Valentino and Spots in London

Although I featured the Spring Couture shows last week, I thought I should start this week with the Valentino Spring Couture show, it is so lovely that it needs viewing and the fabrics are beautiful.

When I finally managed to get dressed on Thursday, after making pancakes for my son who is perfectly capable of doing it himself, paying a stack of bills and doing a load of laundry, I opened my cupboard and thought what on the earth am doing trying to write a fashion blog when I have nothing to wear. It’s the weirdest thing, it feels like just yesterday my cupboard held lots of clothes, today, not. It’s as though the wardrobe gremlins have been in there erasing everything. It’s like when you put a new outfit together and you feel good and positive the whole day and then a week or two later you think I liked that, I think I’ll wear it  again except that now it just doesn’t work. How does that happen? It’s physically the same cupboard, and physically the same outfit so it must be our minds that have changed. I know I underestimate how things affect me, how even the smallest negative thing that happens can change my mood and self perception.  Without sounding all ‘new age’ about it, I think there is a lot to be said for not letting negative thoughts take up residence in your head, deal with them harshly when they pop up,  find something you feel good in and head off for the day!!

When I saw these soft patent leather flats at Zara I thought they would be perfect for Fall and would go with everything. They are soft and comfortable and are a bit newer and more on trend than the old ballet flat.

I always find something at Veronica Maine that I like and this week I saw these two fine knit tops. They are soft and flattering and the orange is a beautiful colour.The peplum is great and takes it from being just a boring knitwear top to something special. The longer sleeve top has a row of decorative little buttons down the back. When I tried them on the only problem I could see if that they are very fine and sheer and I think you would need to wear a camis with them but they are such a great fit.

There seem to be spots everywhere, lovely big fat ones. These purses from Fossil at David Jones are lovely.

My husband travels a lot and as it is our 25th wedding anniversary this month I am joining him on his current trip to celebrate. It’s been a very long time! We arrived in London this morning, it’s fantastic to be here and the weather is good, it’s cold but sunny. I haven’t had an opportunity to look around much yet but I did go into the enormous new Zara on Oxford Street and was amazed at how many Oriental influenced prints and styles they are showing. There are lots of sweater and jumpers with tiger faces on the front and subtle tiger prints. There are also a few short kimono style jackets in velvet prints and a few Chinese embroidered satin items.

There are a lot of large, cheerful spots in London and it’s been wonderful after looking at the Spring collections on line and in magazines for so long to actually see them in displayed in the stores. When I walked around Selfridges and looked at all the collections, I thought the photographs and videos don’t do the clothes  justice,  the fabrics are so beautiful and the colours so vivid its incredible.