#9
Laura Weir + coat season
Hello reader, and welcome to your weekly dose of fashion and beauty. And happy Friday, as always! I had a delightful weekend trip to Vienna, though it came with a persistent chill that made me realise just how much I despise the cold. It actually makes me miserable. Anyway, true to my last post, I did manage to wear every single coat, scarf, jumper, and shoe I stuffed into my suitcase. I even exceeded my own expectations and wore my mother’s leopard-print fur coat. While it provided minimal insulation (because what fabulous coats actually keep you warm?) I looked great despite the disgusting chill. I paired it with a very over-the-top fur scarf, which, thankfully, was wonderfully warm and cosy.
Anywho, what I really love about travelling to new cities is seeing what people wear. I find it fascinating how every city carries a unique fashion identity, because there are subtle differences in the way locals dress if you really look. Unfortunately, I assume Vienna doesn’t hold a very high fashion status because I saw no memorable fits. Sigh. All I saw were huge puffer coats and dull coloured scarves that screamed boring and not FUN!!!
Aside from that, there was one memorable moment. It didn’t happen on the streets of Vienna, but on the plane at Heathrow, of all places. A girl had stood up to go to the bathroom, and she was wearing an outfit that I am now wearing. It was very simple: black turtleneck, heeled boots, and the star of the show…a maxi blue denim skirt. A lightbulb flickered in my brain, and I thought: this is it!!! This is how I can wear my beloved COS denim skirt in winter!
See, I had already packed it away into my ‘open in summer when life is good and fun and carefree!!’ bag that I chucked into the top of my wardrobe. However, in hindsight, this was a moment of irrational sadness. The first thing I did when I got home on Sunday was clamber to the top of my wardrobe and retrieve my beloved denim skirt. And now here I am: dressed in that exact same fit, all thanks to that plane girl.
Get out there, reader, and you will find inspiration everywhere - and this doesn’t have to be strictly fashion epiphanies. You only get ideas when you venture into the big world, see what it has to offer, and in my case, ogle at outfits and steal some ideas.
Now, do keep up…
Article spotlight!
Oooooh I love this part. What did I love reading this week? What do I think is worth your time? Well, as I was browsing the feeds of my go-to news outlets - obviously not the BBC, Sky or the FT (ew gross!), but Vogue, ELLE, Marie Claire…la la la - amongst all the festive guides and how-tos, I discovered that Laura Weir, the CEO of the British Fashion Council, had written a piece for ELLE on Why British Fashion Matters.
My first thought was how does she have the time to do that? I assume her role is heavily demanding and requires intense hours, yet here she has written a long-form article for ELLE, essentially informing us all why her job is oh-so important. Did her assistant write it for her? Does she have an assistant? Or did the commissioning editor write most of it, with some input from Laura over a quick phone call? I don’t want to assume, so I shall take the benefit of the doubt and give her full accreditation for the piece (as ELLE does).
Nevertheless, the piece explored why fashion is more important than, well, everyone not in fashion thinks. ‘Fashion is rarely just about the clothes’, she begins, confusingly given that fashion wouldn’t exist without beautiful clothing. Rather, she states that in the UK, ‘fashion is the ignition point of a global industry and the beating heart of creative expression’, where what is showcased on the runways ripples outwards in the form of driving jobs, shaping culture, influencing design and output.
But then! She contradicts herself and says, actually, ‘clothes have always been my language, my way of shaping identity, of signalling who I am, of sending out my own semaphore into the world.’ So, clothes are about fashion after all, and in extension, fashion is about everything it conjures, from conversation to big runways to innovative designs to incomes to the feeling you get when you slip into a pair of trousers and they make your bum look amazing and you feel simply sensational.
Despite this slight contradiction, Laura’s piece is insightful. She speaks about the significance of clothes and how they have carried her through interviews to pregnancies, where for example, she took solace in cashmere after the birth of her daughter because the material ‘held me physically, and metaphorically, provided me reassurance.
Other pieces were like armour: ‘a screen-printed Fendi coat gifted by a friend years ago, worn like a shield’, whilst another represents her ambition: ‘the turquoise Acne boots and a sharp, vintage Alexander McQueen two-piece, the very outfit that carried me from the job interview into the role I hold today.’
Fashion, for her, is memory, transformation, resilience and renewal because each piece is not just material stitched together, but is a chapter of her story.
I relate to every single part of this because I always remember what I’ve worn when I’ve felt my best. When I found the perfect coat (COS trench), the perfect accessory (my mother’s leopard print scarf), the perfect work shoe (Dune penny loafer), and even the rush of excitement that surges through me when my eyes land on something I know was made for me. And, I guess, these pieces remain so deeply entrenched in my brain not because of what they look like, but how they make me feel. And I remember that feeling - of pure confidence and self-assurance that I am wearing pieces that suit me.
What I especially loved was the way she described London Fashion Week. For her, it is a representation of community because it is our inventiveness that brings us all together. Designers, buyers, press and fashion-enthusiasts fly in from around the world, from what it seems at first glance, to look at clothes being paraded on skinny models.
NO! Fashion Week is anything but just looking at pretty pieces of fabric. It is a week brimmed with creative expression, active participation, and passion. Street style raises the stakes even higher because everyone dresses however they like, and they do it well. Trends are set. Connections are made. Articles are written. Designers start brainstorming. Essentially, it is a week of planting the seeds of what is to come.
Laura recognised the shifts that are impacting the industry, such as global supply chains, fragmented audiences, a demand for sustainability, inclusivity and new business models. But, she remains hopeful that continuing to invest in the future is the only way to, well, see a future for fashion. This remains true in every discipline, I believe…looking forward and seeing where the gaps are, what can be filled, what might work, what might not work, and ultimately, just taking the plunge and seeing if it works out.
Celebrity Favourite!
The cold weather is here, and sadly, here to stay. As I left the house yesterday, it started snowing - yes, snowing! - and I made a very loud grunt as the wind blew into my face, and in the process, instilled a chill within my bones all day. That said, this means it’s officially coat season, which I’m not complaining about. My trusty M&S navy duffle coat has resurfaced from hibernation, so that’s something to be happy about. And even better, celebrities are starting to wear fabulous coats. This week, I’ve picked Meghan Trainor’s as my favourite coat of all time.
First, where did she go? Her tunes were always blasting into my ears at secondary school, and then she disappeared, and now here she is, much skinnier, and in a fabulous coat. I absolutely love a grey coat, and the applique design is the cherry on top. I’ve always loved a little detailing here and there, and I feel this design is very low on chav barometer, but could be high if you paired it with an ugly diamonte top and matching bag.
The key here is to let the coat do the talking, which Meghan does very well. Real apologies for the awful shot here - I can’t use Getty Images without paying £300, and although I would love to provide a good image to satisfy my perfectionism, I’d rather succumb to my own inner demons than be set back money I could spend on a new coat.
Eye Candy!
Rings and I have been on a long journey together. When I was 16, I grew obscenely obsessed with piling as many rings onto my fingers as I could. I loved to rummage around flea markets, vintage stores, and my mum’s jewellery stash to find anything that would fit the big, over the top, bulky, statement vision I saw as the height of fashion. In between my delicate Pandora rings that were gifted from various holy ceremonies and birthdays, I stacked grimy, old, tarnished rings that I thought looked extremely cool and candid. Sometimes, I’d try to stack 4 on one poor finger, and oftentimes, my fingers would ache from the sheer weight of them.
And then, thankfully, an epiphany came around 3 years later that perhaps less is more. That, maybe, I could just wear 2 rings (!) and it could still look good. And again, 5 years later, I feel I’m experiencing another revolution where I’m loving statement rings (specifically the ones from my mother’s collection…sorry mum), but the Pandora rings I still shockingly have just aren’t cutting it anymore.
Monica Vinader is currently having a sale, and their rings are gorgeous. There are two I have my eye on that would complete my hand ensemble just perfectly, so I might have to treat myself. Reminder, you don’t have to wait for someone to buy you jewellery girlies!
Next! I spotted this bag in Vienna airport on the way home as my friend was checking out their micro belt bags, and again, it has summoned me since. Longchamp is a forever staple for work bags, so I never thought I’d be so drawn to their Le Pliage Xtra XS Handbag - which I believe is one of their newest launches, as the shopping assistant was eagerly telling me - but I haven’t stopped thinking about it. I’m not sure if I’d go for the red just for practicality purposes, but they have it in silver too, which is exciting.
I am in a mitten phase. I already purchased the Zara mittens from last week’s newsletter, and I’ve worn them so much that it only seems right to have another pair on rotation. And we’re back to Zara, who is selling these incredible forest green knitted options that, again, are screaming my name. Why does everything have to always scream my name? These would go SO well with my navy winter coat, my beige jacket, my grey cashmere jumper…basically, everything in my wardrobe. And they are practical!!!
I want to start trying out new shower gels because I feel this is the only part of my strict body and skincare regime that lacks…care. I just use the half-empty one that is left in the shower and I always seem to be using different ones each week, despite having very sensitive skin.
I write a weekly beauty column for work, and last week, a reader wrote in asking about the best shower gels for eczema-prone skin, and embarrassingly, I had zero recommendations despite being the best person to ask.
So, it has become my duty to educate myself on what shower gels I should be using. This means fragrance-free, ingredients with soothing properties, and a product that will leave my limbs feeling soft and nourished. BYOMA’s offering instantly caught my eye, one, because of the packaging, and two, (and more importantly), it ticks all the sensitive skin boxes.
Lastly, but certainly not least, are these pyjamas. Are you kidding me! From Sainsburys! I spotted these after ‘quickly’ nipping in to get some bits for dinner after yoga and then getting ‘lost’ in the clothes aisle, but look how delightful they are. I can imagine myself slipping into these after using my BYOMA shower gel (!), freshly shaved, moisturised from head to toe, face mask on, ready to dive into my favourite book whilst dinner is being made for me. And that is how you sell a pair of pyjamas, everyone.
Weekly obsession!
Unfortunately, I am now that basic bitch. Matcha has become a weekly treat now, despite my initial disgust for the drink. I remember trying it 4 years ago in Canada and resented the earthy bitterness of it, but suddenly this month, I’m hooked. It reminds me of a warm, comforting hug and truly picks me up in the middle of the working week. And not to mention the antioxidant benefits that come with every sip! Delightful. Give me five.
Until next week, fashionistas
HVD x