Synthetically hot-stepping

I'm a little bit of a snob when it comes to leather. I can't help it, but whenever I buy shoes or bags, if they don't have the little trademark I always think twice before I buy them.

I spotted these Carvela shoes a week ago, and had finally talked myself into buying them (£140 down to £49!) when by chance I looked at the label which told me that not one single part of these beautiful - and directional - heels was once belonging to a cow.

I do like this style, much more wearable than the YSL cage shoes, but something in me just won't budge. Am I completely mad? Have I passed up a great style opportunity?

On the other hand, maybe I've dodged a smelly feet bullet...

Casual Monday

Casual Monday by Ellie_Girl on Polyvore.com

Inspired in part by all the festival madness... just because I don't like camping or mud and have no clue about music... I do love the clothes.

More Aw09

This time its River Island bringing us an "interesting" mixture of tough-girl chic and quirky cool and completely missing the mark on both...

In answer to what everybody is thinking: the panda hat costs £19.99 and I saw it first.

(Images from www.prshots.com)

Miss Selfridge AW09

A pick of my favourite looks from this usually cutesy brand. Very punk, very eighties, very tough and a fringe to die for. Love love love that white blouse.

I left out various leopard print and sequin monstrosities which are in there because (as far as I can see) they have to please everybody. When it comes to competing in the style stakes the highstreet does best when it keeps it minimal.

(Images from www.prshots.com)

A rush of cash from the purse

This Saturday I was in the mood to do some shopping, no real surprise there, but seeing as I've recently been given the very excellent news that I am soon to begin a new permanent job, I thought that I could treat myself. My constant blogging of all the things that I would love to have, but cannot afford to buy, means that when it actually comes down to it I have absolutely no idea what to get for myself.

I'm an impulse shopper by nature, and have gotten used to buying "little things" for £5 and £10 at a time which don't make me feel like I'm spending oodles of cash, but in fact the opposite is true when it comes to looking at my statement. I'm so used to passing by the shelves and rails which hold things for more than £25 (my absolute cut off for some reason) that I'd forgotten the addictive rush of elation when one spends £65 on a pair of shoes. Mere peanuts compared to some, but for me a big step back into the world of thoughtless spending.

I know this isn't a good thing, and lord knows I have sometimes felt that my spending was completely out of control in the past, but I'm hoping that my year of servitude has enabled me to sort through all the things I impulsively want and walk away before buying them.

I shall be all about those "investment pieces". Unless of course I'm in the mood for a little colour... Can't wait to see what the all highstreet equivalents of Marc Jacobs AW09 are going to look like (I'm not going to be earning that much!)
(Image of Marc Jacobs AW09 from www.style.com)

Neon Teens

Neon Teens by Ellie_Girl on Polyvore.com

An homage to all the teenage girls who have fully embraced this (slightly questionable) trend thanks to the window displays in New Look and Primark. A look only the under 18 can pull off, but a nice reminder of just how fun being young can be sometimes.

(Unfortunately the Vuitton and the Louboutins require a lifetime of pocket money).

More Michael love...

Slightly more understated than the Lazy Oaf one, but still sharing in the tribute, it even has the silver glove. Amazing.

£32 at Urban Outfitters

Abercrombie "look" policy

"The Abercrombie and Fitch look? A porno version of Brokeback Mountain... And judging by their ads, the look is no clothes at all - brave, for a fashion label." - Hadley Freeman.

Classic.

Read the whole story here.

RIP Michael Jackson

I still can't believe the completely shocking news that MJ has passed away, he was a true legend. As the news of people holding vigils outside his house and the hospital come through, it is evident that they are singing and dancing and celebrating his life. There is no doubt that many of his songs will appear in this week's chart, Man in the Mirror appearing at number 95, five minutes after Chris Moyles played it on Radio 1 this morning.

As a tribute to this amazing singer (in fashion terms at least), I think I might get myself an "I'm Bad" tee from Lazy Oaf.

They were planning to have a dedicated evening in their Carnaby Street store in July to celebrate his tour, but now I suspect it will be a tribute evening instead ... I'll keep you posted.

Share the love www.lazyoaf.co.uk

Utter peacocks

We have Lady GaGa to thank for many things, creating catchy tunes that will always get you on the dancefloor, making it ok to be blonde and completely vacuous and for pulling off a style that will forever be synonymous with her. While I applaud her for all these things (to a varying degree) it really pains me when the highstreet attempt to create affordable versions of what are essentialy costumes designed for a girl with a killer body.

Peacocks, a favourite of magazines like More! or New! - and any other magazine that feels the need to punctuate their titles quite so annoyingly - has brought out these high-wasted pants for only £4. A testament to Ms GaGa's popularity, size 10-12 is already sold out, and i'm sure that (worryingly) size 18-20 will too.

Unfortunately in Bromley, like all similar suburban towns where the girls tend to take the trends a bit too literally at times - just look at 'local girl' idols like Danielle Lloyd - I'm pretty sure we shall be seeing our fair share untoned bum and thigh sticking out from glittery knickers. Shudder.

I did it! Kinda...

I have to say that I'm very happy with my efforts, although to be fair it was more of an effort finding the bits and getting them shipped over from China than actually putting them together. Better if you wear at least two, think understated Mardi Gras (if there is such a thing!) Might try to sell them on eBay... watch this space...

See what I was trying to copy here.

Karl.

Today, one of the very stylish editors who works on my floor came in wearing this t-shirt. Somehow she managed to get her hands on it back in November 2004 (from his H&M collaboration FYI) and has sensibly kept hold of it since. A quick Google and eBay search confirmed my suspicions, that unless you know somebody who is willing to part with it (and why would they?), theres no way on God's green earth that you'll get one. Sigh.

(Image courtesy of www.wwd.com)

Sartoriology... quite possibly narcissism...

It may look as though I love taking photos of myself... and it might be true... however I know that a good fashion blog cannot exist without copious images of oneself looking moody and stylish, so voila!

Want want want

I love love love this See by Chloe skirt from www.net-a-porter.com, at £290 I may have to sell a kidney to have it, but when has a little bit of surgery ever hurt when it comes to wearing really awesome clothes?

An amusing conversation...

I was out at lunch today and I overheard this rather amusing snippet of a conversation between a couple:

Girl: Oh I want to go in there, there are so many things and they are on sale.

Boy: You can't, you said you wouldn't buy anything and you haven't got any money...

(Men are always so bloody sensible)

Girl: I know.

Boy: (Smells the air) Mmm... food

Girl: Oh look H&M.

Boy: We need to get food...

Girl: H&M is food!

(Obviously this isn't transcribed word for word, but I left what I think are the important bits in... obviously.)

Sugar and spice...

I love Disaya, her inspirations are always kooky and wonderful and never fail to bring a smile to my face. From bunnies with carrots to spiders and zips, all her quirky, colourful pieces always make me happy whenever I look at them. (I don't care how special I sound right now).

This season it is all about neon brights and sugar-sweet inspirations which will satisfy anybody's craving for kitsch girlieness. Watch out for the cupcake brooch £120 or the ice cream earrings £68 (both above) as well as many other amazingly cute pieces; like the melting smiley face necklace and the splash brooches which make you look as though you've been hit with cartoon gunge - its enough to bring a smile to even Eddie Valliant's face. (Who Framed Roger Rabbit - if you don't know who I'm talking about, shame on you).

Check them all out at www.Kabiri.co.uk

(Splash brooches £140 each)

Saturday adventures

Sometimes its fun to just go wherever the will takes you. The boy and I decided to have an adventure yesterday and drive out into the Hampshire countryside. We drove through all manner of examples of the great English pastoral, thatched cottages with wisteria (Range Rovers out front - of course), perfect cricket lawns and then naturally we saw a fair amount of stately homes.

Funny really how in the middle of a village in West Sussex you can find fashion inspiration. This particular village was an homage to the antique industry with almost every shop peddling their bygone wares. The first one we went in was full of wonderful (and wonderfully odd) pieces, but these gorgeous shoes really caught my eye.

Made in the 50s in Sweden (the tag said so) they were in mint condition and super tiny, my heart did a little skip. Unfortunately though, they were too tiny for even my size 3 feet so I had to let them go. A good thing really, as even though we were in the middle of nowhere they were pretty vintage shopper savvy, with a £50 price tag. Although for shoes that were almost never worn I'm sure I'd be parting with much more in London!

I also found this very fetching handbag for only £14 - an unexpectedly good day for fashion. Maybe its time to buy some Hunters and head out to the sticks.

Madonna Nudes Exhibit

Before the days of her Malawian adoptions and high profile career, Madonna was just trying to get by and pay her way through dance school – her original career plan. The result was this nude shoot she did for only $30 for Martin Schrieber, who would go on to sell the photos to Playboy six years later.

Now these famous images are coming to London, not one for the prudes amongst us, her modelling partner is a suggestively placed cat… you might be able to see where this is going... You can't deny that she looks beautiful in the shots, if a little bit disturbingly like her daughter Lourdes at times.

You will be able to buy a little piece of pop history for a mere £3,400 but if your budget isn’t that of a Material Girl, there will be a variety of nudes memorabilia starting at just £1.

Exhibition starts July 2nd and run through to July 19th. 19 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, WC2

(Images courtesy of www.impureart.com)

A new 'do'

Thought I'd just put up a photo of the new cut and colour that I got today courtesy of the Anita Cox salon. Needless to say I will give them a great review as its hands down the best all round styling I've ever had.

Also note the "borrowed" Topshop dress, tough grecian sandals and M&S cardie... an inspired choice I thought, all of it highstreet.

For the love of Choos

An exciting piece of fashion news has landed on my desk this morning... This Autumn Jimmy Choo will be collaborating with H&M to bring high-end designer shoes to the highstreet loving public. (Whoops of joy).

This Swedish brand continues to go from strength to strength with their hugely popular collaborations which have seen bargain seeking fashionistas queuing outside from the early hours for a chance to shove their way to owning the coveted pieces. I'm sure that this November will be no different.

Promising shoes, bags and accessories, the chances of getting your hands on any outside of London will be slim, but if you do you can proudly jump through puddles in the driving rain - it is London after all - knowing that you've got three more where they came from for what will certainly be a snip of the usual price.

This collaboration might even get me queuing with my thermos and (super chic) sleeping bag....

As for their next collaboration?... Come on H&M repeat after me... Louboutin.... Louboutin...

(A girl can dream)

Perfect piece of peace

When I was browsing Covent Garden market a few weeks ago, I came across a market stall that had one of those piles of jewellery you can just dig through until you find something worthwhile, and then you pay £3 for your efforts.

Unusually, I found a little gem in the shape of a tiny gold chain with a peace sign pendant. My inner hippy was awakened and I was about to buy it, but alas I had no cash on me and by the time I came back the stall was closed.

Thanks to the internet however I have managed to find a replacement for my affections from Dogeared - albeit for 10 times the price.

I have to admit that I have always been in love with Dogeared and their gorgeous and delicate designs. I'm not a believer in all the spiritual nonsense that comes with them, but as they have awakened the shopping devil within, I plan to follow the path to Karma, realisation and fashion nirvana.

Be still my beating heart

This is Peggy, she costs £165 and you can find her at the wonderful shop that is Mimi Berry. This is a hot-off-the-press story as she only came out today (thus the crude photo), and it took me all of 30 seconds to fall in love with her. Equal parts minimal and squishy (what else does one need from a satchel?), I can already picture myself wearing it for all my London jaunts. For the more avant garde amongst you she is also available in green and red. No highstreet equivalent could even begin to compare.

Label love

What would I give to have that scarf? Or that bag... I snapped this label lover on the train home a few weeks ago, but I had completely forgotten about it. This woman-of-a-certain age is definitely not lacking in funds - that or she's seriously overdrawn. If you have a keen eye, you might notice that the cuffs on her jumper say 'Chanel', I'm also sure that up her sleeve is a very expensive watch.

Its unusual that you see someone over 50 who indulges in such unadulterated label love, but in these crunchy times, why not make everyone jealous by flaunting it?

(Although just in case she doesn't want internet (semi) fame I thought I'd give her a little anonymity...)

Um, no.

I was reading a piece in NYMag.com which picks out the key trends that we shall all be wearing over the next four months. Their list is slightly predictable, with its studs, bangles, sequins and here's the shocker - plaid (checked shirts for those of us who aren't fluent in American fashion lingo). Since when haven't we worn these things?

But what really gave me a start is that top of their list of trends for the summer are Lennon-style sunglasses.

No, no, no...

Yes, Mary-Kate just about pulls the look off with her tiny little face, but I think she has definitely made better fashion choices. We have a joke pair at home, and after trying them on I still don't see how this will be the next big eyewear trend. But since when does everyone have to get fashion? We are simply obliged to acknowledge it, and either copy or move on.

Thoughts?

(Above Urban Outfitters £4.99 - Below All Saints £40)

Not sure why...

I know that everyone has already been there, done that and gotten the proverbial t-shirt when it comes to these Melissa shoes, but my interest has been piqued today for no reason whatsoever. Whilst looking through all the fab things that will be going into various summer sales in a few weeks, I have disappointingly found out that these shall not be included in any reductions anywhere. Most probably because at £75 they're not too badly priced (for Westwood) in the first place.

If I actually get to go anywhere on holiday i'll probably buy them and proudly hot-step in the most expensive jelly sandals for miles around.

A little bit of narcissism goes a long way...

Was quite pleased with how I looked today so I thought I'd take a snap... Yes it's in the toilet mirror at work - complete with 70s tiling and flooring, how very retro!

Traditional voting dress

Above we have the traditional dress of the Bavarian Highlanders who like to make an effort to vote. Its probably a good thing that we don't have the same tradition over here, as judging by the new-found popularity of the BNP, some English voters would have turned up in full on SS uniforms...

A foray into vintage...

I know all the cool kids and true fashionistas wear vintage, in terms of style it's a sign of an ability to look backwards in order to move forwards (or some other such nonsense). Vintage clothes are a complete mystery to me, they smell funny, they're all polyester and leave a film of dust on your hands after touching them.

Whilst frequenting an all-you-can-cram-in-a-bag-for-a-tenner vintage sale at the East End Thrift Store, I was sorely disappointed with the piles of dusty, smelly clothes on offer. A room piled high with junk not even the store could sell, the smell of B.O was overpowering. Leaving the sale empty handed, I was pleased to discover a very nice store downstairs.

Other girls I spied had found what can only be classed as treasures, things that looked amazing without needing any alterations at all. Polka-dot dresses, denim shorts, mini jumpsuits and not one of them was itching from the secondhandness. I was inspired to dig around, something I often can't be bothered to do, and I found the little gem above. With only two strange looking stains and boasting the usual 100% polyester on the label it felt like wallpaper, but looked very cute. At only £15 I almost regret not buying it. Perhaps you get used to the itchy sweatiness after a while...

My next challenge...

They retail at £20 at Kabiri, which is frankly crazy as I can get all the stuff for them on ebay for about £5! Watch this space...

Creative, moi?

This is me trying my hand at jewellery making. Not the most complex of processes I know, but I'm pretty pleased with the results nonetheless. Commissions welcome...

(I've also discovered i'm not too bad at this still life photography lark, perhaps another change in career is on the cards...)

One-stop Luella

So Luella is now online. I received the email this afternoon and immediately rushed to have a look. It is a veritable feast of Ms Bartley's offerings, with helpful categories like "Psychedelic Wonderland" and "Wonky Factor" which display the beautiful oddities of her collection.

The Brook Street store in a nutshell, a huge amount of her SS09 looks are available to buy, the only exception being the shoes.There's no sale rail option yet, and as expected it is all very expensive, but I'm sure it will draw many an admirer to fork over £400 for a skirt.

One thing I've noticed, as her popularity grows, the clothes are becoming more and more unwearable. She is playing away from classic pieces, a route which many designers are taking at the moment, and dancing right into the hands (and wardrobes) of many a celebutante-come-cool-London-scene-kid. And if her Autumn looks are anything to go by, its going to carry on like this for the forseeable future (Thigh-high golden boots anyone?). But there is no denying that her creations are breathtakingly beautiful, if only to be marveled at and coveted from the pages of a magazine.

Log on, admire and by all means buy the extremely beautiful "Polly" dress (above), but don't expect to find something that lasts more than a season - fashion is fleeting daaarhling, and none so fleeting as Luella.