Random Wednesday

Feet don’t fail me now

What the hell is wrong with my brain? I just purchased these freak shows from jessicasimpsoncollection.com. OK, so I know, I know. Don’t say it out loud because I don’t wanna hear it. I tell myself that they are by Charles Anastase or Marni…anything in fact other than the dreaded Simpson. But, you see, I just had to have them. They fit my personal style too well to pass up. My family and friends keep telling me I was born out of time because I am obsessed with just about every style fad from the roaring 20’s to the hippy dippy 70’s. Nothing after. I don’t do “modern” well at all. I am not comfortable. Geeky, goofball women with an addiction to uproarious belly laughter and pulling silly faces and mischievous pranks seldom do modern well. This is what I tell myself anyway. It helps. Anyway, back to the shoes. So I bought them because I been having night sweats over the Charles Anastase ones which I couldn’t bring myself to buy and these Dany platforms are the closest I could find in shape and height without the circus factor. I can’t wait to wear with knee high socks and shorts! OMG just thinking about it is giving me the damn DT’s. Seriously, the postman better hurry up if he knows what's good for him!

I got them in the Black Intense Nappa. Needing a second opinion before hitting the “buy” button, I found strength enough to relinquish the mouse and put my hand on my phone and I called my husband. You might as well know it now; dude is like my best girl friend and I don’t mean  it in any emasculating way at all, living with him is definitely the same thrill I’d get if I were living with my best friend. We go shopping all the time and discuss shapes and colour and print etc etc and its so much fun. Just to set the record straight, he was not always like that you dig me. He was more the cheap beer jeans ‘n’ shirt type but ya know mama changed that in a jiffy! So anyway, he gave me the green light. I was like “should I get em? Should I? What do you think?” And all the while doing that weird crazy-boggle-eyed woman insane laughter thing. Yeah, you’re out there and you know I m am not alone. Pleeeease hurry up Mr. Postman. Puhlease.

In case you haven’t as yet heard, these were the stupid heights at which heels soared last season. Check out the Charles Anastase ones which I passed up because they really are ridiculous. Not sure how tall the heels are but I would guess somewhere around 8 inches whereas the Dany ones are a little over 5 inches. BTW there is a picture of Pixie Geldof totally eating tarmac in a pair of his creations!

And for the rest of it because if you know me, then you know that I just can’t buy a pair of shoes without getting a new outfit to go with them. So here is my shopping for today. Time well spent I think. Internet I could kiss you!

First up is this adorable washed silk romper by Geren Ford at Shopbop.com

Next up is the Tatiana Jumpsuit by Indah which I think is the perfect outfit for long haul flights this summer.

Another romper (am I obsessed?) by Free People, this time a floral cutie that seems to have that “thrifted” vibe written all over it.

I am over the romper thing now.

My Hubby Surprised Me With This

Last Friday evening there came the familiar sound of male shoes running up wooden stairs, stairs which wind their way outside and lead to the front door of our apartment home. I have become so accustomed to his footsteps which are always quick, light and sure no matter what kind of shoes he wears. I believe wholeheartedly that if you were to blindfold me and make me listen to a thousand recorded footsteps, I could differentiate his from the multitudes. He reminds me of an elf!

In he came and found me painting at my easel, next to the big window, the one which lets in the best and most splendid light even on a rainy day. "Put your hand in my right pocket" he commanded. I looked at him for a moment thinking this has got to be waaay too early for what he has in mind and by an open window no less! So I sat there and rolled my eyes and gave him a kiss on the cheek instead. "Was your day that awful?" I asked. "It was good" he said "But I need you to put your hand in my right pocket and take out what's there". So sure that he was up to tricks again, I decided to play along but to be cautious. Well, I never expected it. My fingers rested on metal and when I fished it out I saw this delightful gold bracelet! It is so sweet and has three charms on it: a gun, a shoe and a key. My darling dearest, took my wrist even though it was covered in oil paint and turpentine and gently placed the bracelet on me. "Why?" I asked. "Just because" he said and then he kissed me.

Do you like it? I do, very much.

Diane Kruger

This outfit is so sweet it hurts my teeth! I want it.



Diane Kruger in a Valentino dress and Isabel Marant faux fur coat, at the Golden Camera Awards in Berlin.
Divine!!!

I Am Loathed To Admit It But…

I reaaally reaaally like the short shag hairdo that Victoria Beckham sported last year. This woman, urghhh irritates me. I never completely “got” her. She seems too uptight for my tastes and I firmly believe that fashion should be fun and comfortable subsequently I have always found her to be a-lot-a-bit of a try hard. Severity in anything especially fashion puts me right off! Anywhoo, for some reason that I haven’t quite worked out the “why’” of yet, the hairstyle below actually makes her look good. Not jus good but sexy, young and casual. Even with those stupid stilettos that are permanently glued to her feet. Kinda get the feeling though that if she had chosen to wear anything other than the vest top and grey skinnies, I may not have liked this look at all. But she did and I do. I like it a little too much. Now, where are my scissors…?

Alexa wears Tuxedo by 3.1 Phillip Lim Fall 2010 at the META Gala

So I know everyone is blogging about this outfit that Alexa Chung wore recently to the MET Institute Costume Gala and the general consensus is that she pulled it off. I agree, and how! The tuxedo and sequin blouse I believe, belongs to the 2010 Fall collection of 3.1 Phillip Lim and the shoes I think are Louboutin.

I really don’t know where to start with breaking down this outfit. Theoretically all the pieces together including the ribbon neck tie should look like a Coco The Clown special but it doesn’t on her at all. If anyone else were to wear this they certainly would look part of the circus. So do I like the look? Well, yes and no.

Here at least, Alexa is doing what Alexa does best which is sticking to the style she is most comfortable with, only dressed up a little bit more. For some ladies the comfort zone is a velour tracksuit for Miss Chung it has to be a witty, edgy, 1960’s  insouciant mess!Her style is very tongue-in-cheek. I personally love the trousers and jacket combo but not so much with the shirt. The sequins just push it over the top for me. Perhaps if it was silk , lighter and plain it may have looked better. But, saying that, she still looks damn good to me. Don’t you just adore the way she wore the jacket draped on her shoulders? Very gansta! I would definitely notice her in the crowd dressed like this, the look stands out in a sea of frou frou dresses and if I didn't’ know who she was, I would certainly be more than a little intimidated of a woman who has the balls to wear this and be comfortable. Yes, I would remember her for a long time after.

The hair is still messy but shiny. The eyes are smudgy, golden bronze and black khol rimmed. Gone is the cat eye corner flick for this look. The lips though are probably what surprised me the most. We seldom see her in bright lipstick, she normally favours none or a pale pink. I love the fact that the red is dark. I found it to be very vampy and I think it suits her complexion well. Has anyone else noticed the tan she is sporting recently? I quite like it. Alexa is normally a pale girl but I think the soft gold skin really makes her blue/green eyes pop!

New York living is most definitely having an effect on her. She is becoming more polished. I guess we have to wait and see what effect this has on her street style.

Selling buttery soft leather over-the-knee nude coloured vintage boots

These size 6 US (4 UK, 37 European) boots are ah-ma-zing! Circa 1972, they are in excellent vintage condition. The leather is sturdy but pliable meaning that when you put them on they won’t slouch or fail to keep their form. They hold up and come to just over the knee. If you choose to however, you can slouch them. The colour is a very soft caramel nude, almost a beige. If you are into wearing nude this season (or at all) then these darling vintage boots will slide nicely into your wardrobe, lifting the look of skinny jeans, shorts worn with thigh length socks or even just bare legs. They really are lovely and do get a lot of compliments.
Selling for $120. Or make me an offer I cannot refuse!
Will post worldwide. Paypal only.
See HERE for more detailed images.

Pretty Special

I stumbled on these gorgeous ed’s from Fashioncopious’ blog and was so overwhelmed by the prettiness that I just had to share. I am suddenly inspired to pick wildflowers and run through a field of wheat and poppies in a wispy dress of finest silk gauze.
Morning Flowers
Vogue Nippon June 2010
Shot by: Andreas Sjödin
Model: Frida Gustavsson
 

Alexa Chung. Let us all try to get along, shall we?

I dig Alexa Chung. I really do. From her face to her lanky legs to her skinny frame and her penchant for quirky mismatched clothes. This girl epitomises true London style in all its eccentric devil-may-care tongue-in-cheek glory.

I have been lucky enough in the past to have been invited to some of the fashionable events and parties where Miss Chung was also in attendance (it’s not what you know dear but who you know, ahem) and I can tell you unequivocally that she really is that pretty in real life. The girl is a knock-out. Simple fact. Refusing to believe differently does not change this fact. And if that were not enough she is also possessed of a very funny British sense of humour which I believe in part hails from her pin sharp witticism and observances that she likes to…share out loud.

But of late there has been a lot of negativity aimed at her and maybe this has something in part to do with her rise in popularity and therefore her subsequent rise on the fashion radar which has seen her move up the ranks to the point where she has become an icon and muse du jour to many a fashionista.

I’m interested in breaking this hate-fest down. I want to put my own spin, if I may, on why certain girls and women feel the need to dislike her and others of the same type. I think it is important to do so. I don’t just want to sum it up as jealousy even though this is what it amounts to in the end, for that would be far too easy a dismissal. I want to understand a lot more than that. Please stop reading here if you are easily offended.

For instance, the women who claim to hate her (face) are normally very short of stature, toping 5’ 2” at the very most. With short stumpy stocky legs that lack any true definition between thigh, calf and ankle. They are probably also carrying love handles on the sides of their short torsos. Their necks are short and their faces are flat, wide and featureless like their noses. These women can find beauty only in others who look exactly like them. Women who define beauty by wearing long tresses of wavy mermaid hair placed just so over the shoulders. Coloured contact lenses are also de rigour. I am talking about the kind of look glorified by such magazines as ViVi who employ half-pint “models” such as Sara Mary, Jun and Rinka to be the pin-ups of the short disgruntled women I am talking about today.

Yes I placed the word “model” in inverted commas because lets face it, while it is true every country has its own definition of beauty, the real money making powerhouse of fashion resides in the West, in Europe and America. It would be impossible for a girl like Sara Mary to scrape her hair off her face into a tight severe pony tail , not I hasten to add into a cutesy puffy, tendril falling, face framing top knot! And wash her face free of makeup, wear the simple models uniform of skinny jeans with a plain white or black t-shirt and some heels and expect to have any luck what-so-ever on a go-see when in competition with a 5’ 11” chiselled creature with cheekbones so sharp it could cut glass! It wouldn't happen, not in this universe anyway.

Perhaps you haven’t heard of ViVi or these models of which I speak but it is quite easy to find if you browse the international section of any decent magazine store.

But, here is the kicker. These same women secretly love and therefore begrudge the very features which they claim to hate in others. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the men they date and marry. These men are nearly always their exact opposite. Tall while the women are short. Thin and lanky while the women are stumpy, stocky and petite (petite is not the same as skinny. Skinny is bony whilst petite can encompass anything that is tiny). A sharply defined chiselled face whilst the women's are flat, broad and devoid of contours. Classically handsome opposing the not so. Even the skin tone more often than not is different. What does all this mean? Opposites do attract! And the good news is, this is great for the gene pool.

And if you are out there and happen to be reading this and experiencing that sick feeling in your stomach because deep inside you know this post applies to you, well, I want you to understand something quite important: we can all see it quite easily when you are out together with your man. The world is not blind! Really doesn’t matter how you try to disguise it and fix your mermaid hair or make-up or what clothes cover your body or indeed the way you always pose for photographs favouring a semi profile shot with chin either tucked down or sticking right up and out and lips that are extended and pouted ( a trick used so often by the non photogenic and insecure).

These women I speak of go for men who are their direct opposites because they can appreciate and understand this kind of beauty in a man. In a man, it is non threatening. For females who see every other woman as competition (even after they are married), the world of tall, skinny, contoured and beautiful is a very daunting and scary place. So it makes perfect sense that they build armour by pretending to be indifferent and by creating a private world which protects and nurtures only the type of “beauty” which they can easily attain and therefore understand. For my two cents, I think it is a very small world they live in where reality is warped to suit a required belief.

I don’t like it at all. True, we all need to feel better about ourselves but surely it should not be at the cost of reality! Or is reality nothing more than ones perspective of the truth? I leave it to you to answer.
The jig is up ladies. Hatred is a horrible thing. Let us have no more of it.

OK. Enough, I’ve said my piece and I am satisfied. Let’s have a girl crush moment and perv on a few Alexa Chung pictures.