Last of the Summer sun?

When I saw the photos of Lenorenevermore’s day at the beach in the sun (with fiddly oysters), I felt compelled to revisit my own snaps from last weekend in Cornwall. Am I a masochist or what?

Obviously, I’d paid extra for a room with a sea view. And here is my prime view from a deluxe room. Of course, this is not just fog… this is Cornish fog.

Us Brits are hardy folk - we'd barely bat an eyelid in a hurricane, but once in a while, too much bad weather can get to us.



Anyway, I calmed myself by watching a local fisherman bring in his catch. He’d come back early due to the unfavourable conditions out at sea, though had still managed to pot four trays full of rather lively looking crabs. When he told me how little he’d be selling them for I nearly keeled over.












I’m probably becoming a bit crabby as I get older, but sometimes the prices at ‘quaint’ hotels and restaurants in the middle of nowhere are so astronomical it makes me very curious… If you’ve ever been to Cornwall, you might have noticed the prices creeping up over the years, in much the same fashion as a Cornish fog. So plateau de fruits de mer at £58 a pop is not uncommon.





Ever since Olga Polizzi took over the Tresanton Hotel in St Mawes, the prices of property and hotel rooms in the Roseland Peninsula have sky-rocketed. Of course, St Mawes has always been known as ‘Belgravia-on-sea’ and considered even posher than Padstein, or any other of the northern Cornish Cameroons.








But the St Mawes effect has spread its tentacles all around the coast, leaving almost no part unaffected by London level prices. Which is kind of odd - considering where Cornwall is in the UK, and the availability of crabs…and the fog.








Thankfully, there are still some havens of sense amidst the smugglers’ stew. Whether it’s moules mariniere, fish and chips, or crab and crusty bread you’re looking for, I’d suggest a visit to the Pandora at Restronguet Creek for hearty seafood fare at good old fashioned prices. And if you’re shopping for bargains, remember to check out the ShopCurious sale too, because next week it’s all change - with new stock and wonderful Winter curiosities for the coming colder months.

Typical that now our Summer holidays are over, the sun’s come out again – albeit with a marked autumnal chill in the air. Never mind, there’s always next year to look forward to.

Are you?

Designer books - a curious new fashion trend

We haven’t heard much from Mr McDowell lately – perhaps he’s away on holiday, or working on a new book. Colin McDowell’s thought provoking posts are a far cry from your average fashion blogger’s fantasy affairs, which I suppose is what comes from being one of the most knowlegeable and eloquent fashion journalists in the world.

Here’s a snippet from one of his more recent posts:



“It seemed natural after all that to set off up Fauborg Saint-Honoré and hit the shops. My two male companions were in crazed must-have-it buying mood and egged each other on to buy … anything as long as it had a scary price tag, which meant everything, in fact. Respectively they bought a denim shirt and a pair of trainers (at a cost of over €700) and a pair of trainers and drop-crotch pants (close to €1000), all of which will be totally out of fashion in a very short time. Which is what being a fashion person is all about.”

Colin, I agree. It does seem that for many of us, ‘fashion’ has become a byword for overpriced designer label goods. What’s more, the strong pull factor of branded fashion in popular culture has got everyone trying to cash in on the latest faddish trends...Is brown the new black? Is short the new long? Are books the new trainers?

Come to think of it, astonishingly expensive designer books, a sudden demand for built-in libraries, ‘bibliotherapy’, book inspired artworks and home furnishings are just a few of the curious trends spotted by ShopCurious lately. I know we can't wear books, but expect to see book print fabrics, book inspired accessories and all manner of bibliomaniacal creations on the catwalk.



Oh, and over at The Dabbler, you can find out what us retro-progressive types make of stylized new additions to the book world.

Anyway, I guess it's all good news as it means we’ll be reading more... so I hope you’re feeling suitably bookish?

Are you?

Summer gloving

Just back from Cornwall, where the weather was… well, changeable - to put it mildly. Sometimes Summer nights in the UK get so nippy that a pair of gloves wouldn’t go amiss.

In fact, I rather wish I’d taken along some of the curiously cute fingerless feather gloves from ShopCurious. Beautifully handmade in France, there are four styles to choose from – long or short, warmer jersey or lighter net. But the really unique thing about these handy accessories is the fabulous feather trim, which makes them perfect for day or night.







Back in the 1950s, young girls always wore gloves for special occasions – like going to church, or the theatre, or meeting the boyfriend’s parents. Nowadays, we only tend to see gloves at weddings, or when worn of necessity – on bitterly cold days, or by motorcyclists and mountaineers.











I’m curious to know why more people don’t wear gloves… and I’m all for a little more retro style French Summer gloving.

Are you?

Fashionably retro-progressive menswear

If you're ShopCurious, catch a piece of priceless British style over at The Dabbler, where today we visit a curiously unique bespoke London tailors' shop.

Will you?

Bustling along in curious style

This week's Curious Trends included the ever growing obsession with morbid anatomy, a museum and curiosity shop full of macabre exhibits - and a renewed interest in Victorian style bustles. ShopCurious types should definitely take a look: We think you'll be curiously fascinated.

Will 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?

Quite contrary: Curious gardens and bustles

Bustles are curiously unique fashion features. You don’t see many these days, except at weddings, or occasionally as costumes in Victorian and Edwardian period dramas, or gothic horror films. However, the other day I was driving down the North End Road in London’s Fulham, when I spotted a young woman, with a pushchair, wearing a full length skirt with a large bustle. The immediate thought that came to mind was that she must be a fashion designer, or perhaps this is a curious new trend?










Bustles have appeared on catwalks over the past couple of decades – notably from the likes of Vivienne Westwood – but unless worn for a grand occasion, or by those with a penchant for neo-Victorian Steampunk style, they’ve been seen as little more than an avant garde stylistic diversion. Recently, more mainstream, toned down versions of the bustle have been popular sellers at outlets like All Saints and online, at ASOS.



They’re probably not so great for gardening in, but I wonder if we’ll start seeing the full length, Victorian style bustle skirt walking down the high street soon...

Do you?