Where have they been hiding?

As much as I love (somewhat unhealthily I might add) ASOS.com, there comes a time when you need somewhere else on the internet to unwittingly spend far more money than you would if you could actually hold the price tag in your hand. I remember this one time when either Elle or Vogue UK produced a list of little-known websites to check out and it was ridiculously exciting for me. I hardly ever buy clothes in actual shops anymore as the allure of eBay has corrupted me, so discovering new places to fritter away hours that should've been better spent is fantastic. Here are a few I have recently come across.

1. Once upon a belt.com - the belt emporium.

If you can't find a belt here... well I don't know what to suggest. With prices from £1 to a hundred, there is a huge range to choose from. For the ethically-minded amongst you there are vegan belts, and they also stock hip belts instead of maintaining the irritating propensity towards waist belts only. If you really want to push the boat out you can go for the ankle belt. Nope, I'd never heard of one either. And you've got to love how their 'seven reasons to go shopping for ladies belts' doesn't even smack of the hard sell - there's pure belt-loving going on. 

2. Not on the high street.com - an etsy for England!

I love etsy but am adverse to buying anything from America since one unexpected customs fee almost landed me in the red. It took me a while to actually realize what this was, as the assortment of seemingly unconnected aesthetics baffled me. I have to admit that my favourite section is the home part - this is what happens when you move house. It'll definitely come in handy by Christmas anyway. 

3. Eclectic eccentricity.com - for the kitsch generation.

Their general angle isn't really anything new, but they put in a little bit more effort than many of their counterparts which really pays off. The tagline for each piece identifies the 'story' and that is all that's needed to capture your imagination. The little details like a blue crystal coming out of the watering can ensure a talking point if nothing else.

More denim for your dollar?

First off, I apologize for falling slightly short on the whole daily posting thing - somewhere close to three weeks to be exact. I've had half a tonne (probably almost literally) of academic work to do, as well as actual work and trying to avoid falling into the life of a hermit at the same time. Anyway, a new season climate-wise means a new season clothes-wise and I've discovered that I have a winter wardrobe composed of about three dubious 70's jumpers, two pairs of jeans and four dresses that can't really be worn in more than one way. So in frustration/desperation I scoured ASOS.com and a couple of other places for clothes that I would actually wear and half-heartedly clicked a dress and two pairs of tights into the basket. The subtotal? £69.00. Now that I have a job I could afford it but there's a big eBay-dominated part of me that resented paying that much for three items, so I backed out empty handed. It got me thinking about how brands justify charging what they do for goods that aren't worth a fraction of the retail price - bear in mind that none of what I chose was even branded. Jeans are a prime example of this. From designer jeans to brands devoted to them, they can fetch as much as £1000 from a woman who has the funds and either the lack of understanding that the jeans just aren't worth that much, or that they don't care. 
These jeans (both available on ASOS.com by the way) both look pretty similar. One looks like it could potentially be a better fit but there's not much real difference aside from that, a bit of fancy back-pocket detail and a tiny contrast in wash - none of which should justify the £172 difference in price tag. I have a pair of jeans which were £50 (reduced from £200) and a pair that cost £40. The more expensive pair do fit slightly better in some places but don't seem to be designed with sitting down in mind, whereas the cheaper ones stay in place but aren't quite as well-fitting. The first pair have much more detailing, but then I bought them for different purposes. The second pair are made of noticeably thinner denim but that's not really a priority for me. In short, I wouldn't have paid £200 for the McQ pair instead of £40 for the Cheap Mondays. So is it really worth paying 'in the red' sums for jeans, an item of clothing originally designed for utility? Fit is a tricky thing to perfect considering that no two pairs of legs are the same so whilst an expensive pair might fit one person - and that would be their justification for spending so much on them - they might look awful on someone else. I have trouble with jeans because my proportions don't fit with a traditional size (w25 l34) and the only high street brand which sells jeans in this way produce pairs that grow by about two sizes after an equivalent amount of months wear. This is potentially a reason for buying more expensive jeans - but to be honest half the time they don't even sell them like that and wearing jeans that don't crumple nicely at the ankle isn't too much of a hardship. Second on the cards is quality - with cheaper jeans it's just about knowing where to go (as I expect is often the case with more expensive ones - price doesn't necessarily give a realistic indication of how long they'll remain intact). I have two pairs of Cheap Mondays which haven't lost their shape or any of their stitching, and there's zero fraying. Third is detail, which can be limiting. Most designer jeans will have some fancy scrawl on the back pocket to let you know that the wearer can afford embellishment but this can be limiting anyway. Essentially I don't really see the point in paying over £80 for jeans with a top brand name attached when for less than that you're likely to get a better deal. What are your experiences?
P.S. In case anyone was wondering, the pair on the left are ASOS.com own brand at £28 and the jeans on the right are by Lofli and will set you back £200. Is that what you expected?

Minnetonka Moccasins

I know that has to be the most dull title ever, but the point remains - say hello to my new favourite brand: Minnetonka. I've always been pretty big on the original as opposed to the imitation, and Minnetonka are the most authentic modern-day producer of moccasin-based footwear (not Topshop, might I add). They have probably the largest range of fringed suede boots you could possibly hope to find as well as an original array of flats (the ones below left I really really want). Minnetonkas have long been the favourite of various celebrity figures - as shown by the fact they are actually able to have a 'celebs' section - including Kate Moss, and there's a reason why. Obviously they're a bit different and this is always an appealing characteristic, but the quality is superb. If you're going to spend that much on something you'll want to know it lasts and although I haven't had mine long enough to tell you that, the thickness of the suede suggests they'll hold up for a while yet. Although they are available on websites such as asos.com if you're looking for the full range head to their own website. It's very easy to use as you can see above and colour choice is an unfortunate rarity these days, making this particular feature impressive. These worn with the plaid shirt with the slightly native indian vibe could quite possibly look a bit over the top, but I'm willing to try it.

Karl's Barn

images from style.com

In the past Karl Lagerfeld has been accused of lacking in originality. A model menage a trois, Lily Allen rising through the earth and the odd injection of Baptiste is certainly one way to go about rectifying that misconception. It was also a pretty incredible collection - seventy one high-quality, new looks isn't bad for a man with something like six collections to design each season.

Pocahontas Plaid

I promise this isn't supposed to be some kind of misplaced tribute to my face - it started off with me attempting to photograph my plaid (slightly Pocahontas style) shirt I bought from work and ended up in me attempting to push my hair into awkward positions. The problem is I get bored very, very quickly. Do I go for a fringe again? A partial fringe? No fringe? As for colour... well that is a whole other kettle of fish. This is more me thinking aloud so the questions are more rhetorical than anything mais oui...And I am aware I look like some kind of terrified woodland creature in the last picture. Not intentional.

In Memorandum: Keira

image from tFS
I know that part of the idea of doing regular features is that you generally do them on the same day once a week/month etc but the previous one was on a Thursday, which, if we're being honest, is a bit of a 'non-day'. It makes far more sense to have it on a Monday as this is when everyone is annoyed about having to go back to work/school/college and could do with being reminded of a fantastic outfit from the past which makes all of that go away. This image (from September 2008) is what instigated my year-long search for the perfect pair of tweed trousers, which are still awaiting me in some shadowy corner of a charity shop I'm sure, and the satchel is as classic as it gets. Honestly I don't think you can beat Keira Knightley when it comes to winter style - she has the most amazing collection of coats and boots I have ever seen which give me justification for greedily wanting more than one coat. Her beanie-wearing abilities are unparalleled and constantly remind me of my own inability to pull them off. 

Only in Paris

images from tFS
Only Viktor & Rolf could take 'cutting back' as their theme and come up with this. That is why I love them so much.Even if you wouldn't choose to go out with half a metre of tulle rising out of your shoulder, you can appreciate the brilliance of these designs. They absolutely nailed each and every look, from slouchy silk to the seriously structured silhouettes - perfection.
I hadn't realized it had been so long since I last posted - I've been pretty busy lately with college work, my boyfriend leaving for university and my new job in a vintage clothes shop (i.e. the perfect job for me). I know that these kinds of posts aren't that popular because to be honest you could just go to style.com yourself and look at them, but I couldn't help myself.

Disposable fashion

image from tFS
I promise this blog will not descend into an irritating abyss of same-y celebrity photos, but the 'praise where praise is due' mantra needs to be upheld sometimes. The styling here is exactly how I wish I could dress, whoever styled Alexa Chung for the October issue of Nylon Japan got 'the mix' exactly right. Instead of putting together clashing prints and crazy colours, she/he has gone for contrasting fabrics, a fairly simple colour palette and slightly quirky accessories which add a little je ne sais quoi.Of course, the highlight is the Kodak disposable. If there's one thing I don't like about the rise of the digital camera, it's the consequent demise of film photography, that has a home-grown quality you don't get with even the grainiest digital image.

Milan's new romantics

images from style.com
Of all the fashion weeks, Milan is probably the one I pay the least attention to. London is my favourite, not out a blind patriotism but because it is home to the likes of Charles Anastase, Emma Cook, Paul Smith, Roksanda Illinic, Vivienne Westwood, Twenty8Twelve and this season Matthew Williamson and Temperly London. I look to Paris for the established greats such as Chanel and Dior and those who are steadily working their way up there such as Alexander McQueen. New York has the odd show I take an interest in but it's a little too polished to be in my top two. Then we come to Milan. To be honest there's just not much there that really catches my imagination - with the exception of Alberta Ferretti.
In my opinion she is underrated; although certainly well-known for some reason she doesn't seem to be taken as seriously as the likes of Bottega Veneta and fails to attract the same high-calibre reputation as designers she is undoubtedly as talented as. Working with chiffon is a notoriously fiddly job but its presence is always strongly felt in each of her collections which is perhaps why I like them so much. The romantic aesthetic has always held a huge appeal for me, in much the same way as the British eccentric. This is the look that Ferretti is known for and in her s/s 2010 she stays true to form. The collection speaks for itself so all I'm going to say is to look at the shoes. Those beautiful beautiful ribbon laced shoes, which appear to be a few comfortable inches closer to the ground than your average runway pair. 

Arne & Carlos' cosy knitwear

One of my greatest loves in life is knitwear. Okay so it's not that close to my heart, but probably as close as fashion gets. I always appreciate a good bit of a knitwear - I've never warmed to the jersey cardigan, nor have acrylic jumpers ever quite cut the proverbial mustard. My favourite kind of knitwear is traditional, be it a fair-isle pattern or a cable knit. As is so often the case in fashion it is the fair-headed Europeans who come up trumps in the style stakes - Arne & Carlos are a Norwegian and Swedish duo who cite Peru as their country of influence, whilst using Scandinavian techniques to create a perfect blend of multi-cultural heart-warming knits. The pieces are clearly rich in cultural references, with their abandoned railway headquarters inspiring unique motifs and cold colour combinations. Their (50% of the time) handmade jumpers, cardigans and capes are exactly the kind of pieces you would pull from the bottom of your chest of drawers on a windy night, pull on over your pyjamas and try to avoid spilling hot chocolate on. They would be equally appropriate on the streets of Europe's fashion capitals, worn with a more on-trend ensemble. 

You can sample some of Arne & Carlos' Scandinavian delights from £225 upwards, available at ASOS.com. Hardly cheap, but if you can spare it these are the kinds of fashion-based goodies worth indulging in.