After 13 years of storing my wedding dress, gathering dust in four separate lofts before being flung on the end of my current temporary clothes rail, I decided to let it go.
I still have a strong affection for it and wouldn’t change anything about my wedding day look (even the hairband, which feels very un-me now, but felt right at the time).
The dress was Delphine Manivet, bought from Browns Bride (the same designer Lily Allen wore a few years previously). It was off the rack and simple, I knew I wanted to feel relaxed and like myself. The stylist told me ‘brides always think they want a certain style and usually decide on another’ but I knew this dress would be the one as soon as I saw it. I didn’t want anything I needed to be sewn into or out of. I preferred a billowy, loose silhouette and my arms covered (which is still my go-to dress style now). We added length to the hem - the original dress was more of a babydoll style - and removed the ties from the cuffs (in case I spent my day needing to tie them, or they dipped in my food). The hairband was Louis Vuitton (!), I viewed it at a Press Day and they gifted it to me as a wedding present, I see these photos as a reminder of that very specific time in my life, I was fully submersed in the fashion world which now feels like another lifetime. The hairband is still tucked away in a tub in the loft with my daughter’s newborn baby hat that says ‘Born in UCLH’.
The shoes were Miu Miu, I was granted a 30% discount and bought them on my lunchbreak with my work pal Lucy. I tried wearing them a few times post wedding but they never felt the same. Ironically, one of the reasons I went for this style of dress was because I thought I could wear it again, but when I finally tried it 11 years later, it didn’t even fit over my head.
I briefly thought about passing it onto my daughter and then remembered the look of disgust I gave when my mum once offered me her silk scarf collection (if only she’d waited till I was 40!). Even if my daughter were to marry, the chances she’d want this dress would be very slim. I looked into dozens of alternatives: repurposing it into a shape I’d wear again, dyeing it black or using the lace for a bag. I even stumbled upon Loom where you post your projects and talented designers help reconstruct your old clothes into something new and contemporary (they’re big on wedding dress repurposing):
But all felt like more options I might not love. The dress is perfect as it is now and could offer someone else the same joy it brought me. I decided donating it would be the best way to get it to its new owner and I wanted to drop it off in person rather than post. I discovered Brides Do Good on Fulham Road, an ethical social enterprise with a gorgeous showroom full of bridalwear (with charity partners helping to end child marriage). Only a handful of local charity shops would take the dress, and most don’t offer bridal, it would just be a chance encounter. This way, hopefully, someone can try it on with others in a relaxed setting (by appt only). The kind staff assured me it would go to a lovely home and on the way back, I barely thought about the dress. I even think I felt relieved that I had done something about this frock hiding in my loft for so long! I think the only reason I held into it for so long was because it cost so much and I regretted spending it on one day. But now it has left my home, I have no regrets and feel happy it can live a new life before the moths got to it. And I dropped in my Miu Miu shoes whilst there!
Why I adore the Frances blouse {in partnership with Má + Lin}
I pack a Má + Lin blouse for pretty much every trip, I grab one when it’s hot out or when I have an event and need to look smart and pulled together. In this weather they are the perfect blouse to cover shoulders from the sun whilst similtaneously touching barely any of my body. The cut is fantastic and best of all? They’re sustainably made and a female run independent brand.
I first discovered the brand after a post partum dressing slump led me to panic shop pre Japan (what do you wear in 40 degrees?) three years ago. I ended up buying this marigold ‘Frances’ blouse and have since bought more - they’re so versatile! I appreciate the collections stay small and are simply built upon slowly, they’re an investment but one I gladly made and never looked back. I have a 10% discount code for my Substack readers - use code ALEX10 for 10% off (expires 30th June 2026).
RECIPE: Nina Parker’s Loaded Sweet Potato + Spicy Peanut Drizzle (gluten free, vegan)
I always trust a Nina Parker recipe to deliver and this time she’s offering some tasty lunch ideas (Part 2 will land next month). Chris and I tested this recipe on Friday night (we fried firm tofu instead of silken), then deconstructed and served as a salad with friends for Saturday lunch and used the last of the sauce on breakfast (baked eggs and cabbage) Sunday morning!
Nina’s note: I tend to roast up two potatoes and throw them into various meals during the week, whether it’s a curry, a rice bowl or breakfast with a fried egg. You can divide the below recipe into two meals and make a rocket salad with toasted nuts and extra roast veg if you want to add more diversity to your plate. I love these because they are filling, you can add whatever veg you have in your fridge and the peanut sauce ties it all together. It’s so good!
Serves 1
Ingredients: 1 medium sweet potato 1 tbsp olive oil
100g silken tofu (I used Clearspring organic tofu), sliced into 1cm slices
100g blanched broccoli spears (boiled for 2–3 mins)
Handful coriander leaves
1 tbsp sesame seeds (I used a mix of black + white)
1/2 avocado, sliced
Peanut dressing: 1 tbsp peanut butter (I love Pip & Nut)
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2–3 tbsp cold water
Zest of 1 lime + juice of 1.5 limes
1 tbsp apple cider or rice vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1 tsp chilli oil (I used Saucy Peanut Salsa)
Prep the sweet potato. Slice the potato in half lengthways, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil + season with salt + pepper. Place onto a baking tray + into a preheated 190C oven for 40–45 mins, or until soft when pierced with a knife.
While that bakes, prep the veg + mix everything for the dressing together. Taste the dressing to check the seasoning.
To assemble, spoon a little dressing onto the cut side of the sweet potato + sprinkle over half the sesame seeds. Top with a few slices of tofu, avocado, broccoli + coriander. Sprinkle over more seeds + spoon over extra dressing.
Memories of Murder (2003), ITVx
(includes spoilers)
I try not to include spoilers in film discussions but I don’t think I can do this film justice by not. Set in South Korea during the search for a serial killer in the 80s, murdering women on rainy nights, the fact it’s based on a true story makes it all the more harrowing. Yet this is the only time I have laughed out loud at a film of this nature, such is Bong Joon Ho’s talent in creating imperfectly realistic characters who mess up, whose theories are laughable, whose pride and stubbornness repeatedly lead them down the wrong track. This film highlights police incompetence (and at times, torture), misogyny, female brutality and despair at the inexplicably awful crime with no leads, attempting to make sense of seemingly random and senseless crimes. But it never loses sight of its humanity and more importantly, the victims. I don’t believe I’ve seen a film like this, crime dramas are usually delivered in 8 hour series, stringing out each detail and red herring along the way whereas this film feels epic in its deliverance because it is all crammed into 2 hours, the twists and turns that exhaustibly end with us unknowing and unsatiated (the film was released before the murders were solved). But it does have an ending (and a perfect one at that, its famous final scene leaving the protagonist locking eyes with the audience), and one I can’t imagine ending any other way, because true events don’t always have neat endings and those stories still need to be told. It truly is a masterpiece and I have recommended it to everyone I have spoken to since. I’d say even better than Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite.
Next month’s film is The Old Oak (2023), BBC iPlayer, to be discussed on the next monthly newsletter, 24th June.
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May 13
Just when Leandra Medine Cohen declares it’s all about the cropped micro tee (no bra, obvs), I am just about there with the oversized tee (no bra, either, I can only assume for different reasons).
34 lamps and lights for all budgets
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May 15
Hi everyone - some content news! On a couple of Fridays a month, I will share extra shopping and video content as I see fit. Sometimes I feel inspired and other times I feel we’ve all seen enough affiliate links to last a lifetime. I’ll try and keep them light and brief but I am still a shopper at heart (and a pretty expert one at that) and hope these …
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