You're from Landan!

So yesterday I went to London's Camden Market. Back when I was a whippersnapper (okay so I'm not exactly old now but, yeah, when I was younger-er...) this place was a HUGE goth/punk Mecca and there's still a lot of that around, but in recent years these stalls seemed to have declined slightly (are goths an endangered species?) in favour of vintage.

Bit hard to see but : Shoes - Office, Jeans - Topshop, Shirt - Grandma , Top - Primark

Close up of the velvet shirt, I love it, makes me feel like a mole. Apple necklace from accesorize. 

I loved this 50s style dress and kitsch light-bulb mirror:

My room has similar amounts of clutter but looks way less cool. 

And the Covered Market is packed full of fantastic little trinkets/ knick knacks in a way that make it seem like an eccentric Aunt's mansion:

Creepy toy pig is creepy. 

I wandered round for ages and saw so many cool clothes/shoes I wanted to buy but bought nothing, deciding instead to spend my monies on FOOD.

I loved the art on the side of the van I bought a crepe from. I freaking love Nutella.

Okay so it looks like I'm drinking piss and/or dirty river water but this is in fact a delicious Vietnamese drink made with pomegranate juice, mint and ice. It's served in small plastic bag like they do in Vietnam. Earned me a few odd looks - I think people thought I was consuming a very neglected fairground goldfish.

Psst -  go on make me smile: follow/comment 

Guten Tag Folks

So I haven't posted in a while because I was lucky enough to visit a friend of mine in Berlin. I think Berlin's a city that is pretty underrated to be honest - it has a different feel from London but that may just be because everything is freaking HUGE. The streets, the buildings - I felt like I'd been shrunk.

Aside from all the regular sightseeing and stuff highlights for me definitely included visiting this little café which had cute little china trinkets on every table:

Parrot anyone?

And the most delicious cake :

Om nom nom

Of course there was also the artistic tour-de-force that is the Berlin wall:

And my personal favourite:

True Dat

I also went to the huge upmarket department store Ka De We where I was given two free pencils (!) and also got to check out Karl Lagerfeld's answer to the sugary carbonated drink:

I must say I do like the bottles - they remind me of candy - but diet coke? I'm aware that this is his drink of choice but way to go challenging the fashion industry's obsession with anorexic-chic.

As for fashion in Berlin - I have to say it was definitely a lot more eclectic than Parisian fashion and actually has a lot in common with London. Vintage is clearly big (but then what's new?) but I saw a lot of people putting their own spin on it with ripped tights/leggings and there was a more tailored and masculine feel which contrasts to London where girls are obsessed with florals (me included, tbh...) Anyway I know that I can't really generalise about the fashion sense of a whole CITY but it's interesting to notice the subtle differences.

What differences do you notice about fashion in different countries?

Human Behaviour

Way before Lady Gaga went out looking like a kinky bondage shop exploded on her there was another Queen of Weird who, in my opinion, did it a lot better. Her name is Bjork and music would never be the same again.

Bursting onto the scene in the early 1990s Bjork's music is experimental and eclectic and this is reflected in her devil-may-care approach to fashion.

Bjork is an artist who is constantly thinking outside of the box - her outfits are always vibrant and creative and are almost an extension of her music. They have a whimsical quality and a childish playfulness (check out that pompom hat!) and I love how it's obvious from interviews she's just out to have fun and express herself without taking it all too seriously.

I mean who else would go to the Oscars in a swan dress with eggs hidden up her skirt that she placed around the red carpet? It's like something from a (very wacky) fairytale.

I think it's safe to say that without Bjork there would be no Lady Gaga - maybe its unfair to compare them as Gaga is an excellent pop singer whereas I think Bjork is an excellent musician with a better artistic vision.

Watevs yay Bjork - here are some songs for ya :

Ice Ice Baby

I recently watched the Icelandic film 101 Reykjavik – if you haven’t seen it before I really recommend it (if you’re over 18 of course, kids) as it’s one of the few comedies I've seen which made me laugh AND think about the meaning of life at the same time. Here's a still from the film:

Nice hat

It’s also made me really nostalgic for the cold weather – don’t get me wrong, spring is beautiful and all, but I miss wearing warm woolly jumpers. Maybe this is why when I went shopping last week I ended up buying a jumper instead of shorts...

Jumper- H&M

I mean it's kinda spring-like because it's nautical - no one goes sailing in winter do they? (Or in my case, at all, but watevs.) 

I couldn't do a an Iceland inspired post without including this lady:

I feel like I should do a whole post dedicated to Bjork instead of tacking her on at the end of this one. Watch this space.

So which do you prefer, Summer or Winter? 

Wedding Fever

It’s the wedding that everyone’s been talking about non-stop for the last few weeks (I've lost count of the number of “Will and Kate” themed shows flooding every TV channel) and yesterday the whole world got to see THE dress.It was worth the wait wasn't it? I mean just wow.

Everything thing about it was “just right” – the length, the cut, the detail – the effect was of understated glamour and just general omigodsopretty-ness without it being garish or fussy.

I was sat watching the whole thing in Snoopy pyjamas (not exactly your average wedding get-up) but I got into the spirit of things later with this Union Jack inspired outfit:

Pussy-bow blouse - was my Grandma's, velvet skirt- Topshop , socks - New Look, shoes - M&S

And you can’t get more English than tea-cup earrings and a tea-kettle necklace can you?

What did you think of the Royal Wedding?  

Like Totally 80s

Ah the 80s. I could go on for much longer than is strictly necessary about how much I love this decade- my iTunes is pretty much a shrine to the era. I wasn’t there at the time which of course means I can imagine that every day was like a cross between “The Breakfast Club” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” set to a soundtrack of The Smiths and Madonna.  I’m sure the reality was much closer to ozone-crippling hairspray levels and criminal amounts of spandex  - but who needs reality right?

Anyway.  I have clearly found a kindred spirit in www.liketotally80s.com which inspired me to unearth my inner Cindi Lauper (I didn’t have to dig very deep).

Here are the results: 

Leggings- Primark, Shoe boots- New Look, Belt- was my mum's

I tried to back-comb my hair and even got the hairspray out but it seems I lack the necessary 80s skillz. Still I tried. I went for the classic leggings and (genuine 80s, might I add) belt teamed with obligatory red lipstick and chunky jewellery. The lipstick is a bit hard to spot - I don't have a tripod and had to balance my camera on the window sill - so here are the details a bit clearer: 

Choker- Not sure where it's from, found it in a drawer. The chain I took off an old T-shirt

Not sure what the print is meant to be. Snakeskin? Eyes?

Anyway I'm meant to be reading Bleak House, (all 980 pages of it) so I'll save my favourite reasons for loving the 80s for another day. In the meantime here's some classic 80s music (and outfits!) which makes my attempt at 80s hair look very pitiful. Clearly I need to find some polka-dot ribbon. 

Vintage Love

I’m a bit of a sucker for vintage; I like the romance and glamour of the past (even though there’s not a lot romantic about searching through racks and racks of moth eaten old clothes, hunting for a gem).

Still when you do find something it’s often relatively cheap, depending where you go, and won’t fall apart as soon as you look at it (*cough* Topshop *cough*).

I thought I’d share a couple of my favourite vintage buys I’ve collected over the past 2 years.

These Russell & Bromley boots come from Broadway market in London and were a steal at £20. I love the rusty red colour and the little heel – always a good thing if you’re on the smaller side like myself.

These were another bargain, £15 from a vintage shop called Reign and I’ve worn them a gazillion times. So comfy - you know how people say they don't make 'em like they used to? They're right. 

Random Watering Can

These were bought from the vintage range and Topshop and I love them – they make me feel a bit like a Victorian schoolgirl. (Yeah I’m weird.) A bit more expensive at £40 but I’m a sucker for suede and couldn’t resist.

Don't worry I do have two arms. The other one is just holding the camera.

Another Reign purchase.This dogtooth skirt was £15 and is a bit short, but something I always go for on a night out. It’s amazing it hasn't sustained any vodka/ coke related damage – I'm grateful it hasn’t though. 

So, vintage - love or hate?