SEQUIN DRESS

This Zara dress is almost perfect - the shape is great for wearing everyday, the print is striking and the sequins aren't too shiny, so you don't look like a human disco ball or a lone wolf from a hen night. There's only downside...I seem to be allergic to it. Yes, really. I come out in a rash all over my arms every time I wear it, yet I still do.  

Dress - Zara

Tights - M&S

Shoes - Alexander Wang 

ASOS LEATHER JOGGERS

Six months ago I didn't own a single pair of leather trousers. Now I have three pairs. I tried to wear these the other day when it was 24 degrees. No way. I don't know rock stars do it. I was sweating like hell. Not pleasant. They are great leather joggers, but they'll be saved for temperatures below 15. 

T shirt - Acne 

Trousers - ASOS 

Shoes - Alexander Wang 

Do the high heel shuffle

The real reason celebrities and front row fashion types flaunt their bare legs even when it's freezing? It's nigh on IMPOSSIBLE to keep mules, courts or any manner of super high heel on when you have tights or socks on. It doesn't seem functional to freeze, but it sure as heel means you can still rock a killer heel and not have to shuffle (as I did for these pictures and all I was doing was walking from one room to the landing). I changed into flats and added a heavy coat to avoid looking too prim when I went out. 

I bought these Alex Wang mules in the dying days of the Liberty sale for £60. How nuts is that? Considering that's pretty much the price paid for a pair of heels in Topshop these days, I count that as a bonafide bargain. 

Dress - H&M

Belt - H&M

Tights - Tabio 

Mules - Alexander Wang 

Ballet Pumps - Bloch

Coat -Army Surplus from eBay 

Bag - Vivienne Westwood 

Fashion Stripper Shoes

There's something so overwhelmingly ugly about these Alexander Wang shoes - the proportions are pure stripper and the toe strap makes your feet look odd, but whatever. For £60 in the Liberty sale they were a fun addition to my shoe collection. All I have to do now is perfect the super fashion frump look to wear with them so I don't get mistaken for a lady of the night. 

Shirt - American Apparel  

Jeans - Uniqlo 

Shoes - Alexander Wang

Thinking About Stuff

Someone asked me where I shopped the other day. I realised my answer was pretty boring - I am such a high street girl, probably mostly because designer clothes tend not to fit me too well in the bust department (do only 32A or B women want to buy a £700 dress? That seems to be the case). When I do buy designer it tends to be Vivienne because she cuts for women with something up top or designer t-shirts because they are about the only thing that fit well! I don't know why, I cannot bring myself to spend £200 on a pair of trousers when Zara, Topshop and ASOS are so good for about a tenth of the price.   

I think my wardrobe is probably 30% Topshop, 30% Zara, 10% H&M, 5% Uniqlo, 5% American Apparel and the remaining 20% charity shop, New Look, Christopher Kane and Vivienne Westwood and other randoms labels*.

* This stat is entirely made up by me with no empirical research and doesn't take into account my shoes, handbags or accessories. So there. 

edit - OMG, I totally forgot about Whistles, there is a lot of Whistles in my wardrobe as of about a year ago.

Blazer - Windsmoor from Charity shop 

Grey Top - American Apparel 

Vest - Topshop 

Velvet Joggers - ASOS 

Socks - Topshop 

Shoes - Topshop 

Shirt - T by Alexander Wang 

Jeans - Topshop 

Socks -Topshop 

Shoes Topshop

Alexander Wang for Lina Farrow vs Hugo Boss @ T.K.Maxx

Okay, so they're not exactly the same, but one pair cost $350 and the other pair a mere £3.00 from T.K.Maxx in the sale. If anything I actually prefer the exaggerated metal detail on the Hugo Boss T.K.Maxx version, so it's win / win. 

French Dressing

I went to Paris yesterday to see the YSL retrospective and the Irving Penn 'Tradesmen' exhibition at the Henri Cartier Bresson gallery, with a boozy lunch in between. It was well worth the whirlwind day, but utterly exhausting. I had time on the way back to the station to buy some macaroons, try on some stuff in Isabel Marant, mooch around YSL and Givenchy (sadly no new season stuff is out yet so it's all a bit uninspiring...I want the A/W collections!) and stock up on French toiletries at a supermarket and Sephora. 


The YSL retrospective is jaw dropping. 400 couture dresses spanning over 50 years in one place. The range of his work slightly overwhelms (you can't take photos either, so your brain goes into overload trying to remember all the details), but for me the magic was really the last room - a huge space given over to 50 or so ball gowns worn by mannequins organised like they are mingling at the world's best dressed party EVER. 


I'd love to post pictures, but blogger is in a mood with me today and failing every photo I try to upload. 


Cardie - Whistles 
Shirt - T by Alexander Wang 
Jeans - Topshop 
Boots - NW3 by Hobbs
Bag - Laduree, of course. 

Give It The Boot

Loving my Zara boots at the moment. Also love my trousers, but less sure everyone else does (my father just asked if I'm changing out of my PJ's). 

Top - American Apparel 

Trousers - Day by Birger et Mikkelsen from Charity shop 

Shoes - Zara

Belt (top photo) - Charity shop

A Short Story: Part Two

Today I've finally plucked up the courage to wear my Queen's Wardrobe shorts. It's the volume of them I find a little scary, but balanced out with a belt around the waist they don't look too brownie guide. If you are like me, you'll remember something very similar in the Chloe S/S 09 shows...sadly the scalloped shorts that graced Chloe Sevigny, Diane Kruger et al also cost about £700. As a mere civilian I had to wait for a whole year before someone created a 'tribute' retailing for a mere £50, and most thankful I am too. 

Top - Marni

Belt - Charity shop 

Shorts - Queen's Wardrobe 

Shoes - River Island 

Bag - Alexander Wang

After a machine wash I also got to try out my new purchase - a plaid shirt with lace edging from Oxfam earlier this week. It's very twee, and a little hot for the weather right now, but I love it. I can't wait to pair it with loafers when it's a bit cooler and play with being super preppy, or go for crazy clashes (I knew my £20 green tartan Luella trousers from T.K.Maxx would come in handy soon enough). 

Top - Charity shop

Shorts - Charity shop Levi's made into shorts 

Shoes - Charlotte Olympia 

Alexander Wang - The Lust Continues

Being one of those people that is slightly too fat (it's sad but true that a British 12 with tits is considered 'fat' but that's fashion for you) for normal designer clothes, it's always been the accessories that have got me going.

Am loving the new offerings from Alexander Wang, particularly the American football as handbag. I wonder if they'll be in stock next time I go to Barneys? Coming to think of it, I wonder when I'll next go to Barneys?

Oh, and I forgot to say, the shoes ain't too shabby either! I love the little slither of perspex on the heel *faints*.

Life Yesterday - Moderate to Good.

Fail on the boot front. Instead am wearing my over the knee Marc boots with Topshop's new skinniest ever jean cut, the Jamie (they ain't lying, they are super skinny on the lower leg and ankle). And I am busting out the new Something Else tee by Natalie Wood, an Australian designer whose designs always grab me and then I realise it's by her - you know when that happens? Anyways, I'm a fan. Here's her site if you are interested: http://www.something.net.au/home.html

Oh, and also I saw the woman with the Alexander Wang bag on the tube last night. Happily she was not in her full on fabulous get up. The bag, yes, but otherwise it was a purple jeans / burgundy sweat top combo that screamed 'hangover day'. I wasn't exactly Anna Wintour yesterday, but I held my head a little higher.

But the most exciting thing I did last night was meet up with the girls. We went to see Up at Empire in Leicester Square where the Fantastic Mr Fox was premiering for the London Film Festival Gala. We got to walk the self same red carpet that Mr Clooney had walked but 15 minutes earlier. Because the red carpet was there with full on security everyone thought the cinema was closed, but it wasn't, and we saw Up with about 10 other people - probably the emptiest screening in the whole of London! It was a wonderful film. The short was just precious and the main feature was adult, silly and beautifully rendered. I cried my little eyes out in a good way and will never look at a dog with it's tail in the air in the same way. Thank you Pixar. Two hours with you are always two hours well spent.

(picture of Alexander Wang bag thanks to bagsnob)

Fashion Top Trumps

Yesterday on my way home from work I spied a woman who was at least 6 inches taller than me (I'm 5'7ish, so we're talking model tall), with amazing pink flat shoes that looked a tad Chanel and THE Alexander Wang bag with the studs on the bottom. She was so stunning in all her finery that I had to get on a different carriage so I didn't evaporate in a puff of useless smoke.

Today I tried to up my game, but my Marc Jacobs over the knee boots are giving me a blister because I haven't worn them in about a year. Damn. I have my half marathon on Sunday and forgot I'd promised myself only comfy shoes until after it is over. I bet tube girl doesn't have these issues. Humpf.

New Stuff - When To Wear?

It is with satisfaction that I note Net a Porter has yet to get the Alexander Wang boots I got my mitts on into stock yet. I cannot wait to wear them, but sadly this horrible sticky weather is continuing and wearing boots WITH SOCKS is just not going to happen when there are perfectly good sandals in my wardrobe.

Maybe there will be a sudden dip in temperature (whilst remaining dry - fat chance) and I can debut them. Am hoping that wearing them will double as resistance work because they are hella heavy. Lots of hardware. Maybe it will stop be falling over in high heels too?

The other thing to look forward to is the arrival of new Sass & Bide grey marle rats leggings. I have lived in the original Black Rats for the last year, so the prospect of a new pair is really too much. In just over 3 days time, when my brother arrives from Melbourne with said leggings, I can have an evening of 'guess what goes with these'. An integral event in any item being invited into my wardrobe although the absence of a mirror in my bedroom means I have to keep hotfooting it into the bathroom for a good look.