Boffism: February 2012

Shopping for Spring, at a fraction of the price.

Dear Readers,

How many of you have rushed to read this post just because you felt intrigued at the sheer idea of buying those highly coveted Spring pieces at a lower price? Here, here, I can already see a couple of hands raising themselves discreetly. Let's be frank, there's nothing vaguely wrong with that. I would be doing the same if I were in your same position.

As I briefly anticipated yesterday, today's post is closely related to a post I wrote quite a while ago about making the most out of clearance sales. In that particular post, I had emphasised how clearance sales - and mind you, there are many good ones at the moment! - can be exploited to stock up on some next season goodies.

Whenever I remotely mention the idea of 'premeditated shopping' - a fancy noun phrase to describe what I've been raving about in the previous paragraph - I get around half a dozen perplexed looks, a non-verbal way of asking, 'How do you do that?'. Some also address the question using their voices. They tend to be the brave ones, you know.

It definitely takes a bit of skill (and patience!) to go on such a shopping mission since, by nature, seasonal clothing are meant to oppose each other. The likelihood of finding a thick faux fur coat during the July sales is low. It's just as difficult to shop for swimsuits during January sales. However, having said that, the first question you must seek to answer is 'What exactly am I shopping for?' Replying with 'something for the next season' doesn't suffice. Are you trying to find pieces for an upcoming seasonal trend or are you merely looking for lighter coloured numbers? Having a clear idea of your intentions not only helps you to save time, but it also aids to filter through all those seemingly uninteresting sale items.

Maybe explaining what I am looking for during my premeditated shopping - which is in full swing at the moment! - helps some of you to understand what I'm going on about. In a few words, I stopped buying anything Winter-related and I'm just using the sales to shop for numbers I want to rock this Spring. During my last shopping adventures, I bagged myself quite a few on trend pieces and I swear I barely even spent more than 4 euro a piece! Yep, true story!

Until we start sweating like pigs, we can afford to wear blazers. This is why I'm keeping a open eye for light coloured blazers, especially cream and white ones. Aspiring to buy a pastel blazer during these sales might be a tad too ambitious, but hey, you never know! I was also lucky enough to buy a pair of cigarette pants in a very light - almost pastel - colour from Bershka for only 5 euro! The same shop had identical ones in their new Spring and Summer stock for more than 20 euro. Bargain, I say!

If anyone has some spare cash to spend during the last few days of the sale period, I strongly encourage you to stop buying Winter pieces and to invest in some Spring wear instead. Look out for bright coloured numbers - from pants to bags to shirts and skirts - and floaty vests and blouses. Getting a pair of brogues might also be a good idea! They're the perfect transitional shoe :)

And just in case you were wondering, all the featured items in this post are on sale.

This is where those raised hands are lowered. They grab the mouse to log in for some online shopping. Proud of you!

-B

Injuries, Drama and Love

Dear Readers,

After a short break of a few days - in which I missed you all terribly - I'm finally back with a handful of fresh ideas and exciting news! However, today I want to share what went on during my birthday weekend. I enjoyed it so much!

Honestly, one of the things that always drove me insane about celebrating my birthday in February is that it occurs in Winter. That time in Winter when you're already fed up with it and you've had enough rain, wind and cold to last for a lifetime. This year, however, global warming gave me a helping hand. Friday 24th February was one of the warmest days ever! It was incredibly sunny and I can't remember having such beautiful weather on my birthday! I spent my birthday morning in Sliema, shopping obviously, with a pair of what seemed like comfortable shoes. I mean, kitten heels should be comfy right? Well, not really. It took me 45 minutes to walk from The Point to Zara. I usually take 10 minutes. By the end of the day my toes were as sore as my bank account balance, meaning that the choice of shoes for my 'birthday clubbing night' were significantly narrowed down to..erm...one pair.

my first photo as a 23 year old

I obviously look as hot as the cartoon on this card

When I got back home, I thought that the best idea would be to nurse myself with a good read and some coffee, hoping that my toes would stop giving me such a hard time. Whilst I enjoyed reading the latest issue of LOVE magazine, which my sister kindly gave me for my birthday, I sadly realised my poor toes were full of red blisters. Sorry for the vivid imagery by the way!

Anyway, as I got ready for my night out I also realised that my point and shoot was on its period - it had issues, loads of them - so I don't have a single photo from the entire night. It was pretty eventful, with plenty of annoying strangers, tacky music and funky dance moves I'd rather forget. I enjoyed it overall though! Then, as I was walking up the stairs at home, I twisted my ankle. Yes, as soon as my little toes were getting better I made sure I had something else to stop me from wearing killer heels. Love myself.

great issue!

some of the purchases I made on my birthday

After a long sleep, I woke up on Saturday all excited! As soon as I stepped out of bed, an incredible pain invaded my left leg. Oh, I remembered, I had twisted my ankle the night before. Convinced that it would gradually get better, I decided to ignore it and head downstairs. On Saturday morning, my sister and myself hosted a brunch at home for a few friends and family members. My sister celebrates her birthday tomorrow by the way, so she was celebrating during the weekend too! My extremely talented friend Alexia brought some delicious cupcakes which we adored! They're the pretty ones in the pictures below. After eating enough food to feed an army of hungry soldiers, I went to Sliema again. I didn't buy anything. SHOCK!

my sister and myself looking like the bride and the groom

brunch time!

Later on Saturday night I was meant to attend an exhibition by Matthew Attard Navarro, but my poor ankle was too battered by the end of the day. Not only was it swollen and red, it hurt like hell. I could barely lift it from the ground. Since I'm very kind - sarcasm! - I decided not to tell anyone about this little injury and rested my foot and had an early night.

some food!

Alexia did make a purchase :)

I was so looking forward to Sunday! Thankfully the weather was pretty kind to us on Sunday as well, even though it suddenly became extremely windy at the end of the day. Sunday is Hugo's Happy Hour Day for me, so I made sure to invite a couple of my closest friends and we headed there for some cocktails. Drama ensued - as always! Nothing major, just reservation problems, being late and all that jazz! - but we got over it and enjoyed ourselves like we always do! I'd quote some of the memorable lines we uttered when we were...uhm..rather happy, but I'd rather keep them to ourselves! We all love secrets right?

Mr.Rapa and myself, looking fabulous! hah

with two of my fave people in the world!

Some of you might already follow two of my favourite local blogs, namely Tea & Rain and Beauty, Fashion and All Things Fabulous. If you don't, then what are you waiting for? Seriously. The lovely bloggers from both blogs - Keith and Roberta from T&R and Denise and Martina from BF&ATF - also joined in for some fun and thank God they did! Let's say we were the ones that lasted longest. We're that badass, yes!

Just in case you're wondering, my foot still hurts like mad. In fact, it's high time I do something about it. At least it's not swollen anymore.

I am so thankful to everyone for their presence and their gifts! I'll be showing you the latter and the heavy shopping at the end of this week! In the meantime, I'm really glad to be back to blogging and I shall be answering all your emails - around 180 last time I checked eeeeeek! - tonight and tomorrow!

Fashion posts resume tomorrow. Like a responsible lecturer, I invite you to re-read this post since it's a good introduction to tomorrow's subject!

-B

It's my Birthday!

Twenty-Two No More!

Dear Readers,

Huge mountain of clothes? Check. List of weekend's events? Check. Nostalgic mood? Check. Dear Readers, I'm officially in birthday mode. My bed is brimming with new clothes and I'm about to decide what I'm wearing to celebrate the onset of my twenty-third year of life on this planet. Yet, it's always inevitable for me to look back at the past year and think about what happened, what never materialised and what I would have rather changed.

I don't want to repeat all the things I wrote for my New Year's Eve post, but allow me to summarise the main thought behind it. This was the best year of my life. The only one I wouldn't change in the slightest if I had the possibility to do so. This was the year where I stopped being merely a product of what happened to me or what surrounded me. I became who I chose to become. If I have ever had grandchildren, I'm telling them 'Kids, I made my dreams come true, when I was twenty-two!' My grandchildren will obviously think that I'm a poet since that phrase rhymed. I'm good.

this is my new, permanent face as a twenty-three year old

This is my first year as a blogger and I can't describe how happy and grateful I am to have all of you supporting me and being there for me. You keep me going and you're my lovely fashion family. Je vous adore! This entire experience was the best thing in year twenty-two.

Enough about the past year, let's think about the future! Twenty-three is going to be even bigger than its life-changing predecessor. I'm not going to reach my aims, I'm going to destroy them. Now that I've come this far - and hell does it feel good - nothing can stop me! Nothing is 'impossible' anymore.

This is probably my last birthday in Malta. All I know is that I'll definitely be in Paris next year, celebrating my lucky 24th birthday next to my beloved Eiffel tower.

Oh, I hope you like the new monochrome layout and the new shoot. We're going bolder and better this year, so our layout needs to match!

-B

A Spring Wishlist

Dear Readers,

Back when I was writing my first dissertation - my undergraduate one, that is - my research taught me that repetition is a powerful, persuasive tool. I believe it was Deborah Tannen who said that, but I can't quite recollect the date. What does linguistics have to do with fashion? That, dear readers, is a good question.

Well, I've been ranting about how much I need Spring right now. I know, I'm restless, but seriously this is not just a cold snap, this is just cold ad nauseum. At least, it seems like the weather should improve during the weekend, just in time for my birthday celebrations.

I also decided that I shall not buy any more Winter clothing, unless it's a real steal obviously, and to focus more on updating my Spring wardrobe. Alas, the poor underdog needs it. These are a few of the pieces I'm currently on the hunt for, however I want to sort out my Spring wardrobe before going on any Spring clothing hunt. I'm sure I have similar things already, somewhere.

I do tend to bite my nails every now and then, but at the moment my nails are in quite a happy place and all of the skin surrounding them is alive and healthy. So I have a good excuse to buy some pastel varnishes. I particularly want one in a pretty mint green. In fact I saw one at the Essence stand and I want to get that specific one. Pastel denim is something I'm beginning to look more into. I spotted some pairs I'm getting and I'll probably buy them next week! I also need a bright coloured satchel to switch my browns and blacks for warmer days and a light pink lipstick because I have a crush on barbie lips at the moment.

What are you looking forward to wearing this Spring?

I'm off to pamper my skin with some exfoliation. My face is begging me for it.

-B

The Boffism Guide to Bright Shoes

Dear Readers,

I'm officially over Winter. No coat is going to change my mind. I can't wait to switch wardrobes - even though I'm going to be shocked by the number of pieces I no longer love in my Spring/Summer wardrobe - and to try on some bright colours.

Since I don't own a heater, I thought of warming my room by buying a pair of blinding, bright shoes. Yes, that's the excuse I used to convince myself to buy them. There's no use denying that I'm more of a neutrals kind of girl, but this is the season of traffic-stopping colours so I had to take action.

Many encounter one problem when buying bright coloured shoes, the question, 'What should I wear these with?'. The obvious answer, 'Neutrals' or 'Black'. Yes, completely true. You can't really go wrong with either of those. Yet, today I want to encourage you to mix your statement colour shoes with another block of colour.

Readers, meet the colour wheel.

Save it to your computer. Learn it by heart. Tattoo it on wrist. Most of all, use it. The colour wheel illustrates the main colours and their different shades and can be used to identify contrasting colours. As a rule of thumb, in order to create a good, yet not unsightly, contrast, we should choose to pair two colours from opposing sides of the wheel. Say, for instance, green and red, yellow and purple and even turquoise and orange.

The colour wheel is the answer to all these bright shoe dilemmas. Find your shoe colour on the colour wheel, then choose something from the opposite side of the wheel. Easy! Here are some examples I created on Polyvore.

1. Coral and Turquoise

Technically, coral is a muted orange. Well, at least it is in my world. In this set, I paired a pair of chunky turquoise heels with a gorgeous, floaty coral shirt. Gold chokers are so in and they match coral so nicely so I thought of including one as well. Since the look has quite a lot of colour already, I made sure to tone down the rest with a white blazer and a nude coloured envelope clutch. I can see myself wearing this look to brunch!

2. Yellow and Purple

I still haven't bought myself a nice fitting skater dress. I truly need to invest in more dresses. Don't these purple shoes look great with yellow? This is probably a combination that many of us would ignore, but the colour wheel indicates that this pairing is written in the stars. I'd keep the rest simple because both colours are amongst the brightest of the brights, so nude lips and black accessories it is!

3. Orange and Electric Blue

I confess, my next pair of bright shoes are probably going to be electric blue. Unfortunately, I can't really pull off orange so I'm going to have to think of something else to wear with them. But look at this combination, doesn't it just scream retro in your face? I swear it did in mine. Also, dying to do something crazy with my hair. Yes, something similar to that afro.

Just in case you were wondering what my bright coloured shoes look like, visit my Facebook Page. There's a photo of them there, a photo that's too low quality for me to upload on this blog. I have standards, strict ones. I'll post good pictures of them tomorrow, I hope!

-B

Pre-Birthday Haul: Zara, Pull and Bear, Hey Birdie Pie!

Dear Readers,

I know I've filmed a haul recently, but here's another one! Since it's my birthday this Friday - and my sister's birthday next week - I went shopping for some pieces to wear during our celebrations! I'm suddenly really excited about my birthday!

Also, I tried changing the setting because I love having a plain, crisp background. You know, less distractions. Let me know whether you like it.

-B

Hello, Neon.

Dear Readers,

This is the article that was published in today's issue of Manic Magazine just in case you missed it. A big thanks to all the design team who did an incredible job with the images. I'll add the article to the press page as soon as the entire issue is made available online.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every season brings with it at least one statement trend in the world of fashion. This winter, most of us were trying to grasp the dynamics and tame the the season’s ‘bad boys’, namely faux fur and leather. This spring, we are going to face a blinding new reality, literally! Put your sunglasses on, we are about to climb on the neon bandwagon!

The catwalk has spoken. Whereas the pastel colour palette reigned over Paris Fashion Week, with designers like Louis Vuitton and Chanel sticking to pretty light shades, neon hues were treated like royalty at New York, London and Milan. One can hardly forget Sass and Bide’s eye-popping collection, with bright tangerine details and hot pink flashes. Nor can we ignore Jason Wu’s work who applied the glowing palette to red carpet frocks. Rag and Bone shone in their eclectic turquoise numbers and the Mulleavy sisters, from the Rodarte label, relied quite heavily on a bold, electric green for some of their designs.

Neon on the runway

Worth a particular mention is Nanette Lepore’s neon-themed collection: a traffic-stopping mix and match of neon shades that cannot go unnoticed. The collection, definitely not for the faint-hearted, featured extreme neon colour-blocking, mixing hot pinks with blinding yellows, toxic greens and glowing turquoises. My personal favourite were the neon tie –dye dresses and an interesting turquoise lace number layered over a sleek bright orange bodycon dress. Who would ever thought ot pairing the two?

Are the eighties back? Well, not really. The neon palette is strongly associated with that particular decade, but somehow the neon trend is walking down a slightly different road this time. That might come as a relief to some since, in terms of fashion, the eighties seem to be the decade that many would rather shun into absolute oblivion. So where does the difference lie? Whereas the neon bonanza used by most designers is extremely reminiscent of the times of George Michael and Cyndi Lauper, the collections were based on cuts, lines and shapes derived from other decades, if not centuries. Peter Sam’s bold neon numbers were inspired by the silhouettes from the sixties. Heidi Middleton and Sarah Jane Clarke, chez Sass and Bide, opted for Edwardian-inspired details, amongst which the famous Edwardian collar. This merging of fashion aspects coming from different times not only created an added dimension, but also brought back a trend without that ‘been there done that’ feel.

the neon satchel

Take a look at your favourite stores and you will not be able to miss them. Neons are everywhere already! From bright pink blazers to striped neon block skirts, these pieces are already on the shelves waiting for us to purchase them. Just when we thought that the trend has only limited its reach to clothing and accessories, we saw extreme neon make-up on the runways as well! World famous make-up lines took the queue from our favourite designers, and released neon-based collections including bold orange and pink lipsticks and lipglosses, and a couple of eyeliners and eyeshadows in shocking neon brights. Nail colours did not fail to catch the neon flu either. Have you noticed an increase in neon-shaded nail varnishes as of late? I know I have.

Interestingly, latest street style pictures reveal that the trend has already caught on even on the streets! The weather may not have warmed up yet, but fashionistas have already turned their neon switches on. Probably the neon item that pops up in nearly every recent street style snap is the neon satchel. During the past few seasons we have seen the satchel return to the limelight, but this season it is the lime (even orange, pink and yellow!) satchel that is stealing the light! Its popularity can be attributed to its ease of wear, given that it is a detail that you can easily add to a plain outfit for that attention-grabbing pop of colour. Bright coloured trousers are equally as widespread on the streets and in the stores. In a similar way, neon-coloured trousers are on the wearable side of the scale. Bold neon dresses or tops might be overpowering especially with certain complexions. Bottoms, however, tend to be less problematic to tone down.

Neon make-up

The million dollar question: how should I wear neons without looking like I am all set for an eighties costume party?

The most important decision that needs to be taken on the matter is whether you would like to restrict yourself to a few neon details or else whether you would prefer to go for a more statement outfit. If your preferences are closer to the first option, then you are practically spoilt for choice. Look out for garments with neon piping, buttons, cuffs or collars. You could also opt for the neon satchel which, as already mentioned, is quite ‘in’ right now. Last but not least, consider buying a brighter lipstick than the one you usually go for. Just make sure you go easy on the rest. You are not Nicki Minaj.

If details do not tackle your fancy and you would rather try the trend with a bang by, for instance, wearing a flashy hot pink dress or a bold tangerine orange top, then mix it with neutral, subdued colours. Neon trousers look exquisite with plain white tees and black flats. Attention-grabbing neon frocks are way more flattering if paired with nude or black pumps. Do keep in mind that your favourite neon piece is a loud number in itself, so the rest should be relatively ‘quieter’.

Are you ready to down some mind-blowing neon shots? Looks like everyone is.

-B

Marni at H&M

Dear Readers,

Amongst the many things that piss me off are two things: when people think that bloggers want to be models (huh, no. I love food!) and the fact that there's no H&M here in Malta. The latter point makes me purple with rage (yes, because going red is mainstream).

If H&M were to open here in Malta by the 8th of March, I'd be the first queueing for the Marni at H&M collection. True story!

I wasn't head over heels with the Versace and H&M collaboration, but I did have very strong feelings for the Lanvin gorgeousness chez H&M. After highly underestimating the Marni line, I can now say that it competes against Lanvin for the post of 'favourite H&M collaboration to date'. I adore it.

Can I not love this? No, obviously.

My heart fell for the Peter Pan collars and the interesting prints and details. I also like the variety of textures and shapes. Even though I'm still and always shall be a Lagerfeld junkie, I must admit that the Italian fashion house did one hell of an excellent job.

Bless!

As I always do in such circumstances, I shall now retire to think of multiple reasons why H&M should either open a store here or at least ship items to my God-forsaken country. One day, I plan to send them all to the H&M moguls.

-B

New York's Holy Trinity: Ralph, Oscar and Calvin

Dear Readers,

Now that I've finally caught up with all the fashion from New York's most stylish week of the season, I'm able to give you the low-down on my three favourites. To be frank with you all, I would have never expected myself to choose these three designers. Not that I don't like them, of course, but I guess my eyes were set on others who ultimately disappointed me. These 'others' are Michael Kors and Alexander Wang in particular. As far as I'm concerned, the three undisputed jewels of New York Fashion Week were Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta and most particularly, Ralph Lauren. Each collection embraces a specific element I expect my clothes to have: minimalism, French prettiness and clean-cut androgyny.

Calvin Klein

I can't say I'm much of a Kleinster. Year after year, I feel like other collections overshadow the ones by Francisco Costa. Strangely enough, however, his Fall 2012 collection made me swoon repetitively. It must be the perfect combination between ladylike silhouettes and edgy details that won me over. Most of the pieces focussed on the waist, with belts cinching in the models' figures into an hourglass shape, yet the fabrics used were of a bold, edgy kind. Colours were generally dark, except for a handful of coral numbers which provided an interesting alternative to the mainly obscure colour choice. This is minimalism at its finest.

Calvin Klein

Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta is a designer I deeply admire, however I can't say I've ever seen his collections as a major source of inspiration. I was pleasantly surprised by this year's Fall collection though, especially since it reminded me of Chanel and French glamour in particular. What fascinated me the most was the designer's choice of powdery pastels as his main colours, with numbers in blue, pink and peaches. Worth a mention is the way Oscar de la Renta used multiple fabrics, sometimes mixing textures in the same outfit, since it adds a playful dimension to his collection. Overall, this very feminine collection was probably my favourite of de la Renta's ever!

Oscar de la Renta

Ralph Lauren

Hats off to Ralph Lauren! I can hardly think of another collection (excluding anything Chanel of course!) that impressed me so much from beginning to end. As per usual, I don't tend to drool at every single piece that graces the runway, but this time, I swear I did. The collection started with men inspired pieces. Or should I say newspaper boy inspired? That's what they reminded me of. These tailored androgynous numbers then made way for more feminine cuts, ending with a full-on glamour bonanza and fluid silhouettes. It takes skill to make me reconsider wearing metallics, and well, Ralph Lauren just did! Oh, and those hats. I love them too. God bless you Ralph Lauren.

Ralph Lauren

I can't say NYFW presented too many worthwhile collections. Here's hoping London fairs better! (although we know Paris always wins.)

-B

Are you an aspiring fashion student?

Dear Readers,

I come bearing good news. Just imagine I look like an angel in an elegant Vera Wang white frock with a herald of trumpeters playing 'Ode to Joy' behind me.

Have you ever thought of studying fashion? I know many of you have. I know I have as well. The biggest problem I used to find with this everlasting dream was that Malta is pretty much trapped in Fashion Prehistory and there's nowhere to get the appropriate learning.

Well, let's welcome a new era of fashion to our islands. I decided that I'm calling it the 'Fashion Renaissance'. Read below for more information on how you can study fashion in Malta at a very good price.

Course Information

The Foundation Seminar is here to offer a basic knowledge of the fashion industry, skimming through the main four areas which make up the industry mainly, the production & design, the business of fashion, the marketing and the fashion media. With this seminar students can... get a good idea of how the fashion industry works & which area one should specialize in. Very limited spaces. Booking opens soon online.

Foundation Seminar

Duration: 15 hours (Three hours daily for five days)
Dates: 19th March – 23rd March
Time: 5pm – 8pm

Price: 150 Euro + 18% VAT
Student Smart Card accepted.

Funding & financing your collection’s samples.
Mood board, design process, & production,
Samples & manufacturing.
Textiles, sourcing out textiles & textile samples
The job of a distributor.
Working with a factory & preparing orders + working a year ahead.
Targeting your buyer & your market. Selling power. Art vs commerce, examples of big designers that went bankrupt over the years
Setting up a brand’s image & adapting it to your market.
How photography & styling work together & why they are so important in the fashion industry
The importance of the fashion show / presentation for the buyer & for the press.
Case study, an emerging designer who managed to achieve commercial status
How do magazines work, case studies of two different fashion magazines.
How can a magazine work for your brand
The rise of the new media for luxury goods

Lecturer

The seminar will be delivered by Alison Coates, a Maltese based stylist & shoe designer who has worked and studied in the fashion industry in London. Alison Coates has studied at the London College of Fashion, and takes her inspirations from constant trends she sees when attending fashion weeks. She has worked in footwear design with various clients after finishing her studies and works on various styling projects. Her main interests are styling and footwear design; while her favourite designers are Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, DSquared2, Ann Demeulemeester, Roksanda Ilincic, and Cora Kemperman. She also enjoys knitting, geology, and illustration.

Alison Coates

Bookings

Book your space online: bookings@platinumpluscourses.com
More info: www.platinumpluscourses.com
Certificate of attendance will be issued upon completion of course.

Links

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/events/204844879611771/
Website info: http://www.platinumpluscourses.com/foundation

Have I convinced you?

-B

Lady in Red

Dear Readers,

Our world relies on semiotics. We have become accustomed to interpreting signs, although, some have problems with the aforementioned, including that driver who nearly sent me to heaven this morning after running a red light! In our minds, red is the colour of danger. It's also the colour of love.

Unless you're living on the moon, you know today is Valentine's day. Instead of dedicating today's post to hearts and all that jazz, I opted for a colour I wear rather sporadically. Having red hair means staying away from red as much possible, but I do have some favourite combinations, involving red, that I'm sharing with you all today.

Black, White and Red

This is definitely the most classic of my preferred red combinations. Nothing beats monochrome looks with a healthy pop of redness. Well, in reality the black and white do works in combination with any colour, but something works its magic even more when red is involved.

This combination works in a myriad of forms. You can either go for smaller red accents against a background of black and white clothing. You can also choose red as the main colour and complement it with black and white accessories. If you want to break the combination with some metal jewellery, I would suggest gold. However, nothing works as well as a pearl! The look on the side is quite girly but the red tights and the motif on the top give it quite an added edgy feeling. As I said, I love pearls with such a look so I made sure to slip in a pair for you to see!

Leopard and Red

Rumour has it this is one of my guilty pleasures. It's no use denying that I have a thing for animal print, and even if I always advocate pairing it with more subtle, muted elements, I do love some red and animal print mixtures. Both elements are strong, I know, but they complement each other extremely well. Since the look is quite out there already, I always use a black canvas as a base to tone the wildness down. In the look I created on Polyvore, I added some cat eye glasses by Prada, just to make that extra little statement.

I saw a pair of gorgeous leopard print jeans on sale at Zara last Saturday. I really should have given them a try in the fitting rooms. Maybe tomorrow?

Red and Blue

This is the combination I need to stop forgetting ever so often. This very nautical look, evocative of those cartoon and postcard sailors, is an interesting way of playing around with red. I had done a red and blue OOTD back in Summer (it feels like ages ago!).

To keep myself in the nautical theme, the look I created features some straw details, boat shoes, anchor earrings and obviously, some signature stripes. I'm definitely turning to this look when warmer weather decides to grace our cold-stricken country!

Happy Valentine's Day!

-B

I got my RAWR boots on..

Dear Readers,

I could easily copy and paste lyrics from some of my happy songs but I'm scared they just wouldn't express how incredibly hyper I am at the moment. Here are a few snaps from my weekend, or rather, from yesterday. Since I was a tad sick at the end of the week and it rained cats and dogs on Saturday, there wasn't anything worth capturing. My cousin Nicolette, Petra and myself went to Happy Hour at Hugo's Lounge. It was pretty random, the people we met were even more random and we somehow ended in Bugibba singing karaoke amidst a herd of people with white boots. The horror, but still surprisingly fun.

I was out with my RAWR boots yesterday and for the first time in a while, they didn't give me any blisters. So proud of myself right now.

For details of my outfit check out the very end of the post. I hope you all had an equally pleasant time over the past few days.

Long Island please!

Flustered barmen

Random shot of the crowd, like a boss

The sort of photo that makes sense during that specific moment (only)

Random guy with nerdy glasses

Petra, Nicolette and myself

Moi, freezing

OUTFIT| Jeans: Zara - Shirt: Vintage - Jumper: Vintage - Bag: Vintage - Hat: Pull and Bear - Ring: H&M - Boots: New Look

-B

I love myself

Dear Readers,

I still have to find out why I get the most controversial post ideas on a Sunday. I'm starting to think it's because I find the day so incredibly boring and despicable.

Do you believe in anything like 'healthy vanity'? I sure as hell do. Contrary to most of the people around me, I don't think self-love is necessarily unhealthy. There's a fine line between harmless self-love and the sort of love for self that makes you look down on everyone else. I personally grew to like what I see in the mirror and at the end of the day, when I lay my head on my pillow, I strive to feel at ease with myself and I never feel like I've said 'yes' to everyone and 'no' to yours truly. Over the years I've become so detached from the rest of the world that I feel like no one can ever hurt me. Since my opinion matters the most to me, I'm the only one with the ability of hurting myself so others' talk really doesn't matter. Yes, bloggers who waste their time thrashing what I like and do should get better ideas or stop blogging altogether because if bringing me down is their ultimate aim, their exercise is as futile as bombing for peace.

We live in a world where there are millions of self-help books and internet articles meaning to make people feel comfortable with themselves and their imperfections. Yet, when someone has already reached that coveted state, we label them as a 'bitch'. As far as I'm concerned, I'm okay with that since I don't believe my confidence brings down other people and it's easier for me to be a size 0 than to be condescending. Yet, if anyone feels threatened or intimidated by my self-confidence, then they should look at the mirror and try to accept who they are instead of wasting time trying to bash everyone else to make themselves feel better. It doesn't work anyway.

Learn to ignore what other people say. Do you really want to live a life where society's conceptions of what you should or shouldn't be dominate your being? I chose not to, maybe you should too.

-B

Kiss & Make-Up

Dear Readers,

Do not be overwhelmed by the overdose of prettiness in this post. Today, I bring you a great deal of lushness from Soap Cafe and gorgeous vintage-ness from Hey Birdie-Pie! As some of you may know, the two aforementioned godsends set up an event by the name of 'Kiss & Make-Up', held today at Soap Cafe in Sliema.

It was my first time at Soap Cafe and boy was I impressed! First and foremost, I could hardly tell whether the cupcakes at the entrance were soap or not. Yes, they're that well made! Secondly, they have the most interesting face and body products I've seen in a while and thirdly, that shop looks so cute! All products are natural and aren't tested on animals.

They were two reasons why I was ~~rather~~ very excited for today: a new natural make-up line and a pop-up vintage shop from the lovely Hey Birdie-Pie! I'm noting that I'm becoming more of a make-up person lately so I was instantly drawn to the all-natural 'Pure' make-up line which is surprisingly varied and unsurprisingly pretty.

Yet, I have to admit. I had to visit that pop-up vintage stand. Never have I seen such a myriad of beautiful pieces in one go. With designs from The Secret Rose, Babettopolis and Rita Cholita, the choice left nothing to be desired. I fell in love with the hats but since my wardrobe screams 'NO MORE HATS' every time I consider buying one, I had to leave without a new hat friend. Sadness. I didn't leave empty handed though. I mean, really do you think I would have left without a purchase? My heart fell for a lapel-less brocade jacket that I'll show you very soon! Believe it or not, it was only twenty euro! Kudos to Hey Birdie-Pie for these vintage findings and for the very affordable prices.

Two of my biggest regrets right now are the following. I forgot to give my details for the giveaway that was organised. I also wish I got the floral blouse that was hanging on the wall. I shall now retire and metaphorically shout at myself.