Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Thinking practically....who said what?

I am alarmed to announce that since moving to Paris I have bought only two pieces of clothing, and my christmas list this year is entirely practical. If I weren't quite positive that I would have noticed a brain transplant I would definitely consider myself suspicious, especially given my new propensity to come to things on time. It really won't do. Well, it will, in fact, but I still find it rather disquieting.

What I really covet, however, is a Swagga & Soul Florence Frill Jacket.



£435.00 -oh dear lord where to find it...

It took me all of two days to work out that, especially with platinum blonde hair (Which is accepted fine if you're obeying the code/once you demonstrate french ability) bright colours mark you out as a foreigner and Parisian males make a lot of assumptions based on that. Luckily, I don't really  have that problem, with my wardrobe. However, there is a uniform in Paris. It's very, very obvious to anyone spending an extended period of time here. the leather jacket is a key component to the whole look. Parisians, young ones, that is, dress down anything with a leather jacket. When headed to crazy dive bars like the Pop In or Zeros, to people watch at fashion parties and underground basement partie in vintage stores in pigalle, to Black Calvados, La perle, Regine... what have you.... the leather jacket is worn. Its weather appropriate. It fits the dark aesthetic..... it's classic. It's a blank canvas. The white tee shirt.

Leather boots. Leather jacket. Scarves. Stripes. Grey, Blue, Black. These are my parisian fundamentals.
Is it not ironic that after my 5 year long search for, eventual compromise and acquisition of the leather jacket, i find several which i would snap up in an instant? I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE COMPROMISED...then again, it has come in useful... this being paris. 


£365.00 - also Swagga and Soul



Other, more realistic options (what's the point of them when there's no way in hell i have money or leather jackets falling out of the sky in my general vicinity, despite working 8 hours of overtime on a 5 hour week.....) include All Saints' Altamont at £295


The Topshop Cheat lookover....
Space Tunic by Yuki**
Knitted Long CardiganShoulder Stone Dress by Yuki**

Alright ~ I'll link properly from now on!

UO UK - £18.00 

UO UK£28.00 

UO UK £17.99 

UO UK - £48.00

UO UK £48.00 

UO UK£38.00 

UO UK£9.99 

UO UK - £32.00 

ok so it's a white shirt, and i slipped it in. But i dooooo need one. Now £14.99 @ UO UK

Additional extras include faux-fur snoods (It's COOOOLD), this baby...
Feather Fringe Necklace - Gold/Black
made by I heartnorwegian wood on Etsy ($65)

Zum ZHP005 Violet Headphones (My inherent attraction to things shiny and bubblegum comes through in an acceptable manner; did i ever tell you about the period where i only wore pink and, failing that, dresses? OK, so i'm rehashing the dresses thing but that's because they are the simplest thing to laze in, not requiring any form of co-ordination and producing far less washing; i like to pretend i'm being efficient. And at least i'm not wearing a)pajamas (My other favourite) or b) tracksuit bottoms.

Oh, and AA Tri-Blend V Neck packs in  orchid/black/evergreen and grey/indigo/athletic blue  wouldn't go amiss...

Other, slightly more fun (read: Never going to happen you poor, deluded young student) wishes include..

A trip to eight London. Where after accosting the designers, begging to be their slave and attempting to thieve all clothing in sight, I would hit up the Zoe, Karen and Flora dresses... I love their clean aesthetic. Because I wear dresses so often, i like watching for things that i could wear again and again and again but have enough interesting detail not to be boring. These fit the bill. So nicely. But not my bill... because i hate art supplies and just spent 15 euro on 3 BLOODY SHEETS OF PAPER. MANDATORIALLY. 3. AND THAT WAS BUYING THE CHEAPO PAPER WE WEREN"T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE BUYING UNLESS WE COULDN'T FIND THE EXPENSIVE ONE.

oh, sorry, did I lose my composure?

Zoe

Karen (mmmmmmmmmm.)

Flora

The sad thing is, these are so terribly IN budget... 250£ for a made-to order dress? (website= http://www.eight-london.com/) Yes please thank you very much i'll be going now before you change your mind...

But i've spent so much money replaacing broken technology, feeding myself and on art materials (Some of which i successfully lost on the bridge between concorde and assemblee nationale... effing traffic....) that I just. can't. afford. clothes. (I WAS TAPING. TAPING. one pair of ballet flats back together.)

lesigh.

Could I justify in the name of charity? Edun x Dazed and confused charity tee-dress. Bamako. (LIMITED QUANTITIES LEFT!!!) €156 

Of awesomeness?
Lace up leopard bootie
C SOCIETY - $199 - Pixiemarket

Blue Deer
Of longevity??? (Forget me Not scarf in Blue Deer - €270)

of Addiction?? (to tea)


...No seriously..witness the tea boxes...
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On that note.... 3 outfits and an adieu!


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(I hate new flickr rushn shushn rotation....)

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Tee from Ediot on etsy, then ancient stuff you couldn't buy anymore. ever.

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Arthur says goodbye.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Real estate....

House by the Sea - Limited Edition Print
House by the Sea - Limited Edition Print from the myfolklover shop $40

Having safely defeated the faces of evil (see... Parisian real estate agents) I am still being caused to fret by the aftereffects of great battle (see... lease signing/key handover), and have buildings on the brain (and budgets. budgets too!) Buildings on a budget? Perhaps that's why I've been having sudden cravings for structure and geometry that I can control. (See... ordering House of Holland's building, alphabet and panetone tights, and endless doodles of cubes when I'm on the phone)) And lusting after artworks with order in, like so...

At any rate, I've been on an Etsy trawl once more (The POWER of the consumer...vs. the powerlessness of a student faced with real estate) and been finding some structure I could control (were I not paying extortionate rent...) Starting with some beautiful beautiful clothes from desirapesta.

Ophelia / Royal Silk / your size
Ophelia royal silk dress by desirapesta 135$

I see order even in disorder.....
Victorian Spider Top / made to order
Spider top by desirapesta - 58$

Rob Ryan is so ordered. He is a man with an excellet use of xacto knife. Surely. Dig this print...
My Home
My Home by Rob Ryan - 455$

I like napkins. I like this necklace. I couldn't say where the association comes from!
rosemary
Necklace by Tinctory - $96
My obsession with ovesized knits should have been clear with the yookoo chains, but this is awesome too. It's like what would happen if you taught my dog how to knit in the best way possible- chunky, messy, lively and fun.
XL cowl in Vert
XL cowl in Vert from Urban Knit - $60

I love cord. Not sure why. Perhaps its because have a fondness for the 90s when I wore pocahontas leggings, hot pink corduroys and Barbour jackets. So this skirt (sold out) from HiAnnie brings back my youth, in a more grown up way (Shmexy).
Pamela.  Custom-made pencil skirt .

These next lot are all from chichicraft, empty at the moment but letting you preview collections. Saving the best for last, yay!
Chichi1
I would go into more detail, except that they're mysterious and have no profile information. hmmm. oh well, I'm not really bothered if they're using oompa loompa's, because the clothes are so ppppeeeeerdy..