Swimsuit as a Top

Swimsuit as a Top

In the first episode of the Netflix series, Love, the female protagonist, Micky, meets up with her ex-boyfriend at a New Age church service, wearing a red swimsuit with Mom jeans and cork heel wedges. She epitomised that cool, laid back California vibe with a nonchalance and ease that made me want to move to Los Angeles and wear swimsuits for every occasion.

It did get me thinking, though. The concept of wearing a swimsuit as a top – its a thing. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and it’s not appropriate for every situation. But it can be done in context-appropriate ways outside of the sunny bubble of Los Angeles. So here’s my take on swimsuit as a top etiquette – where, when and how. Continue reading “Swimsuit as a Top” →

SDLeave a comment
Bermuda Length Jean Shorts 2

Bermuda Length Jean Shorts

In recent years, I’ve not been a fan of shorts as a building block in my summer sartorial creations. I often felt a little frumpy, a little dumpy and ever so slightly plumpy in a pair of shorts.

The reason is that I used to wear shorts with tshirts and nondescript sandals. The result: I looked like one of those tourists who walk in groups following a tour guide who holds up an umbrella and narrates the tour via listening devices stashed away in non-ironic, non-Gucci bum bags (that’s a fanny-pack, to my US readers). You know who I mean. I just didn’t feel good about myself in such a pedestrian ensemble.

But this summer I embraced the bermuda length jean shorts (a la early 2000’s) and realised the error of my short-wearing ways. I took a blue sky approach and devised two looks that make the prospect of wearing jean shorts on the regular positively intriguing. One look is for cruising around town, like a boss. The other for elegantly lounging around a beach, like a mermaid with legs. Continue reading “Bermuda Length Jean Shorts” →

SD2 Comments
Venice Wellness Spirituality

Wellness, Spirituality and Mindfulness in Venice, L.A.

Los Angeles has long been a magnet for the spiritual, mystic and new age. Whether it’s because of the laidback vibe, the proximity to awe-inspiring nature or some vortex of positive universal energy, I can’t quite find the answer, and it might be all of the above. But it’s that magic energy that makes it so beautifully unique. And there is no better place to experience it all than the boho beach side suburb of Venice.

It’s here where people are open and friendly, they look healthier, they talk about their chakras and when they hug, they literally and emotionally hold each other in energy-exchanging embraces that last just that little bit longer than most people would be comfortable with.

On my recent trip to Los Angeles, I set out to experience the New Age side of Venice, realign my chakras, get in touch with my inner child and experience a bit of mindfulness. Here’s what I got up to and where I went. Continue reading “Wellness, Spirituality and Mindfulness in Venice, L.A.” →

SDLeave a comment
Mykonos

Ultimate Mykonos Guide – Planning Your Trip and My Top Tips

Mykonos is one of those places you have to go to at least once in your life. Visually, the landscape is rugged and a little barren, dotted with sugar cube houses. But it’s the turquoise Med and those “I’ve died and gone to heaven” sunsets that make you fall in love with the place. Here, I present to you the ultimate guide to planning your trip, plus my tips for where to eat, drink, lounge, admire sunsets, dance the night away and sleep off hangovers. Continue reading “Ultimate Mykonos Guide – Planning Your Trip and My Top Tips” →

SDLeave a comment
Helsinki City Guide

Helsinki Summer City Break Guide

Helsinki is one of those dark horse city-break destinations. It doesn’t feature top of everyone’s list of cities to visit. Not when you have the grandeur and flash of Stockholm and the understated cool of Copenhagen so close by to get your Scandi fix. But as a summer weekend destination, I have found it to be all of quirky, eccentric, creative, stylish, hilariously fun and beautifully scenic. Continue reading “Helsinki Summer City Break Guide” →

SDLeave a comment
Soho Shopping-2

Shopping In Soho

In the second of my Soho trilogy (check out my Eating in Soho post here), I present to you my favourite shopping in London’s Soho.

You don’t need to spend a lot of time in Soho to realise that there’s a lot of style in this very happening part of London. If you want to be able to predict the direction that fashion is going, just prop yourself up at a terrace cafe in Soho, watch and take notes. It’s a hive of creatives and cool kids. Continue reading “Shopping In Soho” →

SDLeave a comment
City Break Wardrobe-6

My City Break Wardrobe

I was recently appointed the new London Resident Editor for Luxe City Guides to my absolute delight. Aimed at the more sophisticated traveller, Luxe City Guides gives you the insider guide to the world’s major cities across Europe, Asia, the USA and Australia. I always describe it to people as being a very cool friend you have in each city who tells you where to go for the best, exclusive places to eat, drink, shop, chill and get your dose of local culture (without bumping into the track-suit wearing tourist hoards).

This got me thinking about my city break wardrobe. With the amount of travelling I do, I am constantly planning city break outfits, primarily for trips to Europe. And I am the kind of person who feels better when I think that my outfit is working for me. A bad outfit can affect my mood (not for the better). In those situations, I usually claim it’s because I’m hangry so as not to appear completely materialistic to whichever poor buggers are travelling with me at the time.

So what are the ingredients of a fail-safe, mood-enhancing city break outfit? Continue reading “My City Break Wardrobe” →

SDLeave a comment
Helsinki Sisu-9

In Search of Sisu in Helsinki

The Danes gave us Hygge to make our lives that little bit more cosy. The Swedes balanced it all out with the concept of lagom (everything in the right amount). Now its the Finns’ turn to influence us all with their own very unique take on life with the concept of “sisu”. Sisu describes the typical Finnish trait of rising up to meet life’s challenges, even in the face of the fiercest of adversity. It’s about having guts and determination, stepping outside your comfort zone and  giving it everything you’ve got.

On my recent trip to Helsinki, I went in search of sisu based on only a shamefully low level understanding of what it is. And so it was through my tour of saunas and (Baltic) sea swimming that I found not so much sisu, but a fabulously relaxing, rejuvenating and invigorating side of Finnish life. Continue reading “In Search of Sisu in Helsinki” →

SD2 Comments