Winter is here and cosy season is well and truly underway. This is the Citizen Femme team’s list of things to do this November.
Including places to eat and stay, plus things to buy, watch and try – this is the ultimate inspiration to see you into the new month.
Sheena Bhattessa, Founder
VISIT David Hockney’s Drawing From Life at the National Portrait Gallery which opens this week, exploring six decades of his life through the intimate portraits of five sitters. READ My book of the month is Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, a novel that really takes you through every emotion. Pegged as a story about love but not a romance, it’s about a friendship and the impact our friends have on our lives. BUY Your 2024 diary, mine is always a Smythson. My favourite is the Soho Weekly, an embossed leather with slide closures, gilt-edging and pale blue paper with a week-to-view layout. An elegant addition to your stationery collection. WEAR This very wearable velvet blazer from ME+EM. It has slick tailoring with pointed lapels that I love to throw on with jeans for daytime meetings, and it works equally well with trousers for classic eveningwear. GIFT I’m getting and gifting the Birley Bakery’s chocolate advent calendar (some of the best chocolate in town) in advance of December’s advent calendar countdown, it includes peanut, pistachio, coconut, hazelnut and almond, coated in dark, milk and white chocolate.
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Gemma Louise Deeks, Contributing Fashion Editor
STAY As a former ballerina, I’m excited to be going back to my roots and visiting Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort for the Baa Atol Ballet Retreat hosted by a Royal Ballet trained dancer. DRINK I’ve been trying MUD/WTR’s Rise Cocoa, a natural coffee alternative that’s mushroom-based and full of healthy, body-boosting ingredients such as cocoa and functional mushrooms such as lion’s mane and reishi. It’s my new morning pick-me-up. TRY AMEŌN’s Glow Manifesto Ice Cubes for instant radiance boosting and hydrated skin, developed by breast cancer survivor Alina Mehrle, who wanted a product that could revive her post-chemo skin. BUY California-based brand SLVRLAKE’s coveted London Jeans, they’re the perfect straight-leg, high-rise denim – there’s a reason they’re a sell-out. VISIT Greek jewellery brand YSSO’s pop-up store in Notting Hill for hand-crafted, modern pieces perfect for gifting (and for yourself).
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Katie Silcox, Managing Editor
STAY At The Chelsea Townhouse, a new hotel within three connected red-brick townhouses. Close to Sloane Square, I’m looking forward to rediscovering Pavilion Road which has been recently transformed into a hub for boutique stores, restaurants, delicatessens and coffee roasters. BUY I am in need of a new laptop. I’m a big Apple afficionado so will be looking at new MacBook Pros. Along with my phone, it’s the piece of tech I use the most, so is well worth the investment. VISIT A fireworks display. It’s been a few years since I’ve stood in a cold November field watching fireworks, so I’ll be wrapping up warm! TRY Any of these beautiful advent calendars in time for December. EAT At Kanishka’s new weekend brunch, kicking off on 4 November. Led by Atul Kochhar, the brunch will serve pan-Indian dishes. Perhaps my visit is best timed for Diwali, which falls on 12 November this year.
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Becki Murray, Beauty Editor
STAY At Raffles London so I can be first-in-line (and have 24-hour access) to the hotel’s new four-floor Guerlain spa. Home to an impressively large pool and indulgent spa treatments, it’s been specifically designed to counteract the stresses of central London-life. DRINK Classic cocktails at The Hideaway, Sloane Place’s newly-reopened speakeasy, for a night of jazz, blue and live performances. TRY My hand at traditional boardgames (alongside champagne cocktails) in Gatsby’s Room at The Beaumount. The bar has launched a Games Night, running the first Tuesday of every month and it appeals to my competitive side. BUY A top-up of my favourite skincare-makeup hybrid: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream. It always gets me compliments for its natural-looking, glow-boosting finish, which is perfect for re-energising winter-worn skin. WATCH The Little Big Things at Soho Place Theatre. The musical tells the inspiring true story of Henry Fraser, a mouth-painting artist who was paralysed from the shoulders down in a freak accident at the age of 17. Make sure you have tissues at the ready.
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Alexandra Carello, PR Director
EAT It’s truffle season and The Goring has partnered with Villa La Massa (sister property to Villa d’Este on Lake Como) to host a series of indulgent truffle dinners. WEAR This Ezra shirt from The Label Edition is my current go-to. Super smart for work but also great for evenings when paired with tailored trousers. STAY At The Newt in Somerset. I took my girls for a staycation over half term and had the most fabulous time. I loved how nature was the star of the show: it felt like a real break despite running after two children. LOVE My favourite earrings from Le Touquet but this time in black for the festive season. Adore! TRY I finally gave up trying to go to the gym and got a subscription to Bryony Deery Pilates. Great for mini at-home work outs that you can do multiple times a week.
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Morag Turner, Citizen Enfants Editor
STAY My husband and I are off to the Cotswolds for a night sans enfants to stay at the newly opened Bell at Charlbury. It looks like the picture-perfect chic country pub with rooms. EAT I’m hosting a dinner at Langan’s in Mayfair later this month. This is such a glamorous, classic London restaurant and the private dining room is a gorgeous space. WEAR A good leather skirt is a wardrobe staple and I’ll be wearing my new black one from Cefinn to lots of events this November, along with black suede boots and chunky cashmere. WATCH I’m so excited to see Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James in Lyonesse at the Harold Pinter Theatre. TRY The fragrance range from Tory Burch is divine. Her Sublime Rose is my new go-to scent.
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Bibiana Obahor, Head of Graphic Design
EAT I’ll be celebrating my birthday this month at Sumosan Twiga, London’s Italian and Japanese dining haven, complemented by a club experience. PLAN Even as winter unfolds, planning for sunnier times is well underway. Hanifa’s Flora Sheer Maxi Dress has captured my attention and secured a spot on my holiday wishlist for the coming year. WATCH Priscilla, a highly-anticipated movie that is finally being released on 3 November. Directed by Sofia Coppola, the biographical drama explores the life of Priscilla Beaulieu and her famed relationship with Elvis Presley. It promises an intimate lens into their much-publicised relationship. BUY The countdown to Christmas has officially started, and this chic shoulder bag from Totême is my winter must-have. Perfect for the festive season and beyond. SEE I’ll be aboard City Cruises’ two-hour Thames journey on 4 November, offering live music and a prime view of Battersea Park’s fireworks.
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Grace Robson, Partnerships Director
STAY The Beckford Arms, just outside of Salisbury, for a wholesome cosy weekend away. The big open fireplace and country walks make for the perfect city escape. READ Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese. It’s a rich family story that takes you on a long journey from India to Ethiopia to the US, covering everything from war to forbidden love along the way. BUY The True Grace Library No.35 candle. It’s the perfect smell for these colder, darker evenings when all you want to do is curl up under a blanket. TRY Strengthen Protein Formula for Nails. After endless months of shellac, my nails couldn’t need this more. It works wonders in building the strength back in just a few days. EAT I’m loving cooking from Sophie Godwin’s new cookbook Sundays. It’s full of flavour and recipes that can be devoured on any day of the week (despite its title!).
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Ella Mansell, Editorial Assistant
BUY If the SS24 runways proved one thing it was that high-waisted tailored trousers are a mainstay through winter and spring. You can always count on Serena Bute London to release the chicest trousers of the season and this autumn is no exception. The eponymous brand’s satin evening trousers are set to become my new wardrobe staple. READ I picked up a signed copy of Bring No Clothes by Charlie Porter last week after devouring his first book What Artists Wear, in 2021. VISIT Porter’s book release accompanies the fashion exhibition of the same name, taking place at Charleston House in Sussex, that I am longing to attend. DRINK Casa Brugal, a pop-up from the Dominican rum brand, Brugal, has just launched close to my house (20-29 October); inside the restaurant A Portuguese Love Affair. Profits from this vinyl cafe and cocktail bar went to London’s community kitchen, FoodCycle. TRY I’ll treat myself to a fresh manicure for the season, perhaps it’s time to hop on the latte trend…
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