Your Name is Mud

The phrase "your name is mud" means you are unpopular but it's clear from these photos that mudrooms are very popular.  They are also very necessary at this rainy time of year. Some of them aren't rooms as much as a space under a table or just inside the door to store your Barbour jackets, Wellies and riding boots.  And apparently guns.  I think those are found in the homes of our British friends across the pond. Just hope they take the bullets out before the prop them up against the wall! Keep dry and carry on!

Chic in Barbour

Barbour didn't invent oilcloth or waxed cotton coats but they sure did make them chic. What other company could lay claim to outfitting Steve McQueen and Queen Elizabeth?  I personally love the quilted versions and own the Ladies Flyweight Utility Jacket in dark stone.  The oil cloth coats tend to look a little boxy and unflattering on women unless you buy a belted option or add your own like Olivia Palermo. It really is the boys who look best in Barbour.  They are all over the Upper East Side this time of year and are my kryptonite but even the downtown boys look pretty cool in them too.  If you own one and live in New York, you might want to pull out because I hear it's going to rain the next few days.  Happy almost Spring!

I don't think all these styles are Barbour but they're close enough.

Photos from Barbour.  Other photos that were taken by a certain fashion blogger were taken down after his office told me that I violated his copyright on them.

Anya Hindmarch for Barbour

Even though I'm a New York City girl, I dream about spending weekends in the English countryside wearing Barbour and Wellies to shooting parties. I think I've spent too much time watching Gosford Park! But since I just heard that Anya Hindmarch is designing a capsule line of jackets for the venerable British label, I am hoping they will be chic enough to wear in the city. Or maybe I just need to find a country house upstate! The real English countryside might be a bit too rainy for me! I'll definitely keep you posted when I finally see the jackets and make my decision!

UPDATE: I just picked up the February 2010 issue of Town & Country magazine that includes a great article about Anya Hindmarch and how she started her company. Definitely check it out!

Oh, and Anya's apartment is just as chic as her bags!

Photos from VanityFair.com

Green Acres

Everyone knows that I'm a city girl but all the lovely country houses I've been seeing lately might cause me to reconsider. I could picture myself being very happy on this Hudson Valley Farm by architect Gil Schafer. Of course, that would be after I stopped at Barbour to pick up the necessary wardrobe items like Wellies and waxed cotton jackets. Then you could keep Manhattan and just give me that countryside!