Here’s the idea: being the bastion of good taste and all round smashingness that I am *gazes lovingly at glitter tiger ornament *, I’m going to post a “stuff that I love” column every week. It’ll be kind of like my “Reading/Watching/Listening To” posts but covering a more diverse range of stuff. I’m also going to have a “Blog of the Week” category going on – so look sharp my blogging buddies! It could be you! (I can already feel the nervous anticipation.)
Fashion
A brilliant boutique in Frome, Somerset. They specialise in faux-vintage pin-up girl style clothing. Want a perfect wiggle skirt or pair of tutu knickers? Look no further.
They win extra cool points for their adorable Chinese Crested dog called Gomez. He was curled up on A THRONE, WEARING A RED JUMPER when I visited the shop in February.
Their online shop is great and the dresses on offer are absolute knock-outs.
Trench Coats
Time to send my trusty camel coat to the dry cleaner. Trust me, it needs it.
Hello trench coat! Time to go frolicking in the rain together.
Read my trench coat tips here.
Food
Marks and Spencer Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate
The sort of chocolate that many people just don’t get. The salt-caramel-chocolate combination fries some poor folk’s brains. This is good because you get to eat more of it.
TV
How to Make it in America
One of those trendy “insider” types of shows from the people responsible for Entourage. It follows two friends, Ben and Cam,as they attempt to set up their own denim brand. The rely on their street-smarts to get them out of scrapes and keep their American dream alive.
The opening credits set the Nylon magazine readin’, vintage t-shirt wearin’, dive bar drinkin’, obscure vinyl hip-hop lovin’ tone with minimalist typography, Bruce Davidson “Subway” inspired stills and a funky theme tune:
Bryan Greenberg, who plays Ben, wins the coveted Bookish Brunette “Hotty of the Week” accolade. Never has the name “Bryan” held such allure.
I can’t help but think of “How to Make it in America” as a hipster remake of “Only Fools and Horses” only set in New York with a far more beautiful cast (and a Dominican gangster called Rene taking the Uncle Albert role). It is uplifting telly with smart dialogue, gorgeous cinematography and an endlessly optimistic view on being young, talented and ambitious. That, and it features Finch from American Pie.
Film
Elektra Luxx
This is such a charming film. A charming film about the adult film industry and one woman’s attempt to escape its seedy world. It has a lo-fi studenty vibe (probably a nod towards the low quality, high output culture of adult filmmaking) and plays some clever tricks on viewers – regularly teasing with bad clichés then spinning them around in unexpected directions. The film is big-hearted, funny and suitably weird.
Music
A song I am too embarrassed to name
This song came on in the car earlier. I know that it is rubbish and the lyrics make about as much sense as I do after nine Gin and Tonics. In my defence, the sun was shining, the windows were down and life felt good:
Blog of the week
What Would a Nerd Wear
http://www.whatwouldanerdwear.blogspot.com/
A sweet style blog by a grad student called Tania from the American Midwest. This is not some scary poseur style blog, it is more of a demonstration of how to look great without spending a fortune or becoming a fashion victim.
Tania’s style is a masterclass in artsy nerd cool.