Style Trunk

A couple of weeks ago we packed our bags, jumped in the car and headed south for a surprise trip I'd organised for my boyfriend's 30th. That trip was a few days in Jervis Bay - about a two and a half hour drive from Sydney - staying at Paperbark Camp (yup, I racked up some major girlfriend points). Through various articles and seeing it pop up on Instagram, I'd been aware of Paperbark Camp for a while and this seemed like the perfect excuse to treat myself as well as him (all in the name of equality), and let's just say it exceeded all expectations.



We drove up to the camp, driving through the tree-lined entrance to the bush with an ill-timed comment from Adam: "Camp? Ha, we better not be staying in a tent" (cue nervous laughter from yours truly). We were staying in a tent, but this tent was far removed from the last one we'd stayed in - namely a sweaty, damp, bargain bin number at Glastonbury a few years ago. Paperbark Camp is a glampsite and as much as I hate the word, it's probably the best way to describe it.



Safari tents are erected on large, elevated wooden decks and inside is a big double bed, bar cart and a couple of home comforts, with the back opening out into an open-air bathroom. Each tent is set away from the other for privacy (very much needed when you're showering al fresco) and being in the bush, the only sounds you'll hear are the birds and possums running around.


Paperbark has a restaurant on site, set in a treehouse in the middle of the camp. Each morning after some of the best nights' sleep we've had in a while, we'd be greeted with a flask of hot water sitting on our deck to make coffee, before ambling over to the restaurant for a long breakfast over the papers (and more coffee). We had dinner both nights that we stayed too and the food was incredible. It's a set menu and you don't know what you're getting until that night but unless you're a really fussy eater you won't be disappointed. The food is seasonal and locally-sourced, with fresh ingredients and interesting combinations of flavours, the wine list is extensive, and you finish off with the most delicious handmade truffles.


When we weren't eating, having long outdoor baths or catching up on some reading on the deck, we were exploring Jervis Bay and the many white sand beaches. Paperbark has bikes (and kayaks) you can take out for the day but to visit the infamous Hyams Beach (officially this beach has the whitest sand in the world, although we're not entirely convinced it's whiter than Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays) and the beaches in the national park, you'll be better off jumping in the car.


Hyams is great - but popular. For more seclusion, buying entrance to the national park (about $13 which allows 48 hours access) is well worth it. It sits right on the edge of the bay and is lined with countless beaches - from small spots like Murrays Beach (sheltered, calm waters, great for swimming) to large, rugged and wild like Cave Beach. Take a picnic (although you probably won't need much after breakfast at Paperbark) and hop around the beaches - or find your favourite and do nothing but lie on the powdery soft white sand and cool off in the crystal clear sea.


We left Paperbark in high spirits - completely rested, well fed, a little bit burnt (stock up on the factor 50, folks) and contemplating leaving the city for good for life in the bush. As tech-reliant millennials we won't of course, but we'll be back to Jervis Bay and Paperbark Camp for our fix.

It was a bit strange watching the AW19 shows from afar - especially in Australia, in the middle of a heatwave, wearing the lightest, loosest pieces possible. But then, Autumn/Winter styling is probably my favourite kind - the layers, the jumpers, the coats, the boots - so I was more than happy to catch up on all the shows online and to start sparking style inspiration for next season. There was a lot going on this time around and it can sometimes be hard to cut through all of the noise - but these are my highlights from the AW19 menswear shows.

AMI


AMI is a collection I look forward to every season - especially since Alexandre Mattiussi introduced womenswear in his AW18 collection. Refreshingly, AMI has a 'menswear for women' approach - taking the French brand's signature shapes and silhouettes and sizing them down for women so we can still access those incredible loose-fitting trousers it does so well, as well as the oversized coats and well-cut cashmere that should have a place in every good wardrobe.

It's a brand that, for me, gets better each season - and judging by the comments that slid into my DMs after featuring a few looks on my Stories, it seems fans of AMI agree. For AW19, it felt like things were turned up a notch, without straying from that signature laid-back Parisian aesthetic. It was the loose tailored pieces that stood out for me this season: the low-slung trousers, the oversized shirts with slightly-too-long sleeves worn on top of a turtleneck, the big coats with dropped shoulders, and the flat patent boots that can be worn with anything and everything.

Dries Van Noten


Sharp suiting, single-breasted coats, shirts and ties...Dries Van Noten AW19 is a collection for the modern gent. '80s blazers with power shoulders were given a 21st century update with looser, unstructured fits and worn with wide leg trousers. Other trousers came loose and cropped - or slimmer and ankle-skimming and the coat game was varied and strong - jackets were belted, macs were long and simple and there was a subtle injection of quilting that complemented (rather than overwhelmed, as it so often does) the looks.

Dries Van Noten showed us bum bags are going nowhere fast either. This season they're smaller, slightly smarter and a refreshing alternative to the bulky streetwear favourite.

Jacquemus


It's no secret that Jacquemus does great womenswear: the French brand creates the kind of pieces I long to fill my summer wardrobe with. And just two seasons in, its menswear offering is gaining ground too. As with a lot of his collections, Simon Porte Jacquemus looked to his South of France upbringing to inspire his AW19 pieces - specifically rural Montpellier and the traditional French workwear of the region.

I'm a huge fan of French workwear. Boxy shapes, sturdy durable fabrics - what's not to love? Jacquemus' offering of utilitarian large overshirts, loose-fitting trousers and bulky knitwear was one that I can see genuinely working In Real Life, especially given it came in land-echoing neutral tones of rust, off-white, browns and blues.

Louis Vuitton


I don't normally pay much attention to the Louis Vuitton shows. As much as I admire the brand for the incredible commercial success its had, the style has never really been me, so I tend to overlook it on social media and any online coverage. But with Virgil Abloh at the helm and the amount of column inches his name brings with it, it was impossible to ignore this time around.

But aside from hype, this is one Louis Vuitton collection I actually stopped to look at - for the pieces themselves. The opening colour palette of light grey spoke to me (obviously) as did the layered jackets and smartly-cut suit trousers. There were a few elements that weren't for me (namely the American flag-printed pieces) but I appreciate Abloh's take on this long-standing brand (and the fact he didn't go down the streetwear route everyone thought he would).

OAMC


At OAMC, Luke Meier gave us AW19's take on grunge - and it's one I'm completely on board with. Rather than a half-hearted rehash of Kurt Cobain's wardrobe, this interpretation of grunge was a subtle one, mixing tailoring and streetwear elements to create looks that steer clear of fancy dress. There was a lot of layering, which I love: wool waist length jackets worn over longer coats and matching trousers (see Louis Vuitton above, but more relaxed); turtlenecks worn under loose shirts and quilted jackets; and, of course, the iconic t-shirt over long sleeved shirt look.

It's also a collection you can easily emulate with existing pieces in your wardrobe, playing with layers of different lengths - keeping them within the same colour palette as Meier has done here so it's more fashion, less I just raided a charity shop and am wearing everything in sight. 

Oliver Spencer


It may be because I witnessed it from afar, rather than attending it like I used to, but London Fashion Week Men's seemed a lot quieter this year. The schedule was smaller, a lot of my old favourites (Nigel Cabourn, YMC) weren't on the bill and it seemed very...subdued, especially compared to Paris, in particular.

But then Oliver Spencer came along, flying the flag for British fashion with his AW19 collection. The usual suspects were there: the velvet bomber jackets with matching trousers, the collar-less button-down jackets, the chunky roll neck jumpers. It's no bad thing - these are all pieces Spencer does exceptionally well, tweaking his collections slightly each season to prevent them from being stale or boring.


Images via Vogue.com