Monthly Archives

July 2012

Posted on July 30, 2012

Seaside Vichy Style

London/ Romantique/ Wardrobe

Brighton is a very picturesque seaside town just 50 minutes from London. It used to be my home for 18 months when I first came to the UK, I met good friends there and it marked the beginning of my time in England.

For the day out, I’m wearing gingham Vichy trousers from gant, my trusted wedges espadrilles and a stripey boxed cardigan from Primark to protect against the chilly Brighton wind.

Vichy / gingham style tip: gingham doesn’t have to be tiny as it’s traditionally found. Lacoste and Trovata both expanded the size of the gingham pattern for a bold, graphic effect. The taller you are, the more over sized pattern you can wear – even the giant gingham can be worn my most.

Bold patterns look best with mono coloured companions. This  classic stripey box jacket is understated enough for a nice pattern clash that doesn’t look clowny

My large wayfarer cat eye sun glasses in sorbet pink are from Miu Miu. Perfect to complement the 50s trend!

Meeting the friendly locals

Posted on July 27, 2012

London’s Olympic Rock ‘n’ Roll Opening Ceremony

Current Affairs/ London/ Romantique

Wow, what a spectacular opening ceremony this has been!  The show had it all: James Bond whizzing the Queen  from Buckingham to parachute her into the Olympic stadium (!!), 400 NHS nurses (but lets not get started on the reality of the English health care system) and David Beckham in a speedboat. An ode to Britishness with references to Harry Potter and Mary Poppins, industrial might and of course the best of Brit Pop with songs from the Beatles, the Sugababes, the sex pistols, the Clash, David Bowie, Annie Lennox plus live appearances from the Arctic monkeys and Paul McCartney.

Despite living in London, I haven’t  been very excited about the spectacle in the run up to the Olympic games. But in the last few days, it has been impossible to ignore the collective excitement. The $42 million show was made possible with the help of 15,000 volunteers, many of them my colleages and friends who auditioned to be part of this lifetime experience.

Above: I am proudly showing off the Olympic old medal (I had to wear cotton gloves!) whose metal is provided by Australian mining giant Rio Tinto

Olympia Lane at Blackfriars Bridge

London in summer 2012 with two of it’s landmarks: St Pauls cathedral and  the “gherkin”

 

The city (here Regent Street) decorated in the Olympic spirit

Posted on July 27, 2012

Blue Polka dot dress

Dresses/ Romantique/ Wardrobe

At last, temperates sored up to 30 degrees in London, time to dust off one of my sun dresses.

Blue is an eternally flattering colour: From light blue, to royal blue and navy blue, there’s something for every skin tone.

I’m wearing a mid blue dress with white polka dots and patent flat gladiators from Unisa.

Rachel Bilson rocking a pretty Blue Polka dot dress and tan coloured rough boots – love it!

Posted on July 27, 2012

Charlize Theron drives MINI Cooper

Rebel Alexa

Mini Cooper R 56 produced for USA from the Charlize Theron Movie “Young Adult” 2011

What happend? Back to Driving School? Watch the Movie!

DVD out now in German! We love the Movie, Charlize Theron and the crashed Mini Cooper!

Posted on July 27, 2012

Mosaic Retro Dress

Dresses/ Rebel Alexa/ Wardrobe

It is never too late to look back at the days gone by for some inspiration in fashion. The swinging 60s brought a burst of colors with itself. It was the time when designers like Pucci and YSL introduced their unique styles. So the dresses became shorter and more geometric and the prints became brighter and structured. The perfect choice for a 60s retro look would be dress in a mix of colors or mosaic prints.

I WEAR:

Mosaic Dress by NINE WEST, Shoes from Tk Maxx

Everybody loves Stella McCartney’s Collections, me too, this spring, it’s the designer’s printed dresses adorned with mesh and embroidery that are proving a hit.

Jackie Kennedy Dress Style 60s Fashion

Posted on July 26, 2012

Glamour Hats

Accessoires/ Romantique

A floppy hat like I am wearing in the pic above instantly adds glamour to even the most casual outfits. Hats can rescue us on bad hair days, protect us from the sun in summer and keeps our ears warm in Winter.

Marion adds coolness to her outfit with a Fedora hat, I also love the the blue nail varnish!

Audrey Hepburn wearing a classic floppy hat – fashion fades, style remains!

 

Floppy Hat from Miss Selfridge

Posted on July 24, 2012

Classic French Beauty: Anna Mouglalis

Romantique

Anna Mouglalis has been Lagerfeld’s muse ever since he photographed her for Interview magazine in 2000 to promote her breakthrough film role as a young pianist in Claude Chabrol’s Merci pour le chocolat.

It was her statuesque beauty and husky, baritone voice that struck Lagerfeld, and it is impossible not to be affected by those qualities when you meet her. “She’s Ava Gardner and Anna Magnani rolled into one,” Lagerfeld has observed. “A new type of classic beauty. As for the voice – it sounds like an affectation, but it isn’t.”

Throughout her twenties she was often asked whether she considered herself to be primarily an actress or model. It bothered her at the time – the reason Lagerfeld employed her as a face for Chanel was because she was an actress, not a model.

Anna Mouglalis remains loyal to Chanel where she got her big break. “Chanel is one of the only fashion houses that doesn’t exploit women,” she says, adding that, for its founder, “eroticism was the little piece of skin between the glove and the sleeve.”

What Anna said about Coco Chanel:

“Chanel was one thing and then the opposite the next.”

“She is recognized as a huge feminist, but most of the things she did, she did for herself and not for women in general.”

“I would even push it further, thinking she was more of a misogynist than a feminist, since she only had male friends.”

Anna Mouglalis style report: Of course it’s easy to look great when you have access to the latest Chanel Collections. Chanel to wear does not mean that everyone looks good in Chanel but Anna does – e.g. Blake Lively does not, she’s just a clothes hanger.

 

 

 

Posted on July 22, 2012

How to wear lace

Romantique/ Shirts/ Skirts/ Wardrobe
 

This season, lace has been everywhere. From pretty pastel lace to dark, sutlry and sexy lace. How to wear it can be tricky though if you don’t want to look like your own granny or like a teenager in one of those nasty nylon/polyester curtains as seen at High Street Shops.

To make lace work, read some of these inspirations:

  • You don’t have to go for head-to-toe lace, just showcase a little lace with a top or skirt
  • To avoid Kate Middleton lady syndrome, mess it up a bit. Layer lace and play with textures and fabrics like leather to pull it out of the “frumpy” category
  • Make sure the lace is made out of silk or other natural fibres with a silk lining
  • Colour: Coloured lace looks fresh and modern. Try a coloured lace skirt with a monochrome shirt to keep it balanced
Above: Texture mix for a  fresh take on lace: I’m wearing a white broderie anglaise pencil skirt from H&M and a navy blue lace top from Max & Co.
Alexa Chung in a coral coloured lace dress by Carven
Lace by day: Mix lace with denim for a relaxed, not to dressy look like Kate Bosworth at Coachella.

R&R like what Jigsaw is saying about lace trends too.  Check ’em out here
Posted on July 22, 2012

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Beauty Secrets

Beauty

Although she turns 40 this year, Gwyneth Paltrow could pass for a woman in her twenties. The American actress has now disclosed the secret of her youthful appearance: she loves some products from French pharmacies. For French women, chemists aren’t just for filling prescriptions. They contain a cornucopia of cosmetic preparations and boutique beauty brands, many of them cashing in well under 20 euros. And they’re dead easy to find: in Paris there’s a chemist on almost every street corner. If their flashing green neon crosses don’t get your attention, the promise of a well-priced beauty miracle will.

Let’s go through her cosmetics cabinet:

Boiron Homéoplasmine

No French make-up artist’s kit is complete without this ubiquitous pink tube, and models like Jessica Stam stock up on it whenever they visit the city of lights. The non-greasy salve is perfect for prepping the lips for lipstick and heals chapped skin in record time.

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentre

This cult cream is a true all-rounder. Slather it on thick for an intensive moisture mask, wipe it over make-up as a cold-cream cleanser or pile it on dry skin and let the soothing blend of shea butter, beeswax and aloe vera hydrate skin back to health.

Avène Eau Thermale Water Spray

A super soothing spray, perfect for cooling and refreshing when your skin is having a hissy fit. The whole range is designed for sensitive skin so doesn’t contain any nasties, and is pumped with über-hydrating thermal water.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s shock confession: “The best thing about living in England is discovering Boots!” She likes to use the Boots No. 7 r ange of make-up’s.

Her make-up artist has their recommend to use the Clarisonic electrical cleansing brush to refine the complexion.

 

Posted on July 21, 2012

Romantique’s 10 essential wardrobe items (Part 2)

Romantique/ Shoes/ Wardrobe

Welcome to Part 2 of my 10 essential wardrobe items! Let’s start:

Style Icon Ines de la Fressange reckons the biker leather jacket in tan is the nonplusultra of every wardrobe. Colour and style (biker, round neck, blouson) is up to you and your preferences. I prefer a round neck and light calf leather with three quarter lengths sleeves in a  caramel colour as black is too harsh on me. The leather jacket I’m wearing above is from Stefanel. Style it with dresses, shorts, skirts. Leather jackets are great way to edge up a feminine outfit (think floral pretty dress). Style them on a Saturday night out with an evening dress. Or with denim to go for coffee with friends.   The Leather jacket will never let you down!

Ballet pumps are an all rounder for every occasion:  Casual, dress down, dress up. Materials range from Suede leather, patent leather, lace, woven leather, gemstones appliques and so many more. There’s one ballet pump for every occasion. My favourite combination is the A Line skirt with pumps. Or Denim. Or Capri Pants. Just make sure to choose well made shoes as nothing looks worse than quickly run down ballet pumps. I love Pretty Ballerinas for the excellent craftsmanship and huge range.

The slim skirt (i.e. pencil skirt or tulip skirt) is a miracle worker! It suits every body type and makes every woman look 5 kilo less. It’s elegant and timeless. It works in the office just like on a night out. Knee lengths is the best and most flattering shape and the most appropriate for every occasion. My tulip skirt with water colour detail is from Moschino Cheap & Chic.

Most women underestimate the power of a well fitting bra. What’s  the point of a chic trendy top if you don’t match it with a flattering bra to go underneath ? I have “pretty” bras and my “workhorse” bras. These are invisible bras without seams and just the right amount of padding to make every top and dress look good.

Above: The nude coloured bra from Triumph (one of my “workhorses” )  is an essential to wear under white and light coloured blouses. The two bras at the top are “pretty bras” – a Vichy checked pink bra from Etam and a Dirndl Bra by Triumph.

Just like the Leather jacket, the fitted blazer is a versatile all rounder. It’s not as casual as the leather jacket and looks smarter and  pulled together. Jennifer Aniston loves her navy Blazers with denim. I have dark blazers I prefer wearing at work. My colourful turquoise blazer is from Moschino. My favourite combination is to wear it with skirts and dresses to balance out the emphasized shoulders.

We’d love to hear from you! Tell us about your essential wardrobe items you can’t live without. Read about Part 1 of my 10 essential wardrobe items here.

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