Modern Day Nymph: Jemima Kirke

By Neslihan

You know those girls who have this natural bohemian vibe going on? The ones that don't stuff their hair with fake plastic floral crowns in order to show you that they don't give two shits about fashion. They're the girls I'm jealous of. Seriously, how do they pull that off? How do they look effortlessly cool and yet comfortable in their fashionable -they'd shoot you for using that word- granny dresses? I already paid an ode to Florence -absolute babe- Welch on this blog and praised her fiery hair and floor length gowns but I think I'm girl-crushing AGAIN. The object of my crush is 'Girls' star Jemima Kirke. Not only do I love her character, Jessa, in 'Girls' but also her personal off screen style. I love how she wears what she wants and how she doesn't care about 'body-flattering' fashion. As if being curvy is a crime and you should be punished for it by restricting your clothing choices. That's the only thing I hate about make-over shows like 'Trinny and Susannah'. Let everyone wear what she/he damn likes, you know?! That's why I love people like Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke. They're absolutely stunning girls and don't give a fuck about Holywood's body standards and they're so creative and smart with fashion. They don't wish to be a fashion designer's pet and lend their bodies as fashion advertisments. They stay true to their own personal style and taste and I think that's what makes you credible in life: TO BE AS YOU ARE. One philosophy I will never abandon. Jemima's personal style can be best described as dusty attic glamour pimped with vinatge witchy gems. Jemima loves comfort and clothing with a story. So she'll visit the local flea market to look for 2nd hand kaftans and used brown leather bags instead of rushing to dig in the sales of huge boutiques. She often reminds me of this fairy who got lost and found herself in 21st century NYC. It seems as if every day is a dress up show for Jemima, yet she manages not to overdo it and look enviably naturel. Jemima often wears long dresses, kaftans made from rich fabrics and jewelery with authenticity. It sounds as if the whole can be quite dramatic but she tones it down with the hair and make-up. Looking pure and healthy is always the most important. She's never excessive with make-up, the most excessive thing she does is probably pop up some vampy red lipstick. When it comes to hair, she chooses a messy bun or loose nymph hair over a glamour look.

P R E A C H I N G
The reason I posted this is, I want Jemima to inspire us. I want us to feel as if all options are open and there are endless possibilities. I want us not only to copy Jemima's style but also her body positivity. Let's feel incredibly beautiful and embrace our curves and stretchmarks. Let's celibrate it with cropped tops and hotpants because a body like yours should be seen anytime.

Ps. I'm so sorry for the different sizes of the pictures. It looks so incredibly unprofessional but I never claimed to be a whizzkid either. I wished I had some graphic skillz, then I'd probably be able to create more than just silly, colourful paint frames.

Armed with a handbag

By Neslihan

Today I woke up, watched the final 2 episodes of American Horror Story and realized that it's about time I pay a visit to my own blog instead of gushing about someone else's. My last exam was on the 19th of June and I have been watching series and creating collages eversince. My mind is being invaded by beautiful collections, accessories, movies and ART in short. Now I'm realizing that I have a big fat 2.5 month vacation ahead of me, I'm kind of panicking because I'm an enormous workaholic. I constantly want to be busy and see, learn, feel new things. I'm telling you, I've been making lists of movies I should watch and books I should read and topics I should blog about. I constantly have to feel pressure because my life kind of feels empty without it. I know this sounds crazy but I have been trying to slow down lately. That kind of explains my lack of lust for blogging lately. Everytime I started blogging I felt like the thing I was writing wasn't significant enough, so I stopped and have now stored 3-4 unfinished blogposts in my concepts draft. I'm so terribly sorry (I don't really mean it though) but it just didn't feel right. So I'm picking up the pieces once again (OMG why so D R A M A T I C) and reviving this self-proclaimed fashion blog.

First up: Versace Galore

It has actually been quite a while since I've posted anything that was 'catwalk material' but I guess I had lost my interest in that side of fashion until this Versace collection popped up and restored my faith in the fashion gods. I like how Donatella and her fashion brand are always balancing between vulgarity, bad taste, Italian quirkiness and craftsmanship. The Spring 2015 collection is cool as ice and sleek like a motherfucker. It drifts somewhere inbetween flawless manly silhouettes and elegant femininity. That remark comes from a stereotypical perception of masculinity and femininity of course but before I enter the debate on gender roles, I'd like to finish this vain attempt to a -what's called 'fashion review' in the fashionable mouths of the beau monde. I love how Donatella has created those unicolour outfits, which don't only look chiquer but also richer. As in richer colours, fabrics and postures. I like the beige and cold grey together (4th picture) and I adore how she paired up an outfit like this with freakin' sandals. It's as if she is showing us the new business man, who doesn't take himself that serious. Someone who's ready to pop in funky pinks, soft minimalistic blues and shiny beiges. He isn't afraid of wearing handbags and accentuating his waist. Wait, I think I'm creating this amazing utopia in which everyone creates her/his own (fashion) identity without being told that something looks too manly or girly for him/her.

If 'Scarface' were to have a 2014 remake and I were to be the stylist, I'd put every single actor in a summer '15 Versace outfit because 'Scarface' means power, luxury, refinement and bling and I'm afraid Versace has all of it to offer, including the handbags. I had enough of the stiff and macho definition of 'masculinity', enter loafers, chinos, shiny fabrics and flexible gender lingo.

Personal inarticulate scribblings

By Neslihan
I feel like all I wanna do is nag about how sick I feel and cough and sneeze inbetween. Accopmpanied by accessories such as hankerchiefs and a candybar. And all I actually think of is how much this all is stopping me from doing things I had planned to do. I feel down and wanna shout how miserbale I feel. So everybody will know and keep that in account when I'm being an unbearable toddler. This also teaches me to listen more to my body, not to overrush things. Cuz lately I've been feeling hunted, as if I'm out of time. I'm juggling school life, love life and friends all at once and I'm dropping at least one everytime I try to juggle three of them. And it feels aweful and incomplete and a little voice keeps on telling me I can't have it all at once but I'm an overachiever so I try to combine them anyway and at the end I'm left alone and forget to be on my own sometimes. This confuses me and loneliness that once felt pleasant, feels awkward and painful because I learned to rely on others, when I once only relied on myself. So the most obvious solution for my so-called problem would be to appreciate again to be on my own. To take myself on dates, to be my own best friend again. Question myself less when I'm doing things for others but to focus more on the things I want for MY OWN. I feel like ambition and love kind of make yourself focus less on your centre because or you're working on something on the long run (ambition) so the result will be there after 4 to 5 years (school) or you're working on your relationship with others (boyfriend/friends) and therefore can't be selfish. At the end I'm living in the future and forget how much fun the present actually is. Imagine when this is all over and all I did was stressing about papers and books and I don't even have a cool story to tell my grandkids? I know it sounds silly but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel lived instead of living. I feel like I've turned into a boring 30 y.o. when I promised myself to loosen up a bit more in uni. I think I've got to tell myself that I'm in charge and shouldn't stress about things I can alter cuz life is in our hands and you can throw it away in the trashbin next to your desk or you can take it in both your hands, fumble it up, juggle it and drop it to pick it right up again. I feel an uncontrolable desire to embrace failures, yet at the same time I'd like to succeed. And I think because I always was so ambitious and zealous I never quite learned to cope with failures and I'm really aware of that now. Cuz I think the power of actually succeeding lies in your ability to deal with mistakes and failures and incorporate these things in a personal learning process, which is hard to see at the moments you're failing cuz the purpose of your failures (teaching you something) comes after a time. And sometimes it never comes, sometimes it just says you're plain stupid and you have to move on.

This moodboard tells exactly how I feel: physically vulnerable, yet mentally fierce, sophisticated, yet bold, elegant, yet unsubtle, traditional, yet radically rebellious, sexy, yet repellent, arrogant, yet insecure, soft, yet shocking, passive, yet aggressive, quiet, yet powerful.

1) Ola Rudnicka photographed by Willy Vanderperre for AnOther S/S 2014
2) Backstage at Meadham Kirchhoff F/W 2014
3) Flickr/Woefromwit
4) Source unknown
5) 'Oedipus Rex' by Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1967
6) Source unknown
7) Source unknown
8) Photograph by Dario Catellani

Talking business

I love dualities, what can I say. I just love how 'un-black -and white' things are. At first you're like it's this but when you take a closer look at things you can be amazed by the nuances lurking behind fabrics, styles and colours. Women for decades have tried to dress in a way they could be taken seriously by their male colleagues. Professional YSL deux-piéces, black tight knee-length Dior pencil skirts, boring tweed Chanel blazers but I think it's time to turn the tables. Just because you're 'accidentally' a woman doesn't mean you should hide your femininity and playfulness. It's time to re-claim your sensuality and femininity without having to give in on looking professionally. Whenever I watch dull restyling programs, those Trinnies and Susannahs are always like "DoNT W3aR C011ouRS, U WNT PEEpL To T4K3 u SER1OuSlY" and all my neckhairs rise. What is wrong with colours and following your own style? What is wrong with unconventional materials at the office? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. And that's what (from left to right) Christopher Kane, Prabal Gurung, Versace and Mary Katrantzou are showing us. They're showing us that you can show some skin and still be the fucking boss. They make us aware of the fact that metalics are the new black. And that lilac leather split skirts are MADE to wear at the office, hence worn with a nice shirt. You don't wanna go trash queen on this one. And prints, my friend, are made to bedazzle your colleagues with its crowdedness.

To end this rather long blogpost.

Things I never got

On the Spring/Summer collections

By Neslihan

Let me sum up Dolce and Gabbana in a couple of words for you: boring you with one print which is being used for three kinds of clothing pieces. Because re-using this print for a midi dress, mini dress and midi skirt totally refreshes things. NOT. I am so damn bored of the classy, stiff, Sicilian mater familias theme. "Hey, we're Italians and we like to create the stereotype of the southern woman: which is sexy, sophisticated and a bit stiff." Upperclass boredom. And aren't you hating those chunky golden earrings already? Fuck your sophistication, Domenico and Stefano, we're all up for the next phase.

I used to worship Karl Lagerfeld until he totally started to hate on women being women (read not a size 0). He's just puking tweed in everything he does for Chanel. Okay, we get it, it was Gabrielle's signature but damn, man, can we move on now? Tweed aint no rock and roll. Tweed aint young. And tweed definitely aint an all year material. Who the hell wears tweed when it's 40°C out there? Exactly what I thought. And looking at his last collection I decided that I didn't wanna look like my grandmother's curtain.

Hey, it's Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy before he went totally hipster cool with his Disney deers and sensual orchids. But this is not Riccardo, it's that other motherfucker. The motherfucker named Marc Jacobs creating his last collection for Louis Vuitton. And this kind of breaks my heart because boy, have I enjoyed Marc's designs for the French luxury house blossoming since forever. It was a symbolic collection but not as touching as Raf's last collection for Jil Sander. Marc had created this powerful atmosphere of mourning, or that's what we, bloggers, make out of it. However I'd liked it more if Marc dearest would've gone all quirky on his last one for Vuitton but he didn't and that's a lost cause, my friend.        
    

   
Elie Saab is one of the things you can't hate. It's beautifully elegant and perfectly tailored but I always feel so out of place when I'm looking at his clothes. Also I always kind of feel like he creates the same dresses over and over again with adjusting minor details like colour, sleeves and split. It's crazy classy but so-oh boring. Perfect for bridesmaids and brides but we girls are more than only fragile. Give me some dirt to plunge my trainers in.

All fashion journalists write about Dior is the decor. Like seriously am I reading a fashion magazine or a DIY garden section in some lousy hobby magazine? Ofcourse it looks magical and touching but it's bad when the review on the decor is bigger than the review on the clothes. And I think that's a pity since I was so excited on Raf's take over at Dior's. Give the man some credit, and by the man, I mean his fashion and not on his roses, peonies et cetera.

You only hate on Kenzo because you're not part of the cool gang. So there is no legitimate excuse on hating Kenzo except one: the tiger sweater, which was literally on every blog that could afford one. But you got to be fair in your confessions: I'm totally in love with the shark theme but I'm totally gonna hate it if the sweater above appears on every blog like earlier the already mentioned tiger sweater.

Lena Dunham, an unorthodox cover girl being tamed

By Neslihan

PROs
Lena Dunham for Vogue

The polka dot Burberry shirt

This video

CONs

source

source

source

source

After this short intro I can finally cut to the chase. When the news of Lena Dunham being February's Vogue cover star hit the non-existing Anarchy of Roses HQs I was gasping for breath. Not only do I identify myself with Lena's vanity, humour and genius but I also love how unorthodox and daring she is. Let me further express myself: she is the mastermind behind 'Girls', a non-compromising tv series following the daily struggles of 4 twenty-something girls in Brooklyn- New York. And these are exactly the things I like about the series but I'm not an objective criterion either since I'm literally gushing about it on a daily basis. But let me put it this way: if you're looking for a series that shows you awkward, uncomfortable, non-airbrushed, fictionalized reality than 'Girls' is definitely what you're looking for. I'm talking about break-ups, unflattering nudity, nervous breakdowns and the occasional moments of enlightenment. It's not typical American feelgood and life certainly doesn't have a lesson on the end of each episode. The series is about failing incessantly and trying to get back up afterwards and I think that's what we need. We don't need glamorized Hollywood productions telling us how we should live our lives or dress ourselves. The series has such a basic content, yet it's so powerful since a lot of people can identify themselves with the characters. And I think there's where this series' strength lies. It's not about perfect representations or escapism, it's about being subtly caressed by reality, showing us we're not the only ones struggling.
I wasn't expecting the same amount of reality from Vogue. We're talking about the fashion bible which is being set as an example for millions and millions of women. It's a copy paste thing. It's in because it's in Vogue and not the other way around. They make tomorrow's icons, so they still have that original authority thing going on, as one of the very few magazines. But I kind of lost that admiration for Vogue. I actually always freaked about their covers and editorials but the thing is the more I got engaged with fashion and fashion magazines, the less I could relate to the editorials and the fashion portrayed in it. It felt too literally, too forced, too unreal to get in touch with. The perfection combined with the excessive airbrushing made me look out for something more real (read blogs and magazines with personality). Ofcourse I do not think Vogue is the only magazine that actually airbrushes its models but IT IS SO GOD DAMN OBVIOUS WHEN THEY DO IT. I guess I'm ready for something new. More edgy perhaps, something that will inpsire me to explore my own identity instead of adopting the one 'the industry' creates. To put it dramatically: I H4V3 L1B3ER4T3D MYS3LF.
Ofcourse I think it's a pity that Anna Wintour and her acolytes didn't grab this opportunity to get rid of their infamous and not so body-friendly reputation, which is their and so many other women's loss. You just cannot underestimate the impact they have on the female population since they're a platform for women starting from the age of 16 to 77. Like why are there no tasteful nudes of Lena in Vogue? This is what she does, she stands for body positivity, why not accentuate that? Why is the cover so safe? And why does it show so many similarities with ID's Wise Up issue? I also feel like if Lena can't change the mentalities, who will ever be able to do so? It's just a never ending debate and I think it's bullshit. Denying the existence of other body types won't make them suddenly disappear and I think they deserve a bit of attention since they're also amongst the buyers and since they monthly invest in this magazine's growth. Wouldn't you think so, Anna?

Despite the criticism I think the pictures turned out really well. And can I get an AMEN for Adam Driver please? I'm also in love with the setting, oh Brooklyn, my heart's pounding for you.

This picture has actually nothing to do with the whole Vogue story but I had to share this one. How amazing does she look in that darling red dress?

A Letter to the Royal Academy

By Neslihan

Dear Academy,
Before you end your 50th birthday, I'd like to tell you a thing or two. You've been celebrating your glorious birthday which was filled with appreciation, inspiration and aspiration. Something like: "We've been doing well but we'd like to do better in the future." You've had Ackermann and Van Noten as your pupils and now they've all reached that point in which they could teach YOU a couple things. You're seen as this unaccessible ice queen who has shot herself in this fireproof iron tower and this reputation is most likely accurate. You're an institution, a royal household even (hence Royal Academy). You produce the fashion elite in this country and even beyond since we're 8th in the 'Top 50 Fashion Schools in the World' ranking. Do you even know what that means? It means, you, dear Academy, have gained the monopoly over fashion designing. Not bad for a country as big as Louis XIV 's backyard. (This one is total exaggeration but I'm tryina make a sketch for you *wink*) And during your birthday you've had uncountable eulogies, including an amazing retrospective looking back on your iconic history. And it is worth a retrospective, I must say. But here is the actual reason of my blogging. I've had a quite emotional conversation with this girl, who studied fashion design at KASK (your little brother in Ghent) but after a time she had had a couple of bad experiences in her private life and she had to quit studying because she was suffering from a total inspiration block. She had to put everything in order before she could start designing again. She put her aspiration on hold and decided to study Art History. This is completely theoretical and this doesn't entirely feed her aesthetics. She's constantly drowning in inspiration again but she can't live it up. Because it's too expensive, too cold and too exhausting to start all over again. And we all know how exclusive those academies are. She also told me about the amount of foreign designers in such academies and I think that's a pity. Because whe should be focussing on our own talents, who are truly waiting to be discovered. The Royal Academy and every other Fashion Academy should be a platform for young starting designers who want to add something to the fashion world. What they're suffering now is constant unappreciation and rejection. We should open our arms and educate them because they've got so much to show us. Artists who are studying to actually become one (this sounds so weird) have always encountered difficulties in terms of funding and scholarships. Let me explain. Take a history student for example, she's applying for a scholarship and she could easily get one. But when it comes to designers they have to have their own funds. Everything they invest comes from their own savings. I don't know whether we have funds here in Belgium for studying artists, there is so much ambiguity surrounding the topic. And I'd like to know more about it as I'll keep my eyes on you, dear Academy.
Happy birthday once more.

For the retrospective: http://www.momu.be/tentoonstellingen/nu_in_het_momu/
For more info: http://hbda.be/new/nl/activiteiten/antwerp-icons

PS I know how cliché this Antwerp Six picture is but it's so great.
PPS I'm sorry for the unstructured rambling.

bck 2 skool

By Neslihan
It's actually crazy to realize how things can alter this quickly. I'm going through some huge changes in my life right now. Firstly summer is officially O-V-E-R. This means no bare legs (but fuck it), not shaving your legs (god bless) and the end of that sweet feeling of eternity (cry). Another thing is actually about me moving into another student flat due to some problems with my previous owner. And the last change is probably the biggest one: I'M STARTING UNIVERSITY, U GUYZ! I decided to study History since I'm really into it and since I aspire to become a real life encyclopedia. I'm looking forward to start my studies and I truly want to be fully drawn to it. Some friends who already go to uni have warned me that I will regret this very, very soon but what do they know, GOSH. (Arrogance should be seen as a virtue by the way.)
But let's talk about the end of summer. I mean it is my favourite season. I just love the "let's put on a sheer fabric and some pink clogs" kind of vibe. Of course I don't wear clogs, wish I had a pair of clogs and/or guts to pull that look off. But hey, I will get there. Aren't you the cutest thing everrr? I love the sun burning in my neck, not very fond of the incessant sweating and pasta pesto kind of smell when I do so but I love to eat strawberries in the local park and feel like I'm some kind of new wave hippie. And I know how self-centered this all sounds but that really is the purpose of my blog. Sorry, you don't feel it. What does cheer me up about this horrifying change of seasons is actually the fact that I can shop for a new, cosy coat. I guess everything has a 'bright' side except for killing your cat. (I'm sorry for this sadistic joke. I totally love cats) Here are a couple unaffordable models. Cry with me please.

It's 10 PM and I'm expected at the office. I run a huge fashion magazine and this Dior beauty is a gift since Raf and I aren't only fellow citizens but also BFs. I enter the building, get into the elevator and slam my coat on my assistant's desk. Very Miranda Priestly and a crazy fantasy of mine.

I feel like fake fur is the ultimate garment to wear to an haute couture fashion show and I do attend a lot of fashion shows since I'm the editor in chief. I wear this one to Van Noten's haute couture show because what's better than wearing his furry to his show? I love this one because it has the needed elegance but it also has this urban feel to it. Perfect for a stroll through Central Parc.

I wear Marni's dégradé coat to a rendez-vous at a Parisian café. My toyboy, who's also a model, and I are having a café latté and we talk about how crazy Marc (Jacobs DU-UH) actually is. My scarlet red lipstick stains on the coffee cup and we light up a cigarette. And Edith Piaf's 'La Foule' plays as we're about to kiss. Oh, all them clichés.

My girlfriends and I have decided to eat out at a super chique restaurant. You know, the one where you can personally order you 50$-burger (shamelessly decadent, I know). It's snowing outside and my toes are actually freezing in my bare toe Chanel pumps but my wool Prada coat is all I need to keep me warm.

This is my not-so-daily-daily coat. I wear it to gallery openings and movie premieres but also when I buy a bouqet of peonies at the local bio market. It's also the one, which appeals the most to me because of its manly fit and outstanding cut. Stella McCartney has actually designed this specially for me.

You're not buying this but neither am I. I'll stick to H&M or Zara due to my financial status 
:((()))

Pictures: style.com

Superbia

By Neslihan
I never got why vanity or pride was a sin. I mean what's better than a great dose of self-loving or should I say self-glorification. And vanity was never as accurate as in our digital age. Facebook, Blogger, Instagram, Vine, Tumblr: it's all about justifying your extreme pride. Hey, look at me! Look at what I'm doing! Look at what I wear! Like me, hype me, love me! It has never been more present than this.

I remember growing up having rolemodels. I worshipped The Spice Girls and Jennifer Lopez must have been my style icon at the age of 6. I wanted to dress, walk and talk like her. I would buy a bunch of teen magazines and try to copy her style and 'If you had my love' was on repeat. I would lipsing to it as I'd flawlessly whip my hair back and forth. Those were the carefree days. I couldn't care less what my outfit looked like. I would be dressed in red from head to toe and I stood behind my decisions because I was confident about my colour comboes. I didn't care less about other's opinions and in some strange kind of way I still don't but something has changed along the road.

I'm still rocking my ugly shoe philosophy but I've given up looking like a colouring book. And whenever I do, I try to be the fashionable counterpart of it. To me dressing up is not about being on trend (but I find myself being a trendwhore more often) but about being true to yourself. I'd never wear something that doesn't follow my aesthetics. But somehow I've lost my rolemodels and I've become my own icon. I don't know whether that is sad or pathetic but I'm quite enjoying it. I used to be the rules kind of girl, you know the Trinny and Susannah kind of rules. 'What not to wear' but I've gradually let go of that theory since I believe you can even rock a sack of potatoes as long as you're wearing the right kind of shoes. And since I've let go of those stupid rules I feel freer.

It's about creativity and an authentic style because there's only one you. And who motivates you better than yourself? YOU know what you want to look like. YOU know where this is all going. That's why YOU are your ultimate manager. You've got to hype yourself, believe the image and expand your horizons (your closet in this case). Because that's what's fun about dressing up: it is temporary and you can shift styles like that. You don't have to stick to one kind of uniform. Keep all your options open and don't limit yourself because to limit is to kill your creativity.

There must be a way to praise yourself though because you want to show you're confident and unique. And that's when all those profiles on social networks jump in. Instagram or should I say Selfiegram is all about promoting your life. Food pictures, OOTDs, pictures of your friends and you partying. Look at the fabulous life I'm living! Doesn't this also sounds really Kanye'esque to you?
You have become your own Scary Spice or Jennifer Lopez. Whenever I feel uninspired for example I turn to my blog and I know that sounds vain but that's how I relive the inspiration. It feels as if I sometimes need to remind myself of my fashion believes, which changes monthly. And I think that's good because that's how you become more critical. I'm not a rooted tree, I am a feather in the breeze, who's being pushed into all kinds of directions and I let that breeze lead me. I trust it because I know the journey is all that counts at the end. I don't travel through this fashion spectrum in order to reach my destination. I travel for the journey.

All pictures found on tumblr.

PROJECT: concon + dressing down

By Neslihan
I'm starting with a 'new' project that can be summarized by a stupid abbreviation: 'concon'. It stands for 'CONsume CONsciously' and it's not gonna be about me 'presenting an example' or being a rolemodel but it's an attempt in what I would see as consuming consciously. I just want to be more aware of what I'm eating but above all of wat I'm wearing. I've been a vegetarian over a year now. Not a strict one but I wasn't a firm meat-eater (sounds like a pokemon or something) either. It got me thinking about the origins of meat, about the production process actually. It got me so mad to actually know how our fine piece of steak was being produced. How animal- and people-unworthy. I was really frustrated and figured I couldn't be anymore ignorant about this. So I decided to become a flexible vegetarian (or flexitarian BUT GOSH, HATE THAT WORD). Right now I'm at a point of no return. I want to know why my tee only costs 6.95 at H&M? How do they make their clothing so accessible when it comes to the price tag? Could it be that they're also keeping their production costs low by using child labour and disgusting Indian workplaces, which also lack hygene? I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new, I mean you've read countless articles and you probably also have seen a lot of documentaries on this subject. So why do we keep our eyes closed for this problem? Probably because it's easier and cheaper. But I think we owe it to ourselves to know where our clothing comes from and in which circumstances it's being produced. We have to know what the moral price is of budget fashion. And that's what I'm going to do for the upcoming months. I'm not saying I'm going to quit high street shoppig because I can't due to 'financial instability' (I'M A STUDENT, YOU KNOW) but I will think twice before I start impulse shopping. Do I need this? Is the price worth the quality? Do I have something similar already? So, I'm not gonna go extreme on this one. I just want to be more aware of the product of misery I'm buying. And I will monthly report about this.
Another topic that joints this topic effortlessly is a new way of dressing called 'dressing down' (it's actually a counterpart to dressing up). I read about it in Elle Hollands september issue. And it basically comes down to this: you wear a lot of basics and plain colours. The fabrics have to be floaty and the cut has to be seemlessly perfect but simple. You can actually see it as a sequel to 90's minimalism but less firm than minimalism because there is actually room for fooling around. But not too much fooling around since you don't want to look crafted. It's about being pure and getting dressed for the sake of getting dressed. And with my new 'project' (sounds so cool but it's actually something individual) coming up, I might just as well embrace that philosophy.

 This 90's couple got the concept of dressing down. Winona Ryder chose for a simple black dress with a very basic cut and Johnny went for a suit and an unbuttoned white shirt. Also notice how Winona kept her hair very simple.

90's Kate Moss is another example of dressing down. See how she also has skipped a bra.

Marques Almeida S/S 2013

Narciso Rodriguez S/S 2011

Prada S/S 2001

Liu Wen

Lauren Marshall

Before buying any september issue; read this blogpost

By Neslihan
'September', that glorious month during which everything revolutionarily changes in 'the industry'. September in fashion world is like january amongst muggles. It's the time in a year during which you can start with a fresh conscience and it seems as if everything is possible. It's time to create new dreams and fantasies over which we bloggers, teenage girls and other well-dressed weirdoes obsess knowing we'll never own a Valentino dress or a pair of Chanel pumps. And 'the industry' feeds that fantasy. 'The industry' containing designers, PR, editors and their holy magazines --------> THE SEPTEMBER ISSUES. It's the kind of issue every fashion geek is waiting for after she has dumped her last sheer summer dress. She/he is delighted by the raw materials, big silhouettes and modest colours designers are showing her/him. And editors hype it like it's hot. Collection reviews, interviews, shoots, trend specials and a shit load of advertorials. All in all a heavy bible containig what's hot and what's not during the cold winter days. Since I'm a loyal buyer of those issues I thought it might be time to reveal 'the truth' behind the so-called 'September issue'.

DISCLAIMER: I am not actually revealing anything. So please skip if you were waiting for some groundbreaking, mind-shaking facts.

The first item that keeps on coming back in every editorial and/or trend special since Raf Simons' last collection for Jil Sander  is the statement coat. It's the kind of coat that will keep you warm during the harsh winter temperatures while adding a tat 'je ne sais quoi'. It's nonchalant yet classy but above all; it must be in cotton candy colours. And Elle Holland (SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2013, what did you expect?) shows us how varsatile it is. They style it in three different ways, showing you can be sweet or rather spicy in soft baby pinks. Don't be afraid and try to mix this piece with edgy prints, dusty browns and even with velvet. That's how -and I hate to use the word because it truly lacks glamour- functional this coat is. 

Those two models belong to the Carven RTW FW collection.

What I truly like about winter fashion is less colours and more greys, blacks and browns but that's not what this Hermès slash Alexander Wang collage is about. This one contains two and even three 'old' (read: past season) trends. The first trend is A-line skirting, the more volume underneath, the better. And the materials just don't matter: pleats, leather, velvet, silk. Movement is important though! Another thing that caught my eye in those two looks is the layering. I'm not talking about the blizzard kind of layering but about combining different items with each other while they first seem pretty unconventional. A classy skirt for example is an excellent match with a sporty sweater and trainers. Dress it up with heels at night and you got yourself a varsatile (yes, I'm going to over-use that one in this post) outfit.

 Another Item that keeps on re-appearing in every trend special is the biker jacket. It is edgy, boyish and very punky. It might look unflattering on first sight but you have to wear sheer and floaty fabrics underneath to create that feminine silhouette. Junya Watanabe (on the left) styles it with spicy red butcher pants and messy cake hair, while they create mystery at Givenchy (on the right) by pairing it up with black tones. Either way it looks sexy as hell and it is a timeless piece, you gotta trust me on that one.

You know the drill since the sixties. "WE ARE WOMEN. WE CAN WEAR PANTSUITS WHENEVER WE WANT AND WHEREVER WE WANT TO." But I guess we have past that stage so we have to keep on searching for our male side. In 2013 we do this by wearing oversized coats, pants and jumpers and if possible: all together. Stella McCartney (on the left) keeps it neutral by matching the royal coat with a pair of slim leg trousers in the same colour. That's how you keep the silhouette subtle, yet very powerful. Haider Ackermann chooses a more artsy aproach by pairing up the amazing blazer with flares.

Miranda Priestly would probably not agree on this one but florals are a classic. The season is irrelevant and they have my undying love. It's the only print that creates this instant summer vibe. And excess is the only answer for this one. Combine it with other florals or graphic prints, it creates this unseen dimension. It's an utterly girly print though so how do you keep it grown-up? Simple, you get your own bombastic floral coat and you style it up with a printed pair of trousers and a pair of classy brogues (Dries Van Noten on the left). You're good to go. For the Lolita vibe: enter Erdem FW RTW 2013-2014 (on the right)

'NEW' TRENDS new-new-new-new-new-new-new

There actually are new trends on the catwalks and therefore also in magazines. Grunge is that big thing this season. I've read countless articles about the 'REVIVAL OF GRUNGE' and 'GRUNGE IS NOT DEAD' and 'OMGEE KURT COMBAIN IS A STYLE ICON'. They're overdoing it (as usual) and they'll forget about it asap. But at this moment the next cool thing is grunge: that means florals and tartans mixed all together and ripped stockings with biker boots. Very predictable and teenagy but hey, a trend slut like you embraces everything.

Givenchy on the left and Yves Saint Laurent on the right. Eventhough I think this is too ordinary and too high street to be Saint Laurent.It captures the idea though.

This one is personally my favourite. It's unerwear meets pajamas. Soft silks and lacy bras that caress your skin during dark winter days. That's how being a woman feels like but this trend is more than that. It's about showing what you got underneath by wearing your sexy bra as top, which is quite scary because the amount of nudity is huge. So this trend is only for the Rachel Zoes and Nicole Richies amongst us. The picture on the left though shows us something completely different. It's about wearing your pajamas outdours and creating this relaxed vibe. It looks elegant yet laid back. Even though this looks as a simple concept, it asks for a shit load of guts to pull this one off because you don't wanna look like Bridget Jones.

Both looks are from the Louis Vuitton FW RTW 2013-2014 collection.

PS I'M NOT SORRY FOR THE AMOUNT OF LINKS IN THIS BLOGPOST

PPS I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FULL ARTICLE WHICH IS A SHAME ON YOU

An ode to the red-haired princess X Zara

By Neslihan

Zara Trafaluc, 49.95 EURO

I've been obsessing over Florence Welch as long as I can remember. That sweet voice, those fiery locks, that porselain colmplexion and her 'granny gone hip' style have captured my heart eversince I saw her in 'Kiss with a Fist'. Florence seems like a hoarder who goes to every open air market to see what they've got for her. Antique chairs, vintage chiffon scarves, deep green velvet caftans; you name it, she probably has it. She plays with different styles but she is very consistent along the road. It's about rich fabrics and crowded prints, clothing that tells a story, that's what makes dressing up worthwhile for Florence. She layers and overdoes it sometimes but it never looks bad. No on the contary, she looks like a quirky bohemian 70's princess who might just be born in the wrong era. The way she puts on those glamourous maxi dresses on stage and dances her way to the audience is just delightful because there is no consistency in her dance moves. Yet she knows how to be elegant in an unforced kind of way. I also love her iconic hairdo: that deep red colour and those straight bangs create this playful and at the same time naive vibe. Her make up is quite basic. She makes sure her skin looks whiter that white and puts on some scarlet red lipstick or accentuates her eyes with some eye liner.

-----------------CAUTION- CAUTION- CAUTION- GURL CRUSH ALLERT------------------

Zara Trafaluc, 29.95 EURO

And since I've been craving for everything that Welch would wear, I think Zara Trafaluc has the best fall/winter collection ever. The florals, the sheer fabrics, the warm colours and the edgy shoes make this collection look like something Miss Welch would wear. I also think this collection has a strong Dries Van Noten mark because of the grungy tartan prints mixed with painter'esque florals.

Zara Trafaluc, 29.95 EURO

Zara Trafaluc, 14.95 EURO

Zara Trafaluc, 49.95 EURO

Zara Trafaluc, 79.95 EUR

Zara Trafaluc, 99.95 EURO