Boxing Day

Christmas Day

The perfect opportunity to wear any new clothes, all together, all at once. 

The Odney Estate

The Odney Estate is in the heart of Cookham, a small village two-miles from Maidenhead. It's a beautiful retreat, only an hour away from London, and provides dinner, bed, and breakfast without breaking the bank. The rooms, with their high ceilings and antique decor, take you back to an antiquated England. Providing boat rides down the Thames, and lazy walks around the extensive grounds, it's a soothing place to escape from the city whatever the time of year.

Dresswear for Dinner

Despite red being synonymous with the month of December, I find it tricky to wear. This is especially true for a red hue as bright as this dress from ASOS.

To scale it down I wore it with a black crochet top from Urban Outfitters, with tights, black lace trim socks and black heels. 

‘More than just clothes’

“Fashion is neutral. In fact, fashion has absolutely nothing to do with politics.”

Nazi Chic, a book dedicated to the political and military implications of the fashion industry during the Third Reich, cites this quote to provide the premise of refuting its meaning. The quote is from the Second World War, otherwise known as a ‘total war,’ having an impact on the home front as well as the many fighting in Europe and beyond. The said quote was articulated by the owner of a textile factory in Germany, at a time when the textile manager and his employees were amending Russian uniforms of the Soviet occupiers who had attacked Berlin during April 1945. A Russian occupied factory proposes that the textile owner was partaking in a political and military endeavour; instantly amalgamating the textile industry with current affairs of that time.

Like the German textile owner, Vivienne Westwood represents a blend of fashion, politics, ethics and current affairs. Her symbolic boutique Sex became the only boutique of its kind in Britain, as Westwood consistently flaunted the taboos of that era; she sold anarchy t-shirts adorning the image of Karl Marx during a period of global intensity felt by the Cold War. Westwood’s clothes offer a glimpse into the cultural and political developments of our time and for that reason, one can refute the idea that “fashion is neutral,” it is not, and at times, it has everything to do with politics. 

Presently, Vivienne Westwood represents the amalgamation of the textile industry and current affairs. The political discourse in her interviews and statements on her clothing are synonymous with politics. One only needs to reference the collection of her OBE in June 2006 to exemplify her political work and rhetoric: "I'm supposed to be a bit like Che Guevara - an urban guerrilla, with my cap, this kind of jungle net, and a badge for my Active Resistance to Propaganda campaign." Westwood had hoped the honour would boost her campaign for human rights. This was, and still is, an absolute priority for her, and the slogans emblazoned on her clothing always have a clear, political intention.

Westwood is just one modern day example of the many ways fashion penetrates a variety of subjects. Recently, gender has been a topical debate with reference to the falling profitability of Marks & Spencer. At the same time, there has been a media frenzy concerning garment factories in Bangladesh, after the Tazreen Fashions LTD factory fire tragically killed 112 people. This was the country's worst industrial accident, as reported by 'The Wall Street Journal,' and highlights the inextricable link between fashion and ethics.

For many, fashion is a frivolous talking point, occupation or hobby, with little relevance to the ways of the world. However, fashion has long permeated political, economic, social and ethical affairs - it did during the Second World War in Germany, and it still does today.

Notting Hill is known for plush houses, Hugh Grant and Portobello Market. It’s lesser known for Goldborne Road: a street that runs east from Portobello Road to Kensal Road and situates the infamous Trelick Tower along with many contorted and charismatic shops.  The treasures one finds down this road begins with antique furniture, extends to the finest lace wedding dresses, and ends with Rellick. 

Rellick is an independent boutique and an absolute destination shop, housing the best vintage designer clothing, meticulously sourced by the experienced staff. The sky-blue coloured store is full of eccentric traits and trinkets. Down one side, Chanel, Westwood and YSL goodies, and in the middle, carefully considered rails full of Pierre Cardin, Christian Dior, Yohji Yammamoto and Thea Porter to name but a few. From the 1920s to the mid 80’s, the clothes range from the classy to the irregular. Hidden treasures are in every nook and cranny evident with a treasured vintage Chanel coat tucked away in the corner: military, black and with a fur trim, with a story of glamour and debauchery. 

Rellick is in tune with the finer things, evoking an ornate past. In a time of austerity, have jewels and clothing become a new way to invest? Is it time to buy a Hermes scarf rather than save for a flat? I’m not convinced just yet, but it didn’t stop the staff trying to convince me otherwise.

You cannot go to Notting Hill without visiting the Hummingbird Bakery:

The Sunday Times Style Big Shopping Sale.

With the word ‘recession’ being so omnipotent, and at the same time, the gender imbalance creating a world of work whereby many women are underpaid compared with their male counterparts, it is crucial women receive all the help they need when returning to the world of work.

In February, the Guardian explained that women were losing their jobs at a disproportionately greater rate than men. At this point the total unemployment of women was the highest it has been in 25 years. The Guardian starkly entitled this ‘The Female Unemployment Crisis’.

If this wasn’t enough to contend with, many women on low incomes face the predicament of not having appropriate attire for the interview process. This is when Dress for Success step in: a fantastic charity giving women a professional outfit, along with the skills needed for tackling the interview. Using donated clothes, the charity have trained stylists to create professional outfits, and at the same time, ensure women receive professional interview training from senior recruitment advisers. They restore confidence, empowerment, and teach important skills needed for a job application. 

It is said that employers make up their minds about a candidate within the first five minutes of meeting them; clearly Dress for Success is a much needed charity. With this intention in mind, I attended the Sunday Times Style Big Shopping Sale, a collaboration between the Sunday Time and Dress for Success. The event hosted at Somerset House, was effectively a large jumble sale but with fabulous clothes at discounted prices. Everyone enjoyed a glass of champagne, cupcakes and beauty treatments all in aid of getting women back into the workplace. 

Tramontana Brindisa

Newly opened in Shoreditch in September, Tramontana Brindisa is gaining quite the reputation as one of the top Tapas restaurants in London. It’s relaxed and colloquial atmosphere is coupled with the spacious surroundings creating the perfect place to eat with friends and family alike. Having eaten very little Spanish cuisine, the fusion of flavours in the Patatas Tramontana (Oven potato stuffed with sobrasada, cheese and duck egg), the Pimiento de Piquillo Relleno (Piquillo peppers stuffed with mix vegetables), as well as the Torrijas with Apple Crumble and Salted Caramel Ice Cream was heavenly.

Outfit:

KENZO.

The unprecedented growth of the Kenzo brand resulted in this spontaneous buy. I well and truly jumped on the bandwagon which has seen one ‘said’ Lion jumper selling out within days. My Kenzo snapback hat from Opening Ceremony was perhaps my most satisfying buy to date. For one, I finally found a snapback that was acceptable to wear, and two, it’s KENZO.