Don't worry about the pucker, it's only Seersucker

Watching the Great British Sewing Bee, I've just found out that seersucker comes from an old Hindustani word meaning milk and sugar, because of its distinctive texture, smooth and bumped all at once. It's a fabric that makes you long for the summer, puckered cotton, so never needing ironing, oh joy, and cool because it is of necessity loose fitting. Often white and blue, it can be checked or striped, usually in summer colours obviously. I used to have a brilliant dress in this kind, forgiving, fabric, but foolishly got rid of it when it didn't fit me- which I think it would again now, that'll teach me!
Originally popular with British colonials, especially for men's jackets, then later for uniforms as so easy to wash. However one reason it's not so popular now is that it tends to be expensive because of the slow weaving speed. Shame, I'm sure with a few more imaginative uses of colour it could make a big comeback!

S.O.S ......Save Our Shops!

              Saolré Irish knit design has just supplied one of the top 8 voted favourite shops in Ireland, Pebbles boutique in Schull, West Cork.
Also supplying the very new Jackdaw gallery in Kinvara Co. Galway.
Individually handmade Wraps, cuffs and neckpieces of knit created in the natural yarn of a blend of kid mohair and silk, inspired by seashores along the west coastline of Ireland.
INDEPENDENT RETAILERS form the backbone of Irish life – in both rural and urban communities. They are, first and foremost, enthusiasts and fans. They welcome you in, share their passions and their favourite finds with you.
These shops champion local craftspeople, food producers, artists and services and offer more than just a point of sale: they help you to the car with your briquettes and always put your favourite magazine aside (they know you’ll be in for it eventually).
Theirs is a David-vs-Goliath struggle against huge chains with more resources and more cost-effective buying platforms, yet these shops lure us in, time and again. What every customer get is enthusiasm and expertise, a desire to share knowledge and an understanding that you, the customer, is also knowledgeable. Browsers are as welcome as buyers.
Time spent in these shops is time well spent. You walk away feeling enriched by the conversation, the goods you saw and maybe bought. And you also know that you can ring them afterwards and get great after-sales service.
Our streets and communities need these individuals to keep doing what they do.

Fifty love

The Guardian Saturday supplement published an article by Jess Cartner-Morley last week, her choice of the 50 'best dressed over 50'. Now part of me wants to take issue about the whole idea of it being a challenge to even think of such a list, or that over fifty year olds are forced to rely on snappy dressing to make any sort of impact. Also, the list  was heavily weighted in women's favour, 34 in all, so I'd like to consider a bit of parity here; if it's important to flash style in your fifties, then blokes should too.  I also smarted on reading her introductory explanation about how 'when youth and beauty are taken out of the equation' there is suddenly a level field. So I'd start by saying that at least some of her choices are beautiful, and that beauty is possible after fifty, especially when it comes from inner qualities of calmness and experience. So, the 'nominees' I would agree on would be (her number one) Helen Mirren, Tilda Swinton, Judi Dench (whose name now is a by word for great in urban slang), Joanna Lumley, Kirsty Walk, Kristen Scott Thomas, Charlotte Rampling, Chrissie Hynde, Catherine Deneuve, Julianne Moore, Aung San Suu Kyi and yes, Mary Berry. But what happened to Meryl Streep, Susan Sarendon, Michelle Pfeiffer,  Nigella Lawson, Christine Lagarde, the glorious Maya Angelou who was eighty-five today (4th April) to name a few. And even Jo Brand is looking trendy and restyled nowadays. While we're on comediennes, what about Ruby Wax?
As for the male suggestions I agree with Jess on, the short list would be Willem Dafoe, Bryan Ferry, Paul Weller (the mod's mod!),Bill Nighy, Christopher Lee and Barack Obama. So a few I'd add to swell the ranks would be  Christopher Walken, especially as he can dance so well in a suit, David Bowie, Danny Boyle, who has been everywhere lately looking dapper to promote his new film, Jonathan Ross, yes the old bright jackets included, Tom Cruise and Ralph Fiennes both just scraping in at 50, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Palmer, whose name is surely synonymous with suits, Robert Redford, Michael Douglas, Patrick Stewart, Roger Moore, Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson,  Michael Caine, Lenny Henry when not wearing a red nose, Jon Snow, and Jools Holland.

Not quite 50, a few vacancies for later ideas!!

One million faces

   The above photo is from PORTRAIT SALON, a collection of portraits that have been entered for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize at London's Portrait Gallery, the ones that didn't quite make it, or as they describe it a ' form of Salon des Refusés - an exhibition of works rejected from a juried art show - which has a long tradition as a fringe way of showcasing artists’ work that may otherwise go unseen.' A collection was highlighted in the Sunday Independent, and a larger sample was projected in venues in London, Brighton, Cardiff and Leeds last November. They can still be viewed at portraitsalon.tumblr.com. Since 99 per cent of entries don't make it to the Portrait Gallery, many by professional photographers, it's obvious there's going to be a lot to interest and impress among these, an amazing record of people in the 21st century.

Of course the other excellent way to view modern portraiture is to take a look at the many 'Humans of' Sites on Facebook, though the best is still the original Humans of New York by Brandon, who even covered a recent trip to Iran on the site, a very interesting project http://bit.ly/UGUtMx  .
But now he's back in New York, and he has an eclectic mix though his favourites seem to be lovers of all generations, children, and the most colourful residents. What's so impressive about Brandon is his ability to relate to his subjects in a very sympathetic but simple way, with his posts made more intriguing by short explanations or stories.