While I know that many of you may have already seen them, I do know that these stunning shots will have me entranced for many years to come, so I thought it more than appropriate to share them. They were shot by Mario Testino and styled by Grace Coddington. Please enjoy!

Here is one of my favourite covers of all time - the April 1965 issue Harper’s Bazaar, featuring Jean Shrimpton and shot by Richard Avedon.

I do hope you like it too.

I must admit, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw this article in, you guessed it, the latest Amercian Vogue. (Yes, it’s fair to say that I have more than received my money’s worth out of this edition!)

Don’t get me wrong, you have to dress to type, but as my type entails elegant, understated and simple clothing, you can understand my sense of joy.

I am ready to buy some new summer clothes. I have given up on winter. It’s just too far gone. I shall have to wait until next season to sort out that aspect of my wardrobe – but summer clothing is going to be my friend this year! I promise.

Last year my summer wardrobe was a disaster of gigantic proportions. There was nothing I liked and I’m afraid to say, nothing liked me back either. (I still have the tags on some clothes that I bought in a frenzied pre-christmas purchase. Not good. I should, especially at my age, know better.)

I refuse to have such a disaster this year. I shall be ready at the start of spring to begin my summer shopping. If all of the fashion magazines are to be believed (and I am a believer!) elegant, simple and understated fashion does in fact await!

I think I will even be as bold and organised as to write a list of ‘what I already have’ and therefore a ‘what I need’ list in order to not keep buying the same thing over and over again. (That said I’m a firm believer that you can never have too many LBDs.) I will consult my stylist friends. I will have a list. I will conquer. And I promise to only buy things true to type………

No doubt a mood board will further help my endeavors. The clothes from the June 2008 edition of American Vogue photo shoot, titled ’San Francisco Chronicles’, featuring Pierce Brosnan and Daria Werbowy, styled by Grace Coddington and shot by Mario Testino are, I believe an excellent place to start.

‘To Sir, with Love’, the iconic song from the film with the same name, as sung by Lulu to Sidney Poitier has always given me goose bumps. The words are both masterful and poignant.

Although, one of the best thing about this song is that it never dates. While in it’s original context it was written about a school girl and her gratitude to her teacher, the truth is that we never stop learning and or having people in our lives that help us to grow and develop. As such, this song may be just as meaningful to someone who is of a mature age as to someone fresh out of school. And for that, the song writers Don Black and Mark London should be immensely proud.

To Sir, with Love

Those schoolgirl days, of telling tales and biting nails are gone,

But in my mind,

I know they will still live on and on,

But how do you thank someone, who has taken you from crayons to perfume?

It isn’t easy, but I’ll try,

If you wanted the sky I would write across the sky in letters,

That would soar a thousand feet high,

To Sir, with Love

The time has come,

For closing books and long last looks must end,

And as I leave,

I know that I am leaving my best friend,

A friend who taught me right from wrong,

And weak from strong,

That’s a lot to learn,

What, what can I give you in return?

If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start,

But I, would rather you let me give my heart,

To Sir, with Love

I was getting my daily fill of my favourite blogs the other day, when I came across the most gorgeous photograph of the most elegant looking Parisian lady, looking summery, yet sophisticated in shorts and a shirt.

Habitually Chic had reblogged this from The Sartorialist – however the copy that The Sartorialist wrote about this was so spot on – that I wanted to share it with you:

What a great way to look this summer: so simple and yet so refined.

I love that her shorts aren’t too short and that her top isn’t too tight. Nothing screams in this look and yet the presentation is very strong.

This is a great example of elegance successfully achieved through understatement and flawless execution.

I think that describes the essence of how I would always like to dress!!

Of course, I in turn emailed this link to one of my best friends (who could give the best fashion stylists a run for their money) so that she could help me organise this as one of ‘my looks’ for summer. I had to laugh when she advised me that she had already seen this shot and had put it away in her ‘summer inspiration’ folder!!! I think it’s going to be a good summer ……………!