Curious Christmas clothing

More on the perils of Christmas dressing – of trying to look festive and keep warm at the same time, whilst still maintaining a modicum of style. We faced this problem last weekend at London's Belgravia Christmas Sunday, where we spent the day outside Waitrose in sub-zero temperatures, with freezing feet.





The Snow Queen and her Snow Queen in Waiting (left) seemed perfectly happy – I guess they are used to being out in the cold. Curiously, the Snow Queen bore more than a passing resemblance to fellow Belgravia boutique owner and fashion designer, Maria Grachvogel – don’t you think? A juggling Swampy-on-rollerblades (right) was also present to entertain us in eco-friendly style and there was delicious hot Pimms to bring feeling to our fingers and colour to our cold, damp noses.





Later in the week at the British Council, I encountered an eclectic mix of arguably more stylish clothing. I loved Hughie’s boldly patterned coat (right) - I think he said it was made of sack-cloth, a fabric that could become popular during the recession. It reminded me of Karim Bonnet's iconic hand painted tartan number for Impasse de la Defense (left), which is available in the UK exclusively from ShopCurious.




Others, like the fittingly flirtatious events and celebrity photographer Deanne (right), stuck to traditional Christmas red – this outfit looks very cosy too. I was very tempted to wear one of Impasse de la Defense’s stunning and original hand painted designs: this curiously alternative long purple dress (left) with a smidgen of red, for instance...though it's not ideal for cold weather, unless you’re wearing thermal underwear, or happen to find yourself in a public library, a maternity ward, or anywhere else (probably Government funded) where they seem to conspicuously ignore fuel costs.




Then I had the novel idea of adapting this intriguingly designed Impasse de la Defense shirt. The beautifully handmade vintage style crocheted lace collar is long enough to hitch up either side of your ears and will definitely keep them warm.







Not only does this put Widow Twanky to shame, but it's also the perfect foil if you’re being followed by the paparazzi …

Anyway, if you happen to see or be seen wearing any curious or noteworthy clothing this Christmas, just send your photos to info@ShopCurious.com and we’ll show the most original shots on our ShopCurious blog.

Will you?

Joyous jewellery

The weather at this time of year can be so miserable – like today, when it rained virtually all day long in London … and it gets dark so early too. What’s lovely about Christmas time is that, all across town, people add sparkle to the season of gloom by decorating windows, buildings, trees and lamposts with twinkling lights, tinsel and other festive fripperies.

Much the same applies to the way people dress at Christmas. Out come all the beaded evening gowns, glittering red cocktail dresses and hitherto hidden away fashion accessories like Father Christmas adorned ties and curious Christmas tree earrings that light up, or play Christmas carol jingles.








At ShopCurious, we’ve some timeless and unique accessories that you won’t want to shove into the back of a drawer come the New Year. What’s more, if you’re looking for something suitably beaded and bejewelled to offer as a Christmas gift, these are ideal.






Designer Jianhui of Aventure has created some pieces that will not only add some glitz and glam to your party frock, but they’re also the sort of things you can wear to jazz up a casual outfit like jeans and a vest top. If you’re looking to buy some bling, but are also mindful of the recession, they’re very reasonably priced too. This versatile multi-strand charm necklace with stars and hearts (right) can also be worn as a belt (left) – so you’re immediately getting double the value for your money.






If you’re looking for a gift that will be treasured, we’ve a selection of stylish mother of pearl cameo and crystal bracelets and necklaces, each a mini-work of art that is a lovely keepsake.





Cameos also make rather a romantic gift with their beautiful carved images. In Italian, the word ‘cameo’ means ‘to engrave’ and is thought to have come from the ancient Hebrew/Arabic word ‘kamea’, meaning charm or amulet. According to folklore, cameos have a mystic ability to attract health and good fortune.



By the way, if you want to enjoy some fabulously flickering lights, as well as a sparkling array of Christmas goodies, festive food, drink and entertainment, why not visit ShopCurious on 7th December at Belgravia Christmas Sunday? We’ll be located in Motcomb Street, London SW1 between 11.00 am and 4.00 pm.

Will you?