Wednesday, June 26, 2013

oh my shoes: fendi shoe boot........




It's quite possible that everything I write down here under this picture is completely superfluous. You don't need me to wax lyrical about all the geometric, modern yet with a distinctly eighties vibe, incredible gorgeousness of this Fendi shoe boot.

Or do you?

I happened across the sister to this here stunner a little while back and while stalking Far Fetch, my newest online shopping obsession, just the other day I found this and all thoughts of the sister vanished immediately.

Imagine the possibilities if this shoe were hanging around my wardrobe. Imagine how awesome everything I ever thought to wear would look with this chunk of shoe porn swinging off my feet. Oh just imagine.

Imagine, as I will be, as even at thirty percent off the eight hundy price tag is just a little outside the realm of possibility in my world, at the moment anyway. Perhaps one day Fendi shoe boot and I will meet again in more prosperous times and we'll become the best of friends. It's destiny surely.

xx


Monday, June 24, 2013

style me sportsgirl.......

The first thing I notice when I walk into the Sportsgirl Style Me Studio at the Bourke St Mall store is the brilliant turquoise walls. Ok that was the second thing, the first was the rack of delicious treats lined up for me by my personal stylist for the morning, Jordana. After I dragged my eyes off the threads I did notice the turquoise though, along with the big comfy looking couch/day bed, the jewel encrusted skull hanging over the fireplace and the extra big changing room.

I haven’t had anyone pick out my clothes for me for nearly twenty years. Over the formative years of my teenage life, my fashion identity revealed itself to be slightly bi-polar, I think it still is a little. Call it trial and error, call it experimentation, either way what I like and what I wear is a mash up of a whole bunch of experiences and influences and inspirations, all of which was, and still is, impacted by my geographic location and bank balance.

My organic approach to style means that I’d never considered roping in a personal stylist. Despite my proclivity to chop and change I figured I had a pretty good handle on me and what works on me. But when I happened across the Sportsgirl Style Me Studio sessions a few weeks ago I figured why the hell not. It’s always good to get a second opinion right??

So back to the rack of delicious threads. After filling out a quick email questionnaire a few days before my appointment, Jordana has compiled a great mix of pieces, most of which would slot right into my wardrobe a little too easily. She must by psychic.

We start with a quick run through of the looks Jordana has pulled together and then it’s straight into that glorious changing room and off with my kit! And back on with some killer gear of course.






Gear like that AH-Mazing beaded Balmain-esque jacket, what a stunner. It may or may not be making it's way to my wardrobe. Who am I kidding, it definitely is.

There's no pushy sales tactics, no pressure to buy buy buy. I feel like I'm hanging out with a mate trying on clothes and chatting away. Of course my 'mate' just happens to be a stylist.

A stylist who is as open to suggestions as she is full of great ideas. When I don't feel something is working for me, Jordana is quick to swap it out for something else and darts out into the store a couple of times to grab the pieces we both decide are missing.

The beauty of these sessions is that your stylist doesn't know you so their choices are free of any historic influence. Plus the privacy means you can be comfortable trying things on that you would normally saunter right on by, hello leggings!, having already deemed them outside your style or look. 

I came away from the session with some great threads, naturally, but also with some new thoughts on my own style and some new ideas that I can totally rock. Thanks to my amazing stylist Jordana of course!

xx

Sportsgirl runs Style Me Studio's at the following stores:

Bourke St, Melbourne City
stylemebourkest@sportsgirl.com.au

Chadstone, Melbourne
stylemechadstone@sportsgirl.com.au

Pitt St, Sydney
stylemepittst@sportsgirl.com.au

Monday, June 17, 2013

it was my birthday.........

And I’ll cry* about my own mortality if I want to. Pun definitely intended.

A few days ago I celebrated my twenty seventh birthday. Same day as Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, actually same year too. And no I don’t think that means we have a ‘special’ connection, I share the day with my Uncle too and probably a million other people, that’s just a few too many special connections for my liking.

Anyway I digress, I’m now twenty seven. Still feels weird to say/write that.

Now I’ve heard all the ‘age is but a number’ bullshit before. But last night as I lay in bed, I felt this real sense of my own mortality. And not in some morbid horrible way, just this seemingly ridiculous realisation that time does indeed tick away and we actually do get older regardless of what we might feel inside. As if I didn’t know that happened before, obviously I did, but it seemed to really smack me in the face last night.

Three years until thirty, thirteen until forty, twenty three until fifty. I was literally thinking those exact thoughts. The thing is I’m not afraid of getting older, I’ve said it before that I’m actually looking forward to it. It’s not even about the number, it’s about the time.

At twenty seven I’ve been kicking around on Earth for nearly ten thousand days, that’s over two hundred and thirty thousand hours, a shitload of minutes and way to many seconds to think about.

I wear a digital watch, because I’m cool like that, and a few days ago I was looking down at it watching some of those seconds flick over and it was such a strange feeling. The time was slipping away as I stood there. Perhaps slipping is a bad choice of word. Passing, flitting, lapsing, fading, expiring. Ok they all suck, except maybe flitting.

It’s an odd feeling to ponder your own mortality, to think about ageing and consider what you’ll be like at those milestone ages, or even just, you know, next month. And what slipped hand in hand with my thoughts on my own mortality was an overwhelming sense of how big my to do list was. I’m not talking about everyday things I have to do, I’m talking about the big picture lifelong goals and dreams I have.

Suddenly I felt, still feeling that a little, overwhelmed by all the things I want to do and see and accomplish. It’s a feeling of my own doing, if I didn’t build castles in the sky, if I didn’t dream big and sets my sights enormously high I wouldn’t be overwhelmed. But I also wouldn’t be me.

Perhaps these thoughts, these moments of contemplation are a sign that I’m growing up, that at twenty seven I’m reaching a point in my life where real adulthood actually starts. Not the kind associated with working and studying and voting and being legally allowed to drink and driving and getting yourself a mortgage and moving out and travelling the world.

I’m talking about the real adulthood that occurs when you can think about your own mortality and be overwhelmed by what you want from life in a constructive and meaningful way, and not just cry about that shit.

I’m not sure what the point of this post was, or if it even needs one, just had these thoughts and wanted to share.

xx

*no crying actually occurred in the making of this post.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

how i'd wear: white chunky heel......

After featuring these white Wittner babes in last weeks Currently Crushing they kept popping into my mind in a few different ensembles so I figured that meant they were destined for a little How I'd Wear action. 

Frankly I've never been a huge fan of white shoes, if a bride wasn't wearing them I always found them cheap and nasty, wow that really sounds harsh! But somehow over the past few months they seem to have crept into my good books and I now find myself a huge fan. Ahh the fickle nature of fashion, it's why we keep coming back, just never know what she's going to throw at us next.

This particular white babe, who goes by the name Ralex, is ticking quite a few boxes making her so hot right now. Chunky heel, yep and at a comfortable 8.5cm too, check. Single sole, see the revolt against platforms, check. Those ever so perfectly placed straps in a creamy white finish, check. Oh and did I mention the velcro strap, no? Well if you weren't sold before surely you are now!

Anyway enough of this chat, I put my Stylist hat on and this is what I came up with.


I'm calling this look Grunge meets South of France Beach, that makes sense right? Yellow stretch crepe flared pants with gold jewellery and a denim shirt, because how can I do anything without a denim shirt?  


Skirts over dresses, it's layering at it's best. Even better when you pair a paisley-esque printed shift with a bright tube skirt. Topshop believes this skirt is red, I say orange, either way it works. The linen blazer keeps things cool, literally. Added that Acne clutch again, because I'm just a little obsessed with it.



/ Sunglasses: Quay Eyewear / Cuff: Edie Borgo /

And now for my favourite. Stamp print high waisted shorts and a Balmain leather bustier, now that is a winning combination. It's an easy way for those stomach conscious ones among us to rock the crop top look, of course eye catching print on the bottom is not absolutely necessery but comes highly reccomended.

Thoughts??

xx

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

thoughts on marant x h&m......

Another announcement today, another collaboration. Isabel Marant for H&M. Marant joins a long line of collaborators with the Swedish giant including blogger Elin Kling, Versace, Stella McCartney, Maison Martin Margiela, Marni and of course Anna Della Russo, who could forget Fashion Shower?

I'm always intrigued by these collaborations, not least because they appear to sell out quickly but because they are often the subject of some pretty obsessive behaviour. Lines stretching down the block, sleepovers at the front of stores, buying pieces are ridiculously inflated prices on ebay etc.
All behaviour I completely understand. If you're a Margiela fan but your budget just don't stretch that far a collaboration with your local high street chain and the designer is like the perfect salve to your fashion related itch.

I wonder if there lies the allure for big name designers, a way to reach existing fans at a lower price point without actually releasing a cheaper range yourself. Though more and more designers appear to be catching onto the diffusion line idea.

Another plus of course is finding yourself a whole new fan base, as unlikely as it seems that there would be anyone anywhere that doesn't know who Marant is. Just checked, my Mum doesn't, it's ok she does now.

Regardless I'm looking forward to seeing what this latest collaboration brings. November 14th is the day to pencil in your diary. Haven't heard if the collection will be released down under, so Aussie Marant fans you might need to spring for a plane ticket too.

xx

Sunday, June 02, 2013

thoughts on espadrilles.........

the kirby bee thoughts on espadrilles chanel

Everyone is talking about espadrilles, particularly those with that very famous double C, and I feel like it’s 1998 again and I’m the only kid without a Tamagotchi. Except this time I don’t think I want a Tamagotchi.

If it’s not clear to you by now, I’m a shoe girl. Frankly how that could be any less then crystal is a little worrying, but I digress. I’m into shoes, but I’m just not into espadrilles. I’m cowering slightly as I write that, waiting for this monumental whiplash of words from all that is fashion. But they’re so chic, so on trend, so with it right now, Chanel has them so Karl has obviously given them the seal of approval, imagine all that said in a whiny voice and you’re hearing what I’m hearing.

I just can’t get on board. And worse, I can even give you a specific reason why.

I’ve been wondering about my lack of desire since they first started popping up all over that true barometer of fashion, Streetstyle. And all I can come up with is a couple of maybes.

Maybe it’s the fact that they are so ubiquitous right now, everyone has them in some form or another. But then that saturation of trend hasn’t stopped me buying nearly ever conceivable style of clothing in camo print. So maybe it’s not that.

Maybe it’s the connotations of beachy holidays and sand and ocean and surf and all those things that just aren’t me. That’s probably going to get my Australian citizenship revoked. It’s not that I really dislike the beach, there’s just a handful, or two, other places I’d rather be. Unless it’s a cold and wintery day, then the beach is pretty rad.

the kirby bee thoughts on espadrilles chanel

It’s possibly a combination of these or even none of these at all. Perhaps I had a bad experience with an espadrille as a child, and my brain in all it’s glory has blocked said painful experience from memory. Possibly even a combined beach/espadrille thing and that’s why I can’t get on board the beachy wagon either.

Oh the possibilities.

Whatever my reason, it’s safe to say my apparent disinterest surely won’t be harming this 4000 year old shoe. Of course I reserve the right to completely change my mind at the drop of a espadrille, with absolutely no reason what so ever, such is my prerogative of course!

What are your thoughts on the espadrille, good, bad or ugly?

xx

Pics: Song of Style/Lovely By Lucy