Weekly Wishlist... what's in my saves
I feel like this is what everyone wants to know (I'd love to see other peoples) and is where I keep most of my mental directory!
Okay it’s still proper coat weather, I’m still (sort of) in hibernation mode, and right now I’m full of a disgusting cold BUT! I am starting to feel a little spring in my step (well I was, pre cold).
I am beginning to look ahead a little and dream of some al fresco times. No lie, we have two friends who sit outside in our local pub garden ALL year round!
But even with layers on (the cutest cardi coming below) sitting outside with a coffee, in a patch of sunshine, is just glorious! Knitwear in the sun is such a special, short lived time of year, ‘sprinter’ if you will (spring / winter). Yes ‘sautumn’ is a thing in my world too. *I’ll be honest, when I said coffee I meant vino.
In this week’s wishlist:
What I would like to wear now, and later (spring), for a glorious life.
I need my nails doing.
Home colour scheme. And a discount code I’ve found on the sideboard / unit I’ve wanted for what feels like an eternity!
Roses are… coming soon.
Snippets I’ve read / seen / enjoyed this week.
Holly Golightly.
Spring shoes. Damn you Alaia.
Alexa Chung at 40.
Decoration station
Planning ahead for the year, but we really need to decorate our hallway / stairs this year (a job that never got done and suddenly it’s been 5 years). This @jessie_bush colour scheme keeps playing on my mind… but I may go dusky pink for the doors (keeping the frames and skirtings that rich burnt red). Ideas processing.
My dream sideboard
I know this isn’t a sideboard but this brand do multiple furniture items you can build into your own customised design. They are Tylko, and I’ve been thinking about one for years! They aren’t cheap, but everything is locally made to order (where they are based in Warsaw, Poland), and it is a forever furniture item. Right now they have a discount too… but I’ve managed to find you a slightly better discount code!
I follow the below Berlin based influencer, and they have a special Tylko code - NIKE44 for 44% off - ending TONIGHT though, 2nd Feb!
A glorious life ❤️
Love, love, love the shape of this dress; it’s 100% on my spring wish / want list. I don’t have to tell you it’s a classic and you’ll wear it for years (and years) to come…
… and then I saw this detail. And now I love it a little bit more.
I heart it
Cardigan cute! Feeling the love for this for February. I’ve had my eye on this brand for a little while, they hand knit (a dying art!), which does equal pricey, but I am a huge knitwear fan. Look after them and you’ll treasure forever.
Aha! I have found this -60% in sale: Michaela Buerger Cardigan - Was £510 NOW £204.
Happy hybrid
I’m sure we’ve all seen those sell out Alaia ballet flats, the crystal embellished leather pair (£890) and the fishnet pair (£650), both of which my heart desired last summer (but could not afford / they were like gold dust to get!).
But there’s now a NEW PAIR… embellished fishnet!! A combination of both bestsellers. Damn you Alaia, I love them.
Seriously, get them now if you can splurge on these. They will B the shoe of summer, and are already practically SOLD OUT, everywhere!
I’d seen the odd pair left (and I mean one size) at Selfridges and Ssense. And also here and here (less obvious sites not everyone always knows of, so I’d try here for sizes coming back too).
I’ve sourced so you don’t have to - Alaia alternatives!
Mesh flats, come in black, and five other cute colours - Jeffrey Campbell Moira Mesh Flats at Free People, £140.
I thought the black looked so good in this look from Polly Sayer.
I’ve loved these ones since last summer too - Loeffler Randall Leonie Crystal Mesh Ballet Flats at Matches, £260 (come in cream, mint and black).
AND a great fishnet Alaia dupe I’ve found here - Alias Mae Pia Mesh Ballet Flat at David Jones, was $199 now $139. This is an Australian store, so I know shipping and customs are painful for the UK, but I had to show you these (they come in cream too).
Clowning around
God I love this for now / for spring, note the collar and the cuffs! From one of my Danish friends (I used to stock this brand on Studio B).
Something I do actually need
A laptop backpack! Carrying mine in a cloth tote on my shoulder is not working out balance / comfort wise, and I’m worried I’m going to get a wonky shoulder (really). This Orla Kiely one is in sale, £53 - £63, price depending on the print (there’s 3 designs) and has an internal padded laptop sleeve.
Big thrills (frills)
Frilly big sleeves, yes please! Someone asked me this week for a smart, but statement top for a headshot; I instantly thought of this (dare I mention a modern day Bella Baxter again 😂).
Scrunch bunch
I will feature more hair accessories soon as someone had requested this from me (always happy to obligue with any requests for things you’re looking for) but I just saw this one this week and never thought to look here - Meadows Long Bow Scrunchie £35.
Roses that never wilt
Okay this one is coming soon… look out in Feb (I think around Val’s day), but I’ve linked the store, Mr Larkin, and it’s from their own collection (which is my favourite thing about this shop).
Make Monday blooming better
That top just reminded me that my new Monday ritual is going to be to buy myself flowers, not every Monday, but at least one (or twice) a month. Especially, as most Monday’s I now go past Forest London by Deptford station.
I’ve left this week’s wishlist open, since it’s a new fresh month, hello February! And it’s one that’s really made me smile. 😊
I really hope you like what I spend days sourcing, curating, editing and writing up (maybe I’m slow, or I’d say caring. I do care so much about this!). This Substack really is my work, using my buyer’s experience, and eye, to help you discover lovely special / small / lesser known things. This is Studio B.
*Paid Subscribers your February incentive(s) are coming throughout this month for you too! I’ve got three for you 😉 (since I missed January, I told you Jan is a weird month).
All from GREAT small brands, two of which are long time favourites of mine. HINT: Hearts, PJs and Slow Smiles.
And speaking of Copenhagen, with the mention of Mr Larkin just above there - for those who don’t know Mr Larkin is a Danish brand/store, with a very cool, very delicious little boutique in Copenhagen. For Copenhagen fashion week (which started this week) they’re selling £1 oysters, see cool! And last fashion week they launched a cowboy hat collab. I told you, cool (I have no other words for this).
Sorry, this Copenhagen mention reminded me of…
Holly Golightly
One of, if not THE, most iconic Copenhagen multi-brand stores. I’ve been here twice in my life and venturing inside just filled me with the uttermost glee! I cannot describe it to you, but imagine you’re in a dreamworld where you live inside a treasure chest filled full of your favourite things! A legendary universe if you will. I had that fizzy tummy / excited heart racing feeling the entire time I was in here (otherwise known as adrenaline, shoppers adrenaline 😂).
Now for the sad part, after 22 years, Holly Golightly is so very very sadly closing down, with the last date in store being the 28th February. It’s been an institution!
The founders’ decision, which as devastated as I am, I fully respect, and applaud! After almost 6 years of running Studio B, when this was my online store, I was completely (and really, quite devastatingly) burnt out last year (my tell all article on that here).
God knows what 22 years of store ownership does to you (to be fair I did run my business single handedly which was my main downfall / most stupid choice). But I feel like I want to raise a glass to them on their last day… from my home in London, you know what, I think I will!
Holly Golightly continued… I found this dress
Oh, as usual I digressed there, my main point was I had a dress I LOVE for you, which is a RIDICULOUS price in their closing down sale… was €597 NOW €60!
There is a top version too, for €52 euros (was €517). Shipping is expensive mind, they only use Fedex (pricey, over €50) and shipping is from Copenhagen. But the huge sale reductions kinda make up for it.
And you know how I happened to find this Liberty Flower Flare bargain… Vinted!
Yes I am repping Vinted once again (they need to give me shares), but I just searched for ‘Holly Golightly’ on a whim and came across the above dress (but in the colour of the shirt). You may see this is no longer available on Vinted… sorry, that may have been me.
Some other random snippets
— I actually read this interesting article about Vinted in the Guardian (online) the other day - How one woman sold her clothes – and created a billion-dollar company
— I still cannot believe Alexa Chung is 40. I read this at the time back in November but re-read this week - On Her 40th Birthday, Alexa Chung Shares 40 Pearls Of Wisdom With Vogue - My key takeaways are don’t ignore your neck, mens socks, the size chart, the perfect jeans search, the lip balm tip and FOGO.
— A Substack tip from
which I’m going to learn from. Basically, don’t get over excited and spam people 😂 . I never intend to / want to add to the email burden, but I do get over excited in the moment and sometimes share more per week than I meant to (answers on a postcard please, or a comment at the end of here shall suffice! I do think we should bring back the postcard mind. Who doesn’t love happy mail).— Okay this has sold out (in an instant!) but it’s genius marketing. I do love VB (forever a Spice Girls fan). And DB, for obvious reasons. DO watch that Beckham documentary.
— Simone Rocha for Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring 24 Couture Week. My god I cannot stop thinking about this show from last week (not that I was there… DREAM!) surely one of the most beautiful things my eyes have ever feasted upon. In order to not waffle on I’ll give you two words. Sailor. Hats.
— I desperately need my nails doing (have just peeled off the remnants from the last ones I had done, on 9th December! * I know you’re not meant to pick gel off, but at this stage it practically just lifted off).
Right, I’m off away for the weekend now, countryside here I come (to sit by a pub fire nursing this damn cold). For the first time in what feels like FORVER I am planning to put my phone down / away too… I have ‘Instagram fear’ of letting my constant stream of stories go blank, but I need to conquer it. Because it’s not real life. And it’s stupid.
Cheers to that!
Dune are launching a great dupe for Alaia mesh pumps at £80!