Simplicity Revised

By Neslihan

I think I've always been the kind of girl who was -deep down- more interested in basic simplicity than in overly embellished clothing. And my personal clothing style might tell you I'm lying as I'm a total schizophrenic when it comes to dressing up. One day I'm this crazy colouring book (the fashionably accepted version of course) and the other day I can be this mourning widow dressed in all shades of black. And yes, I do believe black has all kinds of shades. I don't know how many there are yet but I've got my whole life ahead of me to figure out. My daily look totally depends on how I feel and that mood leads my fingers to all  the corners of my not so big closet. These choices actually lie in my subconsciesness. It's something that just happens. No overthinking when it comes to setting up a look and that's what so fun about it.

But let me talk to you about simplicity. Simplicity is when clean cuts and beautifully finished clothing stand above the glitz and glam hodgepodge. Simplicity is art versus kitsch and eventhough kitsch shouldn't sound negative -as I'm a kitsch lover- art is timeless. Art is when you touch a pair of pants and the fabric feels smooth and the seams are flawless. Art is when you buy a blazer and you just know that you'll be able to wear it for a decade because the model is timeless and the quality is immortal. That's also how I'd describe a classic.

As I came across Ece Salici's creations I was amazed by her sense of style. I didn't know to what I should compare her clothing line (sounds so denigrating but whatever). I thought her geometric aproach to femininity was certainly very refreshing. The way she combined different materials like the leather and organza was brilliant and it also created a nice balance between the sweet and the rough. I don't know about her fashion shows but what I also liked about the online shop was the styling. How the pieces were combined with each other. The totality of the outfits made sense to me.

You can all ask yourselves what Ece Salici has to do with all this stuff I've mentioned above but don't bother. You could better let me explain. Ece's creations made me think in some kind of way. How simple and how basic does her clothing actually look? But she shouldn't be put down in such a way because that is not what this lady deserves. 'Basic' sounds less than what she's really up to.Have you seen her mixing colours? Have you seen how effortlessly sexy her clothing looks? Have you seen how succesfully she combines cotton candy blue with black leather? I don't think I need to add anything else.

Looking at her looks truly made me realise that we were not talking about classic simplicity. It's simplicity revised because Ece somehow manages to create modern,  refreshing, relevant fashion but time will tell how timeless she is...

Pictures: www.­ecesalici.­com

Tommy helps the poor

By Neslihan
I've always believed in being yourself. It's important to stay true to who you are. Certainly when you own a blog. It's about stating your opinion but also leaving some space for other point of views. So, when I stumbled into Tommy Hilfiger adds for their Millennium Promise Collection I was highly skeptical. This collection is inspired by African prints and the full profit of it goes to the 'Millennium Villages Project' in Africa. When charity oriented organizations state things like this I always get critical and wonder which share of it truly goes to that good cause. Because we donate our money in order to help people in need not knowing what happens with it. In lots of cases a small part really goes to that cause because those organizations have employees and shipping costs. So, what really is left is only a fraction of the totality of this huge sum. And of course it's logical that they too have their own costs but this whole charity thing is one big, black blur to me.

So, you can probably guess my thoughts on this collection. I think it's wonderful that lots of fashion companies care about global problems like those concerning our environment but also poverty. These companies already have a public and fame so it's easier to reach people. Still I felt something wasn't right. I surfed a bit on the web and found out that every single penny of income would go to MVP. I was amazed, I mean do people (read mega brands) like that exist? Or am I just too pesimistic to think that wealthy companies really are willing to help the less lucky in our world? Or are organizations like this one too idealistic? What's wrong with that? As long as they're realistic, everything's still ok, right? And you have to start somewhere. You can't have it all at once. It's about work, hard work.

But let's take a look at the clothing. I've never been quite fond of Tommy Hilfiger. It's really preppy, totally not my style either. The soft pinks, greens and blues are so in contradiction with my own taste. This collection though is nice. I mean, I wouldn't wear the whole collection but there are three pieces I'd definitely wear: the two tees and the last shorts. And ok, I'd give the dress a shot but that's about it. You either like their charity collection or don't.

And I know, me sitting here, writing about it in my comfortable chair, doesn't exactly make me a hero. But I'm always way too skeptical to donate money to organizations but -this is going to sound extremely stupid, I know- I do buy clothing from Anti-Aids collections like those from H&M's. I don't do it because I want to support the organization to be honest, I just like the clothes. So, the risk with collections is that people often forget or do not know what the concept is. As for myself I still have to find a way to be involved and more conscious about Third World problems. The clock keeps ticking.

 More info at http://be.tommy.com/hilfiger/millennium-promise,nl_BE,pg.html.

Veni, vidi, vici - London Vintage

By Neslihan
Hello to you all,
I'm back in my beloved Ghent and I must admit I'm very happy to be back. Even though London is an amazing, energetic and very inspiring city, it feels good to be back somewhere less busy. The city truly makes you go in overdrive but visiting Camden was the most amazing part of the whole trip. It's so alternative and you can find lots of original and great pieces there. It's also such a difference with the other places in the city. It feld like a haven of peace. My friends and I visited the vintage shops and also the accessory stalls that were there to find. I had this list of all the things I'd like to have and this list was long but I had to set my priorities so I've shortened the list to a maximum of 5 goods with shoes on top. You probably know already that I'm a sucker for a great pair of Dr. Martens and that was also what was on top of my list but the thing was I already had a pair. So, I had to go for some other pair and since I wanted to have creepers too, I bought creepers from Dr. Martens. The best of both worlds, innit? Another thing on this list was a great pair of vintage denim, 80's-inspired, high-waist shorts and I found them at Berty and Gery, the most amazing vintage shop I've visited so far. And the sales staff was also very friendly and helpful! A must go!
I've taken some pictures but they are not that sharp because there not taken with a fancy camera since I don't have one. So you'll have to stick to this.

Vintage galore

My buys

How is your Easter Break so far?

Love.

Things I'm currently in love with: part one

I know the fact that I keep switching languages can get quite annoying but I just cannot help it. When I see something and get inspired I start thinking in the language that has or nothing to do with it or is connected to it. Pretty logical. Anyways I will be posting in English consistently or at least try to do so. The reason of this post is explained in the title. I have lots of pictures that I kept saving on my computer and I think it's time to share those with you.

1) Detail picture of Dolce & Gabbana RTW fall/winter 2011-2012: Okey, can we all stop nagging about the fact that it's fall? This counts for me as well! Look at those great fall/winter collections. Look and fall in love! I'm currently in love with false and tasty blingbling and yes, tasty blingbling exists. It's kitsch but I like!

2) I have a gitter obsession! I don't know whether it's healthy but my nails love it! My nails are screaming for more because less isn't more when it comes to sparkles! You may say that it's childish and proves bad taste but I do certainly not share your opinion. It's the best feeling of nostalgia I get. (These aren't my nails.)

3) This isn't something that happened currently. I had a thing for Nicole long before she got married. She has this natural grungy, bohemian style going on which I absolutely adore. These days she looks a little more ladylike though but there's nothing that wouldn't look good on her.

4) People who follow me on tumblr already know this but since Burberry has come up with this jacket I've been hit in a really hard way by its awesomeness. Thank god H&M has this too but only cheaper!

5) People who have been following me on my old blog already know this but I have a galaxy print addiction as well. This doesn't mean that I'm over my flowerpower period. It simply means I've one more print addiction. These scarfs belong to Emmanual Bousset and they're made of 100% silk.

6) Well, I do not only love her latest music video but also some of her hair styles. Right now I'm obsessed with her short hair from a while ago. I'd like to have this hairdo but the thing is I do not have the patience to grow it again. So it's still one big questionmark.

7) I just love the inspiration it provides me! Really! Follow me on: http://fashionmaniaatlarge.tumblr.com/! 

N.D.

Skirtmania

Hopelijk hebben jullie allemaal een goed weekend en vervelen jullie zich niet op deze saaie zondag. Als dat toch het geval is, heb ik een tijdverdrijf gevonden voor jullie allen. De site van Asos is de perfecte partner in crime voor de verveelde medemens onder ons. Ze hebben zo'n unieke kledingstukken in de mooiste kleuren. Neem nu de bovenstaande rokken: het zijn echte pareltjes, niet? De eerste is gewoon mijn favoriet! Die kleur, dat model en gecombineerd met zwart wordt die helemaal te gek! Zoals jullie zien, zijn het allemaal lange of halflange rokken en zo heb ik ze eigenlijk het liefst. Voor de minilovers onder ons heeft de de site meer dan 100 verschillende soorten: felblauw, metalic, simpel zwart of met polkadots: er is voor elk wat wils.
English translation: I hope y'all are having a fabulous weekend! For those of you who don't and are bored on this lazy Sunday, I've found the perfect distraction: The Asos site! They have the most unique clothing in the most amazing colours! The skirts above are beautiful, aren't they? The first one is my absolute favourite! That colour, its shape and the combination with black is just awesome! Like y'all can see the skirts above are all long or midi and that's how I like 'em! The site has lots (read more than 100) of mini skirts as well. Bright blue, metalic, simple black or polkadots: the choice is up to you!

N.D.

Conscious Collection by H&M

Er raast een heuse 70's-wind bij H&M. De Zweedse  winkelketen is doordrenkt met jaren 70-invloeden en dat houdt A-lijnjurkjes, felle kleuren en heel wat wol in. Rechte jurkjes in turquoise: waarom niet? Het is niet enkel de jaren 70 die er zegevieren, want ook de jaren 50 worden opgerakeld. Wat dacht je van tweed, pied de poule en heel veel zwart/wit à la Chanel? Voor iedere modeliefhebber is er dus wat wils. Zoals elk jaar is er ook dit jaar een Conscious Collection, vervaardigd uit gerecycleerde en biologisch afbreekbaar materiaal. Dit jaar echter ziet het er ongelooflijk chique uit! De inspiratiebron bij uitstek lijkt wel Erdem te zijn geweest. Denk: zachte kleurtjes, romantische jurkjes, kant, bloemenprints en vrouwelijke silhouets. Een prachtige collectie is het geworden. En milieubewust shoppen binnen het budget, dat wil toch iedereen?
English translation: The 70's have made a comeback in H&M. The 70's have invaded all of their stores but it wasn't unexpected though. Marc Jacobs had already showed us that the 70's were making a huge comeback (ready to wear, spring/summer 2011). Since every budget brand's job is to copy what lives on the catwalks in Paris, London or New York, H&M did the same thing: A-line dresses, smashing colours and lots of wool were imported into their fall/winter collection. The 70's though are not the only era that is being brought to life again. The 50's are too. Tweed, pied de poule prints and tons of black and white à la Chanel are the main ingredients to let the 50's revive. You name it, they have it. There is a Conscious Collection too because it has sort of become a tradition to create clothing from biodegradable materials at H&M's. This year's inspiration seems to be Erdem. Think of soft colours, romantic dresses, lace, florals and feminine silhouets. A marvellous collection. Shopping low-budget and environmantally concsious: isn't that what everybody wants?

Info: Do collectie was vanaf 06/10/2011 verkrijgbaar bij de geselecteerde winkels./The collection is available since the 6th of October 2011 in the selected stores.

N.D.