You glow, girl!

You know that old analogy, something about men sweating, but women glowing? It's definitely true about some ladies. I have several female friends who don't seem to have any sweat glands at all, lucky cows. It's not very British to sweat, well, not if you're supposed to be a delicate English Rose or a bastion of society or something. Why do you think those bearskin-hatted soldiers always faint during the Trooping of the Colour? Because in the Army, they even discipline themselves not to perspire and hence overheat and keel over. I'm joking of course, only the lightweights keel over.

But me, well, I'm a sweaty mare. Not all the time! Not running so much – you've seen from my photos that I remain strangely (and some would say suspiciously) unflushed after my usual exertions. But one thing doesn't fail to cause ultra-glowing, abject terror. And last Saturday, I experienced this sensation when standing up to give a talk at Coquette, a new(ish), vintage(ish) afternoon tea and styling type of shindig in Soho.

You may remember I used to co-run and co-host an event called Tart – a vintage-themed affair that took place at Mr David Carter's 40 Winks hotel. Naomi Vintage Secret and I worked hard on that event, she doing organisation, and me doing logistics. It was lovely, but bloody stressful. We parted company late last year, and early this year David became the Creative Director of Kettner's, a glorious old, history-filled champagne bar in Soho. That rogueish King Edward VII himself used to go there and misbehave quite regularly, it's pretty much steeped in mischief and sauciness. So David decided it would be the perfect venue for a bigger and better Tart, and he started up Coquette, an afternoon of sort of vintage-ish themed frivolities – hair styling by Lipstick and Curls, makeup by Benefit, fashion, face and body treatments, palm readers, tarot, angels read by my lovely Mum, all sorts. Not as quirky and vintage as Tart, it must be said. It's a slicker sort of affair entirely. And he didn't invite Naomi and I to be involved with the running of it, but he did ask me back to do a talk on Vintage Glamour. This arrangement of simply turning up, talking and then hanging out afterwards, actually suits me pretty darned well. But oh, the nerves!

It was ironic that I was so adversely affected by my unfounded fear of giving a talk about being fabulous and ladylike, one that I've done (a version of) so many times before. But I did it anyway, and I tried to make it more dramatic, funnier and more entertaining than previous times, and the audience seemed to love it, despite the fact that they were to a woman, looking ultra glam already! If you want to hear said amazebags talk, then you'll just have to come to Coquette yourself... I'll be back again at a future event. Get in touch through 40 Winks if you do! I know I've tempted you with my vivid descriptions...

Here's what I wore...

As you can see, I definitely do glow.

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com