Manolo the Columnist: Tula from La Canadienne
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo
I’m off to study abroad in fabulous London for five months beginning this January. My travel books tell me to expect rain, rain, rain, but my beloved Pucci wellies neither fit into my suitcase nor the London fashion scene. Do you have any suggestions for some fab footwear that will get me from my flat to class (then maybe off to Soho for some shopping) and through all of the puddles in between? I’m looking for something under $200…after all, a girl needs a little extra cash for shopping in Paris!
Anna
Manolo says, London? What better place to shop for the new pair of Wellingtons, than in the place where they were invented!Of the course, given the rapidity with which the American dollar has weakened over the past few months, by the time the Manolo’s friend arrives at Heathrow, two hundred dollars will be just enough to purchase the lamentably English meal of baked beans and strange sausages, with perhaps enough left over for the side dish of Marmite.
As for the matter of stylishness, the Manolo thinks few things are as stylish as the Pucci wellingtons, however, if they must stay behind, then the Manolo suggests the weatherproof Tula from La Canadienne to keep you warm, dry, and well-shod as you trudge through the slushy streets of mid-winter London.
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Comments
Sarade 16 years ago
Five months in London sounds very wet and cold. It’s tough to look stylish when you’re wearing thick layers and chunky boots!
La BellaDonna 16 years ago
Hola to the Sarade! La BellaDonna wishes to point out that there are the many stylish, warm, and waterproof offerings from La Canadienne – not only the Tula, but the Tahra and the Taylor, two of La BellaDonna’s favorites – both stylish, neither chunky, and insulated to be warm without bulk. La BellaDonna also recommends the silk thermals, which add warmth, again without bulk. These are available in the flesh colour (the colour of no one’s flesh!), the ever-useful black, and the many other colours these days (La BellaDonna is very fond of her leopard thermals, in particular). The silk thermals can also, usefully, double as the non-bulky sleepwear. The layers, they do not need to be thick in order to be warm! La BellaDonna has a number of dresses which are on the shortish side for La BellaDonna’s taste; they are perhaps knee-length, and La BellaDonna prefers a longer skirt. HOWEVER: the dresses, they make a FABULOUS underlayer! They are the blouse-and-matching-half-slip/petticoat, they are an excellent layer under the wrap skirt or wrap dress which may unwrap at unpredictable moments. Carefully chosen layers do not need to be the bulky OR the unattractive, especially if the Anna experiences the odd moments of central heating, and must divest herself of a layer or two. Vests are another way to add warmth AND style under jackets or coats; there are fleece garments which do not HAVE to look as if one is about to climb the mountain. La BellaDonna has the dress for knocking around the house, made out of the black polar fleece: it is scoopnecked, it has the long sleeves with the slight fullness at the top, the fitted princess lines, and the full, sweeping skirt. It is cozy, it is warm, it can be slept in, and it can go out into public looking none the worse for that.
There are the ways to stay warm without sacrificing one’s personal style!
Pam Walter 16 years ago
Marmite! What a riot you are; the beans and sausages are right on though.