Wish List Mondays #38 - The Look For Less

So I know I've been absent for a while. What with putting down a deposit on my own flat (and feeling super grown-up about it), working 12-hour days, and getting back into the dating scene, I've hardly had a moment to breathe. Or more importantly: shop. Which is why this Wish List has been a couple of weeks in the making, but months in the pipeline. Remember that show a few years ago in which Gok Wan went up against some American troll of a "stylist", trying to convince the nation that he could make High Street look High-End? Well, I thought I'd have a shot at it. So this week, I've put together three looks: Casual, Work, and Party - each with one high-priced, designer bought items, the other with entirely High Street finds. If that doesn't make sense, hopefully it will once you scroll down (it's been a long week).

CASUAL
For the purpose of this article, I am going to call myself a stylist. And what does every stylist have to have? Inspiration, mon cher. Well, my inspiration behind this look is a transitional 'weekend casual' - what you might see in any British park, or shopping arcade, come the weekend. It's part-pretty, part-grunge, and 100% "now". 

DESIGNER
1. Scalloped Lace and Jersey Dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Net-a-Porter, £290. Buy it here.
2. Men's Chunky Ribbed Wool Cardigan by Dolce & Gabbana, Mr Porter, £650. Buy it here.
3. 'Alexa' Satchel in Deer Brown Hair Calf, Mulberry, £2,500. Buy it here.
4. 'Christi' Hidden Wedge Boots by Isabel Marant, Matches, £410. Buy them here.
5. Cashmere Cable Socks, Pringle of Scotland, £75.
TOTAL: £3,925

HIGH STREET
6. Cutwork Tea Dress, Topshop, £50. Buy it here.
7. Knitted Cardigan, H&M, £25. Buy it here.
8. 'Times Table' Leather Satchel, Clarks, £80. Buy it here.
9. 'Moonlit Cool' Leather Suede Ankle Boots, Clarks, £70. Buy them here.
10. Fairisle Socks, ASOS, £3. Buy them here.
TOTAL: £228


WORK
If you work in an office dominated by men (I work in fashion, so no such luck for me), it's all about power dressing. Shirts, tux pants, soft - yet strong - tailoring, and heels are a must. Massively intimidating black bag optional, but advised.

DESIGNER
1. Wide Leg Tuxedo Trousers by Antonio Berardi, Matches, £888. Buy them here.
2. 'Grace' Washed Silk Shirt by Equipment, Net-a-Porter, £240. Buy it here.
3. Faux Suede and Mesh Pumps by Stella McCartney, Net-a-Porter, £490. Buy them here.
4. 'Cabas Chic' Medium Leather Shopper by Saint Laurent, Net-a-Porter, £1,540.
TOTAL: £3,158

HIGH STREET
5. Suit Trousers, Mango, £20. Buy them here.
6. Silk Blouse, H&M, £40. Buy it here.
7. 'Alma Kendra' Black Suede Pump, Clarks, £55. Buy them here.
8. Leather Bag with Metal Tab, Zara, £109. Buy it here.
TOTAL: £224


PARTY
As Summer rolls to a close, and the nights start to get longer, people tend to have more parties. "Dark corners for dark deeds" and all that. Queue the LBD. It's been languishing in your cupboard for over six months, so time to give it an update with some statement heels and a gorgeous clutch - roll on midnight, Cinderella.

DESIGNER
1. Lace Mini Dress by Dolce & Gabbana, Matches, £2,060. Buy it here.
2. Blue Suede Sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti, Net-a-Porter, £450. Buy them here.
3. 'The Knot' Intrecciato Satin Clutch by Bottega Veneta, Net-a-Porter, £990. Buy it here.
TOTAL: £3,500

HIGH STREET
4. 'Rochelle' Ribbon Dress, French Connection, £180. Buy it here.
5. 'On and On' Blue Wedges, Office, £50. Buy them here.
6. Horn Clutch by Vince Camuto, Kurt Geiger, £105. Buy it here.
TOTAL: £335


I'm not Gok Wan. I'm not going to sit here and call you "gorjuz baby doll", and tell you to "work it, hunny". I know designer looks better than High Street. That's why it's more expensive. But the High Street exists for the purpose of getting the look that celebrities are wearing, for a fraction of the cost. And hey, Britain does this pretty well. In my opinion, British fashion defines itself by its High Street. Those 'most fashionable' aren't the ones you see dressed head-to-toe in Versace, Dolce, or MiuMiu. They're the ones who mix Topshop with Temperley, Primark with Prada, Gap with Gucci. And that's something to be commended. 

Love,
Belle x

Wish List Mondays #36 - Ode To A Rose

In the risk of sounding a bit like a stalker: I've been watching Rose Byrne for a long time. About 13 years, in fact. Back then, cable (and therefore Parental Locks) were pretty new. I watched a lot of films I really shouldn't have been able to - American Pie, Oscar & Lucinda, Titanic, to name but a few. But one particular film has remained with me for another reason than its inappropriateness: My Mother Frank was the first film I saw that starred Rose Byrne. This film was not, by any stretch of the imagination, one of Australian film's more memorable offerings. In fact, I can't even remember the storyline. The only thing I do remember is seeing Rose, and thinking just how wonderful she was. To this day, any time she comes on the screen, I say "she's my favourite actress". Not because she can move me to tears, or because her roles have been particularly boundary-pushing, she's just so very...watchable. Most people know her as her 'typecast role' - the uptight bitch of Bridesmaids, I Give It A Year, and, more recently, The Internship. Her filmography is far more impressive, with roles in Star Wars II, I Capture the Castle, X-Men: First Class, Troy, 28 Days Later, Marie Antoinette...the list goes on. But this is not entirely a big-up of Rose Byrne as an actress. This is also a fashion post, and she is one of the few people I can think of who gets it consistently 'right'. She never has a hair out of place, yet manages to look effortlessly put-together, as if she hasn't even tried. To me, that's fashion. 

Get the look:

LOOK ONE

1. Modern Jersey & Mesh Body, Topshop, £20. Touch my body, here.
2. 'Malva' Single Strap Sandals, Reiss, £129. Strap on, here.
3. Gold-Plated Multi-Stone Earrings by Bounkit, Net-a-Porter, £140. Get stoned, here.
4. Super Base Metallic Scale-Print Skinny Jeans by Sass & Bide, The Outnet, £108 (Sale Price). Scale down, here.
5. Bowler Hat, H&M, £8. Bowled over, here.
6. Patterned Minaudière, Zara, £60. Pitter-patterned, here.
7. 18K Gold-Plated Make A Wish Charm Bracelet, Kirstin Ash Jewellery, £89. Wishful thinking, here.

LOOK TWO

1. 'Alex' Silk Crepe de Chine Top by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Net-a-Porter, £195. Holy Crepe, here.

2. Embroidered Metallic Tweed Skirt by Oscar de la Renta, Net-a-Porter, £1,330. Heavy metal, here. 

3. Cream Lip Colour in Barely Peach by Trish McEvoy, Selfridges, £22. Life's a peach, here.

4. Lilac Rose Eye Palette by Bobbi Brown, Selfridges, £45. Artist's palette, here.

5. Pointed Ballerina with Ankle Strap, Zara, £23. Angelina Ballerina, here.

6. 'Goslin' T-Bar Points, Topshop, £68. Get the point, here.

LOOK THREE

1. Cutout Bodycon Dress, Topshop, £40. Red hot, here.

2. '2285U' Curling Wand by Babyliss, Amazon, £30. Curl up, here.

3. Colour-Intense Lipstick in 'Liable' by Illamasqua, Selfridges, £17. You're so intense, here.

4. Combined Sandal with Stiletto Heel, Zara, £30. Well heeled, here.

5. Box Office Pandora Perspex Clutch by Charlotte Olympia, Net-a-Porter, £1,595. Break the Box Office, here.

Thank you, Rose.

Love,

Belle x

Wish List Mondays & Tune Tape Tuesdays #26 - MASHUP

Hands up who had a good Bank Holiday Weekend. Me. I had a good Bank Holiday Weekend. In light of the fact that I'll no longer be a student in 10 days, I decided that this Bank Holiday I would practice not doing any work - for, y'know, when I actually get a job. Technically, being a student, I should have a lot of practice at not doing anything, but this is my shady excuse for not producing a Wish List yesterday and I'm sticking to it. Miraculously, we had no rain this weekend, so I was able to go out and stroll around the city in - wait for it - bare legs. Yep, it looks like Summer is well and truly here. So, to celebrate this (and to kill two birds with one stone), I thought I'd produce a MashUp post of Monday and Tuesday regulars. Imagine, if you will, that Fashion and Music had a beautiful, but sadly illegitimate, lovechild - and you might get something close to the post I've lined up for you. 

Cast your mind way back to the days of dial-up internet, landlines and VHS, when an an iPad was a cushion for your eye, and Kindles were something you put on a fire. In those days, I liked to spend my weekends fingering (don't be vulgar) the records in the record shop (think Empire Records as your cultural reference). Although vinyls had already been extradited to the basement, I still have fond memories of the hours I used to spend leafing through CDs - umming and ahhing over which one to buy. Like flat-caps and high-tops, vinyls are having something of a hipster resurgence. This weekend, I headed to Manchester's Northern Quarter, which is about as close you can get to a time warp without stepping through a tardis (or killing a human rabbit, for fans of Donnie Darko). Here, the record store is alive and well, and before I ran off to see A Place Beyond the Pines (which is super, by the way) I recaptured some childish joy by looking through the vinyls in Piccadilly Records. Glancing around at the trendy customers browsing the shelves, I realised that Fashion and Music do, on a whole, go pretty well together. I was thinking of doing a Music Genre-Based Fashion Overlook, but I am too tired/lazy. Until I muster the energy/courage for a post of that size, I thought I'd start off slow - contrasting the general fashion of those who attend Gigs (that is, instrument-based live music), with what my parents call "Raves" (i.e. live DJs). So, without any further ado, here is the first LBeLB MASHUP SPECIAL.

FASHION

"Come On Dahling, Let's Go Rahving"

1. 'Moonbeam' Crewneck Sweater by Billionaire Boys Club, EndClothing, £125. Beam me up Scotty, here.

2. Bright Leopard iPhone Shell, Topshop, £8. Deaf Leopard, here.

3. Zig-Zag Aztec Tunic, Topshop, £26. Az-Tech, here.

4. 'Tommy' Shorts by The Ragged Priest, Topshop, £55. Tie-Die For, here.

5. Crazy Animal HighShine Leggings, Topshop, £28. Get animalistic, here.

6. Giant Creole Triangle Hoop Earrings, ASOS, £10. Hula Hoop, here.

7. Red Bucci Hat with Yellow Ink, Brian Lichtenberg, $48. Bucci Mamma, here.

8. Metal Arm Flatbrow Sunglasses, Topshop, £16. Heavy Metal, here.

9. Air Force 1 Mid White High-Tops by Nike, Office, £72. Get high, here.

10. Mix Tape USB Stick, GettingPersonal, £20. Mix it up, here.

Gig-antic

1. Floral Print Blouse, Zara, £26. Print it out, here.

2. Canvas & PU Leather Jacket, H&M, £30. Hell for leather, here.

3. Black Pinafore Mini Dress, River Island, £20. Pin-teresting, here.

4. Cream Skinny Jeans, Topshop, £40. Cream your jeans, here.

5. Rouge Volupté Lipstick in No.17 Red Muse by Yves Saint Laurent, Selfridges, £25. Red or Dead, here.

6. Major 50 FX Headphones, Marshall, £140. See Major, here.

7. Leopard Head Top, H&M, £13. Take a walk on the wild side, here.

8. Gold Plated Red Rosebud & Bird Ring, Kirsten Ash Jewellery, £59. Roses are red, here.

9. Wooden Retro 3 Speed Turntable, Amazon, £100. Turning Tables, here.

10. Cross Over Leopard Print Wedges, Topshop, £45. Drive a wedge, here.

MUSIC

Before I start off with my little commentary, I'd like to mention some big news that had slipped both my mind and my attention for some time: The Strokes have a new album out. It's called 'Comedown Machine', and it's really bloody good. This week, I'm featuring one of my favourite tracks off the album: Chances. If you're digging their vibe but want to try before you buy, you can play the entire album on Grooveshark here. The top spot this week is filled by two tracks whose titles are remarkably similar: You and I by Allosaurus and You Got Me by Generationals. The similarities don't just end there, either - both have a bouncy Summer vibe and feature a large scoop of ice-cold synth for you to sit back and soak up. Next up is yet another track that's been released from the upcoming Great Gatsby OST: Beyoncé feat. Andre 3000's cover of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. With the big name of Beyoncé upping interest, the actual track is, I have to say, a little bit of a rip off. It really should be Andre 3000 feat. Beyonce, as the ex-Outkaster does most of the legwork here. Despite the minimal input of 'Queen Bey', the track is - like most of the Soundtrack - pretty damn strong. Only a week to go before The Great Gatsby is officially in cinemas, folks! Isaac Tichaeur's progressive House track was put up on FRENCH EXPRESS's Soundcloud channel this week and has already received nearly 40,000 plays. It's not hard to see why - this track is like musical liquid butter being poured in your ear. FRENCH EXPRESS also put up the next track Chris Malinchak's So Good to Me, which is also like melted chocolate for your ears. Mmmm. Sexual. Next up is a MashUp (appropriate) of Wolf + Lamb and PillowTalk, entitled Real Love. MashUps can be a bit hit and miss, but this one is executed to perfection. Stick it on and chill the fuck out. Carrying on with the PillowTalk theme, they've also done an edit of Mayer Hawthorne's The Makings of a Lover, which puts a Funky House spin on the soul classic. If you like The Drums, check out Bedroom's track, In My Head. The guitar riff could have been lifted from their first album - although the vocals put an ethereal Chillwave spin on the proceedings. Definitely worth a play or twelve. For a bit of funk with an Indie spin, play Jean Tonique's remix of Jabberwocky's Photomaton; the perfect mix of sexy vocals and toe-tapping downbeat. Last week, I featured Lana Del Rey's offering on The Great Gatsby Sountrack, Young and Beautiful. In the time since its release, it's already been pray to a number of remixes, but GOOFY N/Me's interpretation is by far the best I've heard. See if you agree. If there weren't enough remixes already, I've also decided to throw in The Chainsmokers' take on one of Phoenix's tracks: Trying to be Cool, off their new album, 'Bankrupt!'. It's a fairly commercial Electro sound, but don't let that stop you from doing twirls to the bus stop. That's all from me this week - now it's over to you. Enjoy! 

Love,
Belle x


PS. 

How Cool Is This Gold Lasonic Boombox:- 

Lush.

Wish List Mondays #21

There's that saying that goes: "If Mohammed will not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed." Well that's exactly how I feel about the weather at the moment. It's April, and it's freezing - "What's up wid dat?!" (South Park, 'It's a Jersey Thing'...nice.) So in a bid to bring on the warmer weather, and to give my winter wardrobe staple of black some time out, I've put together a Wish List of the brightest, Spring/Summer colours - because it looks like Spring as we know it, might have to be all in the mind this year. So go on, banish the black until next year, and splash out on some brights - Summer's just around the corner!

PS. If you were expecting an April Fool's post, it's after Midday, so the rules no longer apply. BOOYAH - playground politics.

1. Lace & Crystal Appliqué Silk Organza Top by Christopher Kane, Net-a-Porter, £965. Crystalised, here.
2. Blue Denim Pinny Dress, Topshop, £38. Pin(ny) Up, here.
3. Flower Hair Garland, ASOS, £10. Flowers in her hair, here.
4. Silk Zebra Shirt by Charlotte Taylor, Coggles, £235. Take off Zebra, baby, here.
5. Paint Effect Kaleidoscope Slim Jeans, Mango, £35. Collide the scope, here.
6. Colour Mismatch Earrings, ASOS, £8. Mis-matchmaker, here.
7. Pink Scent Perspex Perfume Box Clutch by Charlotte Olympia, Net-a-Porter, £795. Get some perspex-tive, here.
8. Jacquard Sash Belt with Embroidery, Zara, £30. Stash the sash, here.
9. Textured Nail Polish in Station Road, Barry M, £4. Mellow Yellow, here.
10. Gold Initial Ring by Chupi, Notonthehighstreet.com, £42. B the best, here.
11. Kathmandu Printed Leather Pouch by Mary Katrantzou, Net-a-Porter, £490. KathmanDO, here.
12. 'Fontanne' Blue Suede Shoe by B Brian Atwood, Kurt Geiger, £195. Don't step on my blue suede shoes, here.
13. 'Bronte' Zipper Tote Bag, Reiss, £165. Jane Eyre would approve, here.
14. 'Front of the Queue' Red Sandals, Office, £55. VIP Treatment, here.


I hope you all had a great Easter Weekend!

Love,
Belle x

Belle's Big Day Out

I love London. I first came as a tourist from Australia when I was 6, then I lived there for reals when I was a teenager, and now, living outside of the capital, I come as a visitor to our fair city. I love the smells, I love the lights, and, most of the time, I love the people. Yesterday I went into town to visit two old friends - one who I've known for 14 years, and one who I've known for 18 - and to try out my brand-spanking new camera. I started off at Liverpool Street, where I met my friend Hen for a spot of market browsing in Spitalfields. I forgot to get my camera out for this one, but this is how it looks...

...unfortunately 'crowd exhaustion' stopped us from spending too much time here, so we swiftly moved on to Duck & Waffle, an amazing restaurant suspended above London on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower on Bishopsgate...

My Bloody (Amazing) Mary

Our precariously-placed table - not one for those with vertigo...

Whilst staring out over London, we munched on a bag of BBQ Crispy Pigs Ears (like Pork Crackling, but 100% better). I had the Duck and Waffle (confit duck leg on a belgian waffle, topped with a fried duck egg and drowned in mustard maple syrup = heaven.), Hen had waffles with cream and berries (d-lish). Here's some food porn...

BBQ Crispy Pigs Ears

Duck & Waffle's Duck and Waffle

Waffle, Cream & Berries

After our waffle-fest, I left poor Hen to go home and finish her ironing and I hopped on the Number 11 bus (the best bus, as all Londoners know). Obviously shotgunning the front seat on the top deck (why would you not), I sat back and watched as St Paul's, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey sailed by me en-route to Chelsea. Whilst I was there, I managed to battle through the hoardes of post-Christmas Sale nutters to pick up a pair of these bad boys to wear tonight...

Office, £45. Get em here.

...before I was off again to Green Park to meet up with my Australian pal Joe, who's over here visiting. We went to Shepherd's Market for a drink before wandering under the bright lights of Carnaby Street over to Soho's Golden Square for a drink in Graphic. After a bottle (or two, it had been a while...) we decided a sensible thing might be to get dinner. So, being practically a London Yoda, I suggested we headed over to my favourite pizzeria in town - Pizza East in Portobello. We sat at the bar, right in front of the chefs and the wood-fired pizza ovens, drooling over everything that came out. We ate garlic bread and drank champagne, before I settled on a Pork Belly pizza, and Joe had one with spicy sausage. 

Garlic Bread (not my photo as I ate it too quickly)

Pork Belly Pizza (aka the Mouth Orgasm) 

Feeling full and maybe a little stumble-y, we walked up Portobello Road back to Notting Hill Gate where we said our goodbyes. Although not for long - we'll be back for Round 2 tonight! I hope you all have an amazing New Year wherever you are - see you in 2013!

Love,
Belle x

Wish List Mondays #8 - Sale Special

As there are only two weeks 'til Christmas, I'm sure many of you are feeling rather financially drained... Cue Mid-Season Sale Time! Top pick is the JBrand Jean - 65% off and only £80! I will definitely be investing in some of those bad boys. So reach once more for your credit cards ladies, because these deals are just too good to miss...

1. Pistachio T-Shirt, Reiss, £39 (was £79). Buy it here.
2. Black Fit & Flare Dress, French Connection, £55 (was £110). Buy it here.
3. Cream Satin Blouse, H&M, £12 (was £25). Buy it here.
4. 'Kiki' High-Rise Flared Jeans by J-Brand, The Outnet, £80 (was £230). Buy it here.
5. Gold-Plated Snake Rings by Kevia, The Outnet, £54 for 3 (was £120). Buy them here.
6. Paisley Skirt, Topshop, £12 (was £28). Buy it here.
7. Sky Collar Dress by Sister Jane, Topshop, £45 (was £68). Buy it here.
8. Cross Earrings by Pieces, ASOS, £4 (was £9). Buy them here.
9. Pearly Stones Necklace, H&M, £10 (was £15). Buy it here.
10. Leopard Print Court Shoe, Office, £35 (was £70). Buy them here.
11. Studded Ankle Boots, Topshop, £55 (was £75). Buy them here.


Happy Shopping!

Merry Christmas,
Belle x