While I was thinking about what my next post could be about, I received an e-mail by one of my fav fashion magazines - and it suddenly dawned on me:
I think you guys all know the problem of being stone-broke to afford high-priced couture fashion.
At least I am sitting there almost every day paging through all these mags about vogue and I despair of the stiff prices as I am hard-pressed for money. So, I enforcedly try to shop the look and spare my wallet by getting some bargains which are similar in appearance. Since I don't want to deprive you of my methode I read up on some star looks and their cheaper versions. These are my faves.
Ashley Tisdale's look
HM 19.95€
HM necklace 3.95€
HM 19.95€
This outfit is perfect for a shopping trip - not too much, but still classy enough. When I came across this look, I noticed that I subconsciously bought some similar articles of clothing this week:
At last!! In the nick of time, Zara gets its own onlineshop early in September. I always thought I will never live to see that happening. It makes me perfectly happy. Well, at least almost. You should know that I am searching for these special blue chinos with brown suspenders for so long now. And the last two days, I was shopping in four different Zara shops in three different cities just to find these in my size.
So, these are not by Zara (but by American Vintage) and so I guess you have a clue now which pants I meant. Hopefully, I'll get them in Zara's onlineshop as it is sooo difficult to find them in the stores in my size. Keep your finger's crossed for me.
P.s.: In the meantime, I got them :D
Today, I found my suspender pants in Mayence, of course Zara.
If you took a glance at my wardrobe, you would discover many of them – in any shade of color, high-wasted, skinny, with a boyfriend- or boot-cut. I think you know what I am talking about: jeans. There are so many different styles, shades and sizes. But just once in a blue moon you find the “one” which fits perfectly. What makes them so difficult to find are mainly personal body shapes.
And as the female ones can be as different as day and night, Levi’s discovered a system to fulfill every woman’s personal jeans-dream. A survey with 60.000 women and a 3D body scanner made it possible to analyze all these different female body shapes and to subdivide them into three main groups called “Curve ID”.
For this campaign, Peter Lindbergh, a well-known German photographer, shot several stars wearing their personal Levi’s in their Curve ID. For instance, Pixie Geldof who represents the mean shape, named “Demi Curve”, as she has a feminine body shape. The Swedish musician Lykke Li wears a “Slight Curve” and the German DJane Miss Nine, alias Kristin Schrot, presents her “Bold Curve”. But they didn’t only promote them. They are really positive about them and would even wear them in everyday life since the jeans fit like a second skin.
If you want to know, how this system works - then have a look at this video.
“Wear what fits. Get rid of the rest. It's the Wear What Fits Event presented by the Levi's® brand. Ladies, we know there are moments in our lives when we realize things don't fit anymore. That it's time to pass that antique lamp, sweatshirt, throw rug, handbag or jeans into someone else's life. Call it a new beginning. A more you, you. Starting at 10am on Friday, August 27th stop by Bryant Park, NY and bring something in that doesn't fit (which will go to Goodwill®) and at the same time, get something that does. A free pair of Levi's® Curve ID jeans. New custom fits for women. Because hotness really does come in all shapes and sizes”
Soon, fall is about to replace summer. And in a little while, many fashionistas are curious about which trends the new fall/winter collections reveal. For all those who cannot wait any longer I started out to research a little bit about this season’s fashion trends in Europe. And this is what I discovered.
According to the motto “opposites attract”, this fall is a multifaceted mix of draperies, patterns and styles. Traditional costumes get suitable for everyday use, Minimalism gets reduced to the maximum and sweet school girl outfits coexist vintage suits à la Wall Street. The 80’s masculinity meets the charming fifties. And rock star outfits are comingled with baronial glam to a baroque mix.
1st trend: Minimalistic chic
Derivation
With its seeds in art and architecture, this trend traces back to the German Bauhaus era of 1919. The principle “Reduce to the max” adverts to reclaim clean lines and simplicity over an excess of ornaments. Later, it made its way as a mindset in fashion in the 30s with Marlene Dietrich as an outrider. Today, minimalism is an inherent part of the fashion scene.
Look
This mindset alludes to the basics. Imaginative shapes displace colourful prints. Instead of that, brands like Chloé or Michael Kors tend to fawn or shades of brown which can be variegated.
Michael Kors runway look leads us to the next fall/winter trend.
2nd trend: wool and shag / Norwegian style
Derivation:
Believe me or not, but this trend emerged due to the English royal dynasty. In 1922, the Prince of Wales wore a pullover with a Norwegian style on a golf tournament and made it socially accepted. In ancient times, the colourful patterns had a certain symbolic meaning: Mainly, they were worn by fishermen or peasants and were a distinctive mark of families or counties.
Look:
This season, wool cardigans and pullovers are extremely casual but debonair. Whether trumpet sleeves or Norwegian pullovers, this year’s fall is inspired by Nordic patterns.
Really in: woollen costumes with elegant pencils skirts (combined with lace at the runway shows of Dolce and Gabbana). Another winterly eye-catcher: Flashy colourful stripes.
Dolce and Gabbana
Woolen look by Donna Karan
3rd trend: Revival of the 50’s and 80’s
Although these eras are long ago, nearly every decade celebrates its comeback, sooner or later. This fall it’s the 50’s and 80’s.
Derivation of the 80’s Wall Street look:
A new type of woman created a furore in those times: the successful businesswoman. In 1988, Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver taught the business world the true meaning of fear in their movie “Working Girl”. And to show the women’s toughness, many men’s clothing classics got adopted to the female wardrobe.
Look:
The look is very businesslike. Coats, chemises and cravats are a pretty good investment. Typical 80’s: classical shapes and shoulder pads. To mix it up, mini-skirts can help to interpret the look in a female way. Noble hats cap the look.
Hermès
Derek Lam
50’s look:
The characteristic silhouette is defined with small tops and wide flared skirts. A plunging neckline caters for modern sexiness. Very hip: slinky bustiers or a basic t-shirt combined with a skirt. Moreover, former floral prints get replaced by modern art-appeal.
Louis Vuitton
Prada
4th trend: Baroque ‘n ‘ roll
Derivation:
Already in the 60s, musicians like Jimi Hendrix knew how to play to the gallery and they mixed glam outfits with quillings, velvet and brocade. The style carried forward to the 80’s and to nowadays. You definitively must have a look at the video clip “Prince Charming” by “Adam and the Ants”.
Look:
Precious brocade and sparkling gold threats come to the fore. The stylistic dimension varies from baroque-inspired glory to the sixties look and the shimmering 70’s disco style. Who doesn’t like to be that sparkish: A minimalistic combination of black and gold sets priorities without gaudiness.
As summertime is festival time, it’s high time to make your wardrobe ready for raucous parties.
But don’t think it is as easy as it seems. Musical festivals demand a thorough preparation. From tip to toe.
If you’re a total rookie in terms of open-air concerts, the best way to get inspiration is taking a leaf out of the star’s books. ‘Cause some of them are real experts.
Since I am desirous of showing you the European way of styling and partying, I instance Bianca Vaitl. She’s is a world-league-dj’s wife, a designer from Munich and she vacations in Interlaken (CH) at the Greenfield festival.
Her personal styling advices: “Only take a minimum of clothes along with you! And don’t forget about rubber boots, a rain cape, warm socks and a scarf which can be perfectly used as a sunscreen too.” Moreover, you need some basics, otherwise you would be in a fix: a bottle opener, a fixing pin, flashlight & earplugs .
We all know Mischa’s body-weight fluctuations. She literally goes through thick and thin but she’s back on track if there are new shoots. After her chubby timeout from business, she could land a job for Philipp Plein.
The German designer began his fashion career in 2004. With his street-fashion collection he set the stage for his first store in the high-end club “P1” in Munich. With his “Heavy metal collection” in 2008, he outfitted Heidi Klum’s “Germany’s next top models” in Barcelona & contracted Naomi Campbell & Marcus Schenkenberg for a “Vogue” campaign. Not till then, he made his career.
For the most of us, his clothing is probably prohibitive. But this amazing collection & Mischa Barton are really worth a look.
Whatever they wear - their clothes are stylish. No matter what they do - they're hip. It's almost a matter of common knowledge: Stars have the right touch what concerns fashion. Is it just because of their fashion adviser?
I think everybody knows the problem: Every morning you stand helpless in front of your closet not knowing what to don. And although the wardrobe is jam-packed, it seems if there's no wearable outfit at all. An issue of the average folk? Sometimes I do think so.
Stars have a walk-over: They are lousy with cash & are able to purchase the latest fashion trends. And what has to be added: Almost every garment they don mutates into the next it-piece. That's so unfair. So, I started grappling about their secret. And I cracked it. The following article will enlighten you.
As I already mentioned it's hard for "the average joe" to find the personal distinctive style.
A glance at the wardrobe reveals ...
... the problems:
too many cloths
various different styles
no semblance of order
no leitmotif
The solution:
As I rank among these (pretty) lost causes, I conducted an experiment on my own and serve as a guinea pig. In recent years, I gathered lots of pieces of clothing: ready-made garment, loose fit, custom garment, glad rags & total mispurchases. In a nutshell, all and nothing. No way to find a continuous style. So I started to tidy up my wardrobe. (Attention should be paid to the fact that my wardrobe was chock-full so I needed a clothes rail for the leftovers)
Step one:Take stock
Attend to my words:
It doesn't make sense to go immediately shopping & to purchase new garments while not knowing what exactly stores in the most remote corners of your wardrobe.
Step two: Sorting
After you got a first overview of your clothes, try to seperate the articles of clothing you personal like from those you have never worn or which are quite honestly as ugly as sin and old-fashioned. But stand firm! And do really try to part with those things you would probably never ever wear. Then, make two decks. One for the things which are probably wearable and the other one for a sale to giving-away prices (at jumble sales or somewhere else.) Don't expect to make big bugs, be happy to earn some peanuts out of your sortings.
Step 3: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?
After the sorting out, please don't think you have not a rag to put on. There will be enough left, believe me. So now, it's time to don the remnants and to realise what suits you and what not! It's helpful to use a big mirror & be honest to yourself. Make use of photographs, if you need them & take a picture of you wearing the outfit. A photograph never lies and unearths the truth.
Step 4: Regroup suitable outfits
As your wardrobe is mucked out now, you'll see it's much easier to create new outfits. Believe me, as time is money, the result is really time-saving. Now, you got a general idea of your favored garments & you can filter out which style you unconsciously trend to.
My personal result:
Lots of residual clothes hanger (as I sorted so many out)
And a much more tidy clothes rail (the rest is ready for jumble sale and stores in my wardrobe.)
My preliminary conclusion:
Much to my regret & I didn't find my ultimate personal style. I pretty much tend towards black-and-white outfits & the marine style & with a distinct tendency to rock chic (a result of my other clothing which is not shown on the photographs).
This sorting really disburdended me and helped a lot to get to know my style better. This experience has taught me one thing: Before purchasing a new garment I will deliberate whete I really need this article of clothing to avoid further bad buys.
Finally, I hope I could give you a little instruction if you're such a lost cause like I was.
Now it's your turn: Have you already identified your personal style? Or are you still straying around in the big, wide world of fashion?
For many fashion-loving women without the perfect "36-23-36" proportions Crystal Renn was a paragon. Her biography "Hungry" (released autumn '09) encouraged many chubby fashionistas not to fall for "slimness mania" and accept their female body with its spots of bother.
Crystal Renn was probably one of the most famous plus-size-models. Note well: was!
Recently, she got booked by Karl Lagerfeld & decided to jettison her attitude. She lost leastwise 20 pounds and is just skin and bones anymore. From size 16 - 20 to size zero in the last weeks. Scary.
Her agency explained Crystal's extreme weight loss as follows:
"It's understandable that the folks shocked. But she didn't really lose weight, she was just mountain climbing."
Are they kidding me, I thought, when I read it the for first time. The really take Crystal's fans for fools. Unbelievable. It's to bad about her as she knuckles the beauty industry.
Here are some pics, comparisons between the skinny model Jacquelyn Jablonski (left side) & Crystal
(right side) when she was lumpy.
I really ♥ them.
Well, her thighs are curvier than Jacquelyn's but the shoot proves that the outfit fits snugly.
She's so gorgeous.
Chubby women shouldn't disclaim extravagance.
But these comparisons are a thing of the past. In March 2010 she modelled for the "Fashion for Passion" campaign and was obviously skinnier than at the Milan fashion week of 2007.
Now, it's your turn. What do you think of her change of image? Is she just a great bluff?
Who is chummy with me knows there is hardly a week without shopping.
And as I do not deprive you of my purchases I uploaded some pics of my latest aquirements.
A hot tip for all beauty lovers: Paul & Joe Beaute (discovered by 5am je t♥aime)
Sophie Albou designed "cosmetics that convey perfectly the Parisian philoslophy of enjoying life". But not only cosmetics, the limited "Collections sparkles" is available as well.
Every year it's interesting watching the new trends developping. But most of them are just old-fashioned revivals. Only a few are real trendy innovations.
One of them seems to ascend right of the artistic vernissages of France, Spain and Germany. But all jokes aside: Nowadays art is not only destined to paint easels, it found its way to the normal course of life: Print-shirts are in, more than ever. And so painting transforms every simple white shirt into modern art à la "je ne sais quoi". Whether comics or colourful scribblings, almost everything serves as a model. Have a look.
See by Chloé - Cat on Cotton
K Karl Lagerfeld
...
What do you think about Print-Shirts?? In or "so last season"??
