Somehow, I can still smell 4711, which we all went through a phase of wearing when I was younger. One of my friends had a Spanish student who wore 4711 and that's how it got started. We thought those summer Spanish students so beautiful with their brown skin and dark eyes; our watery eyes and pallid skin insipid beside them.
Pippa and Jean and Clare and I tried our best, but we had none of their natural sensuality. Instead, Jean and I would go climbing over rock-pools and swimming in the cove to avoid all that. We would find little shrimp and baby crabs and collect them in buckets to show Jean's Dad who cared about these things. Then we would put them all back.
We still wanted to play with tomboy abandon, to splash and bury each other in sand, to toss seaweed at our older sisters while they sun-tanned and preened. We still begged our Dads to buy us 99er ice-cream cones. But then we saw one of those Mediterranean girls swan dive from a high rock into the water and noticed all the boys look. And we shared an unspoken envy.
Products: Jillian Hat from Steven Alan | Darling Dots Dress from Madewell | J.Lingnau Arielle Studs from Catbird | Love and Summer by William Trevor | Picnic Hamper from Fortnum & Mason | San Pellegrino | Miu Miu Small leather satchel from Net-a-Porter | Sandals by Swedish Hasbeens
This is a super post. Most of my childhood was spent reading books about your British summers. E. Nesbit and Enid Blyton were my gods. One day I hope to actually live these summers.
ReplyDeleteArianne - Thanks, but I'm not from Britain - I'm from the Republic of Ireland.
ReplyDeleteThat dress is so amazing!
ReplyDeleteMy memories of 4711 are a bit different - when I was backpacking in Europe several years ago, I went to the 4711 headquarters/shop in Cologne (I knew of it because my grandmother wore it). They had a fountain in the middle of the shop that was filled with 4711, with the cologne continuously pouring out of spouts into a pool. The scent was completely overwhelming and I couldn't believe they thought this would sell their product! I left pretty quickly with an instantaneous headache.
Your story is much better.
Jane, I enjoyed reading this. Flannery O'Connor said that anyone who survived childhood (and I know you weren't quite a child, but still) has enough material to write about for life. Cheers to the stories of our pasts.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post Jane. Wonderful summer memories too, we were envious of the Scandinavian beauties when I was a young girl living in southern Spain
ReplyDeleteI have a bottle of 4711, it is such a summertime scent. The odd thing is that people notice, but can't place it: sub-Proust!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. So evocative of past summers! Funny how you admired Spanish students and how in my native Spain everybody went crazy for blond and pale beauties. Isn't world unfair?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I did wear 4711 too, for a while.
What lovely and bittersweet memories!
ReplyDeleteWe always envied the international students because they seemed so cool, exotic and self-possessed and guys always flocked to them. But I think Americans generally feel like hillbillies next to Europeans.
Beautiful post. I too was one of the brown haired, olive skinned girls who longed to be pale and blonde and blue eyed and covered in freckles. Funny.
ReplyDeleteLovely memories,and they're told just like a short story called "An Unspoken Envy".
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
-Vic
Many fond memories of 4711 and love the set.
ReplyDeleteMmmm that dress is delicious! Love this little summery collage!
ReplyDeletexo Mary Jo
Agree completely about looking back at old photographs of loves... so dramatic at the time but just so sweet now!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your story and the comments that followed. We all seem to be envious of one another as children. I envied the blonds, especially those blonds with tanned skin. Funny how that is.
ReplyDeleteLove the post. May I ask for information about the purse?
ReplyDeleteHi Anon - the purse is now linked to from the product information at the bottom of the purse. Sorry - I originally omitted it by accident!
ReplyDeleteLove the purse and dress. I need to try on those shoes.
ReplyDeletei've been eyeing that dress and i recently purchased the tan braided swedish hasbeens with the low heel - they are perfect everyday shoes for summer.
ReplyDeleteLike reading an excerpt out of your novel. Love it! My childhood was filled with tomboy escapades also. That's really sweet that her father was interested in "those things."
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about summer. I always found myself restless and hoping for an exciting romance. I adore this dress and the accessories you've chosen -- it's all so perfect!
ReplyDeletei love what you've written here, jane. in a way it reminds me of the book "cracks" by sheila kohler, which i think you might like.
ReplyDeleteI think I need that dress...
ReplyDelete