Natwest, Beware

So I haven't written in about 3 months...I'd say I'd been really busy but that would be a teeny weeny porky pie. I've just been realy lazy. But now I'm home for Christmas...except I'm kind of not really, but I think everyone who reads this is pretty bored of me whinging about that situation, so I'll save it for laters.

After a lovely lovely term back in lovely lovely Cambridge with my lovely lovely uni friends, I am very very broke. BOO. BUT I have made a decision to do my next terms shopping here (in London) seeing as the shops are amazing and I can't look at them without buying things. THEREFORE I am totally justified in going into my overdraft....and possibly maxing it. I know that when I go back to uni after Christmas I may heavily regret this decision and produce some more warped (yet highly convincing) logic that allows me to buy some more delectable items...but until then...oh well!

This is the shop that has practically forced me into debt: Public Beware. The store's situated just off brick lane, next to a couple of ludicrously tasty cafés. It's the kind of place I imagine Willow Smith would shop (and yeah, I am kind of ashamed that my new fashion icon is a 10 year old...but probably not as ashamed as I should be). This winter I've felt a bit lost, sartorially speaking. I dabbled in camel, nudes, and sharp tailoring...but to be honest, I don't think that kind of hyper groomed, 'sensible' image is very me. I've always gravitated towards lots of studs, lots of sequins, lots of leather...lots of anything, really. Public Beware focuses on the somewhat aggressive detailing I love...slashes, rips, fringing, faux fur, netting, zippage...and yeah, a fair proportion of it does cross the fine line commonly known as taste. But alot of it is just AMAZING!

I tried on a hefty load of delights...and to be honest, I could've bought EVERYTHING. However, I settled upon a crazy, oversized, colour-blended jumper, some netted hareems and another jumper, this time cream with a frayed back and side.

Ta ta, financial security.

P.S tonight I'm going to a Christmas Party and wearing these:

Thank you, Eva Sharma!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...hopefully

When I first started this blog I was ridiculously enthusiastic and posted almost everyday. This was mainly the result of post-travelling depression combined with having no job and no place of permanent residence. I know not many people actually read this but I'll say a massive SOZ anyway for not posting in forever...I got a job which took over my entire life and knocked out the majority of my brain cells along the way. Today's my day off though, and I finish on Sunday, so I thought I'd pay my little old blog a visit.

Since I work 6 days a week from dusk til dawn (this isn't exactly accurate...but it feels like it), I've also had no time for my main and most beloved hobby. At first, it was hard. I missed the excitement, the butterflies. I missed that feeling of contentment that filled up my lungs, brought colour to my cheeks and made me want to sing. I was irritable and twitchy...like an addict, forced to go cold turkey. However, the end is nigh, my friends. And so, the incomparable joy of shopping will be making a more than welcome return into my life.

Although I'm always open to finding spontaneous items of delight, I like to go in for a hardcore money spending sesh with a vague idea of what I'm looking for. I'm pretty torn this winter...although I've revelled in the beauty of the crisp, minamilist looks produced by Celine and Chloé (which have also been championed by the highstreet), I know that in reality, I'm not always in the mood for the neat perfection that these require. I've definitely got my eye on a few Celine-inspired pieces...but, as ever, I'm kind of feeling slouchy, bedhead chic...with ridiculously impractical shoes.

What I'm really after is some slightly loose acid wash jeans. A precise picture suddenly pinged into my head and now I'm struggling to get it out again. I think I might have been watching too much This Is England '86. I plan to hunt for these non-existent jeans next Wednesday...wish me luck.

I am also craving some big, off the shoulder t-shirts/tanks. Preferably this:

or this:

However these Ashish x Topshop items come with a ridonculous price tag...I dont think I could pay £50 for a long sleeved t-shirt (although I've said such things before...).

Other than that, I'mlooking for lots of jewellery this winter. I'm gonna hunt down a massive crucifix, and a selection of other oversized pendants...possibly made out of bizarre household items. I've been overwearing my ruffs since Nikki worked out how to make them, and I am starting to feel a bit nude without a massive piece of fabric around my neck.

So basically I plan to buy a selection of things I already have...but more. This post was kind of pointless.

Viva La Vida

I've read quite a few blog posts centering around the contents of the blogger's bag, with the blogger contemplating on what deep and meaningful things the items say about their lives. The inside of my bag is full of crumbs, old bottles and other skanky shit...you wouldn't want to see it. Instead, I think this picture of the floor of my car sums up my life perfectly:

Going dutch

Legwear's always been a tricky one for me...mainly because my pins are a good two(/three/four) inches shorter than what might be considered 'average'. This makes it extremely difficult to buy trousers from the highstreet. Thank god peg legs have been having a moment for the last few seasons...I can generally convert them into somewhat ill-fitting hareems.

The sad thing is, I LOVE legwear. I understand that bare legs are alluring etc, but for some reason I feel kind of....underdressed without a bit of leg coverage. That's a whole section of my body that could be draped in something fun.

This is where tights come in. They add a touch of interest into an oversized t-shirt or a baggy vest, making lazy day dressing as easy as nomming down houmous. Until about a year ago, I used to settle for the black opaque. Occasionally, I'd venture into something grey. But I've since discovered that tights can be just as exciting as 'real' items of clothing. Patterned, ribbed, coloured, seamed...the possibilities are endless, and moreover one size can just about fit all (with a bit of twisting, ruching and wriggling around like a maniac).

I'm a massive fan of Henry Holland's collection of patterned beauties. So far, I've collected at least one pair from every season. This is pretty much down to my lovely mother, who gave me a couple of pairs at Christmas as well as including a few in little packages that she sent to me whilst I was at uni (yes, she's an absolute angel). His aesthetic ranges from simple, subtely unique patterns to loud, brash, and damn right crazy designs. These are a few of my favourites:

I'd also do a lot of hideous things for the shoes in the second image. Wowza.

These are still on the wish list:Unfortunately, I can't find them ANYWHERE. If anyone manages to hunt them down perrrleeeaaase let me know. I worry my life will be incomplete until they are adopted into my ever expanding draw of deliciously decorated hoisery.

So fresh and so clean...

I've never been particularly interested in Louis Vuitton. There's only so many collections you can look at each season and I've always dismissed it as too classic, too traditional, and have preferred to look at Marc Jacobs work for his own collection. But shots from the Louis Vuitton fall 2010 show have been splattered over every magazine and have inspired countless items on the highstreet. It's been pretty darn difficult to avoid.

At first, I was less than impressed. Undoubtedly, the collection celebrates a fuller, more womanly figure, which has got to be a good thing. It's primary features include nipped in waists, feminine yet simple tops, and a-line, mid length skirts. At first glance, I found it...well, boring.

However, since I've been forced to look at it over and over again, I've grown to kind of love it. When all this mid-length skirt palava began I really couldn't see myself ever becoming a convert. Maxi, I understand. Mini, I understand. But mid-length...why? But now...what at first seemed to me to be a stuffy, old fashioned length in fact feels remarkably fresh. I really love the silhouette it creates when paired with a close, structured top half. It reminds me of some sort of sci-fi fantasy....except the items themselves are such simple, realistic pieces.

However what really swung the collection for me was this image:

The combination of texture, colour and pattern keeps the traditional silhouette extremely modern. I love it when fashion renovates something entirely like this...it just feels so new. I'm totally feeling the selection of brightly bowed shoes aswell. DIY project maybeeee?

What's on TV?

Sorry for the lack of updates. I have gone from being the laziest person in England with fuck all to do, to a hardcore 13-hour-shift-working machine. I think my body is in shock. At least it would seem that way, given that it's 11.40 am and I'm still in bed. But I think on my one day off a week I'm allowed to return to the horrendous slob we're all much more familiar with.

This is my new home:

It's in the form of a 3 roomed basement which I swear to God attracts arctic temperatures. Yesterday I didn't take my coat off. Which was actually quite tricky when I had to put painting overalls on top. Despite this, I love my new abode. I'm working as a runner in the Art Department for a tv programme that's been commissioned for E4. It's a little weird to put that in writing...I'm definitely not cool enough for that kind of job title. Luckily, the two other members of my team are incredibly lovely and made me feel at ease pretty much straight away. As did the rest of the crew.

Despite the insanely long hours (9.30 am until midnight, what the frig?!), I kind of love my new job. Suprisingly, it's really nice to be busy again. I'm surrounded by clothes all day given that we do all the costumes and props, and the other day I even got to meet the guy who choreographed all of the McQueen catwalks. Incredible. Moreover, he was basically the english version of Miss Jay from ANTM, minus the fro. That's got to be a positive.

We're filming on location in an amazing country mansion, and I've got to say some of the furniture is out of this world. I'll try to take some photos in the coming week....but I'm talking tall, velvet throne like chairs, beautiful mirrors that fill entire walls, mirrored tables and, of course, chandelliers.

I'm sorry to neglect you my little blog, but a girl gotta earn some dolla...

Lovesick

It all started with a little faux-silk neckerchief. Such a small thing; less than half a metre tall and less than half a metre wide. Who knew such a teeny weeny item could have such a catastrophic impact on one teeny weeny girl's wardrobe?

You see, the piece in question is...leopard print. I spotted it while I was on holiday in South Africa. I don't know why I wanted it...I was about 13 and would never have even have thought about wearing it. But it appealed to me. Like a moth to a flame, if there's leopard print around I'm all over it.

I often get obsessional. At the moment it's Coffee light Frapuccinos from the soul-sucker that is Starbucks and, of course, houmous. But this leopard print fandango has lasted a fair few years now. Watching my collection grow is half exhilirating, half horrifying. The bigger the collection, the bigger the obsession.

Here's but a portion of it:

(Vintage shirt, vintage blouse, primark scarf, H&M wedges, primark slippers, neckerchief from South Africa, vintage maxi skirt, vintage jumper, House of Fraser [sale] duvet cover)

Before, leopard print was almost a sensible obsession. Leopard print items often come up pretty cheap given the severe risk of looking like Eastenders' Kat Slater circa 2001. But recently, leopard print has become 'high fashion'. Shit. This means that a) the price of leopard smothered garments has soared, and b) I can crave a selection of deliciously decorated items that there is no way on this earth I will ever be able to afford. Case in point:

This silk Lanvin jumpsuit. My heart would happily jump out of my skin for it. Unfortunately, it costs over £2000. Wahhhh.

For my own sanity/bank balance, all I can hope is that this unhealthily greedy Leopard crush ends sometime soon. But I'm not counting on it.

Mooch

I still don't feel exactly feel like a Londoner. I've been here a month now, and still get hugely confused about where the hell people live (see this post for more details). However, rather than thinking 'where the fuck am I?' 85% of the time, I'm now bordering on a far more healthy 50%. This has allowed me to do a spot of wandering without getting horrifically lost, and as a consequence I've done a nice bit of snapping with my Iphone.

The other day, I accidently found myself (this happens alot) wandering through the Barbican area. I'd never really thought about going down there before, although I've discovered it's really close to my flat. But walking through Whitecross Market, I was enchanted by the masses of mouth-watering food stalls and the buzzing atmosphere. There's also an absolutely humungous Waitrose. Which is always a plus. Towards the end of the market there's some really interesting graffiti, which I snapped in the first picture. However, what really caught my attention (unsuprisingly) was this oversized washing line strung up from one side of the street to the other. Apparently, it's the remnants of an art installation from the two day Whitecross Festival. I like that they've kept it; it's crazy and colourful, and let's face it, an absolutely massive bra is always going to brighten up your day.


Sorry, the above pictures really are horrible. I don't know why I couldn't keep my hand steady...I'd only had a sip of tea so I can't blame it on a caffeine rush. Anywho, my friend Katie has a quite incredible knack for finding lovely cafés. It was Katie who first showed me Café 1001 on Brick Lane, where I now regularly worry about falling asleep and getting robbed on their ridicuously comfy sofas. This place was in Holburn and had a quite frankly delectable selection of teas and coffee. I had green tea with rose petals. Pretty and tasty. I took a photo of Katie's Mocha, because it was so perfectly prepared. And it looked yum.

The Sherlock Holmes obsession continues. I want to start drinking here...maybe in a trench coat. I have absolutely no idea where I was though. BummerMe and Sophie found this during our East London afternoon. It was near Spitalfields but I'd never seen it before. It's not exactly graffiti; instead, it's carved into the wall. It's a shame he looks so sad. Turn that frown upside down, girlfriend.
This isn't to do with London wandering, but I bought my Momokui doorstop today! Here it is in in the first picture, perched on my lap. It's actually pretty sizable and was a bit of a biatch to carry home. I really love it though. I thought I'd zoom in on the little face that I chose. It's only now that I realise it's got stubble. I seem to have created a cross-dressing doorstop. He's totally working that floral shift.

A little drop of Devon

I've never been very interested in particular models. Although I love a bit of antm, it's more to do with the fact that TyTy is completely bonkers and, let's be honest, Nigel Barker. But I am truly compelled by Devon Aoki.

She has such an unusual face-shape, and her features are so perfectly symmetric. This gives her an essence of otherworldliness, and as a result, the majoirty of campaigns she's involved in seem etheral and mysterious. With her American-Japanese heritage, she describes herself as 'weird looking', but I think it's the combination of origins that make her such an unusual beauty.

Moreover, she's only 5 ft 5 and was discovered by Jeremy Scott (who I have eternal love for). With a flourishing acting career, she isn't as heavily involved in the modelling world anymore. I wish she was. As beautiful as the likes of Jessica Stam and Natalia V are, their presence on the catwalk often feels repetitive. Maybe I've been watching too much Gok Wan of late, but I really think beauty is diverse and I will forever admire Devon's stunningly unique look.