Midi Skirts - Holiday Style

My new found love for midi skirts has extended to my holiday wardrobe and the fact that this ASOS one I bought just before I left doubles up as a sort of accordion when you walk, well that just makes me love it all the more. The boy thinks I look like a mormon but I think I look like an incredibly cool grandma. Which is what we all want to look like on holiday right?

Top old Zara, Skirt ASOS, Shoes Marni, Ear Cuff and Rings from a boutique in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv, Sunglasses Chanel.  

Last Days of Summer...

There's nothing like a late summer getaway - and since we hadn't really left the country this summer we decided to spend a couple of weeks of October in our favourite city, Tel Aviv. 

With blue skies and 28°C of sunshine, we've spent lazy days reading books on the beach (I'm on my 6th already), wandering around the markets buying freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, cycling from lunches to cafes for ice coffee to dinners, and eating our body weights in Israeli breakfasts (served all day and comprising of freshly baked bread, scrambled eggs, salad, cream cheese, labaneh, tuna, jams, olives - pretty much everything you could ever want!)

Tel Aviv is simply thronging with fresh juice stands and my favourite one on Ben Gurion Street uses only seasonal fruit and will add everything you'd add at home from spirulina to chia. My go-to frozen yoghurt place Tamara has just started selling home made ice-lollies and their beetroot, carrot and apple one has become a daily ritual. The Old Tel Aviv port is full of great restaurants and organic fruit and veg markets and Neve Tzedek is the perfect place to spend an afternoon wandering through tiny winding streets and browsing amazing jewellery boutiques. 

Tel Aviv really is a foodies heaven - food is a major cultural thing and you will find people sitting eating in cafes until the early hours of the morning. It is hard to get bad food in Tel Aviv but here are just some of my current favourites:

 Puaa - nestled in the heart of the flea market in old Jaffa is this eclectic restaurant jumbled together from reclaimed chairs, tables and mismatched crockery. The breaded cauliflower with garlic aioli is a must have and I make it my mission to come here for lunch at least once every time I'm in Tel Aviv.
Brasserie M&R - This old school Brasserie is a Tel Aviv institution and is open 24hrs a day - and surprisingly busy 24hrs a day. Its french fries are the best in the country and taste even better at 4am after a night out clubbing. 
Claro - Recently opened in the new Sarona district, Claro is slightly more expensive but the menu is full of creative and totally delicious dishes. Plus the cucumber and mint gin cocktail was possibly the best I've ever had. Be warned.
Hotel Montefiore - Set in the elegant boutique Hotel Montefiore, this restaurant is more of a fine dining experience but serves consistently delicious food with a french influence. 
Abu Hassan - This hole in the wall is the local go-to place for proper hummus in Tel Aviv. There is always a queue and if you want to act like a local, eat your hummus using raw onions instead of pita bread to mop it up. 

What you should be buying NOW...

...Like right now, go on, go get your credit card and I'm gonna sort you out before it's too late.

You see it's suddenly winter and although we may not want to admit it, those Asos duster kimono coats just ain't going to cut it against the November chill. We need layers and we need them pronto. So lemme break it down for you, here are the 5 key pieces you need in your wardrobe today...

1. The Coat

The catwalks were littered with calf length coats this winter and the high street has followed suit accordingly. For the taller amongst us I'd suggest something oversized and flowing - pure drama, and for those with a smaller frame go belted for definition, shape and less swampy-ness.

From Left: Brown River Island, Grey John Lewis, Grey Asos, Tan Asos, Blue Zara, Grey Asos, Tan Mango.

2. The Knit

Quite frankly it's gonna have to have a rollneck if you want to be taken seriously this season. Personally I'd invest in a couple of more luxy knits if budget allows because I find the high street ones tend to bobble and lose their shape so quickly and you're going to want to wear this over and again all winter long. TheOutnet is an amazing haven for luxurious staples without the depressing price tags. Having said all of that, the below one from Asos is also fantastic quality and you can't go wrong with some Uniqlo cashmere...

From the top: Stripe Marni, Blue River Island, Camel H&M, Navy Velvet by Graham&Spencer, Light Blue Stella McCartney at TheOutnet,  White and Black Toga Pulla, Grey Uniqlo, Blue Vanessa Bruno Athe, White Acne, Model shot ASOS.

3. The Shirt

Yeah I know, it ain't rocket science, the shirt has been a seasonal staple since the cavemen were getting theirs tailored at Thomas Pink, but for some reason this season the shirt feels cooler than ever. Wear yours open with sleeves rolled up, wear it as a dress, get one that crosses over at the front or ties round the waist or leave it untucked and wear it with culottes or tailored trousers. The DKNY blue shirt dress is my personal favourite - I've been wearing mine with Adidas Superstars all summer long.

From top left: Blue Dress DKNY, Black Denim Mango, Blue Mango, White Leather Marques Almeida at Topshop, Stripe Elizabeth and James, Embellished Check By Malene Birger, Black and White Check H&M, Blue Dress Atterley Road, Blue Iris and Ink TheOutnet, White Atlantique Ascoli.

4. The Skirt

If you hadn't guessed by now, Summer's midi length skirts are here to stay for winter. Picture those floaty calf grazers in heavier fabrics and bulkier shapes, paired with a chunky knit (as above) and a knee high boot (as below). This may seem like a tricky trend but as someone who has loved a shorter hemline for far too long to be deemed respectable, I recently tried the midi trend and now anything above the knee just doesn't feel quite as current.

From Left: Fringed H&M, White Mango, Nude Topshop, Black H&M, Yellow Topshop Unique, Burgundy Warehouse, Silver ASOS, Stripe Joseph.

5. The Shoe 

Or boot to be precise. Now don't worry, the ankle boot isn't going anywhere, you can still wear your bikers and western boots with much pride this winter. However, if there's one shoe you should be investing in, it has got to be the KHB (knee high boot). Think 70s, chunky heel, in tan, brown or black suede or leather, worn under your midi length dresses and skirts. The KHB's big brother, the OTKB (over-the-knee boot) serves a similar purpose and can look just as fabulous, perhaps more of an evening alternative to the KHB. Just tread carefully with hemlines when working this trend or you risk looking like a BOAS (bit of a slut).

From Left: Black Mango, Brown Croc H&M, Black Suede Office, Brown H&M, Dark Brown Aldo, Navy Leather Gianvito Rossi, Brown Suede Topshop, Black Suede Zara.

Additional images: lacooletchic

Interiors Wishlist

Over the last year of renovating aforementioned abode, my late night ritual of Net-a-Porter surfing has been replaced by online shopping, far more selflessly I like to believe, for furniture.

While the house was under construction I fell passionately in and out of love with hundreds of different items, pinning furiously to my pinterest boards all the many things I'd fill my empty spaces with once paint colours were chosen and floors selected. Yet a year on and my complete inability to make decisions have left us living a spartan existence with only a bed, a dining table and an unnecessary number of mismatched chairs picked up at Sunbury antiques market.

While I may not have committed fully to purchasing anything yet, the bulk of my interiors wish list comes from one place alone - the true mecca of all things cool in the world of furniture. Two words that make my husband run a mile (with my bank cards safely in his pocket), two words that make me glad I know my credit card details off by heart.... WEST ELM.

An American brand with only one London store (on Tottenham Court Road), West Elm may be less well known here in the UK than its competitors but its perfect designs and affordably-expensive prices mean it's a secret gem that won't be secret for long.

In the spirit of sharing, find my West Elm must haves below:

Mid Century Perfection

Side table, Bar cart, Sideboard, Bookcase, Chair, Side table.

 Minimal Utilitarianism

Chair, Coffee table, Clock, Shelving unit, Larder cupboard, Stool.

Perfect Prints

Rugs, Chair, Side table, Butler tray table, Bowls, Market cart. 

All can be found at www.westelm.co.uk

GUESS WHO'S BACK?

Yeha! That's right! It's me!

I'm back from the abyss of moving house and life and world, with more bang-for-your-buck content to keep you occupied between 11 and 11.15 on a Tuesday morning when you've finished your coffee, emptied your inbox and haven't all that much else to do.

It's been a crazy summer for me, having bought a house last year that looked like THIS:

And turning it into THIS:

That stuff ain't easy I tell you, hours of walking round with tiles and painted bits of wood looking at them in different lights and mumbling things like 'oh yes a terribly cold colour in a North facing room' because that's what you're supposed to do when you renovate a house dontcha know.

So, although still only partially furnished (one table, one sofa, one bed, lots of echoing) the house is pretty much done and I can get back to focusing on what's really important in life - WHAT TO BUY FOR WINTER?! (and world peace blah blah blah).

I will of course be doing the usual Stylist Shops rounds of the high street now the new season has started to drop, but until I do, here is my current shopping list for you to peruse at your leisure....

Black Skirt Vanessa Bruno, Grey Marl Rollneck H&M, Black Tee Marc by Marc Jacobs, Black Sneakers Adidas, Grey Trousers Mango, Black Skirt Lot 78

Silver Dress H&M, Grey Coat Mango, Silver Sneakers ACNE, Grey Wool Trousers Zara, Black And Blue Skirt Topshop

Finally, the ultimate evening dress, the one that's gonna solve everyone's what-do-I-wear-for-a-winter-wedding crisis - this casually non casual, fringed fantastical slice of perfection from Net-a-Porter's 'Finds' collection.

Currently Coveting

This embroidered Topshop bag is top of my must-have list this summer. It looks like something you'd pick up in a flea market in Bali, without having to venture outside the M25. 

And while I'm imagining myself on the beach, here are a few extra beach bag essentials....

From the top: Hammam Towel, Deszo Necklace, LA Bruket Body Scrub, Stella McCartney Sandals, ASOS Sunglasses, Aesop Body Cream, Marysia Bikini

Plus no trip to the beach is complete without a good book, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry is a beautiful, heart wrenching story of life in India during the 1970s - full of rich cultural and political history and characters you'll feel like you've known all your life.

Sale Shopping

Dear readers, I must apologise for my disappearance of late. I've been spending every spare minute working on my house renovation which is requiring decisions to be made on an hourly basis - which is pretty traumatic for someone who can't make decisions! 

Once things start to get finished I will post some pictures on here as everyone loves a 'changing rooms' style before and after - and you can check out a couple of pictures of the kitchen which went in this week over on my instagram (@rachelingram14).

Now, sick of spending all my hard earned money on grouting and floorboards, I've been trawling the internet for some sale purchases to cheer me up as I remain homeless! If you have to live out of a suitcase at least make it a suitcase full of wonderful things....

First on the wish list are a pair of pointy flats that will carry me through to winter:

From the top: Philip Lim, Nicholas Kirkwood for Erdem, Valentino, Paul Andrew, Mother of Pearl, Rochas, Stella McCartney, Nicholas Kirkwood

A statement sweatshirt is still on my 'to buy' list to throw on with denim shorts on cooler summer evenings....

From the top: Carven, Au Jour Le Jour, Stella McCartney and J.W.Anderson

And a few summer wardrobe updaters:

From left to right: Bag Jerome Dreyfuss, Top J.W.Anderson, Shoes Aquazzura, Sunglasses Illesteva, Shorts Genetic Denim, Sandals Ancient Greek Sandals, Trousers Isabel Marant.

From left to right: Shoes Gianvito Rossi, Bag Whistles, Top Chloe, Shoes &OtherStories, Top Suno.

My final and ultimate sale finds come from the mecca that is &OtherStories on Regent Street. I could literally buy the whole store - but I've left some for you too. Check out the sunglasses - they're a fashion insider's high street trump card (as well as H&M and ASOS sunnies).

Bag, Clutch, Loafers - all &OtherStories.