Davina Mulford Fedora in Wine with Burgundy Band (Closed now) | ME+EM Icon Cable Knit Sweater in Cream* | Weekday Voyage Jeans in Wow Blue | Adidas Court Vantage in White | Davina Mulford Fringed Cross Body Bag in Black* (Closed now) | Cate & Nelson No. 165 Watch* | CFconcept Tusk Necklace
Last month, just before I headed off to Seville, Davina Mulford asked me if I would style and model some looks for her AW17 campaign. I’m a genuine fan of her namesake brand; I practically lived in one of her Panama hats over the summer and her cross body bag has seen me through many sartorial situations. Davina is lovely, talented and passionate; she’s also been very supportive of Style&Minimalism, always encouraging and there for a chat.
Her new collection features four colour variations of her traditional fedora (eight if you include her new monogram service which allows you to have your initials embroidered on the ribbon). She’s chosen a classic palette of navy, burgundy, pale grey and camel – so there’s something to suit everyone. They’re well-structured fedoras (no flimsy, floppy brims) that sit comfortably on the head. They come with a few sticky felt strips that you can place under the inner rim if you need to adjust the fit slightly.
For the campaign I styled four looks, each to compliment one of the four colour variations. I chose to style my looks with pieces from brands I regularly wear; including ME+EM, Baukjen and AllSaints. If you’d like to see some of the other looks, please visit the Davina Mulford blog where Davina has kindly shared an interview she did with me at the time. In it I share some styling tips and advice. If you have a read please do come back and leave a comment below to let me know what you think.
On a side note, I just wanted to mention how amazing this jumper is from ME+EM. It’s a merino-cashmere-mix and comes with a detachable collar that converts it into a polo-neck, a clever design that will see me through the winter.
Sadly since this post went live Davina decided to close-up shop. The struggle for small businesses to survive in this industry in the early years is such a huge challenge, even when you have an incredible product.
As you may have noticed from my Instagram and some of my recent posts, I’m starting to travel much more regularly now. This summer I’ve been to Portugal, France, Croatia and Italy, and soon I’m off to Denmark and Spain. Travel is something I’ve always enjoyed and I made the decision earlier this year that I wanted to make it a priority in my life, as it has such a positive affect on me. I’m going to continue to share my trips here on my blog and my social media, and will do my best to inspire you with some beautiful places.
I don’t think it will be long before I’m travelling out of season and I know it’s going to be much harder to find suitable clothing. All is not lost, however, as in the last few years there have been some great resort wear brands popping up. Resort wear brands specialise in clothing, footwear and accessories for hot weather. In keeping their offering small they are able to focus on creating a well made, functional product. And another benefit is that they are available throughout the year, not just in spring and summer.
Caroline Constas is one of the new breed of resort wear brands I’m referring to. Caroline is a Canadian designer based in New York and surprise, surprise she loves to travel. Recently, I discovered their core offering which includes their Signature Cambridge Stripe collection – pretty tops and dresses in classic blue and white stripes, they specialise in off-the-shoulder tops and shirt dresses. They are incredibly well made, in a light twill cotton that holds its shape.
We photographed this look whilst away in Croatia in the little town we stayed in, Sveti Lovreč. There were lots of old buildings in pretty pastel colours, some with crumbling walls and a few derelict ones with hidden wild gardens that had sprouted up inside their walls.
I find it hard to actually take a break; owning a blog is like owning any small business, there’s always something that needs doing, emails keep flooding in and things can’t stop just because I need to. I’m away with my husband’s family in Croatia and the last thing I want to do is lock myself away in the dark to answer emails, write and edit all day (if you’ve tried doing any of these in the sun, you’ll know it’s impossible anyway). This is my time to sit by the pool, read my new Kindle and absorb as much vitamin D as I can, whilst spending some quality time with Dan and my new family.
My out-of-office is on and although I’m checking my inbox sporadically I won’t be answering anything that is not urgent. I’m also keeping things tidy by deleting all the spam emails so that come my return to London I won’t be inundated with an inbox full of unread emails that will have me running for the hills. Sorry to those of you who are reading this and have just realised that I genuinely will not be replying to you this week but I really do need to take a break.
The only work I have been doing is shooting my outfits and sharing photos of the beautiful towns I’ve been visiting in Istria. This place is extremely beautiful but also extremely hot right now so my shooting time is limited to just an hour in the afternoon as the sun starts to go down and I can bear to wear anything more than a bikini. Dan’s stepped up to the role of photographer and has been helping me capture a few shots before dinner. He’s doing a great job, don’t you think?
Guinot High Protection Sun Oil SPF 50* | Guinot High Protection Sun Spray SPF 30* | Caudalie Anti-Aging Face Suncare SPF 50* | Guinot Very High Protection Sun Cream SPF 50+* | Guinot Newhite Brightening UV Shield SPF 50* | Bumble and Bumble Hairdressers Invisible Oil 250ml | Sachajuan Hair In The Sun* | Davina Mulford Panama Trilby with Beaded Black Band* (Now Closed)
Fortunately, we are far more aware of the need to wear sun protection than ever before. As a teenager I didn’t get it, I thought the only way I would tan would be to wear the lowest SPF, or nothing at all. Add to that, that my mum has never set a good example and still to this day I tell her to wear SPF and she ignores me. I’m now utterly convinced and wish I’d been more vigilant as a teenager. I can now see the damage I’ve done in the past and have been spending more and more time lately looking for ways to reverse the damage. My advice to those of you that are unsure of whether you need to, wear sunscreen! UVA rays cause ageing and wrinkles, whilst UVB rays cause redding and sunburn, they’re also a contributing factor in the development of skin cancer. This is why it’s important to wear broad spectrum sun protection as it will protect you from both.
This holiday I’ve been using some really great SPF products that I would highly recommend. On my body I’ve been using Guinot High Protection Sun Oil SPF 50. It’s a dry oil which means it’s absorbed quickly and you won’t be left feeling like an oil-slicked body builder, instead my skin has been left feeling nicely moisturised. It comes in a spray which is quite handy, a few spritzes all over, a light rub and you’re done. It’s also good for those hard to reach places like your back. It just doesn’t work upside-down. I’ve been covering myself every morning and then topping up throughout the day after a swim or just later on when I feel like I need it. I’ve used half a bottle in one week. And don’t be fooled into thinking that low SPF means you’ll tan quicker, I’ve been using SPF 50 and I’m still going brown, I’ve just not burnt once.
I’ve also been using Guinot High Protection Sun Spray SPF 30 when we head out in the afternoons. I think this is possibly my favourite although I’ve not used it as much due to the lower SPF. It’s a bit like a deodorant can but for sun protection. You can barely tell you’re wearing it and it’s so easy to use. My only concern is that it seems to go down quickly.
On my face I’ve been using two different SPFs by the pool, Caudalie Anti-Aging Face Suncare SPF 50 and Guinot Very High Protection Sun Cream SPF 50+. Both are really good, there’s not much in it. Neither leave your skin greasy or white, and both are quickly absorbed. My skin looks moisturised but not too shiny after using them. Whenever we’ve been out for the day I’ve used the Guinot Newhite Brightening UV Shield SPF 50 (which I wrote about in my last beauty post). It gives a little bit of coverage, evening out skin tone so I feel like I’m not completely bare skinned; I’m not a fan of wearing make-up in the heat.
I’ve been using a couple of hair protectors. I recently started using Bumble and Bumble Hairdressers Invisible Oil – Heat/UV Protective Primer as a heat protector before using my hairdryer or styling tools. I noticed before I came away that it’s also a UV protector so it kills two birds with one stone; I love a multi-use product. I’d say it’s a light, pleasant smelling lotion rather than an oil. It goes on easily with the spray and doesn’t leave my hair greasy. The other product I’ve been using and have done for years is Sachajuan Hair In The Sun. You can apply it to wet or dry hair, I usually use it as a styling product to tame my hair in the evening after I’ve washed and dried it. So again, it’s a great two in one product.
And finally, I’ve been wearing this classic Panama from Davina Mulford! You might have seen it in a few of my photos on Instagram.
COS recently released a very special collection to celebrate their tenth year – 10, a limited collection of ten pieces for women, men and children. The pattern-cutters and designers worked together to create each item with minimum waste, using the full width of the fabric, the pattern pieces of each garment have been cut so that they fit together like a puzzle. COS Creative Director Karin Gustafsson said of the collection:
“The design team took the opportunity to play and experiment in the pattern-cutting process, re-imagining the methods behind the design. The pattern-cutters and designers worked in parallel, referencing historical techniques that maximised the use of materials. As we look to the future we will continue to focus on the efficient use of fabrics and forward-thinking techniques.”
I think it’s wonderful that COS are focusing on creating minimum waste products, this has less of an impact on the environment but also helps to change the way the industry operates by showing that it is possible and encourages other brands to meet their standards. The more brands that commit to sustainable practices the better the industry will become and the less we (as consumers) will have to worry about the impact of our purchases on the people and world around us.
