Blood Orange

Excuse the wintry outfits, but I came across two sets of photos which were never posted and thought they deserved an airing. I wonder whether anyone else goes through 'phases' of loving certain colour combinations as I do? I remember a green/blue/purple phase, a coral/green phase which developed into a coral/royal blue phase...and in recent months, a burgundy/orange phase. It's been difficult finding the exact shade of coppery orange I adore, but that hasn't stopped me trying.

Outfit one - Vintage hat, scarf and belt, blouse (M&S), cardigan (Topshop), trousers (H&M), shoes (Office).

Stupidly wonderful shoes which were love at first sight... velvet; burgundy; fringed; lace-up; and with tassels. A combination of all things I love. Like theatre curtains for your feet.

Outfit two - vintage coat and dress, waistcoat (New Look), boots (Blay), self-made bag.

This dress features a marbled pattern on layers of tulle, with a vibrant orange lining. Two caped sections flutter from the shoulder to create the sleeves. The top 'cape' can be tucked into the neckline to create a scarf/cowl-neck (below). The dress is pretty versatile, if a little shapeless; I considered the usual route of belting it, instead opting for a black waistcoat, which contrasted nicely under the cape layers.

Hatty

I adore this cover for Vogue Italia April 2011. I keep coming back to look at it. The way the tangy orange jewellery appears to glow in the dark; the slick of electric blue on the eyes; the turban; and the general sense of stepping into the cool shade on a tropically warm day. The accompanying editorial is rather wonderful too, with cover girl Kristina Salinovic wearing some fabulous 'coolie' inspired hats.

I've been looking for a coolie hat since last summer, but most of the available ones online are tacky costume hats. A few weeks ago I did however find a hat that should see me through the summer; an Edwardian style, tulle covered straw concoction. Think Meryl Streep in 'Out of Africa' meets Mary Poppins. Can't wait to wear it on holiday!

images from fashiongonerogue.com, guardian.co.uk and newsarama.com

Buckled

Once again these photos are a few weeks old, hence the fur coat, gloves and hat. I actually went outside without a coat on today, so Spring truly has sprung. In this photo set I am wearing a Victorian belt buckle which I originally intended to transform into a brooch by adding a pin. I never quite got round to doing this, instead I added a chain to it and now prefer to wear it as a necklace. I get quite a lot of compliments when wearing this, it really is wonderfully detailed. I'm a little unsure about the chain fringing hanging from the buckle, one would perhaps think of chatelaine and its various little tools, but I think in this instance the chains are purely decorative.

Vintage coat, vintage hat, blouse and vest (Topshop), trousers (New Look), boots (asos)

I'm addicted to 'Vampira Polish' made by Eyeko, it's black with red micro-glitter....