Some Like It Hot

"I wish I could play her for the rest of my life" Michelle on Marilyn

This post was originally going to be about part two of my Autumn wardrobe but as I write this, it's currently 28 degrees in London and frankly, it's thrown me into a bit of a tizz. I was mentally prepared for nesting, wearing knitwear and tights and crunching through mounds of brightly coloured leaves in my Hunters...instead, I'm back in Summer.  Grooming has been shifted to top of the priority list and sundresses have been shaken out of storage.  My Autumn wardrobe post will have to wait.

However, there is nothing like a bit of style inspiration for a Friday and I was blown away seeing these pictures of Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. It's been said that you can be divided into two camps of style, those fans of the gamine, beautiful Audrey or the megawatt smile and curves of Marilyn. I disagree, I love them both..two of my favourite films of all time are Some Like it Hot and Funny Face. I've day dreamed about being both, it depends on my mood and they are both captivating in their own way.

You can imagine my excitement when I heard about this film..Directed by Simon Curtis My Week With Marilyn is based on Colin Clark's diaries which depict the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl which starred Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. The cast includes such stellar names as Kenneth Branagh as Olivier and Eddie Redmayne as Clark himself.

With Dougray Scott as Arthur Miller

It is Colin’s brief encounter with Monroe as her confidant, protector, and almost lover that gives My Week with Marilyn its tender heart. Dougray Scott stars as Monroe’s aloof husband, Arthur Miller; Dominic Cooper as her anxious business partner Milton Greene; and Zoë Wanamaker as her Svengali-like acting coach Paula Strasberg; there are also  stylish cameos by Simon Russell Beale, Sir Derek Jacobi, and, as Dame Sybil Thorndike, the great British treasure which is Dame Judi...or 'The Dench' as I recently heard Tom Wilkinson refer to her as.

All photographs by Annie Leibovitz and the full Vogue interview with Michelle Williams by Adam Green, here.  I'm off to sizzle and have a glass of champagne in honour of Marilyn/ Michelle, any excuse! It is Friday after all.

Bookworm

Sometimes you read about something that just makes you happy..and as it's Friday I thought I must share it with you.  I wasn't going to update until next week with part 2 of my Autumn purchases blog but along with clothes (and food!), books are the one of the things that make me happiest.  The Guardian is launching its six-week autumn books season with a book swap by distributing 15,000 titles in various public locations around the country this weekend.  What a super idea!!

Thousands of books were gathered from publishers and authors and will be left where readers are likely to chance upon them, from stations and coffee shops to galleries and museums. Participants are asked to insert a bookplate sticker into the front of their book, write a message for the finder, then leave the book somewhere it will be picked up.

And not a million miles away in concept, World Book Night have finally released their top 10 titles. Did your choice make the cut? The Life of Pi made it into the top 100 (a book I've been reading to read for aaaages) as well as Neil Gaiman's Coraline and some absolute classics like The Great Gatsby, Cold Comfort Farm and Great Expectations to name but a few.

Get involved! Also do let me know some of your favourite books..a handful of mine are listed in the right hand column.  Have a lovely weekend!X

UPDATE: Here is the map for the bookswap so you can find them!

All illustrations by the fabulous Quentin Blake..my favourite illustrator.

I heart Autumn - Part 1

My heart sings at the prospect of it getting cooler, the beautiful leaves, crisp mornings and excuse to stay in eating mashed potato and watching period dramas. In reality I know that getting up in the dark and leaving work in the dark, lots of rain and the inevitable snowball of busy-ness before Christmas will grate but for now, all I can think about it clothes, woolly tights and snug boots.

Here are my Autumn purchases so far...As an avid collector of French Sole pumps in every colour and pattern, flats were not high on the priority list for me. I already have leopard, black patent quilted, cream quilt with a black toe blah blah blah. Also..when the weather gets really bad, wear my navy blue Hunters and carry flats in my bag to work.  When I saw these though, I couldn't resist..

Standard black in velvet with pom-poms...what's not to love?

This next purchase I am THRILLED over. Regular readers of this blog might remember my post on the phenomenon of the Isabel Marant boot.  Whether you like the Dicker, the Forbes or the Bidou, the same principles in design were there. Beige suede, an almost Cuban heel, slightly slouchy and perfect with an array of outfits.  Well I found ANOTHER perfect pair. Every time I have worn them I have received so many compliments and I didn't have to sell a kidney to get them.  Thank you ASOS.

As anyone who travels on the London Underground knows..layering is key and the perfect t-shirt is hard to find. Topshop has come up trumps this season and if I could, I would bulk buy in multiples. In their Boutique range I bought an over sized black slash-neck with 3/4 length sleeves in a cotton and cashmere mix and a white low v neck.  Lastly I splashed out a crepe, navy v neck tee from Ghost.  Because of the fabric, it has worked well on more formal occasions with some dressy accessories as well as during the day.

This dress is perfect for work and maybe even the weekend too..I loved the fine wool, ever so slightly textured fabric that you can't see in the picture.  The built in Obi belt that you can pull it as tight as you like and the neckline is so elegant.  It came in red too but unsurprisingly..I bought it in black.

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect knit..if anyone has found a lovely one in navy, burgundy or grey, please let me know. In the meantime, here are my fantasy purchases....

Acne Twisted Wool sweater

Anders Alpaca waffle knit by Isabel Marant..£345!

Stella McCartney in a stunning blood orange..a snip at  £510

Beautiful navy wool, cocoon cut from Stella again..£520.

Next time..the absolute Autumn/ Winter essential..a new coat! Happy Monday all. x

Magical Autumnal shot by Tim Walker