Category Archives: Shopping

Apr4

How to make ends meet: practical styling solutions for Spring

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How to make ends meet: practical styling solutions for Spring

 

One of the biggest sartorial challenges that fairly all fashionable women (and men, also) have to deal with during spring is how to dress smartly on a morning-to-evening basis, especially in late March and throughout April, when there are days that seem to incorporate more than two seasons: chilly mornings may come with a bit of wind and rain, at noon, the sun may heat up the streets well, so that bare arms and legs are rendered the safest option, and finally, evenings may bear resemblance to typically cold nights in October.

The key to succesfully approaching  moody weather is to layer and juggle with items, so that at least one piece of clothing can be taken off or replaced throughout the day. What I’ve learnt over time is that more is best – choose two thinner layers rather than a single, thicker one – and that often carrying an extra sweater, or tee (in case you’re already wearing a sweater) in your bag is quite useful, and so is being prepared to take off your tights (or put them on, depending on the case) at noon. Scarves and maybe hats are also necessary, whenever you feel that the weather might surprise you, at some point.

 

This outfit is perfect for work or for running errands in town, and it can also save you easily if an unexpected date or meeting should occur – the zippered denim skirt is extremely versatile – wear it with a buttoned up shirt  and a blazer for a proper look, or take off its lower part and wear it with a T-shirt and a bomber jacket, for a casual, youthful look. Work it with both a blazer and a bomber jacket and add a broad smile to it!  Socks also come in handy for an extra dose of playfulness, and also if you happen to miss a pair of sandals too much! Otherwise, stick to skin toned tights if you want less people to stare at your feet.

Trends checked: denim, tropical prints, prints clash, mesh, pastels, sporty, platforms

 

Celebrate spring properly by wearing a floral patterned dress in the sweetest shades of peach and blue, and style it up by adding girly items – a lace insert cardigan, frill ankle socks, polka dots and gingham – for a romantic-nostalgic look! The faded denim jacket is a priceless classic that works well in this scenario, and so do the statement platforms!

Trends checked: floral, pastels, denim, lace, romantic, platforms

 

 

 The increasingly popular athletic trend is amazingly versatile – you can play with a pair of joggers in multiple ways: wear them with pointed courts and a tailored blazer or trench-coat for an elegant look, with brogues, a white shirt and a smart sweater for a casual, androgynous look , or with platform trainers, an asymmetric top and a denim vest for an effortlessly chic, laid-back look! This particular combination has it all: these silk joggers can be dressed up or down and look outstanding anyway, the brogues and sweater add the boyishness, the printed T-shirt play the casual part of the story, and last but not the least – the Peter Pan necklace and slashed sleeve blazer add some quirky elegance!

Trends checked: sporty, androgynous, digital prints, color block, deconstruction, statement necklaces

 

 This low waisted dress with a plunging neckline reminds us of the brilliant Art Deco inspired dresses sent out by Proenza Schouler for this season (that said, you probably noticed that the pastel check & paisley pattern on the blazer resembles the vibrant patterns from Preen Spring ’12). Hard as it may be to style this particular model of dress, I figured that the best way to pull this off would be to make it look elegant, but only halfway sharp! A white shirt and a blazer are more fun to wear if they come with a scalloped collar and a rich print in pastel shades, respectively, while a statement collar could set the stakes higher, and the mint tights are a less predictable alternative to the white or black ones. These gorgeous floral print sandals from Preen (for Aldo, nonetheless) are not a coincidence, and the pastel clutch also goes perfectly with the entire ensemble.

Trends checked: 20s dress, black & white, pastels, prints, statement necklaces

 

So, which one of these would you rather wear?

 

 

Mar26

Concurs TinaR !

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Concurs TinaR !
CÂŞTIGĂ ce-ţi place mai mult de la TinaR!

Pentru ca e sfarsit de martie, se apropie sarbatorile de Paste si pentru ca zilele trecute au fost atat de calde si solare, incat lumea din jur a cazut intr-o buimaceala dulce si darnica in zambete, TinaR vine cu un concurs ce va tine si de cald, si de soare, si de zambet (in caz ca primavara se va razgandi si va lua de mana orice alt anotimp, exceptand vara) :)
Ce trebuie sa faci ca sa intri in ‘joc’:
1)  Fa cadou un ‘like’ pe pagina de Facebook a blogului
3)  Lasă un comentariu AICI cu linkul produsului MUST HAVE pentru tine, de la TinaR, primăvara asta! Găseşti toate piesele de brand în magazinul online www.tinar.ro!

Scrie-mi şi în ce “poveste” l-ai purta, sunt curioasă cu ce planuri, vise, zâmbete l-ai asorta şi cum ţi se pare brandul TinaR, după 18 ani de modă românească.

La sfârşit de săptămână, eu voi alege cea mai inspirată poveste. Câştigătoarea se va bucura chiar de produsul cel mai dorit de la TinaR! Îl va putea ridica un-doi dintr-unul dintre magazinele din ţară ale brandului. (http://www.facebook.com/TinaR.Romania/info)
TinaR, cel mai vechi şi mai puternic brand românesc de modă http://www.facebook.com/TinaR.Romania, îşi sărbătoreşte în 2012 majoratul! Din martie, în magazine, atât cele 18 offline, din toată ţara, cât şi cel online, de pe TinaR.ro, e disponibilă noua colecţie, de primăvară http://www.tinar.ro, la preţuri ce nu depăşesc 200 de lei.O colecţie care oferă piese pentru două generaţii de femei: modele cool, foarte în tendinţe, pentru tinerele de 20 de ani şi modele clasice, confortabile, actualizate prin culori fermecătoare, pentru femeile de 40 de ani. 

Spor la shopping, profitaţi de reducerea de 25% de Paşti!
Si castigatoarea este… numarul 4, adica Laura Maria! :)  
Nov7

Trend report: 60s inspiration

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Trend report: 60s inspiration

 

Fashion never tires of reinventing itself and creating new ways of interpreting the past and anticipating the future, thus building the bridge on which the aesthetics of our present are based. This process starts all over again even before the  input of its former counterpart can be evident in high or low street fashion (for example, every September we (I)  get into the sparkly whirlwind of ready to wear collections for next spring and summer, rather than starting to make our to-buy list for autumn and winter).  Trends are the coordinates of each season’s fashion and basically the factors that determine how the transition between the catwalk fashion and the actual range of clothes available in stores takes place. While the attitude towards trends can sometimes be controversial ( the ones who childishly obsess over trends vs. those who claim to hate and/or ignore the shallowness of changing styles every season), I believe that trends can hardly be avoided by any fashion enthusiast and nor should they be. The beauty of fashion is about adapting and integrating the general into the personal. So, the most rational and successful manner of adopting a global fashion trend is by staying true to yourself, your style and nonetheless, your body shape, and by filtering the trend through your personal aesthetics.

While I am personally already kind of bored with this season’s collections and trends, I find the following exercise quite interesting and thought-provoking. It is about observing the character of a past fashion era and the way it was translated into today’s fashion, then further looking at the actual form in which it became accessible to the masses (aka the ‘clothes next door’).

The 60s… a time that I wish I could have lived, honestly. The social emancipation of women coincided with an impressive revolution in fashion.  The ‘birth’ of the mini, the abundance of color and print, the emergence of the androgynous look, the rock bands, the mod fashion, the French movies, the space look – broke all fashion traditions. To make a short depiction of the 60s in fashion, we’d have to highlight the following: the A line dress& skirt, the shift dress, the go-go boots, the boxy dresses, jackets and coats (reference point: Balenciaga), the goggles, the pillbox hats, floppy hats, the berets, the drainpipe pants, the swing coats, the kitten heels, the space-age jumpsuits. Now all we need is the final touch that epitomizes the 60s era: the fashion icons. Jackie Kennedy was a very influential style icon throughout the decade, especially in the early 60s; the actresses: Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Mia Farrow, Catherine Deneuve, Anna Karina; the models: Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree, Verushka; the musicians: the Beatles, Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourgh, Francoise Hardy, Marianne Faithfull; the designers: Mary Quant, Emilio Pucci, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, Andre Courreges; the unclassiffiable: Edie Sedgwick.

 

Pictures collected from this awesome tumblr: fuckyeah60sfashion

 

Now, let’s see how the 60s inspiration has shaped the fashion of fall 2011.

Prada

 

A first comment to any Prada collection ought to be an utterly sincere recognition of Mrs. Miuccia’s supremacy in  fashion and her indisputable input in the direction of global fashion, materialized in a perfect balance between concept and form. The results of her work are always artistic, yet somehow they greatly influence urban fashion. In this particular case, she referenced the 60s and the 20s going-on-60s fashion, processed the biggest of womanly fashion fetishes and produced a  strikingly beautiful collection. I have never seen someone work with snakeskin, fur, sequins and minis at the same time and build an almost virginal look, with a  sense of mysterious sensibility. Basic 60s trends found here: A line, drop-waist dresses, Mondrian-inspired block prints, knee high boots, space caps. Texture is one of the many things that Miuccia does better than anyone else. Here, she experimented with fake fur in neutral colors, snakeskin and  over sized sequins. There was fur on dresses, coats, collars and caps, there were sequins paired with fur, and snakeskin on boxy coats, next to fur collars. The accessories were stronger than ever: knee high boots made of a mixture of colored snakeskin, suede and glitter, with a perfect, curved heel, and nevertheless the lady bags which the models held tight to their chests.

 

Bottega Venetta

 

Tomas Maier often focuses his collections on  accessories, a direction strongly represented by the brand’s DNA, while the clothes make a statement of subtle, yet sophisticated, elegance. This time, things were way different than usual, and that was obvious from the very first look: the mohair coat in a beautiful shade of mustard, paired with Karolina Kurkova’s voluminous up-do, opaque white thights and t-straps sandals. Next were a few 60s inspired ensembles, namely suits, skirts and cardigans, and the extremely covetous  60s block color coats that we’ve been seeing a lot through magazines. Of course, the 60s reference was just a small part of the story, because later on came cocktail dresses with intricate, spectacular details ( Maier experimented with techniques of applying both real and virtual lace). The gowns with deconstructed busts that closed the show were the natural end for an outstanding collection.

 

 Yves Saint Laurent

 

Stefano Pilati dug out the YSL archives from the early 60s to the late late 70s for his fall collection, hence the appearance of many iconic silhouettes form the aforementioned eras. It was all there: the A-line shifts, the double-breasted coats, the skirt suits, the capri pants worn with sweaters, the knee-high boots. However, the clothes had a much stronger feel of ‘now’, rather than the referential ‘then’. Pilati played a lot with patterns, deconstructing and reconstructing them, injected a dose of menswear tailoring and left space for instinct and for the  ’wow’ factor, represented by the final all white looks. The result was  chic, beautiful and sharp.

 

Jil Sander

 

Mentioning two references as bizarrely opposite as Cristobal Balenciaga and ski wear surely anticipates a collection far from predictable or safe. Or maybe Raf Simmons’s ‘safe’ zone is exactly that: working with extremes. This outing encapsulated perfectly studied cocoon shaped dresses, coats and sweaters, worn next to the very unlikely stirrup pants (!). Filtered through Simmons’s attention to details and his genius approach to fabric and color, these looks turned out to be spectacular and polished. This is a lesson of how to render vintage couture wear into extremely modern and visually appealing pieces.

 

Alberta Ferretti

 

For Fall ’11, Alberta Ferretti went beyond her signature diaphanous sensibility, quoting an increasing need of nowadays women to separate day wear from evening and cocktail wear. This idea translated into a visibly double-sided collection, starting with the 60s inspired shift dresses with a crackled motif, tailored trouser and skirt suits, patterned or double pocket coats, all in powerful shades of orange, fuchsia and blue, and ending with the sheer, floor sweeping gowns which were Ferretti’s glamorous proposition for evening. Glamour was  present in day wear as well, where accents of preciousness were represented by beading, crystals and textures such as the velvet over the knee boots that left not one inch of leg to be seen.  The most memorable looks were the tunic over trousers pairing, which occurred in quite a lot of variations throughout the collection, and the stunning dresses with block color patterns, perfectly complemented by velvet boots.

 

 Valentino

 

In a season when for every other collection, a new and intriguing color palette was born, the looks in the Valentino show felt like a great relief for many of the elegant, modern women whose sense of edgy classiness  wouldn’t match the fervent color blocking and pattern mixing we’ve seen a lot in the past two seasons. This was a gloriously feminine and utterly modern collection, where the finesse and complexity of details met perfect, body complimenting silhouettes, all while maintaining the subtly edgy  sophistication which has been the two designers’ twist in the house’s direction. Shift dresses were simple and unadorned in the beginning, in toned down, neutral tones, and became more and more impressively detailed throughout the collection. There were also perfectly cut suits and 60s coats, matched with the omnipresent knee high boots, some in python skin. Lace was present here in many ways, a particularly memorable look was a lace and leather dress which looked worthy of a couture show. Equally couture-like dresses were the floor length gowns that closed the show, and also those with a whimsical check and flowers pattern.

Aquilano.Rimondi

 

Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimmondi are subtly, but certainly, heading towards the top of providers of the most unexpected, couture-like fashion of Milan fashion week. Their fall 2011 collection strikes as a clever and extensively studied mixture of signature Italian luxury, 21st century complex techniques, and an urban, nonchalant stylishness that is typical to the Aquilano.Rimmondi target customer. The duo’s 60s era reference was evident, yet the way that they developed it was truly mesmerizing.  Shift dresses and boxy coats were made of panels of wool, satin and fur, all put together by using a special needle punching technique, so as to avoid stitching. There was plenty of color, namely warm shades of orange, yellow and lime, beautifully combined with neutral tones and luxurious textures, such as velvet, satin and brocade.

 

Louis Vuitton

 

One of the season’s most talked about show was the one that closed Paris fashion week (well, then they were two, actually, let’s not forget -how could we?!- Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu collection). Marc Jacobs is known to be ahead of fashion by a rigorous 1.5 seasons, and his two NY based lines, plus the one for Louis Vuitton, speak out loudly in this sense. The main word for this season’s outing was fetishism, and Jacobs explored its facets like no one else could have. The silhouettes were partly 60s inspired: the boxy jackets and coats, hotpants, pencil midi skirts and jodhpurs. Textures were all polished and provocative, for example the see through midi skirt, clinched at the waist by wide, architectural belts in shiny cordovan, paired with the highest rubber boots. The final looks encapsulated colorful over sized sequins, similar to the ones seen at Prada.

 

Even though a transition from the creme-de-la-creme in fashion to the narrowed and toned down options available for normal girls like us can be rather tough, I have also made a selection of pieces that could bring a refreshing note of the 60s playfulness into your wardrobes.

 

ASOS BLACK Square Paillette Shift Dress, £120;  ASOS BLACK Half Moon Pailette Dress, £150;  ASOS Shift Dress With Neck Trim, £35

 

 

ASOS BLACK Laser Cut Spot Cocoon Dress, £95;  ASOS Drop Waist Dress with Pussybow, £45;  ASOS WHITE Slim Ankle Trouser, £40;  Vero Moda Barocco Print Shift Dress, £24;

 

 

ASOS Swing Coat With Contrast Trim, £95;  Motel Freya Faux Fur Cropped Coat, £80;  ASOS Coat With Fold Over Collar, £80;  ASOS Plastic Rainmac, £50

 

Nishe Scalloped Collar Wool Tailored Jacket, £80;  ASOS Classic Boucle Jacket With Trim, £50;  A|Wear A Line Mini, £25;    River Island Colour Block Pocket Mini Skirt, £28

Colour Panel Dress, £50 ;  3D Flower Shift Dress, £42;  Ozlem dress by Motel**, £38;  Bow Dress by Wal G**, £34;  Textured Peter Pan Swing Coat, £75;   Open Back Bow Dress by Annie Greenabelle**, £60;  Faux Fur Sleeve Wool Coat, £110

Cream Lace Shirt Dress, £39;  Red Braid Trim Coat, £80;  Insert Collar Dress, £42;  Wine Origami Pleat Shift Dress, £42;  Smart Lurex Jacket, £39;  Navy Scallop Short, £32;  Salt and Pepper Knitted Short, £29

 

Black print boat neck shift dress,  £35;  Grey color block drop wait dress, £45; Navy peter pan collar coat,  £85; Grey check shift dress, £25;  Black check wrap front mini skirt, £30;  Yellow texture shift dress, £25, all from River Island.

 

 GLACIER Bow Pointed Court Shoes, £60;  JUBILEE Suede Mary Janes, £50;  GARLAND Pointed Court Shoes, £65;  JANCEY Dalmatian Print Brushed Suede Heeled Ballet Pumps, £42;  JANE Patent Snaffle Loafers, £65;  JUPITER Off White Patent Gem Heel Bow Pumps, £50;  ASOS BLACK BARDOT Point T Bar with Gold Plates, £120; ASOS SONITA T-bar Shoes, £30;  ASOS SONYA Bow Toe Cap Mary Jane Shoes, £40,NOW £20;   ASOS MARS Metallic Loafer Shoes, £28; Red Doctors Bag, £35;  Aldo Gerl Contrast Lady Bag, £40; Bow Pearl Beret By Alice Hannnah, £20;  Purple feather detail floppy hat,River Island, £25;  Extreme Cats Eye Sunglasses By Squint Topshop, £22;  ASOS Round Colour Block Sunglasses, £12;  ASOS Tort Cat Eye Sunglasses, £12; ASOS Oversized White Cat Eye Sunglasses, £12

Oct27

Browsing through Topshop.com

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Browsing through Topshop.com

 

So I did my first ‘online styling’ thing yesterday evening- which turned out to be this evening, as well. I’m a regular visitor on every major online shop, and I find myself spending a couple of good hours checking out every possible pair of shoes, dress, cardigan, earrings or socks (the only categories I usually skip are lingerie and maternity). This time I tried to style up a few representative outfits for ongoing trends and I added a personal touch – I must say, it was a blast so I’d like to do this more often ( to be honest, I’d like to BUY more of these stuff too, but later on with that).

First things first, if you haven’t visited topshop.com lately, you should know they still have some sales going on, unfortunately it’s been a while since they’ve launched them and thus, most of the ‘goodies’ are already gone. You can still find a few precious bargains, though.

I always start with the ‘heels’ section, so here it goes:

I’ve spotted these back in February, on the runway of Topshop Unique at London FW, and i’ve been craving for them ever since. The dalmatian print is a major Topshop trend this season, you’ll find it hard to ignore – and you shouldn’t do that, anyway! A touch of Cruella De Vil can add some irony and playfulness to many ensembles.   (Mary Jane Ribbon shoes by Unique, £100)

 

These glitter boots are not-a-bad-at-all copy of the already iconic Fall ’11 Miu Miu ankle boots  . With a towering 6.5 inch heel, these are the ultimate showstoppers. ( Astrid suede glitter boots, £80 )

 

If I were to buy one or two dresses this fall, the first would be a ’60 trapeze mini (preferably in block colors) and the second would be this one. With its 40s silhouette and  perfect midi length, shirt collar & bow, and wonderful digital print with faded effects and a brilliant pop of yellow floral print, this dress is Fall perfection. Wear it with knee high boots or heeled tassel loafers and a trench coat (or a chunky cardigan). (  Wallpaper midi shirt dress, £80 )

 

This cocktail dress should bring out the Blair-ness in all of us. Perfect cut,  decent, yet leg complimenting length, heavily beaded neck & sleeves – count on this dress if you want to get a sophisticated lady look for evening. Bonus points for its seduction potential: the only guy you can’t get will be Chuck himself.  ( Limited Edition embroidered bodice dress, £185 )

 

No actual words needed for these Michael van der Ham for Topshop dresses. I would wear them bare feet-ed, any accessory may seem redundant in the proximity of these stunners. ( Devore dress, £200 , Silk dress, £150, by Michael van der Ham )

 

I chose a color block panel shirt dress with a pleated skirt for the first outfit and paired it with one of the essential fall coats: the (slightly) over sized men’s coat (aka ‘boyfriend coat’), in mustard, a popular color this season. I wanted to add some quirky elements to tone down the scruffiness of the coat, hence the heart pointed heels and the dalmatian printed bag. The result is quite twisted, but should work wonders for stealing a subtle smile from your boss.

 

This is the perfect minimalist skater dress in a delightful tone of blue, fit for almost all silhouettes and skin complexions. Paired with a statement faux fur collar coat ( it was time we forgot about those freezing temperatures), patent burgundy boots, a retro ponyskin bag and a cardigan in matching stripes, this is the epitome of modern glam for daytime. Add a statement necklace and be prepared to be spotted by some street style ‘paparazzi’.

 

A trend I am simply in love with this season is velvet, and this velvet draped number is the best there is. Velvet goes best with what else if not… well, velvet, so I picked these really high velvet bow heels in a contrasting color. Things got a bit more difficult finding the right coat, but this ’60s navy one does justice to the rest of the outfit. You could choose a faux fur jacket for a total ’70s look, but that’s out of fairly everyone’s comfort zone. Pair it all with glam jewelry and opaque tights.

 

Although the range of skirts available was not exactly satisfying, I picked up this pencil midi number for a daytime chic outfit. Wear it with a printed shirt like this one, add a faux fur jacket and a pair of contrasting court shoes, and don’t forget the final touch: a floppy fedora. There you go: 40s and 70s all mixed up together, and the best colors of fall ’11.

 

Another great and highly versatile piece is this pleated two tone skirt, which looks amazing with the knotted front blouse and polka dot bow tied scarf. The glitter Mary Jane heels paired with polka dots socks add some quirk to this outfit, and this grey lightweight trench coat tones down the girly note.

A more down-to-earth ensemble based on the best pair of pants I could find on Topshop. I went for a more masuline direction with the structured blazer, picked up a simple silk shirt in a contrasting tone of blue green, and accessorized it with ‘killer’ tassel boots and a floral snood for a balanced masculine-feminine look.

 

A real challenge was finding the right match for these rather hard to approach creeper heels which look really cool in the front and back, but a bit too chunky from above.

Predictably enough, I went for a slightly grunge approach when I picked the dress, added a soft-grunge note with the sweater, and ‘tamed’ it with the white faux fur belted waist coat. Simply add the grey socks with a contrasting brown stripe and you’re good to go.  Sure, people will give you  some obviously  puzzled looks, but on the fashion radar you’ll be the next best thing!

 

Topshop got a little bit closer to my heart after finishing this post also because I realized (again!) that it is the only high street brand that delivers all the trends in ready to wear, at (almost) affordable prices, while still promoting the uniqueness of every piece, instead of a comfortable stylistic unity (think Zara, H&M and pretty much everything else there is). The biggest proof of this is the difficulty involved in pairing a bunch of pieces together, in order to make a great outfit. Ok, I’m finally done now. Phew! this was hard work, indeed.

So, which of these outfits would you rather wear?