WE DO THE MATH - SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO

Incase you loved Victoria Beckham's cute pink dress - Topshop have brought it out in orange! Okay so there are a few differences - colors and scalloping - but its pretty close! It's only £42 too!

You can find it here

Jubilee paper chains!

 Sailing past all the stuff on sale for the jubilee as it doesn't interest me - I came across these! LONDON PAPER CHAINS FROM TOPSHOP! It reminds me of being a kid when my mum and me used to make paper chains at Christmas!

You can find them here

Urban Outfitters are a strange store. Fact.

Urban Outfitters are stepping up their campaign to offend and baffle the entire population. So taking a break from insulting the gay community, the Irish and the Navajo nation, the company is now getting political....

Election T-shirts....To legit to Mitt you say? Fair enough then.......

Woman sues Neiman Markus for cheating husband....

I love a good fashion lawsuit.......the dirtier the better!

This one however, is just odd!!!

A woman is suing Neiman Marcus after she discovered that her (Now) ex-husband was having an affair - with their personal shopper.

You might ask yourself how is this worth a lawsuit? But apparently the cheating husband racked up a bill of over 1.4 million in the store buying gifts for the personal shopper.

Face. Palm. Smack.

Okay, So here goes. Patricia Walker was injured in a car accident which saw her bed ridden for three months. During this time, her husband bought her gifts worth 1.4 million (as you do) from the store. This is where the personal shopper comes in - she helped the husband spent the millions. It then turns out as Walker got better - she discovered that the personal shopper was now having an affair with the husband.

Apparently this was all fine and well - until Walker bought the gifts back and Neiman Markus refused to take them back with no explanation as to why. She is now suing the retailer for fraud, conspiracy to defraud her and breach of fiduciary (nope no idea what that word means either) duty.

What you also need to remember while reading this is that fashion retail staff at high end stores often work on commission. I can imagine that the commission for 1.4 million would be pretty tasty.......

Good lord this just gets weirder and weirder.....

Peppers on clothes. Yes.

 

 I am so happy with my recent purchase. I had one of those moments where a dress remains burned into your memory until you are forced to buy it to stop the random thoughts about it while your at work. I had noticed I was repeatedly popping into Pennys to visit a dress and I popped in the last day with notions of actually purchasing it.....when I noticed said dress was now €7. I considered this a sign from the fashion gods - and bought the damn thing!
The only picture I could find online to show you was from another blogger - so apologies for stealing the image but I will not be wearing it until tomorow at my party so more photos when I have them! However, I never thought I'd be one to buy into a random trend like this!

The trend started with Dolce and Gabanna who re-introduced the food on frocks idea with their peppers on skirts and belly tops for SS12. This followed on from a summer where lemons appeared on everything thanks to Stella McCartney. I missed out on Primark's sell out lemon dress for €6 last year as I thought I would never wear it. Thanks to missing out last year - I was determined not to be so stupid this year and bought it - quick as!

As far as I know the dress is still on sale for €7 but I will warn that the sizes look massive. My normal 10 looks far too big but knowing my thighs - it more then likely wont be.....sigh.....

I really really love Japan

I love Japan.

I am so excited - and sad - to be loosing one of my best friends to Japan in September but hopefully I will get to visit. I've had a long obsession with Japan for some strange reason my whole life. It started with trying to learn Japanese symbols when I was ten, learning origami when I was a teenager, becoming obsessed with Harajuku style when I was a teen and learning how to make sushi when I was in my twenties.
To me, seeing Japan is something I really want to do before I get too old to enjoy it. I want to taste real sushi, see the actual fashion, bother some cool people and generally experience the culture of the place. I am really exciting about this!
Sigh.....I have nothing more to add then to add this :

A plate of sushi I made myself a few weeks ago.....

Was the Birkin burning a fake?

'Not only does the “Birkin” look like it’s made out of croc-embossed pleather at the very best, but the way that the bag is twisting and bunching in the pre-destruction photo should be enough to tip off anyone that’s ever seen the real deal in person. The bag that was used for this shoot probably cost some poor production assistant $25 to buy it out of the trunk of a car in Santee Alley. Our Hermes experts on the PurseForum agree–it’s a knockoff, and not even a convincing one.'

- In another twist to the Birkin bag burning which took place this week, experts are saying the $10,000 bag in the photos is a fake!

Fake or real? Can we get more info please????

WORKFACE : Purple day

 Today was a purple day. I love wearing purple because it looks great on green eyes - which I have! So here comes the product list :

FACE - NC15 Mineralise foundation MAC, Rimmel recover concealer, Benefit Highbeam highlighter, Mineralise Skinfinish Natural Powder in Light by MAC.

EYES - MAC 'White Frost' pigment, MAC 'Fig' eyeshadow, Make Up Store 'Bordeaux' eyeshadow and Smoulder eyeliner from MAC

 In this picture you can really see the light catching the highlighter! I also used the highbeam just under my brows as well.

EYEBROWS - Lingering Eyebrow pencil from MAC

 I look exhausted. Possibly because I am.

I changed my Chanel polish to YSL today and I must say I am loving it. Apart from breaking a nail opening my locker  - its been a complete success. I was getting annoyed with how bad the Chanel polish was chipping - so looks like I don't owe them an apology for slamming their polish just yet.....

Devil Wears Prada to become a sequel! SCREAM!

Gird your loins people!

Lauren Weisberger is writing a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada! It's going to be called 'Revenge Wears Prada'.....call me crazy, but does writing a best selling book about how much of a tyrant your boss is not count as excellent revenge anyway!?!?

'Revenge Wears Prada picks up eight years after Andy parted ways with Miranda on bad terms. Andy is now editing The Plunge, the hottest bridal magazine around, alongside Emily, her one-time Runway nemesis turned current BFF. While Andy is planning her own wedding to Max, a handsome media scion, she remains haunted by her impeccably heeled former boss — and the magazine world being as small as it is, it’s only a matter of time before she hears the dreaded syllables “Ahn-dre-ah!” again.'

With any luck this will become a thing and we will get to see Miranda Priestly take to the silver screen again in one of the best parodies of Anna Wintour - EVER.

The Triumph Awards 2012 : GO ON LIMERICK!!!!

 The Fifth annual Triumph awards took place last night in Dublin and it looks like Limerick scored a hat trick again! I do love the Triumph awards as its refreshing to see such a great level of student talent on offer. The winner will go on to represent Ireland at the Triumph awards in Shanghai this year and will also see their collection go on sale with Triumph.

 I am RAGING I couldn't go - I loved it last year - as I had to work!!!! But yet again this year was full of bright, colored and frankly, beautiful designs which really showcased the talent on offer.

 In the end it was Jordan Edwards Moore that took the first place prize with this futuristic piece entitled 'The Rorschach Test'. i love this. It's not only flattering but extremely beautiful in design. The piece was based on ink blot tests and how they can be transformed into patterns and lingerie.

 Second place went to Colin Hogan from Tralee - another LSAD student! His design entitled 'The Reborn Bionic' was based on metallic dragon skin. The theme this year was Dragons and Butterflies.

 Third place went to Leanne Ryan from Clare with her design, 'Beneath the Skin'... an exploration into the movement of butterfly wings.

The winner, Jordan will travel to Shanghai with 30 other winners from around the world to compete in October.

So this is the second year in a row that LSAD have scooped the three prizes! Maybe I am biased given I am former LSAD myself, but G'WAN THE LADS!!!!!!!!

Hope the fashion department give them a well deserved day off to recover after the celebrations!

Birkin Burners say they will donate money if the piece sells.....

'The Birkin photos are for sale. If somebody were to buy — all right, let’s do this. If somebody wants to buy one of the Birkin photos, I will donate $100,000 — not to a charity — but to a family. I will give one family in need $100,000 cash, tax-free.'

'I just came up with that right now, so I’m not fully prepared on that. I would select somebody who — my father had a stroke when I was 15, and it became very difficult financially for the family, so I think I would do that. I think I would find a family that someone had a stroke or some type of ailment…So, I’ll find somebody who that just happened to and I will help them out.'

- The 'artist' Tyler Shields has said he will donate $100,000 tax free dollars to a family in need if someone buys his 'art'. This art in question is the Birkin bag which met a horrific end by him and his girlfriend, Francesca Eastwood.

Oh yeah, did I mention that apparently the minted pair have a reality TV show to promote and are claiming that the bag burning was for 'art' and not publicity? I was wondering about that. Given the amount of publicity the bag has gotten. I mean, its not really saying anything about the bag or art in general and doesn't contribute great amounts to modern art does it?

Apparently the pair wanted to 'immortalise' the bag. Riiight....

CAMPAIGNS : AW12 Marc Jacobs

The first of the new AW12 campaigns has dropped and its Marc Jacobs. Shot by Juergen Teller, the shoot features those amazing furry hats by the designer.

I love this.

There was a real witchy theme running through the collection which extends to the photoshoot. I don't know why but I think of the witches from Macbeth when I see this image. There is something very sinister about it.....I love it.

YSL's 2000 opium advert deemed fashions most offense advert!

Sophie Dahl's advert for YSL in 2000 has become one of the Top ten most complained about adverts! It's the only fashion advert to make the list complied by the Advertising Standards Authority who recorded a whopping 948 complaints about the advert! It came in eighth place...

The advert, designed by Tom Ford - who lets face it has a history of racy adverts - was created to advertise the company's Opium fragrance. The advert was banned everywhere except for women's magazines. The ASA deemed it "sexually suggestive and, in an untargeted medium, likely to cause widespread offence''. Steady on lads! That's nothing compared to adverts today or indeed Tom Ford today!!!

Incase anyone is interested - the advert which caused the most offense? It was for Yum! restaurants and it featured people chewing with their mouths open and it collected over 1,671 complaints from viewers!!!! Paddy Power bookies came in close second with a TV advert which featured a blind footballer kicking a cat across a stadium - no really....How!?!??!?!

Yellow dress

How gorgeous!

If I had a summer wedding to go to...this could be the dress! I know its a bit....mustard and I know I bang on about how I don't do yellow - but this could be the dress to change all of that.....

It could also be the pleated skirt...I do have a thing for a good pleated maxi skirt!

Dress from Oasis

Beth Ditto for MAC

I am so excited about this collection. I cant wait to try get the blue dots across my face! Hurrah!

 PURPLE MASCARA KIDS!!!!! LOOK!!!!

Mapping out london

The wonderful Tee and Cake at Topshop have now started printing maps of London on T-shirts!

Reminds me that is is less then two weeks until I go to London!

You can find them here!

Its me!

My friend Elena has embarked on an ambitious project - she's doing one portrait a day! I was really delighted when I found out she did mine! I was blown away by it!!!!

How cool is this?????

The likeness is uncanny!

You can check out the rest of her project entitled 365 here

LOOKBOOKS : River Island AW12

 Normally with look books there seems to be a common theme where you can pick out the trends. Not all the pieces are to your liking but there is a theme running through them. I just got my hands on the River Island lookbook for AW12 and I have to say, I am pretty blown away by it. I can't pick out the trends here but what I can see so far - are genuinely lovely pieces and some real show stoppers.

 Like this dress.......gorgeous!

 There are some 80s pieces and a good bit of tartan running through the collection in the form of blouses, trousers and jackets. I must say, I love the idea of tartan trousers for winter....must be my inner fifteen year old punk! This is the same inner punk who makes sure I always have one black lipstick in my collection at all times......

 I couldn't narrow down my choices as there were so many gorgeous pieces that I really want. I could have made this blog post twice as long but I limited myself. I love the skirt below. I like the idea of teaming it with a black vest and a leather jacket. I seem to have a 'thing' for maxi skirts and they are incredibly flattering....

 Quite a few pairs of hot pants in the collection too..... The only thing I will say about hot pants like this is choose your tights carefully. I cant stand seeing the gusset line on tights when women wear hot pants like these. It drives me nuts. I only wear patterned tights with mine so there isn't a line. Mind you, mine are plain black though. I can see myself buying the patterned gold ones above. I love them.

 There is also a selection of blouses in everything from clashing prints, to black, to sheer, florals and tartan...in fact, check out the tartan blouse. How cool!?!??!

I like it when you don't wear make-up.....

Ah men, you gotta love 'em...they haven't a notion!

The boy recently told me that he prefers me with no make up on. Granted I have to wear a lot of make-up for work but this was the face he told that gem to :

Does this look like a face free from make-up to you????

Only women understand how much effort goes into our faces. I am wearing concealer, foundation, highlighter, bronzer, eyebrow pencil and mascara here. Yet it doesn't look like I'm caked. Or maybe it does - I dont know!

I will say however that face and body foundation by MAC has been the best discovery I have ever made. Seriously! I'm wearing C1 here and I love it. I've bronzed up my skin a bit using a MAC Pro Long wear bronzer and added a Benefit highlighter to the temples.  I have also added L'Oreal mascara before finishing with a slick of vaseline in the place of lipstick!

What the boys don't know - wont hurt 'em....

HA!

I could only find the picture of this that the man himself tweeted this morning. Genius. Behold Henry Hollands Jubilee tea towel.

OPINION : Rinsing men

Rinsing
The world has gone mad and outraged over rinsing lately. Channel Four aired a documentary about four women who professionally 'rinse' men. This means that they use men to get gifts, cars, holidays and clothes without sleeping with them. I find this very hard to believe that they don't sleep with them.

Frankly the whole thing was a bit more then disgusting - it was hard to watch. I don't understand how these girls have such a distorted view of things and how they were okay with their actions.
I have to admit there was an awful whiff of cheap off the whole thing anyway but several magazines have followed up the docu with stories of their own and its depressing reading. One girl even admitted she uses tricks she learned from her psychology classes to further get their man to spend. The magazine even printed a few 'beginner' tricks from her including body language tricks.

Grazia followed up the story by interviewing one girl who revealed that since the documentary aired - she has had to take her children out of their school and has received death threats.

So is rinsing actually worth it?

It's depressing to think that these women value friendship in terms of money and gifts but then if the men are willing to give them presents like this, who are we to judge?

At least one of the girls was open enough to start up a website to advertise which given that she is a glamor model - isnt that unusual in itself. The rest rely on meeting men in bars, giving them their numbers and then leaving hints over social media about what gifts they want. The documentary followed three girls out onto the town to see how they approach men. They suss out the man by examining his clothing and watch, they ask what he does for a living and only frequent exclusive clubs and bars. In fact, the girls looked like hookers when they were ready for a night out - boobs out, tight short dresses on and hair extensions. Again - depressing.

I just have a hard time accepting that the men give up after giving such expensive gifts. Surely they must want more in return. In fact as one girl meets one of the men, she speaks about how she doesnt want anymore interaction with him and then he is interviewed saying that he wants a relationship with her and thats why he is there. So maybe the men aren't as willing as the girls think they are.

What do we reckon?

More Birkin burning images

 There are more photos of the 'art' by Clint Eastwood's daughter......jury is still out on if this is an expensive art piece or just rich people wasting money but its a bit.....

 I mean this bag is worth $10,000.

Would love to see this girl and girls like her try to survive on my wages for a week.

THE DREADFUL DIARIES : A year of great change.....

This has been the oddest year.

I am just about to turn 27 and it feels really odd. The year has so far been one of great change. I saw my life move very quickly, then slowly then quickly again. It seems that for me and my friends - its a year where all of our lives have moved on so fast.

It's so strange to think that this time last year I was still in my masters and living in Dublin working for the magazine while trying to avoid working on my thesis. I never thought I would be where I am now and doing what I am doing. So far this year I have graduated, written a thesis, moved homes three times, gotten the job I wanted for six years, been hit by a car, broken my knee, fallen madly in love, been diagnosed as a coeliac, met lots of new people, worked freelance quite a bit and god knows what the next few weeks will bring.

I think things have a way of working out though. So far with all the change - it still seems like everyone has gotten what they wanted from it. Which is great.

So what has this meant for the site? Well, readership has grown massively which is nice. I am always shocked by that! It's nice to get emails and comments on the facebook as well which keeps me going. I do find blogging a bit difficult at the moment as I have a lot going on. I'm trying to keep everything running smoothly though! I work eight hours shifts, come home, eat, then write and then blog for an hour or three if I haven't fallen asleep by then. Its gotten so bad that on days where I don't see 'the boy' I remove my make-up at work incase I fall asleep with it when I'm working!!!!! It takes me a few minutes each night to do it and I hate waking up with horrible panda eyes. Especially in this heat.

Fashionably, I think its going to be a long hot summer. I have a few events over the next few weeks which are going to keep me very very busy. I am also off to London in two weeks - two weeks yesterday as my dad reminded me! I am busy saving and not buying new clothes at the moment in order to splurge when I get there.

I can't wait for it. I haven't had a holiday in about two years and I am badly in need of one - especially after the accident! I am looking forward to art, museums, fashion and dancing. I am particularly excited about a new Tracey Emin exhibition - not really sure if I like or hate her art but I will certainly be going to check it out anyway. I havent been to one of her exhibition since 2001-ish.

So here is to drinking pimms by the river and relaxing. God knows I've earned it!

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FASHION HISTORY : Selfridges London

Selfridges is one of the most historical fashionable buildings in London. I have watched documentaries on the fascinating store and god knows I have a 'thing' about history....so I was delighted while stalking their website (yes, stalking their Peter Pilotto collection to be exact) to come across a selection of historical photos of the place.....I really am that nerdy!

I am not alone it seems - my history posts on this site are some of the most read blog posts! So apparently you enjoy my nerd filled posts too! It takes ages to make them because I want to make sure everything is just right and everything is backed up with photos which can take a while to source. However, it is great fun......

...anyway, on to the photos :

Work begins on the building in 1906

The store officially opens in 1909 and the crowds are so large that by 6.30 - over 150,000 people had visited the store.

Even in 1909 the visual team were one of the best in the UK - Check out the large amounts of women - in fancy hats - scoping out the window display!!!!! Nothing changes!

I posted before about the roof top garden in Selfridges. It was one of the coolest places in London in the 1920s before becoming a women's gun club (!) in the 1930s. It was closed down during the war and became a vegetable garden to provide food for the cafe. It remained closed until last year when Selfridges re-opened it with a rooftop lake complete with lifeguards and bar.

The rooftop is far from small though - Selfridges began to host dances and balls up there which could fit up to 2,000 people!!!

The bombing of London during the war destroyed most of the garden and at one point - blew the windows out in the top floors. Glass from the large windows could be found miles away from the scene.

Also, during the war Selfridges  had U.S. Army Signal Corps Telecommunications system code-named SIGSALY, installed deep in the sub-basement. There are actually documentaries about this and the basement is a series of really odd rooms and tunnels. It's kinda scary down there!

You can read my original post about the garden here complete with photos of the bar.

In 1969 the store celebrated its 60th birthday with dramatic window displays and store exclusives by cosmetic companies such as Orlane.

Also in the 60s Selfridges badly needed to attract younger shoppers as Britain became more youth focused - so they opened Miss Selfridge. I have often wondered about this and were there any links to the company. Apparently there are!
Some random Miss Selfridge facts:
The early manniquins were based on Twiggy
They were the first company to advertise on buses
They were also the first fashion store to have their own line of cosmetics during the 1970s.

I can't find any information on when the company sold to Arcadia because MS now belongs to Philip Green....

The Selfridges hotel opened for business in 1972 but was bombed by the IRA in December 1974. Luckily no one was badly hurt and the hotel remained open for business.

In the 90s, a 94 million re-development program was put in place and the building became what it is today. The famous yellow bags were brought in and Selfridges opened branches in Manchester and Birmingham.

Also, just to mention that Selfridges was sold to the Weston family in 2003 - the same company that own Brown Thomas. So that is the link between BT and Selfridges.

So thats it really! Feel free to send me any information I may have forgotten or to add a comment if there is something you want to throw in!