Vintage slip dress / Vintage turtleneck top (similar here) / Calzedonia long socks / Doc Martens shoes
Location: Tiergarten Park, Berlin
At the weekend Lewis and I had a little trip to Berlin to see one of our favourite bands play, The Gaslight Anthem, and to do some exploring. It turned out that our Airbnb apartment came with two bikes, which was an amazing way of seeing the city and as I loved my cute baby blue one I thought I would feature it in some blog photos!
Slip dresses were my go-to piece this summer but I cannot bear to part with this one over winter so here is my way of styling them throughout colder months. Turtleneck jumpers are a wardrobe must-have this season, they are so versatile! I love the 90s look of layering mine under a slip dress for a bit of extra warmth. Then I just added some knee length socks and voilà! So remember, a slip dress is for life, not just for summer 😉
Vintage lace flares / eBay top / Doc Martens shoes / Ray Bans sunglasses / Mac So Chaud lipstick
Location: Port de Tolbiac
As soon as I saw these black lace flares, it was love. They have such a flattering shape with a tight high waist and the flare starting right at the top of the legs. Such a unique yet bang on trend piece, which is always exactly what I want.
I discovered this shoot location when Lewis and I walked the length of the Seine within Paris last Saturday. Crazy I know. This was where we started our 9 mile walk across the city and I just loved the industrial yet calm feel. It was deserted except for a young guy in a smart get-up featuring braces and a peak cap practising scales on the saxophone, adorable.
Glamour is what makes a man ask for a woman’s phone number…it is also what makes a woman ask another woman for the number of their designer!
Lilly Daché (French Fashion designer)
Chanel / Dior / Chanel
At the weekend I went to a great exhibition at Palais Galliera, as known as the fashion museum. The exhibition was called “Les Années 50” and looked at French fashion between 1947 and 1957. After World War Two there was a scandalous change to French couture which would change fashion forever. Tight bodices, clinched waistlines, flattering necklines and flowing full skirts set the style for a new femininity and was miles away from the straight and restricted dress of the Second World War. This was dubbed the ‘New Look’ and designers such as Christian Dior, followed by Yves Saint-Laurent, Cristóbal Balenciaga and, later, Hubert de Givenchy dominated the fashion scene of Paris in the 1950s.
Dior / Jacques Fath
Fashion designers in the 1950s just loved creating evening dresses, putting all their fantasy and imagination into them. Think lots of velvet, lace, satin and jewels with bustier necklines and long gloves, it was the most elegant part of a designers’ collection. This Jacques Fath dress above has actual seeds of corn sewn onto the bustier, which is just enchanting.
It was in the 1950s that the classic summer dress, that we all know and love, was born. The young wanted a free and liberating wardrobe for summer, whether it was spent in the city or by the beach. Colourful afternoon dresses, flowing skirts and beach outfits were worn next to the skin for ease and comfort. This was just the start of the ready-to-wear trend that established itself for good in the 1960s.
Lingerie also makes a comeback in the 1950s with push up bras and petticoats being the essentials for any wardrobe. Plain stockings are replaced with embroidered or printed tights that went with the outfit. The previously worn corset is remembered in the girdle, which would soon be banished during the 1960s, not re-appearing again until the 1980s.
So just a little fashion history for you there. Get yourself to Palais Galliera if you can, this exhibition is running until 2nd November 2014.
So things have been a bit quiet this month on the blog because I’ve been on holiday for two weeks! I went to the South of France and wanted to share some of my lovely photos with you. I spent the first week relaxing in this amazing villa in a village north of Toulouse with the whole of my mum’s side of family and then Lewis came to join me and we went on a little road trip.
Passing through Carcassonne and a beach on the way, we spent our first night in Montpellier, which is an absolutely lovely city. Very quiet at this time of year because it is normally a student city. We ate at a great pizzeria called Le Valentino, which I would definitely recommend.
Then we headed to our main destination, a village in Provence called Cadenet to a quiet house with a terrace overlooking the town and countryside, which I had found on Airbnb (my favourite website!). From there we did day trips to Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and the Gorges du Verdon, which was the highlight. We rented kayaks on the Lac de Sainte-Croix and paddled through the Gorges, which was incredible. We spent our last night in Marseille, which is gritty but beautiful.
Hope you have all had a good summer! I’m looking forward to Autumn/Winter fashion now though!
Yesterday, Lewis and I thought we would make the most of the free public transport this weekend, due to the extremely high pollution levels in Paris, and make a trip out of the city. In 45 minutes we were in the beautiful town of Fontainebleau where we relaxed in the gardens of the Castle, having a picnic, feeding the ducks and going for stroll. It was really picturesque.
This casual outfit is perfect for a relaxing Sunday like this. The trousers are so comfortable and loose that they are great for this transitional weather. Of course I love the fact that they are floral too, which is going to be huge this Spring/Summer.
What do you think of this outfit?
Izzie x
Hier, Lewis et moi avons pensé qu’il faut profiter du transport en commun gratuit ce week-end, dû aux niveaux très élevés de pollution dans Paris, et nous avons voyagé en campagne. En 45 minutes, nous étions dans la belle ville de Fontainebleau où nous nous sommes relaxés dans les jardins du Château. Nous avons fait un pique-nique, nourrit les canards et se baladé. C’était vachement pittoresque.
Ce look décontracté est parfait pour un dimanche reposant comme cela. Le pantalon est si confortable et ample qu’il est génial pour ce temps de transition. Bien sûr, je kif le fait qu’il est fleuri aussi, une tendance qui sera très grande ce printemps/été.
