What A Pout Wants

The Backstory

Year 2000.  The film What Women Want is released.  The Pout watches it.  Falls for Helen Hunt's wardrobe, especially her beige suede skirt.  The Pout searches one out.  The Pout gets what she wants.  She's loves it, wears it to death then tires of it, packs it away like the loved teddybear of a fickle owner.  

And so the skirt sleeps.  And sleeps.

Year 2018.  The Pout stumbles upon her old skirt.  Puts it in the washing machine.  And awakens her sleeping beauty.

Channelling Helen Hunt

Yes, I've done my forensics and worked out why I bought the skirt and how I got to fall in love with it all over again.

So here's what I've been doing with my laundered suede.

Wearing head to toe soft-tone neutrals.

A simple soft cashmere jumper.  The simple soft suede skirt.

And early one morning and wearing my washed suede skirt in an osteopath's waiting room I realised I was channelling Helen Hunt.  But in an old lady, pensioner way.  I wore a scarf.  Don't think Helen did scarves but older ladies do that, add scarves to everything. 

So having had that HH moment, I did my research and discovered that the film's release date fitted in with when I bought the skirt.

 I googled some images and up popped the gorgeous Helen.

Wearing cashmere and suede, both hugging her super gorgeously toned body.

Elegant simplicity.

I googled some more.  She mostly wore Celine in the film.   Michael Kors was designing there back then.  That's just an aside.

My forensics showed that my HH passion ran deep. 

 Around that time I also bought a black dress very similar to the goddess's.  It's Marina Rinaldi and worn recently here, styled with berry boots.  That's all this classic dress needs.  

And this look doesn't date either.

I'm still wearing  HH's cream cardi/white cami/updo look.

But not the stinkin' high heels.  The other Helen goddess (Miren) calls these her stripper heels, her heels of preference for the red carpet.  That's just an aside too.

HH in pale blue Celine.  

The Pout in aqua East.

Yes, around the same time I bought this linen dress and jacket.

This sleeping beauty was awoken too last year.

As well as noting the huge subliminal influence HH must have had on my style back then, what's also getting through to me from this little exercise is that if you get the right classics, they do not date.  

I recalled that as well as HH's amazing wardrobe, the film had been an enjoyable watch too - no surprise as it was a Nancy Myers film.  I think many many MANY of my all time favourite films are hers.  But I searched my DVD stash and found a gap in my library.  

No WWW in there.  A quick visit to Amazon remedied that p.d.q. And yes, it's still as good today as it was BITD.  A film classic.

Here's a snippet for you.

HH's Influence Lives On

Since  I found and washed this little skirt, I've  worn it in many guises.  I've experienced my Suede Skirt Spring, but in autumn/winter.  So I leave you with a few of the outfits the skirt has sprung up in through the season.

So that was my Suede Skirt journey.  

I got what I wanted and have found the love for it again.  

And I've discovered that Ms Hunt has been so much more than just a skirt to me.

Has any film character influenced you like this?  Perhaps without you realising it? That's something for you to reflect on this cold and wet January!

A la perchoine, 

Mary x.

Pumpkin Twinset and Machine-washed Suede

Oh I don't want to tell you about the palaver I'm going through trying to bring up photos on this infernal machine, then my attempts at cropping them, and then putting a post together on this infuriating laptop, for I may just cry.  Real tears.  Onto my laptop keyboard.  And we all know what happens when you throw a gin and tonic accidentally shed a few tears on electronics, eh?  No, my techy frustrations I'll leave  well alone.

Does your computer have that effect on you, I wonder?

And I don't want to tell you about my poor Photographer, who is suffering from extreme back pain as a side effect of his surgery in August, and add to that the aftermath of dental surgery yesterday.  I think he could cope with all of that but add to the mix Man Flu (😱😷) and boy is poor TP suffering right now.

No, I don't want to chat about all of that.  I want to go to a nice happy place and chat colour with my girls.

Today I'm wearing a transitional colour.  A chameleonic colour.

This soft colour can be all things to all seasons.

A Soft Zingy Orange in spring.

Cooling Melon in summer.

But what excites me most is its Perky Pumpkiness in autumn.

Who wouldn't be excited wearing Pumpkin Spice?!!

 Yes, when this edible delight came into my life in June, its soft melon colour put some subtle zing into a sunny day.  But it was autumn that this little twinset was calling me towards.

So I am super excited to be wearing it now, on the duller and chillier days of the year.

I soon saw the jumper and cardi as transitional pieces back then.

I could see the colour with soft stone suede, which is what I paired the twinset with today. 

I have many more thoughts on how this colour can brighten up my autumn days.

With white jeans on a sunny day.

Zinging against a duller day when worn with grey jeans.

But it's with black that I see this soft pumpkin working it's Halloween magic.  I can see the colour coming alive against black.  A black leather skirt. Black coated cotton bikers.

And soon I will give you them ALL !!

Twinset: M&S Cashmilon, SS18; try their StaySoft range like HERE  for a similar feel.

Suede Skirt: about 20 years old.

Cashmilon is such a super soft knit, at least as soft as cashmere, but perhaps even softer!

And if I'm feeling like more colour craziness, I may even play around a little more with coral. 

Do you wear coral or orange in autumn?

Unfortunately, these playful trousers have been put away for winter.

But no matter, it's black I want to play my orange card on right now.

Oh and I'm loving my little suede skirt, by the way.  It's about 20 years old and it had been archived so thoroughly that I only stumbled upon it a few months ago.  I thought to charity it.  But then I thought I'd give it one last chance. I washed it at 30c on a 15 minute quick wash cycle.  I had nothing to lose, it was otherwise on its way out the door.  I hung it outside to dry and bingo!  The washing process worked. And no ironing required!

And now that it's chillier and I can finally start putting it through its paces, I have quickly fallen in love with it all over again.  Perhaps I'm feeling even more in love with it now than I was last time I wore it, which really must have been about 15 years ago, come to think of it.

Yes, sometimes love is even more wonderful, The Second Time Around.

So now I'm going to smooth the bash marks off this keyboard, purify the air made putrid by my expletives, and head downstairs to see how my patient is feeling.  I may even play him a bit of Frank, that could be just the surprise tonic he needs.

And now it's your turn.  Which colours are you drawn to right now?

A la perchoine,

Mary.