GREY MATTERS

Gone are the days of associating Grey with accountants, in fact if you spot one wearing Grey these days, it's probably one whose become very fashion conscious! Grey is not a colour that flatters on it's own, as it tends to impale our skin colours, rendering us looking all "washed out". Yet, when worn with bold colours, or combined with  Black, it becomes quite dynamic! My initial perception of the Moto jacket was that it is a little 'young' for me, however, if you happen to be a women of a certain age, you could experiment with it by combining it with more timeless pieces to create a less "youthful look", or shall I say "more mature" look? As you may well know I do not promote the idea of dressing "older" but dressing your body type instead. If the shoe fits, wear it by all means! You don't have to be 18 to wear a Moto jacket with flair! The bag speaks for itself, apart from the fact that the lamb skin leather is as soft as a baby's touch....I need not mention anything else about it! As for my hairdo, the wind had a mind of it's own this morning, re-arranging my bangs and leaving me with a rather ruffled up look!

 

Moto Jacket - H & M

White Shirt - H & M

Pants - Studio W

Shoes - Topshop

Bag - Chanel 2.55

Enamel Cuff - Zawadi,

Cape Town Duty Free Shops

Sunglasses - Ray Ban

 

 

HARMONY IN MISMATCHING TRENDS

Yesterday's taboo is today's trend...... A few years ago, it would have been frowned upon if you wore two different prints at the same time, and it was generally perceived as a mismatch. That very taboo has now become a trend much liked by myself, although it took a while to get use to slipping into the idea. If you are in doubt, the best way to do it, is by carefully laying out your outfit on a flat surface, and using your discretion, judging it from different viewpoints. Some prints still clash with a vengeance, while others just seem to blend together like a rainbow's colours gently fusing into one another. Stripes seem to blend in with any other print as long as it is not a patent clash of stripes requiring the viewer to wear spectacles to deflect the print! Animal print also seems to work well with stripes. The match below undermines all rules, but considering the fact that "trends' make otherwise mismatched ideas, agreeable, I decided to combine the lace print pants and striped jacket. In my view, this is a great harmonious mismatch! One should also not be afraid to introduce a third colour to break up the monotony of your palette. Come on girls, experiment to find your perfect match!

 

 

 

 

Trench coat - www.martvisser.nl

Pants - H & M

Top - Woolworths

Shoes - Dorothy Perkins

Bowler Bag - River Island

 

 



CHANEL CRUISE COLLECTION

My reluctance to carry a White bag has just been defeated by the breathtakingly beautiful bag shown at the Chanel Cruise Collection in Singapore. This awesome little work of art has dispelled the taboo that White bags are out. I hardly ever crave or desire things, as opposed to just wanting it, but this desire is in a league of it's own. Carl Lagerfeld has taken Chanel to a dimension beyond my wildest perception of beauty, creating something so chic and desirable that even mere mortals not having any interest at all in fashion, would suffer keeping their jaws together. Black and White has always been on my list of favourite looks, perhaps because it fits in so well with my clothing requirements for the office, but this cruise collection leads me straight back to wanting to travel, this time a cruise, only to be able to sport this trend off course! My bucket list has just been reviewed......

 

Photograph from www.purseblog.com

 

Photograph from www.emeisunglasses.co.uk

 

 

Photograph from www.chinadaily.com

 

DATES TO REMEMBER

If you we're waiting in keen anticipation for the Cape Town Fashion Week dates to be announced, you no longer have to hold your breath! Note these dates and keep your eye on Computicket for ticket sales if you are not part of the media yet..........Now, start planning what to wear. I find the front row and lounge just as interesting as the runway, and have seen some edgy and quirky outfits before. What does however, concern me is that some think of it as a fancy dress, turning it into a freak show, wearing outrageous costumes and make up reminiscent of a circus parade. In my opinion Fashion Week is all about style and chic and should it be used as a platform to give it your best shot for creativity in dressing up without looking like a spectacle. Come on girls, show us what you have in store, the street style photographers will be lurking the arrival points and scaling the front row for your originality ! Hope you have fun planning.....

BOUCLE & MIXED TRENDS

Jeans are normally not associated with a law office, unless you are the boss, and decided that Fridays may be more casual subject to the denims not being ripped, torn or skimming on the floor with flip flops and T shirts. Jeans are perceived to be casual, although a new trend has been seen in which denim is dressed up. Denim is no longer associated with carpentry or physical labour. Having an office in a small village, being to dressy, sometimes seem to intimidate or even create distance which is not conducive to creating a pleasant and relaxing environment for clients, and when I was recently asked "do you always dress so formally" with reference to my stark Black suits, I realised that it creates a barrier. Hence the more casual approach on Fridays.... Not exactly my idea of dressing for a meeting, or perhaps court, but for purposes of being office bound behind the desk, I feel perfectly comfortable. Besides, our very own Madiba introduced African casual with his beautiful printed shirts in traditional African style in Parliament, and somehow created an acceptance for men to wear open collars at the office, so why should we girls not go along and introduce a more casual environment without detracting from the formalities of an office, and still look pretty decent? I prefer the bottoms turned up, it just seems to ad something edgy. I am still new at layering, and slowly getting use to the idea of my shirt being longer than my jacket, and having much fun experimenting with this trend!

 

 

 

Boucle Jacket - Camaieu

Shirt - Zara  (Old)

Boyfriend Jeans - Woolworths (Old)

Shoes - Zara

Bag - As Before

Vintage Chanel Accessories - Nice Antique Market

Sunglasses - Ray Ban

HOW TO WEAR CORAL

There is something very inspirational and energetic about Coral Red, or Coral Orange, whatever you prefer to call this vibrant colour. First came the shoes, and like most women, I then thought I had nothing to wear with it. (does'nt that put a smile on your face?) I just found them so gorgeous that I could not resist, and not remotely contemplating that I could pair it with numerous items that I already had, but in true fashion, I stared at my wardrobe trying to find that special something. Much to my surprise, Coral slowly found it's way back onto the trend scene, and my recent holiday in Europe allowed me some shopping time..... and having found this little bag with the help of my husband's keen eye, I finally found a match for my shoes which I bought more than a year ago. The Breton top just seemed to be at the right place at the right time! Bucharest really seems an exciting city to start a colour adventure with huge malls and alleys, with hidden nooks and crannies which is exactly where my Coral journey began. The bag originates from a tiny little store in the historical part of the city, what a pitty we have luggage restrictions and that the allowance for tax free purchases brought back home is so limited! Perhaps the Coral Red is what deterred Vlad the Impaler from considering an attack at the Bran Castle in Transylvania, thank goodness Count Dracula is only a legend! Perhaps he did not like the Coral....

 

 

Jacket - New Look

Jeans - Woolworths

Shoes - Dorothy Perkins

Breton Top - Old

Bag - Vicina

Neck Piece - Zara

Travel Photographs - Romania, Bucharest, Peles and Bran

 

AMSTERDAM HAUTE COUTURE

No need to say, that the moment I stepped into V & D in Amsterdam and noticed the abundance of stripes, I lost self control and threw all caution to the wind. V & D is one of the most beautiful department stores representing various designers and brands, almost operating like a beehive of designs. One of these inspirational designers is known as Mart Visser. He has a stunning collection of coats and jackets in store, at pretty affordable prices. I saw a similar jacket at Zara in Europe ( not yet landed down South in Cape Town) but regretfully missed out on my size. It naturally follows that this one found it's way into my collection of stripes, not because it is so on trend, but because I can never get enough of stripes and nautical themes.  Mart Visser Haute Couture is settled in Amsterdam opposite the Museum Quarter, and may his salon be visited by appointment between Tuesdays and Saturdays, otherwise some of the collection can be viewed at V & D in Amsterdam. His use of fabric  is clearly very selective, and most of his garments fit my tall frame like a glove. Just when I thought I was done with Amsterdam..... The sunglasses were sourced at a flea market in Bucharest, very similar to a pair that Versace made a few years ago, not at all on trend, but sometimes I dance to my own tune, freedom of style perhaps? Amsterdam remains one of the most exciting cities for a discovery of new designs, and don't miss the Sewe Straatjes, known for it's cute and original designer stores ( translated to seven little streets)

 

 

Mart Visser in action, obtained from his website www.martvisser.com

 

 

Jacket - Mart Visser

Pants -  H & M (old)

Shoes - Next

Neck piece - Zara

Bag -  padded leather & unbranded,

as before & sourced at unknown store in Vienna

Belt - Hermes

Sunglasses - sourced from Bucharest flea market

Dam Square, Amsterdam

 

 

SHOP WINDOWS

Window shopping  brings about a very sweet childhood memory, as I remember vividly how my mother and I would go into the city centre of Johannesburg in the hey days, shopping and walking past European stores, with exotic displays of fashionable clothes and luxury goods. Regretfully the face of the city has changed completely, representing a completely different experience. Visiting Europe is like a deja vu, reminding me of those earlier days, bringing about such joy being able to meander through the numerous arcades, stopping for a cuppa, taking advantage of mid season sales, and looking at shop windows. By just walking past these beautiful stores, you can already get an idea of what the season holds, and which trends are prominent, also luring you into it's interior, where window shopping becomes a reality, and where the meaning of excess luggage gets defined..... no need to say, a girl cannot travel without doing some shopping, and having stumbled across numerous mid season sales, well, do I need to say anything else? In conclusion, I've seen a lot of bright colours with Coral featuring most prominently this season, something to look forward to next spring only, if you live where I do!

 

 

 

 

 

EXOTIC PRINT

Having spent some time traversing the European continent for the last three weeks, I kept a keen eye on stores, street style and trends, and have no doubt that print will linger much longer than anticipated. My forecast is that digital print will enjoy particular popularity. I cannot imagine traveling and not visiting a dress fabric store, hence my delight to have found this beautiful piece of viscose at a fabric store in Vienna. It represents a beautiful combination of animal and exotic print all combined and gently fused into one magnificent piece of art! I adore the lightness of the viscose allowing it to be worn in between seasons. My imagination is already working overtime about what my small scale Bell Époque Factory will be creating with this lovely fabric.....the fabric store is situated in a well known shopping street in Vienna, as can be found on there website at www.komolka.com

The neck piece from Zara was added just to exaggerate the exoticness of the print, and the leather bag very similar to a certain brand we are all familiar with, although unbranded it is very well made in the softest leather you can imagine, from an unknown store also in Vienna.

CORAL

I just about travelled halfway around the world to find a Coral handbag, and with my husband's keen eye for a beautiful bag and knowing my taste, I immediately fell in love with this beautiful work of art embossed in soft suede leather. I cannot wait to get home to style this with a Coral jacket and shoes..... With the Czech capitol being wet and experiencing an average of 16 degrees celsius, perhaps not in the spirit of summer, but most definitely creating a little warmth in our impending winter. Posting from the beautiful city of Prague today, I lack a little courage to post on summer outfits, which is seen all around me in stores. Coral seems to be a favorite, with a lot of bright and beautiful pastels in bloom.