Carluccio's, South Ken

Where to look in Carluccio's? My lunch, my cheese, my dessert, my purchases. Spoilt for choice... that is Carluccio's! We even spotted the man himself.

http://www.carluccios.com/

Shocking pink in South Ken!

Forget shocking pink in India... the place to wear it is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and to be exact, Carluccio's, to match the colourful fare. The simplest pink linen trousers from Ally Capellino find favour with my funky vintage zip-up in a mad pink, man-made fibre by a label called Gabey, New York. An Osprey shoulder-bag vies for attention with an equally-yellow pair of summer wedges.The pink string necklace was bought in the Channel Islands and allegedly belonged to a showgirl who danced on the Paris stage. The prosecco is perfectly Italian... and so are the Roberto Cavalli sunnies!

http://www.carluccios.com/
http://www.allycapellino.co.uk/
https://www.ospreylondon.com/
http://store.robertocavalli.com/gb/

It's a perennial!

I do not know how long I have owned this dress but I know where I bought it... Past Caring on Essex Road, Islington, and probably after a slap-up breakfast at nearby Alfredo's. Both these favourites are still going strong (although the latter is now known as S&M Cafe). The dress is equally evergreen, probably older than me, with no discernible label. It is plain-cut in black and white printed cotton, with a floral refrain. And it fits as only dresses of a certain era did, when figures were fulsome. It never fails to celebrate summer with me... and I can wear it with any amount of different accessories. This time: modern mono Ray-Bans, African livid-green beads and enamel ring, and perspex... both with my beach bag and on my Paul Smith strappy heels. I am about to have a recuperative cuppa in the members' room, at another favourite of mine: the one-and-only V&A.

http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/past-caring
http://www.classiccafes.co.uk/Best.html
http://www.ray-ban.com/uk
http://www.paulsmith.co.uk/uk-en/shop/
http://www.vam.ac.uk/

Divine Trinity

 

Dinner on a plate yesterday evening at Trinity, in Clapham Old Town. Cool, black silk in the form of an Armani jumpsuit - with a hint of the harem about it. Accessories come courtesy of my daughter's Chanel collection, but the antique rings are mine: Georgian onyx with seed pearls and a nine-diamond Victorian wonder. The simple black fringed bag, from the '60s, finishes off the look. Adam Byatt's restaurant, at 4 The Polygon, gets full marks. Amazing food, excellent service...

A personal thank you to: https://twitter.com/HippyfromthCity

http://www.trinityrestaurant.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/TrinityLondon

http://www.bistrounion.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/BistroUnion

http://www.armani.com/gb

http://www.chanel.com/en_GB/

'Clapham meets Jamaica'

A room with a view: welcome to Wayne's world. An afternoon visit to a modestly-sized but effusive garden in south London, in support of the National Gardens Scheme. Its owner, Wayne Amiel, describes his five year-old plot as 'Clapham meets Jamaica', where bamboo sits beside buddleia and bumps into banana on the way! I'm here in my suitably tropical two-piece from By Malene Birger, Cornish canvas bag and Castañer wedges.

http://www.ngs.org.uk/

http://www.ngs.org.uk/gardens/gardenfinder/garden.aspx?id=25042

http://www.turretgrove.com/

http://www.bymalenebirger.com/

http://www.castaner.com/sgishop/

A summer's lunch

A shady green arbour for a delicious lunch in good company... in a cool cotton two-piece from By Malene Birger, bought in a cooler summer from The Dulwich Trader. A straw hat - for more shade - and minimal jewellery and one of my favourite summer shoe brands, Castañer. The Ray-Ban sunglasses have their own story: they were part of a 'goodie bag' on Virgin Atlantic's press launch trip to Los Angeles.

http://www.bymalenebirger.com/

http://www.rigbyandmac.com/locations/the_dulwich_trader

http://www.castaner.com/sgishop/

http://www.ray-ban.com/uk

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en.html

It's a wrap!

In the plainest white dress - complemented by buckets of colour, both with my accessories and the entire backdrop! Jewellery is beaded and vintage, sunglasses are by Roberto Cavalli, bag is from a Linda Barker sale a few years ago, and the marvellous multi-coloured pointed shoes are by Red or Dead. And the colourful location is The Street Art House, which is still standing at 265 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich.

http://www.robertocavalli.com/
http://www.reallylindabarker.co.uk/
http://www.schuh.co.uk/womens/red-or-dead/
http://www.dulwichfestival.co.uk/streetart