Wednesday 22 May 2013

A few of my favourite things...






The title says it all really... Today's chosen outfit was me throwing on some of my trusty favourite pieces that never fail to make me feel good when I've got them on... each piece has a little story or memory attached to it too.

Cardigan
This little treasure was gifted to me by my now ex boyfriend's Granny, she is a hugely important part of his life and I only met her after we had been together about 2-3 years. She is one of the sweetest, fiery and wonderful people I have ever met and is sharp as a tack despite her 80 odd years. Meeting her was a total pleasure and I oft popped round with the boy to say hello or sat with her whilst he was doing her shopping (he is a good egg) and had the pleasure of being gifted this cardigan because she thought I would like it. She was wrong. I LOVED it, and it is one of my favourite pieces. Despite losing a button here and there and the odd tiny hole it is a delight of a piece and sits cherished in my vast wardrobe.

Tee shirt
I picked this up on a pilgrimage to London along with a fabric bag, on my first ever visit to the Marc Jacobs store on Mount Street. It is a little bobbly, a little faded but one of the comfiest things I own. It was only about £20 and has two Boston terriers on the front and I love it. My first ever piece of Marcy Marc and I cherish it. I recon I will keep it for many more years until it's in bits and is relegated to the pyjama drawer. 

Jeans
A recent addition to my repertoire and only £9 from Primark, they are a fab pair of denims, and fit and wear a lot better than you'd expect at that price. Despite buying Petite 29" length they were still too long, so I just hacked them to the desired length, as you do. They mean a lot to me because they are the first pair of jeans I have felt confident about wearing for years, y'see I got a bit fatter in the 'honeymoon' period of my last relationship and never seemed to shift it. Well now I've got rid of the excess tum tum I feel happy in denim again... The oldies didn't fit so I needed a trusty new pair and that is where these fit in! I recommend a pair of 'happy jeans' to all!

Converse
These bad boys need no introduction. I wear mine bright white and anti - bacterial wipes, occasional washing machine visits, Stay-Brite whitener in the wash and constant puddle dodging help maintain this. Plus these are pretty new. Comfy, dependable and the best 'day off' foot furniture one can ever own. 

Jewellery
Current loves are my vintage woven pearls and wishbone from Jacobs by Marc by Marc Jacobs... The wishbone was picked up on my FIRST EVER sample sale... on a bit of a post shopping mooch around Mayfair. The sample sale was a crazy experience in itself but opened my eyes to the crazy world of discounted designer goods. I loved it! Plus it was a chance to get to my beloved London, however the events of that evening lead to the unravelling of my first BIG love. This little wishbone signifies my hope, that one day my heart will be healed and all my dreams will come true. 

Another day off, another crazy bag lady outfit! Enjoy!

x

Tuesday 21 May 2013

In full bloom...




Dress, vintage. Converse hi-tops. Mulberry phone case (past season).
Pearl necklace, vintage. Wishbone necklace, Jacobs by Marc by Marc Jacobs.
Bow cuff, H&M (old).


Happy Tuesday dears! There has been a lack of outfit posting due to the fact I have spent the past seven days in my work uniform and pyjamas do sadly no insight into the inner working of my wardrobe. After a stretch of luxury uniform attire I decided to go a little bit wild and attack myself with colour, mostly because seven days of black and white and more black does that to a girl. 

I chose this pretty little vintage dress that I once owned many years ago, gave to a friend, then met up with said friend to eBay our lives away and decided I wanted to own her again! So here we are, I am a sucker for a floral and the print on this dress is so cute I couldn't resist it today, especially since the weather is so drab despite being May. I teamed it with my trusty 80 deniers, converse and what can only be described as minimal accessories for me. I adore vintage and don't wear it as much anymore since I have gotten older, I guess I seem to veer to a more pared own look, well sometimes. Plus it has slowly gotten more and more expensive since I first started buying it, and some prices I jst cannot justify. Especially if I can pick up brand new for waaaaay cheaper. The only difference being I don't get that smug "Oh this? It's vintage" moment when people ask, and you can't be safe knowing that nobody else will have it. The only other option for that is haute couture and I sadly don't have that kind of money.

So, I hope you like the outfit. Enjoy!




Sunday 19 May 2013

I'm a short, short girl


Some of my babies...



Ready for your close up?





One, two, buckle my shoe...


Birthday shoes, my heart beats for you...


I do like a heel detail (and a red sole)...


This post, my dear readers, is about the shortcomings (no pun intended) of being short. You see, I am a total shorty, and not in the hot girl sense of the word, I am just very small, tiny even. I top the height charts at 5 foot 1 (and a half!!!) inches, so I am pretty little. Not only this but most parts of my anatomy are small too... hands, wrists, feet and legs. I need sleeves and trouser lengths shortening all the time too, so in order to overcome this terrible shortcoming of my height I have become an avid collector of the highest of high heels, most of which I cannot wear for much more than a few hours (a back injury caused this) but many years ago used to be able to trot around in them for hours at a time and often did. I have a disgusting obsession/penchant/perversion for stilettos in particular.

I blame my fetish on my height, no-one wants to be small, but I do think this is probably just an excuse to buy more shoes, especially since they aren't exactly the most comfortable of things. I have promised myself I will become like Mrs Beckham and be able to 'do' heels, like all day long and wear them for the most mundane of tasks such as the food shop, going to the post office, or buying stamps. I can manage a good 7 or 8 hours in my 'work' shoes, which are a sensible 3  inches, but I'm yet to join the scouse brigade and do full day shopping in them. Heels + pavements = PAIN!!!!!

The thing is I hate my height, I hate being unable to see bands at gigs, or reach things, I hate that I am not much taller than teenagers and for many years I have dreamt of being lanky and awkward and long of leg. So to overcome this, especially on an evening out I try and find an excuse to wear a heel. I have no idea why, the years of heel wear have left me developing bunions, two sprained ankles, a very unhappy back and feet that have seen much better days. However nothing gives me more pleasure than the wiggle that my walk develops when I totter around in spindly, cigarette thin heels. I feel an odd power, I gain aeons of confidence (that I lack naturally) and feel as though I can take on the world. Or at least reach the top shelf in the cupboards.

Any of you that know me personally know I am quite an angry little person, and I recon added height only makes me more fiery, but it makes me a different sort of fiery. I am less Napoleon more Naomi! I guess I start prancing about like a diva supermodel who gets paid 10 grand just to hop out of bed, but that is the power of heels. They are so pretty too, plus I love the toe cleavage my Loubys give me, and I love that certain chunky heels can give a usually pretty dress a punky edge. I love that a pointy stiletto can make you appear powerful and in control, like a ball breaking office bitch with a collection of voodoo dolls. I love that my 'birthday shoes' (bright, minimal Zara sandals) make me feel happy and carefree and remind of happier times and summer, I love that my buckled Topshop sandal/bootie/bastard child shoes make me feel edgy, and a little bit cool. I love that the red soles of my Loubys make even the most composed girls squeal with joy and envy, I love that my faux python mid heels make any mundane outfit look a little more Céline-esque... See it works! Heels are magical little creatures with the power to make anything better. Well that's what I tell myself when I look at my bank balance.

Most importantly though, my heels make me feel taller, and with that comes a little boost of confidence that no boy, dress, lipstick or haircut ever can. So Mr Vivier (the inventor of the stiletto, look him up) I salute you! For you have improved the lives of short, short girls everywhere. I guess we could call you our God.



Friday 17 May 2013

Bad taste = good taste



 

As you may have already gathered from my previous post entitled "A lesson in girl impressing and man repelling" you might have noted then when I get dressed in the morning my general attitude it pretty much... "I just don't give a shit" and my dear friends you are entirely right. I dress for myself entirely... With the odd day inspired by man repelling and this leads me to today's post, inspired by the fact that I adore bad taste. 

It inspires the way I dress no end, you see I tend to find when something is generally erring on the edge of (or just downright jumping in a pool of) bad taste then most of the time I fricking love it. Seeing that JuJu jelly shoes (along with most things nineties) are all cool again I am overjoyed, you see they are the epitome of bad taste. Especially when worn with socks/tights/any other sandal bashing hosiery. I am a lover of a sock/sandal situation when done well, and not too train-spotterish... 

There are many other multitudes of bad taste items I could list and wax lyrical about, but for me it is the theory of bad taste itself I am celebrating in the means of writing. I think we should all have a little bad taste in our lives, of course only a choice few can get away with draping themselves in piles of ugly stuff but a dash of the bad taste flavours can be welcomed in all our lives. 

Be it dungarees, socks and sandals, ugly jumpers/cardigans/any knitwear, limp Alexa hair, vintage kimonos, nightwear as outerwear, uggs, rucksacks, lesbian boots or any other ugly item. Also see loafers, acid wash denim, mom jeans, I'll fitting clothing, skorts, skirts over trousers or anything that baffles the opposite sex. 
You see adding an element to an outfit that is a little "off" can work volumes in terms of making it a little fabulous. There are many women who prove my theory and I believe we should all live our sartorial lives by this... Mostly because it garners compliments and scares boys in a most amusing manner. 

So ladies, go forth and embrace bad taste!!! Quick before the Olsens out bad taste you!!! 


Tuesday 14 May 2013

Nike x A.P.C





Nike have done it again! Not happy collaborating with Liberty Nike have collaborated with A.P.C (Atelier de Production et Création) for a second season in a row... The last collection sold out online within hours and for this collection Jean Touitou, A.P.C founder and Creative Director, has prodced a delightful little collaboration staying true to the ethos of his brand.

He founded A.P.C back in 1987 after struggling to find quality, well designed clothing that he wanted to wear, and it was (and still is) a total hit. With 300 stores and stockists and stores nationwide he built a brand based on minimalism and the delightful Parisian way of dressing, and looking cool and just so. Fashion editors and cool folk flocked to snap up his wares, and after a few years of noticing that almost fifty per cent of his customers were women (the brand started out just as menswear) he launched a womens collection and this proved a mega hit. Over 20 years and later and they are still going strong, and popular with not just stylish Parisiennes, but loved the world over. 

I may be a total eccentric weirdo at times but I have always been a lover of what Jean has done at A.P.C, mainly cos it's just effortless and cool and chic and just how I want to dress everyday. Plus it isn't too bank busting with tee shirts at £60 and skirts at around £140, granted dresses are a bit pricier but it is all beautifully made and well worth the investment.

Now back to nike... it is just simply cool. Simple. If you're a sneaker freak this is a collab for you, especially with the 25th anniversary of Nike Air Max, you would be silly not to snap these bad boys up. You could always flog 'em to hipsters for three times the price on eBay. But why would you? You would forever kick yourself and realise that they would go with almost every outfit for the next trillion years. They would be the missing link between you, your wardrobe and instant fabulousness. Go on... Indulge. You know if you don't you will cry into your pillow for the next trillion years wishing you hadn't missed out. Just saying. 


images www.apc.fr

Monday 13 May 2013

Monday Funday



YO YO YO!!! Thought I'd try a new little feature... it won't be super regular because in my other life as a luxury shop girl I wear a uniform daily... So no superhero dressing/wearing what I like/girl impressing for me. 
Today is a day off so I get to dress for me... Seeing as the sun was shining when I left the flat I opted for my favourite leg covering which are my Zara UBER pink skinny trousers, Chanel pumps (that got soaked in the storm) a fave tee I scored for a measly £1, a collar, silly bobble hat and some Lolita-esque sunnies for some Monday Funday times. Sadly the heavens open, the thunder thundered and I got soaked after a much needed catch up with a dear little friend of mine...

I hope you enjoy the new blog addition... Imma make it as regular as I can...

Happy Monday Funday!!!