HoH Birthday Highlights

Today marks House of Harps' 1st Birthday. I can't quite believe I stuck to blogging for a whole year, but here I am talking about it so it must be true. Over the past 12 months, my blogging quantity may have waned, but hopefully the quality is still there. In celebration, I have decided to post my favourite outfits from the past year. This is an exceptionally long post, but was nonetheless fun to compile! These aren't in order of favour, but are chronological, starting with the oldest...

Feeling Like an Edwardian Pimp

Fringe Benefits

Green and Gold

Fabulous fringed skirt...

Baggy Goodness

Vintage Gold

Sunday Surprise

Tasselled things = good

To tuck, or not to tuck?...

Feeling Surreal

Green T

Brooch Attack

Feeling Inspired

Spotted

Cropped

Hint of Mint

Belted in Black

Copper Fish

Burnt Orange

Neo-Victorian

Phew! Finally, a couple of weeks ago Lauren Schoon kindly gifted me with a Kreativ Blogger award, so now I am required to state 7 things about myself that you may not know/not want to know. This is embarrassing but here goes...

1. My name is Jessica-Rose.

2. I started the blog because I fell ill last year and needed a distraction, something fun to do. I'm a lot better now but still recovering.

3. I don't like odd numbers, I love symmetry.

4. I have a degree in human geography from Durham University.

5. I love cats, and live for the day I will finally own one.

6. Shoes are my weakness, but I spend way more on 'expensive' bags, probably because they are easier to look after and always fit you.

7. Coconut is the best flavour anything- yoghurt/ice-cream/milkshake/cake etc

Snooood Mood

Two of my favourite things about the colder months are silly big furry/ fur trimmed things, and velvety things. I was thus super excited to find these slim fit velvet trousers, as I haven't worn velvet trousers since I was a little girl. Despite the unflattering effect of a thicker material in a skin-tight cut (a little saddlebag never hurt anyone!), I love them because they keep me warm and are feel so nice to touch.

The furry snood was a happy accident. I wasn't looking for one, but I am a sucker for anything furry (be it alive or inanimate). It's proving to be more versatile than I expected.....

1. The Scarf-Snood

2. The Semi-Snood

3. The Supreme-Snood

4. The Shoulder-Snood

5. The Skirt-Snood

....ok ok the last one's a joke (but good for some sort of Wilma Flintstone costume, no?)

The jumper is some tacky polyester 80's baggy thing that I got last year. I just loved the print, but I never know how to style it. I guess it's good for those days where I just throw anything on/don't leave the house.

Vintage blazer, gloves (Oasis), boots (Kurt Geiger), snood (H&M), vintage jumper, velvet trousers (asos.com),

For my nails I used 2 shades of silver. A dark silver underneath, with a stripe of a lighter, sparklier silver on top, to give a sort of shaded 3D effect. It worked pretty well actually.

P.S.

The blog will be a year old later this month. I'm planning on doing a 'favourites' post, featuring 5, maybe 10, of my favourite outfits from the past year (how self indulgent of me, I know). Also, its a good opportunity to finally feature the Kreativ Blogger award the gorgeous Lauren Schoon graced me with. Basically, I have to state 7 things people don't know about me, which is all very fun and all, but if there's something specific you are dying to know about me, then just leave it in the comments section and I'll answer. Keep it clean though please!

Lady, you look fab

I recently had the pleasure of catching gastroenteritis, hence my lack of posting. I've not exactly been wearing clothes these past few days (just pjs and duvets, nothing you want to see), but I do have an outfit post coming up as I took photos just before I got ill.

For now though, I shall leave you with one hell of a red-carpet appearance. Shirley Manson wore my favourite gown from the Marchesa SS10 collection recently, at the MOCA New 30th Anniversary Gala. I had hoped either Eva Green or Dita Von Teese would wear this gown, as they are both fabulous ladies who aren't afraid of a bit of gothic drama, nonetheless Shirley looks beautiful in the gown with her flaming red hair. I'm just glad a deserving lady of merit got to the dress first, rather than one of these awful 'rock-chick' (eww I hate that term) wannabe girls like Ashley Simpson or Taylor Momson*.

* no offence intended

images from here and here

Hi, I'm exceptionally beautiful.

All images/garments from the respective Ruby Lane members:

Unforgettable Vintage

Maire McLeod

Simon Millard FGA of Bath

Nicole La Bay

Maire McLeod

Escape to Elegance

Neo-Victorian

Whilst in Scotland recently, I had the pleasure of going around one of my favourite antiques centres. It's really close to where I stay, and is absolutely huge; I can easily spend hours in there. It's like a department store, but full of antiques. It was a struggle, but I was a very good girl this time and only came away with a few postcards, and this black lace collar.

The collar is a lovely example of Victorian tape lace, with only minimal damage. I pinned the collar to my dress using a newish brooch (which doubles up as a necklace), and wore purple lipstick to avoid looking too old-fashioned. Ooh and finally, my heels are recent additions to the shoe family. They're so gold and shiny, I can't stop looking at them. Yay!

Vintage dress, skirt (Topshop), antique lace collar, shoe (French Connection)

Burnt Orange

I love how its finally getting cold enough to layer up your clothes. I remember when I first started blogging, at the height of Winter last year, I took so many photos per outfit because I had so many layers on. Well, its happening all over again...starting with this picture heavy post.

The scarf is my mums, after I convinced her to buy it in the sale (my motive being that I can borrow it). The design is basically a couple of peacocks, printed on velvet, with loads of beading and tasselled ends. It sure is pretty, and very seasonal! The blouse is rather surprisingly from Marks and Spencer. It's made of the softest, most gorgeous copper coloured silk, with pleating and beading to the front.

Coat (Topshop), scarf (River Island), shoes (Biba), cardigan (H&M), blouse (Marks and Spencer), trousers (H&M)

^ Look, I'm almost smiling!

Make-up: copper liquid liner (from Body Shop), with golden eye shadow and a dark red glossy lip. It was quite weird having sticky lips, I'm so used to my matte lipsticks.

Gold nail varnish over red glitter nail varnish = wonderful sparkly copper nails

Someone slap me....

...before I actually buy this bag. According to the Mulberry website, only two bags of this style were ever made, one in pink and one in black. And they're both still available online. The classic Bayswater bag is beautiful enough anyway, but the addition of the pewter bugs vamps it up in a way I totally adore. Of course, it's not cheap, and the fact that it's a limited edition bag made from ultra-lux ostrich skin makes it all the more pricey. £4000 to be exact. It's driving me crazy, I'm so tempted to throw away all reason and just buy it. Ahhh!

images from mulberry.com

Feeling Triumphant

You wouldn't believe how long I've been looking for the perfect green cardigan. It was either too sagey, too limey, too khaki, too minty, too bright.....But finally, Zara pulled through and provided me with a perfect foresty green, just in time for Autumn. I haven't worn my vintage tu-tu underskirt since I was about 15, but it felt like the perfect froufrou antidote to the sensible granddad cardigan. I got the shoes for a tenner in New Look. Cheap shoes meant I could take a risk and attack them with some paint and glitter. I'm pretty pleased with the results, just don't look too closely.

Shoes (New Look), cardigan (Zara), vest (Balenciaga), vintage net skirt, lace skirt (H&M), belt (ebay)

Gawk

I came across this amazing belt a couple of weeks ago, and keep going back to gawk at it. Can you imagine wearing something so exquisite around your waist? Whilst I was searching for my very own intricate silverwork belt, I found many beautiful examples, however none more impressive than this. The seller doesn't have too much information about the belt, only that it is from the 1900's and features incredibly meticulous detail. It is far more expensive than the silver belt I ended up buying, at $2,269. These photos are really high quality, so click on them to see all the stunning details.

Also, a few weeks back I harped on about how much I love the Bally fall 2009 collection (here). Well, the gorgeous brass belt used throughtout the collection is now available direct from the Bally website. It's cheaper than I'd expected, but still pretty pricey at £270. I'm just glad I managed to find my own intricate silverwork belt first, otherwise I'd be very tempted by this beauty.

images from bally.com and SurrenderDorothy on etsy.com

Stud

I've been neglecting the blog again. My excuse this time is a jolly jaunt up to Scotland visiting relatives. I always feel such guilt when I don't update, I suppose because when I first opened the House of Harps, I posted every single day. But then again, no-one read my blog when it first started, so I'm the only who notices my failure to continue this high standard I set myself.

Ahem, anyway...if you hate horribly coordinated outfits then I suggest you don't scroll down. You just know I couldn't resist matching my shirt with my socks! The cardigan is a recent acquisition. I love the weight of it and the way it drapes; the stud work really is rather heavy. I am actually quite anti-stud, in that all the cool young things these days tend to jump on anything studded and its so ubiquitous now (plus, I totally did the whole goth thing as a teenager, and got sick of the sight of studs). However, this is a rather restrained use of studding, so I can live with it.

Shoes (Chloe), cardigan (asos.com), trousers (American Apparel), gold vest (Warehouse), thrifted blue shirt.

My hair was some sort of saloon wench style, with my usual quiffed volume and some loose ringlets to one side.

Copper Fish

I recently found this cardigan which I remember my mum wearing a good 15+ years ago. Baggy 80's knitwear isn't really my thing, but I love the pinky coppery colours used and knew as soon as I saw it that I could make it work somehow. I paired it with a black lace skirt, a grey tank and belt, and gold accessories. I somehow managed to create the perfect copper nail colour by painting gold varnish over the top of the pewter colour shown in the previous post. It was a totally unexpected, happy accident.

Cardigan (vintage Rachel Grimmer), shoes (Chloe), skirt (vintage), vest (Topshop), belt (ebay)

Make-up: a dark red lip with 80's ish blusher to the upper cheek area. On the eyes, a tiny hint of gold glitter to the eye-lids, with liquid liner to the inner corners.

Hair Raising

Hello, hello. I am still alive, and sincerely apologetic for my absence. Isn't it amazing how time consuming fashion week can be without even attending a single show? Everyday, I get further and further behind on the style.com updates, but I shall persist! I've not exactly been bowled over by anything thus far, except for maybe (rather predictably) those Rodarte shoes, which shall haunt me in both my dreams and nightmares.

Anyway....a quick little outfit post from the weekend, just before I had a long overdue haircut. In the end I only braved a mere 2 inches off, for which my hair is already thanking me. I tried to coordinate my nails to my outfit by painting the tips red. They're not exactly award-winning, but if you squint they look ok.

Blazer (vintage), shoes (Office), black belt (Topshop), red belt (some tacky shop I forget), skirt (Topshop), lace vest (Debenhams lingerie)

Also, this past weekend I finally received a 1940's fur coat I ordered an age ago. It is really rather large, but I shall adjust the fastenings so hopefully it will fit me better. Bring on the ice cold days so this beauty can keep me warm!

I can't wait...

Christian Louboutin Clic Clac Lace Booties £620

...for these bad boys to go in the sale! Ok, they're almost sold out, so chances are they may not even make it to the sale. Seriously though, how utterly gorgeous are these booties? My only complaint is that they are suede. Is it just me who has a problem with the fact that so many winter shoes/boots are made of suede. Allow me to explain:

British winter weather + suede = ruined shoes.

I have 3 or 4 pairs of suede shoes, and I only wear them if the skies are blue and there isn't a bloody cloud in sight. I know there are suede protector products, but do they actually work? I'd be reluctant to use them on an expensive pair of shoes in case they ended up spoiling them. Sorry about the rant, but every year its the same; gorgeous winter shoes and boots made of suede (or velvet even!) pop up in the shops and no-one else seems bothered about it. Am I the only one who gets irked by this? Have any of you ladies (or gents) had good experience with suede protector products?

image from mytheresa.com, before I added a bit of paint love.

So Long, Summer

I think yesterday was probably the last warm day we'll get this year. So, clinging onto the last of the summer weather, I opted for this light as air floral/paisley dress. I've had it for a couple of years now, and its a good go-to piece for when I don't feel like dressing up. A versatile dress too, as today the look is quite summery, but I also love wearing this dress during winter, with a big black fur hat, thick tights, and black lace up booties...makes me feel like a Russian doll. Anyway, quite a casual outfit for me, perfect for doing a spot of Sunday shopping.

Dress (asos.com), shoes (Kurt Geiger)

Whitewash

A few weeks ago I bought this white lace mini dress. I wasn't actively looking for a white lace dress, I just happened upon it on ebay and fell in love. Admittedly, it is a bit bridal, but I loved the Edwardian-esque embroidery and high-neck. Plus, the versatility of a sheer dress excited me, as I am able to layer different colours underneath. Today, I opted for a mint green nightie under it, which meant the overall look was very pale. It was quite unnerving to be wearing so much white. I wasn't sure whether tights would look odd with a white dress (I'm not exactly a pro at dressing in white), but I think it looked passable. I really shouldn't have photographed the dress in front of a white wall, but the shoulders are ever so slightly peaked, stuffed with a sort of lace shoulder pad. Very cute.

Shoes (Ravel), belt (Topshop), cardigan (Topshop), dress (vintage), night dress (Primark)

Make-up shot: I wore silver eyeshadow with a gorgeous metallic green creme eyeshadow. It's a really pale mint green, which was a bitch to photograph, but it looks so good in real life, trust me.

A few days after I bought the dress, I saw Lily Donaldson in her own white lace dress with puffed sleeves and a flared skirt. Hers may be Givenchy, but I can't help but feel a little smug with my seemingly 'on-trend' bargain. The shot is from Vogue UK's August issue- if only I too had some feathered shoes to grace my feet.

Belted in Black

Finally, I have a new camera! It's basically an updated version of my old one, so it didn't take long to get the hang of. It has a couple more megapixels than the old model, which means you get to see me in even greater detail (a decision I may come to regret!). On to the outfit....this dress is the same as in this outfit, however I have jazzed it up a bit with some fringing and vintage clips. As I mentioned in the previous Bally post, I recently bought an antique EPNS nurses belt, after much searching. I saw many beautiful belts which I would have loved, but never found one small enough for my waist. So, I started looking for one which could easily have some links removed, without spoiling the design. I got this belt for a very reasonable price, and allowed my father to expertly remove a couple of panels using only a hacksaw and ruthless determination. And a very good job he did too!

Shoes (New Look), dress (H&M), antique belt

Beautiful Bally

I may be a bit late on the uptake here, but I recently discovered and fell in love with Bally’s fall 2009 offering. The ad campaign is such a disappointment considering the many gorgeous pieces within the collection, but I’m glad my ever roaming eye caught sight of the beautiful shoes (above) featured in one of the ads - as they led me to further investigate the Bally website, and ultimately the entire collection.

The vibe throughout the collection is me down to a tee. It is 1920’s opulence meets the 80’s OTT glitz (sumptuous velvet, jewel toned furs, draping, billowy silhouettes, devoré, black lace, metallics, ornate metal-work, TURBANS!). Oh and the shoes, OH MY GOD THE SHOES. Considering Brian Atwood is the man behind the collection, its no surprise the shoes are bloody gorgeous. The collections basic shoe template is a t-bar Mary-Jane, with beautiful gold adornment on the platform and heel, available in devoré (as above), lace, metallic snake-print, or plain leather. I want them ALL. The boots aren’t to my liking, but the heel is so beautifully sculptured I had to add in a picture below. A few of the pieces are now available to pre-order from luisaviaroma. Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately), I can’t find any of the shoes available online yet, although I saw the devoré versions in Vogue this month, and am informed that they are £995. Also worthy of note is a gorgeous brass pochette necklace, featured in many of the shots below, sometimes styled as a tiny bag rather than a necklace.

Strangely enough, a few days before I came across this collection, I bought a new turban, a big fur jacket and an ornate silver metal-work belt similar to the one styled in a few of the shots….now I can’t wait for autumn so I can start wearing them all and recreate the Bally look.

p.s. I have a new camera on the way, so outfit posts shall resume soon, phew!

images from bally.com, wwd.com and luisaviaroma.com

I need I want I will

As I mentioned earlier, I have broken my camera. Well, now the back-up camera is broken too, so outfit posts will be postponed until my new camera arrives (which will be a while as I have yet to choose it). This means I have no option but to force my style upon you all through sharing the fruits of my e-window shopping/polyvore boredom. You lucky people! This does feel vaguely like a blogger cop-out, but then again, who doesn't like looking at pretty things?

So, this Jenny Packham dress...

It is green.

It is beaded.

It is flapperish

It will be mine.

Oh wait, what? Its £2,245? Ok, maybe not then.

Jenny Packham 1 by Nailsbeast featuring Roberto Cavalli shoes

Jenny Packham 2 by Nailsbeast featuring Monsoon bags

I also just found this beaded delight, again by Jenny Packham, and

again, painfully pricey. I actually think I prefer this dress.

Images from mytheresa.com

Peachy Green

Apologies for the disappearing act; I've been away for a few days enjoying a mini holiday (any Prisoner fans out there? I went to Portmeirion on Wednesday- seriously one of the best places ever, so surreal). Anyway, before I went away I experimented with curling my hair. I have curly hair anyway, but I straightened it first, then put bendy sticks in and left them in for 36hrs (I didn't leave the house for a day). The result was rather fun, although I now realise I looked a bit like Louis XIV, who donned some badass black curls way before me. Before I went away, I also managed to break my camera, by dropping it for the 275th and final time. I had to use my fathers far inferior camera, and even resorted to my web-cam, but these shots aren't really any more awful than usual. Until I get a new camera though, outfit posts shall probably be few and far between.

The dress in this post is a gem. Mega tight, exposed zip, and cheap (thanks H&M). I wore it with my beaded peach vest, the colour of which is unusual for me, but one I definitely want to wear more. For some reason, I love mixing the blush/peach shade with vivid green hues. I don't know what made me crave this colour combination, but way back in January I used these colours as the basis of my first ever Polyvore set, which I've shown at the bottom of this post. Now all I need is more peachy clothing to go with my green accessories.

Shoes (Dune), beaded top (Topshop), dress (H&M), vintage belt, green scarf (random market stall).

my first by Nailsbeast featuring NANETTE LEPORE

Uniformed

Bit of a boring outfit, but I wanted photos of my hair today as I managed to get some sort of awesome conehead shape. I actually think I look like a school girl. Not necessarily a bad thing though.

Shoes (Ravel), cardigan (Topshop), skirt (ebay), blouse (H&M), spotted scarf (gift)

Seeing Red

Sigh. What a beautiful vintage dress. Not sure of the date, early 30's perhaps? Regardless, it is an exquisite example of embellishment and a sensual cut. The only thing I don't love is the colour. Red isn't really a colour I like to wear, unless its a dark burgundy. I used to hate black and red, then I went through a phase of loving it and wearing it all the time. Then I inevitably got a bit sick of it. Now, if I want to wear colour, I go for green, as red feels too bright on me. Having said that, looking through my 'fashion' pictures folder on la laptop, I found many a red dress I simply couldn't say no to....

Armani Prive couture ss 09:

Alexander McQueen various collections:

Chanel resort 2010:

Dior couture ss 07:

JPG a/w 06 couture & a/w 09 RTW:

C. Lacroix couture a/w 08:

Zac Posen a/w 08 & 09:

John Galliano a/w 07:

Giambattista Valli a/w 08:

And saving the best til last....the gorgeous red dresses from Giles gorgeous a/w 2008 collection. Masterfully layering chiffon, the effect is ethereal and haunting. I'd probably gnaw my fingers off to own one.

images from thefrock.com and style.com

Hint of Mint

As I mentioned in the previous post, I recently acquired a Victorian haircomb. Whilst choosing my first haircomb I had a hard time going against my inherent attraction towards black things. I found some really beautiful black combs, but of course their beauty would be lost in my black hair. So instead, I settled for this rather discreet, pretty little silver comb. The outfit is nothing too exciting; my grey cardigan I've been wearing to death and a minty green vest (which I've shown on the blog before in lilac and black). The trousers I bought last weekend for a tenner. I love them; perfectly slim fitting with a high-rise waist and a side zip, oh and cheap! The cut kinda reminds me of matador trousers. Today's purse is a recent purchase. My love of Liberty of London bags is well documented on the blog, especially when decorated with the Ianthe print. I couldn't resist this little monochromatic silk purse which converts into a clutch. Close-ups of it are at the bottom of this post...

Shoes (Kurt Geiger), bag (Liberty of London), cardigan (Topshop), trousers (H&M), vest (Primark)

Hair Comb

I mentioned in this post that I have been after a hair comb to complement my updo's. After much consideration, I finally settled on a dainty silver Victorian one, which will be shown in my next outfit post. I thought it best to start off small and see how it goes before diving in with a massive expensive one. My next one will be a slightly larger affair, hopefully in a green celluloid. Whilst I was searching for the perfect beginners hair comb, I found so many beautiful and unusual examples I just had to share them on here. There really are so many good quality combs available out there on the internet, and at reasonable prices. This may look like a large post, but I actually had to restrain myself from posting 3x more!

--------------------------------------

Three large pierced celluloid combs, 1890-1920

Four 1890-1920 celluloid combs

1900-1910 sterling silver comb

Two late 19th c. tortoiseshell combs with silver detail

Three 1880-1910 pierced celluloid combs

Two 1890-1910 frosted celluloid combs with glass sets

Five French jet and black celluloid combs

Two 1880-90 black enamelled celluloid combs with blue glass sets

c.1875 sterling silver highback comb

Victorian Christmas themed celluloid comb with red and green rhinestones

Black enamelled celluloid comb with red rhinestones

Black enamelled celluloid comb with blue rhinestones

Green ombre comb with rhinestones

19th c. sterling silver comb

Georgian silver filigree feather comb, c.1830

Victorian winged comb with paste stones

Kingfisher feather Chinese comb

c. 1850 tortoiseshell comb inset with rubies, diamonds and pearls

Victorian sterling silver comb with trio of mythical figures

Diamond studded comb with cabochon emerald scarabs

Victorian pearl and lapis gold comb ($4850!)

Blonde tortoiseshell comb with paste gems

Victorian Whitby Jet comb

Green celluloid comb with blue rhinestones

Celluloid comb with green rhinestones

And finally, a modern, though no-less extravagant, example courtesy of John Galliano from his ss08 collection (one of my all time favourite collections ever). Look at the size of that thing!

Images from: style.com; FANCY THAT!, Factory 41, Antiques and Uncommon Treasure, The Three Graces, Years After, Belladonna Antiques, all at Ruby Lane; Paris Parfait blog; BarbaraAnne's Hair Comb blog; eBay sellers Pentiques and Simitras Exquisite Things; thefaerieglen, PastSplendors, surfacetoairmedia, pastperfectvintage, all at etsy; Charles.A.Whitaker Auction Company.

Sorely Tempted

I receive far too many email updates and newsletters from online stores. Every day, a little bit of temptation drops into my inbox. Earlier, I was informed of a revamp at shopbop.com, so off I went for a look around. As if I hadn't already looked at enough shoe boots this week, I found these twee little granny boots with 70% off - and, in my size! I love pointy brogue boots, but should I really be preparing for winter already? Am I only tempted because of the discount?

Diane von Furstenburg bootie - $795 -> $238.50

Then I came across this beautiful beaded tunic from Antik Batik, with 50% off. Again, I am sorely tempted. It's so pretty, but not in an in your face, full on sparkle-fest, bling bling way. It's an awkward length for me (like most tunics) ...could I get away with wearing it as a dress? Or could I tuck it into a high-waisted skirt?

Antik Batik tunic - $547 -> $273.50

...And off to net-a-porter, the biggest online source of desire and heart-break. Here are 3 items new in this week which caught my eye. Firstly, this insane almost scary looking pair of heels from Guiseppe Zanotti. Call me crazy, but when I first saw them they reminded me of the Mighty Boosh Black Frost character. Something to do with the sinister spike shapes and the black ice sparkles.

Guiseppe Zanotti - £890

Then, something less dramatic but equally desirable. These monochrome Louboutins are quite simply gorgeous. I can think of loads of outfits I'd pair them with. Not quite as pricey as the Zanottis, but still too expensive for me to feel comfortable buying.

Christian Louboutin - £620

Finally, a really unique, eye-catching blouse from a label I've not come across before. Willow are the makers of this chiffon delight. I can't decide whether I love it or just think it's plain odd, but the colour is lovely and the layers of chiffon petals add a special touch to the piece.

Willow - £310

all images from shopbop and net-a-porter

Cropped

Way back in January I made a snarky comment about crop tops becoming terribly fashionable again, as part of the wider 90's vibe that seems to be hanging around at the moment. Little did I know that I would actually succumb to the trend. But how could I resist such a delicately beaded, sheer peach crop top? I don't think I've ever owned anything peach/blush/nude coloured, but I've actually enjoyed styling this top and have worn it on several occasions in the two weeks since I bought it. Today I wore the top with black clothing and red accessories. The box bag I painted and decorated myself. When it was plain I never used it, but now I love it. Having done this I then customised my shoes to match. I'm a mega matchy-matchy person, I just couldn't help myself. A little bit of a risqué outfit, but thoroughly fun to wear!

Shoes (Office), top (Topshop), skirt (Topshop), braces (Primark).

Make-up shot - I risked the possibility of looking like I've been punched/not slept by using a pinky red eyeshadow (its actually blusher). Silver eyeshadow at the lower lash line and a dark red lipstick, which was actually much darker than the photo indicates.

Shhoo-boots

It may be mid-summer, but the magazines and shops are gradually filling up with autumn/winter gear. I saw the red and black Gucci boots (below right) a few days ago and have been dreaming of winter footwear ever since. I'm much more of a winter girl than summer anyway. These are just some of the many shoes and boots getting me excited about colder weather......

boots 1 by Nailsbeast featuring Gucci shoes

boots 2 by Nailsbeast featuring Christian Louboutin shoes

Spotted

When I told my mum I'd bought a top with giraffes on it, she was shocked to envisage her daughter in some sort of safari scene souvenir t-shirt. Alas, I am not the kind of girl to wear ironically bad taste 80's t-shirts, instead, my giraffe print top is a wonderfully spotted black and white vest, with barely visible giraffes. They're there if you look closely, but from a distance, they are cleverly camouflaged into the print. I wouldn't normally pair such a busy print top with such a stand out skirt, but I was feeling a little peculiar today. Blame it on the giraffes.

Shoes (New Look), cardigan (Topshop), vintage skirt, vest (Religion)

Geisha

I tend to get lots of comments on my hair, either on the blog or in real life. One recurring comment is that I resemble a geisha girl, which isn't exactly the look I go for, but I am happy to resemble one anyway. This rather dull snippet of information about me provides the perfect excuse to post these gorgeous photos, from Numero magazine. I am working on getting a beautiful hair comb to jazz up my hairstyles, but am yet to find the perfect one. These images are making me want a more elaborate, dangly even, hair comb....

images from here

Piqué

A few weeks ago I mentioned I had bought two new antique brooches, the first of which was my beetle brooch, who I introduced to the world here. The second of the brooches is this example of Victorian tortoiseshell pique work. Pique refers to the technique of inlaying gold or silver into the torstoiseshell, by means of pressing a heated rod of the precious metal into the tortoiseshell, thus metling it slightly. The tortoiseshell then hardens around the precious metal as it cools. The results are amazingly refined and detailed. My brooch only showcases a small example of pique work, but much larger, more elaborate examples can be found. Good quality Victorian tortoiseshell is always in demand, and its increasingly difficult to find good examples in undamaged pique work, so I feel quite lucky to have found this brooch at a very good price (if you're interested in seeing more examples....earrings, brooch, pendant, coin purse and journal, more earrings).

Britain is going through a bit of heatwave at the moment, which means I can happily wear my favourite summer sandals. I purchased them last year, when they successfully kept my feet cool and looking pretty. I also wore my fringe top, which doesn't get nearly enough wear, and accessorised with plenty of long beaded necklaces. Todays bag is one of my most favourite vintage pieces ever. It is a c.1920's black velvet bag with gold thread work in the form of the Taj Mahal. Its kinda kitsch, but the detail is incredible and I love it!

Shoes (Bruno Premi), vintage bag, trousers (H&M), top (H&M),

Make-up shot below - I always wanted to be able to do mad black and white 60's eyemake-up (you know, like this)...but everytime I try, I fail. I think my eyes are too small to carry it off properly, but I'll keep practicing and eventually get something with more oomph than this.

Le Sigh

1920's blue crepe-chiffon flutter dress - $350

I was having a poke about on Etsy when I came across a fabulous seller with amazing antique and vintage dresses- Timeless Vixen Vintage. All the dresses sold have a high price tag but this is due to their great condition and wow factor. Each dress for sale really is a collectors item, there's no polyester 70's tackyness to be found in this vintage shop! The blue dress above makes me want to cry a little. It's just so pretty! I've selected a few of my favourite ensembles from the shop. The cape at the end of this post is really really mad. You'd have to be a mega dramatic person to be able to pull it off. I could easily write an essay on why I like each of the pieces, but I've waffled on enough so will let the pictures speak for themselves. As usual, click to enlarge and see the yummy details.....look out for the bunches of grapes made from lace.

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1910's ivory lace tea-dress - $410

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1960's metallic leaf applique tiered column dress - $680

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1890's Chantilly lace black and green dress - $450

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1920's pink silk and Battenberg lace dress - $1200

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1950'S mocha flocked taffta party dress - $390

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1890's lace ensemble - $1600

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1905 lavender wool cape - $920

all images from Timeless Vixen Vintage

Comfort Zone

This cardigan is one of the most practical pieces I've bought recently. I've already been wearing it lots, and plan to do so for the forseeable future! This time last year, I was rather wary of draped, loose fitting things, but now I can appreciate them and have embraced a more relaxed silhouette into my wardrobe. The cardigan drapes beautifully, and is mega comfy. Also, I've been looking for a long grey cardigan, so it's pretty much perfect for me right now. The gorgeous belt cinching my waist is also new. I love the way the strong black lines look over a plain piece of clothing. Initially, I was reminded of Christopher Kanes aw09 collection, and his use of black piping throughout. However, looking through the collection again, its clear his use of black lines was less intricate, and far more simplistic. A few pieces from said collection are now on luisaviaroma for pre-ordering. I love love this dress (my birthday is coming up...hint hint people who love me). It could be the lighting, but the runway version looks black, whereas the online version looks like a khaki/army green colour? Or is it just me that thinks that?

Belt (Topshop), shoes (Miu Miu), bag (asos.com), cardigan (Topshop), vintage vest, leggings (Topshop).

Body Jewellery

Old Uncle Karl doesn't really do much that amazes me. Yeah, he does a good job with Chanel, and his own label is ok, but I have more respect for Monsieur's Galliano and Gaultier. Plus, they're not as visually creepy. However, looking through an editorial in Junes Vogue Italia, I was reminded of the fabulous concoctions created for the Karl Lagerfeld ss09 show. Made by Erik Halley, style.com informs me the body jewellery was originally intended to mimic tattoos. The black ones are certainly sinister, reminding me of scorpions, whereas the white ones are much more dainty and innocent looking. The mind boogles as to how sturdy/comfortable they are, how they are attached, how they are made... I mean they look pretty fragile. Sadly I'll probably never find out, as they seem to be the sort of pieces made for the runway and editorials only. Googling Halley doesn't yield much, apart from an interesting piece he made for Swarovski. Perhaps this body jewellery isn't the most commercially viable product, but I can't help but want all the pieces. How amazing would they look with a simple black dress?

And because its so pretty, here is the rest of the editorial...

Abbey Lee actually looks really good as a platinum blonde. Imogen Morris Clarke looks a little washed out in a few shots, but I love the Rodarte dress on her below. Her black hair really compliments it, so much so its making me want the dress for myself. Rodarte isn't a label I normally lust after, and admittedly there is a lot going on with the dress, but it's really grown on me. I'm going to go out on a limb and say I think I'd wear it better than Emma Watson did. It's too badass for nice little Hermione!

images from style.com and tfs

Erdem meets Monet

You may recall this Topshop blouse from when I included it in a number of hypothetical summer outfits back in March. I really fell for the beautiful watery floral pattern and the colours used. The effect is that of a Monet water lillies painting, as re-imagined by Erdem, particularly the ss09 collection. Topshop is a little crazy these days with key pieces selling out fast or only being available in certain stores, so the good news is that not only did I manage to find the gorgeous blouse, but it was already in the sale. The bad news? Well, my size was nowhere in sight, so I had to settle for 2 sizes too big. It's therefore a little ill-fitting, but the blouse is so pretty I don't really care. Being 100% silk, the blouse is light as air, perfect for the warmer weather. Warmer weather also means I can wear open-toed summery sandals, something I have been looking forward to for the past few months. These silver snakeskin peep-toes aren't very comfortable, but they sure are cute!

Shoes (Miss Selfridge), cardigan (Topshop), blouse (Topshop), trousers (H&M), belt (gift).

Later on, I changed into an evening look for dinner round my nanny's. I tucked the blouse into my AA disco pants, and wore some incredibly comfortable heels from New Look.

Gazette du Bon Ton

The blog has been woefully neglected recently, for which I apologise. I have had a stressful/busy couple of weeks. That's not to say I've not been wearing clothes. but rather, I've not had the time to update nor think of new outfits which warrant a post. I do fear that I'm getting repetitive or boring with my outfits. I haven't posted daily for a while now, because, to be honest, I do of course repeat outfits in real life. Sadly, my wardrobe isn't never-ending. Anway, there will be an outfit post later on, but for now I shall share some beautiful images from early 20th century French magazines. The images aren't mine, they are from this website, which hosts hundreds of scans from a range of antique-vintage publications. Unfortunately, it is in Japanese, so it's a little hard to navigate and I can't give you too much information. However, the pictures are quite lovely enough without verbal explanation. Oh, but if you do speak French, some of the articles look quite interesting. It's taken me hours to look through the images and select the ones to post, there are just so many to choose from! I've only managed to go through th 1912-1915 images thus far, and already I've saved hundreds of images. Maybe at a later date I'll post some of my favourites from the 1821-1833 and 1920's scans.

Yesterday, I purchased five antique magazines via eBay. Looking through this website has enhanced my excitement at receiving my new purchases in the post; hopefully they will contain similarly glorious images. Some of the smaller accessory details are more interesting than the whole outfit images, with masks, gloves, muffs, hats, decollete, purses, capes, make-up, hairstyles, shoesm parasols, jewellery and belts being illustrated. If you have either the time or the interest, I recommend clicking and enlarging each scan for a better appreciation of detail.

all images from here

Feeling...Inspired

This image from Citizen Couture provoked a mixture of emotions from me. Firstly, I loved it. Then, I was jealous. Next, I realised that I didn't love the whole ensemble, and that I needn't be jealous, as fashion is about putting your own spin on things.... I am perfectly capable of working this look, in a much less colourful way that it true to my own style. I'm not so keen on the boots or sunglasses, but damn that kimono is beautiful, and yes Ms. Baba, I too love tasselled necklaces. Oh, and I really need to wear my turban more often/get a new coloured one. So taking a little inspiration from this fine lady, and adding a sprinkle of my own style, I ended up with one of my favourite outfits in a while. The hairstyle is explained below, but it really wasn't my intention to look like Cyndi Lauper (thanks mum).

Vintage shoes, trousers (American Apparel), blouse (Zara), vest (Topshop), head scarf (Tata-Naka), scarf round neck (M&S),

I've been meaning to try out this 'big curly hair + scarf' look for a while now. These girls just look so damn cool, I wanted a piece of the action. I have naturally curly hair so had no problem getting the volume and curls aspect, however my attempt was actually pretty lame. I'll have to try again, with a wider scarf and remembering to leave some curls out over my ears. I've forgotten where I got the beautiful shots above, but I'm pretty sure at least one of them was from a glam spam on the now defunct 'I'll Take The Snap Out Of Your Garters!'.

p.s. This was my 100th post- yay!