No fashion left behind

I must have been in complete denial when I was packing to come here for a year. After all, this is my sixteenth consecutive summer here in this house, on this farm in England. It's not like I don't know that 90% of the time it's chilly, damp and muddy here, meaning I really never change out of a long sleeve t-shirt, jeans, wellies or riding boots, and either a raincoat or a military jacket of some sort, sometimes with a sweater underneath. Yes, that is summer attire here. And I packed well for it.

But I also packed way too many fashion clothes from New York that it is now so clear I will never wear. My husband and I made a deal that we were each allowed two suitcases on the plane. And I stuck to that. But I also secretly shipped two Fed Ex boxes here, all full of clothes. I knew before I even sent them that I would have no use for them here, but I compulsively went ahead. My teal calfskin Chanel 2.55 bag, my braided Derek Lam stilettos, my immaculate Balenciaga safari jacket, my pristine Proenza Schouler linen dress, among many others, all made the journey with me. Even if I did get the chance to wear these things here, they would likely not make it through the muddy gravel path outside our house or past the car journey in our dusty Land Rover without getting filthy.

In addition to not having ample chance to wear these coveted clothes, I also have no where to put them. Despite our cottage having 5 bedrooms, there is exactly one actual closet in the entire house. Yes, you heard it right, ONE. And it is smaller than the closet in my first New York City walk up apartment. Instead we have antique wardrobes in each room with broken handles and minuscule hanging room. For now I have resorted to buying loads of plastic underbed storage boxes, but I'm thinking of transforming the smallest bedroom into a closet/dressing room with just a day bed.

Now that all my clothes and accessories have found a place, even if temporarily, I am glad I brought them. I know I likely won't wear most of them, but they are a part of me. They remind me of who I am - as a whole person - as opposed to just the side of me that wanted to live on a farm for a year. So even if I don't have many fancy parties or serious meetings to wear them too, they have a place in my life nonetheless.

Here are some of the clothes I do actually wear (or at least hope to) on the farm:
My favorite oversized Celine shirt successfully made the transition from city to country. Its great with jeans tucked into riding boots.

I live in this Rag and Bone jacket - mostly to go riding but also to make myself look a little more put together to go for dinner at the pub.

I bought this J Crew dress just before I left New York. I haven't worn it on the farm yet (although I know I will if we ever get any actual summer weather), but I am planning to wear it a lot when I go to Spain next week.

Other than boots, these are the only shoes I keep out to wear on a regular basis. Not that I actually wear any of them in this weather -  I just like to hope I will.

This is really the only dress I need in England. It's Thakoon from a few years ago. I wore it to an English country wedding this Spring with a shaggy fur over it (pictured above), and I wore it this past Saturday to the Cornbury Park music festival with wellies and an old Chanel leather jacket.

T-shirts are the bread and butter of my wardrobe here, which finally justifies all the expensive Proenza Schouler t-shirts I have bought over the years. I also love striped ones by Chance - they are the perfect cut and fit, they are really soft, and the colors are spot on. I especially love the white one with brown stripes. The bandana T is from J Crew - my daughter and I both liked it so much that we each got one in a different color and we share. And the Rodarte was a gift from Kate and Laura when I hosted my first Barneys event in LA. I love those girls - they are true originals - and I like to channel their spirit by wearing this shirt.

Believe it or not, these are the boots I have always wanted. They are my mom's (from the 80's believe it or not) and I have coveted them since the minute she got them. Late this spring, my mom was moving house and she asked me to come over to help her edit her closet. At the end she handed me the boots and said she thought'd they be great for me in England. They sure are. Now I just need to get my hands on her brown ostrich bamboo-handled Gucci bag from the late 60's....

I've had this Proenza PS 1 bag for about a year and a half. I thought I might get sick of it because of the color blocking, but since the colors are so neutral and the shape is so classic, I still love it as much as I always have. I brought about 6 other bags with me, but in reality this goes perfectly with everything I have here.

I ♥ Your American Style: Ricky Lauren

As you know, I always have a style icon lurking in my head.  Whether real or fictional, alive or dead, man or woman, having someone to inspire me always makes getting dressed more fun. Lately I've been obsessing over women with classic American style, particularly from the 70's. The simplicity of casual sportswear with a bit of grooviness like oversized sunglasses, flared jeans or muted colors make American style look sexier than it has in other decades. My latest discovery in this vein is Ricky Lauren. I have seen some of these pictures before, but never have they spoken to me so clearly.

The ladies of Chanel

Whenever a Chanel show happens, I am equally excited to see the careful selected attendees as I am to see the new clothes that go down the runway. The team at Chanel are as brilliant in soliciting loyalty from the chicest women on earth as they are in finding the very latest talent and style icons to introduce to us all. I remember the very first time I noticed Clemence Poesy, Lilly Allen and Anna Muglalis - they were sitting in the front row of a Chanel show. And it's always thrilling when Ines de la Fressange makes an appearance, loyally mixing her Chanel clothes with her Vivier accessories (while she was a long time Chanel muse, she is now Vivier's brand ambassador). Speaking of brand ambassadors - Chanel's own Caroline Sieber, Vanessa Traina, Jen Brill, Poppy Delevigne and Vanessa Paradis all perfectly represent the brand in their own personalized way. And then there is Alexa Chung, who manages her signature sexy/cute look especially well in Chanel. Finally, there is usually a surprise wild card guest - someone of major fame and major style, who is not a regular but gives enough heart stopping adreline to get international attention. This past show it was Tilda Swinton, and yes, my heart did stop at the site of her. But it's not just the amazing women who make me excited to look at the pictures - it's the beautiful clothes in front of the stunning sets in poignant and often unexpected locations. I imagine Coco Chanel would expect nothing less.

Safe and Sound

We made it to England all in one piece! The last 24 hours in New York were never-ending. You know that feeling when every bone in your body is telling you to stop what you are doing and lie down to get some sleep, and you aren't even close to being finished? That's how it was. We packed, made lists, copied keys, labeled the dog crate and cleaned out closets right until the very last minute. I think we got everything done. I haven't had any horrible realizations of things forgotten yet.

The biggest stress about the journey was our dog Ginger. She is our wonderful and beloved rescue dog who has a very fragile disposition. Given her Scooby Doo-like reactions to thunderstorms (spread eagle, lying on top of me, shaking like a leaf), I was worried that the loud noises and the uneven movements of the plane might just be too much for her. We followed the airline instructions to the letter and read every possible website with pointers and tips for dogs flying in cargo. Then to add to the stress, we called Heathrow the day before the flight to clear Ginger for customs and were told that the wait to pick her up after the flight would be 5 hours!! After begging and pleading with the airline staff to have her expedited, they casually mentioned we could have her delivered to our house for a mere 88 pounds (about $140 dollars). While we quickly jumped at that option, it only prolonged the time until we knew Ginger was ok. During the flight, every noise, jolt and awkward moment had me worried about our precious baby down below. Nevertheless, at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon, a few hours after we arrived at home, a minivan pulled up and we all ran outside with great anticipation. We opened the crate with shaky hands, and Ginger jumped right out doing her signature wiggle dance, in which her tail, which is way too long for her body, shakes so wildly that its swings her entire body side to side.

The next task was to introduce Ginger to the animals. Our house is right in the middle of the farmyard and the stables right beside us contain horses, donkeys and pigs. Given that Ginger is terrified of the two great danes that live in our NYC neighborhood, I didn't have high hopes for her reaction to much stranger and larger animals. She briefly cowered in front of the pigs, didn't seem at all phased by the donkeys and ran up dangerously close to the horses, who were being saddled up to be ridden. My daughter Coco mounted one and took off - it has long been a dream of hers that Ginger would follow her as she rides around the farm. But Ginger stayed right by my side, not budging. Give her some time, I suggested. But as Coco eased her horse into a trot as she was nearing the woods, Ginger took off after her and followed them until they all reappeared together an hour later. Ginger was wet, muddy and out of breath, but I have never seen her happier.

For more photos, follow me on Instagram (amandacbrooks) and Facebook (Amanda Cutter Brooks).

Last day in New York

This is what moving to a foreign country looks like. It is not glamorous. It is not fun. There is nothing sane about it. They say that death, divorce and moving are the three most traumatic human experiences. They are not kidding. You may think that the below pictures were taken weeks ago when the packing was just getting going. No. They were taken this morning! And yes, we are leaving tomorrow! Did I just start packing this week? NO! I have been packing for a month straight! How am I going to get this all done? I'll probably pull an all-nighter. What does one even take for an all-nighter these days? I haven't had to stay up all night since the days of no-doze....do they even sell that stuff anymore?

Ginger is the only one not pulling her hair out....

My Style: Playing dress-up in Palm Beach

Another discovery as I have been furiously packing was my little pile of photos from the epic children's parties the Azqueta family gave all through the 70's in Palm Beach. Every kid that grew up in Palm Beach during that time remembers these parties because everyone in the whole town was invited. I even found some photos on the web - Samantha Boardman posted hers on Tory Burch's blog and Nicole Robinson put hers up on Facebook. These photos are so coveted because they hold the happiest of childhood memories and because, I think, no one can believe these parties actually happened. They were OVER THE TOP! The entire house and huge backyard was lavishly decorated according to the theme, whether it was a birthday party, an Easter party or a 4th of July party, and the whole outside was filled with carousels, ferris wheels, trampolines, county castles, pony rides, and face painters. As a kid you just couldn't imagine a better party. And now as I look back as an adult I also remember the joy of dressing up for these occasions, as every party the Azqueta's hosted required a costume. I can't help but wonder if this is the genesis of my using clothes to play a role and rise to an occasion. Regardless, the moms' chic, casual 70's sportswear is equally inspiring. Who doesn't love the 70's?

Yes, that's me on the right. I think my face pretty much says it all. And my sister is wearing my mother's lace christening dress. I was so jealous.

l love this picture of my mom (holding my hand) - it says everything I love about 70's style - casual clothes with big hair and big sunglasses.

The Robinson family showing up at the Native American themed party.

Here I am as a pirate. (I love the woman's outfit on the left)


The entrance to the pirate party.

Samantha and Serena Boardman with their mother Pauline, looking chic as can be.

Me, in a moment of reflection, or rather posing. 

I ♥ Your Style: Hope Atherton

With 6 days to go until we move to England, I have been consumed by packing. But going through ten years of, well, stuff, in my apartment has produced some long forgotten treasures like these pictures of artist Hope Atherton and her loft that were taken for I Love Your Style many years ago now. The portrait of Hope made it into the book, but I'm looking at the photos of her favorite clothes hung out for me to see on my visit, and I can't believe I didn't find a way to fit in. I especially love the piece of worn green leather that she credits with "inspiring her whole style." Oh well, such is publishing - editing, editing, editing. Anyway, I love the completeness and originality of her boho-meets-goth-meets-Miss Havisham style and how it manifests itself in every nook and cranny of her life and her art. She's the real deal.

Snapshot: 90's Tom Ford for Gucci

I love seeing how iconic designer clothes integrate themselves into everyday life. I'm not talking about party pictures or photo shoots - I'm talking real life. How they get worn at home or on vacation, how they get mixed together with things you already own or adapted to work in your particular lifestyle. The below photo I took of my friend Lulu Anderson in the south of France in the late 90's. She was fashion editor at the London Telegraph at the time and was so delighted to get her hands on this Tom Ford for Gucci dress from his famous hippie collection. Even more delightful was when designer Jasper Conran and his boyfriend showed up for lunch in matching short shorts from the same collection. Do you remember what year it was? Was it '98?