Want Cartier, Will Accept New Look

A naff New Look knock off inspired, one assumes, by the Cartier panthere collection.  Walking down Bond Street earlier this week I saw a panthere bracelet in the window made out of hundreds of diamonds and emeralds. I'll admit it that I began fantasising about what it would be like to drop enough cash to buy a house, and decent one at that, on a single piece of jewellery. I don't think I could, but I'd like to be in the situation to find out one day (when I come up with the next Masterchef / X Factor / Apprentice). In the meantime, if anyone wants to buy me something from Cartier, I would like that.  

Shirt - American Apparel 

Necklace - New Look 

Jeans - Topshop 

Shoes - Topshop 

Prada Platform Brogues & Dressing As A Man

I am on 'the waiting list' for a pair of Prada brogues - the brown and orange ones, with less of platform than featured on the catwalk. Maddeningly the black and white are available to buy now, but not the brown. If these do not arrive when they say they will, I think tantrums will be likely. I am actually physically anxious about this, people. 

If, when, I get my mitts (or feet, more accurately) on them, I will be channelling Paul Smith A/W11 - women doing menswear AS AN ART FORM. 

Prada Platform Brogues

I only own a couple of a pairs of Prada shoes - but I have a feeling that this season that will change dramatically. Every single offering from the Prada Spring / Summer 11 collection floats my boat. 

The platform brogue. Who knew I needed this in my life? Miuccia Prada, that's who. 

The woven summer sandal. This is a holiday in shoe form. 

Less platform, still fabulous. Loving the model's blister plaster. See, they are human too!

Blue or red? The choice is going to be a toughie...

And lord knows, I LOVE me a wedge, especially one with a fancy coloured sole. 

However, in the spirit of avoiding homelessness due to excessive spending thrift, I think these are the ones I'll be getting if I'm lucky. Brown and orange. The colours of my summer. To be worn with purple silk pants and a green or orange Whistles silk shirt. Yup yup. 

All photos from Style.com 

Last Minute Gift Suggestion...Net-A-Porter Shoe Subscription

Well, if you don't ask, you don't get, eh? This is an amazing gift. If you have an extra eight grand and you'd like to watch me spend it all on shoes and shoes alone, then this is pretty damn convenient, non?

A girl walked into a shoe shop...

The sales have started. Which can only mean one thing...the buying of shoes has also started. 

I picked my favourite A/W shoes from Net A Porter some time ago and these See by Chloe boots were on the list. There they were in the Poste Mistress sale. Done. 

And these Surface to Air wedge boots too...not on any list, but I just love the wedge, the buckle, the colour and pretty much everything else about them. 

And the ASOS shoe sale is on. Happy days! Both my picks from last month were reduced and therefore are now ready and waiting to worn once the snow stops. 

Bad me, huh?

Photos: Top - Bottom: Net A Porter, Surface To Air, Asos, Asos

Topshop Wanda Disco Wedges

Look what I just won on eBay! Well, not these actual ones, these are Taghrid's pair, but for illustrative purposes I will post it as the extreme me-wantiness all started with this picture. I spied them on her blog last year but alas, they were already sold out at Topshop. I've been checking and rechecking eBay since, and a pair popped up in my size earlier this week. No one else bid, so I snagged a bargain. 

Photo source - Taghrid 

Broadland Crested Velvet Slippers

A little while ago I wrote about my epic quest for the perfect velvet slipper. I am sure you were gripped. A day or two later Susie Bubble then posted about her search and ultimate score on the velvet slipper front - a pair so wonderous they made me realise exactly why she is a world wide style icon, and I'm, well, me.  

However, this incident did not put me off, I kept on looking and eventually found velvet slippers of sufficent poshness for my taste made by a company called Broadland Slippers. They do plain slippers for £90, monogrammed for £190 and crested for £230. I now WANT, nay, NEED crested slippers with my college crest on them. How awesome would that be?

Picture from Broadland Slippers

Image - Newnham College, Cambridge

This is my college crest - it would look super nice, non? And then I could order them in navy velvet with mustard quilted lining to match the college colours (below). I do like a bit of college branding...at University I even rowed for one term purely so that I could put in an order for boat club gear (they told me I couldn't order a splash vest unless I signed up, I did, I think they were shocked at the lengths I would go to for clothes - 6am starts, running, actual sweating etc). 

Finally, my college...pretty. Ahhh. 

Christopher Kane S/S 11 - My Picks

Look 15 of 36. Words cannot express how much I love this dress. 

Look 31 of 36. More feminine than I would usually go for, but it's so ornate I can't help but imagine this being worn to the world's raddest garden party with massive big black boots. 

Look 6 of 36. Up close I have been reliably informed that the leather looks amazing - I love the simplicity of the cut here, I have no idea what wearing laser cut leather would be like in the summer but I'd give it a try. 

Look 9 of 36. The colour of this jacket is amazing. I love how lady like it is, but I don't think many people would wear it to meet the Queen - therefore it is the perfect mix of punk and prim. 

Look 27 of 36. I love the tattoo print, which I assume Christopher Kane will produce on t-shirts...I hope so! 

All photos from Style.com www.style.com

Christopher Kane for Versus & Bruce Weber = Words I Like To Hear

I want this t-shirt. Christopher Kane X Bruce Weber = EXTREME NEED. Only question is, if I wait until the sales will it still be available?

Holiday Haul - Outlet Shopping at The Mall, Leccio, Florence

Because I am like, totally way cultural and stuff, one of the things I was most looking forward to on my holiday to Tuscany was a visit to The Mall. The Mall is designer outlet shopping at its finest (I haven't been to the Chanel outlet in NY yet though, so I could be convinced otherwise). 


There are all sorts of designer outlets in the area, some direct from the factory, others are purpose built like The Mall, which holds shops from Dior to Pucci, Marni to Balenciaga and most importantly for me - YSL. 


In the past I've found Balenciaga trousers for 40 euros, YSL platforms for 100 euros and an Alexander McQueen Novak bag for about 200 euros - so I was anticipating some good buys...and I wasn't disappointed...

See how way cultural and arty I am? I arranged my purchases into a still life. Impressive, huh?

Bag - YSL Muse Two 

Shoes on left - Marni 

Shoes on right - Marni 

Can't decide which ones to get? I walked around the Marni shop like this for a good 20 minutes trying to decide before thinking what the heck and getting them both. I think the poor shop assistant was relived to get rid of me. 

And, finally a massive Gucci tote bag. I know! Very unlike me to buy something Gucci (the queues in the Gucci shop are the biggest, with people buying anything with the Gucci logo stamped all over it, ick), but for €120 I thought this was worth it. The bonus is it only says Gucci in tiny print by the butterfly so no one ever needs to know. Phew. 

Random Want - Antonio Berardi

In the 90's Antonio Berardi was one of the darlings of the UK fashion scene. I can remember having his creations ripped from Vogue stuck to my wall as a teenager, but with a move to Milan he seemed to slip from prominence only to happily return to the attention of the fashion press a couple of years ago - perhaps it was as the body con trend took off once again...he is after all a master of the well cut dress. 

These four creations are all from his Resort 11 collection - it's the primness with the attention to construction that makes these so lust worthy. I would love to try theme on...I wonder if my boobs would fit ? This is sadly the last hurdle when it comes to designer dresses for me, unless they are by Dame Viv. 

Actual Shoe of the Week - Ann Demeulemeester Wedge Sandals

The shoes I ordered a couple of weeks ago are finally in my possession after a series of missed DHL men and failed pick ups from the DHL service centre. Getting stuff delivered in the countryside sucks. I can't wait to wear my new Ann Demeulemeester boots. They are ugly beautiful in the extreme. 

Don't Know What You Want 'Til It's Gone

There are some things you see straight away and know you want. There are others that are slow burns. Things you tell yourself that you can do without, that are no good for you right now, but seep into that little place where the extreme want section of the brain is (it's quite a big section of my brain, unfortunately). Sadly, after all that time spent rationalising why you don't need it and realise you are nothing without it, it's often too late to get whatever it was. 

This could be said of friends, jobs, great loves, one of a kind experiences..or in my case, shoes. In particular, these Chanel silver boots from the S/S 2008 RTW show. 

Nice, eh? (picture from Style.com)

So, imagine how excited I was when I saw that New Look knock offs were going to be in store this Summer for £40. Better late than never. Every week like clockwork I trotted off to the flagship store, hiked up to level 3 and did my shoe hunter scan (it's true, I'm a hunter shopper, not a gatherer). Nothing. For the last 8 weeks. Nothing. Nor were they in Newcastle or Lewisham, my fallbacks for items that frequently sell out in London. I gave up. But yesterday there they were. IN THE SALE. IN MY SIZE. FOR £10. Never let it be said I am not an equal opportunities shoe obsessive. Primark or Prada, it makes no difference to me if I like 'em. 

T Shirt - Christopher Kane S/S 10 

Shorts - Acne 

Shoes - Chanel New Look

(I am having a major bad hair day today thanks to some new product I've just experimented with. Am sticking with it until I go to the gym this evening. Yes I am that lazy that I am willing to go through the day with hair that looks like a birds nest)

Chanel Haute Couture A/W10

Last week I was too busy to post on the Haute Couture shows in Paris. The wonder of the internet means I allowed to glance over such an exclusive event and cast judgement. Yes, it's true...I am sadly not one of the 30 or so estimated women that keep most of the couture business alive, let alone one of the 4,000 worldwide that do at some time buy a couture piece...but I can dream. If I ever have £30 - £50k burning a hole in my pocket I will toddling along to Chanel without a doubt. The sequin sun creation and the cream zig zag skirt suit are top of my wish list. Failing that, I will take inspiration from the undone hair, simple eyes, red lips and piles of bangles.  

All pics from Style.com