what better way to usher in spring...
the sun on your face, flower tucked behind your hair, bare legs, and a new dress... what better way is there to usher in the first warm weekend of spring? i've been trying to experiment a bit more with my outfits. to move beyond the normal skinny jeans, t-shirts, and hoodie combination that i wear most days. it's a difficult transition, i'm not going to lie to you. i tend to come up with an adventurous outfit (adventurous meaning not the aforementioned lazy-butt gear) and then 'ummm' and 'ahhh' about it until i reach a climatic state of paranoia (after such thoughts like: 'surely i look like a total spazz', 'everyone will stare'), rip the outfit off, quickly jump back into jeans/t-shirt combo, and run out the door before i can think twice about the decision (phew, near brush with disaster avoided!). but lately i've been putting my foot down. it is time for a change. so saturday morning, when it happened to be uncharacteristically warm outside, i thought it would be the perfect opportunity to test out this new Rare dress i got. this is totally out of my comfort zone... for crying out loud it's a polka dot hoop dress! could i really wear this out in public?! after much deliberation and coaching from my husband, i decided to go for it. after all, you only live once, and chances are it will be months before its warm enough again in England to go bare legged and strapless. so i pulled on some black running shorts underneath (there was no way i could cycle into town in this dress without something underneath... uh, indecent exposure alert) and hoped for the best.
once i got into town i quickly loosened up about the dress and completely forgot that it wasn't the sort of thing i would wear on any given day. i was just too happy to be paranoid. it was so fun to lounge around the park wearing this gorgeous little retro polka dot dress. it felt like the perfect outfit for a perfect spring day. plus, i didn't get any funky tan lines from it. perfect for tanning in glamorous locations while still looking chic.
i am so glad i decided to bite the bullet and just wear it. what's the point of having cool items sitting in your closet if all they do is exactly that: sit in your closet? my challenge to you is to bust out some of those items that you think you've got to save for special occasions and just wear them.
if not today, then when? after all my dears, you only live once.
Wearing: Rare Polka Dot Hoop Dress, Madewell Jacket, Cabbages & Roses Plimsoles, Topshop Love ring, Primark sunglasses.
whose that girl...
some people just manage to look so achingly cool every time they step foot outside the house. they make looking chic, glamorous, and utterly put together look so easy. i can honestly say i'm not one of those people... i often suffer from bed head, have nervous breakdowns over what i'm wearing, and can never manage to find anything in my tornado-esque closet. hedvig, on the other hand, seems to be one of those people. the type of girl you see walking by and just want to look at because you can't help but wonder who she is. where is she going? what sort of fabulous life does she lead? how does she get those perfectly bouncy curls? (just with a hairdryer she told me). she is quickly becoming a regular feature on here because each time i see her she is rocking a totally different and unique look, is wearing a gorgeous mix of high street and designer pieces, and just looks absolutely fabulous. i'm thinking of asking her to do a q&a with me about her style tips and maybe it will help me avoid my nightmarish morning clothing crises...
Hedvig wears: H&M maxi dress, H&M Garden Collection Jacket, Ray Ban wayfarers, rings by Efva Attling, men's Tag Heuer watch, Acne Pose 1 S/S10 shoes, and Alexander Wang Washed Shoulder Bag.
it's all in the details... the simple and classic items Hedvig is wearing are brought bang up to date by her directional accessories. the laced up acne shoes add an interesting an unexpected element while the leather and chain detailed bag add a tough vibe. the men's watch keeps it all from looking too feminine and girly. plus, you can never go wrong with a pair of ray bans. a perfect selection of accessories... and all of this is topped off with the most perfectly bouncy curls. so chic!
the new it bag?
trends tend to sprout in unexpected places. for example, remember when bum bags (aka fanny packs) were more associated with the awkward tourist rather than Rihanna? when they were black, nylon, and totally lame instead of fur and covered in logos? and then they got all designer, American Apparel did them in gold lame... next thing you know, all the cool kids are sporting them. so here's a bag (spotted in China Town in London by what appeared to be some trendsetters) that's totally cheap, cheerful, and unpretentious. let's see if their the hottest thing come festival season. afterall, chances all you felt equally repulsed by skinny jeans, leggings, clogs, and double-denim once upon a time...
two of a kind...
spotted these two stylish fellas in covent garden and just thought they looked so cool. i was actually a little surprised by how friendly they were, but even more surprised once i got home and looked at the photos to realize how similar the pair are. you know how people start to resemble those they are close to... dogs and their owners, couples, good friends? well, obviously these two are buddies, otherwise they certainly wouldn't be sharing one set of earphones - but their also pulling similar expressions, are sitting in the same way, both have on rolled denim jeans, almost identical shoes and just have a very funky urban look. well, you know what they say: birds of a feather...
shake your tail feather...
i had the pleasure of spending a very sunny afternoon in covent garden yesterday with some lovely fellow bloggers. jill, jackie, kaz, vanessa, hedvig, michelle and i ate cupcakes all afternoon at the insanely gorgeous ella's bakehouse. a compulsory event when meeting fellow bloggers is photos... there are always lots. this means you better not be in a rush to get anywhere because we move like snails: pausing to stare into shop windows, chatting to men with infamous dog-cats who have facebook pages, stopping strangers to photograph them... it is great though and pretty hilarious. we decided to do some compulsory shooting in the square where i was directed to shake my tail feather in front of what felt like the entire british public. i'm sure no one was actually even looking and, let's be honest, i enjoyed showing off my new 'rah-rah' skirt (that's what jill called it all day long). apologies for my slightly geeky faces and attempted hip shakes but, in a skirt that moves like this one, its hard not to try and shake it...
p.s. thanks to Jill for taking these photos of me with my generous friend Andy's camera (that he kindly let me borrow) - also, if you haven't seen Jill's post on this outfit I'm wearing definitely check it out... she snapped a beautiful shot of all the little laser cut leaves in motion.
england, i love you!
due to some freakishly high pressure this little island which is usually dark, wet, and cold is experiencing 'Mediterranean' temperatures... okay, okay, the Daily Mail may have exaggerated that a bit. 17C (63F) isn't actually a reason to get your panties all in a twist - but, around here, it is a reason to strip down as close to your skivvies as you can legally get. at the first sight of sun it's off with the tights and on with the sunglasses... and I must say, London was looking all the more glorious today for it.
i know it wont last for long... but i'm going to enjoy it while it's here! wherever you are i hope you are too.
the real deal...
unless you have been living under a very isolated little rock, a rock that has no access to vogue or fashion-crazed girls, you will be very familiar with the current clog craze... you may even be over it already. we've got good o'l uncle karl (and his spring 2010 collection) to thank for the current wooden soled mania that is sweeping the streets of the western world, much to our wobbly ankle's demise. i can't count the number of chanel knock-offs i've seen bouncing about in recent weeks. from next to hobbs and just about every other highstreet brand in between. while their appearance and quality range in dodgyness - one thing is clear: if chanel hadn't put them down the runway most of these boys wouldn't be sitting in the shops today... and just about every girl i know wouldn't be yelping 'i just need a pair of clogs this summer!' okay okay, i'm not claiming to sit above this lagerfeld run world... i'm equally seduced by the whole trend. i just can't help but think most of the versions out there look hideously cheap and try-hard. lets face it girls, none of you are planning on spending 700 pounds on a pair of actual chanel clogs. so, take it from me. if you want to buy into this trend you'll want a decent knock-off pair and, if you have any sense, you'll want to avoid looking like your trying too hard to emulate the iconic ones that everyone knows you can't actually afford.
so, i present my solution to you: the Swedish Hasbeens. they are inspired by the unearthed footwear of a cool 1970's Stockholm fashionista. they don't look hideously out of date though because the designers have reworked the native swedish shoe into something slightly offbeat and funky while still retaining its traditional aesthetic. each season they make a few tweaks and changes and incorporate new colours. they aren't ludicrously cheap though, they will still set you back over a hundred quid - but they are hand crafted in sweden, from good quality wood and leather, and are made to last a lifetime (which is more than most the versions you'll find around can say). you may have noticed that I'm a bit partial to all things Swedish. but really, can you blame me when the country keeps releasing such beautiful items that nod just the right amount to the recent runway styles without looking like a big heap of trend-vomit?! okay okay, all this to say, that as soon as i step off the plane in sweden in june (post exams and sun on my back) i'm heading straight to the shops to pick myself up a pair of these gorgeous wooden clogs... and they are going to be fabulous and go perfectly with everything i wear this summer. after all, if they are good enough for Sarah Jessica Parker and Maggie Gyllenhaal they are good enough for me.
the perfect mixture...
While teetering t0-and-fro the countless amounts of vintage shops in Brick Lane last week I happened to stumble upon this little gem. Entirely unexpected and instantly entrancing, the Louis de Gama boutique sucks you into an alternate world where being draped in gorgeously soft fabrics that have been hand crafted into whimsical masterpieces feels like it should be commonplace. While it fits into the retro-edgy feel of the surrounding shops the craftsmanship of each item clearly towers above any of the neighboring shops that are rammed full of 20quid dresses. Was it alright to touch? Would the oil on my fingers damage the ethereal quality of the items? Would they wither at my mortal touch? Quite the contrary... while each item is hand sewn and unique the prices were shockingly reasonable with items starting off below one-hundred pounds. Not only are the clothes incredibly gorgeous and exactly what I want to be wearing right now but the boutique is utterly transfixing, the sort of place you have difficulty dragging yourself away from.
The Angolan born, Portugese designer has been living in the UK since 1992, has shown his collections at London Fashion Week, and has been awarded three new generation awards by the British Fashion Council. His latest collection nails the current craze of mixing masculine and feminine details together bang on the head. Leather is paired with lace, soft floaty dresses sit short and have cut out details, and there is the perfect mixture of woodland greens, dusty beiges, whites and blacks. Paired against the backdrop of faded editorials and roses, this collection is any girls dream. I can not wait to go back and check it out the pieces in more detail... and I can't help but wonder how I have not heard of this amazing designer sooner?
The lovely girl who was working in the boutique kindly posed for a (blurry) photo. She was so helpful in explaining the ethos behind the collection and boutique and mentioned that the people who work in the studio take turns manning the store. I'm so pleased that she happened to be in on the day that I popped by. I couldn't help but think her outfit falls absolutely inline with the LdG collection - the mixture of delicate lace with the black oversized jumper and worn out leather boots... the perfect mixture.
how their wearing...
glasses: thick, horn rimmed and retro
hair: quiffed
(p.s. i'm off to amsterdam later this month... any tips on where to go and what to see?)
happy easter...
am about to jump in the car to head off to wales for a great-aunts 90th birthday/easter celebration. hope that you are enjoying yourself wherever you are, that you are eating lots of chocolates, or whatever else happens to take your fancy.
Wearing: Gap Cardi (reinvented: came below my knee before and i was not allowed to wear it outside the house because apparently i looked homeless), Cos skirt, Jigsaw t-shirt, Kate Kanzer shoes, Alexander McQueen bag
Photos courtesy of Jill from Street Style London
the bubble...
It's no secret that bloggers are creating a bit of a stir within the fashion/media industry. They are thought, by some, to be infringing on a secretive and aloof world that has remained separate from 'normal people' for far too long. Anyone can start a blog - no matter what your experience or expertise. Regardless of how famous or fabulous you might be... you will start off with zero followers, you will wonder if anyone is reading, you will put yourself out there and hope that people will come back for more. Today there are bloggers who have tens of thousands of followers and hundreds of thousands of hits a day - there are those that are endorsed by major magazines and designer brands and there are those who photograph their newest finds from primark. Each is valid and each has a voice within this wonderful world of the blogosphere. The question remains though... where is all this going? What role do bloggers have within the fashion industry. Do they have a solid voice? Do they deserve one? Should they be sent free gifts and invited to sit front row at fashion week (like traditional magazine editors are)?
The Sketchbook Pop Up Shop held a discussion this past Wednesday on 'Print vs. Online' - what is the future for the book, the magazine, the blog... and how will they all manage to exist together? Is the answer coexistence (if so, how?) or domination (if so, who will win?). The panel consisted of Sandrine Maggiani of Stylesight, Adrian Shaughnessy, Susanna 'Susie Bubble' Lau and Becky Smith, founder of cult magazine Lula & Twin Magazine. (Susie and Becky are the thoughtful looking pair pictured above) They all agreed that print and online publications will need to find a balance and exist in tandem, neither can operate in isolation from the other, neither can remain in a bubble... but the unanswerable question is just how exactly this will work. I'll spare you all their thoughts on the matter and instead ask for yours... and while you piece them together here are some shots of the lady who helped jump-started the current blogging phenomena back in 2006... the one and only Susie of Style Bubble. Who just happens to be rocking some of the biggest spring/summer 2010 trends in, of course, her own very unique way.
don't hold back...
i noticed juan straight away at the sketchbook pop up shop
on wedensday. he was sitting in the front row at the stylesight
talk and he was pretty unmissable. the red skulls on his jumper stared back at me while i sat in the row behind him and i couldn't help but be captivated by all the quirky elements of his outfit. red skulls, plaid, cuffed jeans, purple socks and the funkiest lace up brogues i have ever seen.
so afterwards when i was standing around on my own gazing at the beautifully decorated walls of the sketchbook pop up shop and he sped past me to go outside i couldn't resist following him out and asking if i could snap his photo. it turns out studied political science during his undergraduate, went on to do a masters in journalism, worked for the united nations... and now is based in london as a trend-forecaster for stylesight. obviously i was totally mesmerized by this as i too did politics in my undergraduate, am now doing a masters in political theory, am planning some work experience with a think-tank... but at the same time have my finger firmly wedged in the fashion blogging pie. juan told me that i shouldn't hold back, that i didn't have to be all or nothing or fit into only one category. you can have it all, and you should pursue what interests you... even if you can't see how it is all directly related (yet). not only was juan's infectious smile instantly uplifting but his story was too.
reinvention...
At a talk that was held at the Sketchbook pop up shop on Thursday Sandrine Maggiani of Stylesight did some trend-forecasting. The umbrella theme she mentioned, which everything else fit into, was innovation. Recreating what you have already got, the things you hold dear, investing in good quality and sentimental pieces that you will want to hold onto forever and that you wouldn't trade for the world. Reinvention and renewal. These themes really stuck out to me. I recently sent off a few items to the tailor - things I love and haven't been able to get rid of, but just haven't been wearing because they don't suit me. I got them back and fell in love with the pieces all over again. A certain gap cardigan that I had chopped in half has been getting so many compliments (I literally have been wearing it straight for the last 2 days). It even got compared to a little Chanel jacket! Although, trust me, that is a serious stretch of the imagination. Anyway, all of that is just backdrop to explaining who this lovely girl is...
Serene Khan was sitting by the window cutting out little colourful leaves to decorate the window of Sketchbook. She was wearing this gorgeous vintage-y looking cardigan with multi-coloured buttons which she sewed on herself. She said they were all identical to the brown button at the bottom, which she didn't like at all, but decided to keep one to remember what it was like originally.
She was absolutely charming and asked to have her photo taken next to the leaves she had been attaching to the window display. Just another example of reinventing what would have otherwise been another empty white space, like an old cardigan left in the bottom drawer.
Have you reinvented anything lately?
Hurry while it lasts...
Hidden among a flurry of boutiques and restaurants sits this very permanent but very fleeting little gem. In conjunction with the release of the second issue of Sketchbook magazine, as well as adding to the celebration of Carnaby's 50 years of fashion and music, this dreamy little pop up shop offers much more than money can buy. In fact it transcends what money can buy. Launched as a third year university undergraduate project, the Sketchbook Pop Up Shop is a community driven project that does not charge a single pence for any of its events. Its a sort of haven for the artistic, creative, entrepreneurial, and imaginative types. Stop by for a scheduled workshop or discussion, to gaze at the visual feast of illustrations that cover the walls, or to mingle with the talented staff of Sketchbook magazine. Anyone and everyone is welcome and I highly recommend you check it out while you've got the chance.
The innovative and driven Rachel Menashy.
She only just contacted Sketchbook magazine back in November about creating a pop up shop for her third year university project. The magazine loved her idea and four months later her vision has become reality. If this collaboration isn't worthy of a distinction I honestly don't know what is.
The small space is covered in whimsical artwork that was all hand painted. The shop will only run for the next three weeks, after which all the walls will have to be painted back white - a slight travesty. All guests were offered brightly coloured Vitamin Water and Love Bakery cupcakes (mmm... red velvet is my favourite).
T-shirts illustrated by Lucia Emanuela Curzi.
Everything is personal and begs you to engage with it. Creativity oozes out of every inch of this place. There wasn't a wall that was left bare.
Jade Cummings 'Music & Fashion: VV Brown' Issue 2 - Kerry Lemon 'Twitter' Issue 2
Susan Keys '5 Colourful Women in Fashion' - Issue 2
Jack Teagle 'Danielle Scutt' - Issue 2
Window design by the adorable Serene Khan, who I will show you more of later (along with images from a talk that featured Susie Bubble as well as Becky Smith who created Lula magazine).
boom boom pow...
explosive outfits at LFW... i can't remember who these were designed by, anyone know? i think the man's jacket is pretty cool and if it were made in darker hues it could actually be pretty wearable (notice his shoes? their barely in shot, i didn't realize how funky they were when i spotted this pair, i was too focused on their outfits). don't think this is a trend that is going to be taking over the high street anytime soon though... although it is pretty funky. definitely unique and eye catching. these two grabbed everyone's attention.
update: oh my, just remembered the name of the brand it's Lu Flux and you can find more of their quirky and fantastical designs here. i have a few more photos of their collection to post coming up soon...