WARNING....sharp edges

Recently our high street has gone a bit rock of ages with everything and anything being adorned in studs & spikes. I myself have succumb to the trend as I find anything with a stud detail adds a slight edge.

In previous years studs and spikes have clung to typical leather garments where as now they seem to be having a bit of an overhaul and everything from the prettiest bouclé jackets to exaggerated florals are being swamped with a hardger edge.

Every shop and online store I come across is inundated with studded garments but for the more creative out there it's also an easy trend to replicate and try at home, youtube is filled with vidoes such as the one below taking you step by step through the process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvmcadb4aEg 

Here are some pictures to show my foray into the wonderful world of the stud.

Trash Studded Chelsea Ankle Boots - Schuh - £92             

Cream stud collar shirt - Zara - £59.99

Floral spiked hair band - Topshop

Ombre dip dye oversized studded jumper - Topshop

Tally xo

   

The best kind of gift....

It's that time of year again, our high street and online retailers are inundating us with bargains screaming to be purchased. Yes it's mid season sale time.

After a few too many expensive purchases notably these Jeffrey Campbell crochet Lita boots, I welcome all sales with open arms.

So with some luck while on the Mulberry store I spotted a bag which I've been coveting on sale.

The bag in question is the Mulberry 'Lily' in pink quilted denim. At the start I was unsure of the denim finish as it doesnt seem very 'Mulberry' but I was drawn to the colour and thought it would be perfect for summer, also it's just the right size to take on holiday in September.

Luckily for me the Mulberry store in Glasgow had one left in stock, and my boyfriend was nice enough to buy it because of course it is an eternity until payday.... (thank you).

Lily candy pink denim quilted Mulberry

was £395 now £237

Tally xo

50 Shades of you know what.....

Unless you live under a rock, located in a cave, which is situated in Tristan da Cunha (the most remote island in the world FYI) you should by now have heard of E.L James' novel 50 Shades of Grey. 

Not even the boy wizard himself Harry Potter could stop James' raunchy first installment of her trilogy surpassing JK Rowling to the fastest selling paperback since records began.

Soo what is all the fuss about? The plot is basic, boy meets girl, girl falls for boy and boy decides he wants to tie girl up in his pleasure room, ok so not quite the fairytale we're all used to but underneath it all there is the classic love story albeit a rather twisted one.

Let's be frank the novel is not a literary work of art but it is gripping and you can't help but want to read more of innocent Anastasia Steele's fall down the rabbit hole. Christian Grey is the male protagonist, Grey who was adopted as a child has severe mummy issues and a serious need to control all around him. At first we assume Ana is the all innocent girl who is helpless to Grey but she succumbs to him rather early on and her willingness drives the plot forward.

Of course erotic romantic novels are no new thing Jilly Cooper seems to have been around forever, but E.L James has passed boundries and crossed a line which I doubt Cooper has even seen. The trio of books has even been described as pornographic yet up and down the country they are the topic on every women's lips. In the lingerie store where I work part time hoardes of women have flocked in daily eagerly asking about purchasing the stories. We sold out within a day. In every whisper I hear "Mr Grey this Mr Grey that" showing that modern women are neither afraid or embarrassed to discuss a little bit of erotica, in fact I feel that women all over the country are doing a little bit of female bonding due to 50 shades.

One female I work with experessed her embarrassment at first explaining that she couldn't bring herself to read it on the commute to work in the morning, later on that week she exclaimed "f**k it" if everyone else is reading it why should I be ashamed.

Of course in this day and age where we are a country who very much buys into the 'sex sells' mantra the media are having a field day covering 50 shades even dubbing it 'mummy porn'. As I previously mentioned erotic novels have been around for as long as anyone can remember so what is it about 50 Shades of Grey that has everyone talking? I can't help but feel it's the controversial nature of the erotic acts which take place that has kept our nation interested and also prompted every man and his wife (literally) to buy into the series.

I myself have not finished the book but I do hope that the storyline and the relationshiop between the 2 main characters develops slightly more than just in the bedroom, although I have a feeling the controversial sex scenes alone are what's going to carry the book through, but is this enough to spawn 2 sequels and if the media has anything to go by a movie? I'm not sure but apparently a nation of women think so.....

Tally xo



MIA - Nasty Gal

Well well well it has been forever. This always seems to happen I start a blog and then I seem to forget all about it, call it underlying commitment issues if you will. I promise I'll try harder.

Anywayyy.....while I've been missing in action I've been spending most of my time *cough cough* everyday lusting over online retailer Nasty Gal......Their ever present logo is "Nasty gal's do it better". They appeal to the everyday girl on the street, the girls that pore over magazines, lust over fashion week, thrive over new trends.

The online store is so easy to navigate that you find yourself getting lost and caught up in it for hours. Nasty Gal appeals to me because not only is it affordable it's so effortlessly cool, there is a vintage section but even in the normal shop section most pieces have a vintage feel. It's also got that cool Americana edge to it, the cool girl at the party the girl who attends every festival out there but does it in style. All of this combined makes me think of Gillian Zinser (90210's Ivy) as the poster child for all things Nasty Gal.

Today I'm going to post some of my most coveted pieces, the things that are on my endless wish list for summer.

Open Circle Dress - £36.44

Roma Knit Dress - £42.72

Jeffrey Campbell 'Lita' boot - Ivory Crochet - £101.78

Original ZZ's cut off shorts - £55.29

Mink Pink for Nasty Gal Jasmine dip dye tank - £30.16

Fringed bucket bag - £147.64

Happy Shopping

Tally xo

Girl Panic Indeed....

"We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day"

Ahhh to be a supermodel, well a 90's supermodel that is. This famous quote from Linda Evangelista is unforgettable and really does define the era of the 'supers'.

Now Cindy,Naomi,Helena,Eva & Yasmin are back with an almighty bang to show their young counterparts just how powerful they once were. Each taking a part of 80's super group Duran Duran the girls writhe around hotel rooms and explain just what it's like to be part of such an iconic group, the group themselves meanwhile take place as hotel staff, drivers & paparazzi. The supers all play their roles supremely well, Yasmin herself jokes at one point "I am not a member of Duran Duran"

After watching the 9 minute video directed by Jonas Akerlund I feel a little nostalgic for an era I wasn't even born in. Duran Duran's sound mixed with the glamour of the supers and the opulent surroundings of London's Savoy hotel transports you back to a fabulous time.

With Balenciaga & Balmain thrown in, girl on girl action, lithe model after lithe model and copious amounts of champagne this video will definitely have a place in history.

Long Live the Supermodel.....

Tally xo

A little bit of Donatella......

In 2 days time H&M finally unveil their collaboration with Versace, but is the nation really ready for an army of mini Donatella's??

Apparently the answer is yes.

H&M have caused hysteria & mayhem in the past with their guest designer lines, who could forget Karl Largerfeld's collection selling out within an hour, but it seems Versace will triumph over this.

One thing you will need to shop the collection in store is stealth and possibly some kind of army training (I kid you not) a queuing system has been put in place with allocated wristbands and allotted time which can be spent in the collections area - I think I'll shop online thanks.

Now on to the actual collection - wild Hawaiian floral prints, sequins, studs, leather & lace the word FUN screams out in every way.

"I really wanted iconic moments of Versace,"

Versace for H&M silk dress, £79.99, Versace for H&M leggings, £24.99

Versace for H&M - Ring £19.99

 

Versace for H&M - Silk dress £129.99, Versace for H&M - Leather bag £99.99.

 Donatella has definitely succeeded in this, the wild vivid prints cannot be mistaken for anything other than Versace and the more muted items are adorned with the inconic medusa design and the famous gold buttons.  Versace claims she knows this customer and what they want.

 "The Versace for H&M collection makes me wish I was 20 again. It's so bold and youthful, exciting and sexy. Definitely one for the young, the beautiful and the brave."

 It's clear the collection has definitely taken inspiration from the late Gianni's early designs, and for many of the younger generation who aren't familar with the Versace legacy it seems collaborating with H&M was the perfect way to showcase his talent to a new and umfamilar generation.

Versace for H&M leather dress, £179.99, Versace for H&M - Suede boots £79.99

Versace for H&M - Bag £69.99.

 

Versace for H&M silver metallic dress, £149.99

 

Versace for H&M dress, £69.99

Versace for H&M leather jacket, £149.99, Silk top £39.99, silk skirt £69.99

Versace for H&M silk dress, £129.99

 

Tally x

And so it begins.....

Well here I am again another year (ok the year is nearly over I know), another blog. I've failed miserably at blogging more times than I care to remember. See the thing is I get bored to easily I'm flighty, how very non commital.

I feel some blogs are a bit try to hard, in this day and age everyone and their grannies blog. Maybe that's where I was going wrong trying too hard so this time I shall do the opposite - not try very hard at all. 

Tally xo