Prep School

(Image via Harvey Nichols)

I don't want to dwell on this, because my heart is a little broken, but I need to share a quick tale with you.

Do you remember that I treated myself to the Prada Baroque sunglasses? I loved them so much and really thought I might never need another pair of sunglasses again. But in my idiocy I put them down for a second in a shop and by the time I had realised my error some *@@&*! *@$$$!!^& had made off with them. There is no point in dwelling on it, lest to say that I hope something terrible befalls them to make up for them being a moral free thieving @&$!@*£.

So I am in the market for a pair of sunglasses, and sadly, the pair that I have lost my heart to are this pair called Preppy by Celine. I just love the roundness, and I think I would love them forever. Except I obviously can only buy dirt cheap ones from now on because I can't trust people to be honest myself not to lose them.

Walk the Line

If it was reasonable to buy a fabulous pair of sunglasses every year (this time last year I bought the Prada Baroques when I was in New York) then any of these by Karen Walker, stocked by my friends at Found Bath, would be top of the list. I particularly love the turquoise circular pair.

Grrr, must resist.

(Images via Found Bath)

Rise and Shine

(Image via Eyestylist)

Yay! It has actually happened! I have been paid to write about fashion. Oh joy!

It was a fun piece about sunglasses for Ocado's This Magazine Shine issue.

Please have a look here.

My piece is on page 25 but the rest is also very much worth a look. Such a lovely magazine.

Let's hope this is the beginning of something wonderful!

Baroque and Roll

What is it about being or going on holiday that makes you quite take leave of your senses?

My flight to Cape Town was delayed and so I spent rather more time than expected sifting through all of those things that in normal circumstances you know you don't need, but when you have time on your hands and are in a holiday state of mind suddenly seem like just the very thing.

(Images via Prada)

For me it was these Baroque sunglasses by Prada. It occured to me that there was really no good reason why I shouldn't have them. Not even their hefty price tag.

It seemed totally normal that I was considering paying the same amount as a couple of nights' accommodation.

Aren't they awesome? I am still pining slightly. But I distracted myself with Prada Candy perfume instead (rubbish name, utterly lovely pong). Clever old me!

Swings and Roundabouts

 Let me introduce you to Leonard. Illesteva's round sunglass. And my personal favourite. But they are beyond my budget, so I thought I would look elsewhere. But why can't I find anything as nice? Waaaahhhhhh!

(Images via Illesteva, Asos, Kurt Geiger, Topshop, River Island)

Don't Steal Our Sun

(Image via Kurt Geiger)

Since I bought my prescrption sunglasses I haven't even considered buying another pair. Because, you know, they are nice looking and, well, I can see out of them.

Two important things.

But this pair... sigh, this pair are siiiiiiick and I might actually consider sacrificing clear vision for looking super mean.

That'll work right? It's, um, not what you can see but who can see you...? Or something.

Way to Go

(Image via Marks & Spencer)

I am quite in love with these floral wayfarer sunglasses. Aren't they the most?

In Your Face

(Via Daily Telegraph)

Ha! I love this picture for the new Prada sunglasses range. When everything is often so serious with la fashion it's nice to have a bit of a giggle about it sometimes.

Wouldn't you agree?

Square Peg in a Round Hole

Urban Outfitters

I like the idea of something a little different.


Topshop Unique

Indeed I have always prided myself on being not entirely run of the mill.


The Row

But round sunglasses? Are they not just a bit too different?


Linda Farrow

A bit too quirky?


Illesteva

While not actually being particularly flattering at all. Particularly for me with my round, round face.


Diane von Furstenberg

(Via Elle UK)

But worst of all they make me think of this:



Which sucks. Ahh, haaa, haaa, haaaa! Geddit?!?

Here Comes the Sun

It is only six short weeks until I jet off to the Himalaya and I find myself in a quandary. I am going to need a pair of prescription sunglasses. What with all the glare of sun hitting snow and what not, I will be quite, quite blind without them. In Peru I just wore regular sunnies with my contact lenses. But I caused some concern thanks to the double vision I developed that was a suspected problem with my brain but was actually just my contact lenses playing up. I think I need to avoid that. So prescription goggles it must be.

Now here the problem lies. If I were to buy any pair of sunglasses they would inevitably be a totally impractical, take-up-a-third-of-my-face pair. But what with the fetching hat and hood that I will undoubtedly be wearing I need something a bit more... well, useful.

I know! Horrors!

But I will tell you what is worse. My thoughts have drifted in the direction of a sports sunglass. You are wincing already, aren't you? Because you know what is coming. And darling, honestly, I wish I could soften the blow. But I can't. Because I really am thinking about (whisper it!) Oakleys.

Now, I don't know if you have ever had the pleasure of hearing me go off on one about how much I hate Oakleys and how I would basically cease to converse, nay, breath the same air, as someone who owned a pair? No? Count yourself lucky! I can imagine not a few people of my acquaintance who would be rolling their eyes resignedly if they read this. But to get down to it, I hold them in equal regard to Uggs, Crocs and Next. Yup, you get the picture, and it ain't pretty.

But my argument has been weakened in a couple of ways. One was that I fell for a boy who favoured them and I didn't even bat and eyelid about the fact that he wore a pair, on a string for God's sake!

The second is that I think these two pairs are actually quite attractive.




(Images via Vision Express)

Would it be hypocrisy of the very worst kind if I bought some?

Uh oh, I'm in trouble

Yeah man! Shampoo! I always thought the really blonde one looked kind of OK you know. The other one, not so much. Anyway though, sooooo, you know I'm always harping on about it being a COMPLETE and UTTER waste of frock funds to shell out for prescription sunnies? Yeah? Well ignore everything I have ever said. I bought these bad boys yesterday.

I am a contrary Mary. So sue me!*

*Don't though will you because they cost quite a bit and so I don't have much money left to cover legal expenses and all that. Just like, punch me on the arm for telling you not to buy these or something, yeah? OK!

A Glass Half Full

First of all, can I just say how queasy Elt's specs make me every time I look at them? I am keen to get them as far down the page as possible. Bleaugh.

OK, so they're both utterly charming and I imagine the ones you really like are too. I think prescription sunnies are a very good idea in theory but not for me. My myopia means that the lenses actually end up costing about as much as a two door run around before I even get to the frames so it's just not financially viable. But it's going to be a hot sunny summer apparently so why not? The you can wear yours and I can wear my cheapo ones and be as blind as a bat and you can guide me about like a troublesome elderly aunt wearing your posho ones. Nice!

Whilst we're here shall we discuss the half tints. Now it's not often I don't like something that An Olsen wears but I'm not mega mega about them. Although she does look quite lovely in that picture. But you know, in general. But whilst looking for a pic of those I found this. Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

You've got to hand it to Mr Lagerfeld. He has taken a simple school dinner tray with the compartments for vegetables, main and pudding and taken it to a whole other briefcase level. I LOVE! Your glasses would SO be safe in there dude.

(Images via tbc)

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Tee, hee! Just as I am writing this the sun is breaking through the clouds. Nice work Reg!


As delicious as his outfit undoubtedly is what I have actually come to discuss is sunglasses. More specifically designer sunglasses. I am the kind of girl who balks at spending much more than £15 on a pair, because I have a tendency to leave them scattered around the country. Or surrender them to the torture that is the bottom of my bag with nary a cloth baglet for protection and then get annoyed when the are scratched to oblivion.

So spending over £100 alarms me slightly. Except that I found the most perfect pair in Alexander McQueen and I am considering it. Maybe I could even get them prescriptioned up to ensure that I have to look after them and so I can, you know, see.

I have a sneaking suspicion you might tell me that I should get down to some cheap boutique and part with my £15 and stop being so dashed foolish.

(Images via Alexander McQueen)

Neither of these pairs are the ones I like, but cute all the same.

Sunny side up

They're megarous! Completely Portofino darrrlink. I don't think we can recreate thaT scene for you in central Londres but perhaps I can sit you under a heat lamp at Koha and get them to rock up the amps? Might that work? Either way, I'm all for a tortoiseshell frame this summer regardless of location.

Since I got my contacts I have been ADDICTED to buying sunglasses. Almost to the point where it has become an issue. I have so many pairs. I spent years to-ing-and-fro-ing swapping glasses about in the summer in the before the daily disposable entered my life and so now it just seems so wildly exciting to sport a sun goggle and like, still be able to SEE that I just. Can't. Stop. Buying them.

But there is a problem, in that when I am shopping I am usually in my normal spectacles. Now, you know I am stupidly short sighted and can only see things that are about a millimetre from my nose. So when I try sunglasses on in a shop I only have the vaguest whisp of an idea what they actually look like. Which makes for an exciting moment when I try them on for the first time with my eyes in but often leads to me howling and holding my face in horror in a Munchy kind of way when I realise NO! I do NOT suit a rip off wayfarer. And I really thought I might. Boo. Sometimes it's best not to see the truth. Which I shall remind you when you are being cooked by that heap lamp.

Shady dealings

(Image via Jigsaw)

Aren't these adorable? I just bought them. But this morning as I sauntered down a damp and blustery Regent Street in the patchy sun light it occurred to me that they would be far more suited to a saunter along the beach in Portofino. Don't you think? Could someone arrange that? Immediately?

That would be rad!