bucolic.

{Dress - Sabo Skirt; sunglasses - Karen Walker; shoes - Jeffrey Campbell}

Photos by the exquisite Love Yaz. 

Whilst I have always been one to revel in an agenda overflowing with meetings with distinguished people, creative projects, and beautiful ideas for the future, there are absolutely times when one must escape the frenetic pace of it all and return to a simpler existence with nothing more than a camera and a pretty white frock to frolic the meadows in... 

Hope you are all having a lovely week thus far {and that it has been more lucid then mine!}. 

Much love, Mandy. xx

Lighthouse.

{Capelet dress - c/o Style Keepers; clutch - c/o Hello Parry; shoes - YSL tribute pumps}

Photos by my love Love Yaz

...And because the weeks have been tumultuous and filled with an overflowing inbox of unattended emails, lingering work hours, and general loose ends, have only just had a spare moment to catch my breath and reunite with my childhood love Yazzi of whom has just returned from her European sojourn (do drop by her tumblr for her exquisite shots)...

...And my, didn't we have a lovely time frolicking about to the dappled haze of sunset at Cleveland Point - the place where so many childhood memories are stored and by sheer default of the heart will forever feel like home...

Hoping you are all having a scintillating week!

Much love, Mandy. xx

new york : {the frocks & other frivolities guide}.

New York - a city of glittering lights and lofty dreams - is not a destination, but an experience. All the most pellucid images and words in the world cannot prepare you for its vivacity, heady pace, and dynamic spirit that beguiles you far beyond your departure. 

Indeed, New York is a cornucopia of sartorial perfection, gustatory delights, and exquisite culture ... but if these weren't reason enough to visit this grand city, this is the place to escape to when one needs perfect clarity to be instilled upon their dreams. 

This is the frocks & other frivolities' guide to NYC, which is inevitably an escapade into the big apple's whimsical world of food, fashion (and other frivolities!) ... but I cannot reiterate enough, lovely readers, that ultimately the greatest adventure in NYC is creating your own...

{P.S. What to bring : a camera, an ample suitcase, and a heart open to new possibilities...}

FASHION // {where to shop}

New York City may as well be a synonym for fashion nirvana; the density of sartorial loveliness is immense enough to flutter even the most stoic of hearts. 

Soho : traipse around the vicinity of Broome/Spring/Wooster/Broadway St and one will stumble upon every bona fide designer desirable as well as quaint boutique gems 

Madison Avenue, Manhattan :  purveyor of luxury high-end designers (Celine, Chloe, Proenza Schouler, Valentino...) that necessitates the obligatory accompaniment of Laduree macarons {also be certain to pop into my favourite shoe store, Schutz}

A Second Chance designer resale boutique : two lovely locations in the Upper East Side and Soho, this is the secret to the luxe polished aesthetic of New York women

Nolita district : Mott St, Elizabeth St ... wonderful for impossibly chic little boutiques

FOOD // {where to eat}

Even the most gastronomically ambitious would find it impossible to find the time or stomach space to accommodate the food mecca that is NYC.

Cafe Gitane : 270 Lafayette St {for delightful orange blossom waffles whilst brushing against the fashion elite}

The Butcher's Daughter : 19 Kenmare St {light organic cuisine}

Gemma : 335 Bowery St, beneath the Bowery Hotel {here, you will understand that the paradox of understated opulence actually exists}

The Mercer Kitchen : 99 Prince St {for languid breakfasts of buttermilk pancakes laced in warmed blueberries and French toast drizzled in caramelised peaches}

Momofuku Milk Bar : several delightful locations {the cereal soft serve is an imperative as are the crack cookies to bring home}

Laduree : 864 Madison Ave {cannot possibly compare to the original in Paris, but revel in a few macarons in nearby Central Park and it is still a transcendent experience}

Balthazar : 80 Spring St {for utterly sumptuous traditional bistro fare in a lusciously dimlit setting, I have such fond memories of the evening I spent dining here}
Dean & DeLuca : multiple locations {for gorgeous gourmet picnics}

FUN // {where to go & other frivolities}

Make a friend and explore the myriad of possibilities in this enchanting city...

The Metropolitan Museum : 1000 5th Ave

The Frick Collection : 1E 70th St

MoMA : 11W 53rd St

Statue of Liberty : Liberty Island {an American icon that will always hold a special place in my heart}

Central Park : 14E 60th St {an utterly whimsical vision in the spring with the magnolias and cherry blossoms on the cusp of blooming} 

Broadway : 729 7th Ave

US Open Tennis Championships : Flushing Meadows {have always been an avid tennis player and would buy a ticket in a heart beat if I were there currently}

...And with that, most importantly, cherish the memories you make in this scintillating city and expect to return with bags laden with treasures and hearts full with stories {if, of course, it hasn't already irrevocably fallen in love and beckoned to stay forever}... <3  

{This post was dedicated to my utterly delightful friend, Shannon, who mentored me throughout my high school years with grace and ease - hope your NYC sojourn was magical!}

Much love, Mandy. xx

lusting : gold gilded gucci.

{Gucci appliquéd leather sandals : net-a-porter}

...And because my Saturday was spent tending to my patients at the hospital, my Sunday was subsequently spent languidly in gentle sunshine and crisp new bed sheets whilst daydreaming of these golden gilded confections that are only too perfect for the incipient summer...

Wishing you all a dazzling week ahead!

Much love, Mandy. xx

chic eats : peggy porschen cakes, london.

{Images taken on my iPhone, edited with VSCO}

Nestled in  the sunniest corner in London lies a cupcake parlour by Peggy Porschen painted in the prettiest hue of pink, where beyond glistening glass cabinets are (quite literally) your sweetest dreams awaiting with tufts of soft champagne buttercream and berries upon airy sponge cake of vanilla chiffon,  choc chip, or red velvet...

Much love, Mandy. xx

Peggy Porschen Parlour

116 Ebury Street
Belgravia
London
SW1W 9QQ
Tel 020 7730 1316

Olive grove.

{Jacket & skirt - Les Petites... ; bag - Botkier; shoes - Valentino}

Photos by my lovely friend Suzie Q during our rendezvous in London (do drop by her blog and send her my love!). <3

This week, the days seem to have tumbled along at such a rapid velocity that I have barely had time to attend to blog matters ... but there has been lovely life decisions, holiday dreaming, and exquisite banana cake involved so there will be plenty to share incipiently! 

On a more sartorial note, I have been utterly smitten with all shades of olive of late and this skirt suit that I found in the quaint cobblestone depths of Le Marais in Paris have been the most utilitarian items in my wardrobe with their perfect Parisian tailoring and their versatile hue. And since I am never one for half-hearted pursuits, I expect this (surprisingly) flattering hue will be permeating the rest of my closet soon...

Hope your week ahead is absolutely dazzling! 

Much love, Mandy. xx

Interview with the white apartment.

{Read the full article here} 

Am so utterly delighted to be featured on the splendid online magazine The White Apartment, which I tend to frequent for its lovely content that is both cerebral and stylish. 

If you would like to know a little more about me, read my interview with the gorgeous Alisha here!  

Have a scintillating weekend, everyone!

Much love, Mandy. xx

wardrobe inspiration : european summer, part 2.

{one //  two //  three}

...And because the weekend was rather too ephemeral, and the mind is not quite ready for Monday just yet, can't help dreaming about long lackadaisical summer days in a dreamy sundress, preferably in crochet...

{And also, apologies for the unexplained absence! Priorities have shifted a little of late, but I hope to resume to normality soon!}

Hope your weekend was lovely and that your week ahead is even lovelier! 

Much love, Mandy. xx

how to wear white : 10 lessons.

{Lesson #1 : invest in the perfect white shirt. One can never go wrong with this classic item - choose one from the silken confections by Equipment and they will last you a lifetime.}

{Lesson #2 : a top-to-toe whitewash can be as much of a statement as a crimson dress if executed properly. Adhere to one hue and add gold and beige accents to keep the aesthetic polished.}

{Lesson #3 : play with architecture. When wearing a white-on-white outfit, attention to detail is imperative - I love geometric details and asymmetry.}

{Lesson #4 : brevity is the soul of wit. Sartorial simplicity is the soul of chic.}

{Lesson #5 : be a canvas. These shorts and top have been worn relentlessly but I have created a plethora of different outfits through scrupulous accessorising.} 

{Lesson #6 : glamorous casual outfits are the paradoxical summation of the whimsical plus the inanely versatile. This skirt is such a key statement piece that is so easily translated to daily usage with a more casual white cardigan.}

{Lesson #7 : add colour. Bold, vivacious pops are incredibly fun and can be calibrated to your mood.}

{Lesson #8 : appreciate texture. Lace, frills, ruffled hems ... white is a blank canvas, so you can work these details simultaneously!} 

{Lesson #9 : an outfit isn't the mere summation of clothes. Wearing white means you can instil more creativity into your make-up routine and add some effervescence with a bright lip colour.}

{Lesson #10 : the LWD is the new LBD. Slip it on in summer for a crisp look or find a knitted version for the colder seasons and you'll embrace a new sophistication that is fresher and more youthful than black.}


If you have been following my blog for some time (you lovely thing!), you may have noticed how utterly ubiquitous this part of the colour spectrum is in my wardrobe.

I hope these lessons help you achieve sartorial en-whitenment (yes, tragic allusion to the Reflex ad haha).

Have a splendid weekend everyone and I would love to know what your favourite wardrobe hue is!

Much love, Mandy. xx

settling.

{Jacket - Cameo; top - Three of Something; skirt - Keepsake; all c/o lalabazaar.com, clutch - MNO.logie}

Photos by the exquisite Love Yaz.

Finally, finally, after weeks of a peripatetic existence, I'm somewhat settling again back home rather like leaves on the autumn ground - calm, restless at times, often too eager to drift with the breeze...

...And whilst it is lovely to welcome the familiarity of routine and structure back into life, I can't help but feel that I left my heart somewhere across the sea and that old friend wanderlust beckons and I find myself, yet again, grateful that I have a beautiful dream career that distracts me from its perpetual allure...

Much love, Mandy. xx

{P.S. Don't forget to follow us on bloglovin' if you haven't already!}