Matthew Williamson - so close yet faraway...

...I know. The film was called Faraway, So Close but the above really does hit the nail on the head.  Not too long ago that I lusted over Matthew Williamson's AW12 collection and now available to order on Moda Operandi - delivery from July onwards.

Fitted Lady Dress £1350

 

Beaded Disco Tee Dress £3610

 

T-Shirt Column Gown £1800

Fitted Lace Cocktail Dress £4395

Now all I need is a generous Angel. Maybe just the first dress? I've been everso good...

Come into My World...

Only a few days ago I reported about Hoss Intropia's eShop launching soon - and here it is!

Not only do I adore their collections, I also love the shop itself: clean lines, tidy pages, easy to navigate, a wish-list function and cute little videos at the top of each category page.

They deliver to Spain (€6, 1-2 working days), Italy & Ireland (€12, 2-3 working days) and - thank you! - the UK (€9, 2-3 working days). You can request a return within 15 days of having received your order and customer services are available Monday - Friday 10am - 7pm.

The site is clearly still in its infancy with scope for expansion, added functionality and improved usability (and the odd dead link/missing image to sort out) but I like that they kept it simple and focused. The only add-on feature is currently their personal shopper page, on which you can classify your body type and receive some advise about how to dress best for your shape.

My current favourites - and promptly added to my wish-list are

 Wrap Front Dress  €140

Flower Print Tunic Dress  €230

Waisted Raincoat  €198 

Sequin Bolero  €270

Polka Dots Top  €140

So if you are lusting after romantic dresses, diaphanous blouses,  delicate knitwear or elegant yet quirky accessories check it out!

Oh, and another little treat: a snippet of their campaign video...

Happy Shopping and don't forget to register for a chance to win a shopping spree worth £1000!

Late Valentine's Day Gift

Looking forward to it - shall report once I read it!

Paris Fashion week - Mugler

Ooooh, I like...

 

Images just gone live on Vogue.

Multi-Tonal Jewellery

I have always loved rose-gold and especially multi-tonal jewellery but right now my love has turned into some serious lust and even though I have a couple of pieces in my jewellery box, I might just have to indulge...

What - or indeed if - I am actually going to buy, will be largely dictated by budget and as with everything else, the sky is the limit. Here are my favourite options...

Right, first up a real budget find. These Mini Door Knocker Earrings from Topshop mix gold and silver-tones, are small enough to be worn tongue-in-cheek ladylike but also quirky enough to add a bit of edge to a casual outfit. At £6.50 a great little treat!

Another great bargain at £8 is this bracelet from Accessorize. Similarly as with the earrings above, the different textures add to the different tones. Great for a bit of last-minute topping up an outfit!

There is, of course, always the option of going with something delicate and genuine, such as this set of stackable set of rings from Nadina Giurgiu. So pretty, ultimately timeless, classic and probably something I'd cherish forever. At $90 (ca. £56) not dirt cheap but I think that's great value for money for a piece (or rather 12 in this case!) of handmade, real jewellery!

N a d i n a G i u r g i u

Source: Handmade stack rings & bangles (http://s.tt/139kA)Na

N a d i n a G i u r g i u

Source: Handmade stack rings & bangles (http://s.tt/139kA)

N a d i n a G i u r g i u

Source: Handmade stack rings & bangles (http://s.tt/139kA)

Another item in this price-range is this really pretty Disney Couture trio of bangles (sold at ASOS). They are silver, gold and rose-gold plated, feature sweet slogans engraved on each and a gold-plated chain with charms. With a pricetag of £75 possibly a nice gift for your best friend - or yourself? 

I don't know about you but for me jewellery doesn't come much better or more romantic, than in one of those little "robin egg blue" (apparently that's the official name!) boxes:

There are quite a few really lovely pieces in the current collection, mixing rose-gold, silver and sometimes yellow gold but I like this piece for it's unabashed reference to the jewellery house's heritage: two interlocking circles, hallmarked with the company's founding year. At £485 likely to be something to save up for or to ask as a gift for a special occasion!

Now, talking about special, this would definitely apply to the following item. The Expansion Joint Cuff by Eddie Borgo (pre-order on Moda Operandi) is just a spectular statement piece. At $1850 (ca. £1162) a far cry from anywhere near my budget but something so unusual and fantastically strange. Just imagine wearing it with a floaty evening gown or with a simple white tee. *Sigh*.

Do let me know if you like the trend and whether you have any multi-tonal jewellery in your jewellery box?

Wednesday Lunchtime Treat!

So we are officially half-way through the week. Is there a better time for little pick me up? 

Reason 1: I reward myself for having gotten to Wednesday without major breakdowns.

Reason 2: I give myself a little cheer so I will make it to the end of the week!

With it being the 29th of February, I could do one of those "ladies, propose to your man - buy him a ring/watch/... here" but I think it's a rather daft concept to only be "allowed" to propose once every 4 years. So I shall ignore that tradition.

Instead, I'll give you a quick rundown on the leapyear promotions I've been getting. Most of these are only valid for today so be quick!

ASOS

Up to 29% off with Promocode LEAPDAY10 

LaRedoute

29% off with Promocode 5250

Dorothy Perkins

Up to 50% off Sale starting today

Cocosa

Melissa Shoes up to 60% off
Hurry up, just a few of the gorgeous Vivienne Westwood PomPom Heels left. Also get ready to check out the Alice by Temperley Sale launching tomorrow!

Enjoy your lunch!

Magical Kinder Aggugini

I was lucky enough to attend Kinder Aggugini's AW12 show as part of London Fashion Week.

I have to admit, some lines were really not my cup of tea (not a big fan of those coats that swamped the incredible fragile models' frames) but towards the end I was salivating over the beautiful dark blue and gold lace dresses...

 ...and the pair of evening gowns that seemed to be crafted out of a wool felt. Juxtaposing an earthy, coarse-ish material with such an elegant style was just brilliant.

Anyway, fashion insiders will have known for some time but I only just came across the fact that that Aggugini has designed the costumes for English National Ballet's The Rite of Spring. So far I could only find one sketch and it makes me want to see more. 

There is certainly some of the magic of the dark blue and gold lace dresses in there but it also conveys strength and agility.
Interesting also that wearability is something that comes up regularly when catwalk fashion is discussed. They won't just wear it, they'll dance in it!

Oscars - Hit and almost no Miss

Ok, so I am rather late: more than 24 hours after the red-carpet-fest and everybody has given their opinion, evaluation and judgement of who was hot and who not.

White was without a doubt the colour of the night. So that much about my verdict about pastels at the Oscars'...

Anyway, here is my hit & miss list!

My top 5:

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

Elegant. Effortless. That cape looks so glam yet relaxed, like she nonchalantly threw her boyfriends jacket over her shoulders. And did you notice that there are absolutely no visible lines of any type of undergarment?! Covered up but oh so sexy!

 

                                                 

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

I think reds are always a bit of a risk for blondes but this coral is so flattering on her skintone, making her look freshfaced and young. The ruffles and the peplum are fun, the shape classy and elegant, the backless detail adds a bit of tongue in cheek sexy and she's got it spot on with the accessories. Some fashionistas might shoot me but she reminds me of a younger, contemporary version of Pretty Woman's Vivian in *that* red dress.

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Ultimately flattering, making her look curvy and glamorous. Makes girls like me wish we had curves like that!

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad

I won't even go on about that breathtaking cleavage. For that alone, I think the dress has the chance of becoming a remember-forever dress like that Versace Jungle Dress. But her shape, emphasised by the sculptural lines (very art deco) makes her look like a statue. 

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

Exquisite. Hand-embroidered. Opulent. Makes me think of dresses you normally only get to see at the V&A. But more flattering.

...and my bottom 5 ...
Although I have to say that there were no real howlers, the following five are just my least favourite. Most mere mortals would be more than happy to scrub up this well...

Penelope Ann Miller in Badgley Mischka

When interviewed on the carpet she said she had some input into the design. Hm. Just too pedestrian and blah for me...

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa

It just looks all wrong on the front. Not fitted enough. Backless can be done a lot better.

Angelina Joli in Atelier Versace

Slit on the thigh? Tick. Black velvet? Tick.  Yes, her figure looks great but just a shame she turned up in such a cookie cutter dress. And black. Again.

Viola Davis in Vera Wang

Plus: shape, colour, detailing. Minus: strangely shiny, weird ruffles, and  am not a fan of that pushed up cleavage. Dated.

Stacy Keibler in Marchesa

Oops, another Marchesa. I heard people mention "she looks like an Oscar statue" - and that's a good thing?! And what's with that flower/flourish thing?

Special mentions:

These three were not very high-profile (think Diane wasn't even on the red carpet) but I just love them.

Diane Kruger in Calvin Klein

Elegant from afar. So sexy close up.

Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab
When I saw her at the very beginning, I thought that was it. We've peaked. Just beautiful.

Kristen Wiig in J. Mendel
The naked dress gone classy.

Secondhand - sorry - Vintage Oscars

Ok, so I am not invited in the sense that I actually will be going there. Instead I shall make do with watching the red carpet on E! and catching up tomorrow with who has won which award. (A girl has to sleep at some point.) 

But if I was, what would I wear? There has been some very exciting speculation about who will wear what and I think Gemma of Catwalkqueen has got it spot on (at least I'm kind of hoping she has).

I know, the stars have dresses at their disposal that are, again, way ahead in the fashion stakes but let's say I had at my disposal the cast-offs from said stars strutting their stuff on the red carpet last year. I am feeling all girly and pastelly at the moment so my top three would be these:

Cate Blanchet in Givenchy

Funny that this dress received rather mixed reviews last year but it feels so right; all sugary pale pink with a floaty skirt and elaborate embellishment.

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab

Lavender lace, dreamy chiffon, floaty layers - what's not to love?!

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein

Metallics are still going strong and this one is just at the right end of shimmer, not too blingy and such a classic, timeless shape.

Right then: Cate, Mila, Gwyneth - fancy swapping some clothes..?

Who needs an eShop?!

Mere hours after I write about the the soon to come Hoss Intropia eStore, they try to entice me back into their store. And bribe me with Cava. Hmmm.

I am loving the pretty, dusky tones...

No! I still want the eShop - so get on with it!

Guava

Don't ask.

Finally coming to a browser near you...

A couple of years ago I came across some stunning shots in a German magazine.

Think 1940's inspired dresses, figure hugging cuts, gorgeous prints. There were  couple of dresses that immediately landed in my "cut out and keep" pile.

A few weeks later, when I actually had the time to go through said cut outs, I noticed that in the past months I had collected about five images from a label called Hoss Intropia. They were mostly dresses, distinctly elegant yet a little quirky.

An online search lead me to a very nicely done homepage and I learned that the brand had been going since 1994. Their quote
  

At Hoss Intropia we believe that the main role of fashion 

is to help every woman be herself.

spoke to me in particular.

---Yes, I love fashion and I also do think of it as art but I also believe that there is a distinct difference between what I see on the catwalk or something that I might wear for fun on a particularly brave day,  and what I need in my wardrobe for day to day feelgood dressing. And that means feeling like I'm wearing "my" clothes and not somebody else's.---

However, the site also revealed no stockist nearby, only three stores in London (Regent Street, Sloane Square and Covent Garden) and no online store.

No major results on Ebay. Some last season lines on yoox. Nothing in Germany either. Sigh.

My next trip to London featured a specifically planned Hoss Intropia visit.  Literally within two steps into the shop, I spotted a dress - and fell in love:

Needless to say, I didn't leave the store without it.

I think it is from the SS11 range and I still love it as much as when I bought it. Possibly even more as it has perked up many gloomy days for me.

Anyway, I have since purchased a couple more items - alas all during trips to that London.

The reason why I am writing now is that, during my last trip to the Regent Street's store, I overheard staff talking about their new online store. And now Hoss Intropia have officially announced the imminent launch of said eShop. How exciting is that?! (If you sign up now, you can even win a £1000 shopping spree! - needless to say, I've done that.)

I can't wait - and if you can't either, here is a little taster...

Butterfly?

What if my blogvirgin blog could just go into a tiny little cocoon and emerge a little time later as a pretty... new and different blog?

So I have been thinking for a (long) while that it's time to say goodbye to this blog. My personal ramblings, entertaining as they might be at times, don't give me enough of a reason to write regularly enough. After all - how often do you write about "stuff"? I've been meaning to set up a slightly more directional blog about fashion/style/nice stuff I like (oh, we are getting so much more directional, right?!) so I will be doing this very shortly. To anybody who stumbles across Blogvirgin and would like to continue to read, I will post a link to my new blog soon, and who knows, I might even be back on here at some point...

Quickie

Well, just a a quick one anyway to say that I am still alive.

I know, I haven't written since - what - February but there have been longer gaps before! What do you complain - nobody ever reads this anyway!

The funny thing is though that not too many entries ago I wrote about "new job" and all that and yet again the biggest news would be that I have got a new job!

I have finally managed to get myself a paid activity that is fashion related! All pretty exciting stuff, even if it is neither Vogue nor some high-end designer and more catering for the masses. Lots of stuff happening though with a UK brand being launched into Germany and me being able to stand in the eye of the storm - so to speak. Bit more turbulence maybe though...

The fact that winter is well on its way also means that I am dusting off my knitting needles & Co and starting to be a bit creative.

The latter could probably also be said for me having bought a pair of those wet-look leggings that are everywhere. I have yet to actually wear them outside the house though but the day will come - hopefully before they are hopelessly dated.

Right, no major red thread this time, just a very quick update.

And as always the feeble promise to write more soon...

Knitting is fab!

You got to be kidding me?!

Yep, I am knitting... again. I did pick up the needles about a year ago and got bored after a while but I am now very excited to be creating things again.

I do feel that I need some sort of creative outlet and as I am woefully bad at drawing, painting, sewing, pottery (pretty much anything that would allow me to be creative) I turned to something that allows me to create in a very structured way.

I am learning to read the instructions (they call them patterns!), do different stitches and teaching myself at the art of self-control and wool management. (Made that last one up - but that should be a recognized skill - can I put it on my CV?)

I am also enjoying building myself a little library of knitting books, although I am trying very hard not to spend too much money on my new/old hobby.

The newly found motivation is probably partially down to the fact that my best friend had two babies a little while ago and it is so great to actually have someone to knit for. Especially when the people receiving the fruits of my labour are so tiny that knitting an entire outfit only takes a few hours.

I solemnly declare that I shall stay true to my stylish roots (ha!) and not knit any tat. All items will be tasteful, nice to look at and any person will have the right to refuse accepting them on grounds of personal taste.

Actually strike that last sentence - I shall be terribly offended if anyone says "thanks - but no thanks"!

Anyway, I am still in work but about to leave (will probably be told off for not coming home sooner and spending time on here but I just remembered that my Blog might just about still exist - pictures of completed projects might follow...) and looking forward to a quiet evening.

And some knitting...

Guilty Pleasures

Shoes

Clothes

Food that's bad for you

America's Next Top Model

All a bit crap, isn't it?
Nothing that's really embarrassing.

Well, maybe there is one... Really dodgy music.

Anyone who meets me for the first time and thinks that there is evidence of some good taste will inevitably be disappointed as soon as the subject of music comes up. Any credibility well and truly goes out out of the window the minute I admit to liking not only bubble gum pop (which seems to be quite acceptable these days) but also awful 80s/90s stuff. Such as When The Rain Begins to Fall by Jermaine Jackson & Pia Zadora.



Do I need to say more?

How rubbish am I?!

No, don't answer that.

I have promised - vowed in fact - to write more regularly. And I have completely broken that promise. Yet again.

It's not like I have nothing to write about:

I've got a new job.

I went home to see my "little" brother get married and attended the lovely multi-cutural wedding weekend (he got married to a rather beautiful Argentinian girl, I managed to speak German, English, Italian and bits of Spanish).

My mood has been changing from pretty much blissfully "skipping through summer meadows" happy to "I want to hide under my duvet all day" blue.

And I bought a number of rather nice shoes.


So why haven't I written?

Maybe it's because I am so busy, chasing from one social engagement to the next (not true).
Maybe it's because I am sharing my PC with two other people and it's in the kitchen where I just can't get comfortable enough to write down my thoughts (partially true).
Maybe it's because I think that I don't only want to write about rubbish and thinking too much about serious stuff means that I will think too much (pretty much true).
Or maybe it's because the stuff I would like to mention on here is too private and I would not only share my own but other people's lives who might not want that (definitely true).

I am sure I have pondered over this issue before.

One day I will stop writing about writing and just write instead.

Another promise...

Happy Birthday!

Yes, today it is exactly one year ago that I started my blog!



How exciting!

And how sad that I find this exciting...

BTW: The little doggie is supposed to run (which it does if you open it in a new window) but doesn't. So should anyone read this who knows about blogs, html and all that stuff, please tell me why he stands still!

Freeezing!

It's May. In fact - it's nearly June.

And I am cold.

Near the point of digging my winter coat back out. How ridiculous is this weather?! 13°C?, rain and wind?

And there I was writing about a heatwave a couple of weeks ago...

Needless to say that the particular portion of good mood that is associated with nice weather has been used up.

Sleepless

So what do you do if you can't sleep because you have 1,000,000 thoughts running through your head? I used to write in my diary and for some reason that always helped me.

Not really that surprising, since it obviously makes you sort thoughts, literally spells out in front of you whatever was chasing around in your mind, in some kind of immaterial, elusive and rather foggy manner before. Thoughts become facts - or at least theories then.

The question is: Do I really want to do this? Or at least - do I want to do it now? What can of worms will it open I might not be able to cope with at the moment? And is it really that big of a deal? Maybe I am just hormonal (I heard women do get that sometimes), maybe I am nostalgic, emotional or just plain stupid and tomorrow I'll think "whatever was all that about?!"

So if I write it down now, then it might become more than it actually is and I might create a problem and obsess about it (apparantly something else, women are pretty good at) for no reason whatsoever.

So maybe I'll just get a cup of coco and surf the 'net for a while and restrict my thoughts to the ones that fit on the back of a stamp.

And stop obsessing about trying not to obsess about stuff.

Summertime...

It seems like it's finally here. Today we had about over 20°C (actually, according to the BBC it was 25°C!) and I walked outside without a cardigan or a jacket! Most people will think that this is hardly anything worth blogging about but everyone who knows me will agree that this is a rather rare occurence as I am always cold.

Anyway, the sun was shining and although it was very windy, it was very warm. I had forgotten how much weather like this improves my mood. I had the window wound down all the way, sang along to Fleetwood Mac and it didn't even bother me when people cut in front of me. Now that is a real sign about how happy I must have felt!

I know that it is supposed to deteriorate in a couple of days but I am hoping for another nice day tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Lunchtime

Why doesn't Marks & Spencer have sandwich shops somewhere near where I work?

And how is it that Sainsbury's will stop selling a particular sandwich as soon as I start to really like it?

Why can't more places have a bit more choice than cheese & ham, cheese & coleslaw, cheese & cheese, spam & cheese...?

Why do I feel the urge to share this particular issue? I am turning into a grumpy old man.

Ok, woman then...

Secrets? Never!

So how do I know what I can publish on here? I mean, I am only aware of about two people (yeah, that's TWO whole people) reading my blog - maybe one of them even stopped - but I just don't know if someone else might stumble across this and read something that I'd rather they didn't know.

Having added my picture of course doesn't help in keeping this anonymous.

Sitting in a room on my own I may well think that this is a very private experience. Well, it's not. Guess there is a difference between my little lockable diary - yes I had one when I was 12 - and sharing my thoughts online.

So I shall not write about the stuff that's been keeping me awake recently, the dream I had last night or my bank balance. (The latter certainly being the most embarrassing one.) I will not obsess about what I should do about something I am not going to mention, how I should talk to someone I'm not going to name and when I will be going to a place that I am of course not going to be at.

Confused? Yeah...

Heatwave?

According to those clever people at the BBC we are going to get a little heatwave on Thursday. Apparantly we can expect up to 24°C - well, at least London can. Up north we can look forward to about 21°C.

Fine by me.

I'm waiting.

The search endeth here...

Yes, I have found a pair of shoes to go with that lovely dress.

I actually found some shoes a while ago but have (once again) neglected to tell my poor little blog. And I didn't only find one pair of shoes; I found two (more than suitable) candidates.

So here they are...

This pair is from Office and my second choice. I think they are at their best with a black pencil skirt and some other secretary-related paraphernalia (thinking of blouse and bracelet here rather than note pad) but I do believe they look lovely with my dress.





My first choice are actually these babies from TopShop and I think they need no further introduction, especially since I saw them in numerous magazines since I bought them. Coincidence? I think not!




Should anyone wonder whether I always take pictures of my shoes, be it to stick on the front of shoe boxes or to post on here, I'd have to say "no". It just so happened that my usual shopping friend went to a conference and got so bored that he wanted to know what kind of shoes I bought. I know what you're thinking and no, he's not gay.

Anyway, I obliged and contorted myself to get the two shots where I actually wear the shoes. Just goes to show that my life is even more boring than his, since I had nothing better to do. Before I forget, I would also like to point out that I am wearing the sparkly socks for presentation purposes, i.e. the shoes' details became much clearer on my crappy phone camera once I put them on, and not for real.

Although... I think I might just give it a go.

Shoes!

I can't believe I managed to write for so long - even if not that regularly - without even mentioning how obsessed I can get with clothes... shoes... fashion in general basically. I don't think a day goes by without me cooing or squeeking (apparently not a particularly nice sound) over something I see on tv or in one of my 4.000.000 magazines I buy every month. I'm sure some people call me shallow for that, but I'd rather see myself as someone who loves beautiful things - it's all art, really.

Anyway, I now need a fabulous pair of shoes to go with my lovely dress and I have a few favourites. I considered briefly posting the links to those on here but then decided against it because - hah! - what happens if anyone reads this (does anyone read this?) and falls in love with the same pair of heels that I want? And what if they have the same size and snap up the last pair?!
A dilemma best avoided!

However, I have one fab shoe-site, which I am prepared to share: shoewawa. It's a blog-thingie just about shoes and contains such features as Ask Ms Shoewawa, High Street vs Designer and Ugly Shoes.

It's just again one of those things where you got to think "If only I would have thought of that first!"

Well ok, maybe just me then.

Wedding Plans

So my little brother is getting married. Well, he's not really that little anymore, he will be turning 27 in August, but he'll always be my little brother.

It's weird - I don't actually know whether I ever want to get married or not but I always assumed that if I'd get married, I'd do it before my brother. So if I wait until I'm 45 and then decide to get hitched he'll wait until then and get married after me. All a bit daft, huh?

Anyway, it should make my parents happy, because, let's face it, although they haven't really been asking for grandchildren constantly they're bound to expect them pretty soon. My brother and his lovely girlfriend (sorry, fiance) should now be taking care of this. Not that I think it'll happen too soon but certainly sooner than it would happen with me. Scary accidents excluded.

Anyway, I went into town last weekend with a friend and thought I'd have a look for an appropriately stylish wedding outfit.

(See, how I manage to turn a conversation that could so easily become serious and not superficial into something shallow and bla! You could say it's a gift.)

I expected him to lose the will to live after the first girly shop but he proved quite useful when he (!) picked out a rather nice dress.
Karen Millen.
I tried it on.
It fitted.
I liked it.
He confirmed the fact that it fitted and that it was nice.
I bought it.
...And a jacket.

Bad girl!

Although I had been moving away slightly from the 100% TopShop look and veered more towards River Island and the odd designer piece, I hadn't quite put myself into the Karen Millen box yet since I always thought of this label as "very nice, but very grown up" - which I'm not.

And when I paid for the dress it kinda dawned on me that either I was more grown-up than I thought I was or that Karen Millen had suddenly turned hip.

I choose to go with the second option.
But the jury is still out on whether I am ever seriously gonna try to wear leggings (or rather footless tights) and a mini skirt.

We will have to see...

In lieu of actually writing something interesting myself...

Louis XIV Music Video Codes

Playing: Louis XIV - Pledge of Allegiance
Myspace Layouts Music Video Codes

I kinday like this one, probably because it reminds me so much of being 16 or 18 and not having much else to do but hang around, listen to music and eat lots of sweets.