This Week's "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

What is it with people wearing slippers as shoes?? Particularly the velvet kind and to make matters worse, I have spotted more men wearing them than women, which is disturbing on so many levels! Just because something has been labelled as the new 'IT (fill in the blank)', does not mean one has to succumb to the silliest of ideas..

Velvet Slipper Flat by Chloé (so disappointing) - £405!!!

This guy was snapped by the Sartorialist (whose work - minus this unfortunate ensemble - I adore and admire). Looking at the comments under the photo, people were raving about this guys style... hmm.. not working for me

 

Sorry, still not convinced..

Why would you inflict such ugly shoes on your dog?! Actually, why would you make your dog wear shoes in the first place! (don't get me started on people who dress up their pets coz that's a whole "what were you thinking?!" story for another time).

I only have one more thing to say (or show rather) regarding wearing slipper shoes outdoors,  or indoors for that matter, and that it is...

'Nuff said.

Now on a more pleasant note, I have to say that I have been rather obsessive over velvet lately, especially shoe-wise. If you're looking for a nice velvety flat but the thought of wearing Hugh Hefner inspired slippers makes you want to gag, then maybe these beauties will tickle your taste buds in a good way (they're already on my Christmas list)..

ASOS LUXE Velvet Bow Ballerina - £26 (now that's more like it!)

Dame Vivienne Westwood For Queen!

What can I say about the Grande Dame of British Fashion that hasn't already been said... "flame-haired godmother of punk", "cutting edge but classic", "icon of the fashion world". She stands out in an ocean of great designers because she is outspoken, eccentric, inspirational and just plain genius! Everything she stands for, from political to social and environmental, is translated into her clothes and, while some say her designs are not their cup of tea, it's quite hard for anyone to deny the amount of detail, craftsmanship and exquisite tailoring that go into Westwood's designs. Sadly for me though, my pockets don't reach far enough to afford a Vivienne Westwood piece quite yet, but that doesn't stop me from  compiling a favourites folder dedicated to her Highness, so here's to dreaming...

Circle Car wool-blend coat - £660

Tartan Check Skirt - £225

Sparkly Orb Purse - £134

Monroe Asymmetric Taffeta Dress - £365

Friday Cotton Blouse - £220

Draped Crepe Pencil Skirt- £260

Striped Cowl-Neck Jersey Top - £215

Bow Pant - £369

Oversized Patterned Coat - £669

Chancery Heart Bag Fuchsia - £215

Armour Ring - £170

Funnily enough, the day after I had been pining over the items in this post I came across this dress in a charity shop and, as you can imagine, I was over the moon! Striped, tailored, oversized, asymmetric.. all my favourite qualities in a Westwood piece. So if I can't have the real deal at least I have found the next best thing!

 

This Week's Shoe Obsession

It's been a busy (and freezing!) week but there's always time for a bit of shoe browsing on the web and this week I couldn't help but fall in love with not one, not two... but a whole collection of shoes! This week's obsession comes courtesy of the wonderful and whimsical designer brand - Miu Miu. Mrs Prada always manages to deliver the most beautiful creations and this time around its all about embellishment..

Suede Peep Toe - £539

I first feasted my eyes on the beauties above and then, as usual with online  browsing, I was attacked by the proverbial 'recommendations column' which for once was spot on because it led me to click my way through to embellishment paradise..

Stud Embellished Peep Toe - £484

Stud Embellished Ankle Boot - £639

Studded Biker Boot - £839

Embellished Ballerina Flats - £444

20% off Urban Outfitters Gifts & Home

Well this could not have come at a better time! I'd like to think that the shopping fairies read my post on the pillow cases and answered my prayers but I'm sure they have more important things to do :P Urban Outfitters' Home section is probably my absolute favourite on the high street and while a bit expensive for some, this offer will definitely tempt most of you to something! Just find what you want and enter promo code HAPYHOME for your discount (until 17/10/10). Here are my picks (and obviously I had to throw in the pillow cases somewhere!)..

Lomography Fisheye Competition Camera - £45

Ruffle Curtain - £60

50s Car Doormat - £16

Aviators Pillow Set - £25

Owl Cushion - £24

Acid Etched 6 Inch Wall Art (more letters) - £8

Rose Frame - £10

Wire Drop Shelf - £38

Vinyl Bookends - £20

Where's Wally - £7.99

Tea Sub - £12

Moustache Mug - £9

Suck UK Teddy Bear Lamp - £80

Point It, Travellers Language Kit - £4.99

Lego Headlamp - £10

A Day For Traid

Every time I find myself in Camden Town there is a 90% chance that I will leave with at least one new purchase in tow, make that 99.9% if I stumble upon a charity shop - which was exactly the case today. It was never my intention, I swear, but I couldn't resist.. I was minding my own business, running boring errands when I suddenly found myself in front of these beauties..

TRAIDremade Zip Bow Golighty Pump - £40

TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) is one of the charities I admire and respect the most because they've taken a unique approach to tackling their ethical and environmental objectives. Not only do they sell donated stock, they also recycle product that is not suitable for sale by reworking it into unique and special pieces under their TRAIDremade label. Their flagship store in Camden boasts some of their best vintage and recycled stock, so you can understand how one could be tempted to oh, i dunno, buy a couple of things that they didn't really need..

This checked swing coat is made entirely from wool  and is so cozy, I especially love the sneaky pockets on the side. It was missing a button when I bought it ,which was a perfect excuse to accessorize with a vintage brooch that belonged to my grandmother.

 

So it's bad enough I bought a coat that I didn't really need (when is that not the case?), I was ready to leave the shop when suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spot this fur lined, suede jacket and BOOM - found myself walking out with both!

Sometimes all you need is a hat

Having spent the last few months in sunshine and hot weather, I finally gave in to the fact that I am back in London where the autumn/winter season is already in full swing.  Therefore, upon my return, I pulled my winter wardrobe out of hibernation in order to embrace the colder weather and in turn, I have rediscovered some of my favourite pieces. One such item is this beautiful red beret with black velvet ribbon, which for me is one of those prized possessions that you forget you have and then all of a sudden it reappears and just brightens up your day! 

So I decided that today would be my first hat day and feeling rather inspired from the style of the beret, the rest just fell into place..

cardigan & shirt - used to be my mothers, belt - H&M,  jeans - siwy (from a charity shop), shoes - urban outfitters, bag - vintage, beret - too old to remember, watch - follie follie

simply accessorized with a couple of my favourite rings