Spitalfields Market Find: Festival Specs
November 27, 2012 § Leave a comment
I skipped my usual lazy Sunday routine and headed to Spitalfields market. And just as many times before, I managed to find a few memorable pieces I though might be worth adding to My Fashion Wish List. This blog post is dedicated to the first one of my finds.
Christmas Special: Choosing The Dress
November 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
Today the realisation hit me – it is just over a month left until Christmas and I haven’t produced any holiday related content on my blog, let alone done any real life Christmas preparation. So I decided to start with all important choice of holiday outfits for ourselves, since we all know that is what we are all secretly looking forward to the most: our holiday wardrobe! Since I only have one month left and a whole bunch of Christmas related decisions to make I am doing this one the easy way. You can shop around for hours going from store to store to choose a dress, but sometimes you do not have to sacrifice the selection while shopping under one roof from great pre-selected range, cutting all the time wasting out. This is what I did today – I headed to department store House of Fraser which surprised me with the selection: there are literally thousands of dresses!
1. JS Collections cowl back maxi with rosette detail shoulders, £260
2. Adrianna Papell evening strapless V shape draped dress, £200
3. Coast Lavender maxi, £180
4. Bastyan May maxi dress, £325
5. Biba High neck pleated maxi, £189
6. Ted Baker Callen pleated maxi dress, £199
7. Phase Eight Cinderella beaded dress, £250
8. Anoushka G Metallic rouched wrap dress, £295
9. Untold Beaded blouson style dress, £350
10. Phase Eight Pippa embellished lace dress, £300
Linda Farrow Luxe Optical
November 18, 2012 § Leave a comment
I am pretty much blind. Yet for the last ten years I shunned glasses, opting instead for the comfort of contact lenses. Indeed I am a true believer that glasses don’t suit me, you can hardly ever see me wearing sunglasses let alone a prescription frame. Yet recently I began to develop a thing for spectacles (mostly because I keep seeing some very attractive men wearing quirky glasses) and I decided it’s time to experiment. 
While searching for the perfect prescription frame I came across Linda Farrow Luxe Optical collection. I was previously aware of the brand thanks to its sunglasses and numerous collaborations with the likes of Alexander Wang, Matthew Williamson and The Row making it the go-to brand for on trend luxurious glasses. But it is definitely the Luxe Optical collection that I fell in love with even more. Below are my picks so far (yes I do know I have to narrow it down to just one by the end), but I am still on the look out for Linda Farrow’s original designs from 70’s, when this British brand first came into the spotlight. Notice the shape of glasses in my selection – my perfect frame has to balance out my round face so I opt for large square Wayfarer styles in darker shades.
- Model 109 Colour 6, £320
- Model 148 Colour 3, £320
- Model 150 Colour 5, £337
- Model 147 Colour 2, £320
Lily’s Story
November 15, 2012 § Leave a comment
For a while now, and I mean like two years, I have been thinking about purchasing Mulberry Lily. These little shoulder bags are the British version of small Chanel Flap handbags and are simply perfect for the evening. So for me the problem has never been about whether I want one, but which colour I want to go for. The thing is – there are just so many options with more being added each season, that by the time I make up my mind, the range already expanded. Indeed at the moment there are 30 different styles of Lily available at mulberry.com. But a few seasons ago I suddenly got a favourite – a new size of the bag, Large Lily in black, became available and if it wasn’t for the fact it was overly slouchy I would have gone for it straight away. So obviously by the time I finally decided to buy it, it was out of stock and only available in Ink Blue Silky Snake and Snowball White. Anyway the reason I told you this long, not terribly exciting story is to show why I got super excited when I saw Mulberry’s latest addition – Medium Lily (£795). It is simply perfect: suitable both for days and evenings, not slouchy and in choice of classic black and deer brown as well as this season’s hottest dark blush. So my mind is totally made up: not only is there less colour choices but the handbag itself is more versatile. Hence I am in love and will be shortly adding one more Mulberry to my growing collection. Did I manage to convince you to add one to your Fashion Wish List?
Maison Martin Margiela for H&M
November 14, 2012 § Leave a comment
15th November is tomorrow. And we all know exactly which super important event is happening in the Fashion World on that exact date. Of course it is the launch of Maison Martin Margiela for H&M. This is another one of those awesome H&M project that brings world’s best designer creation to people at affordable prices. Yet by looking at the collection that will hit the stores tomorrow causing hour-long queues I can safely say – not my thing. In fact, I really do wonder if it is going to be anyone’s thing. Some items – surely, but others make me feel they were not made with high street customer in mind. Let me guide your through a selection of items and explain what I mean.
1. Ladies Nº 59 – Invisible wedge ankle boot, £179.99
2. Ladies Nº 58 – Trompe l’oeil sneaker, £69.99
3. Ladies Nº47 – Plexi wedge pump, £149.99
4. Ladies Nº 57 – Candy clutch, £34.99
5. Ladies Nº2 – Body with integrated bra, £29.99
6. Ladies Nº 55 – Candy clutch, £34.99
First 3 pieces are by far my favourite: black ankle boots, comfy high-top trainers and nude pumps are every wardrobe’s essentials. So thank you MMM for adding your creative touch to these absolute must-haves. Next 3 items I am still undecided about, but I love the creativity that went into them while still making those quite wearable. Candy clutches in silver and pink were the first I fell in love with, but that all changed when I saw how oversized they are. And believe me, I love oversized handbags – just not too sure if a foil bag that is nearly half my size is slightly overdoing it. And then the nude body with the bra – another great idea that on the model just looks, well, cheap. My advise – do try it on before purchasing and maybe you will be the lucky person it looks good on.
7. Ladies Nº4 – Oversized jeans, £39.99
8. Ladies Nº5 – Oversized turtleneck jumper, £79.99
9. Ladies Nº26 – Trousers mini skirt, £59.99
10. Ladies Nº27 – Hitched up dress, £99.99
Now, lets move on to the pieces I can not get my head around. 7-10 are probably the most unflattering clothes that have ever been made for women. First let’s have a look at these jeans and jumper. I’m not saying us ladies need to be in skintight clothing at all times, but this oversizing is taking things to the next level. The unwearable level that is. Maybe if I had issues with my weight I would have enjoyed the feeling of wearing clothes at least 10 sizes bigger, but having to actually wrap the jeans around my waist twice and on purpose, does not go down in my morning to do list. Then there is a trouser and mini skirt combo that gives me flashbacks to 90’s. These are not good flashbacks. Some fashion styles should stay in the past forever. And finally – the hitched up dress. In the comments to it, someone said it would be perfect for middle-eastern themed party, but I would not wear one even if I was paid to do it. I do feel sorry for that poor model they hired..
But there is no way I could have finished this blog post/rant without mentioning this final piece. Duvet Coat (£179.99). I was actually rendered speechless when I first saw it and even now I can hardly comment on it. It is hideous. And even if it is made for runway it is not made for the streets. I do hope if anyone actually purchases it they wear it around the house like one of those blankets with sleeves. Or if they go on holiday to a very, very remote mountain area.
All in all, as you have probably guessed I am terribly disappointed. Maybe 15th November is not going to be that special after all!
As Seen On: Christina Aguilera
November 13, 2012 § 1 Comment
It’s been years now since I liked any of Christina Aguilera songs or her sense of style for that matter. Actually it has been since her last more or less listenable album called Back to Basics. Thus it might be surprising that her pictures seem to be the focal point of this post, but let me explain. I recently stumbled across her latest video Your Body and while the song, the storyline and the moves had no impact on me, the styling definitely struck a cord. Not even the entire result of styling, to be specific, since Christina’s clothes were unflattering and always looked like they were about to burst. For me the only thing that was done right, and not just right but omg-I-need-all-of-these-right-now kind of right, was jewellery. There was a lot of it, it was very colourful and glittery and most was by two of my favourite contemporary jewellery designers Tom Binns and Erickson Beamon. So I visited net-a-porter.com that is still my favourite destination for mid-range costume jewellery and found a lot of items in the style of the jewellery in the video to add to My Fashion Wish List. Have a look at my picks below (click here to be redirected to full ranges by the selected designers at net-a-porter.com: Tom Binns, Erickson Beamon and Shourouk)
- Erickson Beamon Colour Me Crazy silver-plated Swarovski crystal earrings, £275
- Tom Binns Riri painted Swarovski crystal and stone earrings, £260
- Shourouk Leitmotif silver-plated Swarovski crystal earrings, £300
- Erickson Beamon Colour Me Crazy silver-plated Swarovski crystal necklace, £715
- Shourouk Bakara Moonlight silver-plated Swarovski crystal bracelet, £175
- Shourouk Arlequin silver-plated Swarovski crystal ring, £420
- Tom Binns Riri painted Swarovski crystal cuff, £990
- Shourouk Braka Rococo Swarovski crystal bracelet, £185
Everyone Is Talking About: Anya Hindmarch
November 9, 2012 § Leave a comment
Anya Hindmarch is currently the topic of many fashion-related conversations and there are three specific reasons for it.
First it is hard not to notice amazing holiday spirit window displays dedicated to Anya’s handbags at Selfridges London store. If you haven’t seen it, it is an absolute must. I love the creativity of department stores’ windows in general but this specific display now has a special place in my heart: it is a little workshop with factory line filled with handbags by the designer and all you need is a bit of imagination to create a picture in your head of Anya’s elves working on perfect Christmas gift for women all over the world.
Second, Anya Hindmarch presented new boxes that her All I Ever Wanted collection comes in and it is inspired by retro toy packaging. I am in love. I was immediately transferred to my childhood and remembered the feeling of surprise and pleasure that opening a new Barbie doll, which came in similar packaging, would give me.
And last but not least there is a new handbag design that is so special I haven’t yet made up my mind whether I love it or hate it. But that alone gives me plenty to talk to my friends about. Meet Tiny Tim Dancer Clutch that comes in golf crinkled leather and is covered in (brace for it) small battery powered lights. Yep. Your bag will literally light up your entire outfit. Which is great for the upcoming holiday season for making you really stand out from the crowd. There are two further advantages of taking this bag to a party that I thought of. First if the conversation at the party runs dry, just point at your flashing bag and begin lengthy discussion on the topic. Second even if you had a few drinks and misplaced your bag, it would be the easiest thing to find – it will be lying there flashing at you, and who did not wish for that for Christmas! Tiny Tim Dancer has sold out on the official Anya Hindmarch website but is still available at net-a-porter.com for £450.
TOPSHOP FEVER
November 7, 2012 § Leave a comment
As I descended the escalator leading to the underground kingdom of Topshop at Oxford Circus, I knew that just as usual, I would not leave its hustle and bustle without a few purchases (at least). While wandering around hundreds of meters of clothing, jewellery and shoe racks I caught myself concentrating on very specific groups of items. It’s just one of those days when you approach shopping with a clear vision of an outfit in your head. I wanted a shirt, preferably checkered and definitely oversized. I needed to replenish my colour variation of my favourite Leigh Jeans (I have about 10 different variations of those super-skinny soft denim trousers that feature in my daily outfits pretty much 99% of the time). Then I felt like new boots (still looking for something to replace Uggs, that I will no longer be seen in outside of my flat) and some additional bracelets for my growing stacking collection (I recently sorted out my accessories wardrobe and found extra place for new purchases, how exciting). And yet as often is the case in Topshop, there are tens of combinations for that one specific thing you came in to buy. So while making my decisions, I decided to blog about all the items I tried on – all of which are so on My Fashion Wish List (but only some ended up in my wardrobe). In other words, here is my personal edit of Topshop collection. Enjoy. 
- Mix And Match Check Shirt, £30
- Mid Stone Check Shirt, £36
- Casual Stud Collar Shirt, £38
- Chambray Pocket Check Shirt, £36
- Stud Collar Check Shirt, £34
- Blue Coated Leigh Jeans, £42
- Bone Supersoft Skinny Leigh Jeans, £38
- Supersoft Skinny Leigh Jeans, £38
- Tux Stud Leigh Jeans, £42
- Black Coated Leigh Jeans, £42
- Wild Thing Multi Pack, £14
- Skull Cross Bracelet Pack, £12.50
- Cross Plait Bracelet, £12.50
- Sparkle Bracelet Pack, £12.50
- Rhinestone and Spike Bracelet, £12.50
- Mixxy Glitter Chelsea Boots, £38
- Actor Buckle Cut Out Boots, £95
- Amalie Leopard Studded Boots, £95
- Darcy Stud Wrap Strap Wellies, £30
- Alcatraz Electric Heel Boots, £78
Clarice Price Thomas
November 6, 2012 § Leave a comment
Jewellery. So often it is the subject of MyFashionWishList posts I am thinking of soon renaming this blog MyJewelleryWishList. But then again what girl does not dream of jewellery? Clothes, shoes and bags, those we can buy for ourselves, but jewellery, especially of the more expensive kind seems to appear less on our bank statements, staying firmly in the wish list zone. So, just for your wish lists, girlies, I have another jewellery brand worth taking a look at. Meet Clarice Price Thomas and her eponymous London-based jewellery brand. Her collection is inspired by time pieces, thanks to her father being a watchmaker, and comes in a variety of materials including solid gold with diamonds. The pieces are made to order and can take up to three weeks but are definitely worth the wait thanks to results being so refined and captivating. I am a particular fan of engraved items that come with a choice of three phrases: Time Never Stops, A Moment in Time and Till the End of Time. Pick your own and make it memorable (or drop enough hints to your other half, Christmas is just around the corner).
- Tock Earrings in Silver, £198
- Triple Winding Wheel Ring in Gold, £122
- Double Winding Wheel Ring in Gold with White Sapphire, £138
- Engraved Time Necklace in Gold, £150
- Engraved Time Ring in Silver, £108
Fashion Inspiration Via Instagram
October 23, 2012 § Leave a comment
Oh the power of social networking! While the fashion community has been addicted to Twitter for a while thanks to abundance of news and opinions that are uploaded onto it in real time, a new comer that is Instagram is also being adopted for sharing of fashion inspiration. I am all for this photo-sharing app and use it daily – to upload anything from what I wear to where I am and what I eat. It’s fun, it encourages feedback and communication and it is really personal. So if you have not yet joined – do it now. And if you have, follow me @maria_myfashionwishlist and I promise to keep it interesting!
MY FASHION WISH LIST 