Wishing you all a stocking full of style

Just a small(ish) update to act as an apologetic filler for why I haven't been posting recently. The usual excuses aside (exams, formal, graduation, housesitting with no internet, uni choices, christmas, etc), the real reason I haven't been posting lately is because of the lack of inspiration stress and exams bring, rather than a lack of time...I always have time to gab about clothes. 

Soon though (ie. hopefully, ie. if I get around to it...) this will change due to my lovely 'Santa' present I unwrapped this morning, a beautiful, shiny red camera with 'street fashion' written all over it. 

Hopefully i'll soon hit the streets (in the best sense of the word) to capture some of Canberra's underrated style, and maybe, just maybe apply to CSN to be a contributor if I can manage the zoom button.

Have a lovely (wet) Christmas and a fab New Year and hopefully tutblog will be up and running again in no time!

B. 

Paris, je'taime!

My dad recently informed me during a recent discussion of Woody Allen that he had read somewhere that apparently 'Manhattan' is the best movie about New York. He also said that the same article cited 'Amelie' as the best movie about Paris. While I have seen Amelie and appreciate the quirky characters and humour I must argue that, while there are some terribly sweet shots of Amelie and her beau careering down the cobblestone lane-ways of Monmartre on a Vespa at the end of the film, I believe that the movie one must see in order to ache for Paris is Paris, je-taime. 

So why am I on a rant about films? Because, dear reader, it is a film about Paris. And where am I hoping to live for a month or so next year...? This (blind) hope comes from an (unhealthy) obsession with the city of love that was born when I visited in 2007. 

So now, on the proverbial eve of my Gap Year between college and University, I set my eyes on the horizon and virtually all I can think about is how fantastically amazingly fabulous it would be to actually call Paris home, if only for a month. So where does hoping lead? To planning. And where does planning lead? To Alannah Hill of course, to search for essentially Parisian accessories. 

If you know anything about Gallic culture, or more directly, Parisian women, you will know that they dress sickeningly well, and while they find excess distasteful (finally!) to fit in in Paris, it seems, one must have a full wardrobe of black Prada. 

While my anorexic wallet faints at the idea of purchasing said wardrobe just for a month there are a few little luxuries that I would love to buy just to wear in Paris. Here they are below in a truly lustful list:

• Alannah Hill overnight bag

While I am aware that this is supposed to be an overnight bag, I think it would be perfect for a carry on bag: pop a pair of fluffy slippers and pressure socks into the bottom compartment and swap them with your heels at take off!

 (Source: http://ishandchi.blogspot.com/)

• Dior Compact

For touch ups on the Metro

• Red Suede Pumps

Since I am a black clothes lover, I will try to get my hands on some fab statement shoes to make it known that I am not a rent-a-crowd for funerals. 

• Alannah Hill felt fascinator.

While I love, Love, LOVE outrageous fascinators, this one is nice and subtle. 

• Prada Sunglasses

While I will try to get the real thing....no promises.

x Beatrice

Leggings as Jeans - Worse than Crack

Dear Friend,

You're the sluttiest girl at school, you're the toast of the year below me, you're the girl who sits opposite me on the bus, you're the secret virgin, you're the big-and-proud-of-it girl, you're the gym freak-ette who's bum looks like two oranges wrestling in a sock, you're the rich girl with no fashion sense and the trend whore with the air-freight Vogue tucked under one arm. You are every girl. Well, every girl that wears leggings as pants, anyway.

It seems to me that you have not grasped the concept of pants yet. Oh I know! It's so in right now, so chic, so fashionable, everyone's wearing them- STOP! No, No, No, NO! Period.

Leggings are not pants, and they never will be. Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Beatrice, your friendly neighborhood watchdog.

Okay, a little dramatic but no, it's not okay. Whether you are a 6, 16 or 26 leggings as pants (no matter how svelte you legs or how cool the leggings are) are not OK.

They look silly. Silly and sheep-like and cheap. There are billions of cool legging designs out there are yes, Agy does look smashing in them but wearing leggings as pants with any sort of very short dress or top and they look on par with wearing pajamas out of the house. Granted, on days when you have one class, wearing pajamas to school does seem tempting, but in the end, it just looks odd. Odd, showy, silly and really quite lazy. There are girls at my college that wear nothing but leggings as pants. Every. Day.

While some leggings are very cool, edgy and on-trend (see below) and I have many a time been tempted to buy a pair of leggings and wear them as pants, it only took me a second to remember, I can afford actual pants.

Sometimes I want to run up to these girls, embrace them and whisper in their ears "It's okay, we all feel lost sometimes" with a tear running down my cheek, before subtly slipping them a twenty with 'For the Pants Fund' note attached. Maybe it's a goal we can all work together to achieve.

On another note, since leggings worn with suitable overclothes can be hideously cool, here are some of my faves:

A: B:

C: D:

A + B: AMERICAN APPAREL

C + D: TOPSHOP

Ps: I suppose some people are wondering why I haven't mentioned jeggings, the infamous leggings with tacky faux denim printed on them and pockets sewn to the back. Answer: they don't deserve a mention. They deserve to go to the fashion mistake cemetery and lie in shame forever with the likes of balloon MC Hammer pants and Boy George hair.

Beatrice

MUSE '09

I suppose I naively consider myself a well rounded individual, especially when it comes to fashion and the fashion world but in reality I really am just another slightly off-trend teenager with an opinion and a blog. On Friday night I attended a fashion event (one of my first I'm ashamed to admit) called MUSE 09; a concept fashion event showcasing the fantastical talents of Miss Mikaela Hiews, who floored the standing-room-only turnout with her unique designs and made me realize that I do, in fact, have a lot to learn about fashion. 

MUSE '09 was a concept fashion show created in memory of Hiew's grandmother, Marie, and showcased refreshingly well researched designs from every decade of Marie's life from the 30s to the 2000s. Following those outfits there were some highly imaginative pieces from Hiew's 'Couture' collection that made me ache with jealousy. Mainly, since I am (attempting) to head towards Public Relations and Event Management at Uni, I was wowed at the effort taken to put together the evening. 

When one thinks amateur fashion show, the things that come to mind are nervous, giggly teens as models, school hall for venue and Home Ec. quality clothes but the attention to detail put into MUSE '09 totally banished any preconceptions I had. First of all the logistics were seamless. Lights, music, ushers, technicians, models and the venue itself ran so smoothly it reminded me that when nothing goes wrong, behind the scene cooperation is taken completely for granted. The clothes (oh the clothes!) were functional, inspired and enviable, my favourites being the deep blue pinstripe suit and pencil skirt combination and the magenta and gold Couture creation and the warm and enthusiastic vibe of the show hit home the reality that Mikaela's adoration of her late Grandmother was the driving force behind everything in the show and how amazing that was.

All in all, MUSE '09 was a fascinating and touching look at a girl's relationship with her grandmother and their shared connection with fashion and design. Mikaela Hiews will be one designer to watch in the future, mark my words.

Beatrice

Just a Quick Note...

Hey guys!

Just wanted to let it be known that even though I haven't written anything in AAAGES the TUTblog is still alive and well and living in Canberra! The only reason I have been inactive for so long is that this blog was actually born as an assignment set by our radically thinking English teacher who set no limits for what our blog should be about and after I handed the blog in for assessment (I got 95% for it so thanks for all your support guys!) I got kind of lazy.

BUT, I will be back! Especially since I am on term holidays now.

Hope you all have a lovely sparkly Canberra winter and I'll see you all when I return sometime in the near future :) 

Beatrice

Street Fashion 26/5/09

Location: Dickson College

Lauren

This kid had no idea what was going on. But what a sweet jumper.

Bear Bag

Ancel

Prada Wears The Devil

Dear Amateur Fashion Fans:

I have been waiting for the perfect moment to rant about an atrocity so Ultra Naff, so indescribably stupid, without reason and incredibly self serving that it makes me type like Mike Tyson (I don't know exactly how he types but I can imagine it). 

Many of you, if not all, will be familiar with the super-brand, high end, mostly couture, Italian fashion label Prada. What you probably wont be familiar with (unless you have no life like me)is Prada's signature styles, colours, cuts etc that are 'Pradesque' (my word, not theirs) and therefore immediately trendy. You may also remember this quote from the movie-The Devil Wears Prada.

Andy, the inexperienced assistant annoys Miranda Priestly, the editor of Runway, by calling some haute couture accessories "stuff". Miranda then flawlessly delivers a reply. 

"This... 'stuff'? Oh... ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean. You're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar De La Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of 8 different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff."

You just feel like saying ZING! after reading that.

If you haven't seen the movie I highly recommend it even to people who couldn't care less about fashion journalism simply because Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep are amazing, the script is witty and sharp and it even has cool music and a smokin' Adam Grenier from Entourage. 

Anyway, this quote from TDWP sprung to my mind immediately after my eyes were violated by the picture below in the fashion section of the Good Weekend Magazine a few weeks back. 

This is from Prada's 2009 Spring collection Im pretty sure.

I know, right? I just sat there thinking: "Wow, Prada, you can come up with the 2008 Prada Resort collection and then create this monstrosity?

I think I know how it happened:

Some low level shoe designer had a big weekend, then came into work on Monday and got sprung with the memo of a Design Meeting in 5 minutes. So he/she hastily scribbles down the first thing that comes into his/her Sangria-addled brain: Thigh.High.Gumboots.

The designer goes into the meeting and after the boss designer retracts his jaw from the floor he screams at the designer for getting all Sangria-ed the night before the design meeting. Because he/she's scared of loosing their sweet job, the designer meekly lies to the boss that 'its all the rage in Paris'. The Boss freezes for a second and then tells the designer that of course he knew that, he was just testing him/her before snatching away the drawing and making sure that Prada have that thigh high gumboot out ASAP to beat France to the punch (which they rarely do in terms of trends). And the boss adds suspenders, cause France aint gonna think of THAT!

There you have it, the conception of the world's most hideous designer shoe. In reference to the quote from TDWP, I think that Prada is setting an irresponsible example for the fashion industry. It's more than likely that this Ultra Naff design will filter down through the layers of cool and someday descend into our realm of fashion and then who will we have to blame when the 14 years old that shop those kind of trends are walking around in rubber hooker boots? 

What's that you tell me? They already are? No silly, thats just the Supre sales staff.

ZING!

-Beatrice

2009 Australian Beauty Awards

Dear Amatuer Fashion Fans,

You may have glimpsed a post I wrote last night called "2009 T.U.T.A.N.K.H.A.M.U.N Beauty Awards" but on reviewing said post, I realised it was a little self serving and decided to re-edit.

I was flipping through the lastest Cosmopolitan last night when I stumbled upon the glossy spread heralding the start of the 2009 Australian Beauty Awards. This is an annual occurance where experts on beauty from prominent magazines plus industry experts get together and test, evaluate and judge the best beauty products in every possible category from Nail Polish to Anti-Aging cream. It takes two months to do this and if you visit the website (link's in the name) you can have your say about what your favourite beauty products are and you could win a host of cool (beauty) prizes.
Heres a sample of my answers to the 'vote' questionnaire:

Favourite make up colour blush/eye: Blush- Dior Desert Rose, Eye: Any MAC eyeshadow

Favourite Fragrance: Happy Heart by Clinique or Songes by Annick Goutal

Favourite hair styling product/treatment: Tigi Split End Leave-In Conditioner

I reckon you should all check out the website as its fun and easy to vote and the site itself is good for a procrastinating browse

What's your favourite, couldn't-live-without-it beauty product? Comment and let me know!

-Beatrice

Wedding Belles

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a sometimes unhealthy obsession with weddings. 

But let's stop there and clear up what my obsession concerns before I die of judgement from you all. 

Im am in no rush to get married. Entering into the act of marriage for me seems an eternity away (if it even happens) and I'm not going to be one of those women who buys the dress before I meet the man. 

The preparation, the ceremony, reception, clothes, accessories, food, invitations, drinks, party favours, and location are what interests me. I really believe that there are very few more complete ways to piece together the identity of a woman than to look at her wedding. (Having said that I do know that many vibrant couples choose to have low key weddings that do not necessarily reflect their personality as a couple or as a bride).

No two weddings are alike and the whole concept of personal identity shown through every single detail of a person's wedding is what fascinates me, not the idea of marriage itself. 

I have truck-loads of ideas concerning my favourite locations, menus, bridal party attire etc that I could waffle on about for a hundred posts but instead I'm going to focus on one of the key pieces in a wedding, The Bride's Dress (or attire). 

The categories are GOOD, BAD & PLAIN WIERD. Most of them are celebrities in all categories.  I've selected 4 or so dresses in each category. This post is devoted to the 'GOOD' dresses and I hope to address them in a way that even the most cynical, wedding hating person will enjoy (with a bit of pop culture, history and salacious gossip thrown in). 

#1. Perfect for the Occasion

1956   Grace Kelly & Prince Rainier of Monaco 

Prince Rainier of Monaco (a tiny country in Southern France) met Hitchcock  film star Grace Kelly in 1955 he was reportedly hunting for a wife in America as Monaco would revert ownership to France if an heir was not produced during the Prince's reign. Kelly and Rainier married the next year in a lavish, religious ceremony in Monaco, Monaco. In the case of Kelly's marriage into royalty the dress is modest, virginal and innocent while managing to be sickeningly elegant, which is really nothing less than you'd expect from the glamorous film star that Kelly was at the time. The dress was designed and made by the head costume designer for MGM and close friend of Kelly's Helen Rose. 

#2. Perfect for the couple

1971   Mick and Bianca Jagger

 

Even though Bianca Jagger has been quoted as saying "My marriage [to Mick] ended on my wedding day" you can't deny how happy she looks in this photo. I've always loved this photo cause it looks so damn rock'n'roll. Everything from Mick's slightly disheveled suit to Bianca's massive hat and sexy low cut suit kneeling at the altar in their traditional Roman Catholic ceremony scream 'untouchable' and thats what they were at the time. 

Mick met Bianca (maiden name De Macais) a year before this wedding at a Rolling Stones after party and Bianca was 4 months pregnant at the time of the wedding which is probably the reason they got married in the first place). The ceremony took place in St.Tropez in the South of France.

#3. Perfect for the Ceremony

2007  Erica Baxter & James Packer

This photo was taken after the first of the couple's civil ceremonies. This one took place in the Hotel De Ville (or Town Hall) in Antibes (South of France...again). As much as I perceive this marriage to be a bit shifty *cough gold digger cough* I can't deny that Erica's plain white suit is perfect for the occasion of just-slipping-into-the-Town-Hall-to-get-married-with-one-or-two-witnesses (lets not go into the Vera Wang copycat monstrosity she wore for their second celebrity studded civic ceremony). 

I think the sunglasses with the wedding attire might just be a little self indulgent but I do love her choice of flowers, (I just wish I could see her shoes).

So there you have it, next installment: BAD, when wedding attire goes really wrong. 

Which of these weddings has got the best frock? Comment and let me know!

-Beatrice

Thunder Perfect Mind

Im not a massive fan of TV clothes advertisements. Either they come across as too artsy, full of wangst and anorexic models or try to be the opposite and inadvertently have a repellant effect on their viewers, i.e Rivers Ads. 

The same goes for perfume ads (especially print ones). 

Whether they are single page Dolce & Gabbana sex scenes in magazines or Coke addled Burberry waifs on billboards, practically no perfume ads tend to make you actually want to run out and buy the perfume. 

This Prada advertisement, however, is different. 

I still can't remember how I stumbled across 'Thunder Perfect Mind' a 2005 TV ad for Prada's first perfume (probably mindless Youtube surfing) but I can't help loving every single thing about it. Firstly, it stars one of my favourite supermodels, Daria Werbowy and the film/ad has a great, romantic, dreamy 'feel' about it that makes you want to move to France and wear only high heels and lovely, feminine Prada clothes for the rest of your life (highly responsive to advertising, moi?).

'Thunder Perfect Mind' follows Werbowy as she "portray(s) the many intricacies of women" (Boards Magazine, 2005) through various female archetypes-The Virgin, The Mother, The Wife, The Mistress and The Daughter - their paths crossing throughout the film and as Werbowy acts out these roles she reads an ancient Gnostic poem as narration. Sound pretentious already? Wait for this: The ad is actually an excerpt of a short film made by Ridley Scott's daughter and each costume in the film (in addition to the perfect pieces that Werbowy wears) were designed by Muiccia Prada herself (people who don't know who she is need to go out and buy themselves a Vogue). 

I suppose the idea is actually fairly pretentious (archetypes, Ridley Scott etc) and I really should hate it for that, seeing as the whole thing is supposed to be an ad for perfume after all, but one has to be honest; everything from the cinematography to Werbowy's acting skills is Top Class and really makes for a dreamy, romantic 6:01 minutes of escapism into the glamorous world of haute couture. It doesn't make me want to buy the fragrance right now, but it does make me want to watch it again and again and again. Some of my favourite outfits are the yellow chiffon dress, red-lipstick kisses dress and every single one of the trench-coats. Check it out below and let me know what you think in the comments:

Street Fashion 8/5/09

Frazer

Michael

Deb

Location: Dickson College

-Beatrice

Ode to the Silk Scarf

In a world of ugly cult brand handbags, hideous jewellry trends and ugly technology,I truly believe that the perfect accessory and travel companion is the humble silk scarf.

I was first introduced to the usefulness of a silk scarf as a traveller overseas when I was 16. I bought my first silk scarf on Brick Lane which is kind of like Oxford street for antique clothes in London. 

When travelling, a silk scarf becomes invaluable as it doubles as a headband, neck warmer, headscarf, blindfold, necktie, cravat and ties around almost anywhere (be inventive my children). Its a blanket on the train, an eyemask on the plane, hides bad hair days and unsightly love bites and all the while looks chic with almost any type of outfit at any event. Cruising a museum? Cravat. Going out for dinner? Around your bun or pony tail. Driving a convertible? Prevents fly-aways. Shopping? Layered around your wrist. Floaty dress? Cinch and belt it with a twisted scarf. Partying in Ibiza? Its a top! 

Probably one of the best things about silk scarves is their ability to look great no matter what brand (but bonus points if you shelled out for a classic Chanel one). They come in all colours and sizes (mines a quite small royal blue one with a pattern). Silk scarves are pretty much unique in the accessories industry in that the scarves that are the nicest ones (vintage, medium size) usually cost less than the Hermes tragedies with horses all over them. 

You can find silk scarves anywhere. Vinnes usually have a stash but if you're going overseas I really do recommend a visit to Brick Lane or Portobello Road in London to stock up on some really nice, unique vintage scarves (why didn't I buy more than one? WHY).

Here's a picture of my beloved scarf. Sorry for the bad photo quality, I took it on Mac Photobooth.

-Beatrice

Lake Shoot

Went down to the lake with fellow blogger Adrienne this afternoon to get some photos. I kind of had a Gypsyish/Alice In Wonderland theme in mind with focus on dresses with splashes of colour. 

The photos were taken with an SLR so you might have/want to click to see the details.

White Dress: Habitat

Skirt/Petticoat: Target

Shawl worn as belt: Gift

Black Belt: Vintage

Dress: Myer

Silk Scarf: Vintage (used to be Grandmother's)

Dress worn as top: Habitat (same as above)

Skirt: 50s Vintage-From Fete clothing stall

Tea Set: T2

Blanket: Ikea

Suitcase: Vintage

Parasol: Ad's

Pillow: David Jones

Pashmina: NY

Cloak: ?

White Dress: Habitat 

White Dress: Myer

Hat: Dad's

Scarf worn as belt: Vintage

Heels: Ad's

Suitcase: Vintage

(Same as above)

Dress: Miss Shop @ Myer

Silk Scarf: Brick Road, London

(yes, the water was freezing)

(Same as above)

This shot was purely accidental as I was hauling the camera bag over to the waters edge.

Location: Black Mountain Peninsula

Photographer: A. Carey :D