Fashion Fairy Godmother

Sometimes events occur that make you believe there is a fashion fairy godmother watching over you. Take this one:

A few weeks or so ago, I spotted these très chic A.P.C. bottines over at Dead Fleurette.

Then, just days later, I spotted a pair of equally (or a little less, but still nonetheless) chic tan leather bottines in Oasis with a price tag that made resistance futile:

These are all that my feet have wanted to wear ever since space was made on my shoe rack for these beauties. What do you think? Aren't they prefect for the winter-to-spring transition?

Fashion Mags vs Fashion Blogs: Do fashion blogs pose a threat to fashion magazines?

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I had been musing over my next Fashion Mags vs Fashion Blogs post for a little while, as I didn't want to just write for the sake of it. I knew eventually something would happen to inspire me. And so it has:

Last week, Franca Sozzani - the editor of Vogue Italia - chose to publish her views on fashion blogs and their bloggers on her blog.

The opening paragraph hints a little at an underlying jealousy that some bloggers are being treated the same – or better, even – than established editors of established publications:

“Why are they so credited? Why do they sit in front row? Why does the Chamber of Italian Fashion thinks so highly of them, so much as to provide them with a driver during the shows as it's happened during menswear?”

Perhaps this sentiment is justified, after all Sozzani herself, like many editors, has been at the helm of her magazine, Vogue Italia for over 20 years while many of these bloggers have been writing their blogs for little over 20 months.

But if this was Sozzani’s point the post on her blog she quickly loses it again.

Whilst dismissing bloggers as “a trend and like it happens with all trends in fashion, it gets blown up out of proportion and creates many followers”. But unlike other trends in fashion, this trend seemingly comes with a threat to journalists.

However the tone of the post changes at the halfway point – from comments like, “ they are so worried about what to wear to get noticed that my eyes only see a crowd in the end” and “There (sic) comments are naïf (sic) and enthusiastic. They don't hold a real importance in the business.” Sozzani goes on to acknowledge that, in spite of this, “it's an interesting phenomenon because it changes the approach to fashion”.

Indeed, fashion magazines have to change their approach to fashion and to the way in which they “report” it and comment on it. In a column in the Telegraph just over two years ago, Kate Finnegan pointed out, “Grazia, the weekly fashion title, which has thrived on our fixation with celebrity style, now has a page called Stylehunter, featuring stylish young women photographed while out shopping or on their lunch breaks”. Grazia’s fashion news director, Melanie Rickey admitted that the Stylehunter feature came about because, “We were totally influenced by Facehunter”.

Franca Sozzani concedes in her post that bloggers “change the approach to fashion” and bring “a new point of view and not just rely on journalists "who have been doing this for thirty years!" Not being biased at times helps to see what people who work in this industry miss.”

And so it is. I believe that bloggers can bring a lot of the fashion table: many of us do not have any formal fashion training except for the years and years spent shopping and dressing and standing in front of our bedroom mirrors. But we are the people for whom women like Franca Sozzani write their magazines and the women who have lived it and dreamed it.

Fashion magazines and blogs are perfectly capable of co-existing alongside each other; they just need to learn how to respect the other medium and to use it to complement their own.

What do you think of the debate? Is there a place for both fashion magazines and fashion blogs? Do fashion blogs pose a threat to fashion magazines, do you think?

Further reading:
The report from a the Royal Academy of Art's Storytellers of Fashion discussion
Franca Sozzani’s blog post
Kate Finnegan’s column for the Daily Telegraph

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Monday Morning Pic-Me-Up

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Friend Friday #25: Blogger mechanics



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Ever wonder how your favourite blogger gets the shots she/he does, which camera they use to get them, which computer they sit behind as they type? I devour posts like this one on IFB which offers tips for taking better photos of yourself, or reviews of the hottest smartphone for blogging. This week's Friend Friday is a window on the mechanics of blogging and the technology we use, so go on, be as noisy as you like and go check out everyone else's responses (I know I can't wait to!) - just wait till after you've read mine!


1. What technology do you use in blogging? (computer, camera, video camera, tripod, etc...)

When I started blogging I had the oldest and slowest laptop that I'd had for years! It eventually died and I now have a speedy and small netbook. I chose an Asus EeePC and I love it. It fits easily in my bag and has a loooooong battery life. It might not be so long compared to the newest ones (as it is now over a year old) but it is very very long compared to my old laptop that had a battery life of approximately 5 minutes!! I kid you not. For my photos, I use a secondhand Nikon D60. I found it in a little independent camera store - called Cameraland - and used my birthday money last year to buy it. When I got it home the screen wasn't working right so they sent the camera back off to Nikon and it was given a complete make-over. So I basically ended up paying peanuts for what is effectively a brand new camera! I love it. An SLR is perfect for (nearly) always getting the right shot but it can be a little bulky too. So I am currently on the lookout for a compact camera that I can pop in my bag for those I-wish-I-had-my-camera moments!

not quite my exact camera - but close!!

2. What computer and online technology do you use? (blogging system, photo storage, photo editing tools, etc..)

My blogging system is probably evident - I use blogger. I didn't really know about the different blogging platforms when I first started so I just went with the one that most of the bloggers whose blogs I read used too. It has served me well and I don't have any real complaints. I have recently added Disqus to my blog, to allow me to reply easily and quickly to comments as this is something that I have wanted to implement for a while. I understand from "chat" on other blogs and within the FBFF Group that Disqus does not work well for everyone. I am intrigued for your opinion. Of course, if Disqus isn't working for you, this might be a problem, so if you can't leave a comment, why not email me?

I edit most of my photos in picnik. Mainly because it's free. Again, not much thought went into that initial decision but now, I like it and am used to it.

3. What is your process for taking pictures?

I don't really have a "process". If I see something I like, I take a photo. Sometimes it finds it's way onto the blog and other times it just gets lost in amongst all of the other photos I have taken. For outfit photos, I take a lot before I am happy with one or two. I just keep clicking away in the hope that one or two are ok.
4. When it comes to backdrops for your photos what do you consider? Do you scout locations or shoot the same spot daily?

I have a location in the stairwell of my apartment building where I take photos of myself with a remote if the boyf isn't around or I just want a clean background. I'm not really into taking my camera and remote outside with me. I am working on that! As I love the photos a lot of bloggers take of themselves outside in different locations. I just have a hard enough time trying to avoid getting caught in the stairwell!! If I happen to be out with my sister or the boyf, then I will try to get them to take a photo.

I am always scribbling ideas in my moleskin notebook - when on a train, out for coffee, watching TV - everywhere!

5. If you could splurge and get one new piece of equipment what would you be buying?

As I said in response to question 1, I would love to get a little compact camera to just chuck in my bag so that I always have one with me. My dream comapct camera would be the deliciously chic GE Create Leather Jason Wu Camera. I am also currently saving for a Blackberry Torch as my current Blackberry Curve doesn't have the browser capacity to run blogger but after playing on my sister's Torch at the weekend, I think it might be perfect!!
 
What technology do you use? I'd love to know what your blogger essentials are! Again, if you can't leave a comment on Disqus, I'd still love to hear from you, so please feel free to send me an email.
 
Remember to go check out everyone else's responses over at ModlyChic. And if you'd like to be a part of the Friend Friday Group, you can find all the details here.

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Black Swan ballet-inspired fashion

Last night, my girlfriends and I headed to the cinema to see the much-anticipated Black Swan. In which the incredible Natalie Portman plays the troubled and psychotic ballerina, Nina Sayers. The film, though a little jumpy - and certainly unexpected for more than a few cinema-goers near to me - is an exploration of the idea of the doppelgänger and the battle within between the two parts of a person. If you believe that sort of thing.

The music is evocative and moving. It came as no surprise that the costumes in the film were both whimsical and beautiful given that Laura and Kate Mulleavy the sisters behind the Rodarte label were responsible for them:



If you've seen the film - or you just love the outfits - I've put together a little selection of ballet-inspired beauties from The Outnet:

American Vintage Cropped cotton T-shirt; Deepa Gurnani Leather rosette hairband; Chloé Cotton bodysuit; Pringle of Scotland Loop-embellished wool dress; Jennifer Ouellette Elasticated sequined hairband; Twenty8Twelve by s.miller Mairead silk-chiffon dress; Chloé Strapless silk-chiffon dress; Giambattista Valli Silk ruffle-skirt dress; Vanessa Bruno Athé Studded leather ballerina flats; Isaac Mizrahi Mesh corseted bodysuit; Marc Jacobs Fishnet jacquard ballerina flats; and Yves Saint Laurent Fine-ribbed wool bodysuit.

Will you be following in Natalie Portman's footsteps and doning any ballet-inspired fashion this season?

It might not be quite the same but ever since I saw Carrie's tutu in SATC, I have been on the lookout for my perfect one:

I thought I had found it in the Next sale recently - until I tried it on and it was the wrong length. So my search continues. Anyone know where I might find one?

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Ladies Who Lunch

Last weekend, Super Stylish Sis and I were ladies who lunch. Super Stylish Sis was looking - as ever - super stylish!!

She was wearing: H&M hat, Marks and Spencer dress and Marks and Spencer cardigan. You can see what I was wearing here.

We went to our favourite café - the Boston Tea Party. The menu is sooo extensive and there is far too much to list here but everything is - or sounds - delicious. I chose Lamb Tagine with couscous:

Super Stylish Sis chose a Bacon and Brie salad - which looked divine:

Where do you go when you want lunch?

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WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO LONDON FASHION WEEKEND!

♥ Yes, you did read that right, this is your chance to WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO LONDON FASHION WEEKEND. ♥

♥ I have one pair of tickets for London Fashion Weekend for Sunday 27 February courtesy of the very lovely people at Single Market Events. ♥

♥ The tickets are for entrance to the event only but you are usually able to buy a goody bag and/or tickets to the catwalk show on the day. ♥

♥ London Fashion Weekend takes place at the home of London Fashion Week - Somerset House in London. ♥

♥ As the website says: ♥

♥ Shop from over 100 designer brands, from the high profile to the emerging, selling a selection of current and past season's collections along with samples and one-off designs.  All at discounts of up to 70% off the retail price - allowing you to update your look to luxe for less! ♥

♥ You might remember that I attended the event last September - with my mum - and we had a wonderful day out together. ♥

♥ To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. (After reading the T&Cs below!) That is all. I don't want to turn this into anything massive, I just want to reward the people who come back everyday to read my blog and to say thank you to you. ♥

♥ Good luck! ♥

Competition Terms and Conditions:

Ticket are valid for Sunday 27th February 2011 only.

Tickets will be equivalent of ‘Black’ (general admission) tickets

Tickets are non-transferable and no cash alternatives can be given.

You must be 18 or over to claim this prize.
The competition will close in 2 weeks time on Wednesday 9 February 2011.
Winner will be announced on Saturday 12 February 2011 and will be drawn at random.

How to... make your own printed tee: Part 1

When I saw this tutorial at She's got a passion for fashion which shows you how to print a t-shirt (t-shirt above), I knew I had to have a go. It seemed so simple and much better than the t-shirt inkjet paper I had thought of using previously.

So, I have ordered the Dylon Image Maker from amazon.

I have a plain white t-shirt just screaming out for a make-over.

But now I have to decide which picture to print on it. So, I need your help. Please.

Audrey Hepburn is definitely my chosen tee icon, but which do you think?

This?

Or this?

As soon as I have made my decision - with your help (!) - I will get on with the simple (!?) task of printing my tee and will then put up my own "How to... make your own printed tee" tutorial.

Have you tried this? Would you?

Which photo should I go for?

2 out of 26 and Happy Burns' Night

Does anyone else who regularly takes outfit photos find themselves sometimes taking photo after photo and none of them look right? Today, no matter how many photos I took, none of them looked right. Eventually I settled for these two (out of the 26 photos I took):

First, I paid homage to Burns' Night with my tartan (!!??) scarf from Dorothy Perkins which I used to brighten up my River Island coat:

This blue Zara jersey dress is my all time favourite work-wear look in my wardrobe. I hadn't worn it since last winter and had all but forgotten it was in my wardrobe (I rediscovered it during my recent wardrobe detox!). In fact I loved this dress so much and wore it so much when I first bought it that when I saw it in the sale a few months later I bought a second and recently threw out the first dress and have now begun wearing the second:

Do you have a fail-safe "go to" for a morning when nothing else looks right and you're running late for work? Do you ever buy two of a piece you know you will wear forever?


As it's Burns' Night, I wanted to add a little Scottish touch to the proceedings. If Haggis isn't really your thing, try this delicious dessert: Cranachan. Believe me, it is very delicious. The boyf and I had it when we went to Loch Fyne for dinner on New Year's Eve.

Source

Happy Burns' Night to any Scots out there!

The Great Wardrobe Detox: Part 5

10. Keep reassessing:

Don't underestimate the need to reassess what looks relevant - the personal shopper Annabel Hodin advises doing this every four to six weeks. If you need a little help, consider the moderately priced services of the former fashion stylist Beth Dadswell, who will come and edit everything for you (from £250).

If you've managed to get this far, trust me, you don't need to fork out for a personal stylist! You also don't need to reassess quite so regularly, in my opinion. Every three months, or each change of season should be enough.

But one thing that will help to keep your wardrobe - and future shopping - in check is to assess where holes exist in your current collection and keep these pieces in mind. If you are still unsure about what "Basics" you should have in your wardrobe, check out my Wardrobe Basics series. Another helpful post, is this one in which Garance Doré identifies her 10 wardrobe basics.

What are your wardrobe basics? Those things that provide the foundation of any outfit?

So that's it. The 10-step plan is completed. You should now have a perfectly streamlined wardrobe, from which you can put any few pieces you care and create a wonderfully chic and elegant outfit. Now you just need to make sure that your wardrobe remains organised and easy-to-use. Geneva concluded her Wardrobe Rehab series with a few rules for focusing her future shopping. I have tried this before - remember my own rules after I completed my shopping ban a year ago? From the state of my wardrobe at the beginning of this detox, it seems that I didn't really stick to these rules. Instead, therefore, I have decided to make a list of those things that are missing from my wardrobe and will keep this with me for any trips to the shops. Hopefully this will keep me in line in the future:

One thing that I recently read on Dead Fleurette which resonated and which I hope to apply to any shopping trips I take during 2011:

"Admire certain garments from afar and face the truth that they will never work for me"


What do you think of my choices? Do I need to explain myself?! What's on your shopping list?


This is the final post in the Wardrobe Detox series that has followed my efforts to attain a healthier and lighter closet. If you have missed any of the posts, you can recap here: Part 1: the initial edit; Part 2: finding your style; Part 3: storage and organisation; and Part 4: giving to charity.


*Photo source

Stripes and Specs

This is a new name I am considering for my blog, what do you think? Nah, not really! It is how I would describe my outfit today. A couple of weeks ago I realised that my eye sight was failing me and that if I ever wanted to pass my driving test, I would have to go get glasses. What do you think? I'm still getting used to them.

I am wearing: H&M striped knit midi dress (£9.99) and Oasis boots (were £70, now £20).

Wardrobe Basics for Men #3: Trousers

This post is a part of Men's Style Month on Sugar and Spice. Like it's sister series, Wardrobe Basics, this limited edition series - here for one month only - will feature three options for each "Basic" that every man should have in his wardrobe. This week's "Basic" is trousers. For men, this encompasses two options: casual (jeans) and smart. Every man's wardrobe should have at least one of each.

For the casual option:

SAVE: ASOS Light Wash Slim Jean

SPEND: Morning side straight jeans by Ralph Lauren

SPLURGE: Stitch detail jeans by Alexander Mcqueen

For the formal option:

SAVE: ASOS Slim Fit Check Trouser

SPEND: Burberry Brit Five pocket trousers

SPLURGE: Rake Prince of Wales check trousers

What are your Wardrobe Basics?

The Great Wardrobe Detox: Part 4

8. Selling on:

If you haven't got time to eBay, there are other outlets for selling clothes - although the sellers usually take up to 50 per cent of the sale price. Clothes must be good-quality, designer items. Try Sign on the Time (020 7589 4774), Susie Archer and Chic and Seek for three of the best.

9. Swapping:

Check out clothes-swap websites, such as Swapaholix or Big Wardrobe. At Big Wardrobe you pay no fees and everything is nearly new.

Pile of discarded items

It's a week now since I started my wardrobe detox and so far I am loving the feeling that shedding a few pounds of clothing has given me. If you have missed any of the posts from this week, you can read them here: Part 1: the initial edit; Part 2: finding your style; and Part 3: storage and organisation.

I usually try to sell a few things out of my clearouts on eBay but this time I decided to give it all to charity. I suppose it is my "good deed"!!

Indeed, Cancer Research UK have launched their own Detox Your Wardrobe campaign for the start of 2011. The charity is encouraging fashionistas and shopaholics everywhere with bulging wardrobes filled with clothes they no longer wear, to donate them. According to Cancer Research UK, each bag of donated goods can be worth up to £30. So my five bags of unwanted clothes could be worth £150!! Not bad for a weekend's work?

Just a couple of the bags we took to the charity shop last weekend

And almost falling out of the boot of the car on the way to the charity shop!

A celebrity trio, comprising TV presenter Konnie Huq, presenter and journalist Dawn Porter, and morning TV presenter Lorraine Kelly are all supporting Cancer Research UK's "Detox Your Wardrobe" campaign this January:

Here's what Lorraine Kelly said of the campaign:

"Before you go crazy at the January sales, make some room in your wardrobe for all those bargains by taking anything you no longer wear down to your nearest Cancer Research UK shop to raise funds for its lifesaving research. I’m a self-confessed hoarder but even I run out of space sometimes! So 'Detox your Wardrobe' this January and support Cancer Research UK, then hit the sales with a clear conscience!"

Of course, if you're like me, you've already hit the sales and now need to make room for all of the things you've bought! Better late than never, as they say.

If you too would like to donate your unwanted/surplus clothes, shoes and accessories to charity, you can find your local Cancer Research UK store here.

Come back on Monday for the final post in my Wardrobe Detox series. In the meantime, you can remind yourself of the previous posts here. Make sure you don't miss it by following Sugar and Spice on twitter, bloglovin' or feedburner.



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Friend Friday #24: Authenticity

It's nearly the weekend everyone!! Excited? I am. And I have Monday off too, so a three-day weekend awaits me when I clock off later today. What fun plans do you have for your weekend?

Another Friday means another Friend Friday post. I don't know about you but I always look forward to these the most. As much as I enjoy writing my own responses each week, I can't wait to see what everyone else has written too. This week's top is "authenticity": what is means, how you achieve it in a blog, how important it is?

Pretty photo that has nothing to do with this week's topic!!
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1. Most readers and fellow fashion bloggers value authenticity in the blogs they read. How would you describe blog/blogger authenticity?

Hmmm. Authenticity is definitely important but my goodness, how do you define it?! Maybe for starters, it is those bloggers that stay true to themselves.

One dictionary defines authenticity as "The quality or condition of being authentic, trustworthy, or genuine".

In terms of blogs and bloggers? I think for me, it is a blog that show thought for what they write and the community for whom they write it. "Authentic” bloggers – in my mind – are those that share a part of themselves in their blog posts - this doesn't have to be a whole lot of themselves as I know and understand that many bloggers like to keep parts of their lives private (as do I) but their own experiences and likes and dislikes come into play when they write. I think a connection with your blog's community helps to add authenticity - a willingness to participate in discussions in the comments or on social media.

For me a blogger who shows a little humility is always on to a winner. Not many bloggers are experts in our field - or weren't before they started writing their blogs - and an acknowledgement of that is refreshing. It helps to make that connection with your readership if you can admit that your knowledge is on a par.

2. When it comes to your blog how to you infuse it with that true/ authentic feeling?

I try to make what I write as honest and as personally as possible. Like I said before, I do keep my life pretty private and separate from my blog but that doesn't stop me from re-telling something that has happened to me or pointing out the relevance of something to my life. I write about things that make me happy and that excite me and hope that this is obvious through a passion in my words.

I have just added Disqus comments' platform to my blog in the hope that it will enable me to better respond to comments. This is a part of my new year's plans to create a better and more active community on Sugar and Spice. I know that not everyone likes Disqus but for Blogger it seems the best available option. I'd love to hear your views on Disqus and the idea of bloggers responding to comments.

3. Have you stopped following a blog in the last three months? What made you lose interest?

I don't follow many blogs but I do have many on my blog links page. Occasionally I stop following a blog but it is usually due to inactivity on their part than content, as such.

Bloggers who don't seem to interact or particularly care about their community don't really encourage me to continue to read their blogs unless their content is very compelling.

4. We can't communicate effectively on our blogs, something we don't live in real life... what are some ways you try to live an authentic life?

I try to live my life so that I can honestly say that I happy with all of my actions. Sometimes I don't particularly succeed in this but I know that often I can say that I am. One example is from a few years ago when I was "friends" with a couple of people who might be what some would call "toxic". These "friends" spent much of their time bad-mouthing and complaining about other friends and I soon realised that this wasn't how I wanted to spend my time. I don't like to spend my time belittling the actions of other people. I apply the same "values" on my blog. I prefer my blog to be a positive place to visit which is why, if I don't like something or have nothing nice to say about something - be it a product, piece of clothing, or whatever - I won't say anything at all.

5. Give a shout-out... Which bloggers do you think are truly genuine and why?

Any on my links list! Is that too broad an answer?!! But it’s true! If I had to name names, then I would say, Grit and Glamour - whose willingness to cultivate a strong and positive community on her blog continally inspires me. Who else? Veshoevius of The Taxonomy of my Wardrobe - whilst keeping her identity private she still manages to share much of her life with her readers. And one last blogger who I'd like to mention writes a blog that is new for my links list: Money Smart Fashion. Grace does not shy away from admitting her money troubles and how she is working towards ridding herself of debt. Her style on a budget is totally up my street and her advice is always honest.

I have missed so many other wonderful bloggers and I am sorry. In fact, let me add one more: Oranges and Apples. You have to read her responses to this week's questions - they are so thoughtful. Franca is definitely a thinker and this comes through in all of her writing. And her outfits are always colourful - something to make you happy!


What do you think? Is Sugar and Spice "authentic"? What do you understand by "authenticity"? Tell me which blogs you think are authentic - I want to find some new blogs!!

If you would like to become a member of the ever-growing Friend Friday Group, you can find details on Katy's blog, ModlyChic. And you can find all of the other responses to this week's questions on Katy's blog.

Happy Friday everyone!

Style Inspiration: Rainbow Nails

Been feeling a little bored with my nail polishes recently (bring on next Friday when Chanel's new polish, Black Pearl, is released!), so when I saw this post over at A Pair and a Spare I couldn't help but feel inspired!!

Check out Shini of park and cube's nails:


Source: The Style Crusader via A Pair and a Spare


Before heading out to the cinema last night - to watch 127 Hours (which is amazing - Danny Boyle is a genius!) - I decided to gather five of my most favourite muted coloured nail polishes and give myself a "rainbow manicure":

I am wearing: Models Own in Grace Green, Vintage Pink and Champagne; and Eyeko in Jade Green Vintage Polish.

What do you think?

Cats sleep anywhere

All I have wanted to do since I got up this morning, is go back to bed. These cute images aren't helping matters!

All images via we heart it