Where did you get those shoes?

The shop assistant in the Beverly Hills boutique didn't pay my H&M outfit a second's attention. My white silk blouse and breezy black and white floral georgette skirt was totally lost on her. I guess she could sniff out deginer items from a mile away. And she did. The one expensive thing about my outfit. Namely my shoes.

Which brand? Where did I get them? When? The questions kept coming. London, from the Prada store in Sloane St, I told her. Got them on a sale the previous autum, I said.  Oh...isn't it typical, she sighed. It had to be European! We don't get any quite as beautiful shoes like those here.

My jaw dropped almost to the floor. With the endless selection of just about everything being available in the US, were we on the same planet? Had my visit to a whole floor of designer shoes in an upmarket department store a few days prior been just a hallucination? As my suitcase was full of new treasures, it simply couldn't be so.

I can't recall if I got anything from her store, though. But at least I still remember her for her very finely tuned nose for above average shoe quality. That really warmed this shoe-freak's heart.

Carrie'd away

SATC. Heels as works of art. Shoe addiction at $400 a pair (at least according to Miranda). Etc. Etc.

No need to waste too many words here, I believe. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? I'm pretty certain I'm not the only one who found her shoe soul mate in Carrie. For a while there, I was completely obsessed. I just had to get my hands on, or rather, feet in, some real SATC shoes.

So here they are, my very first pair of Manolo's. Bought from the designer's boutique during a summer holiday visit to London in the beginning of the noughties. A favourite every summer, with a suntan and one of my LWDs.

Dearly loved and well used. So much in fact, last summer one of the delicate, handmade straps broke. Considering how much affection I feel for what was to become the first pair of hideously expensive designer shoes in my possession, and how many pleasant summer memories are attached to them, the broken strap meant utter disaster. I would never, never be able to calmly throw these away like I would with a pair of $20 sandals from any of the high street chains. There had to be some way to fix it, even if one cobbler after the other just shook their heads, denying they had the tools and skills to fix such tiny things.

But then I got lucky. After practically begging on my knees, a repair guy in a leather goods store said he would try, even if he made no promises. But try he did. And it worked. Almost as good as before - cause from a distance this little "fix" won't be visible.

The turquoise treasures reminding me I actually got completely carried away by a TV show will live to see another summer.

How to lose your luggage fast

(Photo by Jimmy Choo)

Hey, hey -what have we got here? As I was checking out the JC site for news on their spring collection, I came across this addtion to their ever growing selection of accessories - the "Terence" trolley. Now, I love me some spots and I certainly think this little bag is a real eye-catcher.

Immediately, I started daydreaming about going on my spring weekend trip. I could see myself - wearing a light trench, a lovely silk scarf, comfy ballerinas and some fab sunglasses, all while wheeling this little beauty casually behind me. Now, doesn't that sound like the epitome of style? Then reality set in, caused by a glance at the price tag: 3395 euros. Yes, you read that right, threethousandthreehundredandninetyfive euros! That would be the price of a small, used car!

And then another thought hit me - a fact I learnt way back when I started my working career in the travel business - the risk of losing your luggage increases significantly with valuable suitcases. The higher the value, the higher the risk of it mysterioulsy "disappearing" along the way. One brand which the rumours would have it was notoriously known for this, was a certain LV.

(Random photo from the net)

Now, say if you're Paris Hilton, or some other Hollywood A-lister or business tycoon, and frequently travel by private plane, you might not have to worry so much about the airline losing your prized possessions. (And also, in Ms Hilton's case, I'm not completely certain she would even notice if one of her bags should happen to be missing. But I'm digressing). Fact of the matter, I'm neither rich nor a celeb. And as such, I have to travel the way most of us "commons" do, being subject to strict security measures forcing me to check in and let go for a while of even the smallest cabin size trolley if the content includes ordinary sized necessities like perfumes, lotions and potions. Which in my case, it always does.

So, while daydreaming is free, the JC trolley is not. And even if I had been able to afford it, the risk of losing it and the hassle of missing luggage make my old and battered Samsonite seem like the sensible option. In comparison, it's not stylish at all. But then again, it's not especially attractive to anyone else. The look of it clearly advertises "this item's owner cannot afford a new suitcase and therefore the content of this crappy bag can't possibly be of much value either!" Apart from a detour on the way to New York, caused by the confusion in the aftermath of the Icelandic volcano eruption last spring, in the ten years I've had it, it's arrived promptly on the luggage conveyor belt after every trip. As long as it continues to do that, I think I'll stick with it. Till the wheels fall off.

Even if the JC bag is so much prettier.......*sigh*.

FUGG!

My love affair with Jimmy Choo isn't exactly the world's best kept secret. But as with most relationships, this one too has it's ups and downs. These models from the Fall/Winter 10 collection even raised the non-existent hair on my back. Leopard spots, zebra stripes and studs? I'm sure they're comfy and all, but seriously?

Verdict: F-UGG-LY!

 

 

 (All photos by Jimmy Choo.com)

Ooops....I did it again

Just a few weeks ago, I commented on several other blogs that under no circumstances would I ever dream of buying clothes for fall in the midst of summer.

Now, back in January I was all over myself about Diesel's prefall collection. Just a little pic to remind you:



And while running an errand in the shopping area where their store is located, I figured there would be no harm in going in just to have a look around....

Ok, so I confess. I had one of my many lapses of willpower when leaving with these...


...and the pants too...

At least I didn't buy the jacket. Probably because it still hadn't arrived in store.

Hvar Island fashion

While enjoying our regular "after beach" small beer in the centre of Hvar harbour, we spotted these four friends strolling by, doing some afternoon shopping. Obviously, they were all into stripes. :)

"Well, hello there lover!"

Meet Pablo:

From Jimmy Choo's Pre Fall 10 collection, which can be seen in all its awesomeness here. Swoooooon!

(Photos by Jimmy Choo).

Straw for summer

It's June 1st. Summer has officially begun. With the beautiful weather that started yesterday and is supposed to last all week, I was inspired to go out and get something new for my summer wardrobe. I came home with two straw hats from the men's department at H&M and a new bag from Mexx. Straw = summer.

NY Day 4/5 - Typical tourist activities

 Taking a break halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge

Breakfast on the go: Sis checking out the selection at a sandwich store

Day four, with our luggage in place, we finally decided it was time for some sightseeing. My sister wanted to visit the Norwegian Seamen's Church, located in Midtown East. Since it was a Sunday, there was a service. Because of all the people stranded by the ash cloud, we were told there were a lot more visitors than usual. Here's my sis outside the rather unpretentious church:

The American and the Norwegian flags side by side

And a little lipstick is needed before entering the service at King Olav the 5th's Church, as it's called:

 

"Do I look presentable now?"

Later on we met up with our cousin to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Caught in a windy moment here:

After crossing the bridge, we hailed a cab from the Brooklyn side of the brigde and went to Williamsburg. The guidebook was over itself about how fantastic that area is supposed to be. While that might be so during nighttime, going out to the many clubs or bars, it certainly wasn't much fun during a cold and windy Sunday afternoon. Our very quick retreat back to Manhattan was unanimous.

That night I had made a reservation for the four of us at the Tao Restaurant, after reading a blogpost about it by fellow blogger She Wore It Well from Melbourne, Australia. Now, that was a success seen from my point of view. I loved the busy atmosphere of the place, the interior design and the food. Having been tempted by a picture SWIW had posted, of the Giant Fortune cookie dessert, I could hardly wait to try it for myself:

Inside one side: White chocolate mousse. Inside the other: Milk chocolate mousse. One serving was big enough for four. One word to describe it: Fantastic!

On our day of returning home, we spent the last few hours checking out some of the stores on the Upper West Side, around the area where we were staying. Sis made certain she did not forget any necessities before leaving:

All stocked up

I made it into a Gap store and found three pairs of shorts for summer. One pair of beige linen shorts, and two pairs of a model they called boyfriend shorts, one white and one army green:

They should all go really well with my love of everything khaki or army green colored, like this top and jacket which I got from H&M when I returned home:

Or this tank from last year's Diesel collection with an army green bra underneath:

The only sad thing is, with all this stress I've experienced lately my weight has dropped several kilos. While they fit perfectly in the store a month ago, wearing a pair of shorts today for the first time this summer I found now they're a bit on the big side. 

Oh well, I guess that gives me an excuse to have a lot of ice cream when the sun starts heating things up.

Balenciaga open toe ankle boots

(Photo from Browns)

As worn by Charlotte Gainsbourg at a photo call at the Cannes Film Festival (right image). Love everything about that outfit, and the shoes - OH LA LA! If only I had £795 to spare (and not too many shoes already..., eh..never mind that, can there ever be too many shoes, really?).

 (Photo from Fabsugar)

NY Day 3 - Old auntie buys teenage stuff in Soho...

...for herself!

We ventured down to Chinatown and Soho, leisurely strolling around and enjoying the hustle and bustle of  the area for most of the day. As our luggage had finally arrived, my sis could start looking in earnest for stuff for her three boys, with auntie tagging along into every other Quicksilver, Billabong, Volcom, DC, Yellow Rat and whatnot store on our way. I ended up getting a turquoise tee from Volcom. I kind of figured this fresh color would make me feel more energized when going to the gym. And, as according to my nephews this really is one hot brand, maybe a little more cool, too. Haha...

We had lunch in a street corner restaurant which name I can't remember. Pretty sad, as they had the best and most crispy fries I have ever eaten! Photographed here with a nosy person just managing to get in the picture:

At the end of the day, we made our last browsing stop in Bloomingdale's. Thanks to my inclination for trying out almost every beauty product I see featured in fashion magazines, I convinced myself into buying, at a fairly high cost, what turned out to be the worst evah! shampoo/conditioner. I'll be dissecting that, and other beauty stuff I got, in a separate post.

My sis however, got herself some really great sunglasses there. The day before, while we were waiting for our nails to dry at the beauty salon, she had spotted a woman in there with some gorgeous  shades on top of her head. Sis asked her: What brand are your glasses? And before the owner had even had time to open her mouth, I burst out: Tom Ford Jennifer! And when she found them the next day in Bloomingdale's, they came home with her:

 (Photo by Bag Borrow or Steal)

She's in good company now, my dear sis:

(Random image from the net)

Diesel Dippy Oouns maxi dress

Reading a blogpost about maxi dresses from blog BonBon Rose Girls, I recalled seeing the most gorgeous maxi dress in the local Diesel store a couple of days ago. Just thought I would show you:

The back:

It looks even better in person than in the photos, which don't do the vivid colors enough justice. The fabric is a mixture of cotton and silk. It's called "Dippy Oouns", and comes in pink and black versions, too. I think I stood there drooling over it for ten minutes straight. If I'm getting only one maxi dress this summer, this one is on top of my wish list for sure.

(Photos by Diesel)

Choo shopping - Day 2

Day two started off with me frantically checking our lost luggage reference number, only to find no one still knew where in the world it happened to be. As we were going out with our hosts later that evening, I had to forego my planned SATC sightseeing tour and go shopping for something a bit dressy to wear instead.

In my missing bag was an outfit consisting of a pair of nice pants, a dressy blazer and a pair of black patent heels:

I figured my best bet would be to look for something similar, and being the shoe buff that I am, I headed for the shoe store before anything else. Getting the shoes first is a bit backwards, isn't it? (That's yours truly in a nutshell!) Well, I found out the expensive way and had to rectify that, as you shall see. But first - I walked leisurely from Colombus Circle along Central Park over to 5th Ave, enjoying the New York atmosphere. My destination? Yep, that's right!

Once inside, I spied pair after pair of fantastic heels. I had such a hard time leaving it at drooling over them while instructing myself to look for something that would be useful at other times than just when I'm sitting on my butt in a restaurant. After all, I have more stillettos than I have use for in my closet already. Since my good walking shoes were still in my suitcase, I opted for flats that could double as going out shoes that evening:

Now, these really are sensible shoes, as opposed to a lot of the other stuff I tend to get. The insoles are padded all the way, making it feel like walking on cushions, while the rubber sole makes them very soft and flexible:

I put them on, decided they would do me very nicely, and happily left the store wearing them while my old shoes were stashed away in the box. Btw, shopping there was a fantastic experience. No snobbish shop attendants. They sat down with you in the comfy chairs while you were trying on shoes and chatted away about everything. They made me feel like I was the most important customer ever, and I just didn't want to leave. Way to sell! And as for the shoes - I wore them for hours the first day and from morning to night the next time I used them - and no blisters or hurting feet at all!

With the shoes seemingly under control, a jacket was next on my list. What a nightmare! Try finding a nice blazer in the endless shopping mecca that is New York when you haven't got any idea at all what style or color you're looking for. The only thing I could think of was that I want to be able to wear it during summer. After visiting store after store along 5th Ave, I eventually ended up at the Diesel flagship store. My time was running out and I desperately pleaded for help with one of the staff. And wouldn't you know it? She brought me a jacket from the Diesel Black Gold collection that catered completely to my love of khaki colors and natural fabrics. I didn't think twice!

Some nice detaling on the back:

These photos were taken back home, so it's a bit crumpled from coming straight out of the suitcase, but it's called Baader jacket and can be seen on Diesel's online store here.

But when I got it, I decided I didn't want to use it with the flats after all. So I ventured into Saks - and red soles heaven:

But seriously, at the back of my mind, I knew I had seen the ones I really wanted for summer already, in another store. Yep, that would be here:

When I came in the second time, the shop assistant at the till laughed and called out to her colleague: Hey, you customer is back again! And I got to sit down once again for a friendly chat, while trying on my pair of choice:

Perfect with the jacket! And I'm sending the bill for these to the airline! That's the least they can do for causing me all this stress and my missing the much wanted SATC tour, don't you think?

Later that afternoon, the three of us went for a manipedi at my cousin's local salon to really look the part when going out:

They had those huge chairs in which you can get a back massage while having your feet done. Such a nice way of getting a bit of relaxation after a gruelling shopping marathon.

My sis made a fantastic steal that day, too. She got the gorgeous printed silk tunic she was wearing here from Michael Kors at only TEN DOLLARS!

That evening, we went to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre to see a very modern version of Hair. When the show finished, they invited the audience up on the stage to dance with the cast. While I preferred to just watch the spectacle, more than a hundred people took the opportunity to dance on a Broadway stage. Pity they didn't allow us to take any photos of it. Leaving the theatre I got myself a little souvernir:

Peace and love, folks! :)