Style ID: Donna Doyle

Dear Readers,

Whenever people tell me, 'My, my you're one hell of a Shopaholic', with their usual annoying intonation, I swiftly reply, 'Darling, you should meet my cousin Donna.' For today's 'Style ID' post, I chose the person who took me to shops every Saturday for hours when I was just ten years old. She's the same person who taught me plenty of fashion tips and gave me my first Mango bag as a present. Ladies and gentlemen, please meet my cousin Donna Doyle.

I had a plethora of questions to ask Donna even though, I admit, I knew the answers to 75% of them at least. Yet, some of the answers she has given me were somewhat surprising. After describing her style as 'classic', Donna told me that her three wardrobe essentials are denim skinnies, plenty of jackets and, obviously, a black dress. However, even though she described her style as 'classic', Donna told me that her black dress needs a bit of an edge as well. 

Donna Doyle

We then discussed current trends in Fashion World, and to my surprise, Donna told me that she's not keen on the entire mustard trend going on at the moment. She believes the colour doesn't suit her at all, and more than that, she doesn't like it on others either. If you're discussing AW2011 trends, you just have to mention metallics right? So I did. Donna told me that her all time favourite metallic is silver. 'Silver is for life,' she said,  but then added that she's 'getting there' with gold as well. I always knew Donna liked animal print, so I just had to ask her a question about that given that it's all over the place right now. 'I love it!' she exclaimed, 'especially snakeskin.' She then happily told me that her favourite snakeskin pieces at the moment are her brown Furla snakeskin shoes and her Mango snakeskin dress. Her favourite trends at the moment, however, are jumpsuits, leather, as well as carrot-style pants.

Miss Doyle with her Mango Sunglasses

Speaking of Mango, Donna is literally obsessed with Mango. She hardly buys anything that's not from that store. She's like the face of Mango, I'm not kidding. In fact, when I asked her what her three favourite shops are, she immediately retorted with 'Mango, Mango, Mango.' Oh, and wait for it, when I asked her who her favourite designers are, she asked me, 'Who designs Mango? It's them.' Hopeless case, I know. Then she also told me that she likes Prada, Burberry, Chloe and Stella Mc Cartney. But Mango is on top.

Donna's Shopping: Denim Chinos and Black Court Shoes from Mango

We then discussed what her least favourite shops are, and after some moments of deliberation, some 2 seconds, she told me, 'Terranova, because it's junk.' Everyone seems to have the same opinion with that store lately, myself included. Probably the funniest moment of our entire chat was when whether she has anything she ever regretted buying. I mean, we all usually have something no? Not Donna though. Following an awkward silence, Donna smiled and confessed to me that there's absolutely nothing she regrets buying! 

Fossil Ring and Pretty Nails

Then came the million dollar question, 'Do you like white shoes?' You know I have a strong sense of animosity towards those shoes. Anyway, Donna told me that she's fine with white shoes, as long as they're 'done in a tasteful way'. However, she also told me that she would never pick a pair of white court shoes. Good girl, never do. We are in complete agreement about white tops, they are the best. YAY!

Donna's Mango Shoes

Donna's ultimate style icon is Kate Moss and her favourite closet item at the moment is her black, leather Mango mini skirt. She also told me it's the most expensive piece of clothing she owns at the moment, excluding her Michael Kors sunglasses - which she said are five euro more expensive than her Prada ones - and her Furla shoes. 

RAWR!

Our chat ended with Donna describing her outfit of the day. Don't be too surprised, but everything is from Mango. Everything except her Zara top and her Fossil ring (which I adore, btw!). I'm totally digging that top as well. 'They have it in brown as well,' she told me, 'but this looks better!'. We believe you on that, don't worry.

Oh, a slight detail I want to conclude with is that Donna is turning forty three in January. I thought that would surprise you.

-B

White Knit

Dear Readers,

Last week, I took a break from writing, university and everything in general, and headed to Valletta for some 'window shopping'. Unlike many people, I don't find 'window shopping' useless or boring. You never know who you might spot in the streets, or whether a particular shop has really interesting mannequins with potentially inspiring clothes! Anyway, so I was saying, I went to Valletta, our lovely capital city, and just chilled.

The weather is slightly more breezy than it was before, Autumn is slowly making its entrance. For all of you non-Maltese readers out there, our weather can get really strange. It takes quite a bit for the weather to be real cold over here, so Autumn climate reaches us in November or sometime along those lines. I'm not complaining about that though. It's ideal for layering, yay!

Anyhow, I have some pictures of my afternoon in Valletta to share with you, and obviously, since this is an Outfit of The Day Post, photos of my outfit for the day! I keep wearing white, and I officially gave up on finding a new favourite colour for tops. The double-watch obsession I have at the moment is still going strong, as is my love for brogues. Those jeans I've literally owned for ages. Some 5 years I guess. I haven't worn them 10 times for sure. I'm not sure whether they're 'me' to be honest, but on that day, they looked okay I guess!

Republic Street

Double Watch

Riiiiiiiiiiight

Pretty Flower

Marks and Spencer

Totally freaked out when I saw that Vogue cover in the shop

Tommy

I have a thing for balconies

Teeheehee

I'm running short on poses

Huge Bag

Brogues are love

I must practice new poses

Full Picture

Knit Top: H&M

Jeans: Pull and Bear

Belt: Stradivarius

Bag: Bershka

Watches: Market and Vintage

Sunglasses: New Look

-B

Style Icon: Jack Skellington

Dear Readers,

Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange? If yes, then I have something for you then. A style icon post on someone I wanted to marry as a child: Jack Skellington from Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'.

Alas, I'm of the world's biggest Burton nerds. I'm drawn to anything Burton or Burton-inspired. I mean, seriously, the 2010 'Alice in Wonderland' movie wouldn't have been half as enticing if it weren't directed by Tim Burton. There's no use arguing over that!

Anyway, so today, since it's Halloween weekend, I wanted to do something related to the period. What better than a post about one of my favourite movie characters of all time? The King of the Pumpkin Patch, Jack Skellington, may not be Ed Westwick or Darren Criss, but fashion-wise, I think he's very inspiring. Oh, and just in case you haven't ever seen the movie (omg, what are you waiting for?) I highly recommend it. I've seen it about 2333091 times (or was it 2333092?) and I still enjoy watching it every single time. The soundtrack is so fun and the haunting characteristic of it just makes me happy. Strange, I know.

Pinstripe Jack

Jack's Lament

One of my most favourite scene in Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' is when Jack sings 'Jack's Lament', a haunting song about the way he feels inside. Probably because I could relate to the lyrics of this song so much, I never managed to get this song or the scene in its entirety out of my head. So, in this scene, Jack wears a pinstriped suit and a white shirt underneath. This is what I came up with:

Pinstripe Us

I personally adore pinstriped items such as the blazer here above. I paired it with a ruffled white shirt and a pair of denim skinnies to make the look more wearable. In order to keep the skull action going on, I included a skull scarf, an Alexander McQueen one to be precise, which I think fits in well with everything else. Oh, last but not lease, black leather Litas.

Santa Jack

Santa Jack

I don't want to spoil the movie to anyone who hasn't watched it yet, but at one point Jack ends up dressed like Santa Claus. As a kid, I don't know why this scene impressed me so much. Probably because I was used to plump old men dressing up as Santa, so a skinny skeleton looked strange in that costume. Who knows? Anyway, I fancy the Red + Jack combination, so I made an outfit inspired by this scene:

Red + Jack Rocks

In the outfit above, I started with a Jack Skellington t-shirt (which I really want btw!), then added a red blazer with lovely black lapels and details! Then, I included a pair of dark wash jeans and some black and gold accessories and shoes because gold has 'Christmas' written all over it. Plus those shoes have skulls on them, so cool!

Glistening Jack

Lovely!

My last outfit was inspired by the very last scene in 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', where Jack and Sally finally realise they are made for each other. AWH! This scene has become an iconic one over the years, and probably a good percentage of the global population have this picture as they desktop wallpaper. I love it.

For the outfit, I chose a sparkly silver top inspired by the shiny snowy hillside which I paired with a pair of skull earrings and a skull-embellished clutch bag. Then, since Jack wears his pinstriped do again in the scene, I went for a pair of striped pants. They're not pinstriped, but the idea is there and I like to vary!

Jack glamour!

I hope you are having a great Halloween and don't eat too much candy! :)

-B

Street Inspiration: 28th Oct 2011

The 'Lita' Conundrum

Dear Readers,

I have a dilemma. A serious one. Probably the most serious one since I chose my University course. Well, not really, but still. It's huge.

So, it all boils down to one pair of majestic shoes, namely Jeffrey Campbell's 'Lita'. If you're into fashion and fashion blogs, you have seen these bitches all over the internet. Even if you're not a fan of the fashion blogosphere like yours truly, you're bound to have seen them somewhere. The 'Litas' retail for $150-$200, depending on which colour and pattern you opt for. Amongst my favourites are the black distressed leather Lita, the Cosmic Lita, and the Lita with the American Flag. 

Since I'm a little bit weird, I'm going to do a list of pros and cons over here that will ultimately help me to make my decision. The question I'm asking myself is, 'Should I buy a pair of Litas?'

Pros:

1. They're hot. The Litas are warming the planet, and not those naughty gases in the atmosphere, I tell you!
2. There are many varieties available.
3. Considering they're a designer shoe, they're not that expensive!
4. They pretty much match everything.
5. Everything looks good if you add a Lita shoe. They're like Ed Westwick: capable of making anything within a one meter radius look extremely perfect.
6. They have a hidden 2 inch platform in the front, making the 5 inch heel a 3 inch one.
7. The heel is a chunky one. No stilettos for me!
8. They're by Jeffrey Campbell. Enough said.

Cons:

1. Everyone has them, and when I say 'everyone', I literally mean everyone! LookBook, Chictopia and 98% of fashion blogs are brimming with people wearing Litas almost 75% of the time. That's not an official statistic by the way.
2. I hate wearing what everyone else is wearing. I already succumbed to 'mustard mania', am I ready to do the same for the Lita?
3. Heels and I, during the day? I still have to figure out a way to manage that.
4. I know I won't wear them every day. I hate wearing the same pair of shoes all the time.
5. If I don't wear them often, can I justify buying them for all that money?

I am confused. Very confused. Help me!

-B

Street Inspiration: 27th Oct 2011

On Due Relation of One Part to Another: On Proportion

Dear Readers,

In an ideal world, each and every woman on this planet would be blessed with a perfectly proportional body. But, alas, reality is very different. Some women spend hours looking at their short, and maybe heavier, lower body wishing it was a couple of inches smaller. At the same time, other women, probably a few metres away, are secretly wishing for a longer torso because their legs are too long in comparison.

Reality, however, has given women the tools to ‘adjust’ their body shape, allowing them to create visual illusions that could fool even the most attentive of onlookers. Good knowledge of design and garment dynamics can truly help a woman play with proportion.

Let us take, for instance, a woman who has spent her lifetime wanting slimmer legs because they are unproportional compared to her tiny shoulders. The solution to this woman’s misery? She needs to create structure in her upper body. A tailored blazer, with clearly defined shoulders, and maybe shoulder pads, will do the trick. Even better, this same woman could reach for a structured striped blazer, as long as it has horizontal stripes. These ‘sleeping’ stripes will conjure up a sometimes life-saving optical illusion. They will widen her torso, making it look far less small in comparison with her legs. A cheaper, feasible option are shoulder pads. Attaching them to a less structured blazer will lift the jacket’s lines, and probably even the woman’s mood!

Hello, sweet blazer, I love you!

Then, It might be that this woman’s younger sister does not quite fancy her almost manly shoulders. She sulks and asks the heavens why her legs are so tall and slim. The younger sibling must use clothing to add volume to her lower body, or else deploy garments that elongate her upper body. To achieve the first, she must head to the stores and purchase a flared midi-skirt. Not only will she be wearing this year’s ‘it’ skirt, she will also be wearing the skirt that tends to make humanity look shorter and fuller. This skirt will be her new best friend. If she is more into jeans and skinny trousers, simply rolling up the pants’ cuffs will work some incredible magic! Or else, she could rush to her nearest high-street clothes shop and bag herself a pair of ankle grazing jeans instead. Stripes come to the rescue in this case as well. Vertical stripes, this time. With a vertically-striped top, blouse, or a blazer – proven that it is not structured – her upper body will appear longer and more slender, giving her never ending legs a run for their money.

Four ladies and their ankle grazers

These sisters, and all the women worrying about their not so very proportionate bodies, can put their mind at rest. Their clothes are there to save them, always.

-B

Remember Remember, the Vogue of November...

Dear Readers,

If I had to create a new Facebook Page right now, from one of those 'That Awkward Moment' series, I would totally call it 'The Awkward Moment When November Vogue Covers Outshine September Ones'. While I truly can't understand why the Vogue clan played their best cards for their November issues, I encourage you not to dwell too much on the reasons behind this choice. Just drool, like I'm doing right now.

Starting off with one of the recently unveiled November covers: Vogue Mexico's cover featuring Maryna Linchuk. Not only is this photo simply divine in terms of proportion and styling, it was also paired with subtle (subtle may not be the word, maybe less in your face is better?) fonts and colours. I never thought of juxtaposing gold and green. Mhmm, I guess tomorrow I'm wearing a green top and my gold scarf...

Vogue Mexico

Mariacarla Boscano is getting all cosy on this amazing cover for Vogue Korea's November Issue. A-D-O-R-E the styling, dying for that fur-trimmed coat and loving the rope belt. It adds a nice touch to the look. My only criticism is towards the font. I praised Vogue Mexico for their font choices, but I have to criticize Vogue Korea for theirs. Given that the coat's colour is so similar to the actual background, the cover could have taken a stronger, larger font. Other than that, great job!

Vogue Korea

I had already written an entire paragraph in which I asked the heavens to explain why Vogue Australia's November cover is so summery, until I remember that everything works the other way round down under. It's nearly Summer there right? That was really bad of me. Quite embarrassing too. ANYWAY! Now that I understand why this cover is so nautical, bright and Summery, I have nothing to say against it! It's fun and the colour coordination is beyond perfect. Fonts, clothes, make-up, it all blends in so well! Kudos!

Vogue Australia

I warn you, the following cover is as sexy as Ed Westwick and Adam Brody rolled into one. Only, it's a woman. It's Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to be precise posing for this stunning cover for Vogue Germany's November Issue. Oh, and wait for it, the best thing is yet to come....Vogue Germany have two covers for November, because you know, they just couldn't limit Rosie's sexiness to one cover.

Vogue Germany

Vogue Germany

Oh Karen Elson, why are you so beautiful? She is so haunting in Vogue Italy's November Cover! Her pallor stands out in such a graceful way and she so reminds me of Florence Welch in this shot! It's probably one of their best ones as of late, although it can't beat their September cover for obvious reasons. That cover was iconic.

Vogue Italia

Does anyone have a contact email address of the guys and girls at Vogue Paris? I really need to let them I know I adore their cover! From Arizona Muse herself, to the make up, to the hair, to the font, they've simply  outdone themselves. I personally think it was such a great idea to have almost no writing on this cover. I feel like they wanted to highlight Arizona's beauty so much - this is their Beauty Issue after all - that they just couldn't have anything else distracting us from it. Douze Points!

Vogue Paris

No Vogue-related post would be complete without an endless stream of compliments for American Vogue. So here goes. Their cover, featuring Rooney Mara, is as brilliant and witty as a good line from Alexander Pope. I mean, really, isn't it just genius to dress Rooney Mara, star of the much awaited movie 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo', in a Ralph Lauren dress with a dragon on her back? Come on, it's such a good idea it makes me want to marry the actual cover! Pity they covered most of the dragon with that writing. They really could have spared us that!

US Vogue

I would usually say 'last but not least' but this time it's really a case of 'last and least'. I'm referring to Vogue India's November Cover. Thing is, this cover is their fourth anniversary cover and it's meant to be a collector's item. Yeah right. The Cowboy Font, the pose, those unnecessary stars and curves. I really can't find something I like in this cover. Do you like it?

Vogue India

Just for the record, I'm adding Vogue Paris's to my future Vogue cover mural in my room. 

-B

Street Inspiration: 23rd Oct 2011

Mustard Monster

Dear Readers,

Here comes an outfit of the day post. Catch it, catch it!

This is what I wore for some shopping and coffee with my sister and cousin. I'm still obsessed as ever with androgyny, mustard, blazers and brogues. Hence why they all feature in my outfit! You've never seen my mustard trousers till now because they're brand new. I love them to death. As much as I love this navy blue blazer that I got from Paris back in 2006! I might change the buttons though, don't know yet. What do you think?

As usual, hype button and outfit details are at the very end!

Blazer: H&M

Shirt: Stradivarius

Chinos: Bershka

Bag: Parfois

Watch: Vintage

Belt: Stradivarius

-B