I know what I like.
I’m not the first person to say that a person’s clothes are an extension of your personality, but just because the likes of Valentino, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior have supplied us with some outrageous styles and designs on the catwalk already this season, does not mean that I will be exchanging my outfits for Gothic, lace dresses with high-ruffle necklines and bold-pattern jumpsuits which look more like an optical illusion than an outfit! Nor will I be walking the streets of Swansea with a supermodel hanging from my neck (you’ve got to see it to believe it)!
One colour I really have got on board with thought his Autumn is brown. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore a bold colour. It’s loud, makes a statement and when used correctly, can exude supreme confidence – much like myself… (on occasion!) But there’s something about brown, that no matter what is going on on the catwalks or what is being sold on the high street, it always feel right – maybe for the obvious reason that Autumn is a ‘brown’ month anyway. As a creature of habit however, I tend to choose browns and greys for September, October and November as a sign that I’m calming down after a wild summer. I was born in August so naturally both I and my outfits are at their most flamboyant in the summer months. Is this actual science? Not a clue! But it makes some sort of sense doesn’t it?
The miserable, wet but mild weather we’re having at the moment also seems to be having an effect on my wardrobe. There’s dressing for the weather and then there’s dressing for the way weather makes you FEEL.
Another factor in my Autumn fashion choices is my three-week long trip to St. Tropez every September. I’m pretty much obsessed with outdoor markets there. Last month I visited five different markets, and each more than once. Every year I spend countless Euros on things that I know no one else will have back home. Not because they’re not stylish – on the contrary! These are clothes, shoes, scarves, bags etc. which are one of only a few ever made. What is not to love about this? Prices are low, quality is pretty good and the clothes themselves are just different enough to what we get back home to be interesting yet still fashionable. Plus, if they’re good enough for the rich folk on 30 million euro yachts in St. Tropez harbour, they’re good enough for me. I’m going to share with you a handful of my favourite, non-labelled but ‘one of a kind’ buys from this year. (Except the last one which was courtesy of River Island!