November Notes

Some things I liked this month

Happy Sunday!

As usual, Novemeber went by in a blink. I was fully planning to write a proper essay or two, but life (and Paris) got in the way. So instead, here are my November Notes: a small collection of things I loved this month.

Favourite exhibition:

It’s something of a joke among my colleagues just how many times I’ve gone to Paris this year. On my third trip, I’ve finally managed to catch the Paul Poiret exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs before it closes in January. It was an absolute treat! One of my favourite pieces was a ballet costume of a First Empire Hussar and I loved that I got to see both the final piece and the accompanying illustration. It was fascinating to learn about Poiret’s lifestyle brand approach, who designed not just clothes, but also perfumes and interiors. Although this has now become ubiquitous, Poiret was an absolute pioneer, creating his perfume range 10 years before Chanel’s No.5.

Special mention goes to the Rochas dress which I’ve had saved to my Pinterest for years. I genuinely gasped when I saw it in person.

Favourite purchase :

When I was 16, I got the perfect leopard print jacket in a second hand shop. I absolutely loved it and wore it all the time. After I moved to London, I made my mum ship it to me in a parcel stuffed to the brim with clothes, books and Polish snacks. At some point, probably during one of the many house moves of my early twenties, it vanished. I’m not quite sure how. I ended up getting a replacement one, but it just wasn’t the same. Like a rebound boyfriend, it couldn’t measure up to the original.

This autumn, I decided to try again to find a decent replacement. For a while, it seemed like the winner would be this & Other Stories coat, but I always like to make sure I’ve exhausted my second hand options before buying new. A bit of patience paid off when I found my new favourite, my lovely snow leopard. She’s not at all like the original, but that’s fine. I’m no longer 16 and not so eager to freeze my butt off in a cropped little jacket for the sake of style.

hunter gatherer vibes

I might still get the & Other Stories coat if it goes on sale. But for now, I’m happy with my new coat and a new rabbit hole - did you know leopard print was popular in the 18th century?? Look out for a post about that soon.

Favourite watch:

I don’t think I will ruffle any feathers by saying that One Hundred and One Dalmatians is one of, if not THE best Disney film. I don’t think I’ve seen it since I was about 5. It was quite a delight to rewatch it 20+ years later and discover it’s still as magical as when I was a child. So stylish and charming, it’s also a beautiful ode to wintery London.

Of course I’ve been singing Roger’s ‘Cruella de Vil’ song while sauntering around in my new fur coat.

Misc favourites

1. This chestnut paste alone is worth a trip to Paris. I bought two tubes, thinking I will try one and gift the other. Needless to say, both are staying with me. It’s delicious on a banana bread or just eaten straight off the spoon. I’m equally obssesed with the packaging - the little chestnut guy is so cute!!

   

   i can;t believe the french have been gatekeeping this for so long…

   2. Handcrafted Christmas ornaments. I just hosted my first Christmas crafting party and I already know it will be an annual event. Every year we buy 1 or 2 new baubles to slowly build our collection (this year’s is a George Michael one), but it’s just so fun to make some wonky ornaments with your friends.

   

   3. Another favourite from Paris is Melodies Graphiques. It’s a lovely stationery shop selling handmade notebooks, stickers, cards and more. My absolute favourite were these Cavallini & Co Vintage Puzzles. My usual puzzles of choice are £2 sets from Vinted, but maybe one of these could be a birthday treat.

   

   4. Despite talking about it relentlessly for the last month, I almost forgot to include Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein in this roundup. Currently, I’m obssesed with the Favrile glass beetle necklace worn by Mia Goth and have been on a deep dive of finding some stunning Favrile glass jewelery, with this ring taking the cake,

   

   I wrote a whole article about the fashions of Frankenstein throughout the decades, so if you want a bit more of a deep dive, have a read here:

That’s all from me for today, but let me know what were your November favourites and keep an eye out for that leopard print history deep dive!

Bea x