London wardrobe

Continuing on from my carry-on luggage (only) challenge, I arrived in London wearing my bulkiest, warmest layers. Fortunately that aligned with the cooler weather I encountered. It was very different from the warmth of Denmark so I got to wear some of my other clothes for the first few days including my woollen jumper, suede vest, velvet jeans, denim jeans and my sleeveless woollen vest. Although my limited wardrobe was holding strong, I did buy a baggy, woolly number for popping on first thing on the cold mornings.

On my first day in London I walked across Hampstead and its famous heath and my friend suggested I borrow her rain jacket. Thank goodness I did, as we copped quite a lot! Is that cheating? Maybe! My rainproof hat with a brim also earned its keep that day. That hat has been a brilliant addition, protecting me from UV as well as rain. Half way through the week the sun emerged so I could dress comfortably in jeans / pants and a t-shirt if I took my cardi and wrap for the ends of the day; perfect trans seasonal weather!

Here is me rugged up for my visit on a cool day to the spectacular Sky Garden, along with some other iconic London shots.

The wool kept me warm while the suede cut out the wind.

Another lightweight addition to my wardrobe was a long sleeve mesh top from the Naomi (Campbell) exhibition at the V&A. I was fortunate to buy the last one they had in stock! These mesh tops are invaluable as they weigh nothing and can be washed and dried in a flash. I had a wonderful meet up at the V&A with three women from my professional association, the Federation of Image Professionals International (FIPI): Kasia Hornby-Lukaniewicz, Sue Donnelly and Snjezana Siketic Maclean (photo further down).

Below is the entrance to the Naomi exhibition, and you can see the top I bought displayed on the mannequin.

While I was staying in London I took a side trip to Brighton, wearing only my jeans and my one pair of boots plus I brought a change of essentials in my day pack. That was even more liberating than travelling with my carry on case! Again, the key was to take lightweight mix and match layers.

Below is the spot I chose in Brighton for brunch.

Sadly, I’ve been disappointed by most of the fashion offerings in London, whether new or vintage / secondhand. The quality was not there as it once was, or if things were well made, the designs were nothing special. I did eventually discover some new and old treasures at Upmarket, which was exciting, and had me reminiscing.

Brighton was slightly better but not as good as I recall it being years ago. I blame fast fashion for this. Most of the secondhand items I’ve encountered have been very poor quality; basically fast fashion viscose and polyester pieces nobody wants. It’s dismaying. On my final day in London I went to Chelsea however, and my spirits were lifted. The secondhand shops sold some quality things I’d actually consider wearing.

The main reason for my visit to Chelsea was to go to the Vivienne Westwood store. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t sought it out before, with her being not only a favourite designer, but a role model for me as well. I loved her style, her courage and her values. I’ve read her autobiography and seen the documentaries. So I made my way there by bus from South Kensington, when we unexpectedly passed my old workplace: The Royal Marsden Hospital! I was intrigued when I realised I had been working in the hospital around the corner from this marvellous human without even realising. It was pre-internet, when I was in my twenties.

When I arrived at Vivienne Westwood’s World’s End shop, sadly my first thought was that she’s no longer there. She was an important and influential person in the world and we are poorer without her. The exterior of the shop was familiar to me and I assumed it’s because I’d seen photos of it. However as soon as I set foot inside the shop, I realised I’d been there before! The kooky slope of the floor brought back strong memories. Suddenly I remembered that my boyfriend of the time had taken me there decades ago, explaining its important cultural significance. I wonder who else was in the shop when I first went there? Did I in fact meet Vivienne all those years ago??! I’ll never know.

This time, rather appropriately, there was an Oxfam charity shop next door.

Here are my London week’s outfits below, all of which worked well, and you can see I haven’t required anything extra despite my purchases (other than my morning woolly - not shown!!). Again, apologies that my selfies are not wonderful, but you’ll get the gist.

A highlight was meeting with the FIPI women at the V&A. Here I am in my outfit from day three.