It’s funny what ageing does to your new season wish list. Throughout my life, whenever I was in Paris, that wonderful city of style, I would soak up everything and everyone around me and get inspired.
“I think I need an exquisite silk slip from Sabbia Rosa, a chalk striped Saint Laurent pantsuit, a pair of towering stiletto heels, a satin evening bag!” .
Last time I was there, in June, I looked around and decided I probably needed a Pomeranian. And a shopping trolley.
I recently downsized into an inner-city apartment and my 17-year-old car died simultaneously. I have zero interest in cars and hate driving, so I did the maths and decided that maybe I should stay car-less. There are lots of shops within walking distance. I could take a car off the road, which is good for the planet. I put the Pomeranian idea on hold, as I don’t want any snappy dependants for the time being, having just ousted my human ones, but I decided what could be very useful is a shopping trolley.
“No, you’re not getting one,” said, hmm, about 10 of my friends when I mentioned that I was toying with the idea.
“But surely there are chic ones?” I pleaded, surprised at their censure.
Later, I was reading a novel and was greatly affronted when a line popped out: “The old ladies, with their shopping trolleys and small dogs”. Are we really going to put these lovely things into the Granny category? But as it turns out, there aren’t that many chic trolleys around.
Some of the houses like Louis Vuitton and Chanel have released them on occasion, and I recall Christian Louboutin selling lovely ones in his Paris boutique in the 90s.
I’m that fashion idiot who will pay more for something if it is a designer label, so can we introduce that trend again and make it permanent please? It seems fair, given dogs and cats can now have complete Gucci wardrobes.
It’s fantastic how fast fashion moves. Only a couple of years ago, fashion journalists were pondering jewellery for men, and excitedly noting that music star Pharrell Williams was wearing pearls at Chanel, and now it’s gone mainstream.
I was delighted to see a PR release in my inbox this week from Linneys jewellers in Perth promoting the pearl strand, “seen at the recent men’s and women’s shows”, with images of guys wearing single strand pearl necklaces.
It now seems so ludicrous that we once thought men had to wear ‘blokey things’ threaded on ugly strips of black leather instead of opening up the jewellery box to all. At a certain age, pearls probably need to be passed down the line anyway, so I’m happy if one of my sons would like my grandmother’s strand. Or do I keep it for the Pomeranian?
