Parallel lines

This week a Bella Freud sweater has sent That's Not My Age into a state of sartorial reverie. Oh yes, I love a good stripe. Just see how those parallel lines perk up any outfit and add a smidgen of glamour:



Maybe it's a nautical thing, after all, I did grow up by the seaside...





Though that's not me in the striped bathing suit, and that's not my donkey.



I've always felt an affiliation for Chanel's poor boy chic, which strikes a chord with my working class sensibilities.



And talking of French style, I wouldn't mind looking like Jean Seberg in A Bout de Souffle, as for Jean-Paul Belmondo, well I wouldn't mind....



While we're on the subject of icons, the fabulously cool David Hockney is always worth a mention.



And Bridget Riley has been working wonders with horizontal lines for well over 40 years.



Then it's back to Parisienne chic and Monsieur Jean-Paul Gaultier who knows a thing or two about a man in matelot.



So, in my dreams I'll have the Bella Freud sweater, the Bridget Riley painting and this gorgeous ACNE maxi dress, just not with those shoes. No thank you.



Photos

Bella Freud stripey dog knit from Matches
Gene Tierney from Fashion in Film
Striped bathing suit: George Hoyningen-Huene
Blackpool beach: Norman Parkinson
David Hockney pic courtesy of Mr Peacock Style
Acne dress from Net-a-Porter

Bruce Weber: Hollywood Memories

Blimey, time flies by and all that... a new edition of Arena Homme + has hit the shelves and I haven't even got round to blogging about the last one! Or maybe I can just pretend I'm fashionably late. Whatever. I just wanted to say a big three cheers to Bruce Weber and his gorgeous, glamorous Hollywood Memories photographs.

Who he's met, what they did and why he loved them....



'Jimmy Scott was a singer who could give Billie Holiday a run for her money.'


Dave Brubeck; 'The first jazz record I ever bought was Dave Brubeck Quartet's 'Take Five.'



Paul Jasmin (professor of photography); ' I have to stand in a long line when I say I'm in love with Paul..his book about Los Angeles are prized possessions.'



David Hockney;' Everywhere around his house were his paintings, sketches and drawings of people from the past, present and future. I think he had a schoolboy crush on all of them.' Whilst we're on the subject of Hockney, we'd like to draw your attention to a fabulous post on Mr Peacock Style.



Helmut Newton;' He was like a dad to me...as a photographer it's always good to have a guardian angel.'



Robert Mitchum; 'Bob's history in Hollywood is one of a wild man. The guy I got to know was well read, had a good sense of humour and was loyal.'



Robert Altman; ' He was old school and hip at the same time.'