Ruffles are the Devil’s Playthings

True confessions time; I love myself a ruffle. The more ridiculously over-trimmed a garment is, the more I tend to be in it. When I’m shopping I often hear a little voice in my head, (perhaps the voice of reason), from that scene in Project Runway where Nicolas goes on a ten minute rant on how ruffles are the bane of his existence, telling me to lay off the frill. But I cannot. If I am destined to walk around looking like a cotton wedding cake, then so be it.

Clockwise from top left to bottom left; Ruffle hem shorts by Finders Keep via PixieMarket, asymmetrical singlet top by Stolen Girlfriend’s Club via ShopInFashion, circle blouse by Pepper and Pistol via ShopInFashion, purple frill romper by Andrew Crews via ShopInFashion, striped clown dress by Daniel Palillo via ShopInFashion, ruffle jacket by Daniel Palillo via ShopFatal.

Ice Cream Paint Job

Just a few years ago I told a friend something along the lines of “Taste changes but I know for certain that I will NEVER like pastels”. Of course I have also said I could never be a vegetarian, get a tattoo, or live in France, and at this point in my life I have proved that all of these “impossibilities” are indeed, possible. In true Emma form, now I’m mildly obsessed with ice cream colours. Mint chip green, orange sherbert, and that weird artificial blue flavour I used to put gummy bears in as a kid. Dress by Fendi, skirts by Fausto Puglisi, orange jacket and skirt by Carven.

Is there anything you’ve said you’d never wear and then changed your mind about?

Mint

Fashion has become obsessed with mint for Spring…it was Alexander Wang’s main colour for SS11, one of Chanel’s staple must-have nail shades, and its been all over the high street lately. Limecrime even came up with a mint lipstick! The trouble with colour trends is I tend to overdose on them after a few months, so I’m a little concerned I’ll stock up on anything and everything mint coloured and then be sick to death of it all come fall. Ah well, fashion is fickle, as they say.

From top to bottom clockwise: Mint dress from Pixiemarket, Alexander Wang bag, Limecrime “Mint to Be” lipstick, Topshop nail varnish in “Gone Fishing”, mint and leopard Underground creepers.

How do you feel about colour trends?

Latest from Beauty Confessional

Here are some bits and bobs I wrote for Beauty Confessional that I forgot to post here, check them out if you are interested in celebrity fashion, makeup trends and the latest fashion campaigns.

Tattoo artist, photographer, author, and reality TV star are all titles Kat Von D can boast on her CV, but after several makeup and fragrance collaborations with Sephora, Kat is moving from beauty to fashion and adding another title to the list…Read more.

 

When John Galliano announced that the face of his new perfume would be everyone’s favorite child-star-turned-angry-outspoken-teenager Taylor Momsen, the fashion community cringed a little bit. The general reaction was that the raccoon-eyed seventeen year old, best known as Little J…Read more.

 

Gemma Ward is one of those supermodels who, much like Lily Cole and Milla Jovovich, have made successful transitions into the world of film acting. Finally we have screen caps of her in the heavily anticipated, star-studded next installment…Read more.

Bits and Beauty Bobs

Here are some bits and bobs I wrote for Beauty Confessional from the past few weeks.

If you ever find yourself at a loss for a chat-up line, you can’t go wrong complimenting a girl’s fashion sense. It certainly seems to have worked for Russell Brand, who’s romance with fiancé and “California Gurls” singer Katy Perry all started with an Alexander McQueen bracelet. In Brand’s sequel to autobiography My Booky Wook…Read more

This year, amongst all the flurry and excitement of London Fashion Week, a dark shadow loomed over the tents. A critical figure in the British design world was missing. On Monday the 20th of September, right in the middle of fashion week, a gathering of family…Read more

Today, Illamasqua‘s Art of Darkness Fall 2010 collection has officially launched online, and come the 16th, will launch at your closest Illamasqua counter. According to their press release, “A feast for the eyes, the Art of Darkness collection is a sumptuous selection of jewel-like shades for eyes, lips, nails and body…Read more

SS11 Beauty Trends

Hey guys, check out my coverage of Spring 2011 runway makeup on Beauty Confessional! Many more of these posts to come.

There’s always a certain point during Fashion Week when I get really burnt out on following all the runway coverage. It’s not because I’m not fascinated by the shows, its that I start feeling glum about the fact that I’ll never be able to own any of the incredible clothes. It is at this point that I turn my attention to the beauty trends…Read more

At Victoria Beckham and Etro, the look was all about a pastel purple eye and nude/golden lips. The looks is girly, fun, and perfect for party girls. In both cases the shadow was dusted up to the brows and hair was kept sleek and minimal to keep the focus on the  eyes…Read more

If you thought orange lips were a stretch for Spring, wrap your head around this new trend for orange on the eyes. Each designer had a different interpretation of this new look, from the winged orange liner at Derek Lam, to the traffic-cone eyebrows at Damir Doma and the soft creamy orange eyes at Maurizio Pecoraro. Read more

Fall Essentials

Today was a beautiful foggy day in London, check out my view! I’ve always really loved the fog, and I’ve been spoiled in terms of gray weather; London, Paris, Monterey, San Francisco…all gray, foggy cities.

Anyway, now that I am in a thoroughly Autumnal mood, I thought I’d post my fall essentials list.

• Leopard print crop jacket from Topshop. As far as I’m concerned, leopard print is ALWAYS an essential. I’ve been wearing this jacket way too often.
• Comme des Garcon‘s “Wonderwood“. I already rambled on about it here and here but I think its the perfect fall fragrance…very warm and not flowery at all.
• Nars matte red lipstick…I’m really liking red lips right now, even though I didn’t used to be a lipstick person. Now I wear it almost every day.
• Doc Marten Divas. I don’t actually own these, but I love them and I think they would fit in nicely with my fall wardrobe (HA! Excuses).
• Bandanas/Head scarves. My hair is in that awkward growing out period. Actually its been in that awkward stage for over a year now but the best way to keep me from hacking it all off in frustration is to cover it with a scarf.
• Peter-Pan collars. I’m not sure why but I love these little collars on everything lately…this one is Topshop but its funner to find vintage dresses with this feature.

Look Alikes

Something Else cosmic knit leggings and cardigan vs. Givenchy SS10

Nasty Gal, Zara, Miu Miu SS10

Summer Staples

My summer staples: Feathers, crosses and cockroaches.

What a Looker

Fashion and film are both the art of “people-watching” when it comes down to it, and therein lies my weird obsession with eyeballs. Throw an eyeball on anything and it’ll catch my attention (I almost wrote “catch my gaze” and then decided to avoid annoying puns).

Clockwise from top left:

1) Glass eye chain necklace by Delettrez available on Luisa Via Roma

2) Mishka “Keep Watch” crewneck jumper available on My-Sape

3) Handmade Eye print dress here

4) “Hex Mex” men’s tank by Demonbabies available on Blood is the New Black

5) “Cat’s Eye” ring by Ileana Makri available on Brown’s

6) Iron Fist eyeball heels from Iron Fist Clothing

7) Eye appliqué cashmere cardigan by Clements Ribeiro available on Net-a-Porter

I might actually have to get the Demonbabies shirt, its kind of amazing. How do you feel about eyeballs, creepy or rad?

Tights On Top

I’ve noticed people styling tights over dress shirts and boxers and so on in a way I haven’t seen before…new trend? I love the Vivienne Westwood example (after the jump) but I’m sort of hoping this doesn’t become a mainstream trend :P

(Tights Magazine shot by Megan Gow)

Not Just for Pansies

I spontaneously decided to do my Spring Fashion Trend post in the form of an online fashion zine. Please allow me to present to you the very first issue of Drooling Isn’t Print Magazine. Full issue after the jump.

Tell Your Shirt to STFU

Do you guys remember in like the early noughties, say 2003, when everyone wore horrendous graphic tees with stupid slogans like “my boyfriend is hotter than yours” and “don’t blame me, my evil twin did it”? These were huge when I was in high school and my sister and I used to try to remember the stupidest ones and list them off after school.
Anyway since then I’ve had a strong aversion to shirts that SAY anything, unless its a band name or a movie. It just bugged me that it was such an obvious and lame way to make a “fashion statement”. Like, if you have to wear a shirt that says I’M A THUG, you probably aren’t much of a thug. Just sayin’.
However recently I have found some gems that I would say are the exception to the rule. Here are some I would actually rock; (click to enlarge)

“Your Cave or Mine” shirt by Jeremy Scott, available on Fatal.

“Welcome to the Great Depression” shirt by Your Eyes Lie.

“Porn is the New Black and “I am the dream you are the dreamer” shirts by Auslander.

Daniel Palillo x Welcome Hunters LA shirt available on Welcome Hunters.

Sheer Madness

My black and sheer obsession is still going strong.

Clockwise from top left to bottom left:

Teamo skull top from Pixie Market, My Pet Square braided dress from Pixie Market,  DimePiece “hands off” crop top from NastyGal, Black Rattle sheer hoodie from Oak NYC, Teamo lace crop pant from Pixie Market.

I desperately want those pants, I think the little lace side details are brilliant, and obviously I would kill for that My Pet Square dress. Are you guys over all the black sheer? Or can’t get enough like me?

Seeing Sheerly

My latest obsession is all things black and sheer.

1) Black Cutout Knee Leggings-Wayne from Oak NYC, available online.

2) Amorita Jacket from Lucette, available online.

3) Hi/Lo Fringe Knit from Nasty Gal, available online.

4) Onyx Cuffed Blazer-Factory by Erik Hart from Oak NYC, available online.

5) Amorita Dress from Lucette, available online.

I am especially obsessed with that fuzzy sweater from Nasty Gal…it will be mine. Oh yes, it will be.

Rainbow Army

I can’t believe military chic is coming back…I was so over camo but its kind of refreshing seeing it with so much colour. Check out this amazing spread on Dazed Digital.

Belladonna

Today, I went to the eye doctor’s for a check up. Not only did he tell me I had the “best eyelashes”, he also taught me something really awesome. While I was getting my pupils dilated, he told me that back in the day, rich fancy women would dilate their pupils for parties as a fashion statement. In order to get their pupils huge and dark, they would use droplets of the datura flower (which by the way is a really dangerous hallucinogen and is poisonous), which is also referred to as “hell’s bells” or “belladonna”. The term belladonna, which means beautiful woman in Italian, came from this trend.

He also said that his theory on why this became stylish is that babies have really big pupils that get smaller with age, and so women used belladonna drops to get a more youthful look. It could also have to do with the fact that when you are feeling in love, your pupils dilate because of the dopamine levels in your brain.

I found this whole story very mystical and awesome! I used to be really fascinated with these flowers and I had no idea they related to fashion. You learn something new every day, eh?

Lover’s Cross

Kind of obsessed lately…

La Dama knit rosary, cross cakes, With Asian Stereotypes inverted cross tank, Ryan Noon Icelandic tee and sweater.

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Sheer Luxe Cut Out Pantyhose from American Apparel

OK…yeah. Not sure where to start here. I am often mystified by the things American Apparel comes up with but…WUT THE EFF ARE THESE FOR???? THONG TIGHTS? THIGHTS? TONGS? FANNY FLOSS? What does one wear with these? Since when does American Apparel carry fetish-wear? Is this some kind of solution to the inevitable runs one gets on the rear of stockings? Also, doesn’t one generally wear underwear with tights? So you don’t get spandex seams ALL UP IN YOUR BUSINESS? Am I missing something here?

I just…I am scared. That’s all. We are living in a day in age in which many a young starlet or hipster think it fashionable to wear tights as pants, and this is adding a whole new level of highly inappropriate legwear. I am concerned.

What would Tim Gunn say???

Bingo!

Creeper update: I’ve got a match! Three in a row, creeper inspired shoes.

Free People Suede Creepers

Jeffrey Campbell Studded Creepers

Alex. Wang Creepers