We are on week 2 of our US adventure, currently in Cape Cod, which is very quaint. All the houses are lovely and beaches are made of brochure-esque golden sand. Unfortunately, it’s still VERY expensive and the weather has been reminiscent of Cornwall, a few good days interspersed with drizzle and a lot of wind. Not exactly what I had in mind when I booked my holiday of dreams. There is also these horrible flies that will suck your blood. I have no idea what they are but I HATE them.
Other wildlife I was unaware of are sharks. I know Jaws was filmed around here, but I thought it was just a film. Turns out this is where Great White Sharks come in the summer. In fact there has been one at the beach we went to. It ate half a seal! They revel in the sharks here though. The local cinema is currently having a shark week and the other day we took the kids to see Jaws. I don’t know what it says about me or them, but I was terrified of that film when I was younger. It didn’t faze them one bit! It is still a great film.
My favourite place around here so far is Province Town. It’s like a seaside version of Old Compton Street crossed with St Ives. Lots of finely-groomed middle-aged men who clearly work out a lot, mixed with everyday tourists wearing half-zip fleeces and Skechers. They have some great little shops, including a fantastic vintage store run by the rudest, campest man ever. I loved him. He told a customer to ‘Put that dress back where you found it, it’s far too heavy for you… unless you are totally trying to change your look’. He also instructed another lady to ‘Lift that dress up off the floor, it’s vintage, you bitch’. I got off scot-free though, he sold me a pair of shorts with palm trees on without passing comment. I was a little bit disappointed, half of me wants to go back to get abused.
Boston was a great city. We went to see Coldplay at the New England Patriots Stadium, which is not actually even in Boston, it’s an hour away. Thank the lord of Uber… Had a very tricky situation with the airline-style security, who suggested that I ABANDON my Gucci Disco bag because it was 1cm over their regulation bag size. I nearly cried. Clearly some did as told, as there was a garbage bin of discarded Michael Kors handbags at each entry point and further inside, women wandering about with replacement clear plastic bags of make-up, phones and money. It’s a long story but it ended well. I still have my bag and we got to see the gig, which was excellent as usual.
Boston is modern, yet very old and historic by US standards. We saw where the Declaration of Independence was first read out in Boston, according to the nearest tour guide in traditional costume; we just stood far enough away not to have to pay them, but close enough to hear what they were saying. A top tip. Great shopping too. We did a T‑Shirt sweep of Old Navy and cleaned out the Vans Store. Two places that are still marginally cheaper than the UK. All this leads me on to this week’s theme. A casual vibe, because it’s so not dressy in these parts. I’ve been sticking to T‑Shirts, my one pair of jeans (they told me it would be HOT here godammit!) and my beloved Vans.
Now, they don’t sell these ones on the UK site just yet, but they do have a Customisation service where you can design your own, which is excellent. Here’s how I will be styling my Vans, T‑Shirts and Jeans…
Let’s start with the all time classic Slip On Checkerboard style. These have been my saviour when pounding the tourist sites of Boston…
1. Top Shop Colorado T Shirt
2. Mango Leather Biker Jacket
3. Boden Lyon Cross Body Bag
4. Vans Classic Slip On Shoes
5. The Outnet J Brand Jeans
Next up the new flatform style Vans. Great for anyone who needs an extra lift in their life. Surely that’s all of us. Am I right?
1. Bella Freud Love For You T Shirt
2. The Outnet Mira Mikati Sweatshirt
3. Top Shop Remy Trophy Cross Body Bag
4. Vans Flatform Old Skool Trainers
5. Mango Straight Leg Jeans
The Classic High Top Vans with a twist. These ones are exclusive to Madewell, my new favourite shop…
1. Hush Onyx Leather Biker Jacket
2. Top Shop Slogan T Shirt
3. Madewell X Vans Hi-Top Sneakers
4. The Outnet Alexander Wang Bucket Bag
5. Hush Boyfriend Jeans
Finally the Classic Checkerboard Old Skool, these ones are also by Madewell, but check in at the Vans site for more. Also The Outnet now sells Coach bags, I am in love with this backpack. It might just be my winter bag buy.
1. Mango Printed Cotton T Shirt
2. The Outnet Coach Billie Backpack
3. & Other Stories Embroidered Sweatshirt
4. Madewell x Vans Old Skool Checkerboard
5. The Outnet Rag & Bone Cropped Boyfriend Jeans
Next up, we head back to New York to stay in Brooklyn for 4 days. Our AirBnB cancelled yesterday. Apparently they can do that FFS. Luckily I have found another close by, so fingers crossed it works out OK. More on that next time around.
K x
