Normality and Me

There’s something about sharing a name with someone. It’s something inexplicable that feels almost palpable when you meet them, in that small connection you share. There’s a sort of nod of knowing that happens between two people who meet and discover they share a name, in a way that says, “yes, I understand you and I am on your side”. A feeling like they will not hurt you and are immediately a friend.

Emily was a popular name when I was growing up. Fortunately, I was the only one in my Primary School class, which avoided any jealousy, but there were two Emily’s a few years above me. As a young girl I immediately thought they were the nicest, coolest, prettiest and most intelligent girls in my school and I made particular effort to be their friends. Fortunately for me, they were in fact very nice and didn’t mind a goofy, over-confident kid, three years their junior hanging around them in the playground. But from a very young age I always noticed that there were no Emily’s on television. No actress’s, no pop stars, no character’s in the movies (and I’d like to mention now that Emily from Bagpuss was unknown to me at this time) and I always wondered why.

Queue my fellow generation of Emily’s growing up and one has made quite an impact on the entertainments industry and on me particularly. Emily Blunt. She could wear a bin liner and I’d still look up to her (and she’d probably still look gorgeous) but fortunately she is effortlessly stylish and firmly not only one of my favourite actresses, but also a huge style crush of mine. According to my May issue of Elle Magazine she is also incredibly funny to boot. If she were to knock on my door right now I’d be liable to say “I love you Emily, can you please be my friend?” and also “That’s weird, why are you in Bishops Waltham?” as she ran away thinking what bad luck she had had to knock on the door of a crazy. I couldn’t help myself.

I have to say that Emily did a sterling job looking f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s at yesterdays Met Gala in Calvin Klein and has previously wowed in Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors on the red carpets – not to mention her recent amazing cover photo for Elle – but it’s her everyday laid back luxe kind of style that I love most.

The good news is that her style is quite easy to recreate. The bad news is we won’t all look as glamorous as Emily Blunt if we wear it, the girl has natural beauty… but I’m still going to try.