If money were no object…

I am already bored of hearing about how I could buy some stuff super-cheap and want to indulge in some old-fashioned fantasy shopping. This collection is what I would buy if I had, say, a £3000 Net-a-Porter gift voucher and wanted to buy things that were supremely comfortable to get as much joy from my purchases as possible, as opposed to an Alexander McQueen corset dress.

I am a convert to the harem pants cause – several bloggers have shown how they can be worn in a directional rather than sloppy, way. This jumper from Adam (which I’d never heard of before) is absolutely beautiful. It’s a sort of cloudy blue lace layered thing which I can see myself wearing for infinity. I chose a peachy-coloured linen top to go underneath for colour layering, a severe-looking Chloe handbag for putting books and papers in (I wouldn’t dare put Look magazine in there, it would spit it out) and low-heeled cloudy blue sandals to make it look less like my pyjamas.

S

Balmain gets spikier

Recent Balmain

 I loved the Balmain collection for Spring/Summer, partly because it was silly and fun instead of being all about “ladylike chic” or urban sportswear (my fashion arch-nemesis as I am not sporty or 5 foot ten) and partly because they made the models look so hot. Sometimes clothes should just make you look hot. The new stuff that just showed in Paris looks equally cool, glitzy and model-enhancing.  According to gossipy blogs like Fabsugar and Fashionologie (the best blog if you are interested in the business side of the fashion industry), there were issues on the front row and the catwalk as huge shoulders tussled for space and pinged off each other, with models having to edge around each other on their way up and down. AMAZING. Imagine commuting in these clothes.

The new season collection actually looks flattering – fluid, sequinned trousers, a drapey jersey top and a super-structured jacket. Obviously it’s not going to be easy to come by items this beautiful on the high street but it’s a look that can be approximated on the cheap and I bet Topshop comes up with a decent copy of those shoulders. Now I have to decide if I want to spend my hard-earned cash on ripped stonewash jeans or sequinned harem pants.

One more thing – doesn’t this  model (Raquel Zimmerman) have a sexy swing in her step?

S

New shiny Balmain

Pale & Interesting – The Oscars

As far as I could see, there were three main themes at this year’s Oscars dresses (they should have their own dedicated event):

1) Pale and interesting – Jessica Biel, Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei, amongst others, all rocked this look. I’ve heard a lot about soft coral salmon type pastels making their way back into our lives but I’ve managed to ignore them so far but this might be about to change. The problem is that those colours look amazing on a couture Dior gown but less so on a Benetton jumper.

Penelope Cruz in vintage Balmain

Jessica Biel in Prada

Marisa Tomei in Atelier Versace - my favourite of the night

2) Strapless – almost every dress was strapless. I love a good strapless and I think this ties into a wider theme of celebs wearing clothes that are less obviously flashy- it is no longer ok to flash your cash, so even though a bodiced dress is probably more expensive than a bejewelled one, it still makes more sense to go for the classic, subtle look. I love a bit of flashiness but I enjoyed the old school glamour of it the subtle this time.

Natalie Portman in Rodarte

Halle Berry in Marchesa

3) Recessionista/Boring – this was best seen on Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt. I guess they go to these things all the time but that’s more the pity for us poor souls who like to look at their clothes afterwards. They weren’t the only perpetrators of boring*; I didn’t even like Kate Winslet’s outfit – controversial, as I’m damn glad she finally won that Oscar, but still not digging the outfit.

Angelina Jolie in Elie Saab & Brad Pitt in Tom Ford

Kate Winslet in YSL by Stefano Pilati

* It is a given that I wish I looked like any of the above, despite whatever I say about one of their outfits.

All photos courtesy of style.com

A

I want to be a Chloe girl…

…but I will probably look more like a budget Balmain girl this year. The theme of the designer recently seems to be expensive, knowing bad taste, with the red leopard-print of last season and now faded, ripped, 80s-style jeans. I have now discovered I have a secret place in my heart for such jeans. I like them really skinny with the slight rock-and-roll edge that a bit of well-executed hacking can give. I’ll probably go for dark grey denim rather than faded as those remind me of Tammy jeans with broken knees and butterfly applique on the back, and no amount of designer appropriation could make one love jeans that only work on Mariah Carey.

Spring 09

I also feel that there needs to be a limited amount of flesh on show. I never liked it at school when people had jeans that revealed their whole knees. There are better parts of the body to view; who, when asked, ever says their knees are their favourite body part? Along with my wish to be a Chloe girl, or at least a bit French-looking, I would also like to look more lady-like and less art student. I think the answer is, as Balmain show on this very pretty model, a soft silk vest, maybe a tailored blazer, studded sandals (I have these, now bring on Spring) and that lovely light, flippy hair that looks like it takes no effort and therefore probably takes hours to perfect.

S

Photo courtesy Style.com.