Monthly Archives: February 2015

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

Commutista: What to wear on the daily commute when the temperature is below freezing!

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The buzzword last week was definitely ‘Blizzard’!

To be more specific snow blizzard….

Our daily commute can be challenging enough on any given Monday, but last week my styling skills were severely tested.

So what does one wear when the temperature outside is that which is normally associated with arctic conditions?

Prior to last week I would have said a combination of Hunter wellingtons and anything made out of wool and sherling. But where’s the fun in that?

For those of us who are looking for a slightly different definition of chilled-out, here is my edit of some key stables to wear on a snow-covered winter morning commute.

Paloma

Le Weekend: Town or Country?

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Ah…long relaxing weekends away!

Whether I am at home or away, I love to savour weekend time. We spend so much of our lives at work, in work, thinking about work, every now and again it is great to just kick back and chill out!

As wonderful as weekends tend to be, they appear to be very short at the end of a long week. No one wants to waste any precious time when the objective is to get on a train or plane with as little fuss as possible. We just want to pack and go!

Not everyone can get away with wearing jeans for work or has a casual Friday, so we have to make the switch from a suit to a jeans and blazer combo in the ladies bathroom at rapid speed. Or from work dress to Friday night dinner dress with a footwear substitute. Make-up and hair is done in-transit, seriously what else are we going to do on the train when WiFi suddenly becomes unavailable…

For those high flyers amongst us, it is all about skin care, skin care , skin care. An in-flight exfoliating mask, preferably Decleor Phytopeel (otherwise known as skin nectar) is my go to and leaves my face feeling like I have had a facelift!

We may arrive at our destination, impeccably groomed, fresh-faced and invigorated to our excited hosts, but deep down we know that we are exhausted, hungry and in need of a strong martini!

Here are some ideas for your in-transit work to weekend outfit

Paloma