Visiting Birds of Paradise

25 Apr 2014

Momu

No dear friends, I did not pay a visit to the parrots in the Zoo yesterday, I did however admire long and hard what a pair of crafty hands and a nifty brain can achieve with the feathers of said birds. You see, as it happens, my favourite museum in Antwerp, Momu is currently exhibiting a gorgeous collection of feather adorned clothes.

Not only vintage Dior, but also current Chanel (above a piece from the FW1213 couture collection) are up on display and ready to be drooled upon.

Momu

I especially loved the Black Swan vs. White Swan theme, where the Gucci dress with rooster feathers and the Givenchy by Tisci dress with ostrich were compellingly juxtaposed.

But no matter how a fan I am of feathers in dress, the exhibition did at some point made me question the ethics of it all. Usually I'm quite easy when it comes to using leather, fur and feathers - after all do do like my chop of lamb and a nice piece a bacon from time to time. But when over 300 swans have to give their life for the sole construction  of one opulent coat, one does tend to wonder if it was worth it.

By the time I got to the Roger Vivier shoes, however, all criticism was thrown over board, to make place for another session  of blind adoration. But I mean, really, can you blame me?

Momu

xxx

In the trenches

22 Apr 2014

I say, for someone who's always had quite the ambiguous relationship with the trenchcoat, I'm craving it at an unusually high level lately.

Ambiguous, you ask? How can a sincere lover of fashion have a vague point of view on an ever lasting classic as 'The Trench'? How can she not have at least one in her closet?

I know, it is slightly odd. And don't get me wrong. I've always admired the coat that originates from the soldiers' wardrobe during WOI, though be it from afar. It just always felt a little too stiff and a little too khaki-beige for me (I swear that my face gets the éclat of vomit whith certain shades of beige).

So why again am I craving it right now? Aha... Enter: The fluid pale pastel trenchcoat (preferably ankle length).
trench

Yes, m'dears, I have been spotting a LOT of trenches in gorgeous silk, cupro or viscose that flutter around as you move, and that dance with the wind. Above all, the classic camel colour has made room for fresh white, pale pink or icy blue, and I luuuuuurrrve it!

Now the only question is: Where do I find le perfect exemplaire? Any suggestions?

xxx

PS: Images via here, here, here and here.

Yet another shade of blue.

16 Apr 2014

Bonjour lovers!

Today I'm just giving you a glimpse of the colour that's been adorning my fingernails lately.

Blue Manicure

Blue Manicure

It's Essie's Lapiz of luxury with little dots of Marshmallow white and I think it looks stunning together with my pink Ikea mugs. Likey?

xxx

On haircuts and existential crises

14 Apr 2014

Chop-chop pt. 2

'n Abend liebe freunde! Not only have I ondergone a haircut since last we spoke, I also went through some sort of existential crisis - but then again, don't these two often go hand in hand? And before you think: 'Oh golly, the poor lass must 've had a hard time choosing between putting on her Valentino rockstud flats or her Nike Airs again', let me go on and reassure you that I am for once not going to chatter your ears off with sartorial nonsense.

It was more of a 'OhmygodwhatamIdoingwithmylife?'- sort of thing. An also: 'Am I not supposed to be achieving all sorts of fantastic goals such as working for some fabulous fashion magazine and keeping up the best blog in the world that has about a gazillion readers? Because after all, isn't that what the world and Steve Jobs are telling me to do? Am I becoming one of those petty people who is settling for less? Is it wrong that I am so happy with my home and my relationship that I don't really feel the need to chase some challenging career? Isn't the point of life just to be happy? But on second thought, isn't that just a decoy of my brain to hide that I am just really really scared that if I try to become succesfull, I will fail?'

I could just keep ranting on and on like this for hours (no really, I could - and I did in my head for that matter), but of course that wouldn't really get me anywhere, accept maybe in an even more scared and confused place. The point is, that I know I am not the only one who is sometimes so overwhelmed by the social pressure for self-actualisation that I just want to be a cat. After all, it can't be coïncidential that in only a few days my favourite newspaper published two opinion pieces on the matter. One claiming that there is no more room for failure, since we've always been taught that we can achieve whatever we want. The other saying that we are never content with the successes we have, and that we only want more, more and more 'cause there's always that one facebook friend who has a life/career that just a tad more interesting than our own.

In any case my dear friends, I have decided not to bend nor break any more under the pressure of what (I think) is expected from me. I will take pleasure in life's little treasures (such as a fine glass of red wine, a great book and a beam of sunlight through the trees), I will be happy with my small conquests (such as managing to write 3 blogposts a week, finally painting that coffee table that has been on my to-do list for months, and being brave enough to introduce myself to some PR-companies), and I will always put my friends and my relationship before a career, because that is just who I am.

That being said, how do you like my new haircut?

xxx

Baby blue and Burgundy

7 Apr 2014

Being a huge fan of the motto 'Practice what you preach', I decided to do so and composed an outfit based on what I've been ranting about lately. Thus I wore a baby blue linnen T-shirt I recently scored at the H&M Men's department and some cropped wide pants that were found at the Maasmechelen Village Max Mara Outlet shop.

At first I wasn't quite sure of the latter, because I was actually looking for a pair that was just a tad wider, but in the end the perfect pied-de-poule print pulled me over the edge.

I also dug up my Zara bag, after falling in love with the colour burgundy all over again at the sight of the beetroots I cooked a couple of weeks before, prooving that one can find sartorial inspiration in the craziest corners!

Baby Blue and Burgundy

Jacket (Warehouse). T-shirt (H&M). Pants (Max&Co). Booties (L'Autre Chose). Bag (Zara). Sunglasses (The Row). Necklace (borrowed from my sister). Watch (vintage).

Baby Blue and Burgundy

Baby Blue and Burgundy


xxx