rightly so, at my comedic over-enthusiasm. I might as well have been
walking around with a neon sign saying ‘TOURIST’ plastered to my head with a
Big. Flashing. Arrow.
Anyway, me and Lonely Planet Guidebook (LPG), hit the
streets of Roma. Wandering in amongst the beautifully architectured streets in
Trastevere, down shy cobbled lanes, and past rows and rows of scooters, their
slim parking spaces surrounded by decorative drapes of pretty flowers. And all
the while, with this dawny-dusky sky overhead, giving the buildings a sort of
burnt glow, and adding warmth to all the colours around me. It was the perfect
antidote to the busy flight I’d worked just hours before.
Do I really have to leave tomorrow?
Cobbled streets, trattorias, motorbikes, really bad parking... yep, I'm definitely in Rome.
About an hour into my meandering, I gave up on LPG.
Much as
I love their handy tips, I fancied the idea of chucking the map and just taking
myself wherever I felt was the right direction.
That sort of thinking obviously led me straight to a little
gelateria for my sugar fix. My obsession with all things dessert-related called
me in to visit Alberto Pica. That’s the name of said restaurant/gelateria, by
the way. Not some handsome Roman. Just for the record.
So, here I am in Bangkok again. Destination of choice for
extremely cheap shopping, extremely good massage, and extremely yummy mango.
Oh, and did I mention, extreme numbers of tourists, travellers, and of course
Thai people, making this one of the busiest, most blindingly buzzing cities
I’ve visited.
I’ve been to Bangkok more than 10 times – and despite the
heat, the dirt and the constant haggling for anything from a boat ride to a
banana, I usually use Bangkok as my down time. Time to get scrubbed, massaged, manicured, pedicured and
quite frankly, royally pampered for about 10 quid (50 AED).Many of the temples, palaces, buddhas and
interesting sightseeing-y things lie unseen, as I am usually far too wrapped up
(sometimes literally) in my favourite spa to be tempted outside.
But it is in fact outside, on those grubby streets, where
you get a peek at the real life of this very unique, very intriguing city.
Stalls selling strange food, massage parlours that look like
laundry rooms, old women cleaning noodle bowls behind tiny restaurants, young
girls cooking meat on sticks, wrinkly old men hacking coconuts, helpful police
officers that know how to say hello in any language, young guys sitting on
motorbike taxis drinking coke waiting for customers, tuktuk drivers shouting
over the noise of their engines… It makes for some very colourful photographs
and some clever manoeuvring around the city to avoid being ripped off by sly
salespeople who can spot a tourist from a mile, no matter how well you
pronounce sawadikaaaa.
And hence this mini photo diary was formed.
I’ll call this, ‘View From A Tuktuk…’ a mere glimpse of a
city that might take more than a lifetime to capture fully.
Clearly a football fan...
I love the garish colours and the pink taxis...
Our tuktuk driver found my incessant photo-taking rather amusing...
Carrying laundry on a motorbike taxi - no problem.
To describe London's style is as if to ask Kim Kardashian to stop taking pictures of herself and posting them all over the internet. That is to say, it's entirely impossible.
There are a truck-load of perfectly-fitting adjectives that spring to mind and with London being home to so many nationalities, backgrounds and cultural sects, you really do have a whole world of fashion contained within one citysphere.
London's answer to Burj Khalifa...?
The capital city lives, breathes, perspires style. The 'London Look' (as coined by Rimmel/Kate Moss) is unique. Daring. Chic. Futuristic. Eclectic. Punk. Classy. Multicultural. Traditional. Evolving. Retrospective. Exciting. Involved. So many contradicting terms, so many individual takes on the meaning of what it is to be fashionable.
That is why this post is likely to be the first of many World Catwalk features from London... Every time I visit (on average, once a month), I always see so many well-dressed candidates for the World Catwalk crown so you can expect more of the below. Hope you enjoy!
Gushing complete... The real reason I came to London was in fact to lunch with my dear friend Helly (who also happens to feature below, she is one of THE most stylish people I know), and I had no intention of (read: no time for) doing shots for my regular 'World Catwalk' post. However, upon getting lost somewhere between London Bridge Station and Bermondsey Street, these street style darlings crossed my radar...
Sairah's outfit was the first thing I saw upon stepping onto the train platform. The floral scarf caught my eye with its playful fringing and summery splashes of coral and turquoise. With a (clearly very on trend) denim jacket and flowing maxi dress, this is an example of modest hijab worn with both pride and panache. Sairah, your style is simply gorgeous!
Gorgeous colours, and amazing skin - great combination!
By way of an introduction to a new regular feature, 'The Playlist', where I show you what’s playing on my iPod every now and then, I thought I would combine a personal post with this new one :)
Life as an air hostess comes with many ups - amazing travel, disposable income, permanent sunshine (thank you Dubai) and a whole host (sorry) of other perks... However, inevitably, that glamorous life also comes with its downs. One of which being that I can't pop over to Mum's place whenever I feel like it for a cup of tea and a slice of carrot, walnut and banana loaf (the latest in our long line of cake favourites).
This 'playlist' reminds me of Mum, brings back great memories and somehow gives me goosebumps - it's funny how music really can transport you back to an exact spot on an exact day. I don't know if any of these songs mean anything to you, but each song has captured an image or association with my mum, hence why it's being featured here, with love.
Spandau Ballet, True
Al Green, anything – but especially Let’s Stay Together and Tired Of Being Alone
Blondie, Atomic
Fleetwood Mac, Everywhere and Dreams
Michael Jackson, Remember The Time
Queen, Who Wants To Live Forever
Police, So Lonely
Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
The Beach Boys, God Only Knows
Rihanna, Only Girl (In The World)
Charlie Rich, Most Beautiful Girl
Stevie Wonder, Superstition
Oh what the heck, let me turn this post into an ‘Ode to Mothers’. I know Mothers Day was a few months ago (in the UK) and only a few weeks ago in the States, but she is my real-life heroine, and a daily (not once-yearly) inspiration to do good.
Inspired by a lovely post not so long ago on The Decorista (see her post HERE) I have unearthed a few beautiful ‘throwback’ photographs of my gorgeous mum (and some pics of her gorgeous mum…) and I’d like to share them with you, my gorgeous readers...
Mum at 14, wearing Mary Quant and her very of-the-time Dr Scholes sandals… I wasn’t nearly that stylish at 24, never mind 14!
In the ‘60s of course, wearing her favourite velvet mini skirt – looking very model-y and channelling Austin Powers. Yeah baby yeah… :)
Grandma with Mum on the beach in Broughty Ferry (Scotland) I love the composition of this photo and the way it’s so natural, even though it’s posed. Circa 1959
This picture is one of my favourites. It has retro written all over it. From the gorgeous pearls on my gran and the swish side-parting on my grandpa, to the cute crockery (extra points for the milk jug, Granny)… I just love it.
I love looking through old photos, and listening to old albums…
Who are your favourite old-school bands/singers? And do you have any old (or new) photos of your mum that you’d like to share? Send me a link to your blog or Instagram, I’d love to see!
It was just by chance that I happened to glance inside to the magical interior of Maggie’s Farm Boutique, carefully and cleverly designed by owner, Laurissa Drysdale.
It was a love at first sight moment – when I clapped eyes on a gaudily upholstered armchair in the shop window, its pink and gold combination waving at me like an old friend. Oh, how I exaggerate. It was subsequently a heartbreak moment upon discovering the wonderful chair had in fact already been sold! Damn these one-offs and their finders keepers charm.
Clothes and amazing furniture - I'm in heaven!
And it’s not just chairs… this beautiful boutique has all sorts of dreamy numbers for the vintage junkie. Chairs, chests, chic dresses and bags, pretty playsuits, scarves, tees, shorts, jackets, jewellery… someone STOP me! Playing in this fairground of inspired style, colour and detail, I daydreamed of a wardrobe that emanates cool like Ashley Olsen, style like Rachel Zoe, and quirky chic like Le Blog De Betty and all sorts of other nonsense that I needn’t (read – shouldn’t) divulge. If you get the chance to pop in, you’ll understand why, and maybe have a few daydreams of your own…
Chair, £125 | Dressing table (behind), £395
Her stock, its detail, diversity and lack of mainstream availability, is in fact the reason why Laurissa’s beautiful boutique (named after a Bob Dylan tune, in case you’re wondering) has remained one of Dundee’s secret successes. “I hate when I spend a fortune on an outfit, only to go out and discover everyone else is wearing the same thing,” Laurissa told me. I couldn’t agree more.
The interesting (and appealing) thing about Maggie’s Farm is that not only does it provide the high street shopper with a quirky vintage alternative to the mass produced Primark / New Look fare, Laurissa also buys in non-vintage pieces and re-works them for an individual, unique twist on a modern product. Alongside this clothing fantasy, she also stocks wonderful jewellery and Ashley Olsen-worthy bags. I have a crush on the fringed leather masterpiece that comes in tan and black (below).
It sounds simple (and I admit, pretty cheesy), but it seems to me to be an extremely effective way of making any outfit look cuter, funner (yes, I know that’s not in the dictionary), quirkier, even trendier.
The confidence that underlies the posture and expression of the Spanish girls I saw in the streets of Madrid, was fun to watch!
I strolled along Grand Via (pronounced Grand 'Bia' by the Spaniards, which, along with their lisping really threw me off) and the little streets leading to it, noticing that the girls seemed to have fun bouncing in and out of the different shops, deciding what to buy next.
Note: The same cannot be said of the staff inside said shops. I was disappointed, but not altogether surprised by the attitude that came steaming off Zara’s assistants like fumes… well, have you ever been into Zara and not been looked up and down like you just landed at Paris Hilton’s birthday party in your pyjamas?
Oops, sorry. Personal rant over, promise.
Back to the sunny Spanish girls who inspired me with their street style!
The first was the beautiful Arlim (actually from Peru), who shyly showed us a very pulled-together look with her aviator sunglasses, cool scarf and to-die-for boots. I loved everything about this outfit – absolutely everything!
Let me ask you, what springs to mind when you hear the words "Russian” and “fashion"? For me, it's all giant fur hats, military boots and overbearing overcoats. Well, given their climate, that's not an unreasonable guess, is it? When it comes to the men of Moscow, my ideas are pretty much spot on, but their overcoats aren't so much overbearing as they are snugly fitting and apparently comfortable. For the ladies however, my guess really couldn't be further from the mark. Allow me to recall my encounter with style a la Moscow...
Not long ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, I spent a little time visiting a home for abandoned babies and children of imprisoned women. The Nest (click HERE for the website) made for a very interesting day in my travels.
Prior to my trip to Cape Town, I'd heard great things about the place, and the flight there... "It's beautiful" said one. "The food is amazing", cooed another. "The flight is easy" added one more.
I was excited to see for myself if what had been said was true, so here's my account of a journey that proved all of the above to be understatements.
