WTF Files: Tie-dye Jeans At Topshop

($90, Topshop)

Topshop, I love you, but you're killing me. Also, these don't look tie-dyed. They look airbrushed. But why split hairs? They also look like the miserable, previously unthinkable combination of Mariah Carey's "Rainbow" album cover and an acid trip at Coney Island. Also, I PRAY that the term "tie-dye jeans" is both an oxymoron and one that I'll never hear again. Ever.

In terms of the lesser of two evils, which is better/ worse -- these or the Cheap Monday polka dot jeans I found?

(I won't lie though. I do fucking LOVE "Heartbreaker.")

Mariah Carey - New Music - More Music Videos

Another one for 'the shoe list...'

The piles of shoes and trainers strewn throughout my flat are a constant reminder (Susie calls them a nuisance) of my fondness of footwear but I have to confess that I've never really considered myself as a shoeist (in the same vein as Mr. Hare or Queen Imelda) but this might soon change. I fear that my fondness might just have developed in to something a little more dangerous as I am beginning to obsess and I've recently drawn up a list of shoes that I simply must own in the next few months. Yesterday morning the list included Mr. Hare's Orwells, a pair of Church's brogues, Pierre Hardy desert boots and Tod's driving shoes. Now, my hand has been forced and I've added Lodger's shoe of the month for July, the Striped Oxford. Inspired by the Duke of Windor (surely one of the best dressed men of all time) it is a interesting blend of fine Scabal striped linen and burnished French calf which makes it a great addition to the shoe pile for the warmer months.

This Clifford Street brand is one that I've often heard good things about but it was not until Omar Kashoura used Lodger for his Aw09 looks that I really took notice. The shoes continued the exploration of relaxed luxury with the highlight pair being these blue suede brogues which were truly something. The folks at Lodger Footwear have an irrational passion for beautiful shoes and they quite remarkably release a new shoe each month. Every shoe is individually made using the latest technology in a factory with more than one hundred years of shoe making experience. It is this mix of continuous design, in combination with cutting edge technology and traditional craftsmanship, which makes this a truly unique shoe company. Following the John Smedley visit, I pondered out loud about launching a series of posts celebrating great British craftsmanship and the more I think about it, the more excited I am! Lodger Footwear are sure to feature...stay tuned...

Madonna in Louis Vuitton's Fall/Winter 2010 Campaign Ads

Madonna, the Queen of pop did another campaign ads for Louis Vuitton. The Fall/Winter 2010 ads were shot by Steven Meisel. Looking at the photos, one can clearly see that they have too much photoshop effects.







Source

This Luella Elsie Schoolgirl Dress Is Summertime In The Form Of A Dress

($226, Luella, Lagarconne.com)

I want to LIVE in this cheery little purple and orange gingham Luella day dress. How can I make that happen?

Also, it's the dress equivalent of The Sundays' song, "Summertime" and Jane's Addiction's "Summertime Rolls."

Ann Demeulemeester, You Do Not Get To Do This!

No no NO! Just like you don't get to be an Oxford/gladiator, you also do NOT get to be a high-heeled boot AND a gladiator! WITH a heel. YOU JUST DON'T. Even more baffling than this horrendous hybrid is the fact that it's SOLD OUT!

Built by Wendy Sales Again

The selection for the latest Built by Wendy sale appears to be extremely limited online, but maybe the real-life sale will have more to choose from. Perhaps not, though: Doesn't look like an actual sample sale, since it goes on for two freakin' months, supposedly. Anyway, my picks:




Grid tennis dress, $82.50 (down from $214). It also comes in chambray for $99 and supercute navy with green trim for $107. Not sure how effective those butt pockets would be for holding tennis balls though....um.


99 Red Balloons dress, $138 (down from $198).





Patio stripe sport tank dress, $94 (down from $188).

One beef: Don't tell me to wear a slip. Line your dresses! I don't pay $282 retail to have the outline of my thighs visible, thanks. (Actually, I don't pay $282 retail, generally, ever, but that's not the point.)

New Yorkers, here are your details:

When: Sale starts Wednesday, July 1, through Monday, August 31
Where: Built by Wendy, 7 Centre Market Place (between Broome and Grand streets), 212-925-6538; 46 North 6th Street (between Wythe and Kent streets), Williamsburg, 718-384-2882; or online at builtbywendy.com.

Bursts of colour for any weather

Wow, where did July come from? I'm certainly a little dazed and confused at the moment because London is burning. We are currently basking in glorious, uncensored sunshine but we have all experienced the unpredictable British summertime and I'm just waiting for the temperature to drop or the rain to leave me sodden. Living in ol'blighty throws up a great deal of style head scratching and even more so during the Summer months. John Smedley’s SS10 menswear collection uses fabrics suitable for anything thrown at it during the British summertime. During my recent post on my visit to John Smedley HQ I went on and on about how the latest technology was integrated with age old methods. This collection is no different. New mercerised cotton creates a range of crisp, lighter styles for warmer weather, cool merino wool for the milder days and new superfine merino jersey will be perfect for layering. There is more to this collection than protection against the weather though, just look at the bursts of colour.

"Colour can be quite medicinal, I think. Even if the weather is dark and gloomy, wearing colour rather than blending in with the clouds is much better - escapism even. A great colour can help lift your mood."

The above quote comes from Nicholas Thomas, John Smedley's Head of Menswear Design who gave these recent piece featured in the Guardian, Hannah Pool explored men's new found love of colour. You should recognise his name because he created quite a stir at Graduate Fashion Week in 2007 where he was joint winner of the River Island Gold Award, chosen for his marvellous patched knitted menswear. John Smedley snapped him up soon after and as this collection shows, it is a great fit for the young designer. The SS10 collection looks set to lift any mood regardless of the weather and I can certainly get on board with that.