The Staple - Sunglasses

In the Shades

It's been a good few weeks since I last blogged; I've been pretty busy, but also hampered by a lack of internet access, and diverted by Twitter. Anyway, #shoesday rolls on, and I realised just a few days ago that I've never posted about that Summer Staple, sunglasses. A few years ago, the idea of wearing sunglasses wasn't so much for style, rather for practicality. But as the unstoppable rise in accessories continued, it was only a matter of time before Aviators became a trend (swiftly followed by another all-American classic, the now utterly ubiquitous Ray-Ban Wayfarer). I bought these silver Dior aviator-style frames in the Leeds Harvey Nichols sale, it must have been at least 4 years ago. I wore them for awhile over my glasses which freaked some people out a little, but eventually, I took the plunge and got them with some proper prescription lenses. This isn't a possibility with all sunglasses models; frames have to be strong enough to support a proper lens, and also actually allow the optician to fit the new lenses (making single mould plastic-framed ones an impossibility). And I've been wearing them ever since. The best thing was that I've never seen anyone else in them; until a few weeks ago, when I stumbled across a picture of none other than Mr. Karl Lagerfeld rocking them. Aside from that, they're pretty handy, especially when cycling to work as they keep general road stuff out of my eyes. I'm not sure how I would cope in summer now if I didn't have these, and that is the true definition of a Staple. Other Staples this (and the last 2 weeks):
A daytrip to Whitstable; oysters, charity shops, icecream and fish and chips
The new Whitney track, Million Dollar Bill
Field Day (despite the rain)
Spending a disporportionate amount of time in Icco's on Charlotte Street
Cycling along the Regent's Canal
Topman purple canvas shoes
Perrier water

The Staple - Duffle Bag

Squid Vicious

I'm not really a bag person; APC aside, I lust over Mulberry, Prada and Hermes as much as the next blogger, but I just can't bring myself to pay that much for a bag. So it was lucky when I was on holiday and spotted this gem, as it was only 10 Euros. It's a simple raw canvas duffle bag; a style I've not really seen much, but somehow seems quite appropriate for summer. With an opening at the top rather than along the side, you can fit more stuff in, and the canvas is more waterproff than it might look. Also, the strap is quite short, so it sits really high on my back, which is great when cycling and doesn't drape in the way of the light. Finally, the ridiculous octopus print is pretty unusual; it reminds me of all the seafood I was eating when I was away and I've nicknamed him Squid Vicious, merely because I thought it was quite an amusing pun...Anyway, awful jokes aside, I'm really loving carrying something a little different from the norm that also has a bit of practicality. Especially as it was so dirt cheap that I don't worry when I put it down, get it dirty or leave it on the floor of a pub - totally washable. It's that weird blend of slightly ridiculous yet oddly practical which makes a Staple, and this bag is definietly going to be glued to my back for the next few weeks...Other Staples:
Canvas octopus-print duffle bag
Dalston Superstore on a Sunday Night
Discovering that my Macbook has (brilliant) internet radio
The Bottle Apostle in Victoria Park with the expert knowledge of one Mr. S. Holian
Imperial College Union
Correctly-pumped bicycle tyres
Friends escaping serious injury on the roads

The Staple - Holiday Time

It Would Be So Nice

It's been 2 years since I went on a holiday. I mean, a proper holiday with beaches, suncream, and swimming in the sea. A holiday where you come back refreshed, chilled and brown. Not feeling broken like after a festival, or buzzing from the excitement of a city break and weighed down with extravagant purchases. Last time I went on a proper holiday the best thing about it was its simplicity; the biggest decision of the day was whether to have fresh pineapple or mango for lunch. It's not often that you can say that about your day when you live in Britain, let alone in central London. When my parents invited me on a trip to a little Greek island, I was a little reluctant at first - it's hardly rock and roll to holiday with your Mum and Dad - but then I realised that was precisely what I needed; time away from everything and with nothing specific to do for a week or so in the sun. The necessity of taking a proper holiday is undeniable, and I can't believe I'd left it this long since my last one! But when you only have 20 days of paid holiday a year, It seems incredibly greedy to use a third of it just doing nothing. Not so. We reverted to a simple routine of getting up late, going straight to one of the 2 beaches on the island, swimming and lazing in the sun, returning for a siesta, then heading back to the beach for an afternoon, often until 7pm. Then we'd head home again, and go out for dinner. Where we'd eat the most luscious, fresh and delicious seafood I've tasted in a long while. The freshly-caught squid stuffed with vegetables and feta was so good that I had it three times in the space of a week; I mean, when are you going to get that in London? And then we repeated the same routine every day. It sounds dull, but it's the ultimate luxury - having the time to do absolutely nothing. I've come back feeling much more chilled out (well, almost; the return journey was LONG) and recharged. I've said it before, but it;s so important to get out of an urban environment as often as you can, to reconnect with nature and switch yourself off. I'm sounding a bit Mother Earth, but I'm serious. I've always been of the opinion that relaxation time and sleep are just as important to your sanity as work, and this holiday has proved it. Next summer I'l be off to a beach again somewhere, and I urge you to do the same. Relaxation is the ultimate Staple, and the only was to do that is on holiday. Other Holiday Staples:
The beautiful island of Halki with my family
An iPod full of electronica
Stuffed squid from Remezzo
Mythos lager
A woven straw hat from New Look (with some Liberty fabric wrapped around the base)
Prescription sunglasses
Havanaias flipflops

The Staple - DIY Denim Shorts

A Short Story

I realised recently that despite owning several pairs of shorts, I more or less only wear my blue denim cutoffs. With that in mind, and an epic cycle from Holloway to Greenwich planned, I decided to make myself a new pair. I popped into New Look near work on my lunch break, and grabbed a pair of ten-pound grey jeans. While in front of T4 on Saturday morning, I decided to get to work so I could wear them that day. And document the process, so that my lovely readers can make their own pairs (and thus save £20 on some from Topman). It took me 10 minutes, and all I needed was a pair of scissors.

First, take a cheap pair of jeans:

Next, cut them off just below the knee (for best results cut both legs):

Then fold the raw edge upwards:

Tuck the raw edge into the next fold to create a neat, narrow cuff; fold as high as you like, but with each fold, the width of the leg becomes tighter on the thigh. If necessary, lop another inch off the hem and re-fold:

Et voila! A bargainous pair of practical denim shorts, for the price of a tenner, some scissors and 15 minutes in front of the telly:


Give it a try, it's easy, cheap and VERY much worth it come the summer. I'm off on my holidays next week, and I'll be changing into these on the plane, for a cool arrival in the Med. And they work pretty well for urban-wear too...Other Staples this week:
Homemade denim cutoffs
The Crown Tavern in Farringdon
Glastonbury coverage on the BBC
Lazing around on Blackheath
A lovely, unhurried dinner on St. Christopher's Place, at Paradiso
My fabulous new interweb-phone, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
Looking forward to having an actual holiday!

The Staple - Gucci Lace-Ups

Shoesday Celebrations

I had other things lined up to talk about this week, but my new shoes wouldn't be ignored. We were given House of Fraser vouchers for winning a work competition waaaay back in April. While I was determined to buy something practical (luggage was the idea), I wandered aimlessly into their branch in the City to have a quick look for some sale cases. I did find a gorgeous Ted Baker navy leather holdall, but couldn't bring myself to buy something that was neither practically-sized or checkable. It is gorgeous though, but more of a glorified manbag than practical luggage. I had a quick look at the shoes (luckily the City branch stocks some luxury brands) and my eyes, and indeed feet, rested upon these beauties from Gucci. Utterly gorgeous tan leather, soft and wearable, and best of all, 50% off (from £350 - £175). I've talked a lot about sales recently, but there really are some brilliant bargains to be had if you can find the cash; classics like these will last for years and never really go 'out of style' - you could imagine anyone from Clark Gable to David Beckham wearing such simple, pretty shoes. I tried them on immediately on Friday evening, but again dismissed them for not being practical. I have no idea what was wrong with me. I got home and realised I'd made a terrible mistake, looked up the phone number and got the lovely people to reserve them for me on Monday. And what a start to the week they were. As gorgeous as I remembered, and moulded from one piece of leather with a seam at the heel, (hence being called 'wholecut'). With the rather generous voucher, I bought them for just over £100; cheaper tan a good pair from Jones, and kept them on my desk all day. Despite being told repeatedly that this is blasphemy, they're too pretty to keep in the box. My very first post was about the importance of good, gorgeous shoes, and I feel like I'm living up to that. I'm not going to wear these every day, but they'll be one of those things that whenever you wear them, you know people are going to compliment you on them. Part of the reason why this Tuesday I began a Twitter meme, #shoesday; for posting your shoes and seeing what other people are wearing - join the fun here! Now to find an event (and outfit) worthy of the new shoes...Other Staples this week:
Tan Gucci Maracay Wholecuts in the sale
Almond Magnums eaten in the sun
Jack Penate's new album 'Everything is New' (via Spotify)
Karaoke at Lucky Voice in Soho for Hannah's hen night
Not having to take an extra layer when leaving the house
A hearty asparagus and herb risotto
Perrier sparkling water