Weekend Diaries with Mouchette Bell
THE WEEKEND DIARIES
There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home. Dorothy Gale wasn’t wrong when she was tapping those ruby slippers together — but we’ve all been spending a lot of extra time getting to know every nook and cranny of our living spaces and have maybe lost that ‘no place like home’ feeling. Let’s try to re-spark that love for our surroundings! Having an energizing dance around the kitchen in your favorite pair of jeans, going for evening walks wrapped in your coziest knits, exploring local shops looking chicly put-together — make the most of your at-home time, just like Mouchette Bell. The model now calls Hastings, a seaside town on England’s southeast coast, home. “I was born just outside Dublin, near the sea. I was attracted to Hastings for the space, peace and fresh air.” What has she been getting up to? Just click your heels three times and see for yourself…
What do I love about Hastings...
“I love that you can really find space and decompress. The sea allows people to feel they have room and I find that people have a moment to speak to each other there.”
My style…
“I would describe my style as having many classical influences mixed in with a few different cultures. A touch of chic and ethnic mixed in with classical tailoring and heaps of jeans and jewels. Free-flowing and if I feel it works, I don’t worry about the rules.”
Favorite areas…
“I am still discovering, I love walking on the East Hill — it’s wild and leads onto Fairlight, where Alexander McQueen loved or exploring the West Hill and Hastings Castle grounds. There are magnificent views from both hills.”
“There are many great places to eat in the old town. Simple pleasures, like coffee at Storm Coffee shop, waffles at Goat Ledge along the beach, curry night at the First in Last Out pub. Then there’s pies and beer at the Albion pub, Fatima’s Kitchen for Moroccan food and The Cod Father for fish and chips — and many more yet to explore. Quite a list but lockdown has halted this temporarily.”
My hobbies...
One of my hobbies Is collecting and exploring vintage interiors and clothing. Hastings is a great place for this.
A normal weekend?
In normal times, I’d invite friends or family to stay. We’d walk on the hills or seafront, have coffee at one of the many cute places and vintage shop.
Weekend wardrobe...
In normal times, if I am eating out with friends, I might wear a beautiful blouse with my jeans or a stunning beaded or satin dress; probably vintage à la Billie Holiday.
Town or Nature...
I love both. Hastings is a mixture of the two. I can take a magnificent walk or enjoy all the charms, antiquing and browsing the old town.
To exercise…
Stretching indoors requires t-shirts and loose pants. Outdoors is more hiking boots or white sneakers, jeans and bomber jackets or a wind-protecting hooded jacket.
For walking...
Around town, maybe a jean jacket. I’ve taken to wearing wide, stretchy headbands, which I first found in Barcelona. They give a chic, pulled-together look that’s not as dramatic as a turban and easier to slip on, great when encountering the dramatic weather.
What do you do to relax...
I play a favorite piece of music and have a good dance.
Relaxing indoors...
To relax indoors, Its shoes off into moccasins, comfortable harem type pants and t shirts.
What to wear to elevate the look...
I think a classic white tux shirt is so useful and timeless. Wear with jeans or leather pants, a pearl drop earring or a golden hoop.