If the shoe fits…wear it!

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Ok so here’s the thing, last October I injured my foot and Achilles as a result of moving from heels to flats….

Ever since this very unfortunate and pitiful event I have been challenged in terms of finding chic and practical footwear…enter the Flatform!

The Flatform is unique in providing height and comfort, and does not necessitate the inclusion of ballet pumps in my work bag.  They are versatile and stylish and can work for 9-5 daytime and post work drinks. Here are some of the ones I am currently coveting.

Paloma

 

Commutista: How to keep your cool when the heat is on?

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Increasingly, as I am planning what to wear for work in the mornings I am not just planning an outfit that will be able to take me from a carefree commute to my desk……

I am having to use the weather app on my iPhone to gain insight into the ever-changing British weather, which seems to change on an hourly basis. But ever the optimist, I thought that I would engage in a little positive visualisation using Pinterest and imagine the perfect summer commute looks.

Paloma

Did you make the cut?

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Before there was Robin Wright and Grace Gealey, there was Halle Berry, and it seems that the former are reviving the crop. You only have to tune in to House of Cards to realise that the modern professional woman and the crop are synonymous with great style. When paired with such sartorial pieces as a Roland Mouret dress, the crop is the epitome of femininity. A look that is perfected with the finishing touches of a pair of Ileana Makri earrings,and a statement Tom Ford lipstick. Grace Gealey’s opening scene in Empire demonstrated that even when accompanied by a smart casual look consisting of a fitted blouse and cream trousers, the crop allows you to take centre stage.

 

Paloma

Spring/Summer 2015 Capsule Casual Smarts

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I’m back and ready for my Spring/Summer wardrobe refresh!

Having spent most of the winter months indoors writing MBA assignments and eating chocolate…. I am now ready to embrace warmer weather, lighter evenings and go shopping!!!

For inspiration I have created a Spring/Summer  edit which captures some key SS15 trends, as well as some classics. I hope you like it….

Paloma

Cosmopolite

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Passport, bank cards, e-tickets, phone, iPad…..

I used to run this list through my mind at least six times before I left for a business trip, still do! I thought that as long as I had at least my passport and bank cards I would be able to deliver that presentation in Lisboa, even if I had to buy clothes at the airport, or  in-country.  At least I would not have breached my luggage allowance!

Overtime packing for a business trip becomes routine, but that is just when you realise that you have left your Heathrow Express ticket on your bedside table. Should have bought the Smythson travel wallet!

My approach to packing is simple -keep it capsule!  I visualise the next few days ahead in terms of travel outfit, key meetings, evening events and try to achieve a good balance. The weather is a critical factor that influences what I wear as well as the occasion itself. The creasing of clothing can be another concern especially when you could be spending a lot of time being seated on a train, plane or in the office.  As you already know, the ability to combine a few key pieces which move you  from day to night or from formal to smart casual is vital.  But packing a suitcase for a business trip is not an exact science and sometimes you do need to pack 3 coats and 10 pairs of shoes, and that is ok, as long as it works for you.

If we get to our destination prepared and focused, what we remembered to pack in our Rimowa becomes incidental.

Paloma

A wardrobe fit for……Helena

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Helena Morrissey is not your regular CEO, we have all read her amazing story, CEO of Newton Investment Management at 35 , happily married with 10 children…..

When you think about  Helena Morrissey  the phrase ‘I don’t know how she does it’ just does not even cut it.

Her commitment to gender equality is another admirable quality that endears her to professional women everywhere,  particularly in  her role as Chair of Opportunity Now and founder of  the 30 % club. However, as well as being one of the most successful women in investment banking, Helena Morrissey is perhaps one of the most stylish, breaking away from corporate dress code stereotypes.

Helena is the perfect example of a woman who has a wardrobe as sharp as her mind.

 

Paloma

Fifty Shades of Grey: A tribute to Caroline Acton

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The film Fifty Shades of Grey based on the novel by E.L James hits the cinemas this week and whilst a lot of the focus has been on the romance; I have been dreaming of what it would be like to be Caroline Acton, the frequently mentioned but never seen personal shopper of Christian Grey. She had the pleasure of selecting every stylish item in Anastasia Rose Steele’s walk-in wardrobe, which for me had much more appeal than the ‘Red Room’.  Caroline Acton is the ultimate taste-maker and  go-to personal shopper of billionaires and their significant others. So I would like to pay tribute to the unsung heroine of Fifty Shades of Grey in my edit of coveted and stylish pieces fit for a billionaires.

Paloma

Working Lunch

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Every now and then my colleague and I look at each other around lunchtime with a vexed expression.

We are both considering the same question, it’s lunchtime but what am I going to eat?

We have experienced everything that M&S has to offer and it was delicious, but variety is the spice of life….

In my top five currently are Eat, Tossed, Subway, Yo Sushi and Le Pain Quotidien….but to be honest the list changes weekly if not daily!

What’s your favourite lunchtime spot?

 

 

Paloma

Does size matter? Mind the thigh gap

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Size matters! Or so we are told…but do we all have to be a size 6 to walk into a room and wow.

Personally I think beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. We put on a few pounds, we lose a few pounds but we are essentially the same fabulous woman we were before.

Style is in the eye of the woman who emanates it, where she is S, M, or L. We are all more than the some of our measurements, and have the ability to ensure that we wear an an item of clothing and it does not wear us.

It is all about the right fit, cut or design, not about us fitting into a narrowly defined box. Beauty comes in various shapes, sizes and forms, and we as women need to claim and own it for ourselves and nobody else.

Here is the first plus sized casual smarts edit

 

Paloma