London, fashion, and random

I'm back from London and back to work.

I went to London alone as Rich went to the US to see his mom. Since I just went home, I couldn't justify another long trip. And I save my time off for Thanksgiving in November, as that is the best time to go back and my favorite holiday.

Anyhow, my trip to London was nice, if very specifically oriented towards shopping. London has great summer sales. And I have been there enough times that I don't have an overwhelming need to do the sights or museums...been there, done that. Plus Rich wasn't with me to drag me to anything cultural....

I got there Friday and for some reason was just exhausted. Dead tired. Like, jet lagged dizzy, dangerously out of balance tired. I took a nap in the hotel when I got there, got up, wandered a bit around Spitalfields, ate something (was STARVING) then went back to the room and was in bed by 8:30. Yeah, go party girl, woohoo! I liked my hotel room, it was like a posh oversized garret.

Up on Saturday, grabbed a Starbucks (a treat for someone from non-Starbucked Norway) and then headed over to the vintage markets around the Truman Brewery by Shoreditch. Found a great vintage sale, by the kilo, and got a nice dress and a really great Chanel-esque tweed jacket for 15 pounds. Then I headed over to Regent street where I found a great sale at Jaeger, and some good stuff at Cos, and some really cool pants at French Connection (thought I absolutely HATE their latest ad campaign. "This is the woman". WTF?And the dude looks like a homeless guy).

Then I ate at the new Chiplotle Grill on Charing Cross road (heaven!!!) and gorged on my favorite burrito bowl with chicken and black beans. Nom nom. Tasted like home. Just a lot more expensive.

I was back in the room by 8 and snuggled in bed, reading and luxuriating, by 9:30 after a hot bath.

Sunday I met my friend Hannah at the amazing Westfield mall at Shepherd's Bush, where I stayed from opening to close, and then I had dinner there too! That mall is huge and amazing, and the food is really good. What a mall. I didn't buy too much, as I was worried about carrying it all and my back was acting up, but what I got was good and stuff that I had been looking for anyhow. I got perfect black patent leather flats at Russell and Bromley for 60% off.

Monday morning I got up early and went walkabout the City, from Liverpool street down to St Paul's and the Millenium Bridge, then over to Holborn, and then the tube down to Marble Arch for a snoop around the lower end of Oxford Street. I've discovered that one of my favorite stores here, Noa Noa, has a branch in London in St Christopher's Place, and I can save up to 30% just by buying in London instead of here, due to exchange rates and lower tax rates. So I check that out when I can.

Then I splurged on a taxi to Paddington and the Heathrow Express to the airport, where I ate at Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food restaurant and was underwhelmed (severely) by the steak (rib eye, way too thin cut) but was really pleased with the chips, which were by far some of the best I have ever had. Still, overpriced all told.

Home by 9 last night, where I was treated to some very odd Christian interpretive dance while I waited for the tram outside Oslo S, crashed into my comfy comfy bed, and then to work this morning.

Now, some notes on fashion:

• I don't know what the British fashion establishment is thinking, but only going up to a size 40 (US 10) in many shops is just NOT on. I found some great stuff at H&M but they only go to 40 in the Trend section in the UK. Back here in Norway, they have 42 in Trend (though only ever one so you have to be the first one to get it) which fits me just fine. British women aren't exactly skinny, so why are they only offered such small sizes?
  
• WTF is up with the shops now adding all these hanging ribbons into all the clothes? The new thing is a long strip from one side of the neck to the other on sweaters and so on, to hold it on the hanger. I understand the need for shop neatness, but I can't begin to tell you how many times I got hung up in the damned ribbon and got my head or hair stuck. Plus sometimes it alters the actual hang of the item on your body. This is NOT cool. I cut those damned things out the minute I get home.
• Zara's origin/washing tags are entirely too big and scratchy and awful. It's like sandpaper in your shirt.
  
• Gap "perfect" trousers are so NOT perfect. They are crapulous. Hello Gap? We have ASSES over here!
  
• I can't figure out if my legs are too long or too short. It seems that depends upon the designer.
  
• My arms ARE too long, though, I rarely find jackets that hit just below my wrist bone.
• My waist is too small.
  
• And my boobs are too big. I don't understand why the media is full of huge tits, and then when you try on clothes, if you are bigger than a B cup, forget trying to fit into anything. Boobs not allowed. I guess that's what you get when clothes are designed by gay guys who only hang out with women who look like young boys (no offense to gay men but seriously! We have ASSES and BOOBS over here! Most women are not built like sticks!)
• I think I have lost a little weight from bike riding, actually. So yippee!