europafox

My new blog - URL has changed!

2009-06-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

I changed the name and URL of my europafox blog (as was) and now I don't think it's linking in to anyone's google reader! It's now www.englishpreppy.blogspot.com - and this blog will be the private blog - if I can figure out how to make it private!!! HELP!!

All Change!

2009-06-23T03:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of your help and comments! Luckily I haven't been subject to any nastiness but I have started to feel the need to keep my blog a little more anonymous whilst still being able to share life's events with the bloggers I have grown so close to over the last year! So, as you will see, this blog is now a tad more anonymous. The main blog here will be kept public but I'll start a separate, private one, with more family pics and personal thoughts on it. All of you how have sent an email, I'll send you an invite! Btw - do any of you know if it is possible to change my blog url and still stay linked in to everyone's google reader?

Anonymous or Private?

2009-06-20T04:18:00.000-07:00

I deleted my blog this week (but obv changed my mind!), because I was worried I wasn't staying anonymous enough. But I wondered if a better option would be to either go anonymous (i.e. remove personal photos) OR to go private. What do you think? I am thinking option b is better - because I see so many of you bloggy girls as people I want to share with - i.e. photos of Caspar on his first day of school etc, but wouldn't feel comfortable doing this on a public blog. Let me know what you think - and if it's option b (privacy) - please leave me your email.

Ascot Ladies Day - the hats!!

2009-06-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a FAB outfit - very English - classic but still on trend, with a dash of eccentricity! Erin O'Connor is fabuloso.

A Grande Dame could only pull this off - I love it!

Love the outfit on the right (not so much the one on the left - I'm not a fan of anything that looks like linen unless you are on the beach!) - but the right hand one is cool, classic and lady-like.

Ok, they are garish but fascinating - the girl on the left carries it well - what do you think? All photos are from the Daily Telegraph.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/fashionpicturegalleries/5517553/Royal-Ascot-fashion-faux-pa-The-Royal-Enclosure-dress-code.html?image=9

For all the do's and don'ts of Royal Ascot! You wonder what runs through someone's mind when they decide to wear red sequins...

Tagging all Readers for Random Pics that make you happy!

2009-06-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

I've been reading second hand about some negative commenting in blog land and thought we should all cheer ourselves up! It would be great if as many of you as poss could post a mixture of photos from past ans present that make you happy - I know it's a slightly cheesy idea, but it would be fun! I quickly assembled a selection of badly photographed pics here (if you have been reading my blog for a while,you will be used to such poor photos). This one above I love because it represents a time in my life when the family was all together (I'm on the left, with 2 cousins) and we spent endless summers in the gardens at my Grand Parents'.

On horse-back - where I am ALWAYS happy! Note the Arran jumper - I haven't seen children wearing them for about 20 years, ha!

AB and I at the Village Hall Gala Princess Ball about 6 weeks ago - an excuse to dress up always makes me happy (and with a 2 year old it doesn't happen too much anymore!)

An 'only child' photo if ever there was one - I have to chuckle at this one - I wonder if I got my own way that day?? ;)

Please share your pics!!!! Hope everyone has a lovely week end. I am waiting on Caspar coming back from the Library and Lunch at his Favourite Italian restaurant, with Grannie. I am sure he will arrive any time soon, asleep and covered in garlic bread crumbs and pasta sauce!!!

Pol Roger to the Rescue! (I wish!)

2009-06-12T04:02:00.000-07:00

Today and yesterday I haven't been able to get thoughts of Pol Roger Champagne out of my mind. Perhaps it's the long hours I've been working, the fiscal discipline I have been imposing on myself, the exhaustion of constant bartering and negotaiation with my strong willed two year old or the sheer yearning for this Grand Daddy of Champagnes. I have only tried it a handful of times - last time with our first courses on a Gastronomy Week End at Miller Howe - but it is one of those incredible taste experiences that stays with you. The Cuvee Winston Churchill is featured above - even the box is fabulous - it is very Smythson-esque. Oh!

The Tao of Churchill

2009-06-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

Churchill - one of the greatest ever Englishmen (or should I say half American Englishmen! ;)! When feeling a bit weak kneed and in need of inspiration, I like to read his quotes. You gotta love these:

To Arab Leader, Ibn Saud, upon being told the king's religious beleifs forbade the use of tobacco and liquor:
'I must point out that my rule of life prescribes as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also the drinking of alcohol before, after, and if need be during all meals and in the
intervals between them'
Lady Nancy Astor:
'Winston, if you were my husband, i'd put arsenic in your morning coffee.'
Churchill:
'Madam, if you were my wide, i'd drink it.'
Bessie Braddock:
'Winston, you are drunk!'
Churchill:
'And Madam, you are ugly. And tomorrow, I'll be sober, and you will still be ugly.'

Ha! Of course now you wouldn't like to hear of your Prime Minister quaffing whiskey all day but somehow to read of Winston just doing what the hell he liked, living the good life and enjoying the finer things is extremely amusing. Apparently, while on a flight in June 1954 the plane's menu was not good enough for the Prime Minister so he wrote one out himself.
He requested his breakfast be brought on two trays.He scribbled over the existing menu - in his own hand: "1st Tray. Poached egg, Toast, Jam, Butter, Coffee and milk, Jug of cold milk, Cold Chicken or Meat. "2nd Tray. Grapefruit, Sugar Bowl, Glass orange squash (ice), Whisky soda." He then adds: "Wash hands, cigar."

What type of (English) Preppy are you?

2009-06-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

I read a cracking article in the Sunday Times Style Magazine yesterday 'Class act - from twinsets and pearls to cashmere hoodies.... the new fashion tribes taking their lead from the Sloanes'. Check 'Public School Preppy, Power Preppy, Fashion Preppy, Pit Bull Preppy (actually skip that one!!), and Euro Preppy (aaaah). Personally, I found the whole thing quite amusing and pretty bang on - half my wardrobe for casual (check public school preppy - wayfarers, hoodie (sometimes), skinny jeans, ballet flats, mussed up hair and scarf), my work get up similar to power preppy (which homed in on Michelle O my new smart -casual Look ICON), Fashion Preppy is a pretty good low down on taking preppy classics and shaking them up a bit - bringing them up to date and not looking too twee (thinks shrunken argyle cardi, sleeves pushed up over fitted shirt, tons of bangles, oversized pearls pencil skirt, bright opaque tights NOT Edinburgh Woollen Mill Granny Cardie plus Nanna Slacks), oooh and of course Euro Preppy - which one must obv. only mix in with Power / Fashion to avoid looking naff or dated. I couldn't help but go quite Euro Prep when I was living in Brussels, buzzing around the EU Institutions all day - but it can get a bit frumpy dumpy so treat with caution. Okay - only moi's perspective obv. The whole point here is not to copy a look, you either naturally gravitate towards Preppy or you don't - it's not for everyone! I like the fact classic clothes have longevity, which saves you money and means you don' t look dated after just one season. I also like not to stand out too much but to attempt to look pulled together - this is the appeal of simple, classic clothes - but with a few updated elements thrown in, don't you think? P.S. I have no idea if Sloanes even really exist anymore??? I live far too far in the Northern Hinterland to know such things, hahaha.

Anyway, here is the complete article, cut and paste from The Times:

Preppy power : From twinsets and pearls to cashmere hoodies — new fashion tribes are taking their lead from the Sloanes
Preppy is a word that makes the average fashionista flinch. It’s those associations: bankers in seersucker jackets; public-school boys running riot in Rock in stick-up-collared polo shirts; girls who would kill to be at the same polo match as Prince Harry, in their uniform of pale-pink hoodies and denim miniskirts, accessorised with blonde hair and ankle Uggs. It’s Sloane rangers. It’s sporty, county, gap-year and it’s been about as far as you can get from the cutting edge of style. Yet rapidly growing numbers of people are embracing the preppy look — whether it’s stripy boat-neck T-shirts, argyle sweaters, brogues or cotton pea coats. Look closely and you’ll see preppy is having a makeover right under our noses.
It’s still the default look of every Sophie and Hugo on the planet (Jack Wills, provider of the logo-heavy collegiate wear that is their unofficial uniform, saw a sales increase of 100% last year). But the difference is that, now, all kinds of other style tribes are cherry-picking from the preppy canon — that mixture of American sporty casual wear from shops such as Abercrombie & Fitch and British old-school classics — and wearing it in new ways. When types you would never have dreamt of labelling preppy (Alexa Chung, say) start wearing clothes you definitely think of as preppy (cardigans, blazers, penny loafers, ankle socks), you are talking about a wholesale rebranding. As to why preppy suddenly has such a broad appeal, that’s easy. It’s the antibling look — clean and classic to the core. So, naturally, it’s heading mainstream at the same time as we are tiring of Wags and multi bags and the excesses of the red carpet. It’s easy to pull off preppy without having to invest much. Tick. It’s uncomplicated and eminently wearable, requiring no inside fashion knowledge or clever styling. Another tick. And preppy doesn’t date. Blazers and pea coats and stripy shirts exist in their own fashion limbo for all time. Double tick.
Preppy has something else going for it. There is an extended line of wholesome preppy-wearers, from Katharine Hepburn all the way to the present day, that gives it a kind of authenticity that speaks to a generation bored with gimmickry and clothes that last only a month or a wash. Preppy is the antithesis of trashy. Like a cashmere jumper borrowed from Dad, it has a whiff of permanence. In the end, this is about a shift away from the fickle diktats of fashion to the appeal of stuff that feels like it belongs in real life, not merely on a catwalk. You can see why it’s catching on.
PUBLIC SCHOOL PREPPY
This is the Jack Wills posse. Younger ones wear a hoodie and denim miniskirt. Older, grungier sisters wear a cotton checked shirt as a dress, saggy cardigan, black opaque tights and rolled-down Ugg boots. Note the roughed-up hair (though beautifully conditioned), the bitten, painted nails and the faded tattoo (she got it travelling).
POWER PREPPY
The grown-up, glamour end of preppy. It’s preppy with an injection of designer, and you won’t see any logos anywhere. Classic looks include a dark jacket with a white shirt and bootcut denim for smart-casual, and, for casual, sawn-off long white denim shorts, a vest and a pashmina.
Poster girls Michelle Obama, Jennifer Aniston, or, if you like your preppy a bit LA, Elle Macpherson.
Defining elements The juicy-coloured statement cardigan, white shirt, capri pants, white jeans.
Favourite labels J Crew, Gap, Boden for downtime (must be worn with a lot of care), Derek Lam for designer.
Most likely to be seen wearing them At home, on holiday, at the weekend, on the school run.
Best look Crisp shirt with ankle-grazer jeans and ballet pumps; bright-coloured cardigan with full skirt.
A look too far Madras checked jackets for men, seersucker trousers and canvas belts featuring ducks, bermuda shorts.
PUBLIC-SCHOOL PREPPY
Poster people Prince Harry, Chelsy Davy.
Defining elements Uggs (still, even in summer) or white canvas plimsolls, the gratuitous scarf (this year in cotton plaid).
Favourite labels Jack Wills, Gap, Crew Clothing.
Most likely to be seen wearing them In gangs on the King’s Road, Rock, Polzeath, Aldeburgh, the northeast coast of Corfu, traipsing round John Lewis with their mothers.
Best look Denim shorts and pretty chemisey top with ribbed cotton tights and white plimsolls.
A look too far Upturned collars or rugby shirts on girls or boys, low-riding jeans with stripy boxers on show, cricket sweaters (unless you are playing cricket).
FASHION PREPPY
This is doing the look with irony, which means taking the most traditional of preppy signatures — penny loafers, ankle socks, Aertex shirts with logos, stripy men’s shirts, wax jackets, hair bands, Hunters, heirloom brooches — and wearing them as a preppy never would. Alexa Chung puts loafers with minidresses, and wellies with denim shorts; Chloë Sevigny likes a blazer over hot pants, or a neat pair of khaki shorts and a boob tube.
Poster girls Alexa Chung, Chloë Sevigny
Defining elements Vintage sundresses, knee and ankle socks, brogues, loafers, two-tone pumps.
Favourite labels Anything vintage, Luella, Marc Jacobs, American Apparel for sweatshirts.
Most likely to be seen wearing them When you’d least expect. At a black-tie party, rock festival, their best friend’s wedding.
Best look Loafers with knee socks and a super-mini designer dress.
A look too far Hunters in town (note, fashion preppy knows to keep hers for Glastonbury), head-to-toe Belstaff.
PIT-BULL PREPPY
This is a pimped-up version of Public School Preppy, with, possibly, a pit bull on a designer lead. Pit-bull preppy has picked up where the designer tracksuit left off. It’s big on sporty signature looks (hoodies, baseball caps), but not so big on the wholesome aesthetic, or the sports.
Poster people Danny Cipriani for the boys (it’s all those sweatshirts teamed with diamond earrings), and the chicks from The Hills or Katie Price in equestrian mode for the girls. Think soft-top sports car meets sportswear or Page Three meets pony club.
Defining elements White track pants, white gilets, Uggs, nail extensions and ponytail.
Favourite labels Jack Wills, Topshop, Asos, H&M.
Most likely to be seen wearing them On the high street.
Best look Rolled-down track pants and padded gilet with nothing underneath.
A look too far Thong riding up above the waistband of trackie bottoms.
EURO PREPPY
Euro preppies are the only people wearing the look precisely as the original Sloane rangers used to: sans irony. Only, of course, they are 10 times more polished, and whereas the original Sloane might have been covered in jack russell hairs and barely-there make-up, your Euro preppy is immaculate, wears only cashmere and is allergic to animals.
Poster girls Carla Bruni, with her cable-knit cashmere and loafers; Kate Middleton, with her Spanish riding boots and tweedy shooting kit. (To be fair, Kate is more neo-Sloane ranger, but, for obvious reasons, the Euro preppy holds her in high esteem.)
Defining elements Cable-knit cashmere in pastel colours, velvet scrunchies, riding boots worn over jeans.
Favourite labels Barbour, Hackett, Thomas Pink.
Most likely to be seen wearing them All the time, head to toe, all over Europe and South Kensington.
Best look Stripy shirt under a fitted tweed jacket, and lots of rings.
A look too far Designer riding clothes as mufti.

The Young Fogey Test

2009-06-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

I am a female (new) 'young fogey'. It's a a term used much anymore, and was always applied almost exclusively to males. I add 'new' because my definition isn't slightly different to the strictest one. Now I am 30ish I am comfortable (ish) in my own skin and know without doubt, I am one. Now perhaps it's just an English thing, and won't apply to friends on the other side of the pond but here is a checklist, off the top of my head:

1. Known to wear tweed, a lot. Even in spring.
2.Wearer of pearls, often to bed, in the bath....
3. Fond of fogey scents like English Rose and Lavender.
4. Prematurely addicted to gardening - includes lusting after well trained Wisteria, Rose Gardens, and getting borderline fanatical about weeding and borders.
5. Antiques Roadshow fan.
6. Increasingly inclined not only to accidentally fall asleep on the sofa (before 8:30pm), but actively seeks opportunities to nap. Additional features: snoring and waking with a start - 'what, what, where am I, what?' and the like
7. Moaning with more regularity, particularly about, weather, things 'these days', the behaviour of young people, manners and the general lack of them etc etc.
8. Revelling in academia - I could have just carried on getting degrees forever - sitting in stuffy libraries, ideally chewing a pipe (only joking about that last part).
9. Regular user of arcane language and retro slang - 'hurrah!' 'jolly good'! Fond of quotes, esp. latin.
10. Wishes men still wore hats and tipped them, and wore suits more often - I see photos of my Grand-Father in the 1930s on of his 50 mile bike trips, dressed in a three piece tweed suit or plus fours and think - oh how fabulous!
11. Collector of tea sets. Purveyor of fine teas. Would prefer afternoon tea in a nice hotel to a night partying.
12. Prefers old people to children (except my own darling boy of course). Generally discussing the 1930s, 40s and ancient history.
13. Listens to radio 4, reader of the Telegraph and many fusty, dogeared books that smell FABULOUS.
14. Passionate beleiver in the compulsory reintroduction of cocktail hour
15. Rejector of mobile phones, i-pods, blackberries etc - all that japping about private business in public - ick
16. Wants a return to - real diner cars, and compartments in trains (with real crokery, glassware snd service please), supermarkets with windows and real air, proper village stores, butchers, fismongers and ironmongers, more people to train as dress-makers and tailors (I am sick of all this chemical clothing made in the Far east), a return to buying local food - why do we have to buy crab from indonesia when there are a million of the blighters in the sea right opposite my house, real people answering the telephone instead of some automaton in a call centre, banks with booths - why should we have to talk about our finances in front of a queue of impatient people?, real farming - monocultures, intensive rearing of animals and dousing the land in chemicals is wrong, ugly, harmful to health and boring - bring back meadows!, real letter writing, slowness and calm - people are too stressed, too fast and too busy and it makes everyone unhealthy and unhappy, milk deliveries (I don't drink it but it was so nice as a child finding a pint on your front step and then drinking the cream off the top), children being children, real politicians - statesmen and women who were educated, eloquent, brave, honest and tough. I could go on and on....
17. Loves to 'dress for breakfast' - ideally the type that would involve silver service in a ladida hotel.

You must get the gist by now!!! What a bore I am! Many of you may laugh at this - or it may seem utterly foreign / ridiculous but sometimes you just gotta accept who you are - AB trys to suggest things to make me 'more funky' but I resist, I am a female new young fogey and proud hahaha!!

Oh Burberry thank you for the non-delusional summer collection

2009-06-05T03:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is the true face of a realistic Spring SUmmer Collection for people planning on staying in Britain over the Summer - jeans, macs, scarves and hats. Yes, we have had a week of 25 degree weather (ra!), but of course let's not delude ourselves - it won't last!

On another note I can't help to mention politics in this post - anyone watching BBC news will know our Government is in chaos and Gordon B's future looking precarious. American's with Conservative tendencies - please pray our Government will topple in the coming weeks!! As for you Gordon - scurry on down to the Palace please and ask the Queen to dissolve Parliament - we've all had enough!!

P.S. I will make up for my party political broadcast tomorrow am by posting on something fun and fluffy, promise.