Life lessons: How to hand-wash cashmere

In preparation for LFW (which kicks off on Friday) as well trying to sleep as much as possible (will never understand why sleep can't be collected and stored till you need it like Nectar points), and eating as much as I can in some sort of self-destructive anti-fashion rebellion, I thought I might wash all my cashmere, you know, just in case I decide to do the whole low-key I'm-not-really-here outfit thing (which is looking like a distinct possibility). Anyway, as someone who avoids hand-washing at all costs, yet can't afford dry-cleaning, and is still traumatised from past cashmere shrinking episodes, I decided the best thing to do was to google 'how to wash cashmere'. After sceptically scouring the links I clicked on this one on a website called Real Simple (because that's what I look for in household chores/ lessons/ everyday life), and it was so good I thought I'd share it with you guys! Isn't Sam Saboura (style expert) just adorable/ how much do you want one of those snazzy mesh drying racks/ how much can I still not be arsed to hand-wash my cashmere...humph.

It's CHRIIIIIIISTMAS!

Ok it's not, it's actually 10th Feb, but there's snow on the ground and I've just scored a hat-trick of the most fan-tacky-tastic Christmas jumpers imaginable, so you can understand my confusion!

As regular readers will know I've been on the hunt for the perfect vintage Christmas jumper for a couple of years now - see. I've been looking for so long, that if I'm honest I was beginning to give up hope, and I certainly never thought I'd find them in a Jewish charity shop in February! I'd always imagined that my perfect Christmas jumper would be a traditional red and white Scandinavian affair, but then I imagined that anything as spectacular as jumper 1 and cardigan 2 existed! Jumper 3 is just in case I'm having an uncharacteristically low-key day. Let's be honest, it's unlikely, but miracles do happen!

It's a LONDON ting

Yes, as far as I'm concerned it is ALL ABOUT this hat right now. Anyone who knows me personally can testify that I've been inseparable from it since I brought it (on the spur of the moment out of freezing desperation on a particularly cold day) in November. It was truly love at first sight, and instantly became my absolute favourite item in my wardrobe....like EVER! Not only is it fantastically warm, but as Londoner I'm really loving the opportunity to publicly declare my love for this fair/ gritty metropolis. Also it's pink. Splendidly sickly sweet pink. And when I wear it I feel epic. So there. Pow.

Not just another leather biker jacket

Today I’m a very happy bunny, as I’ve just got a new Muubaa leather jacket, which I hope you all love as much as I do (as always would love your feedback)! I’ve only recently discovered London–based leather brand Muubaa, and instantly fell in love with the Rick Owens-esque understated luxury of their designs. Their prices aren’t cheap (my jacket is £329), but their innovative designs and experimental techniques make for some fantastic stand-out pieces, and as a frequent leather sniffer (honestly, I can hardly walk past a leather jacket without giving it the sniff test – it’s practically an illness) I can confirm that this is the real deal. Besides the jackets (I also have my eye on this belted funnel neck waterfall jacket - maje), Muubaa also design some great clothing; just take a quick peek at this rather naughty Madam Whiplash stylee pencil skirt, and this perforated suede cami is just delicious!

I’ve been casually in the market for a new leather biker jacket for a while now, and have nearly brought a more typically fierce number on more than one occasion. Something was always holding me back though, and now I’ve realised that I was actually craving something completely different all along. In contrast to the usual harshness, this biker has a gentle fluidity which really differentiates it from the pack. I just love the fact it’s distressed grey instead of the typical jet-black, and the way it hangs more like soft denim or even linen, instead of being all stiff and rigid. Best of all you just know it’s going to get better the more I wear it – win!

A lesson in cynicism/ a lucky day

So, my infamous hard-earned finely-chiselled cynicism took a bit of a knock today. After last night's post where I declared, and I quote, 'there's about as much chance of me getting my grubby mitts on any of the [Versace H&M] collection as there is me marrying in to the Royal family', I only bloody managed to score not one, but two pieces! Well, you know what that means....move over Chelsy, Harry's MINE!

After hours of hitting refresh, I eventually made it through to the check-out without the site crashing (albeit 4/5 items in my basket had sold out by then) - I honestly couldn't believe my luck. Then, after work, I decided to take a walk on the wild side, and pop into a couple of H&M stores on the off chance that it hadn't all sold out, and in the second store managed to find my second piece. Score!

Obviously I'm desperado to tell you what I've got, but as I have to wait for one of my pieces to be delivered, you're going to have to wait to too!

I hope you were all as lucky as I was. If you were I'd love to hear/ see what you brought.

I'm off now to totally re-evaluate my entire outlook on life now...syke! Being cynical is the only thing that keeps me sane!

Kisses xxx

Versace/ H&M: Be still my beating heart

Sadly I couldn't attend the show/ launch party...predominantly because I wasn't invited, but you know I'm veeeerrrry conscious of my carbon foot print now days, so probably would have refused the invitation to fly to NY just for one night anyway. Yer right! Anyway, I'm not one to hold a grudge, and as a MAHOOOSIVE Versace fan - spesh the retro '90s flash-trash prints - I'm beyond crushing over their collection for H&M.

As (bad) luck would have it I'm office-based tomorrow, so won't be able to get to a H&M till lunch time (if I'm lucky), so as there's about as much chance of me getting my grubby mitts on any of the collection as there is me marrying in to the Royal family, I've decided to wallow in voyeuristic lusting of what could be if only I were willing to pull a sickie and wake at the crack of dawn to join a queue in the cold and get first dibs...

Snaps to the H&M team for producing yet another blinder of a designer collaboration....and I really truly didn't think it could get any better than last years collabo with Lanvin. I daren't let myself think about what they could have in store next...

The insanely brilliant advert. If only all ads were this creative, clever and well-conceived.

Remember Remember....British Folklore

Roughly a year ago I had the pleasure of interviewing the fantastically talented Simon Costin - set designer/ art director extraordinaire. Not simply content with his day job, Simon recently fulfilled a life-long personal dream by establishing The Museum of British Folklore. The Museum, which seeks to 'promote, celebrate and revitalise the folk heritage of Britain', is shockingly the only institution dedicated to British folklore in the country, and as such undertakes some really very exciting, interesting and important work.

Late as ever, this video should have gone up before bonfire night, but as a. the exhibition is on until 11th December, and b. it's in Warwickshire (where most of you are not), I'll let myself off the tardiness hook this time!

Do take a couple of minutes to watch though, as it’s a beautifully captivating slice of Simon Costin (and Richard Sharples) magic.