Play It Tough

I love military inspired items - all that great hardware, buckles, pockets, straps and rivets! Better still if it looks like it's seen some action. So I'm having a bit of a drool-fest with this season's trends. A great contender is the Belstaff Colonial Bag, £235. This shoulder bag ticks all the right buttons with the added kudos that it was the style worn by Will Smith's character Robert Neville in the movie I Am Legend. Available from Lineafashion.com

Skandi-lous

I'm really liking Scandinavian fashion design at the moment. Brands like Nakkna, Acne, Mentor and Day Birger Et Mikkelsen, By Malene Birger and Rutzou. Norwegian designer Andreas Melbostad is at the helm of Phi. Designs aren't fussy or frilly. Instead they represent a pared down aesthetic — urban cool. The great thing about purchasing from these sites is that if you're based in the EU, you won't have to pay import duties or taxes.
This Flaunt Print Skirt, £165 is by Acne and is found in the outlet section of their website. It's great because it's neutral hued and slightly pouffy which is great for the volume trend. Just make sure you keep it slim up top. Acne is aslo available from Net-A-Porter.

Acne Flaunt Print Skirt

Nakkna is a Swedish design company that sells clothes that are clean lines with an emphasis on draping. Their prints are cool too, especially the Fossil print on this gorgeous dress. I first saw it on Judy Aldridge on her Atlantis Home blog and thought I had to have it. So thanks Judy for your unerring sense of style.

I was lucky enough to purchase the last one in the store and even though it's a size medium rather than small, the larger size is rather impressive. The print is silver on black which gives it a metallic edge and the part tribal, part op art design is versatile.
Be warned though, as the Nakkna site is difficult to navigate and purchase from so I ended up emailing them in the end to make my purchase but the PR told me that they will be stocking the label in Top Shop this autumn.

Danish company Mentor make great shoes with clean lines and emphasis on craftsmanship and are sold on mywardrobe.com
I've already purchased my Mentor Flat Over The Knee boots for winter which I can't wait to wear. The weather in the UK is still quite mild.

Mentor Wedge Ankle Boot, £260

This unlined leather jacket by Day Birger Et Mikkelsen looks a lot like something Rick Owens would design and looks fab worn with layering pieces. Unfortunately it's sold out.

Bag of Noten

Saw this in the August issue of American Vogue and had to post as this is really cool. Dries Van Noten bag within a bag. I love the idea of the mock croc prim and proper handbag inside this battered looking khaki satchel looking like something Indiana Jones might keep an artefact in. I haven't seen it anywhere else on the world wide web, apparently it's available at Macy's. If anyone knows anything else about this bag, please let me know.

Everything in American Vogue is airbrushed to within an inch of its life, so much so that even the model's legs look tubular – like sausages – okay then chipolatas! All the interesting bits that make up a person's physique have disappeared under the artworker's mouse. Methinks Ms Wintour should ease off the Photoshop a bit.  I don't know about the US, but over here in the UK, there's a bit of a backlash against excessive airbrushing. The latest culprit being Keira Knightley's enhanced cleavage for Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle. Keira is famed for her lack of bosom but Chanel have certainly given her more up front.

The Creatures have arrived

My LD Tuttle The Creatures arrived safely at the end of last week and they've already had two successful outings. Both times I've worn them with a dress and leggings combo. They are quite big and industrial looking and people will stare at your feet. One woman asked me where I had got them from as she loved them so much.
They are very comfortable for shoes with a high-ish heel and small platform. The colour, which is a browny silver, works with a lot of items in my wardrobe and the leather is soft but sturdy. The colour of the heel contrasts more with the leather, (unlike the ShopBop promo which looks closer to the shoe colour) and is in fact a pale grey but that's no problem as you can also work grey into your outfit when wearing these. The only problem with the lightish colour heel is that it gets marked very easily. 

My photos of the Creature

 

ShopBop's image of the Creature

Now that I've had such a positive experience with my first pair of Tuttles, I've set my sights on the Shifter Boots now.

Phi High Boots

I'm looking for a pair of over the knee boots for winter.  They need to be flat, leather and not suede  as I'd  like to wear them in all weathers. So far I've seen these boots by Danish label Mentor on www.mywardrobe.com for £295. 

 I also like these biker boots (below) by Phi. The studs, the buckles, the chunkiness! They are so hot. Alas they're from couple of seasons ago and have totally left the building. I live in hope that I might find them on my travels. Net-A-Porter have just started to stock the label.

The Ash Cuffed Boot, £180 is also cool. An all rounder, it looks good with skinny jeans, leggings and tights. Available from www.mywardrobe.com

These are my all time faves though.  Chloe Studded Ankle Boots came and went in A/W 08 and despite the hefty price tag, they sold out as soon as they came in store. They were available came in a variety of colours, including red, green, black and cream. I've seen them in green and they looked bloody fantastic!

 

Office London have done their own version of the Chloe Stud. Called the Manic Stud Strap Boot. They are only £100! It's not a bad rendition and most of the elements are there. You'll have saved yourself hundreds of pounds which you can spend on your knee high boots.

 

If you like a bit of swashbuckling style, then these boots by Chloe are on sale at www.yoox.com for £390. They  are also available in red. I have seen them in black with an all black heel and sole which I prefer.

Coverups

What to wear on top?

Net-A-Porter have just listed this fab leather jacket by Day Birger Et Mikklesen. Okay it's cropped and won't keep your back warm but it's soft and crinkly and the perfect throw on cardigan/jacket. Its soft enough so you can push the sleeves up and you can layer it over dresses, tops. I would wear it with a pair of black skinnies or peg top trousers, a Rick Owens vest or long sleeved T. 

 Day Birger Cropped leather Jacket, £280

Talking of Rick Owens, if you live in London, my favourite dress agency Twice As Nice in Battersea has cut price, new with tags Rick Owens vest tops (£35) and ribbed long sleeved T shirts (£45), some of it from the current Crust collection.  Contact me for the telephone number if you're interested. 


But first I'll probably purchase this Black Sleeveless Tailored Blazer by Elizabeth & James. It's from Twice As Nice too. It's only £70 instead of the usual £258. I'll wear it smart with my black slim trousers and large billowing shirt. It'll also look great dressed down with a Rick Owens vest top.

 Elizabeth & James Sleeveless Blazer

I do love a military jacket and there are some cool ones around right now.  My favourite is this one by Twenty8Twelve, it's called the Turpin Military Jacket and is available from MyWardrobe.com for £265.  I love everything about it, the length, the colour, the detailing on the back. Would look great dressed up or down.

Coming a close second is this black jacket by Bird by Juicy Couture new line, slightly more expensive at £385. This would look good with  distressed jeans and ankle boots. Available from Net-A-Porter

LD Tuttle 'The Creature' Sandals

I've never been into slim, vertiginous heels. They look great on other women but not on me. Besides I can't really walk in them.  Give me a chunky heel, preferably with a bit of a platform and me and my feet are relatively happy.

LD Tuttle is a brand that's not so well known in the UK. Only a few outlets stock this directional shoe label. But I'm sure that's all set to change with Tiffany Tuttle's  spot-on designs for A/W 09. I love The Shifter Flat Boot available from Amelie Boutique.  Okay at £470 it may be a little steep for some wallets, but the fact is, The Shifter is versatile and works hard to earn its keep. It can be worn folded down or pulled up, so you don't have to buy two pairs of boots. Simply genius. Unfortunately they're  selling out quickly (they've only got a couple of the smaller sizes left), so catch them while you can. Other UK stockists include KJs Laundry and  Matches

Amelie Boutique

Here is The Shifter in Beige from US site shirise.com:

 

Available from shirise.com

Beige is gorgeous and very luxe looking, but I much prefer the design in black.



The Creature
I've just ordered these LD Tuttle 'The Creature' sandals from the final sale on ShopBop (70% off).   I would have preferred them in black but the pewter colour goes with so much in my wardrobe.  Should be arriving from the US soon! There are a couple of pairs on eBay

Shopbop.com

I've never owned a pair of Tuttles before, but I hear they're comfortable so my poor old feet can happily stomp around while looking fashionable. I'll let you know how I get on.

Razza Lion Pendant

I love the statement necklaces that are in fashion right now. After reading Judy Aldridge's blog Atlantis Home, I was inspired to hunt for Razza jewellery, especially the Zodiac pieces. Luke Razza, a US based Italian jewellery designer was big in the 60s and 70s . He developed a technique of using painted resin/plastic with metal and the great thing is his pieces are large.  Razza jewellery is now collectible, thanks in part to the influential bloggers Judy and Jane Alridge. Prices vary — a search on eBay, reveals prices ranging from $50 to over $100 for pendants.  I've just taken delivery of my Razza Lion Pendant which I purchased from Lori Kizer's Vintage Jewellery in the US. It's fab and I can't wait to wear it.

 

Here are a couple of my other necklaces:

 

Now you'd think these two necklaces were identical, but they're not. I purchased the gold one from Alfies Antique Market in London, several years ago. It is a signed piece and the stall holder said that she had purchased it way back in the 1970s.  The black one on the right is from Missoni from about five seasons ago. It was described as the Ethnic Necklace and sold on Net-A-Porter in black and tortoiseshell (below):

Paul & Joe also produced their own version called the Illona (below):

At first I was confused and thought that Missoni had re-issued their Ethnic Necklace, but on closer inspection, you can see the difference between the pieces. My 70s orginal is made of gold metal, each piece backed with black felt. It fastens with a screw back clasp. It is closer in design to the Paul & Joe Illona.  The Missoni necklace is made of thicker plastic linked together with chunky brass rings. There were obviously no copyright infringements between Paul & Joe and Missoni on this necklace as both had possibly copied this design in first place.