Marni for H&M: a dress, a skirt and a bracelet

In the entire history of H&M collaborations with designers and celebrities, Marni was the very first one who got me really (REALLY) excited. Of course, I loved the idea of Lanvin for H&M, too, but it just wasn’t THAT tempting for me, especially after my darling friend kindly reminded me of the real Lanvin hanging in my wardrobe. “Why would you bother”, she said. “You’ve already got your Lanvin.”

Marni was different. My ultimate Marni love has always been their statement jewellery, but I’ve never allowed myself to buy any because, ultimately, it was too expensive for what it was. H&M made it affordable to the point of stocking up like there’s no tomorrow. If only it was that easy…

For days I browsed and browsed the Marni for H&M lookbook, dreaming until the day has finally come. I got up in the morning, fed my lovely pupster, made myself breakfast and a cup of green tea and sat in front of my computer ready to shop. I must admit, I would give it a miss if I had to go to the actual shop. Having spent most of my childhood and adult life queuing, I wasn’t prepared to do it again. More over, I didn’t want to get up at a crack of dawn (I’ve heard of people camping by H&M entrance at 3:30am!) and drag myself to the shops. It’s too early, too crowded, too  much of a pain and not so very much me. I am a dedicated online shopper, particularly when it comes to collaborations and very much intend to keep it that way.

And there I was… Browsing the pieces beautifully displayed on my screen, carefully judging every magnified pixel. Of course, I wanted the necklaces and a couple of bracelets before anything else, but the cream patterned skirt and colour block dress were also on my wish list just in case I get lucky.

At exactly 9:00 I pressed the “buy” button, the screen blinked and the shiny silver picture was replaced by a heart-breaking “you are placed in a queue” message. I got up, made myself another cup of tea and decided to do some paperwork while waiting and periodically pressing the “try again” button. Cool as a cucumber.

30 minutes later I was granted the access. The necklaces were still there, and so were the dresses, skirts and bracelets, waiting to be mine. I quickly placed the white necklace, chunky cuff and a colour-block dress in my basket and went through the checkout. By the time I was done with my credit card details, the necklace was gone forever. The good news was that I managed to get the cuff and the blue and orange silk dress. I was happy.

Just for fun, I returned to the website, managed to log in straight away and 2 minutes later emerged with a cream skirt, blue patterned dress and a pair of orange plastic earrings.

There was still plenty of everything left (apart from the necklaces), but it was a lovely  morning and pupster needed his walk and so off we went.

It was a good experience to remember and certainly a brilliant way to acquire some beautiful pieces for a lot less of their full-blown Marni equivalents. Once the whole over the top excitement faded away, I decided to return the blue dress and earrings, so will only keep the dress, bracelet and skirt.

I did develop a few rules and I guess, they helped me to get what I wanted, so here is a list just in case you may find it useful:

1. Be prepared in advance: browse the lookbook, select what you like and stick with the list.

2. Register your details before the sale. If you don’t you will definitely lose precious minutes and some of your purchases. If you can add and save your card details, it will make your life even better.

3. Make sure that you are logged in on the day.

4. Know your sizes. If unsure, go for everything in two sizes and return the ones that don’t fit.

5. Check out several times if necessary as it may increase your chances of getting every single item you want. You will have to pay extra delivery charge, but it really is worth it.

6. Sometimes you are only allowed one item from each category, so if you really want to have a pair or simply increase your chances of success, team up with a friend, lovely neighbour or relative and shop from two computers with two credit cards.

7. Shopping on-line makes it easier to return the items because you are protected by consumer right policy for on-line shopping and can return everything you didn’t like without any problems within a timing period that often differs from the one in a regular shop.

8. Have fun! I always remind myself that if something is no longer there, it wasn’t meant to be mine and isn’t worth my time and emotions.

P.S. Still wish I got the white necklaces, though…

Paris fashion week favourites

And so, just for once, there is a story rather than an editorial to share on this beautiful Monday morning.

And just like that Paris Fashion Week, the most exciting, sparkling and glamorous of them all, is over. I always feel a bit sad when it comes to an end as I can enjoy Parisian delights for as long as Paris is happy to generously share them with me.

And there is a list of my unforgettables…

Chloe’s casual elegance with scrumptious cosy coats, signature oh-so-Parisian drop waist silhouette, floaty skirts and delicate lace details.

Lanvin’s collection was probably one of my most favourite ones Alber Elbaz ever did. It was perfect in a way it was structured to fit the body where necessary without losing an ability to flirt with the audience with the help of glittering appliques and yards and yards of draping and crinoline-free deliciousness of full skirts.

Sonia Rykiel looked French and like something a woman could through on first thing in the morning and still look good all day long. It was very inspiring because many looks could have been created with less expensive pieces without loosing the magic.

I also loved Stella McCartney’s sporty, edgy and impeccably tailored clothes. She made me want to wear a suit, something that’s been Mission Impossible until now.

And Valentino, of course, for how can a woman not love those tulip shapes, leather that looks like French lace and feels like butter, not to mention all the pleating, embroidery and princess-worthy glamour?

In addition, there was, of course, Christian Dior that I’ve already dedicated an entire post to.

On the opposite end of the scale was, of course, the one and only Marc Jacobs whom people keep referring to as genius. I am yet to figure out why because the only things I keep thinking of include his carousel extravaganza that was obviously inspired by Chanel Fall/Winter 2008-2009 collection and then the latest Fall 2012 ready-to-wear collection that made me think of Karl’s Chanel Cruise 2007/2008 show again. I guess, using the plane would be too obvious, so Mr Jacobs went for the more budget and space friendly train option. Oh well… Not that I am very surprise. His 2008 Gosta Olofsson’s case and and well-known Oscar de la Renta’s claim about Mr Jacobs being “a mere copyist” are more then enough to prove my point.

Photo source: elle.com

Perfect woman

I feel like swapping Sunday and Monday posts, publishing an editorial from Harper’s Bazaar 1995 today and a story (well, a few word-filled paragraphs) tomorrow. Turned out that I had to work on Saturday, so my brain wasn’t up for creative thinking at the end of a long day.

Photo source: Harper’s Bazaar US September 1995

Weekend sign off

It’s been a good week and now I am just looking forward to slowing down and recharging my inner energizer bunny. It’s time to take a deep breath and embrace little simple pleasures of life. Walking, cuddling, sleeping in, exercising, going out for coffee, reading the latest ELLE and Vogue and watching Midnight in Paris.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Always yours,

Photo source: Elle Argentina December 2011

Blonde ambition

Being a blonde gives you power beyond belief and makes the world concentrate all its attention on you and your gorgeousness. Your blonde hair becomes a focal point and subject of many conversations. You turn into a Goddess of light, the beautiful fragile creature every man would love to hold and protect and an envy of many women who secretly want to be you (or at least have your hair). This is the fabulous side of reality that, however, always comes with a “but”…

As we all remember, with great power comes great responsibility and this is exactly the “but” part that we need to discuss. Once you choose to go blonde you have to find a perfect way not only achieve the colour of your dreams, but also maintain it accordingly.

The thing about hair dying is that there are quite a few things that may go wrong and I am sure many of us can vividly recall the traumatic experiences of going green, orange or patchy or ending up with haystack on your head.

If your goal is to have hair that resembles silk and looks blonde, not brassy, Garnier Nutrisse is the perfect choice. Of course, there are stylists and hair salons, but even glossy magazines now admit that not every woman would need to book a visit to achieve a hair of her dreams and could certainly DIY whenever she needs a touch up.

These days the formulas are so advanced that the product can be used by any woman who wants to add radiance and shine to her natural colour, change it to something different or cover greys. Until I chose to go with what nature intended for me, I always went for Nutrisse because I could easily find a shade I wanted (and there are so many gorgeous ones!), use it at home and apply with ease. It never run all over the place, provided some essential oils for extra nourishment and never ever went patchy. The only rules anyone would need to follow are: do a 48-hour patch test, never use the product straight after a perm or on top of henna (trust me, you are likely to go green if you do!), never try to change your original colour dramatically and stick within the 2-shade difference range, remember to use conditioner and… be prepared to turn heads and accept compliments when you emerge looking oh-so-beautifully-blonde!

Sponsored Post

Photo source: Elle France December 2009

Donna Ida: 20 rules for denim addicts

Donna Ida is indeed the Queen of Denim and the best person to turn to with all the denim related dilemmas and her advice about choosing and wearing jeans really is like a page from the Denim Bible – absolutely worth reading and remembering.

1. Be open minded. Always visit a denim specialist and be open to the suggestions the assistant makes. Like any garment all jeans are essentially the same - two legs, five pockets, but the magic is in the individual fit.

2. If they go on easily, go down a size. Kicking your way into the legs isn't unusual.

3. The waistband should be snug, if you can fit two fingers down the back that's good, a whole hand is not.

4. A curved, or pieced waistband, is ideal. This will be slightly higher at the back than the front and will curve into your waist rather than sit straight up.

5. High waisted jeans without a yoke can make the bottom look longer. Look for styles with a yoke if this is a concern.

6. There should be no 'grab' room at the crotch when trying. The jeans should be nice and firm when you buy them, and loosen with wear.

7. When buying jeans with super stretch, look for good quality denim that has great memory. The 'memory' is how quickly the denim springs back after wear.

8. When buying jeans with super stretch buy them firm but not overly tight. If you have 'seam strain' down the legs, they are possibly too tight and this could damage the stretch.

9. Look for white jeans with faux front pockets. If the style you choose has front pockets you can ask the tailor to remove them for a neater look.

10. 'Whiskering' adds interest and depth on jeans around the crotch area and is a flatting feature. Lighter styles with no whiskering can sometimes look a bit 'blocky'.

11. When having your jeans hemmed for flares take the shoes you want to wear with them to the fitting. You should decide on the shoes and stick with those shoes for your flares.

12. When having your jeans hemmed make sure the tailor always measures them from the back of the leg, i.e. at your heel, otherwise they may come back too short.

13. Alterations can give you the perfect jeans. Think about adjusting the waistband or slimming the legs - small adjustments are not unusual.

14. Pear shaped or curvy ladies who like skinny jeans should look at high waisted styles - it elongates the leg and slims down the hip.

15. Apple shaped girls should look for plenty of stretch in a straight leg in a dark wash as they are the most flattering.

16. Boyish shapes can wear most styles. Add some shape and interest with zips and details on back pockets.

17. Long legs look best in a mid to low rise to keep the waist at the right height, whereas petite girls look great in a high rise that accentuates the waist and elongates the legs.

18. Don't be afraid to hem cropped jeans. People often think that if cropped jeans aren't the right length then they're not the jeans for them, but cropped jeans should be hemmed to fit properly, just like a bootleg or straight leg.

19. Read the care instructions. Most premium jeans are best washed COLD, that’s cold and not 30 degrees, Any warmer and you are damaging the fabric.

20. Have fun with your denim…the traditional five pocket jeans now come in a myriad of colours, patterns and fabrics. Just wear them with a simple white tee.

Got another Denim Dilemma? Get it solved at Donna Ida

Photo source: Vogue Italia May 2005

Stylish quote

 

“Dress for yourself and the man you love (if there is one). Women dressing to impress other women — forget about that. It’s a very bad way of thinking.”

Karl Lagerfeld

Photo source: Vogue Germany October 2009 Beauty