Layering Like A Grown Up

This is the kind of layering I love. It makes sense, it has a point - not being layering for layering's sake. I love the masculinity of these looks - and the self assured maturity. And of course Constance - looking a little mad and very cool.

Vogue Korea November 2010 Constance Jablonski by Rafael Stahelin

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Topman and The Mens Department at The Department Store

Tuesday was my lone day off this month (not spent at uni or work). So in between buying last minute buttons and attempting to drag my exhausted body to the gym, I popped across the bridge to Takapuna to check out the (recently mentioned) new Mens Department at The Department Store. Not only is it the first New Zealand stockist of Topman, it also has offerings from Pointer (shoes) and Saint James (iconic, original Breton tees). I was impressed with both the layout and the stock. If local lads utilise these new offerings we would see infinitely more better dressed males in Auckland. This is menswear that is easy, stylish quite affordable - and most importantly, shouldn't be too much of a challenge for the local male. Oh and of course I found a lot of things I'd like for myself too (Saint James bretons, Rittenhouse spotty tees, Topman tshirts). Get over there and have a look. And, obvz, take your male if you have one!

Chic, Easy Pieces

It's so hard to resist from posting fall/winter editorials from the northern hemisphere when I should be focusing on the fact that the warmth of spring is finally here. But I think well executed eds can always be appreciated (and filed away for six months time). This one I particularly love - I'm getting a Mitford vibe, especially from that first shot.

Harper’s Bazaar US November 2010 "Chic, easy pieces" Anna de Rijk by John Balsom 

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Short: The New Ease

The title of this editorial says it all really. "The New Ease" sums up the transeasonal aesthetic that I'm loving lately. Sharp basics like white shirts combine with neutrals, blacks and pops of bright colours in easy, preppy looks. Lots of leg, but foiled by fresh little pairs of socks. This is how I want to dress all spring. On another note, I also love the style of the shoot - with the retro props and the coloured walls, it all adds to the slightly dated, preppy vibe of the shoot.

Vogue Italia October 2010 "Short: The New Ease" by Craig McDean

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

TOPMAN at The Department Store opens TOMORROW

Firstly, let me apologise for being such a bad blogger lately. It's the last two weeks of uni for the year so naturally things are a bit insane (eg I'm hardly home at the moment, and am engulfed by overwhelming anxiety... It's fantastic...).

Naturally I will be spending the whole weekend at uni, as usual. But I'm hoping to find a window of opportunity to head over the harbour bridge to The Department Store where their new Men's Department is opening tomorrow and Topman is launching. This is big news for you lads, and exciting for us females too (I buy a lot of menswear for myself, so I'm quite excited by this new addition to our local Topshop stable). The space will also feature Pointer Footwear (they do the colabs with Karen Walker), the Black Box menswear (labels like Ksubi, Vanishing Elephant and co) and more. If you are at a loose end tomorrow, or indeed have a spare hour somewhere in your day, then I recommend venturing over to Takapuna to check out the new arrivals at The Department Store.

Source: Murray @ Showroom 22

Have a lovely weekend everyone!
And again I apologies for my intermittent blogging lately. I feel awfully guilty and incompetent about it.
x

Kiera and Carey do Rodarte and Proenza

I love these two. Not only are they the perfect sartorial pair with a low key, somewhat old fashioned charm - I'm also dying in anticipation of their upcoming film Never Let Me Go (as regular readers will know). Here, both girls look stunning in endearingly prim dresses (I love that they are both a fan of longer lengths and things like sleeves) with Carey wearing Proenza Schouler and Kiera wearing fresh from the runway Rodarte.

Source: The Fashion Spot

My Wild Love

It's a very wonderful thing when stylists truly do their job properly - interpreting and re-articulating a seasons pieces in a new and exciting narrative vision (compared with the all to frequent feature of just regurgitating runway looks). This Vogue China editorial is one of the most arresting, clever visual seductions of the sartorial variety that I've seen in quite some time. The colour, print and volume of the garments; the silhouettes and movement of the looks; not to mention the dynamism of the model all combine to make this a winner.

Vogue China November 2010 "My Wild Love" Valerija Kelava by Lachlan Bailey

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Colour Story: Green And White

There's something unexpected and a little arresting about the combination of white and green - so sharp and crisp, yet not conventionally pretty, feminine or even androgynous. It's chic and fresh - with a striking contrast between rich natural greens and pristine whites. I'm inexplicably intrigued by this palette at the moment and plan to pursue it further (when I actually have time escape our uni workroom and venture into society).

Shepherd in Samarkand, Russia between 1905 and 1915 

Vogue UK October 2010 "The Long And Short Of It" Lily Donaldson by Paul Wetherall

Muse Fall 2010 "7th September" Eniko Mihalik by Will Davidson

Sources: Fashion Gone Rogue, Google,

Belated Outfit Post: Sherie Muijs Spring 10/11

So I've been meaning to do an outfit post featuring some of my new Sherie Muijs spring pieces for weeks and weeks now - seeing as I've been living in them lately. Unfortunately long uni days means that time has not been on my side - however I have managed to get a couple of shots done in the past week or so (please excuse the messy bedroom, tired puffy face and limited makeup - it's end of semester). The first piece is the beautiful loose Pully dress made of delicate white linen. It's perfect for warmer summer weather, and the two layers at the front (one button front, the other secured with a gathered tie) mean it has a point of difference whilst still retaining it's simplicity. I'm obsessed with white linen and always have been - and this dress makes the most of the iconic fabric it's made of. White linen is undoubtably the most classic summer fabric you can get, always looks chic and is supremely easy to wear. I threw it on over some thermal leggings because monday was surprisingly chilly - a girl has to be resourceful. Especially when a lot of her wardrobe is on the floor.

Wearing white linen Pully Dress, thermal leggings (it was cold) and Kathryn Wilson lace up flats.

The second look features a pair of trousers I have been living in lately, my Button Back striped trousers. Insanely comfortable and practical (both of which are so important when your spending ten to twelve hours at uni every day sewing and patterning). The navy and white stripe also has that preppy, nautical, summery feel which I'm always a total sucker for. The best part of them is that all you have to do is chuck on a neutral t-shirt and shoes and your good to go. These have been a lifesaver during end of semester zombie mode, and will definitely be thrashed over spring and summer.

Wearing Sherie Muijs Button Back trousers, Country Road mens tshirt, vintage belt, little sisters roman sandals.

Sherie Muijs is stocked in Auckland at The Cupboard and Pearl

Contrary to popular opinion, Ashley Olsen is owning it at the moment.

There are only a handful of young women I look to for inspiration and am consistently inspired by - and the Olsens, particularly Ashley, are a couple of them. Because they are so ahead of the curve they frequently get criticised for their style. However I find it constantly refreshing. Particularly this anti-fashion, anti-sexy aesthetic Ashley in in particular has been embracing of late. Super simple, comfortable and nineties - loose trousers and classic jerseys. All of course totally high quality and luxurious. When the sisters were in paris recently Ashley was living in a look which, although it evokes pajamas, is totally chic, elegant and self assured. Tonal neutrals, textures like knits and furs - all finished off with the loose legged trousers that I'm so loving at the moment. This girl is constantly inspiring - to invest in quality, timeless garments; to push your boundaries; to be understated and elegant; that hiding your body away is just fine.

Source: The Fashion Spot

Alexa Got Her Groove Back?

Although I've always had a soft spot for Miss Chung, I went off her style for a while there - it all felt a little to contrived, trendy and Fashion. Not to mention I found her painfully thin for a while there. However recently the majority of her looks have been promising and inspiring again (and Chung herself has been looking more well). She's been going for a simpler, more ladylike aesthetic - adding a disheveled edge to the prim and girly has always been one of her strong points. Even though a lot of what she's wearing is some of the seasons hottest pieces - think little shift dresses from Miu Miu and Chanel - and iconic classics like a Burberry Trench, they still seem to have enough of her own spin to not be overtly styled. I'm looking forward to seeing what she brings to the table over the upcoming months as Autumn hits the Northern Hemisphere, I've always found her inspiring and it's nice to feel interested in her style again.

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Round About Midnight

I love it when an editorial tells a story, offering the viewer a window into narrative or situation. Such a refreshing change to typical editorials, as that spontaneity and ease is hard to achieve. These shots from this Man About Town shoot remind me of a Kerouac or Burroughs novel. Perfect.

Man About Town F/W 2010 "Round About Midnight" Valerija Kelava and Clément Chabernaud by Paolo Roversi

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

The Last Of The Cooler Weather

The last of the cooler weather is still stubbornly remaining, even though it's meant to be spring now. Too regular appearances of fresh spring winds and that Auckland Rain that we all know so well mean that although a spring aesthetic is appealing, the reality is a little different. I've been living in my ancient cashmere jumpers still, and pairing them with lightweight trousers (like my striped Sherie Muijs pair, to be written about soon) and plain white tees. As it's end of semester (three weeks left in fact), I haven't the energy or the time for anything frivolous or borderline-impractical. Instead, at the moment, it's all about comfort, function ease. Layers of garments that will hold up over the course of a ten or twelve hour day of uni and can be taken on and off as needed. They also need to be something I can get my head around at 6am in the mornings. I'm sure many of you are in the same boat at the moment, so I thought I'd share some editorial inspiration that is of a similar aesthetic to sartorial life at the moment. Comfortable, functional and with a sense of reassurance and familiarity.

The black and white shots are from -D Fall 2010 "Space is No Longer the Final Frontier" Ylonka Verheul by Carlotta Manaigo.

The colour shots are of Missy Rayder by Laurie Bartley from Harper’s Bazaar UK October 2010 "His ‘n’ Hers"

PFW Spring 11: Stella McCartney

I've been wanting to write about the Stella McCartney show for days, so I'm relieved to finally have a shred of time tonight to do so. I always love McCartney's collections - she always absolutely nails the most covetable, appealing aesthetic that women are truly wanting to wear. For Spring, McCartney combined her signature tailored pieces (best executed this season in grey and a palette of subtly hued whites) and denim focused looks. I'm a big fan of classically blue, traditional finish denim - and McCartney managed what many fail at, reinventing it in unexpected garments and succeeding. Laidback, approachable and a great foil to more tailored pieces. Not all the denim was denim however, with some pieces being actually fabrics like linen that were cleverly dyed to masquerade as the blue-collar fabric. So good, so Stella, so covetable. And that's about as many words as I can string together tonight, it's been a long long day. Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Source: Style.com