Secrets of a Butterfly

Favourite fashion online

 

The lovely Helen shared her fashion loves over at her blog the other day, and it made me think about compiling a post or two in a similar way.

I spend quite a bit of ipad time, browsing shops online, it makes up for not being able to get to the shopping malls. Despite not really having needed a lot of clothes over the years, my interest in fashion hasnt decreased. If anything, i love clothes all the more when i do get to wear them.

I also like to follow the designer labels, not to buy, but to source ideas, and see what's going to be copied and avaliable on the high street. Also sometimes at the likes of asos or urbanoutfitters, you can get some of the french labels i love at great sale prices, and that, plus ebay, means i have collected a few bits from the likes of Paul and Joe sister and Manoush that i wear season to season.

I first discovered my love of french labels when they did diffusion lines for the mail order catalogue La redoute. Over the years the likes of Isabel marant, Antik Batik, Paul and Joe and Manoush, along with Maje, Sandro, Et vous, Ba&sh and Repetto ballet shoes, have all had pieces in the mail order catalogue.

At present they are carrying some items by Vanessa Bruno Athe. Though i do find their website very poor and far from a pleasure to browse.

My favourite places to buy from are Asos, because of their brilliant site, fantastic returns and refunds being quick, a week, instead of say a month, that some places take. I also like Urban Outfitters, Zara and Topshop.

And my favourites to window shop are in France, they are Monshowroom and Medium Fashion gallery, you can see in the above collage the beautiful things that they stock, including Sessun, Apc and petite mendigote which are the most pretty leather bags.

My favourites for outfit inspiration are Pixie Market in the States, and Wild swans in the Uk.

My favourite boutique and mail order catalogue has to be Plumo, which i seem to have been getting forever, and i love how they collate things from all over into one collection. They are also carrying my favourite danish label ganni now.

More to come soon, in a further fashion post,meanwhile tell me any favourite online shops you love? and find my full online fashion boutiques list on the left sidebar or click that link.

Kat x

 

 

Inspired by Isabel Marant

 

I love the style of the French designer Isabel Marant.

The clothes above are all from her label.

I took them as inspiration.

And found the pieces below on the uk high street that I felt were in keeping with these looks.....

I particularly like the knitwear that River Island have just brought out with the tassels, and the lemon patchwork jeans at Warehouse, it was fun to compile these moodboards,

Love kat x

Vanessa Bruno Athe, ss12

I do love Vanessa Bruno Athe
I love the colours and the styling
I love the little stitching details and the broderie anglais
& i love the flat shoes and bags also

This collection makes me yearn for spring

love

 

All Saints knitwear

In a roundabout sort of way i have Jeska to thank for this cardi coming my way. Since it was seeing her post that reminded me to go have a browse on the All Saints website.
That day they had quite a lot in the archive section, which i hadnt noticed before. Its where they sell off past season pieces. So this cardigan was around half the price it had been, as its from last winter's range.
I really love the different knits that make up the different sections, and the pointelle to the front. Its very cosy too, and i like that its a wintery white colour instead of grey, as i have too many grey things already.

The fatigue which is there as part of the illness, has been a little less all encompassing in the past few weeks. So I have taken more pictures, these ones, and a few more of bits n pieces around my room. I always like to have more personal content in my posts, and with a tinsy bit more energy this can be fulfilled, at least on some of the days (smiles)
take care my lovelies,

Style Crush - Isabel Lucas

Isabel Lucas is an australian actress who initially became known through her role as Tash in the soap Home and away many moons ago, and has since gone on to make her career Stateside, most recently with a role in the Transformers movie.

Her look is very much her own, vintage bohemian, relaxed & 70's-esque.

I like the colours she goes for, all either pastel or earthy tones. And the flat footwear - thats a given in her dressed down style.

In a world so full of fashion do's and don'ts, Isabel isnt concerned with whether she is breaking them or making them, she dresses for herself alone, and if others approve, well, that's just a bonus.

You can tell this must be her outlook, because she looks so comfortable in her own skin, and is able to carry off any item and make it look just right.

 

With her lifestyle comes the need to dress for premiers and fashion shows,and even here she seems unphased and meets the challenge, retaining her uniqueness and independant spirit without disappointing in the glamour stakes. (below right is at a Chanel show)

Whether blonde or brunette, off duty or on, at work or play, Isabel follows her heart, wears what she loves and inspires me to remember, that fashion is about how what you choose to wear makes you feel

 Its about wearing what you are drawn to, what makes you feel yourself - not somebody else. It can be relaxed and still stylish, it can be environmentally aware and still have edge, it can be vintage and still of this moment.

Isabel is an actress who's career i shall follow with pleasure, i hope very much she finds roles come her way that allow her to blossom and use her superb acting talent.

She is my style crush! who's yours?

Outfit inspiration for colder days

Hi lovelies,  

Things have been a little difficult and then my lovely netbook developed a small problem and is away being made better, so its been a bit harder for me to get online to compose more posts - even though i have ideas of things i want to tell you about. (I have yet to find a way of doing posts on Typepad on the ipad ?).

Anyway i am here today and i can show you some of the outfit inspiration i have been finding. I don't know about you, but alot of the ranges this year, i haven't found as inspiring, so i have had to hunt around for alternatives in places i wouldnt normally look. Which is fine and easy enough considering its all done via the web (smiles)

What are your favoutite high street shops? I used to be a big on French connection, but i stopped liking their ranges as much a couple of years ago. Then in recent years i moved to finding some nice pieces at Whistles, but then their prices have crept up and up, and the majority of this seasons collection is not me at all.

Luckily I have found a few places that carry more of what i was looking for - i'll mention those another time. Meanwhile these collages are designed to give a bit of inspiration in combining pieces and colours.

 I find when i'm online shopping (or online window shopping, which is mostly the case) that it doesnt matter what the prices of the pieces are, because what i'm looking for is simply ideas. I can then find alternatives for less, all be it not quite so nice as the designer ones, but still the same sort of look or color. I also tend to make a note if there is a designery piece that i really love, and watch out for it when sale time comes. (speaking of sales Urban outfitters have a good mid season one online now)Sometimes i have been lucky & what i liked gets marked down considerably, especially with online sales nowadays, its easier to find a bargain.

So the photos this post are a mix from various nooks and cranies around the web.

The first set at the top, has a YMC cord dress at Asos, an outfit by Sessun with a navy dress and burgundy coat, and the third look is at H&M, i liked the long maxi skirt.

These natural tones of beiges and soft browns i like alot -  they are light, and uplifting,  yet still from a wintery colour palette.

 The brown cords are by Rag and bone at Asos, and have a beautiful flare cut, they are the higher price bracket, but plenty of alternatives about of course, the skirt i love for its woodlandy feel, its unusual to find a maxi thats not black, especially over the winter, this one is by Pepe jeans at Asos.
 I discovered Pepe (whom i rememberfrom wearing their jeans as a teenager!) have a nice range of pieces, which was a surprise, and the prices arent too much either, less than Diesel. The last picture is from Netaporter a nice place to find outfit inspiration if not to shop), and i like the check shirt here beneath a soft camel cardigan, and i'm a big fan of grey jeans.

These last looks are from the grey palette, which can admittedly be a bit drab, but grey mixed in the right way, is always preferable to black or navy in my book, so i liked these looks, all from Asos. The YMC skirt with the check shirt and flat boots, grey jeans (again!) by rag and bone  & i like the sandals with socks and the flowered blouse, and the bobble jumper is one by Ganni in such an unusual colour - a soft soft soft wash of blue. It'd be warmer over jeans or leggins - naturally ;)

So i hope you've enjoyed sharing in my outfit inspiration. More fashiony posts to compile, including a certain style crush...love to all,

Nadinoo, colours of autumn

A few of the pieces from Nadinoo's autumn/winter collection are now avaliable in the shop. I love the colour palette Nadia has chosen. Its wonderful to see pieces in colours that i feel are wearable. There is too much grey about in some ranges, and too many bright bold primary colours it seems.

I love pastels, but they arent always appropriate when the weather turns. So the mix here is very warm and most welcome. Nadia uses Liberty fabrics and all the clothes are handmade here in England.

love

My dream outfit from Zalando

 
This is my dream outfit, with all pieces chosen from Zalando, a gem in the world of online shopping, it carries some of my favourite premium labels such as Ganni, whose suede boots feature here, and By Malene Birger, whom all the clothing items in this collection are by, and Day Birger from which i chose the hat. And lastly the bag is a British brand named Modalu.

With my imaginary limitless budget i played around with combining colour and texture. I liked the coral cardigan with its angora softness, then the texture of the brown suede boots, and the floaty fabric of the skirt, which just has the most beautiful rose pattern to it.

 Too often we go for dark colours come the darker nights, but i wanted to hang onto summer, while still evoking the colours of autumn, with the brown and peach tones echoing the changing of the leaves that is soon to come.

Tiarris Cardigan - By malene Birger £195, Chintall Blouse - by Malene Birger £170, Sillae skirt - By Malene Birger £419, Hat - DAY £104, Tamara boots - Ganni £155, Havana bag - by Modalu £114

The key and lights photos are by Aileen.

I found out about the competition to enter your dream outfit from Zalando, at my lovely friend Paula's blog, read that post here : Pink Bow and more info on the competition whose prize is a £300 voucher to use at Zalando every month for a year, visit here

Love and autumnal wishes

 

Ganni for autumn/winter 2011

Ganni who i posted about here in the spring, have their new autumn winter lookbook online.
There's some lovely outfit inspiration once again, and here are some of the looks that i most liked. I like this dress, the print looks beautiful and also love this natural cardigan with its brown buttons. I am very into khaki and shades of green at the moment. I also liked this natural gilet and the textures within this dress below.

Ganni pieces will start coming onto Zalando and Asos before too long. And Plumo may have something from their range in their new catalogue,
Love

Sewing and simple pleasures

These photos are by Lisa Marie, upthewoodenhills a lovely friend on instagram

She makes clothes from Liberty fabrics (sigh) and has a very beautiful online shop and blog

Instagram is a wonderful way to see how others live, and share my day to day things too. Most of my pictures from there are going onto my flickr stream as well.

I love Liberty prints, and these ones of Lisa-Marie's are so pretty

Nothing like a cup of tea in a pretty mug right?

And thanks everyone for your care - i have lots more i'd like to share, so my posts will probably become more regular when i pick up a bit, in the meantime, instagram is keeping me company. I watched the film Australia the other evening and really enjoyed it.

this is a lovely short film of Upthewoodenhills clothing

xxxxxxx all images are by Up the wooden hills, and check out the new clothing links, in boxes just to the right here....