current staple

that this blog isn't more outfit post rich is something that niggles at the back of my mind. and seeing as over the past few days I've been getting such a lot of enjoyment out of new items in my wardrobe, it made sense to share. armed with my stepdad's camera (cheers andy) I spent this evening playing dress up and listening to echoes by pink floyd, that is until combined with the eery howling of wind outside it sent shivers down my spine. and I switched to human league.

this outfit is a bit of a staple at the moment. the shoes and jumper, I picked up yesterday as part of my 'uniform' (ah, the perks of working at Topshop) and the little brown skirt, as mentioned yesterday was from a charity shop. and to anybody in search of a lovely pair of brogues, I cannot recommend these enough, they're perfectly sturdy and simple, and all in all a bit of a health hazard (as you walk, you'll be looking at your feet instead of keeping an eye out for lampposts..)

night leopard

and a couple of other recent charity shop purchases:

sheer leopard top
brown suede mini skirt
worn with 120 denier tights and justin boots for a (dare I say?) vaguely simple sixties inspired look.

now, after a couple of ciders with some friends in town I'm grabbing myself a bowl of granola and hitting the sack before work tomorrow.

ps, in hindsight, this post ought to come with some kind of warning or apology for the awful photo quality. what can I say, I am neither a cobrasnake muse nor the owner of a digital camera. disposables or computer cam must suffice..

an ode to the charity shop

just picked these shoes up for a not too shabby £2.95 on a successful trip to the charity shops.
the last couple of weeks I've been suffering from loss of style mojo. bizarrely, inspired and sure of how I wanted to look (ie, a handful of boyish a handful of french) but unable to translate that using my own clothes.

The cure was a ruthless clearing out of my closet (37 pieces discarded with no hard feelings) and a few trips to charity shops with a mental wishlist.

I can't recommend this method enough having a mental wishlist before shopping really helps; sussing out where the gaps in your wardrobe are works wonders. For me, this means if I come across a jacket or skirt I really like, I know I can go for it as it'll be filling a void.

But back to the shoes. I really really love them. Because the heels are quite sturdy, they're that perfect mix of feeling fuss free but also quite unique (the colour! the suede! the snakeskin!)

Worn with the little brown suede mini skirt I also bought, simply mid-parted hair worn down and a casual little top they make me feel a little Anouck Lepere (stylewise at least) and I think you'll all agree that's quite a feat for under £10!

lions and birdies on your chest

It's one of those unfortunate facts of life that just as a new season is in full swing and the last leaves are falling from the trees, you stumble across arrays of climatically inappropriate attire.



Case in point is 'We Are Handsome', an Aussie brand. With hands down, the coolest graphic printed designs ever, these swimsuits are the perfect antidote to itsy bitsy bikinis. If you have ever found yourself muttering in frustration at the lack of coverage available in the high street swimwear departments, these shall have you throwing your hands in the air in praise.

Sorry fellow inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere, I know that the beach is all but a distant memory, and I hate to rub salt in your wounds, but perhaps this will do for next summer? I suppose in a slightly obsessive compulsive 'things your Mother tells you' way it makes sense to buy swimwear out of season anyway?

We Are Handsome
EDIT: the We Are Handsome website currently appears to be down. I'd keep your eyes peeled though.

stella mccartney spring 2010

What do you get when you mix together:

-a perfectly dreamy song, loved by all (girls by death in vegas)
-a breathtakingly pretty face (anouck lepere)
-a closet full of wonderfully cut, occaisonally sparkly, feminine loveliness (stella mccartney spring 2010)

Why, a mouthwatering lookbook video that will have you wanting to play dress up on the stairs in your very own Stella McCartney gowns. Splendid.

marcus constable

images, glamour uk

on my mind

yodelay

Raise your hand if you ever dreamt of being a chalet girl?
I know, the rose tinted notion of pottering around in a wooden clad ski-side cottage, preparing baked treats and arranging flowers is, I'm sure, very far from the reality. But let's make like Heather Marks in Italian ELLE, plait our hair and just pretend. Christmas is around the corner and it only seems right.



images, fashiongonerogue

chloe

this may be the Chloe spring summer 2010 collection, but I'd say you could and should easily adapt the looks into your winter wardrobe.

numero tokyo

devon aoki by sebastian kim, december 2009

via fashiongonerogue

daul kim

To have somebody who was not only a top model, but a lively spirit and active member of the blogging world leave us so abruptly is shocking. but death is always that way, I suppose.

Daul Kim will truly be missed, she was one of those models brimming with personality, humour and life; there aren't enough like her. To die aged 20 is tragic, it makes you remember to appreciate the things you like and love.

charlotte gainsbourg and beck

Sometimes when things are looking up and the world is a generous mood, certain collaborations seem tailor made to suit our tastes. For me, this means Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony. Or Wes Anderson and Fantastic Mr Fox. And in this case, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck. With each of these projects my enthusiastic impatience saw me constantly googling release dates and drumming my fingers in anticipation. Perhaps because the latter collaboration is the most recent it has been consuming the largest portion of brain space.

As a biased fan of Charlotte Gainsbourg I have to say, girl did good. Girl did good the moment she chose Beck as her partner in writing and producing her second album. Though my first listen to the first single IRM left me feeling a little disappointed, it's grown on me, and I'm looking forward to hearing the record in full to make my mind up properly.




The video for 'Heaven Can Wait' has just been released and I'm sure you'll agree that it's quite a treat on the eyes; acoustic singalong bed-ins, suspended dens and vibrant Los Angeles natives. Rather than Parisian, the vibe is distinctly Californian and the Beck influence is clear. Charlotte's sartorial style has it's own starring role in the video, her preference for a simple button down remains but with a tennis dress and some more glitzy pieces are thrown in for good measure. Hurrah!

thirty five

I know, it's kind of odd wishing somebody you don't know Happy Birthday, but really this is an excuse to show her in this fabulous Miu Miu get up, which I'm sure will arouse mixed reactions. And besides, this is Chloe Fucking Sevigny, and 35 year olds don't get much cooler than her.

ursula andress

the fashion spot

gimme five

facehunter

aeroplane accessories

images, 1. self service magazine. devon aoki by the most handsome max farago
2. dutch glamour magazine. sophie vlaming by annemarieke van drimmelen

Now here's a novel idea. why on earth wouldn't you want to wear an aeroplane?
I'll be keeping an eye out for other pretty pins (horses, birds perhaps..) to somehow wear in my hair.

and that was the first and last time I saw her

I can tell you very little about vampire weekend's new record. I can tell you however that the cover art for their single Contra is absurdly mesmerising. who is this girl?

cream crush

turnedout.tv

now try and tell me that you're not dreaming about ankle cowboy boots and pale knee socks.

marlene marino

Friends- a day with no plans, easy company, belly laughs and the absence of self consciousness, sharing stories, mutual acquaintances, a spot of lunch, playing records (see below) and sitting in silence with you each read a few chapters of your books. I prefer to do this clothed, but Marlene Marino's models have no biggie with being naked. Clothing optional.

Have played this song about 475834 times over the last 24 hours. Listen and see what you think. You'll either be repulsed and irked by her voice or in awe of it. I fall into the latter category, though don't go a bundle on their other songs. So if anyone springs to mind as similar, do share the details!

revisiting

recently these things have been buzzing around my head:

+ margaret howell
+ carey mulligan in 'an eduction'
+short dunagrees and little overalls
+french tailoring
+the 'buy one great thing a month' mentality
+sturdy style
+chunky clogs

2006 was the year that I became fully interested in runway fashion and would pour over the Vogue collection supplement, getting to know the key pieces and developing an idea of my own taste. I remember really enjoying the 'cute' nature of the Marc Jacobs spring 2006 collection and it's still in tune with this current list of fancies.
look 2, in particular, (seen on snejana onopka) makes me gasp with admiration for such a perfect ensemble.

upper east side

scans by valley of dolls
daniela & dianne dewitt by bruce gilden
vogue russia june 2007

three generation lunch dates, cycling through the lobby, good deeds, afternoon tea with grandma, brushing hair a hundred times before bed, flawless gene pool, shin high knee socks worn with clean little boots, society mingling, summers spent in a swiss finishing school.