The Secret Lives of Colour, by Kassia St Clair
I haven’t read or listened in a while to such compelling ‘life stories’ as the ones Kassia St Clair exposes when she talks about the 75 shades selected for her book. These improbable characters have had such intricate and incredible destinies, that they each deserve a biopic.
Source – The Secret Lives of Colour, by Kassia St Clair
I regret listening to this book because it’s definitely one to read with a pencil in hand, so I’ve re-listened to parts of it a few times already and have even managed to find a PDF online so I could go back to certain chapters.
Source – The Secret Life of Colours, by Kassia St Clare
It is so rich, full of details and discoveries on each page, that to summarize it feels to me quite impossible. You will learn about colours that have changed the world or have started wars, colours that have made fortunes or have destroyed industries, colours that were reserved for the royalty and colours that fell into disgrace, colours that have been muses for the masters and colours that have killed hundreds of thousands of people.
I dare you to read this book and say it is anything but captivating and revelatory!
Getting Your Colours Done
Source – René Gruau
While listening to the book above I came across this article about getting your colours done, which is something I had only a very vague notion existed. I certainly didn’t know what it was called and that it’s a thing in itself, I imagined it’s done if one goes to a personal stylist or similar. Since then, I actually talked to a friend who has had hers done a number of years ago and she confirmed this can be quite an insightful experience that leaves one with ideas and advice that will serve you all your life. She reports still thinking of it when going shopping and considering purchases.
Now, I am not sure I’d be able to follow any recommendations fully, as even though I mostly wear black, I like to think I can wear anything whenever I decide to do it… but I would definitely try this to understand what would work best for me for whenever I want maximum impact.
Would you try it?
Statement Sweater
And still speaking of colour (it’s this week’s theme it seems), reader, I am obsessed with this Boden sweater. I have been thinking about it for two weeks and I have found myself browsing colourful sweaters and vintage options on Etsy. If I’m not paying more attention, I might actually buy one… and then what will my mostly black wardrobe think of me?
Truthfully, I think that such a sweater, with its multiple bright hues and cheerful print, would be perfect to help me introduce more colour into my wardrobe, something I’ve been meaning to explore for a while. I am not quite ready for this price commitment, but I am after a simple crew neck pink one to go with high wasted jeans and under blazers. Yes, I can’t believe it either, but I am craving PINK! Now the search begins.
Bonus exquisite find is this Princess Diana approved tongue-in-cheek sweater that I was obsessed with for a while last year. Not sure I am quite over it still actually. She truly had such a brilliant sense of style, pairing this to perfection with that Peter Pan collar and the thin black bow. And just before we leave sweater heaven (for now) please also stand back to admire this sassy number which I would definitely wear!
The Women (2001)
Last week I watched a brilliant play… on YouTube. I couldn’t tell you how I stumbled upon it, but you know by now that YouTube is often a source of unexpected exquisite finds.. I suppose, once you train the algorithms (valid for Instagram and Google as well), you can sit back and enjoy the treasures.
What’s extraordinary about this play by American author Clare Boothe Luce, is that it was written in 1936! Yet, The Women could have been written yesterday. The version I watched is a 2001 production, so already a ‘vintage’, the second revival of the play after its debut in 1936 (657 performances!) and the first revival in 1973. Starring Cynthia Nixon, Rue McClanahan, Kristen Johnston, Jennifer Tilly, Jennifer Coolidge, Mary Louise Wilson and more, this was the first Broadway play with an all-female cast.
I found it funny and entertaining, even though it seems to be a polarizing work, with some agreeing with me, while others remarking on the unflattering portrayal of women, the un-feminist plot, the foolish characters and so on. I think it’s a comedy written almost 90 years ago when we were not all so preoccupied with political correctness that we couldn’t make fun of ourselves through the classic technique of the hyperbolae.
If you’re like me, then you’re in store for two hours of great fun and above all, brilliant dialogue!
Podcast Où est le beau?
I have been slow to jump on the podcast trend, mainly because my listening time tends to go to audiobooks and I am never out of new titles in that area. But I’ve found that sometimes, when I know I only have 10-15 minutes or I am in-between audiobooks and can’t quite decide what I am in the mood for, having a few podcasts in mind to check for interesting short episodes is a great idea!
This is how the other day I finally got to check the Où est le beau? podcast. Full disclosure, it is in French and I had it on my list partly because of that, as I want to be more proactive about retaining what knowledge I have left, and maybe even try to improve upon it. But I also had it on my list because it’s all about decor, design, art and all things beautiful, as the title suggests.
Because of the very convenient short episodes (I think perfection is anywhere between 5 and 20 minutes), in one day I got to learn a bit about the history of the book, the history of the globe (as deco object) and the history of crystal. I will most likely browse more!
Vintage Book Laptop Cover
This is a perfect example of how my curated Instagram delivers new exquisite finds or ideas for research. I spotted a brilliant vintage book laptop cover in a video by Hill House Vintage just as I was thinking I need a new laptop & co.
I did a quick search and found a few options. It seems the premium one is the real vintage leather BookBook collection by Twelve South, but there is a very similar faux leather option available on Amazon too, from brand Mosiso.
The big drawback I see is that these cases are only designed for MacBooks unfortunately, although I am not entirely sure they wouldn’t fit a different laptop of the same size and similar thickness?
I might just have to give one of these a try once I have my new laptop.
Louis Vuitton Flowers
I don’t follow the men’s collections as I try to do with the women’s, but now I think maybe I should start! When these images from the latest Louis Vuitton Fall 2022 Menswear collection popped into my feed, I gasped. I am not one to fall for the monogram, but the leather flower bouquets in those brilliant bright colours featuring the monogram too were a touch of genius, in my opinion.
So simple, so easily done, yet so distinctive. And the whole collection was such a beautiful tribute to the late Virgil Ablot and his love for boyhood.
It never crossed my mind last week, as I was researching DIY flower brooches, to look at options in leather, but now it’s definitely on my mind and there are some beautiful ideas online. I’ve added a few to the dedicated Pinterest board if you’re interested.
Bon week-end!
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Merci!
