Fashion rocks

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 .

Mischa Barton for Philipp Plein

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.

Fine feathers make fine birds

Intro to the new style guide

 

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.

How to find your personal style

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:

1. too many cloths
2. various different styles
3. no semblance of order 
4. 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?

Out now:

My personal guide to identify your distinctive fashion style.

Look out! Bluff package.

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?

My initial purchases

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.

♥ Aviator sunglasses & Guess Liliana Hobo Berry

♥ Dresses by Ami. Su & Review

Perfectly happy.

Paul & Joe Beaute

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.

Check it out: http://www.paul-joe-beaute.com/

My wants and needs

• LG KF900 (Prada 2)
• L'oréal Glam Shine 6h (nuance 114 Tempting Pink)
• Guess Liliana Hobo Berry
• Aviator sunglasses silver
• Clinique eyebrow pencil 02 soft brown
• Davenport
• Paul Green Sneakers
• Handsome boyfriend

... more following.

Summerly trends 2010

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"??

One Day in Mayence

Be curious about what's coming up!

Drinkable design

Yesterday I accidentally came across a limited Coca Cola light edition with.... [I'll be damned].... Karl Lagerfeld. I was just like "Blow me down!" and couldn't believe what Lagerfeld has to do with Coke? Admittedly, Lagerfeld is really addicted to Cola light. I mean, he diets with it after he lost about 80 pounds. But, is it worthy that Coke pays homage to Lagerfeld just because he's campainging for it at almost every fashion show??
Declaredly, it looks pretty cool & resembles Lagerfeld very well.

And as if this wouldn't have been enough, I tripped over another very stylish Coke campaign: It's Roberto Cavallo designing a new front look, which I quite like. Although I do not like Cola at all, I have to admit that with Cavallo's campaign I take a fancy for it. Price of the bottles: unheard-of.

At least Lagerfelds Coke is buyable from April 24, 2010 at Collettes in Paris. Lovely...

H&M's Garden Collection

While shopping at Primark, I came across H&M's new Garden Collection and I just love it. I immediately fell in love with the khaki bikerjacket (pursuant to H&M it's the new black!!) and - bought it. Besides, I purchased this little gold pocket with a catenarian handle. So sweet.

As I get it, H&M tries to focus more on organic cotton and environmentally friendly cloth, which I consider to be very exemplary. The brand's new collection is inspired by blossoming gardens & colourful prints. I'm really keen on wearing it as it directly puts me in a good mood.

Finally, it's a good feeling to overspend on cloth - I mean, you don't pour your money down the drain, do you? Instead you spare your purse and the environment. These articles of clothing wont be my last ones. <3

Coming up: H&M's Garden Collection

Satisfy your anticipation at http://shop.hm.com/de/gardencollectionstart

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head.

If only...

Guido Westerwelle, the German Secretary of State, knows how to dress, especially on rainy April days. Weather was just as expected when the foreign secretaries foregathered at the G8 summit in Ottawa. Rainy, chilly showers made them shiver other than Westerwelle. He braved the weather with his stylish cagoule. Type: "Le parapluie" by Kanuk. The feathery anorak convinces with an ageless navy-blue and protects his bearer from rain as much as from immoderate insolation. If it is high-wind, stitching and hood provide cover.

Moreover, an adequate appearance was granted via the embroidered G8-logo, an extra at the front costing 40 Canadian Dollar. Attend the fact, that this had to be authorized by the Canadian governance. This raises the question if they really do not have other fish to fry. I mean, that's just peanuts. But hey, why concentrating on international negotiations when you're on a stylish mission.

If only Westerwelle's English would be as appropriate as his modish intuition.

A real vision or a virtual disaster?

Finding the right hairstyle isn't easy at all. But once the hair got cut it isn't simple to pretty them due to their breviety. You may think, it's easier to fudge them when they're shorter. As if! I was going nuts every now and then when I glanced at the hairy catastrophe on my head.
After my hair was totally jejunfe because of my soft spot for blonde streaks, my hair recovered from my coloration-excess. They were dyed brownish and my hair mousse awarded them with curls. But after like two months of wearing this look, I was so hacked off and decided to abort my matutinal styling-trials using enough and to spare mousse. I had the dim feeling that these tons of mousse wouldn't really help my hair to rejuvenate.
So, it was high time to do something about it
No surprize, that I immediately started to contact my hairdresser [which is probably tree weeks ago] and we decided on a counseling interview in her salon the next week. Because of her lack of time, we briefly reviewed my hairy situation and she fixed a day in her buisy schedule for tommorow!!
I'm truly simmering with excitement to get my hair dressed tomorrow morning. I am clear about dyeing them brown again since my last coloration is washed out for too long. But what to do with the rest of my hairstyle?
At the moment, they are shoulder-length and slightly layered on the left side of my hair. It's sort of weird that they are just partly layered, I thought when I looked at myself in the mirror. But my hairdresser told me this has something to do with my side parting. Who cares about my side parting, either they are fully layered or not at all. But it's just the coiffeur's logic.
So, I hope that tomorrow my brittle hair will be displaced by shiny, auburn hair.

Keep your fingers crossed for me! 

Drop-dead gorgeous!

ATELIER VERSACE SPRING 2010 LOOKBOOK

Just came across the new spring collection by Donatella which attracts my attention. The fluorescent colours and flowing drapery are just so beautiful, so visionary. Have a look:

                                        Charming like a mermaid

                                        Absolutely captivating

                                           Image of a strong woman

                                          Fascinating like a peachick

                              
The dresses reveal a mix of simplicity and glamour. Little silvery chains fit perfectly with the wavy cloth. The luscious colours and the sparkling Swarovski diamonds immediately caught my eyes.

They're so drop-dead gorgeous!

Il n'est rien de réel que le rêve et l'amour.

Finally, spring is coming into town and I cannot wait anymore enjoying it to the full. I mean, who doesn't love going for a blow?? I'm a real outdoorsy who tries to capture as many springtime impressions as I can get.  

                                                                 

                                               A foretaste of summer. 

A.m., you get awakened by twittering birds feeling that something magic is in the air although there are still chilly winds booming through the efflorescent treetops. So, rising with the sun isn't as hard like it was in winter. The prospect of relishing a wonderful sunny day eclipses the reluctance to get up. 

But springtime is not as harmless as it seems. At the latest, when you steal a glance at your closet realizing that leastwise half of your dresses do not fit like a glove anymore. But, don't sweat it. I mean, there is still much time to get rid of a few pounds, isn't it? Hence, it is not astonishing that the gyms burst at the seams, full with people working out to lose their love handels. So am I, but just with the intention to get fitter after the A-levels. Learning definitively made me sluggardly. Here I come, ready to get into condition!