A Few End Of Year Thoughts + Wishing You A Happy New Year Posted by Unknown |

I'm suddenly really excited about the Bells tonight. Not that I'm planning a big one, but an evening with friends and the little cookie snoozing in a nearby bedroom will be just fine. The end of the year has come around so quickly, certainly the last six months have dissolved in a haze of blissfully happy sleep deprivation, if there is such a thing. And although I never did manage to start that second novel (the idea, yes, the writing, no) I have given this blog enough life and soul for it to have got up and running. And that really does feel good, especially at a time when I was worried that exchanging freelancing for mothering would take a toll on my sense of self. But blogging, as cliche as it may sound coming from a new mother, has been a fantastic outlet – a great way to feel creative and affirmed, make new connections and meet new people. I love nothing more than scratching my head for a new blog post idea, trying to think of ways to make my blog more appealing and to produce genuinely good content. I hope I am on the right track. In terms of competition and a saturated market, yes, the world of fashion blogging is a busy one and it's seems almost impossible to stand out and yet all the numbers have created a real community. I've loved meeting other fashion bloggers, all extremely friendly, and I have been amazed at how well brands and PRs treat the bloggers they work with. So far, it's been a real pleasure. Yes, on a few occasions my emails have gone unanswered but so much less than the world of freelance journalism where an echoing silence is often par for the course. This October I redesigned my blog, gave it more of a fashion focus and started blogging almost daily – I immediately saw an increase in traffic and got a real taste for it. Brands have kindly lent me samples to feature in outfit posts and offered prizes for blog giveaways (first one in January!) and I have a couple of pieces of online press coming out (also in January). In the space of just a few months I went from a freelance journalist who occasionally blogged to a committed fashion blogger motivated to grow her blog and traffic. And that motivation is growing by the day. In 2013 I hope to grow my blog and my readership further (increasing pageviews to 500 a day & Facebook followers to a 1000 if that's not too ambitious!), meet more bloggers and make connections with new brands. What about you?

A Walk On The Beach In 12 Photos + Poem (Not Mine!) Posted by Unknown |

Up on Skye the weather changes from minute to minute. We've had wild winds, rain and low mist interspersed with momentary heart-lifting sunny breakthroughs. Lovely rays lit up the pebble and sand beach down by the house while the waves crashed up over the rocks – the noise and strong wind creating an indescribable sense of smallness and excitement tinged with terror. This was one of my first proper photo walks in a while, my treasured digital Leica X1 (secondhand off eBay in case you're wondering, half price but still pretty costly) in hand, totally absorbed in everything that surrounded me. The outfit is made up of items all of which you'll have seen here before. But just in case, the duffle coat and sweater are Topshop, the jeans are Zara, the beanie is Brora and the wristies by Boohoo.

ps. If you're a Leica fan you should check out this ode to her new Leica M-E by Guardian photographer Sarah Lee – most enjoyable and affirms everything you ever suspected about owning a super duper proper Leica.  

 

 

Blogger Debate # 1 - Pamflet vs Stylonylon: On Real Books & eReaders Posted by Unknown |

Welcome to the first in a series of little and lively debates by myself and the Pamflet girls. To usher in the New Year we start with something close to all of our hearts – books and how you like to read them. As you will see I am a true Kindle convert while Phoebe Frangoul – one half of of Pamflet – is die-hard for real books. We hope you enjoy the polemic! And do tell us which side you're on in the comments below.

My beloved Kindle! 

For The eReader

Stylonylon: I’ve been a bookworm for most of my life. Curled up in my little book corner in my bedroom wolfing down Jane Austen and George Eliot from a very young age. And for goodness sake, my first job was in book publishing, assisting with book cover design, writing blurbs and choosing fonts. My point is, I do love real books, the feel, the texture, the paper. I even tweeted a picture of the beautiful fabric Penguin Classics hardbacks last weekend. But dare I say it, if I had to choose between real books and a Kindle in hand, I’d take the latter. When the Kindle first came out I knew I had to have one. The prospect of hundreds, nay, thousands of books on one sleek little screen of technology was intoxicating. It was like being catapulted into the future and makes total sense in this age of information at your fingertips anytime, anywhere. In my first year of owning a Kindle (sorry Nook, Kobo and others, you came out later), I didn’t pick up a real book. And let it be known that I read more books that year than I had for a long while. Reading that soothing electronic ink (so easy on the eye, sorry iPad your screen is too bright for real reading) while holding something lighter than any book I’ve ever known was, still is, an incredibly exciting experience. Marry that to being able to download almost any book in minutes and slip an entire library into your bag whenever you leave the house at no cost to space, why would you not?

Kindle Books I’ve Read and Loved

The Game of Thrones series, George R. R. Martin (Yes, all of them)

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel 

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (YA bliss!)

A Visit From The Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan 

How to Be A Woman, Caitlin Moran

Phoebe's colour-coordinated books

For The Real Book

Phoebe from Pamflet: One wall of my living room is totally covered in shelvesthat contain books - hundreds of them. This eclectic mix (Tristram Shandy nextto Tolkien) is the product of an English Lit degree & Masters-worth blendedwith my husband's hilariously geeky collection. I arranged them in blocks of colour which makes it almost impossible to findanything (unless you can remember the colour of a particular tome's spine) butlooks amazing and also means I encounter intriguing things to read or re-readevery day.It's not the same as having a teetering stack of plastic CD cases collectingdust and cluttering up the floor because, to me, books - paperback, hardback,big, small - are beautiful objects in their own right. The way they smell andfeel, the associations I have with each individual one - where I found it, whogave it to me and when - make them a physical history of my life. If you wantto know who I am, just look at the shelves. You couldn't really start scrollingthrough someone's ereader in the same way, it'd feel impolite! In fact, it’s not just my life - I own books that my parentsgave to each other when they were dating - i can see the messages they wrote toeach other in the fly-leaves - words from a time before i existed speaking tome from the past. How could you replicate that in pixels? The books are starting to take over, creeping across every flat surface, but Idon't care – we’ll always make room –, I'm happy to throw myself into thepapery embrace of all this lovely lit. This isn’t to say I’m precious about mybooks - in fact, quite the opposite. I ruthlessly break their spines and turndown the corners of pages without flinching. I like being able to take a stackof books on holiday and casually abuse them on the beach - dripping seawater,sand and sun cream on pages that crinkle & crack in the heat. I'd be fartoo nervous to treat a Kindle in such a casual fashion. Another reason I couldn’t get on with an ereader is you can't get many old,obscure titles in digital form yet - when it comes to hunting down someforgotten mid-century female author of genteel domestic drama, second hand bookshops(and their presence on Amazon) are my friends. I just can't imagine my world without all those books in it – replacing themwith a single, sleek piece of technology would appeal to my love of order andlogic, but not my heart and soul.

Real Books I’ve Read and Loved
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Village School, Village Diary and Storm in the Village by Miss Read (literary prozac - gentle mid-century novels set in a tiny Cotswolds village, SO beautiful and funny!)
I've also been guilty of re-reading (for the millionth time) some of Margery Allingham's Campion novels, including Traitor's Purse.

Whose side are you on? Do you prefer real books or eReaders?
Tell us in the comments below!   

Some Of This Year's Lovely Christmas Presents Posted by Unknown |

Some deliciously lovely presents this Christmas including a cashmere beanie & scarf set in an eggshell blue (Brora calls it 'hurricane' {:) I would never have chosen for myself yet is absolutely perfect, and a pair of sheepskin gloves all the way from a market stall in San Remo which I have been lusting after for at least a couple of years. Below, one of those very special things – a thoughtfully chosen book with a fabulous cover about which I know absolutely nothing, could this be my next favourite read? –, bath goodies from Neal's Yard and my one true weakness, Liberty stationery – this, a notepad with royal lovebirds. Hopefully I gave as good as I got this year – I was particularly proud of a set of interchangeable circular needles I found in Loop for Mummy Stylonylon, a Boohoo onesie for my sister, a fabulous Alpaca Sol shawl for my sister-in-law and an 80s Casiotone MT-46 keyboard for the music mad husband. The little cookie was spoilt rotten, of course, though at just six months, as suggested at lunch today, we could probably get away with rewrapping his presents all over again for next year. Hohoho. Don't tell. :) So, what were your favourite presents this Christmas?

What I'm Wearing: Boxing Day Cosiness in Cashmere & Cath Kidston Posted by Unknown |

All the Christmas over-indulging and extra morning napping (thankyou to my wonderful family for looking after the little cookie while I slept in) requires comfort on the clothes front. Bring on a slouchy cashmere jumper (similar here) – yes, half price in the Boxing Day sale! The make is Isle, not one I've heard of, but the round-neck style is classic – and bright cosy slippers (a very welcome Xmas present as my previous pair are ragged and full of holes) by Cath Kidston (buy them half price here), not a usual go-to for me, but these work perfectly if the rest of the outfit is understated. The jeans, black skinnies by Zara, are coming to the end of their life sadly. They are so stretchy they saw me through most of my pregnancy and were the first pair I slipped back into afterwards. But the puckering has become too noticeble really... Time to let go. Out with the old and in with the new – the New Year is just around the corner.

ps. A big thankyou to Mr Pudding Pantz for playing the reluctant photographer for this outfit post. 

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year! Posted by Unknown |

Just a day away! I hope everyone is off work and enjoying lots of lovely family time. And eating lots of delicious foods. We've been eating way too much fudge and chocolate and have already tucked into the Christmas cake baked last night...! xx

This Motel Rock's Gabby Sequin Dress (Back In Stock!) & The Christmas Sale! Posted by Unknown |

I just can't get this dress out of my head. :) Just the perfect party dress, really. Teamed with black tights, killer heels, smudged eyeliner and messy hair – I can see it now! Anyway, this is Motel Rock's Gabby dress, which, unsurprisingly, has been extremely popular and is now back in stock. See the Gabby in action on Motel Rocks Facebook Wall of Fame album #motelrocks. I love.

ps. The Motel Rocks Christmas sale is now on with up to 70% off. Below is my sale edit of the party outfits – yes, am loving the midi right now. Enjoy!

Instagramming Oh, That Christmas Feeling...! Posted by Unknown |

Nothing makes me feel more Christmassy and inspired than getting home to Edinburgh to a beautiful tree and decorations – all done by the interior-loving mother Stylonylon :). So first up 1. we have the Christmas tree which comes out every year and is decorated with a mix of new baubles and childhood decorations (rocking horse, little angels, snowmen and reindeer). 2. Lovely cakes at Patisserie Valerie where we stopped for a much-needed rest while last-minute Christmas shopping 3. Hand-knitted socks   for the little cookie (also from the very clever mother Stylonylon!) 4. And Christmas lights on one of my favourite Edinburgh streets, Rose Street.

Follow me on Instagram @stylonylon.

Rebecca Minkoff's Holiday Video Card – Happy Xmas! Posted by Unknown |

I wanna do this next year! Such a cute Christmas video featuring my gorgeous pal Californian model Michele Ouellet (check her blog kissser.com), super bloggers Leandra Medine of Man Repeller and Bryan Boy, Estee Lauder model Hilary Rhoda and of course, Rebecca Minkoff (whose clothes and bags I love! See previous posts here and here.) Guaranteed to put you in an excellent mood. Happy Xmas!

What I'm Wearing: Vintage Kimono, Zara Jeans & Swedish Hasbeens Posted by Unknown |

Kimono - vintage // Jeans - Zara // Angora sweater - Acne // Duck Toe Sandlas - Swedish Hasbeens

I've been hankering after a vintage kimono for over a year now – to wear in the mornings and as a kind of luxury house coat. Last autumn I found some incredibly beautiful ones, but incredibly pricey, in a boutique (can't think of the name) in Stoke Newington. I then started researching them online and found a whole load on Ichiroya (an online Japanese kimono flea market) but worried about the sizing I finally gave up. Last weekend on a Christmas shopping spree to Islington, I found this one in one of the little antique shops tucked away by the market stalls in Camden Passage. 1930s, nice and short, gorgeous colours and just £45. Another shopper had already spied it too and had nipped away to find her husband however the shop owner had made no promise and was happy to sell to me. I whipped it on to check it looked okay (husband and baby thankfully in tow) paid and then we rushed off super quick. So apologies to that other shopper, if indeed she did return. 

An Early Christmas With Liberty and We Heart Home Posted by Unknown |

It's certainly quite a treat to be receiving Christmas presents in the post already. A lovely surprise was this Betsy print stationery set from Liberty (I cannot tell you how this made my little heart sing – I have stacked up many a day loitering in the Regent Street store's ground floor stationery department choosing notebooks and pencils) and a brilliant little gift package from the lovely Holly and Trisha from new home design blog We Heart Home including a handmade card, cookie cutter and disposable camera for Xmas snaps – I promise to get this roll developed and post the no doubt questionable results! I am completely rubbish with film cameras...

Top Tip For Beating The Boxing Day Sale @ Next Posted by Unknown |

So last week Next asked me if I could provide a short top tip for handling the Boxing Day sale via video. Short being the operative word – my video ran over the 30 second limit so they weren't able to use it. Sob. Lesson learnt. Anyway, I thought I'd post it anyway! Plus my instagram photo tip that will be going up on the Next Facebook page. What do you think? What are your top tips for Boxing Day sale shopping? (And when will I learn to shoot video landscape??)

Follow me on Instagram @stylonylon

Stocking Fillers: Pretty Reasonable vs. Totally Outrageous Posted by Unknown |

A few more stocking filler ideas. The ones on the left are, as stated, pretty reasonable price-wise, whereas, on the right... well, let's just say you'd need to be pretty cash happy. But nice to know what's out there, right?

1. Cute little tin of 10 of Penhaligon's most popular scents including Lily of the Valley and Blenheim Bouquet – for men and women. The Scent Library they call it, which lured me in hook, line and sinker. £16

2. Estee Lauder solid perfume in a golden compact. Well, it is refillable, you know. Also there is quite a trade on eBay in these as collectors' items too. Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia £250

3. A vintage-inspired pill box of organic lip balm with mirror. By Liberty (the print is white floral Edenham) and even more of a 'pretty reasonable' as you can get 3 for the price of 2 until midnight Thursday 20th as part of the store's 12 Days of Christmas Offers. Just enter the code 12dayscompact at checkout. Edenham Lip Balm Compact £18

4. Outrageous not just in price, but in concept. This is a ring that is also a compact mirror. I'm not sure why but there's something so much more flamboyant about checking your reflection in a mirror on your ring than in a regular old compact. By Maison Martin Margiela at Net-a-Porter. Gold tone compact ring £315

What I'm Wearing: How To Wear a Denim Skirt - Part 3 Posted by Unknown |

Rasheba skirt* SS13 - Riyka // Sweater  (similar here) - Dorothy Perkins // Jalouse boots - Ash //
Atlantis draped necklace & Gold Void earrings* - Comfort Station

Part 3 of my How To Wear a Denim skirt series (see Part 1 & Part 2). I love tucking jumpers into a waistband – the leather band on this skirt is perfect – and it's something I just don't do enough. I also love the bobbles on the knit's cable pattern set off against a simple round neck. Round neck always over a v-neck, I say. More ankle boots (remember back when ankle boots – the 'ankle boot'? Haha, oh fashion speak – didn't really exist apart from when they were cowboy boots?) and these are a pair I've had tucked away in a shoebox for nearly a year. No idea why, I think I thought the mauve wasn't quite right last autumn, whereas, this year it feels just right. And they're by Ash, one of the most comfortable shoe brands I know. Though sad to say, my two pairs of Ash heels were worn so much during an intense party period that they are both scuffed and wine-stained. But still I keep them in shoeboxes on top of the wardrobe. Sentimental hoarder, me?

East London Love: Chatsworth Market Clapton E5 Posted by Unknown |

Finally I popped down to Lower Clapton's Sunday market on Chatsworth Road to take some snaps. The first weekend with part of the road closed to cars, the now weekly market (it re-opened in 2010 after closure in 1990; in its 1930s heyday apparently it was home to 200 stalls) has gone from strength to strength. Two blocks of quality foods (including a very popular German Sausage stand), bric-a-brac, second-hand clothes & books and some small independent labels. Pictured below are two labels that really stood out to me – Alpaca Sol with handmade gorgeous scarves sourced by the owner direct from a family business in Bolivia and Mini Magpie, children's clothes made from old jumpers, so cute I had to buy a pair of woollen trews for the cookie (cue first baby outfit post! And brilliant playsuit DIY how-to here!) And then to top it all off we saw these two guys drawing quite a crowd jamming away on Korg keyboard and drums – Pat Dam Smyth. Really made my day.

Alpaca Sol // Mini Magpie 

iPhoneographie: Snapshot From Chesil Beach Posted by Unknown |

I know some (lots?) of fashion bloggers refuse to use iPhone photos on their blogs, but you know, I'm always really impressed by the quality of the images you can achieve. And also, it may be a kind of annoying quote, but "The best camera is the one you have with you" does make a lot of sense. So many shots missed because you hadn't lugged out your DSLR. Anyway, I love this shot I managed to take last weekend on a chilly Dorset beach. Run through a Rad Lab filter plugin in Photoshop and the quote is from The Orb's Little Fluffy Clouds.

Interview: Pose co-founder Alisa Gould-Simon Posted by Unknown |

stylonylon interviews Alisa Gould-Simon

Former fashion writer Alisa Gould-Simon and her business partner Dustin Rosen joined forces in 2011 to release a beta version of style and photo sharing app Pose. With stylist Rachel Zoe, the senior fashion director of Barney's and super blogger Leandre Medine of Man Repeller on board, the app now has more than 1 million users worldwide and 10,000 photos uploaded daily. (I joined recently and after being featured amassed more than 4000 followers in a weekend - amazing!). The Los Angeles based Alisa tells us more and talks us through her style. 

Follow Alisa on Pose.com here and download the app here. 

What inspired you to start Pose?

I teamed up with Dustin Rosen, Pose's CEO and my co-founder, nearly two years ago. We both were looking to change the way that people discovered and consumed fashion. Dustin has a background in finance and technology, whereas I come from a fashion journalism and marketing background, so we were a pretty perfect match. We realized that photos (and in our case, tagged images) could be a highly effective way of broadcasting your personal and daily style to followers from around the world. So, we built this in the form of an app and have been going full-steam ahead ever since.

What role do fashion, photography and styling play in your life?

Fashion has always played a huge role in my life. From the time I was 5, I remember being picky about what I wore. From an early age (much to my mother's dismay), I felt very connected to fashion as a means of expressing myself and a fun way of developing an individual voice. Styling and photography have always been big sources of inspiration for me, especially in looking at fashion and design from decades past.  

Have you been shopping for your autumn/winter wardrobe? 

This winter I've been loving oversized knits – my favorites are from Madewell and Vince; over-skinny pants – Zara has a pair of faux leather cropped ones that I can't seem to take off. I'm pretty obsessed with my Veda leather jackets and a shrunken varsity jacket I recently picked up at their sample sale. And Rag & Bone (Newbury), Loeffler Randall and Zara (flat buckle) booties are my daily go-tos. I also just got two hats (a wide brim and a chambray and leopard print cap) from my favorite milliner and good friend Molly Yestadt of Yestadt Millinery.

What key pieces of clothing and accessories can't you live without?

My boyfriend recently got me a Gabriela Artigas knot ring that I wear every day. His sister has a line called The Hellers and the Alisa dress that she did last season has become my staple for fashion week, weddings and any excuse I have to dress up. If my apartment caught fire I'd probably try to rescue a few key designer shoes I've collected over the years, but all of it I imagine I could live without.

What is on your shopping wishlist right now?

I'm in the market for some cozy, lightweight t-shirts. I also might need to add to my Gabriela Artigas ring collection...

1. Alisa dress by The Hellers 2. Leather jacket by Veda 3. Love knot ring by Gabriela Artigas  

4. Booties by Loeffler Randall  5. Booties with buckles by Zara 6. Newbury booties by Rag & Bone 

7. Hat by Yestadt Milinery

Futuristic Neon Orange Bazooka Nail Polish by Essie Posted by Unknown |

I'll never forget my first Essie manicure (one of only a few, let me assure you) at London's Elemis spa a few years ago – I was reviewing a treatment and the manicure was tagged on at the end. My nails looked fantastic and I was intrigued by all the Essie nail products the therapist used (drying drops Quick-e and The Nail Corrector pen in particular which I immediately rushed out to buy and yes, still use today, they are brilliant). Anyway, a lovely little gift package from Liberty arrived this week containing this futuristic neon orange Bazooka polish and I thought it would make a nice twist on the traditional pillar box Christmas red. Shop Essie at Liberty.

This Baby Bumblebee Necklace by Alex Monroe Posted by Unknown |

Buy here.

You may have noticed my slight obsession with insect inspired jewellery (see this interview with jewellery designer Rachel Boston; see the Cinderela B bee pieces in this outfit collage)... and here we have a beautiful gold-plated baby bumble bee necklace by Suffolk designer Alex Monroe. What's more I can offer you a wonderful 20% off at Liberty for their 12 Days of Christmas offers with this discount code – 12daysbee. Offer valid until midnight 17th December. Buy here.

A Visit To East London Jewellery Boutique Comfort Station Posted by Unknown |

I just wanted to show you a few photos I took the other day when I popped into jewellery boutique Comfort Station to pick up some necklaces, earrings and rings – you'll have seen some of the pieces in recent outfit posts. London-born founder and designer Amy Anderson studied Fine Art and originally started the brand as a Portobello market stall to fund her art practice. Her pieces quickly gained a local loyal following as well as international buyers and Comfort Station premiered at London Fashion Week in 2003. The beautiful little shop – just off Brick Lane – is exquisitely styled in the brand's signature 'dark romanticism' with antique books, taxidermy, glass cabinets, pianola rolls and Amy's gorgeous designs; all of which are manufactured in the UK, hand-crafted in the in-house studio and each part of a themed collection such as cosmology, etymology, the phonetic alphabet and geographical destinations. If you're in the neighbourhood, get along there and take a peek for yourself.

www.comfortstation.co.uk // Twitter // Facebook