Christmas in Tier 4 London

 

The white cliffs of Dover

Boris desperately wanted his Brexit, and now, before he's even managed to negotiate the final terms, we find ourselves literally cut off from Europe and the world.

Panic is the mood of the day in London with long lines at supermarkets even after half my neighbourhood cleared out on Sunday evening just after the Tier 4 announcement.

The escapees will be merrily spreading their mutant London Covid in the rest of the country, and soon we'll all be toast.

So what do we do?  In my case I dream of fashion and drink.  Or rather I drink and dream of fashion, and very often of California too.

Somewhere between Santa Barbara and San Francisco in July 2016.

One of the outfits I wore on this Californian trip.

The pool at the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica, 2016.

But just as I enviously imagine friends in the Golden State dipping their toes in azure blue pools, I remember the wildfires this year - and have to accept there aren't many places where one could feel safe in 2020.

In the meantime, let's think of home Christmas outfits just for the hell of it.

Not likely we'll be wearing anything like this Miu Miu or the dress below while sitting on our sofa.

So fashionwise, how can you still feel life is fun and christmassy in Tier 4?

1) A cheap and cheerful printed dress.

The same H&M dress I wore in the last post, HERE

This time with THE best festive indoor shoes from Malone Souliers, HERE

It's wrong to buy cheap fast fashion and throw it out after a few wears.  However, if you buy it because you truly loved it, and if you can imagine wearing it for a long time to come, I think it's okay.  H&M employs a great number of people, and they too have to feed, clothe and educate their kids.

If you know you are buying it just for one Friday night, then you probably shouldn't. That said, here are some pretty dresses I think you could wear for years to come:

Zara dress, find it HERE

Red and pink floral dress by Mango, HERE

Petite dress by New Look on Asos, HERE

2) Pretty flat shoes with some sparkle and shine.

Once you have a festive yet sofa comfortable dress, all you need is some flats with a bit of glam.  These are super pretty:

Giuseppe Zanotti slingback flats, HERE.

Satin flats by Aquazzura, HERE.

Or here are the new Rockstuds with giant studs that I am frankly way too obsessed with for a person living in a Tier 4 lockdown during a worldwide pandemic, HERE.  Divine, I want these so bad. (ly)

I hope you are all well.  If you can, please stay inside as much as you can.  Remember how we managed to control the virus after the March lockdown - it will be worth it in the end.

After all, staying inside is not just meant to keep yourself safe, but more importantly it helps our hero nurses and doctors of the NHS, who put their lives on the line for all of us every single day.

They too have to feed, clothe and educate their children, so let's make sure they are still here after this horrid pandemic is gone.

Much love,

xxx Dianne

I don't need a fancy Christmas, I'd happily settle for a normal pre-virus Tuesday afternoon

 

Normality.  Going for a drink with a friend at the corner pub.  Hugging an older family member.  Sitting maskless in my screen printing class.  Roaming around the Victoria and Albert museum whenever the mood strikes me.

I'm daydreaming.

Everyone in London is angry about Christmas in Tier 3 after today's announcement.  I know it sucks, I want to see my family too, but we still have hundreds of deaths a day in England, and it'll be quite a while before we're all vaccinated.

We must not become numb to the tragedy of all this suffering.

I've been keeping myself entertained with some inspiring Instagram accounts - I highly recommend @raphaelmetivet, who takes beautiful photos of Paris, @the.particulars, a Malibu mum who focuses on accessories that transform outfits, and @cakeatelieramsterdam, a baker who posts incredibly romantic and colourful flower bouquets.

@cakeatelieramsterdam

@raphaelmetivet

Melissa from @the.particulars

I've also spent time getting annoyed at all the beauty influencers on YouTube who make hundreds of videos on how to disguise or fix hooded eyes with make-up.

Many of these urgent instructions pop up as thumbnails marked with red crosses. Don't do this! Your hoods will be hideous!!!  What a bunch of malarky, to use President Joe's favourite word.

Hooded eyes are beautiful and sexy, and do your make-up however you please. Don't listen to all the whiny warnings of these self-proclaimed experts.

Eva Green, incredibly chic Bond girl with stunning eyes.

Oh yes, and let's not forget Princess Di's beautiful eyes either.

Or my own child who probably has inherited both mine and my husband's hooded eyes.

My daughter has had to isolate after a Covid outbreak at her school. We've had fun dressing up and doing amateur photo shoots - in this case inspired by Harry Styles's Vogue editorial with lots of layers, velvet and pearls.

Our new London Tier 3 rules mean we won't be able to go to restaurants at Christmas. This after I literally just committed the kind of impulse buy where you get struck right in the heart by a pair of sparkling shoes, immediately visualising walking into Dukes for cocktails, your coat hanging nonchalantly off your shoulders...

Miu Miu shoes, HERE

Alas, no Dukes for us this year. But you know what? America is going to have its first female Vice President and that makes me so happy I could cry. I want my girl to grow up in a world where that is entirely normal.

After four years of agony about the orange monster, I'm finally starting to relax, slowly recognising the America I used to love so much.

I'm leaving you, hooded eyes and all, in an H&M dress and some very old Isabel Marant Dicker boots (copying Melissa from @the.particulars who recently dug them out again too)

All dressed up and hanging in my kids' bathroom. 

H&M floral dress, HERE

Isabel Marant Dicker boots, HERE

I hope you are well and staying safe. Please don't be an ass and break the rules. When the hospitals get overwhelmed with Covid, it also affects people who need medical care for other serious illnesses.

Thank you for reading,

lots of love,

xx Dianne