Anais Pin http://anaispin.com Dreaming - Writing - Smoking Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:33:28 +0000 Everybody Online... Looking Good en The Ribbon http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/10/08/the-ribbon Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/10/08/the-ribbon "You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You're chicken; you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, "Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas

]]> "You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You're chicken; you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, "Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas

]]> Blanx, Spanx & Touche Eclat: What it feels like for a girl. http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/09/24/blanx-spanx--touche-eclat-what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/09/24/blanx-spanx--touche-eclat-what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl Leg wax. Bikini wax. I have been to three big parties in three weeks. Blanx whitening toothpaste. I am exhausted, burnt out, and poverty stricken due to the purchase of one pair of All Saints military boots and a rickety tiara. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse. But now I'm done. Garnier Ultra Lift Day Cream SPF 15. At least for a while. I have the most epic dark circles under my eyes. YSL Touche Eclat. 'Anaïs, you look amazing!' ID Bare Minerals powder. What t

]]> Leg wax. Bikini wax. I have been to three big parties in three weeks. Blanx whitening toothpaste. I am exhausted, burnt out, and poverty stricken due to the purchase of one pair of All Saints military boots and a rickety tiara. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse. But now I'm done. Garnier Ultra Lift Day Cream SPF 15. At least for a while. I have the most epic dark circles under my eyes. YSL Touche Eclat. 'Anaïs, you look amazing!' ID Bare Minerals powder. What t

]]> Get Into The Groove http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/07/28/get-into-the-groove Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/07/28/get-into-the-groove It is 1980. A country club somewhere in mid Cornwall is the venue for a half remembered family wedding. The dance floor is empty; the guests sit chatting around the edge. The DJ puts on 'Upside Down' by Diana Ross. A girl of seven, tiny for her age and shy, with braces on her teeth, white knee socks and tan sandals, walks calmly onto the dance floor. And then gets down. I mean really gets down. She dances like she's in a trance, completely lost in the music and totally oblivious t

]]> It is 1980. A country club somewhere in mid Cornwall is the venue for a half remembered family wedding. The dance floor is empty; the guests sit chatting around the edge. The DJ puts on 'Upside Down' by Diana Ross. A girl of seven, tiny for her age and shy, with braces on her teeth, white knee socks and tan sandals, walks calmly onto the dance floor. And then gets down. I mean really gets down. She dances like she's in a trance, completely lost in the music and totally oblivious t

]]> Sex & The Sedarby http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/05/13/sex--the-sedarby Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/05/13/sex--the-sedarby In recent months I have got really into zebra print. It was researching the legendary 20th Century Manhattan nightclub El Morocco on East 54th Street and discovering its zebra print banquettes and interior that must have done it.

I own a very nice zebra print bikini. And I have zebra print sandals too, but they are very flat. They don't quite satisfy this girl's love of the high heel.

So how amazing that in the midst of this new fascination, I discover that Mr Blahnik has ob

]]> In recent months I have got really into zebra print. It was researching the legendary 20th Century Manhattan nightclub El Morocco on East 54th Street and discovering its zebra print banquettes and interior that must have done it.

I own a very nice zebra print bikini. And I have zebra print sandals too, but they are very flat. They don't quite satisfy this girl's love of the high heel.

So how amazing that in the midst of this new fascination, I discover that Mr Blahnik has ob

]]> FAG? - El Morocco http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/05/08/fag--el-morocco Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/05/08/fag--el-morocco Daniel turned up, with bleached hair, just before six. He stormed in with his bags of records, slung his keys on the counter and checked his phone, eyes down. Do not disturb. Anaïs didn't think she'd mention the hair, despite thinking, "What d'you do that for?" She opened a beer for him and took it over. "Fag?" She asked, hoping to squeeze a quick roll up in before the after work rush.
"In a minute. Can you make it then?" He was already one headphone on. Lost in the music, tende

]]> Daniel turned up, with bleached hair, just before six. He stormed in with his bags of records, slung his keys on the counter and checked his phone, eyes down. Do not disturb. Anaïs didn't think she'd mention the hair, despite thinking, "What d'you do that for?" She opened a beer for him and took it over. "Fag?" She asked, hoping to squeeze a quick roll up in before the after work rush.
"In a minute. Can you make it then?" He was already one headphone on. Lost in the music, tende

]]> Christine - El Morocco http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/04/18/christine-el-morocco Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/04/18/christine-el-morocco Christine was the kind of woman who had actually looked good in an Yves Saint Laurent jumpsuit.

She was only 22 when she had Daniel, 25 when she had Anaïs. They had different fathers and both had offered to make a decent woman of her. Christine was of the opinion that she already was a decent woman and it seemed entirely bizarre to her that they felt duty bound to marry her.
She would say "Both my children were conceived in love." and that was enough in her world. She was a

]]> Christine was the kind of woman who had actually looked good in an Yves Saint Laurent jumpsuit.

She was only 22 when she had Daniel, 25 when she had Anaïs. They had different fathers and both had offered to make a decent woman of her. Christine was of the opinion that she already was a decent woman and it seemed entirely bizarre to her that they felt duty bound to marry her.
She would say "Both my children were conceived in love." and that was enough in her world. She was a

]]> Men With Manners http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/04/07/men-with-manners Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/04/07/men-with-manners We've gone wrong.

I am about to set feminism back fifty years or so, but it appears to me that somewhere in our quest for so-called liberation, courtesy got chucked out with the chastity belt. I like men. Well, certain kinds of men. Men with manners. And it appears that they are rarer than hen's teeth these days.

When did it become acceptable to invite a girl out to dinner and then expect her to pay half? This happened to a good friend of mine last week. Having been on a per

]]> We've gone wrong.

I am about to set feminism back fifty years or so, but it appears to me that somewhere in our quest for so-called liberation, courtesy got chucked out with the chastity belt. I like men. Well, certain kinds of men. Men with manners. And it appears that they are rarer than hen's teeth these days.

When did it become acceptable to invite a girl out to dinner and then expect her to pay half? This happened to a good friend of mine last week. Having been on a per

]]> The Red Shoes http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/03/28/the-red-shoes Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/03/28/the-red-shoes "There is really nothing in the world that can be compared to red shoes!" Hans Christian Andersen (1845)

The Red Shoes. I always loved the ballet film with Moira Shearer and the fairytale on which it was based. It tells of a girl who put on red shoes and began to dance. At first it was fun but the shoes soon took on a will of their own and would not stop dancing. The girl was obliged to dance day and night until she was exhausted and desperate. The ending is gruesome in tr

]]> "There is really nothing in the world that can be compared to red shoes!" Hans Christian Andersen (1845)

The Red Shoes. I always loved the ballet film with Moira Shearer and the fairytale on which it was based. It tells of a girl who put on red shoes and began to dance. At first it was fun but the shoes soon took on a will of their own and would not stop dancing. The girl was obliged to dance day and night until she was exhausted and desperate. The ending is gruesome in tr

]]> The Belstaff Blues http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/03/06/the-belstaff-blues Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/03/06/the-belstaff-blues El Morocco was practically empty, save for a small gathering of lecturers from the art college nursing coffees and complaining about paperwork. Anais was busying herself filling up jars of La Peruche brown sugar. She looked over at the clock face and thought about someone she missed.

Marie marched through the door heavily in Belstaff boots. Her gait was inelegant, like a farmer. She had one of her angry rashes. When she got mad her face and neck went purple, which clashed vi

]]> El Morocco was practically empty, save for a small gathering of lecturers from the art college nursing coffees and complaining about paperwork. Anais was busying herself filling up jars of La Peruche brown sugar. She looked over at the clock face and thought about someone she missed.

Marie marched through the door heavily in Belstaff boots. Her gait was inelegant, like a farmer. She had one of her angry rashes. When she got mad her face and neck went purple, which clashed vi

]]> Dancette http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/02/26/dancette Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/02/26/dancette In my childhood I played endlessly with the ‘Dancette’. I remember that little grey record player, with its cream plastic arm that clunked and clicked its way onto Mums collection of 45s. I would always want to prance about in her high heels; she would pop her head around the door and say "Get those heels off madam, you’ll break ‘em any minute!"

A black and white snapshot. My Mother sits prettily on the Carnival Queen float, waving demurely from underneath her crown

]]> In my childhood I played endlessly with the ‘Dancette’. I remember that little grey record player, with its cream plastic arm that clunked and clicked its way onto Mums collection of 45s. I would always want to prance about in her high heels; she would pop her head around the door and say "Get those heels off madam, you’ll break ‘em any minute!"

A black and white snapshot. My Mother sits prettily on the Carnival Queen float, waving demurely from underneath her crown

]]> No No No http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/02/21/no-no-no Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/02/21/no-no-no Like all parents I find my children amusing. They are funny boys. They know all the words to Rehab (not sure if that's ideal) and adopt moose like tones to join in with Amy Winehouse on the "No No No" bit. This is especially entertaining coming from the two and a half year old. I also think them clever. The four year old already understands the concept of gravity. This is more impressive when you consider that his Mother has only just got her head around it.

However, when I go

]]> Like all parents I find my children amusing. They are funny boys. They know all the words to Rehab (not sure if that's ideal) and adopt moose like tones to join in with Amy Winehouse on the "No No No" bit. This is especially entertaining coming from the two and a half year old. I also think them clever. The four year old already understands the concept of gravity. This is more impressive when you consider that his Mother has only just got her head around it.

However, when I go

]]> Stars In Her Eyes http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/01/19/stars-in-her-eyes Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/01/19/stars-in-her-eyes I am in love. This time it's serious.

The new February Vogue plopped through my letterbox last week, pregnant with possibilities. A new season, dazzling new delights to daydream in. And a very good issue it is too, with a stunning shoot 'Light and Fantastic' mixing up gossamer and neon body con. (p138 pink neon bikini bottoms peaking out from a sheer sea foam organza skirt. Genius, as Vince Noir would say.)

But it was the Catwalk report that contained the prize. Stars, it s

]]> I am in love. This time it's serious.

The new February Vogue plopped through my letterbox last week, pregnant with possibilities. A new season, dazzling new delights to daydream in. And a very good issue it is too, with a stunning shoot 'Light and Fantastic' mixing up gossamer and neon body con. (p138 pink neon bikini bottoms peaking out from a sheer sea foam organza skirt. Genius, as Vince Noir would say.)

But it was the Catwalk report that contained the prize. Stars, it s

]]> The Black Swan http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/01/04/the-black-swan Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:49:52 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2008/01/04/the-black-swan I would love to be able to enthuse wildly about the Dior, the Balenciaga, the greatest hits of 20th Century Fashion, but Mumsie and I couldn't get in to The Golden Age of Couture at the V&A. The exhibition is nearly through and the queue for tickets alone is over 2 hours. Goddammit. Should have booked in advance. No matter, there were other delights to be found deep in the cold heart of London.

The window of Patisserie Valerie is always worth seeing. All those beautiful cakes,

]]> I would love to be able to enthuse wildly about the Dior, the Balenciaga, the greatest hits of 20th Century Fashion, but Mumsie and I couldn't get in to The Golden Age of Couture at the V&A. The exhibition is nearly through and the queue for tickets alone is over 2 hours. Goddammit. Should have booked in advance. No matter, there were other delights to be found deep in the cold heart of London.

The window of Patisserie Valerie is always worth seeing. All those beautiful cakes,

]]> In Search Of El Morocco http://anaispin.com/articles/2007/12/05/in-search-of-el-morocco Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:49:13 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2007/12/05/in-search-of-el-morocco I wanna have a little café
There would be lots and lots of sweet
Pastries, and deep deep coffee that
goes into your heart
In the future that place is gonna be a
little piece of Utopia in NYC
But for now, I just wanna float on
The Dead Sea being empty.- Unknown from some American journal in the late 1990's

There once was a girl called Anais who presided over a strange little place in the city called El Morocco. She was a girl who quite frequently thought s

]]> I wanna have a little café
There would be lots and lots of sweet
Pastries, and deep deep coffee that
goes into your heart
In the future that place is gonna be a
little piece of Utopia in NYC
But for now, I just wanna float on
The Dead Sea being empty.- Unknown from some American journal in the late 1990's

There once was a girl called Anais who presided over a strange little place in the city called El Morocco. She was a girl who quite frequently thought s

]]> "I'm not f**king Christian Dior!!" http://anaispin.com/articles/2007/11/15/im-not-fking-christian-dior Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2007/11/15/im-not-fking-christian-dior Christian Dior
You wasted your life
Sensually stroking the weave of a sleeve.
You could have run wild
On the backstreets of Lyon or Marseille
Reckless and legless and stoned
Impregnating women
Or kissing mad street boys from Napoli
Who couldn't even spell their own name
- Christian Dior by Morrissey
"I'm not fucking Christian Dior love!!!"
- Alma Really Matters

Little did Alma (one of my nearest and dearest friends) know when she made th

]]> Christian Dior
You wasted your life
Sensually stroking the weave of a sleeve.
You could have run wild
On the backstreets of Lyon or Marseille
Reckless and legless and stoned
Impregnating women
Or kissing mad street boys from Napoli
Who couldn't even spell their own name
- Christian Dior by Morrissey
"I'm not fucking Christian Dior love!!!"
- Alma Really Matters

Little did Alma (one of my nearest and dearest friends) know when she made th

]]> The mean reds V the blues in the night http://anaispin.com/articles/2007/09/19/the-mean-reds-v-the-blues-in-the-night Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:46:23 +0000 Anais Pin http://anaispin.com/articles/2007/09/19/the-mean-reds-v-the-blues-in-the-night "You know those days when you've got the mean reds?"
"Same as the blues?"
"No," she said slowly. "No, the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe its been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you are afraid of."

Breakfast at Tiffany's Truman Capote

A man is a two-face, a worrisome thing who'll
Leave you to sing the blues in the night...
- Johnny Mercer

My Da

]]> "You know those days when you've got the mean reds?"
"Same as the blues?"
"No," she said slowly. "No, the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe its been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you are afraid of."

Breakfast at Tiffany's Truman Capote

A man is a two-face, a worrisome thing who'll
Leave you to sing the blues in the night...
- Johnny Mercer

My Da

]]>