Happiness is..

Coming home from holiday to a new, half price in the sale,  Chinti and Parker jumper...

www.chintiandparker.com

Chinti & Parker

You know that feeling when you come across an item of clothing in a shop and it's just made for you? It has your name all over it. It doesn't matter how much it costs, how it was made, you have to have it.

I was trying to have a nice, leisurely shop this weekend in the Bluebird but the Cub, as always, was having none of it. Every time I came remotely close to picking something up, he would push something over or threaten to wipe his sticky little hands on the most spanking white item he could find. I was about to give up and then I saw it. The most divine, perfect, cashmere stripy jumper ever seen on the planet. I don't think a more perfect, more me jumper could have even been dreamt about. Within about four milli seconds I was wearing it and admiring it in front of the mirror -this of which was now being licked by the Cub. In stroll Chaz and my brother Ned who don't even bat an eyelid at the gorgeous-ness of the jumper. Apparently, it looks like 'the other identical ten' I already own. At that moment, Cub started throwing thousand pound scarves on the floor and so I had to escort him out of the shop, empty handed I might add.

Since then I've been doing a spot of investigating. The stripy vision is from a gorgeous little company called Chinti & Parker. Based in London, two cousins have set up the company which creates gorgeous, luxury basics. Think perfect t.shirts, vests and jumpers. Everything is very simple, no crazy logos or prints. Just perfect shapes and lovely little details. Lots of elbow patches, pockets - a bit of coloured stitching on a button type thing.

Obviously, all in the name of research, a rather gorgeous stripy sailor top I won on ebay has just popped through my door and is heavenly. You can see Alexa modelling it nicely for me below.

Cashmere jumpers. Elbow patches and buttons

Alexa Chung wearing my new ebay t.shirt

www.chintiandparker.com

Patch phase

Im not really sure why but I have a real thing for elbow patches. Last week my laptop exploded so I booked an appointment with an Apple 'Genius' on Regent Street thinking they'd send me home all mended. They didn't; Thanks to a techincal fault I have now lost everything - all my photos, my writing, my contacts. Everything. If one more person so much as whispers the word 'back-up'...

I know worse things happen but I left the store completely shell shocked -as if i'd been hit by a bus - and somehow ended up being unconsiously drawn accross the road into Liberty. I floated around for a while, not really able to concentrate and then suddenly, a moment of clarity. Infront of me was the most gorgeous purpley marl, wool APC jumper with chocolate brown, suede elbow patches. Just looking at it made me feel instantly better. Within about three and a half minutes I had tried on, bought and left the shop with swanky new jumper in tow. And for about an hour felt much better.

A.P.C elbow patch jumper in ceil.

www.liberty.co.uk