I was supposed to achieve so much today.

Coastal Treasures

Step out of the City to find some fantastic Vintage Treats.

Beyond Retro and Pop are just a couple of the fantastic vintage emporiums that London has to offer to the fashion masses. However, look to the coastline to discover vintage treats and classics in the array of independent stores in Brighton, Chichester, Southampton in particular that let you discover some out-of-London treasures. After all, it is always lovely to be able to find a treat from a treat of place that the world hasn't already discovered and advertised.

Spybaby Vintage in Southampton is situated under a second-hand bookshop-coffee shop just outside of the heart of the city. Without sounding too much like a raging sycophant, it really is as lovely as it sounds. The store not only provides a great coffee but cheap antique books and clothing. This is perhaps why it is a great find as a classic edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover is as well priced as the £1 earl grey and the pristine Ossie Clarke maxis are still as affordable as they are wearable.

Without wanting to overrun this little discovery with new custom, it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the south.

"I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over." John Masefield

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"Clothes make the man. Naked people have had little or no influence on society." Mark Twain

Just a thought

Elizabeth Taylor - What A Woman

(February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011)

The news of Elizabeth Taylor's death dulled the technicolour remains of the what was left of the true Hollywood starlets. Not simply to be remembered for her talent to extract diamonds from men, marry Richard Burton and befriend Michael Jackon, she acted in some of the finest films of her era such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, with fantastic performances but were even more impressive were definitely her eyes.

'White Diamonds' her Wolrd's best-selling celebrity perfume always makes me think of my childhood stealing it from my mum's dressing table and of course my love for her as the hilarious mother in law in The Flinstones will live on, as will our memory of her.

Dyeing to give it a go

Since Fashion Week I had grown to loathe the idea of Dip Dye hair since literally ever woman and her handbag was doing it, for which we have Bleach Salon in East London to thank for. However, this image by taken by the Sartorialist the other day has really got me.

I am thankfully way past the days of thinking that my hair would look better blonde and pink, and that Sun In is a worthwhile summer investment piece, but maybe I could rock some cheeky dipping at the end of my brunette locks? With a veritable coalition government on my hair with relaxed and conservative nestled together, the look can work for office and party with the help of a good hair grip during the day.

Either way this lady looks marvellous.

Fantastic Mr Porter

Beyonce may have stipulated what we should do if we were boys, but if I were a man I would spend my days cavorting around in Tom Ford suits and reading Fantastic Man Magazine.

However, whilst I was waiting for Ford to finish trimming his perfect beard with nail scissors and finish my suits I would definitely be browsing Net a Porter's effortlessly chic new male site Mr Fantastic, sorry, Mr Porter.

Everything has been painstakingly styled, reminiscent of Ford's movie 'A Single Man' with simple elegance from the minimal layout down the delicate pewter coloured lettering in the ubiquitous Engravers font. Perhaps most importantly though, the clothes are great too.

The edit is minimal in terms of the volume of designers stocked but what it does provide is a directory of those who will make men look amazing with staples McQueen, Burberry, Jil Sander and Rick Owens featured amongst the carefully chosen few as well as insider favourites such as Limoland joining the party shortly.

Obviously Fantastic Man has been a huge influence on the site, but this is no problem for me as they are both offer men's styling advice in a way that teeters beautifully between overtly masculine and homoerotic. They both also make full use of the wonders of black and white photography to enhance the sex appeal of the range of subjects mentioned in the journal section from rugby to how to shuckle an oyster. My personal favourite is the '32 items all men should own' which denotes a list of pieces so delicious that I want to rush out and redress every man I know.