Shopping With A Mission.

Your Mission, should you decide to take it is..................shop till you drop.
Target : Vintage clothing, shoes and bags.......you have your list, work from it.
Your Disguise:
Comfy boots, you have miles of hilly terrain to cover.

Easy to slip on and off dress....there will be changing rooms, lots of them.

Thin Cardigan: It may be the end of October but you will be working up a sweat hiking and carry heavy bags.
Spare high heeled shoes: For trying on those must have dresses.
Large Bag : Carries survival kit, chocolate, mobile, purse and bottles of water.
Camera : You never know?
Your destination : Brighton, all the Laines...........cue music........................

Up at 6am, quick get ready as my lift will be here soon. Yup, shopping this early. Well, first is the travel time and the aim is to get there exactly as the shops open. Bang on. We have a lot of ground to cover!
For those of you who have never been clothes shopping with me.......well let's just say it is an experience, and for those of you who have, I apologise again, you really didn't know what you were letting yourselves in for bless you. All those miles and hours I made you walk, I hang my head in shame..........but it is an addiction. Fortunately it has taken me years to find her, but I have found a worthy adversary. Someone who loves clothes shopping every bit as much as I do, and who can shop just as hard and fast. Ding Dong!

Even before the shops opened Brighton was busy, heaving like a swarm of bees. We parked and set off through the large shopping centre and off into the back hills of Brighton. The best place I know for the most vintage, retro and general cute individual shops in this area.
First place we headed for was the wonderful Velvet in Bond Street. One of my favourite shops and I couldn't leave without I buying a cute little delicate scarf before we blasted into Irregular Choice shoes like a whirlwind of squeals!! Their shoes are to die for!!
Then it was off to one of the best vintage shops in Brighton that I know Dirty Harry in Sydney Street. Their prices are so much more than reasonable and the staff are fabulous, not only by wearing the vintage clothing in their own individual styles but also in their pleasant approach to helping customers. It's a thumbs up from us. My girlie friend bought the most divine Audrey Hepburn 1960's black marabou feathered wiggle number. Bellissimo. x
Bustling down Sydney street was a gas and all the shops and market stalls were in a Halloweenie mood, except one seemed to have a mix up of the seasons and had the Easter Bunny ears out instead?! But they're so cute, we can forgive them for making us go "Awwwwww look at the bunny ears!"

Next it was a quick step over to the gorgeous Wolf and Gypsy who always present their shop in such a beautiful way. They have at the moment these most adorable hand knitted cardigans, but that will have to be for another day. We had a list to stick to for situations just like this, when one of us is torn and drawn by a beautiful item of clothing.....the others job is to issue firm orders to "step away from the non listed bargain"!

We weaved our way through Sydney street in and out of the nicely presented vintage shops and one rare shop that smelt of heavily of moths balls and where everything is piled it seems without neither care nor love. Each of us holding the others bags as we rummaged on hands and knees sometimes through the piles of discarded hats, shoes and wraps. Rail upon rail of coats and vintage dresses, asking to move mirrors into the light and giving each other honest appraisal and opinions of potential purchases. We met some of the most jolly, happy and lovable staff along our merry journey and some that were so miserable their faces might have cracked had they actually smiled at us, but that's the heady mix of Brighton that I love.

The energy, the buzz, that eclectic mix of life....and then it happened, I stepped into a small store that I adore on the corner of Sydney street, the rightly and justly named Fashion Temple, and I fell in love with a dress the moment I saw it hanging there on the rail. A 1950's rockabilly retro wild black and red cherries halterneck dress with low hung black netting. That with petticoat frou frous at home would look banging! For such a bargain price I could not leave it there, it had to come home with me, but not before I twirled around the shop in it jive style. Ready for next years Vintage Fair.

A sharp left turn up the road and we were at another shop I adore Kate and Aud . Small compact, but beautiful and filled with the most delicious items on the cusp of Trafalgar Street. Kate does the dresses, Aud the jewelry. I found a beautiful 1930's tea dress upstairs, but sadly it was designed for a flat chested girl. I know, I was heart broken. My head had already planned it to go with my heeled tan brogues, brown knitted bolero.....but it was not to be ma cherie. Having traipsed through every vintage store on the North Laines it was time to head over to the conventional stores for a quick mooch before heading off to the South Laines, Ship Street, where my girlie friend fell in love with a vintage fur coat in Penelope's Portmanteau, a classy little joint with smoking hot jewelry and handbags. We rounded the day off with a visit to Monsoon a shop I adore at any time of the year or any place.

Winding the day down we snuck into Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shop  for a few treats to take home. The shop is a legend of vintage sweets for memory taste buds. Our nearest one is in Chichester and my girls love it! It is the main shopping event for them every time we go in.

We also quickly popped over to Hardy's Orginal Sweet Shop There is so much to test and taste that it's like Harry Potter's Honey Duke's store. There is always something new to squeal at. Shelves filled to the brim with row upon row of delectable sweets, all brightly packaged and coloured begging to be tried and devoured. This time I got them a Gumball machine each to savour. The staff were all dressed in full macabre Halloween costume, which I adore. It really gets everyone into the ghoulish spirit of things and is immense fun!!!! 

Last but no way in the least is a visit to the famous  Choocywoocydoodah's in Duke Street where the window chocolate sculpture displays have hoards of people always crowded around it. They never disappoint and have displayed a gorgeous Halloween theme. As this is the career path my youngest daughter wants to take, I just had to take some photos to show my girls when I got home, They displayed a Vampire pre-bite on a woman's neck and several life like chocolate skulls.

It's a must do visit I'm afraid! The sculptures are so  awesome and then you realise that they are completely made out of chocolate....the fascination and admiration grows ten fold in a heart beat.

Heading home with arms full of bags, recent loved purchases, treats for those loved ones at home and sides aching from laughing together girlie friend and I staggered gracefully back to the carpark.

Tonight my legs and buttocks ache from walking and climbing quaint little boutique staircases. That was some hardcore shopping, but it was worth it..every step, even if we did only buy two vintage items off our lists......there is always another shopping day to plan.

My Hero - The Wrap Dress.

A heroine among woman -
Diane Von Furstenberg.

Every woman needs at least one in her wardrobe. I have too many to count. It is the ultimate feel good, cinch in your waist, nip and tuck in all the right places, you look amazingly gorgeous in that dress - the world has ever known!
Brought to us by the lovely 'champion of the female curvy shape' Diane Von Furstenberg and known throughout the world for her iconic wrap dress. God bless the ground she walks upon!
A Belgian - American fashion designer who married a German Prince, some time judge on Project Runway and designer of the iconic jersey knit wrap dress in 1972. Yes, just like me next year the wrap will be forty! I am hoping they will bring out some celebratory 'wrap dress' designs for it's fortieth birthday. You can never have too many wraps,...... never. I for one aim to celebrate our birthday by wearing one.


Vintage 1972 Wrap Dress.

Bursting on to the Seventies market in a flood of bright bold prints, new stretchy durable material that fits oh so snugly and is just too comfortable to be allowed by law. The Wrap Dress soon became a woman's popular choice to wear, knowing it gave and fitted in all the right places. Giving a flattering, yet supportive silhouette. The magic of the wrap dress is that it suits a variety of figures and shapes and for each one it gives perfection. Simple, chic, stylish and comfort - all in one package. A miracle in fabric that can come in a variety of cuts and styles. It can have long sleeves, three quarter, short, capped, or none. It can be tie or faux wrap, tunic, maxi, midi or mini, ruffled, polka dot, plain or full on pattern. It can be in any fabric for any season, for any occasion. It can be demure, sexy, smart, casual, sassy, classic, string, feminine, mummsie or blousy. You can dress it up, you can dress it down. Wear it on it's own or with jeans. It goes with any shoe or boot. It is the world's wonderall dress. If ever there was a super hero of clothing - The Wrap Dress is it!

At last a dress for a real woman designed by a woman. x

Well We All Just Wanna Be Big All Stars !

Who doesn't own a pair of Converse? I know I have two pairs and my three girls practically live in theirs. Both long and short style. They are an extremely comfy trendy shoe.

It has been a little over one hundred years since the shoe company CONVERSE started trading from their Rubber Shoe Factory in Malden, Massachusetts, U.S.A. in 1908. The brain child of Marquis Mills Converse - a descendant of William the Conquerer would you believe.
The factory began by producing sturdy triple tread Winter Converse boots. They soon proved to be a massive hit, becoming the must have footwear for every man, woman and child in 1910. A legend was born.

1928 Advert.

It was in 1918 that the All Star's were born. A basketball sneaker, named after a basketball player, so the tale goes, walked through the company's doors with a complaint about his sore feet. It was these 'Chuck Taylor's' that TURNED Converse history forever pulling them into sports, the outdoor life and celebrities.

James Dean in a pair of iconic Converse.

By the 1950's and the birth of the teenager everyone from James Dean to Elvis Presley were wearing them. Converse became Rock 'n' Roll icons in their own right almost over night. Since then they have just grown from strength to strength into a giant legend of footwear. With just about everyone whose anyone owning a pair and most people loving them until they wear out, then mourning their passing like a beloved pet. I mean come on......even Harry Potter owns a pair!

Mummies and their cute bags.

The day has been spent in the Autumn sunshine painting rabbit hutches and revamping the chicken house. Not only has it gained a new extenstion on the bottom for the duckies and disabled elderly chickens, but also a new poop hole door and had a whole new repaint. This time in a colour called ' wooden spoon'. It's a creamy brownish white and will give the whole chicken area a nice new 'clean' feel. I just hope the ducks and chickens fully appreciate it.
After a day of working in the fresh air, my crew were pretty hungry and after a filling lasagne we popped off to Sainsbury's to get Pickle her Halloween costume - that she had seen previously and was desperately worried they would sell out of all the scary Mummy costumes in her size before the Samhain celebrations arrived. Luckily there were just a few left and she was greatly relieved to finally have it in her hands.
Whilst the gang went off in search of other treats I decided to browse the new Sainsbury's Gok Wan section that he has designed for their Autumn / Winter collection. There are just four key pieces I would buy or recommend in the whole collection. Two stunning red dresses - show pieces - one is a false wrap to the side with buttoned cuffs, the other a structured wiggle with a body con built in. Both were beautiful and would go in any wardrobe on any woman with the right accessorises and tweaking.
Then there was a lovely (sadly not real leather) black biker's jacket, perfect for that racy number with skinny jeans, killer heels and rock chick tee shirt and lastly but not least the piece I did buy myself as a little treat was this gorgeous herring boned 40's monochromatic inspired handbag.

So cute and totally matches my newest shoes.

My Ten Commandments.

Betty Grable.



Audrey Hepburn.



Are you an Audrey or a Betty? I love Audrey Hepburn's style, but I could never have her body. My figure will never, no matter how much I try and loose the weight, ever be boyish or elfish. I am sadly at best a Betty Grable kinda girl. Booty and all!

Some things in life, you just gotta accept. But your mind always seems to want what it can't have. I long to wear clothes that suit the boyish figure, and it took many years of bad buying experiences and frustrated dressing room moments to finally realize that it 'ain't ever gonna happen. EVER! No matter how much weight I lost - even at six and a half stone I was still stuck with lumpy bumpy bits!

So, with this in mind I was flicking through a magazine when I came across an article about someone's ten fashion commandments. Reading them made me think how each woman shoud have her own ten commandments to follow, as we're all very different in shape, size, style and fashion. Why would we all want to be lumped in as one?!
So here's mine.............

one :
Thou shalt know thy shape. 
Every woman should learn their shape and accept it. Other wise there will be tears before bed time, believe me I know! Learn your shape and learn to love it, be you - according to Trinny and Susannah there are - pear, apple, hourglass, vase, bell, coloumn, cello, brick, goblet, cornet, skittle or lollipop! Or if you go the Gok way - Juicy girl, booty babe, petite girl, sexy broad, curvy girl, bellyssimo babe or slim and sexy.
It all boils down to the same thing with three little rules. Know your shape, love it and dress for it.

two:
Thou shalt have a kick-ass wardrobe.
If I can't have my dream walk-in dance about in your underwear and swing several cats tied together sized wardrobe, I make the most of what I've got! Always look after your clothes, shoes and bags and they in turn will keep you looking fabulous for many years to come. Never, not even in the throws of mad all consuming passion disgard them carelessly across the floor to be kicked under the bed and gather dust for eons to come or the dog to pinch. Always follow the care wash labels, never store them scrumpled up in a plastic bag at the bottom of your wardrobe with piles of tat balancing on top of them.
If it's been a while - sort out your wardrobe. Start to make piles of  those clothes that just don't fit, are too worn, have never been worn and you just plain hate! Then either donate to the charity shop, use as rags or re-vamp with sicssors and a sewing machine. I tend to go through my wardrobe every year. Does it still fit, will I make it fit? Are the most important quesions I ask myself - if not it goes.
I have one outfit in my wardrobe, just the one (apart from a few fabric carrots), that doesn't fit me and that I wore many years ago. It's the ultimate fabric carrot. The Holy Grail of clothes - and one day with enough determination - I will wear it again. That is my end of fabric carrot goal.

three:
Thou shalt treat everyday as a red carpet day.
I see no point of having that fabulous expensive dress hanging in the wardrobe that you have never worn or only worn once?  Wear it NOW , I say! It will only sit there year after year and you'll be saying "Have to find somewhere to wear that 'one day'". Girlfriend, 'one day' never comes, unless you make it happen, because by the time that 'one day' has never arrived because you've either had another kiddie, gained a few lbs, lost the confidence, it's out of date or you simply haven't got the nerve and omph to be bothered any more and go for a good old stable comfortable number instead.
Simple fact - dressing up in glam clothes makes us girlies feel special, attractive and sexy! And if we feel all that and a bag of chips, we ooze those feramones that Mr hubby sniffs out! Got it, wink wink. x Otherwise, that gorgeous expensive dress will end up in the charity pile or will stay hanging lonely in the back of the wardrobe, occassionaly brought out and admired only to make us feel guilty for never having had the nerve to wear it. Mr Hubby will then constantly nag about how he/you spent a lot of money on it and he's never seen you wear it. Odds are that if you wear it out, he's more likely to buy you more because you get use out of it, rather than pay for something you'll never wear or it will ever see the light of day again. So book up that fancy meal, theatre tickets or ladies day at Goodwood and wear it!
Unfortunately I am an hour glass figure and for me that means that my shape doesn't do casual dress very well. Infact the hardest thing for me to wear is jeans and a slouchy top. Something I dearly desire to one day strutt with confidence. So I have a lot of evening dresses, that I make sure I wear as day wear!

four:
Thous shalt have style icons.
We all need style icons. People we find irresistable and drawn to. Women we admire and would love to be. It can be anyone or a whole mixed bag. Punk, chic, hip or way out there! As long as they are a sounding board for you to build your wardrobe and own style around - who cares who they are. This could take a while, I have lots of icons that I admire, for lots of different reasons.
My fashion icons are Coco Chanel :  The lady who introduced and designed the LBD (the little black dress). The main stable of any womans wardrobe. I must have about fifty LBD's all different styles, lengths, designs and eras. The little black dress desreves LBS (little black shoes), along with the LBB (you got it, little black bag).
Just hearing Coco's quotes can send a positive shiver down my spine and make me power up when flicking through my dress rail. "A girl should be two things: Classy and fabulous" C.C, or "The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you" C.C, and I love this one "In order to be irresplaceable one must always be different" C.C.

Mary Quant : Wonder woman of the Sixties and inventor of the mini skirt. The woman who brought quirky fun to fashion. Black mini, black tight, flat mary jane ballet pumps and tight bob - what a style. One of my absolute favourites. Cute little flower logo, instantly recognisable as a brand. What a woman. Then there's the daisy collar mini, long sleeved dress, black tights, black boots, pale lips and big black eyes. Always a winner. So iconic. So classic. So cute. Ditzy little block dresses that get revived year after year after year.With classic quotes such as -   "A woman is as young as her knees".    

Clara Bow.

Louise Brooks & Clara Bow : Two women who have influenced me since I was a tiny dot. Long since gone, but their style and images live on to inspire. Clara Bow, she who was the inspiration for the cute, sexy little cartoon character Betty Boop. It's those big eyes. Her make up, is flawless. Tousled wavy hair, but impeccible brows, lips and liner.
She makes the headscarf look sexy. Her style is that of Mary Janes, long skirts, and a fox fur draping over her tiny shoulder. A drawling, lazy style that oozes sex appeal. It's as if she hasn't even tried or noticed. She simply is. I love her quote "Clara Bow is just what life made her, I guess".

Louise Brooks.

Lousie Brooks for her iconic images and sassy attitude. She has a smirk and raised brow that almost dares the viewer to make a snittish comment, before she'd wipe the floor with you and her dry witty comment.
The ultimate fun girl, she has cheeky gall down to a T. Flirtacious and risky, yet her image is flawless. Clean cut lines, even down to her hair. Minimal chic. I couldn't think of anyone more tres chic then her. Her best quote is "A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world".

five:
Thou shalt dress to impress.
A woman should always dress for herself, but occassionally it doesn't hurt to dress to impress her man or after several years - you won't have one. It's true - all the oomph will have fizzled out and gone. Every so often wear that slinky number (with or without knickers, the daring part is up to you!). Put on heels and make up and make an effort. Even if you've been married years, the human beast still needs attraction to their mate. Get dollied up, go out together and make him remember exactly why he hunted you down and proposed in the first place.
A very wise woman called Coco once said "As long as you realize men are like children, you know everything there is to know". Meaning, they like a bit of attention every now and then. It may be very sexist of me to say so, but it's true - men like to see a bit of eye candy every now and then. It's just male nature. They can't help it bless 'em. So I make Mr happy once in a while - I just so happen to like dressing as a glamour puss every now and then. x

six:
Thous needeth choice.
Repeat after me ladies - "You can never have too many shoes, bags or coats". Variety is the spice of life so they say and how true that is when it comes to clothes and accessories. Don't get stuck in a rut. Try out as many different fashion styles as you can and rotate with glee. You don't have to be the same person everyday. I LOVE to dress in different periods of clothes. I actually feel more comfortable in them than most of those on todays market. The only problem I have is finding the clothes I desire. I have to hunt them down.
Not only do we women need choice in the outer clothes we wear, but also in the under wear department. You could have on the most gorgeous dress, but if your bra isn't up to the job of support all people will notice is your saggy bristols. Period. You have to lay a good foundation to build on, which means a wide range of bras - balconette, strapless, wonder, lacy, sports, t-shirt - they all do a different job for a different reason. Corsets and body cons are life savers - especially for that special cinched in little number. I'd rather wear a boned strapless corset, which has added scaffolding, than risk it with a small wrap around strapless bra that could ping at any moment as it tries desperately to defy the laws of gravity!

seven:
Thous shalt be worth it.
We are all worth it. That new pair of shoes, that new blusher or lipstick. It's all about honouring yourself. If you believe you are worth the attention, then you are! No one's gonna do it for us better than we can do it for ourselves. If we make the effort and give the time to us, we are the ones who benefit. I alway like to think of Mum as the hub of the home. The sun that all the planets revole around. How many times have you heard the saying - "If Mum's happy than the homes happy" or "If Mum 'aint happy, no one's happy. If Mum's happy everyone's happy". I really believe this is true, we as mother's are involved in everyone's lives, and help run the home smoothly. Our mood affects and sets the tone for the whole household, although we may not realize it. Yes, we Mum's are that important!

eight:
Thous shalt totter on heels.
At least once in a while every woman, I think, should wear minimum four inch heels. It helps posture and makes your calves look fabulous! Plus they make you sashay like no-one's business. I love my heels and regularly mix them with flats throughout the week. I couldn't just wear flats, just as I couldn't just wear heels. I've got to mix them around. The highest heel I feel comfortable in is six inch, and then I have to know my route. How far have I've got to walk in these? Over what terrain - cobbles, up hill, flagstones, polished floor? These things have to be considered if I don't want to end up on my arse, with huge blisters or walking bare footed by the end of the evening - which adds another equation to the list - wearing stockings or not!?

nine:
Thou shalt have a mantra.
Every woman should have a mantra to say to herself inside her head or out loud. I believe all women should have a mantra to cling to even if it's something as simple as "Lipstick, mascara, smile".
Mine is "Less is more". Meaning I do not need a ton of make up plastered on my face, a neck full of bling and a row of knuckle duster rings on display. I am a little person, I need not swamp my frame with nik naks. Either I will wear a necklace or ear-rings, not both together, they fight for attention. A bracelet or ring - never at the same time on the same hand - my wrists, hands and fingers are simply too small to accommodate it all. There is always the old saying of  'if  in doubt, go without'!
I am the same with makeup and skin routine. I use bog standard baby wipes to cleanse and bog standard cocoa butter - all over - as a moisturiser. Head to toe. As for makeup I will never have tarted eyes and blousy lips. It's one or the other. Normally I only wear lipstick, mascara and eye liner. That's it. Once a year, maybe, maybe I will wear a foundation, maybe. The less I put on my face the fresher it feels, otherwise my skin feels like it is suffocating.

ten:
Thou shalt find a signature scent.

The secret of success here is to find a perfume that you feel describes who you are. Your personality, your out look and moods. It took me a long time of trying perfume's to find one that I fell in love with. I'm not very keen on flowery scents, infact most flower scented perfumes will make me sneeze? Nothing that smells like food please - I will be drooling all day and gain 20lbs by the end of the week.
Instead, am drawn to musks. The low base note scents that wafts to the back of your nasal pallette. Those solid smells that evaporate slowly. I only use Obsession by Calvin Klein. It is one of those perfumes that you cannot smell very strongly when you first spray, but it uses the oils and glands in your skin to give a deep rich scent about thirty minutes after application. Which is why I use so little of it and a bottle lasts me a whole year.
The musks are a much darker scent, which I feel suits me. I LOVE the smell, but I am not a light airy person who can waft about on the on the summer breeze. My tonal colouring is much darker, so a low musky scent tone seems to fit me better.

Have we met before?

Have you met my new shoes?

They're divine and sooo comfy. The inner soles are even padded. I think we are going to be great friends.

Shoes, shoes and more shoes.

A woman can never have enough shoes, never was a truer statement made. I don't know what I'd do if I was confined to just three pairs. Be a very miserable bunny I think. :(
Shoes to me, are like the icing on a cake to an outfit. Of all the items of clothing I'll be wearing it's the shoes that make me the happiest. Isn't that strange? I'm not sure quite why - even as a kid I had a thing about shoes. I detested regulation shoes. Espeically from my all girls school - they were very strict on uniform - we had to wear chunky crepe soled lace up Frankenstein shoes. Every new pair I was bought I would demolish within the week as a teenage rebellion protest (how wicked is that!), until I was fourteen and could afford my own through paid working jobs - then I bought whatever shoes I desired and had multiple detentions for not wearing regulation sheep baaa-ing shoes.  I was quite a naughty girl at school.

Vintage MJ's.

My newest shoes are these happy sunshine yellow shoes. I love them, they make my feet smile :)

The 18th Century IS back in Fashion !!!!!!

The Palace of Versailles.

How I wish I could be there! Versaille is one of those places on my list of where I want to visit once Mud Boy and I are on our way travelling after our 'home Ed' phase of life is over. 'Travelling' - It's the next phase.
At the moment there is a

1780 - 85 camisole & skirt.

F A N T A S T I C exhibition on at Versaille, in France, once the private Palace of Queen Marie Antoinette. One of the most misunderstood and misrepresented women of history, along with Anne Boleyn, Queen Charlotte and several other women I could list.

Mugler - I want !!!!!!

The exhibition is on from the 8th July to the 9th October and I have very, very little chance of being able to see it. My life here is simply too busy. This is what I have to keep reminding myself lately , we have moved into the next phase. I see life as phases and contained inside those are groups of years, when certain things are very important to you or very predominant. Like those years when you constantly have a buggy, babies, small children, exploration and discovery years - our family has moved on from the early home ed years and even the middle discovery years of home ed - we are now on the last legs of our home ed journey. The next few years of our lives, is only a short phase - It's the exam phase, because no sooner than Diggy and Budge pass through it - Pickle will step into it. That is, if she wants to take any exams or go a different route. As of yet we are unsure and so is she. She's only ten!

1730 court shoes.

Vivienne Westwood.

So this is where we shall be for roughly the next ten years. And not all of that may be exclusively home ed. Of course that doesn't mean we can't have treats, visits and a life! But we can't just swan off, like we used to when the girls were small. Now is the time to buckle down. We have schedules, goals and deadlines to meet. So for now, I shall content myself with looking at the exhibition from afar and console myself that in ten years time or less, they will have an even better exhibition on, of even more restored pieces when it is my turn to visit. Who knows maybe it will be next years family holiday destination!?

But, back to the exhibition. The gowns are exhibits of  works by the marvellous Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld pour Chanel, Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, Olivier Theyskens pour Rochas, Martin Margiela, Azzedine Alaïa, Alexander McQueen pour Givenchy, Yohji Yamamoto, Thierry Mugler… all of them fantasised about the 18th century.
All of them are influenced by this period of fashion. I am entranced by it. I dream about it so often I can feel myself walking in such gowns and lifting the hems to walk up steps.
Make no mistake I will get there one day ...... one day.

All that Bio-Digital Jazz!"

"You're messing with my Zen thing man". I am by very nature a visual person. It is how I absorb information the best, it is how I learn, create and assess the world. Visual imagery stimulates me. This morning I have just watched the movie, Tron the Legacy. The costumes are to die for, the CGI amazing and Jeff Bridges digitally remastered - mind blowing. It will open up so many future opportunities. I still maintain , as I have done for the last ten years or so, that CGI will one day bring back actors and actresses from beyond the grave. One day we will have a new film involving James Cagney acting alongside the likes of Bruce Lee. Imagery and trickery will become that good, we won't know the difference between reality or fantasy!

The thing that caught my eye most about this film are the costumes. The leather and those boots! I want a pair of those black and orange boots! This kind of clothing is more than visual, it is luminous and I say that because they reminded me very much of Vera Wang's bioluminescence couture 2010 collection. Bioluminescent jellyfish and creatures from the BBC's Deep Blue were the inspiration for Vera Wang's transcendental collection ‘Into the Deep‘. I have never seen electroluminescent look so chic.



My Fav!



Ms. Wang artfully balances fashion with technology by creating breathtaking luminescent patterns from custom EL panels glowing from inside structured white gowns. Will this be the fashion of the future? Clothes, shoes, bags or jewelery with battery power packs? Certainly food for thought..................................

Shoe Eye Candy!!

I know I blog quite a lot about clothes and shoes, and yes, I admit I do have a bit of a shoe fetish going on, but OMG  IRREGULAR CHOICE SHOES ARE DIVINE!!!!!!

I saw them once in Chichester in one of the small lanes as I was buying myself a pair of brushed red Oxygen boots, and I wanted to stand and cradle them they were so beautiful, but I was with Mud Boy and the girls and  Mr doesn't really stand for much shoe nonsense when we are out shopping. It is his mission to get from the car to the shop and there and back in as short a time as possible, with the least amount of clothes /shoe/ bag stops as humanly possibly ........ and he will pick me up and carry me from a shop if necessary .... it's been done it before!

                                                                          

A friend called me the other day and described these gorgeous shoes she had seen in town and was literally stroking, but they were £200 a pop! An utterly ridiculous amount to spend on shoes.........but they are sooooo preeetttyyy!! Instantly as we swapped descriptions, we recognized we were fantasising about the same make of shoes ............... Irregular choice shoes. I will say the name again, incase any one out there fancies buying me a lovely birthday or Christmas surprise .......irregular shoes. (I am a size four by the way .....wink, wink!)

They are total shoe eye candy, utterly frivolous and useless in any practical way shape or form. If they were caught in a rain storm or you stepped in a puddle they might just shrink, if you ran for a bus in them bits would more than likely  fall off and forget mud - it would stain the delicate fabrics. For all these facts above - I love them all the more!

However, being resourceful we have both found at the same time a source of cheaper irregular shoe fix ......ebay!!! This is a dangerous situation to be in .......... I really ought to step away from the shoes......but in all honestly could you!