Bridle it up

In her post, Giddup There, Susie Bubble mentioned Fleet Ilya’s harnesses (Sorry Susie, didn't mean to post-bite), and the images jogged my brain as I tried to remember where I'd seen the harness/floaty combination fabric before. I managed to stumble upon this old McQueen collection when looking through the archives at style.com (I always turn to old McQueen collections when inspiration is lacking, but his newer stuff is leaving me rather cold...). There are harnesses over every item imaginable. A harness adds instant cool to what would have otherwise been a set of very dull beige ensembles. Unfortunately this isn't the easiest accessory to come by. I wonder if a palatable version could be found in kink shops hmm... I quite like the brown leather and I wouldn't want to do patent.

A Bit of Lace for Dessert

Ever the one to be entirely too caught up with runway trends, I picked up this beautiful lace blouse as soon as I laid eyes on it. When buttoned all the way up it has a very strong editorial look. It's rather dark and romantic. I haven't quite found the perfect bottom half to this outfit yet. After seeing Miuccia Prada's lace swathed collection, my brain demands a lacy skirt. At the moment I'm considering wearing it with a slim floaty long grey skirt and black boots. In the meantime I'll keep my eyes open for a skirt to match.


Skirt: Seduction (via the Salvation Army)

Did the latest Prada collection remind anyone else of a very decadent desert? I'm thinking of chocolate and butterscotch. I've always been quite impressed with Prada's attention to detail and choice of fabrics. The mumsy-fit of the shirts probably won't do much for me (I prefer the shape of my own), but the lace is gorgeous. I also appreciate experiments with shoes. Give me an unusual shape of the heel any day. I hope more affordable versions of the winged-shoes on the runway pop up somewhere.


Images from style.com

Tagged!

I've been tagged by the lovely Cindy of Applesauce. So here's a little bit about me:

5 Things found in my bag:
- philosophy textbook
- philosophy notes
- student card
- pens, pencils, erasers
- almonds
(obviously I haven't taken anything out since my exam)

5 Things found in my purse:
- wallet I've had since 10th grade (it was a b-day present that I'm not willing to part with)
- LG chocolate phone (rather beaten up I'd say)
- mini Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue perfume
- water bottle
- old Olympus 35-EC camera (the boy gave it to me, it's hard to scale focus on it... I'd like to just take random photos and see what comes out)

5 Favourite things in my room:
- a huge framed Dali print on my wall
- my ever-expanding collection of books (mostly bought second-hand)
- my Grandpa's old Praktika Super TL complete with musty smell and broken light meter
- cards given to me by the boy
- antique flip-open writer's desk (technically in my new room that I have yet to move into)

5 Things I always wanted to do:
- re-learn Romanian, perfect my spoken French, and learn German (for a start)
- read all of the books on my bookshelf (I pick up too many)
- travel the world with my camera
- re-visit my hometown Brasov, Romania
- own an apartment downtown

5 Things I am currently into:
- eccentrically dressed people, especially older gents
- the monetary system
- browsing through blogs of all sorts
- eastern philosophy
- fencing

The person who tagged me is Cindy from Applesauce

Your 5 impressions of her:
- she has some mad design skills
- she's crafty, I like to read about her projects
- she has a good eye for spotting the interconnectedness of fashion and art
- she finds the most quirky and interesting clothes and accessories
- she needs to post some photos of her wardrobe because her lovely blog has made me curious :)

I will tag:
Little Thoughts
La Petite Parisienne
Fruchtzwerg's Island

Today's Outfit

My last final was over and done with yesterday afternoon and now I have all the time in the world to... look for a job. A couple of my results have come in and I am pleasantly surprised. Today's outfit is a little repetitive. I felt like dressing in something that I know works. I'm still recovering from exams. I barely pulled myself out of bed. It felt as if my very bones were aching. On a second thought, I might switch the heels for flat boots before going out. I might zone out and trip over something, considering the state I'm in. Now I can finally relish tossing away my notes (recycled of course). I might stop by at the newly opened H&M in town. Have a good day folks!




Jacket: second hand
Sweater dress: Urban Behaviour
Scarf: second hand
Shoes: Aldo
Leggings: made by me

Painted Leather Shoes!

Continuing on with my bold pattern and shoe obsessions... introducing a line of hand painted leather shoes by the Brazilian label Neon. The shoes are made from scraps of painted cow-skin that the label's co-designer Dudu Bertholini has picked up while traveling. I love their sleek shape and slight heel. They're pretty unisex. I can see them worn with outfits of all kinds: skinnies, floaty skirts, long and short. Does anyone know of a type of paint that would withstand wear and tear from being placed on shoes? This would be a fun summer project.


Images from coolhunter.com

They strongly remind me of a pair of Yohji Yamamoto boots I was admiring from the SS 2008 collection.


Image from style.com

Shoe Lust

Even though I'm currently jobless, and broke, and any money to be made is going towards tuition, I still browse the local stores with the eagerness of someone who just received a bonus. Who knows, maybe by some twist of fate the shoe fairy will leave these darling things on my doorstep. The first pair appeared in a photo on the Aldo site a few weeks ago, but the shoes themselves were nowhere to be found. Now they appear! I like the curved heel and wide elastic straps. The second pair has a sky-high price tag to match their vertiginous heels. $350? Aldo, you just broke my little heart.

Say Hi to the Daulmonster

Say hi to Daul Kim. She likes to fork herself. I dig the slanted Y-3 hat and the long Comme des Garcons skirt with added hands. I appreciate a bit of eccentricity to a person's style. Stuffed hands? Sure! I eagerly anticipate CDG's collaboration with H&M. Please be weird! Please?


Images from Refinery 29 and IMAX via Sethii at tfs.com

Closet Envy

If I was rich and famous (ok maybe just the rich part) I'd wear these...


Vanessa Traina, Une fille un style, Vogue Paris May 2008
Scanned by BerlinRocks at tfs.com

Tribal Allure

This particular Vogue China editorial featured some of my favorite pieces of the season. I'm in love with the zany Sofia Kokosalaki dress, Prada socks and Balenciaga sandals. I really need some new socks/tights at the moment.



Scanned by Alix* from tfs.com

What I Wore

So the past couple of days I haven't been online very much other than to post on the blog. My google reader was waiting for me today with over 50 new posts to read! I feel two steps behind everything. And I'm posting yesterday's outfit instead of today's again. I'm now trying to catch up on all of the sweet comments I received the past couple of days in encouragement about the direction my blog is going. Thank you guys! You make me smile :)

Yesterday I met with a contact who works in market research. She was very kind to me and we talked a long time about the industry and the sort of entry-level jobs and companies I should be looking out for. My dream job is in trend forecasting, but that's rather difficult to pursue in Vancouver. For the time being I have to stay here to finish my first degree but I'm not against setting out for someplace new in the future. I didn't take french for nothing all these years!

Yesterday I wore my brown leather jacket again because it was warm enough for a thinner one. I still topped it off with a scarf, however. This scarf is from Romania. It was my mother's in the 70s and 80s. It's still in wonderful shape and the colors really pull an outfit together. I'm off to do more catching up now!

Wine and Dine

Last night I ruined my last pair of tights getting my necklace caught in them. I had to photoshop the offending hole out of my photo. I really am in dire need of tights now. I only have one pair of black leggings left, which means either I will have cold feet of I'll have to lay off skirts and dresses until I get new tights or the weather gets warm enough. But I can still wear them with boots.. hmm... I should really get to ordering new ones.



The boy looked really handsome last night in his leather jacket and bow-tie. We went out for dinner and then stopped by a Transylvanian bakery I didn't know existed on the way home. We bought a delicious Romanian dessert called Savarina. It's a sponge cake dipped in rum syrup with whipped cream and strawberry sauce. I like how they actually use real strawberries for it mmm. No chemically created goo this time.



Did you know that Lamborghini makes wine? Apparently they were a wine family before they got into the car business. Interesting. My boyfriend tells me it has just a touch of leather flavour (of course, hahaha). Can't wait to try it!

BRB Busy Day

No time for posting today I'm afraid. Had to study in the morning because I'm celebrating a very special day with the boy. But just for eye-candy, here's the card I made:

I really do have spring fever...

Ok, I have pretty much filled up my floral pattern quota for the next decade. I guess I just zeroed in on something missing from my closet and went a little crazy. Once a certain look gets into my head it really stays there. That said, I'm still guilt free, because any pattern makes for great layering opportunities. You can pull so many different colors together with a good pattern.


Background from janellasinvitations.com (through google).

I'm Blind

How amazing are these glasses? I'm incredibly envious. I've been on the market for a new pair of glasses for ages now. I have a nice pair of sleek red-rimmed frames that I'm still very fond of. However, when I bought them I didn't pay too much attention to how wide the sides where. They keep falling off my face if I bend over too much! Still, I kept them for three years and it's really time for a change, especially since my prescription is getting worse. I don't have contacts, and my glasses keep falling off, so I usually just get by not wearing them outside of lecture halls. It makes looking at cafe menus really annoying, however. I was leaning towards a tortoise-shell frame. These are so perfect! I wonder where they're from...


Photos from borderline.com

Ohne Titel

The print issue of Fashion156 magazine featured one of my favorite dresses from the spring shows. Every time I browse through my saved images folder I always stop at Ohne Titel's collection and stare dreamily. Ohne Titel, meaning untitled in German, is designed by Parson's graduates Alexa Adams and Flora Gill. They're debut collection last season was amazingly well put together considering the line has just started. Their influences ranged from tribal art, totems poles, and the French painter Jean Dubuffet. It very much defined the prints of the season for me.


Runway photos: style.com
Editorial: fashion156.com

Wake-up Call

Ouch. Criticism hurts. A comment I received on my last post really made my face burn bright red. I really feel the need to respond to it. If I come across as self-obsessed I really have to apologize. Of course, it was never my intention. I'm curious though, is it because of the content I'm posting or is it the tone of my writing? Or do I not smile enough in photos? I'm not involved in the fashion industry so I am not immersed in its goings-on and that just leaves me with material that happens strike my eye. I'm not an impartial reporter and this is a personal blog. In truth, some days when inspiration is lacking I feel bad only posting a photo of myself.

So I'd love to hear what sort of content would be more interesting! There are things that I'd like to do but I'm quite hesitant to pursue. For example, every time I come across someone on the street who's style I like, I always want to ask them for a photo, but I'm always too shy. I would also report on places I usually shop, but the problem with that is, I honestly shop at Value Village way too often and would feel fake writing about any fantastic vintage store that I browse but never buy anything from. For the moment, as I'm getting the hang of the blogging thing, I really only have myself to go buy, so suggestive feedback is highly welcome!

Today's Outfit

I started off the day by heading down to the park, philosophy textbook in hand, to get some reading in for my final. Today was the first time I had ventured out without a heavier jacket in months. I still layered because it isn't all that warm. But things are heating up a bit, I can feel it in the air! Then I went out for dinner with the boyfriend stopped in front of a favorite bookstore for photos. Attached to the denim jacket is a fur collar I found on the same day. I think it's a shame that people throw away perfectly good fur collars. They're very versatile and can be pinned onto anything.

American Vogue in the Emergency Room

This morning I happened upon this little goldmine of fashion's past. What a wealth of inspiration! When looking at today's ugly text-filled white-background covers, it's easy to forget that fashion magazines were once very fashionable! It's so refreshing to see that they felt at liberty to alter the iconic Vogue logo in order to harmonize it with the rest of the cover. Truth be told, I think that the font they've been using for ages now is on its last stretches. Actually, the whole layout of the magazine is very tired and dull, and their cover choices have become progressively worse. I understand that American Vogue is targeting a different market than Italian or French Vogue, but that is no excuse for letting the brand stagnate. So maybe the really sexed up covers that sometimes make an appearance in Vogue Paris aren't for American Vogue, ok, but the Vogues of the past have managed to exhibit both class and forwardness. I was particularly horrified to see a very photoshopped Gwyneth Paltrow on this month's cover, arm slung over a robot head as a nod to the 133598th super hero movie Iron Man. I can't think of any other reason why a fashion magazine would associate itself with a generic blockbuster movie besides profit. I'm just itching to see what will happen when Anna Wintour finally resigns. Most likely not very much, however.

Teens Turn To Thrift

USA Today posted an article announcing that teens are turning to thrifting as the the economy heads further into a recession. I wasn't surprised to see the statistics presented, as I've witnessed the change myself over the past year. Thriftstores have become much more crowded and popular as of late. I remember a over a decade ago when, as a new immigrant, I had to shop second hand as a necessity. I hated it. At that time, I was young and just wanted to be like other kids. Then in my last years of high school I returned to thrift shopping, this time out of choice. I simply wasn't satisfied with the selection of clothes in the mall and wanted pieces that were both unique and durable. Now I'm pretty much a regular. Even though I'd very much like to keep all of the good finds to myself, I'm happy that more people are deciding to be less wasteful when it comes to shopping. It's too bad that it was triggered by bad economic conditions, however. This is a trend I'd like to see continuing into the future.

Read the article here.

Dark Romanticism

It seems as if some version of the Gothic look pops up on the runways every year. This time around it's summed up perfectly by the kohl-eyed femmes at Givenchy. I fall for it every time. It must be a residual effect from reading too many Anne Rice novels in high school. Is anyone else a little too excited for the Twilight movie? Some obsessions never die... fortunately.



Stockings and H Chalayan dress: Brittique
Givenchy booties: Zappos
Chrisopher Kane dress: Style Finder
Givenchy runway photo: Style.com
Background: RuudVisser.com

More Pink, More Florals

I think I've been much more open-minded with my outfit choices this year. Last year I never would have touched pink florals with a ten-foot pole. The more I look at runway photos the more I think that anything goes. Maybe it's not such a good thing. My closet is taking on a life of its own. I don't know how I'll cope in my new house, as my closet will be even smaller. I try to console myself by thinking that at least I'm not being wasteful since I give used clothes another chance at life. Today I'm staying home to study for my last final, so nothing interesting is happening. I decided to dress up anyways.



Plus, what the boyfriend wore to work this morning. I found the skinny leather tie at another charity shop. I think my disease is infectious. I can see his closet being invaded, little by little.

Casual Little Denim Jacket

I picked up this denim jacket from a charity shop yesterday. It was a nice place there. It wasn't to small, so there was much to look through, and it wasn't anywhere near as crowded as Value Village is getting these days. The sales proceeds go to orphans and the shop is run by a Dutch family. They asked me if I was Dutch because of my height :) I also bought a fur collar that is cut to look like the collar and lapels of a jacket, as well as a belt and a bright floral dress. I'm planning to shorten the dress so I'll be posting that later sometime in the future.

Thriftstore Browsing

Today I took the bus down to a thrift store I haven't been to before. I came out with some neat things, which I'll post sometime later. Here's what I wore:

From Romania With Love

Ever since I moved to Canada when I was only five, I've only been back to visit Romania once. That was four years ago now and I really have the urge to go visit again this summer. Partly because I want to immerse myself in the language again for a couple of weeks at least. Partly because both of my grandmothers will be moving to Canada for good come September and if I visit in the future I won't be able to stay in their old houses anymore. Last time I went I was rushed from family dinner to family dinner. I hardly had any time to really explore. If the budget permits, I'd love to return and stroll through different cities, snapping many photos and browsing through the markets.

This morning I was flipping through flickr photos and came across this lovely set containing many photos of traditional Romanian folk costumes. I love the intricate embroidery on the vests and the crisp white dresses.





For some reason the high collar and pleats on this Emilio de la Morena appeared to me as a nod to the traditional folk wear. A more modern and stream-lined version.



vest: eBay
suede boots: eBay
dress: Emilio de la Morena from Nina and Lola

Old Trunks on the Beach

There are so many things I love about this set of photos.
1)Vintage trunks (planning to buy one for my room)
2)Florals
3)Bow-ties
4)Serenity










Photographs by Carl Bengtsson

Fun Times With Photoshop

As a testament to how much free time I have now, I just spent an inordinate amount of it cutting my photo out and pasting it onto an interesting background. And then adding shadows. And then obsessing over details. Anyways, I feel like a walking charity shop with all of these second hand items I'm wearing today. But I love this tree bark print dress. Great for blending in amongst the trees. Height helps too.




Watching: The Russell Brown Show - Advanced Masking

Almost Free!

So things have slowed down a little for the last few days as I hit the books to study for exams. Tomorrow is my last one for the week, and my very last exam is well at the end of the month, which leaves me with a lot of free time starting tomorrow evening! Does anyone else get subconsciously stressed out over things? I thought I was handling exams well this semester, but then I kept having nightmares about not waking up in time to write the exam. And today I felt kind of dazed as I was about to black out for no particular reason. I'm not the kind of person that pulls all-nighters to cram so I don't think it's from a lack of sleep. Oh well, the worst of it will be over tomorrow!

H&M Is Watching Me

Do you ever have the feeling that you're being watched? Well I do now. As I was browsing the new items H&M is releasing this fall at Nitrolicious, I came across and almost exact replica of a skirt I thrifted a few months back! They even have the extra panel of "leather" (their's might not be, but mine is) on the bottom! The color is exactly the same, and the only difference is the added buttons! I posted a photo of myself wearing this a while ago on tfs.com. Am I just crazy? I mean, it's so similar!







Images from nitrolicious.com

Old Man Style

Today I'm stuck at home studying again. I'm wearing my new pants in a completely different way. Maybe it's a little silly? Oh well, it looks cute in person! I'm feeling rather low in inspiration lately. Exams can do that to you. More interesting and inspired posts coming soon I promise!


watching: The Merchants of Cool