Paul Smith's Bike Knits

I have a little trick, a thing I do when I'm cold on my bike that makes me feel warm. I imagine I'm wearing just a bikini, then I imagine putting all my clothes on again and it makes me feel warm. Try it next time you are freezing.

The other day I was waiting in the cold for the lights to change on Kensington Park Road and thinking how just three months ago I actually was in the very same spot wearing a bikini dancing in the Notting Hill Carnival parade. I looked to my left and saw these bikey knits in the Paul Smith window. They look so warm. I want them to wear over my bikini.

Fair Isle Lamswool Snood £75 

Fair Isle Lambswool Beanie £85

Fair Isle Lambswool Scarf £135

Fair Isle Patterned Socks £17

There is the Paul Smith shop in green during the epic post-carnival clean-up. We had just been watching policemen play football with a coconut.

Also, have you been to Hello My Name Is Paul Smith at The Design Museum yet?

Bike Ties

If you are starting a new job or stressing about what to buy for a dad, here are a couple of sweepingly stereotypical bike buys for you in the shape of ties with bikes on them.

Paul Smith Silk Tie £75

River Island Bike Print Tie £12

Admittedly I only know about two people who actually wear ties to work and even they can't really be more adventurous than a stripe or, at a stretch, a paisley.

When you say 'bike tie' I actually think of these:

Bungeeeeeeeeees.

In fact since wearing a tie every day for five years at secondary school, the closest I get to ties unkinkily these days is at weddings, where my friends take them off and tie them around their heads as soon as the speeches end. Classic.

 Yeah. These guys.

Paul Smith AW12/13

It's no secret that Paul Smith is kind of into cycling, here are a few pieces from his current collection that were designed with us cyclists in mind:

Oh Paul, you sure know how to get your stuff on my Christmas list. Check out these BEAUTIFUL leather gloves with a neon trimmed ribbed cuff. Available in violet and green and black and pink for £195.

These men's leather gloves with neon inserts and trim would make indicating so much more stylish. Available in brown and orange and black and green £155.

Paul Smith has collaborated with Kashimax to create these wonderful neon leather saddles for £160.

www.paulsmith.co.uk