Tea and Vintage...

Although I am now back in Cambridge, not in London, I thought that today's post could concentrate on the wonder that is Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street...

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before, as it is home to my favourite physical vintage store in the world, ever, and it's great for a stop off in a peaceful place amidst the craziness of Oxford Street and Carnaby Street.

The best stops, starting from the top:

Camellia's Teas: Great tea, lovely proprietress, immense foods (the salads and soups are Always interesting - uber-win!) and pretty awesome gift-type items.

T-B + tiny cup = hilarity!

Next floor down is the wonderful Sam Greenberg which is my absolute favourite physical vintage store. Every time I go into the store I find some beautiful dress that exactly fits the occasion I went in there to buy for... It has a lovely mix of pattern and plain, all colours of the rainbow and all eras. Has anyone else been in? They have a great range of eras represented, though a predominance of 80s and 60s shapes. It really is awesome. Small, but perfectly formed! My favourite buys include my Ferragamos (now, sadly deceased due to one too many rainy days...) and my "Flamenco dress" - black, calf length, with big red and white flowers - an adored, well-worn dress, but funnily enough one that's not yet surfaced on here... Perhaps soon!

Anyway, moving on... There are three other vintage stores in Kingly Court: Stromboli's Circus is next to Sam Greenberg, and while I enjoy nothing more than strolling around, and in particular looking at their vintage fabrics and magazines, I've not yet found a piece of clothing in there I really love. It's possibly due to the higher prices and higher incidence of fancy-dress-vintage, but I think it might be awesome for boy-wear. My partridge scarf was bought in here, so I do have a certain amount of affection for it...

Fur Coat No Knickers is on the top floor, near Camelia's Teas. This place is a wonderland, albeit an expensive one... They have really, truly, first class vintage, beautiful hats, amazing though fragile bags, and more jewelled, magpie-happy-making stash than one can bear! It's worth checking out for the intake-of-breath factor!

Finally, Marshmallow Mountain on the ground floor has a good selection of wearable vintage, and an awesome selection of accessories. I always like to rummage in their shoes and scarves, but haven't yet plunged in and bought anything. Possibly because I'm usually expecting to find something more exciting upstairs, and thus I always hold back on the affection-giving!

Aside from vintage, I'd say other highlights have to be Lazy Oaf and Traffic People on the ground floor... Always good fun to be had. Food-wise, I'd say that C'est Ici is pretty nice. Especially if you're a cake fiend. Their chocolate fondant is yummy-scrummy, and the candy cakes are immense; but have them with a big drink of water as they get very sickly very quickly. I'd recommend the blueberry ones. Also, the Ferrero Rocher milkshakes are gooooooood! (Can anyone tell I fell off the gluten-dairy-free bandwagon a few times this summer; much to the detriment of my digestive tract which is still punishing me for my misbehaviour, seeing as I'm actually allergic... Sigh.)

So, all in all, definitely worth checking out if you're Oxford Street way... Carnaby Street is just behind Liberty too, so you must also spend time in their haberdashery department; just in case you don't already, which obviously anyone with an ounce of sense must do on a regular basis... Right?! ;-D

Apologies, seriously, for remaining crap on the blogosphere front. Same excuses as ever. Work, course being horribly hard, etc. etc. Sorry! Will try to get better again soon! I have a few bits and pieces up my sleeve for this week and beyond, so... Woop! ;-D

Finally, a couple of outfit pictures from T-B and I's Kingly day...

Gosh, I really was wearing a lot of black and grey over the summer... Hmmmmm. Anyway. I was wearing: Hobbs grey nubby tweed jacket (borrowed from mother), grey Primark strappy top, black Motel lace back dress (turned around), Luella bag, grey Acne jeans (now sadly deceased...) and M&S sandals... Funnily enough, also swinging a Sam Greenberg bag containing an awesome turquoise 80s dress. Good times.

Right. Must go write essay.

Hugs! Xxxc

Puss in (Chelsea) Boots

Ok, so I've got an eensy weensy teeny weeny little bit behind on posting... Not that you haven't been well looked after by T-B! But he has a job, and therefore can't spend all of his life taking photos anymore. Sad times. I have been absent due to the fish-out-of-water feeling that comes with starting afresh on a completely new subject, in a completely new department, though admittedly at the same university. I am now at business school, and this is a far cry from the boat burials and church roofs of previous thought processes. Today's lecture was on Fordism and Scientific management. Yesterday's was on luck and risk. I'm enjoying it, but golly, by brain's getting a bit of a workout!

However, I decided it was high time I took up the reigns here again... And thus follows a very very late post following on from the one about the Romina Karamanea show from LFW! I thought I'd share with you the photoshoot T-B and I did in the afternoon after Claire left me to go swot up for her lawyer-ing exams! (In fact, t'was the same day as a couple of the photos in T-B's post of Borough were taken!)

We began at the BFI cocktail bar - a regular haunt - and progressed along the South Bank to Sawf-of-the-River and Borough. Enjoy!

Velveteen Rabbit In London

NEW HAIR!!! I had had my hair chopped between the fashion show and meeting up with T-B, so I was a *little bit* excited...

See! I *can* be quiet / sensible... Honest!

Sweet and innocent...

Killing the poor duck with my antics...

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

Gratuitous *Beautiful London* shot... The light was so amazing on Saturday!

Devil in the Detail... Me and my beeeeyooooooteeeeeeful Luella bag, bought in the sample sale I went to at the beginning of the summer (along with a number of other bloggers).

My favourite shot of the day... Preparing for the day I'll be a proper Sarf Lahndahner - i.e. when I've graduated and have a job and an abode. South of the River. OBV!

I was wearing: H&M lace and ribbon jacket, H&M charcoal tee, vintage belt, H&M skirt, H&M crushed velvet leggings, ToyWatch, vintage (mother-acquired) "Chelsea" boots and Luella black leather bag (just seen) and Slow Food Market (by the Southbank Centre) sack-bag.

I really am on a bit of a velvet kick at the moment... These leggings, some Topshop pieces, the spider on the front of my mother's angora jumper from the 80s I've, erm, borrowed:

Woopee!!!

Right... I'm supposed to be doing stats work. Oh the joys!

I'll be back soon... PROMISE!!!

Xxxc

Brick Lane, a surprising outcome from a visit.

It's me, T-B, once more here with food and musings to accompany the lovely Cassie on fashion.

Today, intending to take lovely pictures of the Brick Lane curry festival, which I imagined would be full of Street food and glorious sights, sounds and smells, I set off with girlfriend in one hand and camera in the other. The day did not turn out as expected, but the discoveries more than make up for it.

Discoveries that included a curious skeleton.
And a head on the floor.

I thought it was a good sign that when we got to Brick Lane, this was one of the first streets coming off it that I noticed. Bacon Lane. A good sign for someone there for food

Street food was what I was hunting for, for which Brick Lane has a good reputation. I was specifically looking for a stall selling the special Green curry which was specially created for the Curry festival this year. However, while there were Japanese;

Middle Eastern

and Chinese

Vendors, I couldn't see any curry. This was about the time I realised that this festival may not be on the street but in the restaurants. So it was time to wander and find a Brick and Mortar place to eat.

And then we found something fully unexpected.

We saw this place, Story Deli Pizzas, where my attention was grabbed by the GIANT spinach based salad I saw someone eating, and the beautiful looking pizzas, so, while in London's home of curry, we (and by that I mean I) elected to have pizza.

Looking at the menu, it was one of those situations where you have 20 choices, and you want all 20, at once. But in the end we decided. I got the Chicken, Chorizo and Sweet Potato

While Becks got a 'La Scala', with spicy sausage and various other delights.
(Here I should probably note that they only used certified Organic produce and seemed like a very ethical establishment all around)

These pizzas were some of the thinnest I've ever had, heading more towards Filo than pizza dough. Crisp yet still chewy (Becks tried to eat hers in the New York slice fashion by bending it, sending shards flying). The toppings were also in perfect proportion, instead of Mozarella, I had Taleggio covering my pizza.

The pizzas didn't last long...

But it was one of those places where you came away feeling happily full but not stuffed and definitely keen to come back. Especially since the dinner plate sized pizzas were a steal at £12 each.

If you're around Brick Lane, definitely give this place a shot.

You can find it at Dray Walk off Brick Lane in Shoreditch

T-B takes a go

Hi everyone, the mysterious yet loveable T-B the photographer here. Cass has asked me (or I asked her) to take a go at guesting, so here I am. Since I am far less of a fashionista, I'll be going for another route; Food

With food in London, especially to one who's working in the City, there's only one place to start: Borough Market. Borough Market is just off the south side of London Bridge and every Thursday through Saturday it serves up a variety of the best food London has to offer.

You get everything from towers of cheese;

To amazing meringuesAll served from stalls
And most of it cooked right in front of you...

So what is there to know?

Firstly, Borough Market is home to the best brownies in England. Bar none. I'm currently in the process of negotiating international shipping of these brownies just in case I ever have to move anywhere. Surrounded in a perfectly crumbly but firm crust, these brownies toe the line between cake and mousse, and also go with most outfits, as demonstrated below;

Notice how it highlights the features of the wonderful model!

Now onto the real recommendations, and I'll give you a guide, coming in from my usual entrance of the stairs in the North East corner by the Cathedral

First thing I ever had there was the Paella, as seen above. It's a welcome sight coming down from the city proper into the depths of the market (have I mentioned that it's half covered by a railway track? Well more accurately, it's covered half by a railway track, and the other half is covered by a proper roof) and the smells of smokey Chorizo, the bright colours of the paella and the sound of people enjoying their food assaults you, while the Paella does not disappoint.

Passing this, you get to some good, if not amazing stalls with cakes, Pimms and a variety of sausage wraps (I recommend the Lamb and Chimmichurri wrap. I think it was that one at least). After which comes the start of the free samples.

Now I recommend that anyone who likes a free day out not even take a wallet, you can have a very good meal on the free samples of cheese (the Compte from the stall who specialises in it is a must), sweets, meats, tea and other such glorious products.

There's also first flush tea which is completely without the tannic tang of the usual cuppa, a variety of fresh fish, including freshly cooked scallops in the half shell, more fresh fruit and veg than you could ever need (but will always want) and cakes galore. Just thinking about what is there makes me hungry

The key goal, however, should be the Mozzarella and Parma Ham salads. On first sight these seem plain and not worth a minute of your over-excited and slightly addled mind. However, the Parma Ham is some of the best I have ever had the fortune of eating, and the Mozzarella is without a doubt unmatched. Paired with a simple Rocket salad, salt, pepper and a fig perched on top, this is the ideal meal for a summers day.

That's not to say there is nothing for the colder days. Pieminister, the Fresh Pasta company and the variety of hot curries and sandwiches play their part too, and all must be tried to fully appreciate the range and beauty of Borough. However, little matches the feeling of sitting in the sun with friends having a glorious salad beneath Southwark Cathedral.

The best way to understand the fun of the market is to head on over one week and just absorb it all. Definitely one of the best places in London, and one of my favourite places to eat in the world.

If anyone's actually interested in hearing more from me, and seeing more of my photos of food, please say otherwise I'll get self conscious and go back to hiding... (Any advice is also appreciated, self-improvement is the name of the game!)

We're Angels. Obviously.

Ok, so this is very very very tardy, even by my standards, but today's post is about being an Aussie Angel!!! Along with Claire, Winnie, Nicola et al, I was contacted as one of 50 bloggers to get the Undercover Aussie treatment...

It all kicked off with a treasure hunt to Chelsea Farmer's Market, where I also popped into the food bit to find some sheepsmilk yoghurt and rice flour! We were sent a key and a clue to find the "silo", and when we turned up, we got a lovely box of goodies including Aussie products, a Topshop voucher and a spa voucher!!! Uber uber exciting.

I haven't used them yet, mainly as I'm saving them for uni supplies. Living at home in the summer = use parental posh shampoo time!!!

I do use Aussie's 3 minute miracle on a very very regular basis, as long hair gets a bit damaged, and it JUST SMELLS SO DARN NICE!!! Thus, I have to admit I'm rather excited about trying their normal shampoo and conditioner! I will also post about Topshop and spa choices when I stop working all hours and get back to Cambridge where one has time to take a breath and treat oneself!

Anyhoo... Next stop, a week later, was Adee Phelan's salon in Covent Garden for hair styling and lots of champagne! We were allowed to take up to two friends along, so I brought two uni college girlies, Sarah and the lovely Becks, T-B's gf. IT WAS SUCH FUN!!! Claire was also there with some of her pals, and we all ate lots and lots of jelly beans and got a bit merry on the champers and cocktails provided when we went down the road to The Hospital bar!

Claire and her amazingly glam hair...

Me and my crazeeeeeeee but lovely stylist!

Becks and her shampoo... Loving the Lana Turner-esque eye hiding!

Sarah really loved her goody bag!!!

Angelically Posing...

Not so angelic...

COCKTAILS!!! Yum.

Pretty! Sparkly! :-D

We three have better hair here than Charlie's Angels!!! Fit.

Shocker - I ended up with curly hair for several days! Woop woop!

Night night!

Xxxc

Dumdumdeeedum... Skipping Along to Another LFW Show!!!

Short post this evening... Might be something to do with the huge lack of sleep I've been living on lately ( - I'm a massive insomniac - ) and also work being really quite hectic at the mo. Oh, and the lovely, and slightly expensive, very merry evening out I've had. Sigh.

Anyhoo... As you may have noticed if you read the lovely Claire's blog, The View From Here, we went to another fashion show on Monday evening.

Claire - Glam as ever...

Moi straight from work... I look like a small child hehe. (Take note of the velvet hair scrunchie... I am newly obsessed!!!) Wearing: vintage Escada wine silk shirt, Luella bag, Cheap Monday self-studded jeans, M&S sandals, Boots bordeaux velvet hair scrunchy.

It was the Maaike Mekking show at CAMP near Old Street - very East London, very too-cool-fash-un... Claire and I had a great time commenting incessantly on everyone's ensembles, and yumyumyumming at the red velvet cakes that were on offer. (Not so much at the wine though...)

The show, which annoyingly started almost an hour late, did present some rather cool clothes, the stand-out ones of which I attempted to get good photos of in poorly lit conditions on a poor camera. Like Claire, I felt that a lot of the clothes were let down by some rather shoddy modelling. If you're going to have non-professional models, then at least brief them on how to walk, the speed at which they should go, and that they should STOP at the end of the runway. I missed some photo ops on my favourite pieces because a couple of the girls moved far too fast and didn't even pause for breath at the end of the white carpet... Sigh.

However, I did appreciate several elements of this collection. Aside from the cupcakes, I rather liked the oriental details, the cut outs and the subtle definition of the girls' silhouettes behind both structured and loose clothes. The show was simple, but by having them walk against a wall, the shadows emphasised the free-flowing movement which made several of the pieces rather interesting. Saying that, one of my favourite pieces was a rather stiff white dress, so maybe I should just shush! ;-D

This floaty pleated trouser and white top with bra-as-outerwear thing going on was rather special and I was sad not to get a better shot... I think the collection, with it's muted but striking pallette and hints of lovely pattern-creativity was overall good. I'm not sure I enjoyed it as much as Saturday as the crowd was a bit too hip for little ol' me, and the lighting and models - annoying, niggling details - really put me off.

Adore this dress... Great brocade-esque details.

Scary China Doll look... Love the shirt though!

But maybe the cupcakes and the white dress, cute white shirt and pleated trousers may have been worth the adventure into East-London-Land for me...

Night All!

Xxxc

This Fashion Life

Well, as everyone knows, it's mid-London Fashion Week...

At work, the only reasons one notices this fact are that my boss keeps leaving in the middle of the day dressed to the nines and we have had to stuff thousands of party invites including one addressed to "Ms Anna Wintour"!

However, Claire (of A View From Here) and myself have been a *little bit* fashion-week-y this weekend...

First up: Yesterday, we went to the lovely Romina Karamanea show (part of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout schedule). We have made it a policy to always try to get a plus one, so we both get to go to lots more stuff as we tend to get invited to different things! Yay blogger mates!

We got all dressed up... Of course!

Claire wearing her AMAZING sample sale JP Braganza dress...

Little Ol' Me wearing: H&M lace and ribbon jacket, H&M charcoal tee, vintage belt, H&M skirt, H&M crushed velvet leggings, ToyWatch, vintage (mother-acquired) "Chelsea" boots and Luella black leather bag (just seen).

The Romina Karamanea show was just so cool. We were queuing outside Freemasons' Hall for fecking ages, and again inside the venue, but it was great for people watching and architecture-porn-spotting!!!!

Freemasons' Hall is so kitsch and really rather fascinating to explore... Claire noticed the pentagram on the front step, and I was rather enamoured with these light fittings and all the autumnal colours of stained glass!

These two girls really fascinated me. I adore these bird headbands that have done the blogging rounds, but had never seen anyone out and about with one on... Too cute! She had this great asymetric haircut too. I went to my hairdressers after the show and showed this photo to two of the stylists. Hilariously, one of them had seen the same girl, with the same crow, only two days before at Victoria tube station! Yay for fashion freedom! Love the bleached look of her friend too... They both just looked so perfect and out-of-time - they made me cheer for London's ability to nurture and celebrate such quirkiness and confidence!

Anyway... On to the show!

Romina Karamanea - Ready-To-Wear - Spring/Summer 2010

presented at Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, London as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout LFW September 2009

Thoughts???

Mine: Amazing Square Shoulders... Shoes that seemed harder to stand still in than walk... Lots of graphic, block printing... Easy flowing fabrics and much more structured pieces mixed together to create a quite cohesive and interesting show. The notes spoke of a collection inspired by "engineering and industrialisation, everything is linear and robotic. There is a theme of disconnection..." Quite like the times we live in eh! The pre-show video sequence was also amazing, detailing the corsetry techniques, speaking of destruction and construction, and celebrating the form of the model lopping her long black hair off to reveal the monochrome laced clothes. All in all, a great show that struck the right balance. Not all of it was stuff I'd wear, but there were certainly enough pieces in there that had me salivating to ensure I keep a close eye on what this girl gets up to next!!!

More to come on our LFWeek-end exploits soon!

Night!

Xxxc