Pre-Loved
March 22, 2012 § Leave a comment
Are you looking for more affordable designer items? Or are you reshuffling your designer wardrobe and want to earn on no longer needed pieces? If so your answer is not the untrustworthy Ebay but a new London based store Chic&Seek where previously unwanted designer goodies are handpicked to ensure quality and resold. An environmentally and purse-friendly idea allows you to find treasures among a second-hand items that are yet in very good conditions (many are brand new!). Where can you sign up, you may ask. First step is to visit the online store http://www.chicandseek.com, and if you are certain about an item just buy it there and then, and if not, make a virtual rail of goodies you would like to see in person and book a time to come down to a very chic mews house in Notting Hill to try them on. Isn’t this the most personalised service for finding pre-loved items ever? 
And you know, I just could not avoid picking a few pieces that are going straight to my wish list: great condition, amazing discount and no authenticity worries!
- Isabel Marant Floral Dress, £175
- Christian Louboutin Mary Jane Shoes, £225
- Tods Patent Clutch, £300
- Chanel 2.55 Handbag, £1750
- Marni Necklace, £120
- Bottega Veneta Boots, £200
- Matthew Williamson Strapless Sequined Dress, £250
- Hermes Scarf, £175
Shoes On Everyone’s Wish List
March 21, 2012 § 2 Comments
Hello Louboutins, it’s been a while. Despite most fashion wish lists consisting of these red soled killer heels, My Fashion Wish List hasn’t had a post devoted to them for a while. And now is the most appropriate time – since Louboutin just started it’s 20th anniversary celebration and released not just seasonal collection, but special anniversary collection consisting of some of the best selling Louboutins ever.
But first let’s start with my favourites from Spring Summer 2012 collection. It was hard to limit myself to 6 (I usually go for 6 since it looks good in a post) so I allowed myself a cheeky 7th pick.
- Meteorita, £1065 – strappy sandals taken to the new level with cobra snake skin inserts.
- Asteroid, £1068 – already worn by a few celebrities and are known to be used is self defence or self harm due to very sharp studs.
- Torero Embroided Turquoise Crepe Satin – striking colour combination.
- Lady Max, £895 – once again the dangerous spikes come out to play, this time in sandals.
- Pigalle Pollock, £385 – this season Louboutin adds a splash of colour to the famous shape, literally.
- Metal Nodo Gold Finish Leather and Metal Bow – my secret favourites, who doesn’t like a few bows here and there?
- Bollywoody Embroided Hot Pink Suede With Strass – transform your feet to distant lands with Bollywood inspired heels.
And now let’s move the special treat – 20th anniversary collection which is brimmed with His Shoe Majesty’s (Christian Louboutin) top picks from over the years.
- Daf Booty, £1,195 – futuristic to the point I think if there were female stormtroopers they would wear those (pardon the geeky Star Wars related comment).
- Isolde, £2,395 – that’s what people mean when they say ‘killer heels’
- Lady Gres, £695 – massive hidden platform, that’s why the brand is so popular with vertically challanged girls (Paula Abdul, Victoria Beckham, moi)
- Bois Dore, £825 – woven heel, imagination of Louboutin has no bounds.
- Armadillo Bride, £695 – I love them so much I might as well get married in them. Hence the ‘Bride’ I suppose.
- Unzip Booty, £935 – optical illusion 1: at first glance it is hard to tell exactly what zip to put them on.
- Bow Bow, £725 – optical illusion 2: when worn bows seem to be attached directly to skin.
Made in China
March 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
‘Is it possible for a Chinese company to build a worldwide brand?’ is the title of many marketing papers and is a popular topic for deliberation. Indeed with the overwhelming negative attitude surrounding ‘Made in China’ label, many assume that it would be a while before a truly popular brand can emerge out of China. Surprisingly, it might be the realm of fashion that sees the above claim overturned. Indeed for the last year one high street fashion brand from China has been experiencing very fast growth by looking for support from style bloggers, support that it has been receiving in bundles. Indeed if you read a few street style blogs you must have come across Romwe – fashionable and affordable online brand that designs and manufactures its range in China and offers free worldwide shipping. A tempting proposition indeed since the quality of Chinese production is higher than many assume – most of the technologies used in clothing manufacturing are identical to expensive European designer items, some of which have a portion of its production in Asia. 
I decided to explore the website to see what the style blogs loved about the brand: I was on lookout for truly trendy items that fit an international fashionable customer and I found a bundle. For example I absolutely love the range of shirts with contrasting detailing (collars and cuffs) and here are my top six picks, all in a very affordable price range:
- Montage PU Lapel Silver-Tone Blouse, £22.22
- Paillette Embellished Fake Twin-Set Nude-Pink Shirt, £22.88
- Leopard Print Chiffon Shirt, £17.65
- Off Shoulder White Shirt, £20.92
- Oversized Splicing PU Star Black Shirt, £24.18
- Paillette Lapel Black Chiffon Shirt, £20.26
I have to be truthful though, while level of trendiness of the clothing is high there are a few things that Romwe should work on to satisfy high demands of international consumer, which of course requires a large financial investment (possibly unachievable at the time yet important enough to be prioritised in the future): items photography is not uniform or of the highest quality which leads to underselling the garments, product names are slightly misleading (second shirt in my selection is referred to by ‘fake twin-set’ leaving me to guess what it’s meant to mean), ‘about us’ page needs major work – it’s not doing the idea or the website justice and requires a few reads to gasp the content leading me to an overall point about the need to work harder on any written material as words like ‘stuff’ should not be used when referred to products, let alone in the description on the home page.
All in all I have to say a very good effort, the kind that can be easily seen in growing sales figure. I have a feeling the brand will do very well in the future, especially if some alterations to the website are made to ensure even the toughest international customer is satisfied with the experience.
Motel’s Welcomed Achievement
March 19, 2012 § Leave a comment
Motel have outdone themselves. The brand has been known for a while for pretty and feminine party dresses but it has never before been truly fashionable. Until now. Their new season collection contains a dress that excites the fashion side of my brain – Zoe racer back dress with bold photographic prints. First of all I am a fan of photographic prints: for example my obsession with We Are Handsome bikinis prove this. Secondly I absolutely love the shape – simple yet feminine and definitely sexy it will fit for both day and night wear (for the day just match it with tights and an understated jacket and for night add a statement bag and killer heels). And thirdly they are £29 yet Motel did not cut corners and the back of the dress is also printed: improvement of the usual disappointment of purchasing the dress online only to realise the back of it is just black – shame knowing that I’m not in 2D. And fourthly, there is so much choice: from varied prints to length as you can pick a mini or midi style. Below are my favourites:
Motel Zoe Dress in Cityscape Print, £29
Motel Zoe Dress in Horses Print, £29
Motel Zoe Dress in Mountain Print, £29
Motel Zoe Dress in Poppy Field Print, £29
Those four and other print/length versions are available on ASOS.
Believe It Or Not: Trendy Backpacks
March 17, 2012 § 18 Comments
Backpacks. They have been off the fashion radar for a while but due to their functionality have remained an essential item for many despite lack of trendiness. Indeed if you have a lot on your shoulders (pardon the pun) backpacks allow you to spread the weight – hence they are perfect for things like hiking (I am not going to expand on the topic, hiking/camping and other outside activities have never been my thing). And despite some people’s aversion towards this type of bag, even a few celebrities known for their style choices have been spotted with backpacks repeatedly. For example Rihanna who changes hair colour every other week (I’m not judging, I wish I could pull off just as many shades) has surprisingly remained true to backpacks as you could see on the pictures below. 
But we all know – fashion trends rarely engage themselves with notions of utility. This season though is an exception. Backpacks suddenly became the hottest way to carry your essentials and have been spotted on catwalks of major designers ever since Spring Summer 12 shows. And fashion’s sudden love of backpacks might be slowly making my heart melt towards them- and to prove it I found a selection of backpacks I would not mind having. To tell you the truth even though I do consider some designer backpacks quite cool (I am not completely turned) I would not pay for its hefty price tag even if money was not an option (The Row, £2635 for example) because at the end of the day – it is still a backpack (all horrible images of what camping must be like flood my head).
Nevertheless here is the selection of backpacks for any budget – and if I like them, chances are you would absolutely love one or two!
- Asos Leather & Print Backpack, £70
- Paul Smith Floral Printed Backpack, £280
- Diane Von Furstenberg Printed Canvas and Leather Backpack, £225
- Asos Ice Cream Backpack, £35
- Topshop Frost Plastic Backpack, £25
- Essl Austrian Backpack, £58 at farfetch.com
- Topshop Unique Leather Rucksack, £180
- Barbour Caramel Canvas Beacon Backpack, £159
- The Row Leather Backpack, £2635
- Zara Vintage Backpack, £119
- River Island Navy Pocket Rucksack, £28
- Fleet Ilya Linked Strap Rucksack, £1019 at farfetch.com
Statement Necklace For Less
March 16, 2012 § Leave a comment
I am sure if I told someone this necklace was by Tom Binns or Erickson Beamon (my two favourite jewellery designers at the moment) no one would bat an eye lid. Indeed this necklace can easily pass for £500-900 piece of jewellery, but the truth is it’s only £69.99! It is Mango Touch Beetle Necklace, an online exclusive which unlike most other items in the category does feel special (most of the time ‘online exclusives’ aren’t great – they are given the label due to shortage of stock).
Statement necklaces like this are considered great fashion investments – you would wear them all the time since they go with almost anything. This one is no exception: it is bold yet feminine so would suit different clothing styles plus its colour palette opens up many coordination possibilities. Altogether probably the best £69.99 you would ever spend on a piece of jewellery!
Dressing Up Denim Shorts
March 15, 2012 § Leave a comment
I wish it was warmer outside. I am already feeling the spring vibe and can’t wait to wear my favourite warm season piece of clothing – denim shorts. Last summer when I was exploring West Coast of US denim shorts in all shapes and colours were the only ‘bottoms’ option in my suitcase, the fact I did not once regret. And now even thinking of wearing all those garments mentally transports me back to my American adventure. So for emotional boost of getting through the not-so-warm-or-sunny London days I compiled a few outfits with my beloved denim short. 
The one above is urban spring chic with metallic accessories (courtesy of Topshop). It is essentially summery but the colour palette suggest I remember it is still London in mid-March:
Oversized Lightweight Parka, £68
Metallic Vintage Rucksack, £38
Pilot Sporty Curved Wedges, £85
Spike Stretch Hair Band, £10
All Over Skull Bralet, £12
Moto High Wasted Kristen Hotpants, £32
Total: £ 245 of Topshop goodies
This second outfit on the other hand shows that denim shorts don’t have to be just for casual weather – with right accessories they become very lady-like! Vertical stripes are slimming, shirts with collar tips are currently very trendy and these pointy studded courts are to die for. All items are from one of my high street favourites River Island:
White Diamante Trimmed Shirt, £28
Silver Tone Twisted Diamante Hairband, £8
Light Pink Bow Hinge Skinny Belt, £15
Blue Striped High Waster Shorts, £25
Pink Colourblock Bowler Bag, £40
Light Pink Stud and Spike Point Court, £55
Total: £171 for this feminine denim ensemble
So if you are not feeling the weather and need something to lift you up, why not compile an outfit for yourself? Fashion satisfaction is guaranteed and you won’t spend a penny!
Most Versatile Necklace
March 14, 2012 § 5 Comments
You know what will look epic with high top wedge gangsta trainers about which I recently blogged (have a look here)? Extra-large gold chain necklace that is definitely inspired by 90’s rap stars. On a more serious note – this type of bling is my favourite fashion accessory of the moment: it can add instant glamour to any outfit. And when I say any I mean it – it looks just as good with white starched shirt on the way to work, LBD for cocktail hour and even with T-shirt and denim shorts combo a la Lana del Rey (proof below – she looks fab). And the good thing – big designers and more affordable brands both picked up the trend so you have a great range of gold gorgeousness to choose from. Here is my selection:
- Lanvin Swarovski and Cord Necklace, £730 available on farfetch.com
- Vintage Givenchy Gold Plated Necklace, £315 available on asos.com
- Yves Saint Laurent Gold Plated Stingray-Effect Necklace, £920 available at net-a-porter.com
- ID Plaque Necklace, £12 available at asos.com
- Mimco Imperial Bow Chain Necklace, £89 available at House of Fraser
- Michael Kors Logo Necklace, £49 available at nordstrom.com
I Wear My Sunglasses At Night
March 13, 2012 § 4 Comments
Actually I don’t. But as time progresses towards summer London is getting more and more sunny days, hence it is time to have a look what sunglasses designers created for us to choose from. D frames are once again trending, but there are lots of other shapes to choose from, if you are not a fan. Below are my top 9 sunglasses from this season – from D frames to round, this range has all those classic must haves by top eyewear brands.
- Cutler and Gross D Frame Acetate, £280 – leave you wishing for x-ray vision.
- Victoria Beckham Aviators, £275 – a very hot fashionable version of our favourite Aviator shape.
- Alexander Wang Zip Detailed Square Frames, £240 – for those who are bored of animal print plastic, this one has an extra zip or two.
- Prada Round Frame, £215 – traditional and big, this is a statement piece.
- Ray-Ban Club Master Half Frames, £120 – no eyewear selection can avoid mentioning Ray-Ban.
- Miu Miu D Frames, £190 – when you want to see your world in pink colours.
- Oliver Peoples Kosslyn Cat Eye, £225 – classic cat eye shape to lift the mood.
- Prada D Frame, £185 – add a little colour.
- The Row Square Frames, £270 – two tonal frame goes with any skin tone.
But if you are tired of conventional sunglasses and want to have fun with the vital accessory of the summer, I have to introduce you to A-morir, a very cool sunglasses brand loved by celebrities like Rihanna, Nikki Minaj and Lady Gaga that you can find at Box Boutique (online and in store on Maddox Street, London). Here are my favourite statement pieces.
- Love-Hate Dookie Tinted Green, £255
- D’Arcy, £245
- Ellington Red, £245
- Sylvia, £275
- Amadeus Turquoise, £195
Altogether there are 14 hot sunnies for you to choose from, but you might ask which are my favourite? Well, I saved the best for last. Here are Lenox D Frame 2-in-1 glasses by Illesteva (£180) that I absolutely love due to their versatility: removable sun panel transforms your frames from geek chic to perfect D frames with a twist. My inner hipster adores them..
And if all those are out of price range, there is still some use of this article – there are so many affordable sunnies on the high street that by taking those designer glasses as inspiration of main trends, you will easily find a pair that suits you and your wallet.
My Perfect Watch
March 12, 2012 § 1 Comment
I am really not a watch person. I have a few, and they are beautiful and I love wearing them. Like once a month. But wearing watches on daily basis just isn’t my thing. Yet this time I am trying to change – watches are useful, especially when your phone runs out of battery and you are not in a good enough mood to engage random passer by in time related conversation.
So I was thinking what characteristics should a watch have to convert me. I had to start by considering what watch do I like the most out of the once I have? And no it is not the most expensive one. It’s actually a very old watch my grandpa used to wear all the time and then gave it to me because I loved it so much. It is retro through and through and it was manufactured in USSR way before I was born – metal strap, digital display, little battery which is being hold in place by a piece of sellotape. I love it. Hence I just have to go for a retro looking watch. Also it has to be fashionable and comfortable on the wrist.
And then I found it. My prefect Timex. First of all it is super retro. It is also very comfortable: it has a soft strap and is very light. And then it’s cool pastel colour makes it a perfect fashion accessory for this season. So here it is, yours for only £39. Who said perfection has to be expensive?
MY FASHION WISH LIST 