Spectacular Spikes!!!

The fashion gods have heard my prayers and answered with more studded styles from Sam Edelman!!!

I already have a pair of Sam Edelman flats, and let me tell you they are COMFORTABLE! Those boys sure know how to make a good shoe that feels good and looks good.

YAY for wearing shoes that don't make my feet bleed! (I'm talking to you strapy heels I bought at Aldo)


Oh just an FYI, TopShop is having a crazy awesome sale with free shipping!
This seems to happen to me on a daily basis:

Bustin Out

Hope everyone had a great weekend whether you celebrated Easter, Passover, or whatever!

I suppose being that this is a fashion blog I'm obligated to share my Easter attire (or maybe not, but you WILL look at it either way)

So here ya go, I wore;
a Brooks Brother's blouse, a Liz Claiborn skirt, and some Antonio Melani patent wedges.

I gotta say, when I went to mass that morning I noticed that not too many people take advantage of the opportunity celebrating our zombie Jesus presents for dressing up.
Any thoughts on that? Do you dress up the holidays still?

Granted, this outfit isn't really a stretch for something I'd wear to go grocery shopping in....


Ok now that we have that out of the way, I have got to spill on my latest clothing must-have, yet totally unwearable article! (I should also spend some time coming up with clever titles instead of these extremely descriptive ones)
Bustiers! They are completely unnecessary, can barely be deemed appropriate to wear anywhere, and I'm completely in love with them! I already have a few, but some new cropped ones have caught my attention in recent weeks.

Forever 21 Bustier. Channeling Selena

Zara top, with adorable fairy tale print

Gilly Hicks top with actual ribbing in it! Hardcore.

Look if I want to dress like a 90's pop singer then I will!
I don't care if people think I forgot to put a shirt on over my bra or that I just came from a tanning session. Just you wait, you'll see, This Shit Will Catch On! Even my blogging soulmate the Man Repeller has christened this trend a must.

TopShop

TopShop

I'm thinking if I wear high enough shorts it will conceal the fact that I've got on what is essentially the top half of a swimsuit. 

Asos

Finally here's some good music with a seasonally appropriate band name-- Summer Camp

Wolf Gang -- Gang Bang

Today's update isn't really going to have a carefully planned out theme as I usually try to aim for, I just had a bunch of random ideas I wanted to share with the world.

Ok so first off, I did a little shopping today despite having no income from not having a real job. BUUUUT I will never let that stop me!! I got these legit bloomers from American Apparel.

I think they will be perfect for wearing under my scandalously short dresses (which is basically every dress I own), so I don't flash innocent bystanders with the slightest breeze.

I also headed over to the Gap today and would you believe they are having a buy 1 top, get 1 FREE! Holy Hell, you know I was all over that like tweens on the Biebs.

Right away I snapped up these beauties. They both are really great quality that you just don't get from these pics, for instance the black and cream color shirt has mesh detailing around the collar.

And now for a perfect segue from clothes to music;

While I was in line paying for my new clothing conquests, the song "Lions in Cages" by Wolf Gang came on (and no I don't mean Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart the classic composer).

I'm so glad he is finally gathering steam because for a couple years now it has been almost impossible for me to get my hands on his music aside from the occasional free download courtesy of NME.com

Wolf Gang's music is so addictive, you gotta check him out, (especially now that one of his EP's is available on itunes) plus he's got this killer pea coat in his video.

Mint Mania

I know, I know, it's been ages since I posted anything on this blog. Despite what this new British Sea Power song says, living is NOT easy. So I've been a bit preoccupied with the ups and downs of life...which doesn't leave a whole lot of time to scavenge the net for new fashion trends.

Anyways.....

something I have noticed when getting dressed each day is my fascination with mint green, sea-foam green, teal, blue-green, or whatever you choose to call this color family.
It seems every single day I'm wearing SOMETHING of that sort, but hey at least I'm not wearing that puke yellow anymore right?? RIGHT?!

I really got into this pastel color scheme last summer in London, who knows they are probably so totally over it by now, but whatever, it's still going strong
here in the U.S. of A.

Example A: These awesome little shorts I just bought at Forever 21 and they even have zippers up the sides in case I don't find the length revealing enough!

I also purchased a tunic from Brooks Brothers and a sweet 3/4 length shirt with ruffled shoulders from the Gap.

 The dresses are from a couple of London shops as well as the polka-dot blouse with a heart shaped cut out in the back :)


And of course I had to include the Cath Kidston tote bag, you should definitely check their website out if you want to see an assortment of cuteness that could cause cardiac arrest.


I also included my favorite shade of nail polish "Office" from American Apparel as well as a nice teal shade from Sally, my travel size Sanrio hair brush, and of course....my old, dirty, beat up, Sam Edelman gladiators.

Nothing says fabulous like frayed leather and ground in dirt stains.

You name it

I've been meaning to bring this amazing jewelry company up for a long time.

Tatty Devine (check out the hyperlink) is this super cute British jewelry company that makes all sorts of unique  pieces. They have all sorts of collections ranging from mustaches to Amelia Earhart. My favorite being this dinosaur necklace!

 But by far what Tatty Devine seems to hold as it's specialty is not one of these off the wall adornments but their Name Necklaces.


Check out the page here, and you can spend hours changing up the design of a necklace, adding on charms, glitter etc. It's awesome!

Pretty sure I need one of these new, just in case the people around me were wondering who that fabulous person sitting next to them was.

Friends in a Lens

This past week I got extremely sick. The kind of sick that makes you spend half your day bent over the toilet up-chucking everything (no doubt rearranging some organs in the process).

In order to find out if I was suffering from Cholera as my dad had suggested (I guess he's older than I thought. He probably also thinks Consumption is a prevalent ailment.), I went to the doctor.
To put it lightly I looked like crap. It was at this point I realized what an amazing accessory sunglasses are, they can transform you on the worst days to looking super cool INSTANTANEOUSLY! 

Example: Ugly/possibly disturbed, baby

BAM! Just like that she now looks like she's making that face to be ironic = instant cool.

 I myself have gone through many phases with sunglasses.
In high school it was all about the GIANT frame (because in the early 2000's small faces were in), but over time I have evolved to liking the wayfarer.



  
My adoration for this frame has crept its way into most of my daily solar choices, from my prescription lenses all the way to the freaking case I carry them in!





Thankfully it seems the styles I've been seeing around lately don't divert too much from my wayfarer rut.
I think the cat-eye frame is still in right now, but I'm really liking this rounded wayfarer style.

ASOS

Fred Flare

Ray-Ban

So the exciting news is this new style is still going retro... but I'm talking turn of the century retro! It's about time we dug into the fashion vaults.


Here's some music for the week. These videos are really light and fun for summer, ENJOY!

Denim Venom

Apologies blog readers on my lack of update. I decided to start working on a portfolio in my never ending search for a job, and it has really been imposing on my sitting around time.

Aside from that I've still been dressing to the nines to sit in front of my tv, like any unemployed, wannabe fashionista would (maybe for Lent I should give up being so boring?).

Anyway, I have come to discover something--I love a good jean jacket.
I used to be completely against this article of clothing because
a.) they are worthless when it comes to warmth
b.) only hicks and frumpy soccer moms wear them.

But I've proved myself wrong.
I like to call this segment "The many outfits I can wear my Banana Republic denim jacket" (yeah I know, I need a better title...)

 

Gap striped shirt

Black Banana Republic jeans

Red Michelle D loafers

 

Primark sundress
Gianni Bini peep-toe flats

Yellow H&M shorts
Saddle shoes from muffys.com
Striped blouse from local boutique

Forever 21 tee

Banana Republic pencil skirt

Stuart Weitzman jelly flats

H&M blouse
Zara paperbag trouser
Paul Frank tennis shoes












Dress from local boutique
Maroon Banana Republic tights
Two tone oxfords from TopShop













Red Urban Outfitters dress
Forever 21 biker shorts
Madewell oxfords












Hurely gingham shirt
BCBG harem pants
J Vincent flats

So how about that? I've managed to wear the same jacket every day for a week and even had an extra outfit for that time I dropped a buffalo chicken wing in my lap and had to change. Oh the sense of accomplishment I feel!!

P.S. the Crocodiles was a band that inspired me to rethink the denim jacket (despite the fact that no denim is present in this particular video). Thanks guys, you rock in many ways.

Urgent Music Update!

Tis the season of new music!
With South By Southwest (SXSW) around the corner all the alternative/indie rockers are busting out with all their new material, LUCKY US!!!!

First off here's the Strokes new video, their first in like 10 years.

Now that we got the megastar out of the way, here's the proper video for Glasvegas.

And here's the always adorable Noah & the Whale with their latest video off their new album, Last Night on Earth

Gone Gaudy

In our current state of recession fashion has turned to extremes to help us escape feeling how crummy our lives really are.
Heels couldn't be higher and colors couldn't be brighter.

It seems it's all about being garish and over the top...and I'm loving it! (as my new favorite saying goes "I'm a pig in shit"--sorry for all the cussing mom)

Just check out TopShop's web page and you are instantly bombarded with glorious prime colors!

Glorious TopShop pop

 One example of the extravagance I've seen would have to be these Sam Edelman studded heels. Basically they've got an S&M  vibe (yes, yes colorful and kinky like the Rhianna video, but I'm also talkin the real world use of the term) going on and I'm drooling all over myself for them.

and the flat version for us tall people

I really could care less that these shoes put everyone around you at risk of receiving puncture wounds to their ankles, I MUST HAVE THEM.

My two homegirls Jessie J and Sleigh Bells totally understand the awesomeness of studded accessories.

Do the Creep

Now I know that in most situations it is undesirable to come across a creeper. You know what I'm talking about, those dudes who are twice your age, oily looking, with gnarly looking hair coming out of a mole, who anybody aside from roadkill are out of their league (lets just say, I have had lots of experiences with these kinds of guys).

Buuuuuut, I do love the other kind of creeper, the Brothel Creeper.

What, you may ask, is a Brothel Creeper? It sounds dirty.
Well, my dear friends, these are the heavy soled, suede shoes from England with a very long history.

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia and a report I did on subculture fashion ;)
These shoes were originally boots created for soldiers stationed in the North African deserts during WWII. They soon became popular amongst Teddy Boys and Punk Rockers in the UK, and are still awesome today.

I've been really wanting a pair of these for over a year now, ever since I saw these beauties by Jeffrey Campbell

Ok, so I'm guessing you're thinking I'm crazy for wanting these, I mean they are pretty outrageous shoes, but you'd be surprised who's been coming out with their own take on the creeper as of this year.

First up is Prada, that's right I said PRADA.
Their Spring/Summer collection has a butt load of creeper inspired shoes with a sort of espadrille twist. These babies have got some major lift in them, and come in some awesome colors that tie in with spring's neon fetish.

Another reason I feel these shoes are really kicking in as a trend this year is that my newest favorite store ASOS from the UK has a great pair that come in blue and slate. Nylon magazine even features them in their online store!


still don't believe me? Take a gander at these chicks rockin their creepers

Case closed. They all look great, and not too harsh with these statement shoes.

FYI the perfect occasion to wear these- a concert like the Vaccines. You can dance around to great music and not have to worry about your feet getting tired or stepped on!

I ♥ the Heartstrings

This past week Frankie & The Heartstrings released their debut album...unfortunately it's not available to us Americans. Commence pity party and sobbing over the fact that I don't live in England.

Here's one of there videos if you have no idea who the hell I'm talking about. I'm going to warn you though, this video is really weird and I think this video is imitating some sort of UK version of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

These guys just seem so adorable, I bet seeing them in concert is a blast! It's probably something like this actually:

Well if you ever do by chance find their album, A.) Tell me immediately where you got it!! and B.) purchase it because these guys deserve to be famous

I once randomly e-mailed them last year when their first single came out asking if they knew how I could get a copy of it over in the States and will you know what good ol' Frankie did? He just sent me the MP3's! Check out the e-mail for yourself, his pseudo surfer talk is a riot! (Hopefully you can still download the single from the link in the e-mail as well)

"Hey dude

Sorry for the slow reply we've been mega busy making pop and doing shows so this is the first time i've had the chance to catch up on the mail, Zane Lowe made our new single released Oct 4th HOTTEST RECORD IN THE WORLD on monday and we have just made it available on our site , but seen as though you made the effort Im sending you a present... p.s We'd love to come play Texas

www.frankieandtheheartstrings.com

www.popsexltd.com

www.twitter.com/frankiestrings

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1121527/7_%20master.zip

Thanks for taking the time to get in touch

Love

Frankie x"

 

You feel that?

It's the heat and lazy feel of summer drifting in!

I came to this revelation today when I stepped outside.
Although normally I despise the sweat that goes hand in hand with summer, I'm quite looking forward to busting out all my shorts, sandals and sundresses!

My life has been really boring lately so I apologize for not being able to regal you with a funny story...maybe next time. For now the least I can do is leave you with one of my favorite songs by a great new artist;
 

**Fun Fact: I actually had a Quinceañera back in the day! I shudder at the memories of it...

¡Viva México!

Obviously Empire of the Sun knows what's up because Vogue Italia claims that the "Mexican Look" is in....I'm guessing this translates into the 70's renew craze going on right now in stores like Urban Outfitters, ASOS, Topshop etc.

 Looking at any of these sites you'll find that their "trend reports" are flooded with wedges, peasant blouses, chunky jewelry, and floppy hats!

Asos collection

My mom is a self-proclaimed "Queen of Disc"o and found this recent development as a opportunity to explain to me what a great fashionista she is/was back in the day.
Apparently she too used to wear platform wedges like these and owned a Mexican worked leather satchel likes these which can be found anywhere online;

Digging around through my closet I found that she was right...some clothes I have that used to belong to her definitely fit this trend, as well as my Grandpa's old guayabera.

 I also found some of my jewelry that I never wear, but definitely should start like these earrings my friend brought me back from Mexico, and this awesome 2 finger ring I bought at Forever 21.

I think that since I am not really the sort to go all gung-ho bohemian (my style really is more of a 50's house wife or 60's mod, at least that's what I like to think) I do have a few items that are a subtle nod at to trend, like this great Dia De Los Muertos printed dress I bought at Shroeditch Market and these great woven wedges from Miss L Fire.

That's all for now, leave a comment if you want to share what you think. Will you be rockin this style or do you poo poo the idea Mexican style?
"Keep on Keepin On"!!