LFW SS12: 5 sides of Si

So I thought I'd share my rather schizophrenic SS12 LFW wardrobe with you. Because I'm a control-freak stress-head and LFW is always crazy busy, I try to pre-plan my outfits in the days before. As the saying goes, 'the best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry', and as so much of how I dress is to do with how I'm feeling, it's hardly surprising that by day 2 I'm basically dressing off-schedule (in the case of Day 2 this season so off-schedule that I'm slightly embarrassed to show you what I concocted)!

As usual all feedback welcome!

Si x

Day 1: My 'easy breazy let a pretty dress do the talking' look

Dress: Zara

Jacket: Zara

Shoes: Dune

Belt: Karen Millen

Day 2: My 'last minute for one day only Liz Taylor in a Kaftan meets provincial art teacher' look

Kaftan: H&M

Slip: M&S

Shirt: Vintage

Bag: Love Moschino

Wedges: Office

Day 3: My 'Little Miss Prim wannabe-Moschino' look

Dress: Zara

Jumper: Toi et Moi

Belt: My sisters

Shoes: KG Kurt Geiger

Bag: Love Moschino

Earrings: Dannijo

Day 4: My 'playful twist on the classic jeans and a shirt' look

Jeans: J Brand

Shirt: Vintage from Italy

Belt: Charity shop find

Jacket: Charity shop find

Boots: Kurt Geiger

Sunglasses: Ermanno Scervino

Bag: Love Moschino

Day 5: My 'fashion can be fun/ I'm knackered/ fuck heels' look

Dress: Zara

Belt: Vintage Jaeger

Socks: American apparel

Trainers: Nike

Confessions of a former cycling shorts connoisseur

After weeks of mercilessly slagging cycling shorts and their wearers off, I’m……well……let’s just say considering a change of heart and mind. You see, truth be known in my younger years I was a rather fervent cycling shorts wearer. From neon lycra to grey cotton; on their own or under skirts and denim shorts – I wore my vast collection of cycling shorts frequently and with pride. Then I got older, grew some hips…oh, and the ‘90’s ended, and with the rest of the civilised world my cycling shorts were sent to the back of my cupboard of fashion regrets and shame.

However this weekend after not one, but two positive encounters with cycling shorts (see images below), and one rather frustrating encounter with a vest (too short as dress, but too long/ loose to wear with denim shorts or a skirt) I’m seriously considering rehabilitating them.


Random girl
On Friday night, inbetween drowning sorrows in vodka, and stalking Anne Hathaway, I spotted this girl – my first real life cycling shorts sighting. I liked.

My friend Zoe
Then on Saturday night my good friend Zoe text me to say she was wearing a pair! I obvs insisted on a pic, and her boyf promptly whizzed this over. Good work Zo – top fash points I say! Also like her reasoning - surely cycling shorts are just summer leggings? Good point well made, no?


Inspiration (aka. Totally out of my crappy budget!)

Louis Vuitton
Yes, I know I slated these/ the image of me in them the other day, but hell to it – I want them, I’d rock them, and what’s more I’d get a massive blonde afro to match, so there!

Chanel
What can you say, I mean Karl has even managed to make cycling shorts look chic and stylish – nothing compares….


Options (more in my current budget - sob wail)

ToSho
Comfortable, practical, and simple; I’m thinking these might be a good first step back on the cycling short ladder…..or are they just a really boring cop-out?

Costume Dept, ASOS
So you have to imagine that you’ll only really be seeing the bottoms of them….obviously no crouch exposure in these (as it would be full exposure, and I’m not crazy/ stupid/ Britters)….


Friends, family, strangers and people who clicked onto the blog by mistake - all help/ opinions/ advice kindly received…..Danke xxx

They give me fever…

So, the sales have started. I usually avoid the sales like a 10 year school reunion, but in the name of friendship I made the mistake of hitting Oxford Street yesterday, and believe me – you don’t want anything that much. Now, sales I can’t stand – sample sales on the other hand I can’t resist. Designer clothes at high-street-ish prices – count me and my check book in! Sadly they don’t love me back, so I’ve developed 5 rules by which to buy by…I hope they help you as much as one day I hope they’ll help me too….


1. Never invite someone the same size as you. It’ll only end in tears. This is the perfect opportunity to wheel out your fat friend – not only will you not fight over the same pieces, but you can use her as a buffer against all those sharpened elbows – perfect!

2. Get there early. True aficionado’s get there days before (well, hours and hours at least). Fashionista’s have been known to arrive at Claridges for the much prized Chanel sample sale (invitation only FYI) grasping their skinny caps at dawn.

3. Never make friends in the queue/ at the rails. You’re about to enter into battle with these women – stay focused, everyone’s a potential enemy.

4. Never take a straight man along – they can’t handle it. Fact.

5. Don’t buy anything you wouldn’t pay full price for, or which you’re seeing for the first time. Not convinced? Think you know better? Well, for your sake here’s a list of pointless, unfit for purpose and quite frankly ridiculous things I’ve brought at sample sales this year….5 pairs of Louboutin shoes (was very nearly double that, so thank you Stephi for your wise words, “babes, if they’re too big/small/high, then you probably won’t wear them will you…”); one pen-marked Liberty of London bag (I did get an extra £20 off, but it’s not the point really is it); a Maison Martin Margiela cardigan. It’s black mesh and has no back. It’s pointless, impossible to wear, and still cost triple digits; a grey patent Chloé Heloise bag. It’s the heaviest bag in the world. I can hardly lift it when it’s empty, so by the time I’ve laden it with my daily essentials I need a crane to move it; a pair of brown Jonathan Kelsey shoes. They’re brown…when do I ever wear brown? I’ll tell you – never!

Now, maths isn’t my strong point, but for the purpose of this cautionary tale I’ve made a few calculations, and estimate that this little lot cost me about….well actually I can’t even bare to type it (not least because my parents are probably reading this). Let’s just say thinking about it in the cold light of day I may have preferred two weeks in the Maldives after all….