I just got back from a long weekend in Barcelona, and while wandering around the many boutiques of the Gracia/Fontana neighbourhood, I saw this quirky sweater:
Photo courtesy of sheinside.com
Unfortunately they didn’t have it in my size, but I love the concept! This would be perfect for a laid back Halloween costume, paired with black skinny jeans, buckled boots and hoop earrings.
It’s the weekend! And what better way to celebrate than with a new piece of clothing. I picked up this Pinko knit yesterday from my favourite vintage store in Dublin, siopaella. I first spotted it on their Facebook Page and immediately fell in love!
I’m not usualy one for bright colours, let alone neon, but I think the combination of the geometric shapes, the beaded collar, and the neon/neutral colour scheme really hooked me in.
No jewellery required! I love the embellished finishing, and the shape of the neckline is very flattering to my collarbone, I think.
With such a statement piece, hair and makeup can stay nice and simple. A flick of mascara and some lipgloss, teamed with bedhead hair, and I’m all set!
There are hook and eye fastenings all the way up, so it can be worn as a closed top, or more like a cardigan, cinched in the waist with a skinny belt.
Pairing it with a simple LBD and black pumps really makes the colour pop, don’t you think?
To work: Printed headscarf, off-the-shoulder knit, tiny gold chains, and a head full of bouncy curls. These curls were done with rags - it’s the only way my hair will curl and stay curly! So old skool but I love it. I should do it more often!
the irish weather is starting to get crisper, which makes me very happy. here’s a basic overview of my cold weather staples this year (apologies for the poor quality of these photos - i’ll share some real outfit posts soon!)
key pieces: faux leather trousers, oversized plaid shirt, asymmetrical sheer skirt
knitwear: chunky knit box sweater, men’s cardigan, sweater dress
last time i visited san francisco, i went shopping with a friend. she was so excited to take me to her favourite store, anthropologie. unfortunately by the time we got there it was closed, but a couple of days later i went in on my own and found it so beautiful. it reminded me of avoca in dublin; a mix of clothes and homewares, with a quirky rustic/ethnic twist to it.
this time, i decided to go back and take another look during fall. oh, my, god i almost bought the whole store. i loved the experience of the changing rooms. in fact, the union square branch of anthropologie actually has changing rooms - they were huge!
maybe it’s because it was fall (ok, winter, but whatever), maybe it’s because i’m trying to get more colour in my wardrobe, but i got drawn to olives and mustards. the clothes here are so comfortable and stylish at the same time, and i’m sure they’re very reasonable pri— WOAH. seventy dollars for a slouchy sweater, that’s pretty excessive. i decided to limit myself to one item.
i loved this. i’m getting more and more into slouchy stuff as of late and this is so comfortable. a little too slouchy, though; the thing was nearly falling off my body. i think this was something like $55.
generally i don’t like button down shirts that don’t button all the way down. i find them lazy and annoying. but this felt so nice (silk mix, maybe?) and had some really cute details like this pleating on the shoulders. but again, not worth the price ($70-odd)
and now, the pièce de résistance. as part of a special fashion project i’m working on (more about that soon), i’ve been looking for a mustard sweater. i saw this on one of the mannequins in the store and had to have it. but then when it came to actually putting it on… wtf? this is what it looks like laid out flat:
yes. this is a sweater. let me explain how this works. there are four holes, just like any normal sweater, but they are all different shapes and sizes. the top left hole is an arm hole; it fits tightly. the bottom left hole is for your body, and it’s slouchy but snug at the same time. the top right hole is very discreet but i promise you it’s there, and is for your head. the bottom left hole is for your other arm, and it’s slouchy.
after i put this thing on, i was convinced i had it on backwards, or that it was twisted, or that it was actually a factory reject. but after a little while i realised that it’s actually an incredible piece of textile engineering. there are a hundred different ways of wearing this (perhaps not literally, but certainly a few).
batwing, off-the-shoulder:
straight up, set off with a belt:
in the end, this piece was the winner. i convinced myself that $88 was nothing for a piece of unique fashion architecture - and then i got to the cashdesk and was reminded about US tax. you bastards. anyway, i still bought the damn thing and immediately texted my friend, telling her i’d made my first purchase in her favourite store. another convert!
as for my special fashion project, all will be revealed very soon…
this is a blog about style. i prefer the term style because i don't necessarily follow "fashion" or "trends". i appreciate those things, but i prefer to explore real-world style, what people wear in their daily lives (hence the tagline "keepin' it real"), where they shop, but also, from time to time, what's going on in the world of high fashion, and other aspects of fashion design.
i'll also be trying to cover more menswear, as well as hair and makeup, once i learn more about it!
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