Braids

One of the things I miss most about long hair is wearing braids. They make me feel so girly and polished. And I don't want to stop wearing them just because I have short hair.

So I started looking for inspiration and found these pictures of Gemma Ward and Natasha Poly wearing French braids, and the best thing is that I can wear them too. I won't be wearing Heidi braids any time soon, but I realised, I have alternatives.

Song: Please,please,please - James Brown

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I've been nominated by Soir de Fête (thank you!) for the thinking blogger award a few days ago, and I kept forgetting to answer the questions. So, here they are:

1. What is the story behind the name of your blog and nickname?

Quite dull to be honest. It occurred to me while thinking for a fashion related word that exist in several languages.

2. What has been your best and worst blogging experience?

The best thing is positive feedback.

The worst thing about the blogging experience, is the people who doesn't value your work and insult you.

3. What do you think/ want to happen to your blog in 2008?

Good things I hope! So far, this blog has been giving me more than I ever imagined.

Two sides of the same coin

There are things in life that remain a complete mystery to me: who is who in Simon & Garfunkel, the Egg of Columbus, and the differences between Urban Outfitters in America and Europe. Each season I check out both webs, and the US definitely exceeds Europe in quantity, aesthetic and -lower- prices.

The worst thing is the non-existent competency between both sites. If only we could buy from the other side of the Atlantic, the European Urban Outfitters would improved a lot.

The Americans even enjoy a decent lookbook.

Song: Wild America - Iggy Pop

"Wouldn't it be a lovely headline: "Live is Beautiful" on a New York Times?"

Don't be mislead by the awful weather, spring is already here. You probably don't have the guts to venture outside , neither do I.

However after seeing these polaroids at a slow boat to mediocrity I can't help but want a closet full of flowery light dresses.These are from the Swedish label Permanent Vacation. Overall, I love the aesthetic chosen to present the clothes, very fresh and summery.

Song: Pink moon - Nick Drake

La movida madrileña

I am in shock since the House of Grimaldi announced La Movida Madrileña as the theme for the next Bal de la Rose.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, La Movida Madrileña was a social movement that took place right after the death of Franco until the mid 80's. It was a consequence of the freedom and prosperity Spain was living at the moment. Pedro Almodóvar, Mecano, Joaquín Sabina or Alaska, to name a few, formed part of this movement.

And now, Carolina de Monaco recovers this piece of Spanish history for the most important ball of the year.

Song: Bailando - Alaska

Vintage 501

The idea of wearing boyfriend jeans never appealed to me. Not because I don't like them, I do, but I've always thought you need to be really skinny to look good in them.

However, lately I'm thinking of getting a pair of vintage Levi's 501 to wear with slouchy striped sweaters on my lazy days. Furthermore, Lulu of Everybody is ugly* or Alexander Wang prove you can stay chic with baggy jeans.

*Thanks to Picky picks pics

Song: Drain you-Nirvana

"Un sueño. De los objetos a las personas"

These last days have been particularly arty. My last week absence was due to a trip to see "YSL: Dialogues with Art". The exhibition included Helmut Newton pics or Mondrian paintings to name a few, along with Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture pieces.

Moreover, yesterday I went to see a Man Ray retrospective. The exhibition was composed by 90 pieces which included: pics -portraits, most of them-, rayographies and experimental artworks.

Among with Dora Maar's photograph below, what impressed me most was to discover how old Virginia Woolf looked in her early 40's.

"Ravaged by bronchitis and pneumonia, Marcel Proust spent the last night of his life dictating manuscript changes for a section of his famous novel Remembrance of Things Past. Man Ray did not know Proust, but he had become such an important photographer that mutual friends dispatched him to the celebrated French author's bedside to make a final portrait two days after his death. The side view associates Man Ray's photograph with a tradition of postmortem photography dating back to the inception of the medium. "

Song: Cry me a river - Julie London

Sweet Heart Crush

In a few issues Lula, and its whimsical and ethereal vibe, has been winning a huge crowd of followers.

Sweet heart crush is one of the editorials featured this month. The stylist, Elisa Nalin, took inspiration from Alber Elbaz and his signature bow-ties. It's been a long time since men inspired clothes surrounds us, but with this season new interpretations, I find this style more and more appealing. Even the idea of investing in a pair of Church's brogues crosses my mind.

Song: King of the road-Randy Travis

Txell Miras

Last Wednesday I was supposed to attend Txell Miras' show, unfortunately I couldn't make my way to Barcelona. But that won't stop me from doing a small review.

Txell Miras called this collection "El gran déjà vu", alluding the fast pace of fashion these days. An open critic to the constant revisitation of the past. For that reason, she will only do winter collections in the future.

The first and biggest part of the show included her quintessential black pieces. She played, once again, with volumes, layers and garment construction, adding distinctive touches through colour and the use of new materials like distressed leather or glossy fabrics.

The final part was done in an earth colour palette, with touches of light blue and black. A recital of exquisitely executed men inspired pieces.

My favourite

I am taking a few days off. I'll be back with posts on Friday.

Song: Boys don't cry - The Cure

Diamonds are a girl's best friend?

If you followed Sex and the City, you might remember that in the last two seasons Pat Field put an extra effort to make Carrie look incredibly stylish all the time. We knew it was surrealistic for a woman whose only income was a newspaper salary, to own various Kelly bags, diamond necklaces and hundreds of designers shoes. But it was all the same, because we enjoyed seeing her looking fab. So, when I saw the fantastic Tom Binns Dumont* collection the first image that came to mind was Carrie wearing a diamond necklace with a simple grey t-shirt.

Tom Binns was the winner of a CFDA award in 2006 and he's also famous for collaborating with Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren with "Punk Couture".

If like me, you are broke and you still like this kind of necklaces, search for rhinestone on e-bay and you'll find nice alternatives for a mere $2,99.

*The Dumont collection is made with crystals not diamonds.

Song: Can't buy me love - The Beatles

Jerome Dreyfuss

I used to be truly obsessed with bags a few years ago. I confess: I coveted almost every It bag. But that's over know, fashion is far more interesting than those and useful objects.

However, sometimes my heart still beats fast when I spot a good purse. That is the case of this Jerome Dreyfuss creation. The leather seems so soft, and the colour is simply perfect. Not to mention the big size to carry all the unnecessary things I don't need.

The best of Dreyfuss' bags is the production techniques respect the enviroment and ethical manufacturing conditions.

Song: Narcissist - The Libertines

Gingham

I don't know why but I feel nostalgic for gingham. It's a fun fabric, very versatile and fresh, just perfect for summer. In pants, dresses or skirts, it's all the same; gingham is the fabric to wear this season.

Song: Little yellow spider - Devendra Banhart.

To Alexander McQueen

Thank you for remembering me fashion should be a refuge for dreams, not mere clothes. I feel grateful to you for returning my faith, for being capable of telling a story, for using your talent to make us scape from the cruel world. You got me down on my knees.

Song: So real - Jeff Buckley