Food, style and brains...

Eating out isn’t just about the food. Presentation is also a significant part of the overall culinary experience. The way dishes are put together on a plate has become something of an art. Of course, it helps if the tableware is aesthetically appealing too.








Fresh ingredients, artfully arranged on a plain white plate, can look very appetizing (though excuse my foot, which crept into one of these shots).







Masters of Asian Fusion style, like Nobu, can turn a simple soup into a beautiful work of art.

Rustic plates in earthy coloured glazes (see below) add to the allure of the dishes.



















But ultimately, it’s still the taste that counts. The rather curious looking sloppy brown goo (pictured right) on my plate at the Chelsea Arts Club the other night was absolutely delicious – even though I was a little put off by the thought of eating brains…

I’ll certainly remember the first time I sampled the rather unusual dish of 'curried calves brain, cauliflower puree, rocket and capers'.





If you enjoy cooking up memories, you’ll love this curiously clever food journal from ShopCurious. By the way, whose culinary skills do you most admire?

Do you?

PS Read about the office lunch of the future in my RetroProgressive column this week.

Regal fashion and Regency style

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife," wrote Jane Austen in the opening lines of Pride and Prejudice. With the Royal Wedding almost upon us, I decided to take a look at wedding fashion. It’s rather curious that the Regency period has had such a lasting effect upon formal dress styles. This is something you can read more about in my Retropgressive post today at The Dabbler.






I also wanted to mention some vintage fashion books that are new in at ShopCurious. These include James Laver’s classic volume on Taste and Fashion and Margaret Rothwell Lane’s Half a Century of Fashion.








For royal watchers, there’s also a curiously collectable book called The Queen’s clothes, which demonstrates how much the Queen’s wardrobe has reflected her various roles as a working woman.











All the books have fabulous illustrations and photographs, documenting garment styles, accessories, shapes and colours through the ages. I always enjoy seeing how fashions used to be and how much they’ve changed over time…for better or for worse.

Do you?

Boring, blinging or black?

A wave of ‘ennui’ is said to be afflicting the population of our great metropolis. Quite mystifying, considering the number of things to do in and around London - let alone a whole world of wonders available online.

Could this be why black is back in fashion (was it ever out?) Are we bored with colour?

Anyway, a growing trend, originating from custom car workshops in the USA, is the dull black paint job.




Personally, I find the morbid matt look more sinister than stylish. I asked a few people they thought of curious car colours and opinion seemed to be divided: hairdressers loved the stealthy black finish, whilst cabbies found the look not quite to their taste. One mentioned he’d seen a matt black Bentley with fluorescent orange stripes down the sides, which he found particularly unattractive – though perhaps these were 'be seen at night' rather than 'go faster' stripes?



In any case, earlier this week, an article in the Evening Standard described the lusterless look as “the hottest trend in Hollywood”, mentioning Ferraris, Aston Martins, Rolls Royces, along with the likes of David Beckham and Lindsay Lohan. It all sounds suspiciously faddish to me – and surely another example of unnecessarily disposable style? I also think it looks totally ugly, and probably gets dirty and marks really easily. No?



To me, matt black falls into the same category as those curious chameleon colour-changing cars – usually Minis or TVRs (like the one above) that I’ve seen on the streets of London. If way-out wheels are your thing, why not get a uniquely painted vehicle for free by working for one of your local estate agents? Or, if you’ve really got money to burn, go the whole hog and opt for a brazenly blinging liquid silver, chrome, gold, or rhinestone studded finish - intriguingly rare, and certainly more eye catching..

Talking of bling, I just wanted to mention that the amazingly arty, handcrafted City Rings by talented young jewellery designer, Alina Jessipovich, at ShopCurious are now available at a whopping 70% off in our Summer sale – down from £875 to £262.50.

And, for what it’s worth (hem hem), the car I lust after is a seriously stylish retro1950s 300SL Mercedes – in boring old metallic silver, or classic red.

However, cool cars don’t have to cost the earth...










I spotted a curiously characterful old hippy bus rattling down the road the other day. On the back in large, hand painted letters were daubed the words ‘Warning: may contain nuts’. Now, I find that far from boring…

Do you?

Princesses and paperweights for Papa

If your father enjoys collecting, he’ll be very impressed with a gift that’s a genuine retro curiosity. However, the art of collecting is largely a matter of personal taste - so if you want to find something that’s both collectable and also likely to appeal, it’s best to have a good idea of the recipient’s taste, as well as knowing where to source authentic collectibles from.











ShopCurious has a few suggestions for you, if you’re looking for especially unique and unusual gifts for Fathers’ Day. Retro curiosity number one is this totally beautiful 1960s perspex paperweight – a unique piece of tourist memorabilia.





You can tell it’s from Portugal because, as they say, it’s written on the tin (or at least within the divinely syrupy amber resin). Also inside, is a stylish filigree carved Portuguse galleon – the perfect gift if your Dad loves fishing, fish and chips or anything to do with the sea.







If your pa’s good with his hands, he might prefer this Steampunk style retro curiosity, which should keep him curious for ages.











Just how did they get all those nuts, bolts, cogs and horological paraphernalia into that square of honey coloured perspex?








Your Dad will love this if he’s the sort of chap who’s a bit of a tinker, and tends to spend quite a lot of time in his garden shed…









Alternatively, if he’s the smooth, well travelled and worldly type, some suitably unique accessories like these curiously exotic vintage African Princess cufflinks might be the order of the day.

Whatever his personal taste, there’s no better way to flatter and amuse any man than with a curiously appropriate gift.

Will you?

The ever curious child in everyone?

Isn’t it amazing how nursery rhymes are immortalized as they’re passed down from generation to generation? Such is the power of children's abiding fascination for nonsensical verse, combined with a pretty melody. It’s so funny how babies like to hear the same words, or tunes, over and over again.









These curiously cute retro baby prints by artist Lilian Rowles, available at ShopCurious, remind me of the lullabies my mother used to sing to me. My favourite was ‘Go To Sleep My Baby’. I’ve looked this up on the net and it seems there are many variations of the lullaby. The words I know (using my name by way of example) are:







Go to sleep my baby -
Close your big blue eyes
Angels up above you,
Watching little Susan from the skies;

Great big moon is shining,
Stars begin to peep,
It’s time for little baby Susan
To go to sleep.










If there’s enough demand, I’ll ask my mother to sing it for you too. By the way, she soon progressed on to rather more curious rhymes, for instance:

If all the world were paper,
And all the sea were ink,
And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What would we have to drink?









And curiouser still…

My Aunt’s name is Aloysia (pronounced Al-oo-ish-a) Waterbutt,
She lives down at Burton on Trent,
Every time she goes out on her bicycle,
She always gets her handle bars bent...

That one always had me in fits of giggles.





I’m not sure if this is just a sad weakness for nostalgia, but my theory is that childlike curiosity sometimes doesn’t go away - and can develop into a lifelong taste for unusual things.

Anyway, I was wondering if you might want to share your childhood favourites too – or perhaps even some of the lullabies you’ve sung to your children…

Do you?

You've been Tesco'd...

I had no idea that much revered fashion house, Tesco, was a sponsor of London Fashion Week - did you?

One of my first memories as a young child is of a strong aversion to Tesco carrier bags. I instinctively disliked the dark blue stripes and the bland colour scheme, with its lurid red logo. By the time I was around seven years old, I was trying to persuade my mother not to shop at Tesco, as I didn’t want to be seen anywhere near ‘those’ bags…

I laugh at this now, but it’s curious how our tastes and style preferences are developed at such an early age.







I was amused by a post yesterday on worm’s curiously fascinating blog, ‘ruminant’, which lists all the things he deems to be uncool. Interestingly, most of the items listed aren’t brands, but are products and commodities – including coffee:

I suppose we’re over the whole latte thing and are now hooked on herbal teas… or is it tap water? But I was surprised there was no mention of Starbucks or McDonalds on worm’s list…does that mean they're cool?



Chain stores dominate the high street - and those specializing in fashion often provide well designed, cheap clothing and accessories – including pieces that look awfully like the ones we’ve just seen on the catwalk. These can be great, when mixed with vintage and unique things to create a totally individual look.

And, much as I dislike the way large organizations like Tesco have a ‘dumbing down’ effect on creativity and choice, it’s commendable that they’re helping to sponsor existing and/or emerging designers with the fruits of their monopoly over the market. However, it’s a shame that some smaller players will be held back, and many will go out of business as a result of the competitive advantage enjoyed by such large scale operators.



Anyway, ShopCurious would like to make a few additions to the list of things that aren’t so cool, namely:

Luxury brands
Mass produced designer label goods
Designer outlets
Shopping centres
Supermarket chic

Of course, it’s all a matter of taste and, occasionally - even in the midst of mediocrity, you’ll stumble upon something with quirky appeal, or a certain aesthetic charm. But, if you’re one of the Curious Cognoscenti, you know when you’ve been Tesco’d.

Do you?

PS worm, note the Tesco droid comes in non-human form!

Festive pillow talk

I received this card today, from friends who are sensibly going somewhere sunny for Christmas. The hastily scrawled message inside reads, “sorry we will be away this year, but have one for us xxx”

Having narrowly escaped illness all year, despite being sneezed upon by everyone around me (babies in pushchairs in Post Office queues have been the worst offenders), I was happily in the midst of a frenzied whirl of work, present hunting and festive fun…but now I feel like I’m finally about to come down with a cold. So, I’m dosed up with Vitamin C - as the prospect of looking like a red-nosed reindeer in a party dress doesn’t really appeal.

Thanks for rubbing it in guys – I’ve taken on board the curiously cool dark glasses idea… I'll probably need them more than you!





Anyway, I was briefly on the sofa, propped up with a selection of my favourite cushions, in front of the TV. In fact, I was just thinking about making a honey and lemon drink, when I started to panic about Christmas Day. It’s hardly surprising that the festive season is a time of undue stresses and strains – not just on the waistline, but the temper can get terribly frayed too. According to research by Jarlsberg cheese, statistics show that families will have their first argument at 9.58am on Christmas Day.

Apparently, the order of play on the average Christmas day goes something like this:

Get up: 7.55am
Open presents: 8.19am
Eat breakfast: 9.02am
First chocolate is eaten: 8.39am
Family argument: 9.58am
Tell off the kids at: 11.07am
Time of first alcoholic drink: 11.49am
Sit down to Christmas dinner: 3.24pm
First person falls asleep: 4.59pm
Play board game at: 5.46pm
Time for bed: 11.39pm

The survey concludes that, due to the high level of excitement and expectations, as well as so many things going on, “it's important to remember that Christmas can't always be perfect - not everything may run to plan."

As I dozed in and out of slumber on the sofa (no I wasn’t dribbling, honest), I suddenly thought that a few extra cushions might also be rather useful on Christmas day – and we've got plenty to choose from at ShopCurious.

There are so many advantages of giving and receiving cushions as Christmas gifts:




1) Cushions are great if you’re indisposed with seasonal flu, you need a little lie down after lunch, or find yourself curiously crashed out after a tad too much of the old liqueur;

2) They’re suitable for gents and ladies alike – (though it’s always a good idea to consider the recipient’s style and taste when choosing a design);

3) Parents love cushions too – especially the type that bring back memories of places you've visited together... and a cheesy message always goes down well;

4) They can make a very romantic present too;




5) Cushions are timeless gifts that can be used all year round - and they should last for many years to come, if you treat them with love and respect;


6) Best of all, they can be used for pillow fights on Christmas day.


Do let us know if your cushions come in handy over the holiday break.

Will you?

PS Oops, I forgot to mention that cushions can be fabulously decorative too - and they make a home feel really cosy....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Unusual Christmas gifts - a matter of personal taste

Ever received a totally tasteless gift for Christmas? What on earth were they thinking of when they gave you that tacky Santa loo seat cover? Were they expecting you to actually use it?

What do you do with your unwanted Christmas gifts? Do you rush down to your local charity shop as soon as Christmas is over, have you time to spend hours uploading on e-Bay, or do you keep a secret stash of untouched presents hidden away under your bed?

I found these extraordinary pink plastic flamingos, a gift from several years ago, lurking in the bottom of a cupboard. Fortunately for anyone remotely connected to me, the legs are missing, so I’m unable to pass them on… though I have to admit to ‘re-gifting’ some presents that I know I’ll never use or wear myself.


Even though I’m doing the sensible thing by recycling the stuff I don’t want to keep, handing someone else’s gift over to a friend or relative makes me feel curiously uncomfortable. Ultimately, the gift we give someone says a lot about our own taste. If a gift has been chosen by someone else, it’s their style statement we're making, not ours. Is this an overly sensitive or conceited way to look at re-gifting? After all, the recipient may in fact prefer another person’s taste to our own.


Anyway, here are a couple of gift ideas I’ve picked out from ShopCurious, which may or may not suit your personal taste. The items featured here are vintage pieces, that have been beautifully handmade from natural materials. They’re also useful too: the hand painted, lacquered musical box can be used to store all manner of things – from jewellery to personal keepsakes – and this unusually exotic, silver filigree card holder is multi-functional too. Plus, very importantly, each of these items is totally unique, so your choice of gift cannot be replicated by anyone else.







By the way, if you do happen to receive a totally tasteless gift, are you brave enough to say what you actually think?

Are you?


PS Apologies to Tony and Jan, but does anyone want a pair of legless pink plastic flamingos?

Ultimate style statement?

Where do you store your memories? Do you have a box of old photographs in your attic, or is your life uploaded for all to see on Facebook? Have you ever written a diary? Do you have a secret place where you stash away the most treasured keepsakes from your past? If not, each of these beautiful ceramic sculptures by Fabienne Auzolle, available at ShopCurious, has a hidden compartment for mementos and cherished pieces of personal history.

You've probably heard enough of my memories, but before I introduce a new theme, I’d just like to take a brief look at a huge topic with so many avenues and permutations I can feel the wires in my brain starting to fizz.



Everyone is different and we each have our own contribution to make to life on planet earth. We all like to have our individual say and to consider ourselves unique in terms of our style, clothing, personal taste and preferences. However, there are so many of us that we usually fall into certain categories in terms of our likes and dislikes. Some of us prefer rock music, others jazz, or classical; Some of us are vegetarian, whilst others are rampant carnivores, or suckers for seafood; Some of us choose to shop at chain stores, others buy only original vintage accessories, or nothing but the latest designer handbags … and so on.





The one thing that’s different about each of us, is the eclectic mix of tastes and experiences that goes towards creating our own unique set of memories. Whether you jot things down in a notebook, write your memoirs, or squirrel souvenirs away in a special hiding place, the person your memories have most significance to is you. That being said, these days there’s a trend towards sharing everything – memories included. The proof of this is in the sheer volume of celebrity autobiographies, photo-caching, video broadcasting and the like.



Could this be part of a major revolution, not just in the way we choose to express ourselves, but also in the way we wish to be remembered by future generations? Modern innovations such as ‘digital time capsules’, like Diary of Mankind, the one I set up a few years ago, are seen to be ways of preserving our thoughts, wishes and memories for posterity. But will evidence of our mass online collaboration, our creative efforts and our achievements outlast us, let alone immortalize us for centuries to come? And, if so, what about the mistakes we made, will they be there for all to see as well?

Our current fascination with family history, ancestry, antiques, old photos, curiosities and all things retro reflects our appreciation of the memories, style, taste and contributions of previous generations. As for our own legacy, well, what do you wish to be remembered for …

the children you gave life to, or brought up, the work you did for charity, the money you left behind, the cars you owned, your final blog post, the book you wrote, your favourite celebrities, your sporting achievements, the pupils you educated, the parties you went to, the best film you ever made, the people you helped, the bands you liked, your fashion sense, the extraordinary things you invented, the meals you prepared, your size 8 figure, your creativity, your charm, your uniquely eccentric approach to life, your inimitable style, the huge stone angel at your graveside?

What sort of statement will you make with your life?

Please do send your thoughts and comments.

Will you?

Colourful characters in fashion

Money can’t buy you style …

Style is about being just a little bit different - and it also has a lot to do with expressing your true personality. Don’t feel you have to conform to what anyone else is wearing (though it's probably best to follow your office dress code, especially in these market conditions).









Celebrities are often fashion victims because their clothes are invariably chosen for them by others – like personal assistants or well intentioned friends. Not everyone has Patricia Field as their stylist and hapless celebrity fashion victims are always turning up on the pages of trashy tabloid magazines with their clothes wearing them rather than the other way round.

Of course, there are also seasoned style queens, like legendary American fashion designer Mary McFadden, left, who I accidentally stumbled upon at private party in London recently. Illustrating the irrelevance of age vs. style, Ms McFadden still cuts the mustard in this floaty and folksy ethnic silk ensemble. In Mary’s case it appears perfectly effortless, but there’s much more to being a colourful character and showing true style than you might think: it helps if you have a natural flair for fashion and there's a real art to mixing colour.





The curiously colourful and very arty Yasmina (who you’ll be seeing more of later) definitely isn’t afraid to stand out from the crowd and express her preference for bold acid colours and accessories – all done in a highly creative way and resulting in a quirky, but seriously cool look.





Less colourful, but still characterful is one of the outfits I feel most comfortable in – it’s an amazing vintage Zandra Rhodes silk chiffon cactus print dress - though perhaps the vintage Dior sunglasses from ShopCurious make me look a tad Dame Edna-ish…The shoes are interesting: they’re actually Miu Miu from the mid 1990s, but d'you think their design might have been inspired by the work of a famous English cobbler?



I salute Beth Ditto, seen here at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Preview in June, for her stylish, brightly coloured clothing, even though she doesn't conform to the media image of bodily perfection. This magical mauve number, accessorized with a simple statement necklace, a crisp bobbed haircut and 1970s glam-rock inspired makeup simply oozes authentic taste and style.











Being confident with your appearance and your individual sense of style is one of the keys to looking and feeling great, whatever your gender, age or size. And having the odd imperfection can be a great advantage – after all, you don’t want to look the same as everyone else.

Do you?