Category Archives: Fashion
The Holy Grail of British jeans
Rachel Weisz in MiH Breathless jeans
I have been a fan of Hudson jeans for about a year now. I bought a pair at last year’s Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale and loved the fit (yay for a petite cut!) and for the little union jack on the bum.
But lately, I’ve ben searching for that elusive jean – something petite again, but also skinny without being too skinny, straight and fitted just so. Not too tight on the ankle, but not too loose. The answer might be in the form of the British brand MiH and their Breathless jean. I was flipping through the August issue of Glamour and lo and behold, the dream jean was there: “Something slim-fitting but not too tight, spiffy enough for Saturday night but also perfect for a casual brunch” and there were photos of Rachel Weisz, Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Elizabeth Hurley sporting the look.
Have you ever tried MiH? Is it all that and a bag of chips (or should I say crisps)? Inquiring minds want to know (I want to know!).
Scotch! For your nails!
Have you heard about Scotch nail polish (translation: nail varnish), a non-toxic, eco-friendly line of colors with names like Loch Ness Mystery, Black Tartan and Highland Mist? Even cooler? The bottles are fashioned after whiskey bottles. Love it! (Oh yeah, and they’re based here in the U.S. but available in the U.K. and quite a few other countries globally!)
Liberty + J. Crew = *sigh*
J. Crew has partnered with London’s Liberty for its spring line. Meet the gorgeousness that is the Margaret Annie floral.
I’m also digging the uber-feminine pink berry print.
Spring is in the air! I can feel it!
Meet the Scouse brow
Is this a post-Halloween joke or April Fool’s Day come early?
MSN.com is reporting that the latest trend in brows in Britain is the “Scouse brow,” as seen on “Desperate Scousewives,” a new reality TV show that follows the lives and loves of eight blokes and birds in Liverpool.
But is this really a look that Brits are going to recreate? Only time will tell.
I will say that I doubted that the mullet would ever become a fad and then visited the UK a few years back, only to find mullets on the Tube, on the high street, on the bus.
I thought that was shocking, but this? Brow-raising…
How to dress your kids like northerners
A couple of months back, I blogged about how to dress your kids like Londoners.
Well, Janie and Jack has gone British this season with its Yorkshire Princess line. Boasting “tailored looks featuring primroses, classic plaids and Fair Isle,” the latest line is just the ticket if you want to create the look of a northern lassie in your little one.
And for northern lads?
Well, they don’t have a Yorkshire lad equivalent, I’m afraid. But they do have a line called “Dapper Young Gent,” which mixes argyle, Glen plaid and velveteen.
Just lovely.
Trail blazers
I know. I’ve blogged before about J. Crew, but hot damn! I’m loving their fall collection.
Have you seen their women’s blazers this season? So preppy and British and fall-like. Check out their schoolboy blazer in Donegal tweed.
Or their schoolboy blazer in Prince of Wales wool tweed …
Or their Hacking Jacket in tweed, sourced from the famed Robert Noble mill in Peebles, Scotland, which has been producing woolen products since 1666.
They make me want to slap on a pair of riding boots and head out into pony country. Tally ho!
It’s Hunter season
Ah, I hate rain but I love a good Hunter wellie. And lucky for me, Hunter season is nearly upon us!
Always a classic: Hunter Original in Green
Wellington boots originated back in World War I, as a response to the demand for footwear appropriate for European trench warfare. The North British Rubber Company rose to the challenge and later became Hunter Boot Ltd., the company that is still in business today.
Made of 100 percent natural rubber, these classics are perfect for stomping through any rainstorm. But the Hunter brand is also continuing to reinvent the boot. Check out some of this fall’s latest styles.
A rainbow of boot flavors
Clockwise above: May in Mahogany, Original in Apple Green, Original Tall in Candy Pink, Dallin Tall in Cuioio, Lapins in Spice, Chandler in Chalk, and Regent Savoy in Black.
Wear what you read
In light of the earth-shattering news this week that J. Crew will now ship to the UK (what? You didn’t get the memo?), I wanted to share these kids’ litera-tees available at JCrew.com.
Now your child (or one you know) can wear a British classic like Sherlock Holmes or Treasure Island. Their shirt will be like an open book.
Even better, for every tee shirt sold, they will donate a book to a community in need. It’s part of the mission of Out of Print Clothing, the awesome company that produces the book shirts.
Wear what you read. It’s a great concept! If you could put your favorite book title on a shirt, what would yours be?
I’m pretty sure I’d get a Great Gatsby tee. Or The World According to Garp tee. Well, actually, maybe something by Ray Bradbury or Kurt Vonnegut. Hmm … I might have enough favorites here to create a wardrobe.
Mini Boden is big on style
The Brits have a knack for making lovely, high-quality children’s clothes and Mini Boden is proof of that. I’ve purchased a few items through their catalogue in previous years, but recently Nordstrom started carrying their line in its stores – not in its entirety but the highlights, which is good enough for me. Their fall collection can be pre-ordered now.
Pictured above: Layered Sleeve Tee in Blackcurrant Apple; ‘Bold Print’ Dress in Indigo Giant Flower; Heart Patch Pants (Toddler) in Raspberry Mouse; and ‘Fun Pocket’ Jumper in Aqua
A slice of Toast
Last week, the latest Toast catalogue winged its way from their headquarters in Wales to my home in California and like a giddy schoolgirl, I squirreled it away until I could leaf through it and enjoy it in complete peace (yes, I did have to wait until after bedtime for the kids …).
Toast pretty much puts every American catalogue (well, perhaps with the exception of Anthropologie … mmm, Anthropologie) to shame. I love the high-quality photography as much as their delicious collection of knitwear, structured jackets, capes, scarves, menswear and gorgeous, understated pieces for the home. Take a gander …
BRITRISH.COM 