Lunch at Bistrot 51

Today I had a lunch meeting, not long ago I used to dread trying to fit a restaurant lunch into the working day.  Now the rarity (and time to think about locations, outfits and the trip to London) make it an absolute pleasure.  My lunch partner was in my old office mode of power suits, so anything too relaxed wouldn't have been right.  I wore this PU jacket from TK Maxx, only £24.99, but I'm not sure, I wasn't really hot but it sort of stuck to me all day and I was quite pleased to get it off when I got home.

 Coast skirt with a kick at the back, the pics are awful, but these skirts are a stretchy duchesse satin so they cling without getting wrinkly (I have them in a number of colours!)...

 And my new Rene Caovilla shoes, they have leather inners on the heel and the back of the shoe and are then lace trapped in plastic, they were an Ebay find in America and cost about £30 including postage rather than £600!

Every where I tried to book was full, recession, what recession?

Bistro 51 is just by Buckingham Palace...there is only one reason to go....

Their amazing 'Re-invented Fondue'.  The jug contains piping hot chocolate sauce that you poor over the chocolate ball, the ball melts and inside you find mini puddings, brownies, profiteroles and other mini puds to dip into the sauce, pure Willie Wonker magic!

What do you think of PU, shall I Ebay the jacket or wear something under it?
Do you have any memorable puds that are dinner party stealable?

Charity and Chanel

I'm doing some work with a charity and we had our first meeting a few days ago.

I had to make the right impression but wanted to look like I meant business (not just to make the best of the champagne and nibbles).

The outfit below is, as usual, wrong on so many levels. Boots (Jimmy Choo) look woefully stunted, trousers (Asprey) fit in all the wrong places and top (Coast) shows too much flesh.

 Added my pilates top, still total fail (does sportswear never really translate into normal clothes?)

 So changed into an ancient, but classic Chanel shirt, I bought it for my mother about 20 years ago, and she has passed it back to me as I am now the demographic for silk Chanel shirts (just look at my roots!)

 Added a Chanel (err Monsoon jacket) and the effect is pure school teacher c.1982.

Changed into a super fitted Coast Duchess satin skirt (I swear by these, they go with everything and the fabric is better than most designer numbers) And a slim fit Top Shop cardi with Hermes boots. It's still a little school teacher-y but better that than aging socialite.
Much more on what we are up to with the charity later.