A bag to sCOOPER

I never prescribed any Anya Hindmarch bag before. I usually considered her bags to be inspired by other great designs yet sold at the same high price. I am not a great fan of boastfulness, and Hindmarch is not even recognized outside the UK.

This season the latest It Bag by Hindmarch, the Cooper is largely inspired by the Indy by Gucci. However, the Hindmarch bag will work in a large array of occasions for almost half the price... so, in the quest for the perfect day shoulder bag, I really am praising the Cooper...

This bag is perfect to be worn everyday -its creamy calf leather and handles make it an ideal day bag- yet it is stylish enough for evening dos... . The finishing is great and any colour looks fabulous: pale blue, white or beige/brown. Actually, I would recomment to buy it even more if you are not from the UK as you will show your stylishness while not necessarily attached to any label... And this is what IT Bags are at the moment, i.e. individual and unique style.

£675 at any of Anya Hindmarch outlets on the Anya Hindmarch Bond street shop, at Liberty's, Harrod's or in Notting Hill, or Selfridges' or online : www.anyahindmarch.com

When mommies dress like their daughters: the ultimate jouvence source?

There was a time when little girls wanted to dress like their mommies, trying on their shoes and make up. That time was when mums still led the way in terms of fashion. It seems however that ageism has taken its toll on women and they don't want to be perceived as "older".

The French Brand Comptoir des Cotonniers has used this principle noticing that a lot of mothers were shopping with their teenager daughters and that there was a market opportunitie. So much so in fact that their campaign has featured mothers and daughters wearing their clothes alltogether in an harmonious life where age is no issue.

Is it going a bit too far in "young-eism" when actually, some brands such as Bonpoint, a well renowned and pricey brand for the very young children of uber chic mommies ( Kate Moss notably dresses her daughter there) starts selling clothes for their mommies? Well, no. Apparently, this helps creating a sense of shared values and doing so, the mommie create a deep bonding with their little ones.

Thinking about it, I realised how true it was. Basically, in a psychological projection, the mommies often - and more and more so- dress their kids in a way that expresses their tastes and / or value they stand for. It comes as no surprise that one could see a lot of baby girls dressed in very suggestive ways but also, and more importantly that a lot of new brands emerged selling clothes that don't necessarily make their kids look like Little Lord Fontleroy... A lot of parents thinking that their kids are like small adults and that they can have personal style.

So, maybe it is only natural that childrenwear brands would, in a lopsided effect, develop ladieswear as well. Indeed, a lot of my mommies friends tend to buy clothes for their kids because, after having given birth, they don't always have the silhouette to wear the best of their wardrobe, so they splash on their little ones. My best friend, a chic and always perfectly groomed french woman buys exclusively Burberry, Bonpoint and Chloe for her daughter while she buys clothes at Zara and Gerard Darel for herself because of her baby weight, in a few months, in a bonding, she certainly will buy the same brands as her daughter... In the meantime, dressing her little girl gives her a sense of curious sense of rejuvenation.

So, is childrenswear the ultimate lifting?

STYLE SURGERY: HIGHLIGHTING A BLACK OUTFIT

Many fashionistas opt for black as a style signature. I cannot blame them, being myself a great fan of the dark... Not only does it suit most people but black also presents many advantages such as:

1. Easy: never goes out of style

2. Chic & cheap: black is elegant. One can find even lovely cuts and material in low costs retail chains such as Zara or H&M.

3. Practical: it allows to never wonder what will match... Black goes with everything and when one has no idea when late in the morning, black is a safe bet and a Plus: it leaves more time to make up and hair....

Black however shouldn't be boring, which often becomes the pitfall of such convenience...

For this, I propose the following looks:


Cashmere Dress by Obsid: 180Euros
Tribute bag par YSL: 700Euros
Booties Marc Jacobs : 515Euros
Gold Cuffs Van der Straeten: 200Euros

Black totally is emphasized by accessories. Personally, in this case, I would avoid heavy earrings, diamond - or swarovski crystal - studs would be ideal.
The double cuff is very chic and gives an art gallerist vibe to the ensemble...

At last, the beige boots give the outfit the possibility to be worn at work as well for a - well deserved- drink after work.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

There is no French equivalent to the expressions "Dress for success" or "Look the part" but of all French candidates to presidential elections in France last May, Segolene Royal, as the unique serious female runner should have been the very one to grasp the significance of style as part of the message she was sending to millions through various medias with her clothes only...

If the defeatof Miss Royal cannot be devolved upon her sartorial mistakes, there is a possibility they hold a responsibility. France being the country of Haute Couture, of plethora of internationally renowned and prestigious fashion houses, its president should represent the best of it in terms of image. Being a socialist candidate, she probably assumed that wearing Hermès or Chanel would not help acquire a rather low class electorate. There are, however, plenty of alternatives in terms of fashion segmentation and even within the Paule Ka and Irene Van Ryb - her favorite brands during the campaign- there were better and cleverer choices to do.

In the above pictures, I made a comparison between what was and what could have been in a photomontage. Opting for ultra conservative and loose - understand with NO STRUCTURE - clothes was not helping in a campaign where message of hope for a France turned towards more modern times was an essential one. Instead, her style expressed restriction and recession.

Although Segolene Royal is still very fit, she decided to wear clothes that accentuate her age without giving more authority to her image: loose skirts emphasizing her bottoms in an unflattering way, notably because of their length unecessarily increasing the calves and ankles sizes, (too) short jackets with wide shoulders pads, hair too natural, her style screams of absence of control and French people couldn't trust what they were seeing to control the country when she cannot exude of confidence herself.

Mme Royal had better rethink her communication strategy. I would be happy to help, starting with few suggestions in photomontages...

Let me know your thoughts: for how much do you think style actually counts in professional success? Do you think Segolene Royal should have cared more about her style?