on-board

Swimsuits: Handle with Care

You’ve spent countless hours sifting through swimsuits, made trip after trip to the dressing room, analysed every inch in the mirror from every angle but you found it – your perfect swimsuit. With all that time (and money) invested who wouldn’t want it to last? Us too. And we’ll help you keep it looking great. Naturally you should follow the swimwear care instructions, but here are more useful tips that go beyond the ones on the label:

 • Quick rinse  
Rinse your swimsuit in cold water after each wear as soon as possible, in the poolside shower or sink to help remove excess salt, chlorine and sunscreen. (Yes, you should rinse it even if you were only wearing it to soak up the sun’s rays in the back garden. More on that in the next tip.)

• Oil-free zone  
Sunscreen is a must for your skin, but not your swimsuit. If possible, avoid getting lotions and oils on your swimsuit as the chemicals can damage and even stain it. As an added tip, apply any sunscreen and let it absorb before you put it on to prevent accidental splodges and splashes.

• Forgo the spin cycle  
Even on the gentle cycle, a washing machine can still be too rough on your swimsuit, especially for any padding, elastic or embellishments. It’s best to wash it by hand, the same day, in cold water with a mild soap, lightly massaging it to work out the chemicals and dirt.

• Gently squeeze  
To remove the excess water, do not wring your swimsuit because it can damage the fibres and make it lose its shape. Hanging can also stretch it out. For the best results, lightly squeeze out the water, lay your swimsuit flat in a towel, then roll up the towel to absorb the excess water. Unroll the towel and leave it flat to dry.

• Air dry  
The heat from dryers is too harsh on swimsuit fabrics. (The same goes for the sun, which can cause it to fade.) Find a shaded area to lay your swimsuit flat out on a towel to dry; and be sure it is completely dry before putting it away.

• Take a towel
  Sitting poolside, dipping your feet in the water, sipping a lovely cocktail. Now that’s relaxing. But be sure to tuck a towel underneath you to keep the rough concrete from causing unsightly snags on your seat!

With just a few simple steps, your swimsuit (and you) will look spectacular the whole summer and many seasons to come.

Everyone loves a good book…

Here at Lands End HQ, we love nothing more than getting to grips with a good book; so much so, that some of our more avid readers have formed their own book club. We asked three of the members to tell us a bit about their favourite books… and we’d also love to hear what your top pick for bedtime reading would be. Comment below to let us know!

 

“One of my favourite books we read was ‘Diary of a Nobody’, written in 1888.  In the best book club tradition it split the group completely (leading to lots of discussion).  It was funny, sad – and gave an insight into life of the lower middle classes; their frustrations and worries, how they entertained themselves, plus a little bit of social history. Amazingly, a letter posted at 9am in London was at its destination by 4pm the same day!  I read it for book club and one of our group was so enthusiastic and positive about the book that I kept it to read again.

Another of my top ten books would be ‘Requiem for a Wren’ by Neville Shute – it was my mum’s favourite book.  She was in the Wrens during WWII so I think a lot of the story, attitudes and settings she could identify with completely. I read it about 15 years ago (as a tribute to her, as I had suddenly remembered it) and loved it.  The characters have such integrity and the story is simple, but beautiful.  Neville Shute’s best known book is probably ‘A Town Like Alice’ (also brilliant, and we read that in Book Club a couple of years ago).”   
Christine Townsend

 

 “Some of the most captivating stories I’ve read are ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, ‘The Cashmere Shawl’, ‘The Prince of Mist’ (quite scary!) and possibly my ultimate favourite which I have now read a couple of times or so is ‘The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

As I recall when we first chose this book for book club, I didn’t read it immediately. I ordered it online and a massive hardback arrived, which was far too heavy to hold! A couple of months later my sister-in-law gave my husband a paperback copy, which I then decided to read. I was so cross with myself for not persevering with the hardback copy because I fell in love with the book, the story line, the characters and the author! Why hadn't I read it before?

It really is one of the most fantastical story lines I have ever read. Who would have thought that a story about a book found by a 10 year-old boy in a secret library full of long forgotten books kept secret and safe for years and years could be so exciting and such a thrill to read! This book had everything from the mundane workings of a bookshop keeper, to thrills and suspense, plus a little romance. It really is quite an enthralling story and I would challenge anyone to say otherwise. I loved the book so much that I have read the other two books in the series with just as much gusto: 'Angel's Game' and 'The Prisoner of Heaven'.”
Maria Miller

 

 “I always have several books on the go and will read absolutely everything and anything – however I won’t lie about what I like and what I don’t when it comes to books.  If I think something is a waste of my eyesight everyone knows about it!

I read ‘Lord of the Rings’ just about every year without fail, from aged 10 or 11 until I had my family (and then I took huge delight in introducing a new generation to Frodo and Gandalf).  Currently I am ploughing through the Game of Thrones epic, but am getting very confused with what I see on TV and what I read in the book!

What I love most about the book club is the chance it gives me to read books I may not otherwise pick up.  For instance, I probably would never have chosen to read ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ and ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’, but I am so glad that I did.

My favourite book club book was ‘Shadow of the Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafon; a good weighty piece that introduced me to Zafon’s work and now I am a big fan of his. However, for something completely off my radar, ‘The Dean’s Watch’ by Elizabeth Goudge has stayed with me the most.  A very gentle, old-fashioned novel, set against a tranquil almost cloistered background, it was a huge step outside the norm for me.

Next month we are reading ‘Stoner’ by John Williams and ‘War Paint’ by Stephanie A Smith. I can’t wait to get started!”
Sarah Roads

Carried Away with Colour: Where It All Began

On a relatively chilly day in January, just when winter was really settling in, I walked into Hudson Studios on West 15th Street in New York for our spring 2014 campaign shoot. With photographer Craig McDean and stylist Alex White behind the lens and the beautiful Lilly Donaldson in front of it, our Carried away with Colour campaign shoot was quite a whirlwind day. The prop stylist was ready with everything from rose petals and butterflies to parakeets and finches. Two crews were simultaneously working on two sets — shooting Lilly on one, the props on the other. The hair stylist and make-up artist each had an assistant and the stylist had two. In addition to the photography crews, there was a completely separate video crew filming the whole thing as the day progressed. Six looks and one stunning season later, our Carried Away with Colour campaign was born.

Take a peek behind the scenes.

 

By
Raina