You're So Vain

LULZ

2010-02-17T01:37:00.003+11:00

It's been a year since we posted in this.

Real life takes over, doesn't it? Hmm. I might start this up again though. Maybe. Although really with facebook, twitter and tumblr, plus livejournal, I really don't need another medium through which to spend even MORE time on the internet.

I posted some kickass things, even if I do say so myself. Ah it was fun while it lasted.

- S

Such things are happening

2009-02-10T18:08:00.003+11:00

Michael Oats photography for Allure

Jo is moving in on Thursday (finally!) - this means shared wardrobes and many good times ahead now that she doesn't live half an hour's drive away from my house.
Our planned trip to America later this year has now been confirmed. Plane tickets to San Francisco have been purchased, and we'll be going for two weeks late September - early October. We'll also be spending about 10 days in New York during this period. (!!!!!!!!!)
This is all incredibly exciting. :D
Complete aside - I want that nail polish the model is wearing.

- S

Tell me why I'm in retail again?

2009-02-05T13:51:00.004+11:00

Man: *points* What's that?
Me: That's an apple danish.
Man: Does that have fruit in it?
Me: ... Apple is a fruit.

God, some people have shit for brains. Lately I've found myself acting completely bitchy towards customers; I think it's the heat. It makes me really grumpy :(

Oh yeah and I finally found a new swimsuit, yay! Red Zimmermann bikini. Classy. Oh and Jo bought a trench coat from Country Road.
This one. Because she totally needed it. What with the 43 degree C (108 F!) days we've been having. At least it was $100 off? Which is still bad, but not as bad.

...

We are never going to make it to New York at this rate. Lulz. I really hope we get that $950 payout from the government. That's half a plane ticket right there.

- S

Mustard

2009-01-23T22:15:00.003+11:00

Apologies for posting lull of late. Unfortunately we had a mid-semester exam yesterday, and that combined with the heat wave Melbourne has been experienced lately makes for extreme laziness and hours spent by my pool instead of blogging and well... studying. But it's done now so posting should resume.

Jo actually has been drawing pictures of our outfits - during our lectures, resulting in long fits of suppressed laughter at some of said drawings. I'm sure the people seated around us hated us; we were literally shaking and crying with (silent) laughter at some of the things that happened in those lectures... ah good memories. Anyway, I digress. As I say, Jo has been drawing our outfits and we shall have them scanned and put on here asap... Jo also said that as she was colouring in the drawings that all my outfits were combinations of black, white and grey. And then we went shopping last Saturday. And what did I buy? A white shirt, a black dress and an amazing silverish trench coat. We are creatures of type, clearly. Photos to come! Jo also bought a black dress. And came thiiiis close to purchasing this dress, except in black. But reason prevailed. It is a beautiful dress though. Oh yeah, almost forgot, Jo also did purchase this A.P.C. peacoat from Net-a-Porter. :O

- S

Menswear II

2009-01-19T16:23:00.002+11:00

I figure I should get on to part II of that menswear post I did. My last post was focused on what could be found in Australia; this post will be more internationally oriented. I've found that many online boutiques such as OakNYC, Tobi, Urban Outfitters, and even Topman (the male equivalent of Topshop), not only carry amazing wares, but also often shoot their own lookbooks for one to peruse through. Have a quick browse of their sites and you'll find lots of inspiration.
Another site I couldn't recommend highly enough is Refinery29. They showcase up and coming designers, trends and styles, as well as compiling "best of" lists which I love to read through.To my delight, a recent article focuses on upcoming trends in menswear for 2009. It's an interesting read, and what male readers we have might find it helpful. And if you sign up for their e-newsletter they email you daily with updates of all their articles.

Photographer: Calle Stoltz
Model: Vincent Lacrocq

Oh and the above pictures are pretty much just eye candy for me. Yeah.

- S

"that's right sweetheart, you've been fucked."

2009-01-13T23:56:00.009+11:00

SO. LAW SCHOOL FUCKED ME. BIG TIME. But fixed it. But STILL. I get a whinge.

I got a lovely email tonight from student admin telling me my amended mark for one of my subjects, Dispute Resolution. It was 55 marks higher than what they told me I got last year.

Which is good because that's an extra 55 marks but also shit because HOW THE HELL DID THEY MISS THAT THE FIRST TIME ROUND?!?!?!?!?!? No really. And the fact that it took them so long to get round to it. I spoke to a course advisor who told me to email the subject coordinator who was on leave and who said after he got back from leave that I would need to email my stream teacher who was also on leave. And so after a month of all being fobbed off again and again I FINALLY get a response.

And it was a terrible month because the mark that I thought I got was a fail and not just "oh, missed it by that much" fail but EPIC fail. I've read my torts cases, I could sue for nervous shock or depression. Although a friend did point out that the downside of suing the law school would be they would probably have a definite advantage when it comes to procuring the best legal counsel.

So right now I feel totally overjoyed but murderous at the same time. It alternates. This is what bipolar must be like.

I want hair like that.

- J

Recent purchases

2009-01-10T20:51:00.004+11:00

So I ended up buying the jeans, but Jo didn't end up getting the pants. :( they were a size too big anyway.

The jeans are a new favourite for sure; repeated exposure via The Internet has resulted in my taking a liking to bleached and tie-dyed and generally beaten up jeans... HOW DID THIS HAPPEN. Anyway, being too chickenshit/lazy to actually attempt a diy myself, I just bought a pair of Ksubi pre-bleached jeans instead. Fail at life. And saving money. Even on sale I almost couldn't justify the price.
Meanwhile, I have more photos for once! Photos of the purchases I spoke about in the last post. Because I don't have the time to put more thought/effort into other posts I've got lined up in the drafts because of freaking SUMMER SEMESTER and having HALF A SEMESTER'S WORTH OF REQUIRED READING TO GET THROUGH.

The leather bag which is my favourite bag now. The pockets! The zips! The strap! In short: it's perfect.
And the glorious dress which my friends and I joked about being the perfect dress if I were to get married at some point in the very near future (no). I need to get it shortened a bit though, curse my lack of height!
Detail shot
And just for the lulz there's this photo, I always meant to post it but never got it off my camera. A couple of months ago a friend and I were in Supre, which is a really terrible teeny bopper chainstore full of cheap clothes made in quite disturbing fabrics mostly and blaring music and SA's who don't wear pants. I haven't been into one since I was oh... I don't know, 12, and didn't know any better, but I made an exception this time because I thought it would be a really excellent opportunity to photograph hilarious/hideous items of clothing. And I hit paydirt.
And with that I leave you for that aforementioned required reading. Ciao!

- S

2009

2009-01-07T17:11:00.004+11:00

Source: mixologies.livejournal

It's been a while kids. A very belated Happy New Year to you all. But we are back and refreshed (kinda not really) and have posts to make up.

A couple of days ago Jo and I both started summer semester at university. Ergh. Two days in and already our concentration for learning about perpetuities and correlation of securities is waning. (The subject is Business Finance). However, this has also afforded us the opportunity to actually MEET UP because Jo has been working like a madwoman all holidays. And we have been engaging in a little shopping....

A little taste of what we've purchased in the last month or so:

For myself, your intrepid blogger Sisi:

a large black leather bag with LOTS of pockets (we love pockets) and a long detachable strap from Cue
two high waisted belts
a beautiful floaty dress which I will photograph at some point
AND... very likely (i.e. tomorrow), a pair of Ksubi jeans in a really awesome wash

Jo has engaged in voracious online shopping since she doesn't have time to peruse the shops in real life (as much as me), and has gotten:

two Bassike button pocket tshirts
a Witchery very pale pink almost white tuxedo jacket
a pair of black flats and a pair of black patent slingbacks, both from Witchery as well
and a huge American Apparel order - mostly tri-blend tees and the oxford shirt
PLUS also (probably) a pair of black harem-like pants from General Pants Co. (again, tomorrow with me)
probably other things she hasn't told me about and/or I've forgotten

We also exchanged gifts in a sense: Jo got me Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume for my birthday which is in late December, and I got her a Mimco clutch as a very belated birthday present as well. Pretty sweet.

I've got a post planned soon which I'll have to dig out photoshop for... let's see if I can come up with some kind of epic collage.

- S

Happy Hols Everyone

2008-12-26T19:58:00.003+11:00

I suppose we've been on an unintentional sabbatical, hence the lack of posts. Clearly I've failed to even do what I said I would, which was post a favourite photo of mine every day. Whatever. I managed to do it for a few days at least; that was probably as good as it was going to get anyway.

All the best to you and yours for the holidays, and thanks for reading. Hopefully the new year will bring plenty of inspiration and more outfit posts! Well, I say that but it probably won't happen, but hey, that's what New Years Resolutions are for, right? I'll make the effort at least, I'm not sure how much Jo plans to contribute, haha.

New Years Resolution: be more adventurous in clothing choices. And post more often, maybe.

In other news I love Boxing Day sales. Yeah baby.

See you on the other side.

xox Sisi

PS. Helen I hope you enjoyed the eye candy ;D

Headwear and Kittens

2008-12-19T19:12:00.003+11:00

Sasha Samuel headwear. I want.

Ja, so yesterday I was walking by a pet store and they had THE CUTEST KITTENS EVER in one of their display.. box things. And I walked up to it and squee-ed for about 10 minutes. And my brother who was with me declared that I was a freak and that he wouldn't be seen with someone squeeing at kittens in a pet store. :(

But they were so adorable! There were three of them, and two were cleaning themselves and the other was eating. Their little paws were sooooo cute! And then one of the kittens cleaning themselves went to eat out of the bowl as well, and the other kitten batted it away! And then it looked at me and the other kitten with an expression on its face like "did you just see that?!" Aaah.. maybe that was just my imagination. But still. Cuteness overload.

And now I've written an entire post on kittens. And headwear. Sigh. I am way too tired. Christmas time at the bakery is madness.

- S

Menswear I

2008-12-15T19:43:00.004+11:00

OKAY so here is a menswear post. Dear god this has been a long time coming. There are plenty of fantastic Australian designers out there who are making great, affordable menswear.

Specifically, my sources for finding new designers include General Pants Co., which I've talked about before; The Grand Social, which is the online retailer of choice for many Australian independent labels; the weekly Melbourne culture e-newsletter ThreeThousand; and the free streetwear magazine, Attitude, which is circulated four times a year and can be found around the CBD. I've picked up copies in Degraves Street, Melb Central and Flinders St.

I've found that online shopping makes a WORLD of difference to the choices available. Don't go shopping at Myer or David Jones, go online. The Grand Social currently have a Christmas promotion going on, where anything that you order from any of the labels they carry is only $5 Australia-wide until Christmas. It is so much easier in that it saves you time, you can find labels that are hard to find instore, and the array of labels available online is much greater.

Here are some of my tshirt choices, I'll post about other items of clothing later; hope this helped Dan.

Das Monk tees - $59.95

MyPetsQuare black Python tee - $77 Chronicles of Never - a bit pricier, these are $135 each

- S

Freha for System

2008-12-10T21:05:00.000+11:00

source: mixologies.livejournal

flickr

2008-12-08T15:53:00.002+11:00

All photos by achromatics

Carmen

2008-12-08T15:06:00.003+11:00

Okay, so I know I said the menswear post will be the next post. Well that's not going to happen.. just yet. I've got so many files and pictures and websites that I'm finding it a little difficult to consolidate it all but I'll get there. In other news, I managed to speak to Jo last night on msn, which is amazing considering she is in the middle of nowhere in China. I told her to update but clearly she didn't... I guess watching the latest ep of Gossip Girl was slightly higher on her priorities list.

In the meantime I'm just going to post pictures from my folders that I've saved over the years that I particularly loved/find inspirational/whatever. Outfit photos will have to wait until I get more batteries and/or buy a new camera.

And ugh, exam results out on Friday. D:

- S

Natalia and Prada circa 2004 vs. Jen Brill circa 2008

2008-12-05T16:56:00.004+11:00

Fashion truly is cyclical. Compare:

Sources: tfs

Filler

2008-12-02T00:00:00.004+11:00

Things are busy right now, catching up with friends and going out and work means little time for posting unfortunately! So sorry about the lack of updates recently. Jo, is sadly, being forced to return to the motherland by her parents for two weeks; she's leaving on Wednesday morning. Hmmmmmm so for want of something to post at the moment I'm just going to post about my favourite places to shop in Melbourne. Yay! Something everybody wants to know I'm sure.

General Pants Co.
I spend way too much money in this shop. But it is so so worth it. In the past week alone I've bought 3 items from here. OVERKILL MUCH? But they're all things that I'll be wearing the whole summer...and here comes the justification. At least the prices are quite friendly, rarely is a single piece over $70 - excluding the jeans. It has edgy casual down to perfection. It's trendy and directional, yet never appears to be fashion victim-like.

Zomp Shoez
For someone who loves shoes as much as me, this place is pure heaven. Shoes shoes and more shoes is what this store is all about. The Chapel St store is probably the more commercial of the 3 in Melbourne; the Lt. Collins St store is most known for its sale items and the Flinders Lane flagship is a mausoleum, easily twice the size of the other two put together. And it is possibly my favourite place in the world; the shoes in there are so covetous and directional. In fact I was in there today and tried on the most perfect boots... too bad they were $995. (!!!!!) What I wouldn't give to be a SA there and get staff discounts..

Myl
Probably my favourite place to shop in Melbourne. It is essentially a designer outlet and I've found many a bargain in here over the years. From international designers like 3.1 Phillip Lim to Chloé to Chanel, and Australian labels Mad Cortes to Yeojin Bae to Obus, there's always something that catches your eye. The stock continually changes, and the staff now know me because I go there so often. Like, almost every week. >_>;; Is that excessive? No, don't answer that.

Fat
Another well known Melbourne retail institution: Fat is known for stocking all the up and coming Australian labels - as well as great denim. Again edgy and directional, it's a more grown up and therefore expensive version of General Pants Co. Mostly I go to Fat for Cheap Monday jeans and Bassike basics but it's fun to finger the other stuff.

The Merchant of Fairness
Not a clothes shop if you can believe it! The Merchant of Fairness is actually a second-hand bookshop which I love to pieces. Found some of the most obscure hard to find books in here - and all for a low low price.

eBay
Okay, so it's technically not a physical shop, but it is a great place to buy stuff you can't find in stores. It can be hit and miss, and lordy have I bought some doozies on eBay in my rookie days, but once you learn the tricks of the trade it's less likely to blow up in your face.

Next up: that menswear post.

Isn't it amazing?

2008-11-27T20:23:00.005+11:00

Two posts in one day! I don't think this has happened before - except for that heady first day when we were both high and procrastinatory and basking in our smug blog-ness.

Anyhow, I was chilling at home, watching crappy tv and contemplating whether I can be sad enough to skip friends' 19th birthday party tonight at Lala Land (I am - my excuse is I have work tomorrow morning), when in my internet whore-age I ended up at gofugyourself. Happily scrolling down the page, I landed on THIS.
HOLY CRAP! VALENTINO WTFFFFFFFF HOW ORANGE CAN YOU GET? No, we are seriously verging on oompa loompa territory here. In fact, I am of the opinion that we have bypassed oompa loompa and arrived at currant. The fact that a person of normal hue (SJP) is standing next to him emphasises just how bizarre his colour is. Look, compare the colour of his face with his hand which is around SJP's waist. LOOK AT THE COLOUR DIFFERENTIAL! I know he's been a religious tanner for oh, the past 50 years, but I don't know, I think this is going too far. Speaking of SJP, I'm not sure how I feel about her wearing Balmain. Hmm.

But. The moral of this story is, clearly there is a point when you should take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror, and put down the fake tan before you become Giovanni here.

I might go watch some Sex and the City now.

- S

Zach and Miri Make a Porno

2008-11-27T14:45:00.004+11:00

I love this outfit. Photo by the Facehunter

I have a huge gash on my knee, gah. The scar should go nicely with the one already there. Anyway, last night, Jo and I attended an advance screening (very advanced! it doesn't come out until January in Australia apparently) of Zach and Miri Make a Porno. It is so so so dirty. For once, the R18+ rating is justified. A lot of the humour is gross-out sex humour, but there are also a lot of genuinely funny moments. Justin Long in particular as a gay porn star is hysterical. I don't think we can emphasize how hilarious he is. Kudos to him for totally pulling off the role when he's mostly known for his geeky roles and from the Mac vs PC ads. But the movie is quite good; everybody in the cinema was laughing throughout the whole movie, which I take as a good sign.

The movie was conveniently on Chapel St, so we got in a bit of shopping. Of course. Not that I bought anything (I'd bought some things the day before) but Jo got some things. But in Zomp Shoez there were a pair of gladiator sandals almost identical to the Society for Rational Dress ones available on tobi.com still. And the ironic thing? The Zomp ones cost more. And they looked so awesome on. a;sldkgjaslkdjsgsdg why does the world mock me?

- S

Wishlist Pt. 3

2008-11-22T22:00:00.003+11:00

It occured to me I never posted the third part of my so-called wishlist. Well, I'm here to rectify that right now.

3. Accessories

Witchery Daydreamer clutch

I actually bought this the other day, it was on sale! Score! I love it when you hold out for things and then they randomly go on sale so you can buy them on discount. The colour is divine - but I'm still looking for a oversized clutch in a turquoise colour, much like the Marc by Marc Jacobs Airliner Magazine bag.

Ray Ban Clubmaster sunglasses

I also am in serious need of a new pair of sunglasses now that summer is coming. Although with the wet and wild weather we've been having lately summer seems farther off than ever. Which is a good thing as my Topshop order arrived and I love the coat. But I digress. I already have know which sunglasses I want - the Ray Ban Clubmasters except not in tortoiseshell, but black. Now to find a stockist in Melbourne.

Additionally, in keeping with the summer theme, I will probably also get a hat - a fedora of some sort. Having black hair means your head gets very hot under the unforgiving sun in summer, ouch. There was one in Sportsgirl I had my eye on...

Urban Outfitters straw fedora

Next up is hoisery.. bringing us full circle and back to ubiquitous winter wear. I only recently bought my first pair of leggings - I have had an almost irrational dislike of leggings but the pair I got seemed to be nicer than usual (from Topshop) and I have to admit they are really comfortable. So. I am now prepared to be more adventurous in what I wear and will be joining in on the lace legging/tight trend. There were a pair in General Pants Co. that I tried on and they were actually kinda awesome.. and Jo agreed so it has approval, haha. Also spotted in Gen Pants: a pair of Rodarte-esque knit tights which are very...unique. Don't know how I'd actually go about wearing them in real life. And, I spied a pair of cable knit grey leggings on the Topshop website to, which I think would be fantastic. I so look forward to next winter, hah!

Source: Refinery29

Rodarte FW08

And last but not least, jewellery. More rings! I can never have enough. It is really hard finding rings for me though because I have such small fingers! Blast.

Source: La Pisette

We also had a request from a friend IRL who asked us to do a menswear post... we'll Try with a capital T Dan. I'm sure the other male reader we have (also from real life) would appreciate it too. Wouldn't you Jerome.

- S

"heels are a male invention designed to make women's butts look smaller... and to make it harder for them to run away"

2008-11-20T23:21:00.013+11:00

I don't wear heels. I have all of about 4 pairs. The main reason behind this is because of some irrational, paranoid fear that they will prohibit me from running effectively should I befall a sudden hostile military takeover, natural disaster, extraterrestrial invasion, rampaging genetically malformed creature or basically any situation that would warrant me running for my life. It's ridiculous I know, but my 'flight' response must just be more prevalent.

Therefore, 5 inch platform sandals would HARDLY qualify. Only somehow I own a pair now....

(Becca, Tony Bianco)

These shoes terrify me. For starters they are HUGE; the platform, the solid heel! Putting them next to a normal shoe is the best example of their giganticness. While on, they are surprisingly stable but I had to take a full minute for my Achilles tendon to adjust to the height. But indeed they were pretty and so I contemplated the ridiculous idea of me owning them and ever wearing them out of the house. There was internal conflict.

S: Is it the price?
J: No.....the price is reasonable......
S: Well do you like them?
J: Yeah...they are really really nice and I don't actually own any heeled open-toed sandals.
S: But...?
J:.......these shoes have loose morals! What will people think? Of me?
S:.................BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
J: I THINK THEY ARE SKANKY
S: LOL no, they're fierce.
J: ARGH nooo! They send the wrong message! And they intimidate me! They have a past I bet! But they're kind of fantastic....

A similar conversation ensued later after I had purchased them and showed them to another friend.

J: I bought these really skanky platform sandals
A: Let me see! Oooh, they're hot. All your flats are going to be like "Look at her! I bet she's had sex with multiple partners...AT THE SAME TIME."
J: ....

Somehow I could totally picture shoes as bitchy school girls who make snarky comments like that.

Principal Gold: Malcolm, have you ever tried to run away in high heels?
Malcolm: No, sir, I...
Principal Gold: Not that easy. Not that easy...

- J

PS. MAJOR MAJOR money spending/clothes buying has occured the past 3 days. We blame post-exam release. Pictures (FOR REAL THIS TIME) to come!

An early birthday present... to myself.

2008-11-17T16:28:00.010+11:00

:O!

Remember that "big announcement" I was going to make a while back? No? Didn't think so. Well the big purchase was the Marc by Marc Jacobs ankle boots. These babies actually were attempted to be delivered to me by courier last Monday, but I was fast asleep at the time (the courier came at 8:20am = unconscious), and our doorbell was broken. Coupled with exams the whole week and searing temperatures, I didn't have time/couldn't be bothered walking 2km in 35 degree Celcius heat to the post office to pick them up. But this morning I managed to get a lift from dad and here they are! and I couldn't be happier. Jo couldn't be happier either, because I've been ranting about these boots to her, for oh I don't know, at least 6 months? Ever since I saw the TeenVogue editorials with them anyway. And then of course Rumi and Karla had them too once we'd discovered fashion blogs a little later.

Source: teenvogue.com

Totez love. Jo jokes that I'm now a "real blogger" and I would just like to point out to those who would say that I only wanted the boots because Rumi and Karla have them etc etc that that is simply not the case. Sure, there are definitely times when you've been so oversaturated with particular items that you feel like you actually do like them when no, you've just been brainwashed - but this is not one of those times!

(I do have to say though that I think I am very definitely warming to the idea of bleached/dip-dyed jeans. Jo says she will disown me if I get a pair. Hmmmmm something to ponder.)

I bought the boots off eBay and boy let me just say they cost an arm and a leg even at something like 80% off the retail price. Definitely my most extravagant purchase EVER; it is the most I've ever spent on a single item. But I have no regrets - I don't even have shopper's remorse! Which is amazing. Having a job definitely makes you feel less guilty buying shit that's for sure.

Aside: totally need to buy a faux fur hat like that for Jo for Christmas/belated birthday present. I was going to get the Topshop one for her but they've sold out! ;alskdjglskjgalkjg and it doesn't look like they're restocking either. >:( Hmm I'll have to look elsewhere..

- S

Money money money

2008-11-16T22:57:00.003+11:00

...was totally spent on Friday night. Hahaha!

Feeling light hearted and joyous after completing our respective exams (well, as joyous as one can be after somewhat traumatic exam experiences - Finance 101 for me and Dispute Resolution for Jo D:) on Friday afternoon, Jo and I proceeded to meet up with a friend and we hit the shops. First up, sustenance by way of McDonalds. Then onto various shops in Melbourne Central; Kookai, Bardot, Sportsgirl and Valleygirl.

Now, we have issues with Valleygirl. Number one, the name conjures up vapid airheads. Number two, it's Australia's answer to Forever 21 I believe, so it's entirely cheap and very trend-driven. Which, at the moment is very hippie-ish apparently. I know we're heading into summer but some originality would be nice. Anyway, our friend needed a dress for a dress-up party and got one so that was great. Jo and I had great fun snarking over all the ugly clothes, for example, a velour leopard print dress. *shudder* I amused myself (and the others) greatly by putting on heart-shaped sunglasses.

Quotes from Valleygirl:

Jo: I want that floral bustier.
Me: I want the macramé skirt.
Jo: YES.

Suffice to say, we left as quickly as possible. We also stopped by General Pants Co., a fantastic store for affordable up-and-coming Australian designer clothes that is edgy and cool. Jo got a men's shirt, and I found Rodarte-esque knit tights which I may go back and get.

But then we went to one of my favourite stores in Melbourne, Myl, which is a designer outlet. The clothes aren't exactly bargainous, but for the labels you can get in there the prices are amazing. In the past, I've gotten the black dress I'm wearing in the Wicked photos from there, label unknown, as well as a Chloé dress which was only $65! Jo and I also "share" a 3.1 Philip Lim top which we got from there too, which was again, discounted to $145. Anyway, in Myl our friend got a super cute dress before she had to leave. Jo ended up getting a very Blair Waldorf-esque red Mad Cortes dress, which was so nice. I ended up buying a cream silk shirt - so happy!

And our run was not over yet. From Myl we went to Sportsgirl where Jo got a studded triple wrap around belt. And then, we went to David Jones and this was the setting for the best find of the day. In the Saba concession area we headed for the sales rack and there, waiting for Jo, was a trench jacket in her size, that she wanted to buy months ago when it was on sale for $199 but was completely broke at the time. I may have mentioned it; it was in the same trip when she saw the Mimco bag was on sale, right before she left for New Zealand. Anyway, the jacket was marked $149 - BUT, there was a sign which said a further 50% off the marked price. So the trench was in the end, about $75. Truly, it was fate. Don't you love getting those bargains, when you least expect them? Jo has the best luck with coats too - there was a Cue coat she loved but which sold out which she completely unexpectedly found in a Myer sale for $85 months later in her size - even though it had completely sold out in all the Cue stores.

Nothing else too interesting happened after that - we went up to the shoe and bag section where we fondled Marc Jacobs bags and I tried on some Marc Jacobs shoes. We went to Myer for Jo to check out coffee machines. So all in all, a very successful day's shopping! Hopefully we shall get some outfit photos up asap, or at least photos of our purchases. :D

- S

Latest purchases: Topshop

2008-11-06T00:02:00.006+11:00

Soooooooooooooooo, the day before myself and Jo essentially spent a whole day on the Topshop website. This was very very bad of us. We have exams in less than a week. Bad bad bad.

Regardless, earlier this evening I made an order. Damnit! Fiscal responsibility is not my strong point. Why do your coats have to be so nice Topshop? *shakes fist* Whatever. Here be poundsssssss. The conversion rate was scary.

Source: topshop.com

I am particularly excited to receive the coat. This purchase didn't even make sense because HELLO Australia is headed for summer. A wool coat is not useful then. But even with the scary conversion rate of pounds into AUD, the coat is still cheaper than any nice coat I might find here. And it will also probably fit me better too; most coats here are enormous, I don't understand it. Although, maybe the fact that Australia is now the most obese country in the freakin' world has something to do with it.

Anyway, I can see myself buying from Topshop a lot in future.... Terrifying, in its own way.

- S

PS. Congrats America on your President-elect Obama!

gay gay gay gay gay gay gay

2008-11-04T00:10:00.007+11:00

Oh yes, I do bet that title is eyecatching.

Sisi complains I never post enough, mainly because I think nothing exciting ever really happens to post about, aside from my nervous breakdowns concerning my exams and I don't want to turn this blog into a 'Dear Diary' confessional.

However, I just read something that needs to be engraven in stone somewhere.

I generally wax lyrical about the Gossip Girl Television Without Pity recaps to everyone I know on a regular basis, ('OH the snark!' 'OH the accurate psychological insights!' 'OH the occassional emotional depth!') and it would be impossible for me to choose my absolute favourite.

BUT I think this takes the cake...well, at least for another week.

Jenny thanks her "on behalf of Eleanor Waldorf designs" and Agnes says she recognizes the top of Jenny's head. That's exactly how Chuck recognizes Nate!

Oh Jacob (author of this fine prose) how I adore you. And really now, with the direction the show is going in I can only expect more.

On a similar note, I met someone in real life called Nathaniel Humphrey. Oh yes, no joke. I even saw his birth certificate otherwise I wouldn't have thought it possible. I also do believe I've never seen a grown male say "High School Musical 3" with such excitement.

- J

Someone's getting old!

2008-11-02T13:30:00.003+11:00

Don't worry, the photos of our post-Wicked shenanigans are coming! I just have to edit and get Jo's approval for them first, haha. Also, I meant to post this yesterday, for it was Jo's 20th yesterday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JO! You are no longer a teenager! Have a Chanel cupcake!

- S

Crash

2008-10-25T23:03:00.003+11:00

Vogue Paris September 2008: 24 heures chrono

source: tFS

If only I looked this good when I woke up... hahahahaha. Poly has really grown on me the last 2 years or so; many models I didn't like very much - Daria, Coco - have really grown into their looks, Natasha in particular. They're no longer 17 year olds, but young women in their 20s, and it shows.

I woke up this morning at 8:1oam for my 8:30am shift at the bakery.. and just wanted to go straight back to sleep for another 4 hours. Unfortunately, 6 1/2 hour shift + 30 degree C weather + tiredness = massive headache. So once I got home, it was straight into a shower and then I napped from about 4 till 8pm. And now I'm going to go pass out again, hopefully not to surface until at least 10am tomorrow. Night!

- S

The look for Fall

2008-10-24T21:05:00.004+11:00

UK Harpers Bazaar November 2008
Source: mixologies.livejournal

Argh, how perfect is this outfit?!? Epic plans to look like this next winter are now being put into place. Note to self: must invest in awesome coat.

Mmmm.... chocolate honey nougat icecream may just be the best thing ever invented. Yum-mo! Also I am watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (I can't say Sorcerer's; stupid Americans) Stone movie as I print exam papers. Nyaaaaaah like I need to study! Study is for the weak! Yeah. I say this only because suddenly there are only 2 and a half weeks left till my first exam! How does time pass by so quickly? D:

I opened today at the bakery... 6:15am starts are NOT COOL. It was alright though; I accidentally iced all the fruit buns instead of leaving half of them plain.. xD but I think I was really slow in getting everything out. :/ Ah well, I have a whole summer of practice ahead of me, w00t. But anyway, I got paid today so yaaaaay! This is entirely negated of course by various purchases made - including paying dad back for using his credit card...hahaha.

Jo and I have made some exciting purchases lately! Although, who are we kidding, we buy stuff all the time. Details to come on our purchases, maybe with pictures. Hopefully we can get some outfit photos and the like up soon as well (aha, Jo will kill me). Like, maybe if we make it through exams alive, please god.

- S

Natalia

2008-10-21T20:06:00.003+11:00

Vogue Paris August 2002; from the editorial Comme Par Enchantement

Source: tFS

My favourite model, ever. This photo from an editorial from 2002 I think, and it was the first photo I ever saw of her. It was in a magazine in the doctor's office and I ripped the page out and I still have it. Wow, that's pretty sad actually. But I don't care. This picture remains one of my favourite shots of her. And she's just as beautiful as ever.

Posting will be limited in weeks to come; end of year exams are nearly upon us, egads. It is frightening to realise just how little knowledge has lodged in my brain..

- S

love is blind, call the eye doctor

2008-10-19T16:12:00.008+11:00

S: oh. my. god
S: DO.NOT.LOAD.KARLA'S.CLOSET
J: WHAT WHAT WHAT?
S: I DON'T KNOW WTF SHE'S WEARING?!?!?!?1
J: hahahahhahah- OH FECKING HELL
S: BEIGE FRINGED HIGH WAISTED PANTS ?!?!?!?!??!?!!?!?!?!?!?
S: I JUST. I JUST. I JUST CAN'T FINISH THIS SENTENCE.
S: they are just so WEIRD.
J: IT'S LIKE A TALL LAMPSHADE
S: OH MY GOD YES
J: so disturbing....if I wanted to dress up as a yeti I would maybe borrow those
J: and WHAT THE FUCK WITH THE comments?!?!? "those pants are SOOOOO AMAZING."
S: suckups
J: SOMEBODY. PLEASE. REALITY CHECK.
S: i want to slap them and be like JUST BECAUSE KARLA LIKES THEM DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT
J: am i allowed to comment under our name?
S: ....no
J: why not? *cough*nowwho'sthesuckup*cough*
S: ...FIIINE
J: how about "Gosh, why don't you just wear the pants and go as a tall lampshade for Halloween?"
S: that sounds harsh
J: and then add "but we love (nearly) everything else you wear?"
S: her hair! we like her hair!
J: alright

In the end the comment was:

J: Gosh....why don't you wear the pants and go as a tall lampshade for Halloween?
S: But we love (nearly) everything else you wear! Say something nice Jo.
J:
S: Jo likes your hair.

I love clothes and fashion but sometimes, situations just call for a large dose of cynicism.

- J

(S - We do love you Karla, your Supermelon vid was beyond adorable, but we do not love the pants. <33)>

kitteh!

2008-10-18T23:30:00.006+11:00

Vid post! I am a cat person; I love cats. So does Jo. I dislike dogs - well except puppies which I concede are cute as long as they aren't anywhere near my face, (but cannot compete on cuteness levels with kittens). But honestly I don't think I'd date a guy with a dog. It just would not work.

Anyway, this vid was just too good to not post. It is in equal parts squee-inducing at the antics the cat gets up to, and weirded-out-ness on the part of the lyrics. The fake (I assume) miaowing is rather wtf. Oh and the guy dancing and you know generally creating this vid in the first place is a bit "...".

Oh! And a recent article by the NYTimes about men coming out about loving their cats, awww lol.

- S

My eyes! My poor defenceless eyes!

2008-10-17T12:39:00.007+11:00

So in Westfield Doncaster yesterday, I mentioned being subjected to ugly shoes in Aldo. Well, I forgot to mention that the UGLIEST shoe we came across was in Betts. Witness:
The horror, the horror! THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. How about, the vomit inducing colour scheme? "Oh! We didn't know what colour to go with so we WENT WITH EVERYTHING." What's up with the flower/bow thing? Or what about the fucking perspex cut out wedge??!!?!11!

Just because Marc Jacobs sent cut out wedges down the Louis Vuitton runway for SS08 two seasons ago does not mean that copycat designers for cheap brands should do the same. Because we get this. And Betts are charging $100 FUCKING DOLLARS for this crap. For synthetic multicoloured perspex crap.

If you see any woman wearing this atrocity that Betts is trying to pass off as acceptable footwear, please, do a favour to society and tackle them, rip their shoes off and throw them away.

- S

For you Jo

2008-10-16T21:21:00.004+11:00

L'Officiel August 2007
Source: mixologies.livejournal

Mad love. And I am now (slightly) calmer.

- S

Update

2008-10-16T18:03:00.019+11:00

The last few days have been crazy busy. Obviously I finally goaded Jo into POSTING. That Guess sale was a truly frightening experience - the leopard print thing was lurex. You know I can sort-of-kinda-not-really tolerate leopard print on say... a chiffon dress or that now ubiquitous Louis Vuitton scarf - and worn only by supers like Daria and Kate - but leopard print is completely UNACCEPTABLE in lurex, lycra or pony hair. Or, god forbid, polar fleece. *shudder*

Also, remember Tourettes woman? Well yes, she got on my bus again and CLEARLY DOES NOT HAVE TOURETTES. The see you next Tuesday was silent the whole trip. So. She can just go fuck her fat stupid self.

In happier news, I have completed all my assignments! Now for the arduous task of applying myself to exam revision. Erk. Work at the bakery is coming along nicely; although summer will be hellish as there is no air conditioning - and obviously, as a bakery, the ovens heat up the place quite a bit too. :( So. I may just have to treat myself to something special to make up for that........ >_> After which I swear to god I will save every penny I make. After I buy everything else that I need/want for summer. That is totally realistic. Not. In all seriousness, I will actually make a concerted effort to begin saving for trip to New York with Jojo and Dishy! Now if only the Australian dollar would stop crapping its pants.

Tuesday night Jo and I saw Body of Lies in Doncaster Village Gold Class - a fun night indeed. The movie was.. good I suppose, but also rather pointless. I expect better from Ridley Scott. Yesterday I had my group interview at David Jones; I think it went really well. Personally, I think I did the best of everyone there. The only problem I would have would be my availability as I now work part time at the bakery as well.

Today was the grand opening of Westfield Doncaster, and let me just say it is AMAZING. Myself and Jo went to take a gander around, also I gave her the latest episode of Gossip Girl (Jojo has been speed-limited D:) and I will definitely be spending a lot of time in there as it's only 15 min from my house! The layout is almost identical to Chadstone in layout I felt, but everything is new and preeeeetty. All the shops are there; designer labels like Bally and Maxmara are opening there soon (can't WAIT not that I can afford anything in there..) and the usual Myer, DJ, etcetcetc. I met Jo in Aldo and there were some of the most disgraceful shoes I have ever been subjected to look at in there. No really, all the big cats were represented on the shoes. We were a rat pelt short of the Chinese Zodiac. The horrendeousness never ceases. However, in a happier mood, I bought a pair of black canvas shoes from Payless Shoes for work. From the kids section, rofl. I have tiny feet okay. They were out of white but the SA said they were getting more so I'll be going back this weekend perhaps.

This post is so masturbatory.

- S

EDIT #1: WTF OKAY! Why won't the font be the same size as the others? Argh!?

EDIT #2: Okay. I went through and MANUALLY changed the html script so that it was all the same. My anal retentiveness has manifest.
EDIT #3: I am pissed. That second effing paragraph is TOO SMALL. The script is right, but it's not showing. I am about ready to smash something. *gnashes teeth* And so is this line! Okay I'm going to go away for a little bit...

your big tacky guess bag is raping my eyes

2008-10-13T22:26:00.010+11:00

Okay, so I'm not much of a writer and Sisi has been hounding me harder than homework. I'll keep this short as the pictures below speak of a thousand more horrors than my words. Very few sights cause such eyebleeds as Guess products. Suffice to say, when Sisi and I stumbled across the Guess Sale at DFO, the wreckage was too tempting to resist. And what a sight. We wandered amongst the mess trying not to touch anything on the racks for fear of contamination and then started taking sureptitious pictures making it feel like an undercover police operation. Survey the horror belows:

Leopard on leopard. Nice. Props to Sisi for touching the offending garment.

The dissaray of clothing and proof that there were people actually in the store going, "That top made out of jersey and baby crocodiles is a fucking bargain, can I get 10 of those?" I love the random kid on the left playing gameboy while tucked underneath a shelf.

No kidding this is how the jeans in the store were placed. In a giant pile at the back of the store.

The mess of bags. Once again, Sisi braved all sorts of communal diseases and picked one up.

And lastly the collection of shoes. These photos do not do justice to the level of hideousness that can be created under the guise of footwear. Really, awful tacky monogram prints, rampant LEOPARD print (SERIOUSLY GUYS, THE ANIMAL WANTS ITS DIGNITY BACK) and general ugliness. This is also when a sales assistant told me I couldn't take photographs to which I replied mentally, "Oh that's fine. We are DONE here."

- J

Jean Generation

2008-10-11T19:24:00.005+11:00

Just goes to prove that fashion really is cyclical. This editorial was in the Dec/Jan 2005-6 edition of Paris Vogue. And all are looks that are very much on trend again today (if indeed, they ever went out.) My favourite is Sasha; the blazer with the baggy shorts and the white shirt? Hell yes.

And gawd Freja looks young. I like her edgier look now with the short hair and tattoos.

- S

P.S. you should all hound Jo about posting more often too; she has a post lined up that she's been writing for.. 2 days now and YES JO I AM NAGGING YOU FROM BEYOND MSN/FACEBOOK/SMS.

Wishlist Pt. 2

2008-10-08T17:24:00.010+11:00

I shall leave the full recap of Sunday's adventure for another post; i.e. when myself and Jo have got all the photos transferred to our laptops, rofl. Not that there are many photos mind, but there is an incredibly goofy photo of me wearing the most hilarious Chanel eyeglasses ever made that Jo has on her mobile.. but I digress. Here is the second part of my wishlist and it involves possibly my favourite item of clothing bar none (except maybe trousers)..... SHOES.

Jo has remarked that she could never bring herself to pay the amount I pay for shoes sometimes. Well, I could say the same about her procurement of bags, so there. I think it ends up pretty even in the end; what I spend on shoes is about the same as what she spends on bags. But onto the list!

2. Shoes
So here are my shoe picks for what I'll be wearing this spring/summer. I am well aware that not everyone agrees with my choices, heh, but you know, this is all in fun!

I love the Tony Bianco strappy heels that I recently bought; they were $119 and worth it, in my opinion. I could have saved on them as Myer was having a shoe sale and got them for under $100 but noooooo Myer doesn't stock shoes in size 5, bloody hell. People have small feet you know Myer. Sheesh. So I ended up buying them at the Tony Bianco outlet store in DFO Spencer St, which also has new stock at full price.

I am on the lookout for bright orange shoes. Mmm, orange, so good. It'll be a big trend next season. Not many places seem to have picked up on it for summer though, which is a shame as it would go very nicely. If I could find something like these Proenza Schouler babies from a couple of seasons ago, I would fall all over them. Strappy goodness.

Source: Jak&Jil

Of course, unlike fellow style bloggers out there in the blogosphere who seemingly can wear sky high heels ALL THE FREAKING TIME, I only break mine out for special occassions. For uni, work, shopping etc, flats are my go to shoe. When I am feeling particularly lazy or it is really hot, I fall back on thongs (don't judge). Otherwise I wear my sandals which I've had for a few years now and are still as good as the day I bought them. But I will also be getting these gladiator sandals off ebay. Eventually. Like, maybe when I get paid.

Ideally, that is, in my wildest dreams, I would have these Society for Rational Dress babies on my feet, but with the US/AUS exchange being so unbelievably crappy right now ($0.69!!!!!) I don't foresee that happening anytime soon. :( (Although even at US$174 +$35 for shipping that is still a big fat no.)

Source: tobi.com

I have also been hunting down a nice wedge heel. I normally steer well clear but clearly constant bombardment of Carine and Kate wearing those Balenciaga studded gladiator wedge heels has worked a treat. Nine West of course has their version but for $180? Um, I don't think so. Sportsgirl also did a copy, but I'm a little bit leery of the quality. Also, everyone will have them. Kind of a turn off. I did find a pair of Tony Bianco strappy platform wedges (not as hooker-y as they sound) which were actually very cool (and VERY HIGH) but again, I didn't love them and at $130 it wasn't going to happen. Maybe if they go on sale I'll get them. But then, on Sunday, I hit the jackpot. I know these get an almost universal ugh! from my friends but I love them. A ridiculous amount.
Yes that's right, peep-toe boots. And, they are a wedge. And I found them in Zu of all places. I normally never venture into that store, it is a shelter for ugly, ugly shoes; stripper platform patent over-embellished hooker shoes. Gag. But then I spotted these and Jo, immediately recognising them, quite possibly secretly despaired for my soul. For these are complete knock-offs of the Chanel wedge shoes of SS07. Like, virtually identical. I wanted them in silver but now I recognise that silver would be a bit too strange, and black is less loud and obvious and more versatile and practical. So, I bought them. Actually I put them on lay-by, in a laughably transparent attempt at fiscal responsibility. They shall be mine soooooooon. (I'm sorry Jo). Zu also made them in white and gold if anyone besides mine and Jo's friends read this blog and are interested. Personally I thought the other colours were terrible, only black is acceptable.

Additionally on Sunday, whilst in Zomp Shoez (which is my favourite shoe store in Melbourne), Jo and I came across some knockoffs of these Givenchy peep toe heels by Urban Soul. I thought they were awesome too (hahaha of course I would) but yeah.. $180 is unjustifable right now. I made Jo put on one of the white pair (they come in black too) and she immediately declared them hideous and refused to have it on her foot for longer than 2 seconds. Le sigh.

Source: Jak&Jil

And lastly, in a return to normalcy, I also need to get a couple of pairs of plain white canvas lace ups. For work and for when I need to run straight from the bakery to the bus stop to uni without worrying that my shoes don't match my outfit (I am so self-absorbed, can you tell? Seriously I am not always like this).

One day, when I have loads and loads of cash I will buy whatever shoes I want.

- S

Sigh

2008-10-07T23:20:00.006+11:00

Well, Jo was SUPPOSED to update today, but clearly decided that watching movies was a far more productive use of her time. In the meantime, I am in the midst of finishing off a devil spawn macroeconomics assignment which I am thiiiiiiiiiiiis close to finishing.

We have lots of things to update on from the hijinks we got up to on Sunday when we went shopping. Suffice to say that it was a successful shopping trip, with both myself and Jo coming away with goods - skinny black jeans for me - the Cheap Monday ones from my previous post in fact, (hooray!) and black formal trousers for Jo (double hooray!). Also, many discoveries were made... of the footwear variety. Pictures to come of said fruits of discovery labour.. but I don't want to jinx it. Will post photos tomorrow of what went down, for there were many highlights. Jo will also be coming over to my place tomorrow afternoon, obstensibly to watch Underbelly (we downloaded it; I mean come on, it is ridiculous to wait the however-many-years-it'll-be for the trial to be over for it to be aired in full in Victoria), and also I am going to ambush her with the camera. I swear to god!

Also in not so pleasant news, I was abused on the bus by a woman who may or may not have had Tourettes. Um, now I don't take abuse lying down, even by someone who may have a neuropsychiatric disorder. It was quite bizarre. The woman gets on, saying fuck all the while and when everyone (including me) covertly looks at her with a wtf expression, she tells us all at large to fuck off. O-kay. So I er, gave her a look and she proceeds to call me an Asian bitch for daring to look at her, and for the next ten minutes I am subjected to a hail of "fuck-offs" and "you fucking Asian bitch", and even a threat of "I'll smash your face in". She told me she had Tourettes; frankly I don't think I believe her. And you'd think that if she could control herself enough to tell me that, she could also say "sorry I don't mean everything that comes out of my mouth". Only a small percent of people with Tourettes have the obscene exclaimation variety, most just have tics. And as far as I could tell this woman had no tics. When I got off at my stop on Lygon Street, she said "Oh good, you're getting off" (with a few swear words in there too), I turned around and shot back "Yeah, because I actually go to uni, unlike you. [You unemployable cow.]" This last said in my head. Now perhaps it wasn't my finest hour, but after 10 minutes of this hailstorm of abuse I was on my last nerve. Maybe I'm just not understanding enough, but I'm not an empath and the whole situation was just SO. WEIRD. And I don't tolerate being called an Asian bitch in any situation, unless it's in jest and affection from my friends. End story.

- S

Mix Now

2008-10-04T22:19:00.004+10:00

I am so in love with this editorial from Vogue Italia May 2008. The colours! The textures! It's all so amazingly done. For those of you in the Northern hemisphere in need of a little fall inspiration, this is it. Of course, there's also the grunge rock n' roll vibe to pull a la Alexander Wang (which granted, I love too) for fall as well, but I think a little of both worlds goes a long way. Spring is here in Melbourne, although there are still chilly days, like tomorrow where I will be meeting up with Jo! YES THAT'S RIGHT, MY PARTNER IS BACK FROM NZ. Yay! So excited, haha. So we are meeting up tomorrow and engaging in our favourite activity, shopping. Who would've guessed? xD

What was I saying... oh yes, even though spring is here and the days are getting warmer, (and longer! tomorrow we are onto daylight savings time), I find myself now willing to wear stockings, as opposed to winter when that was far too freezing to contemplate. So, perhaps I shall take some elements from this ed and try and bring it into my outfits.

Now I'm off to try and cram some macroeconomics before sleeping.. let's see how well I do. Considering I've just had almost two weeks of break, and have done close to nothing in that time, I'd say my chances are very low. Lol.

- S

The way they were meant to be

2008-10-04T11:53:00.004+10:00

This is how drop-crotch pants are supposed to be done. Erin of course looks amazing in this outfit; a hotchpotch of Rodarte, khakis and beaten up studded motorcycle boots.
From i-D Magazine Oct 2008.

PS. I haven't forgotten the other wishlist parts.. they're coming!

- S

Kate

2008-10-03T14:16:00.005+10:00

The incomparable Kate Lanphear, Style Director of Elle US.

Source: JakandJil

What I wouldn't give for the Eddie Borgo diamond encrusted pyramid bracelet and Raymond Weil watch. And the rings!!

Click to embiggen. Source: super.fantastic.picture.time

And I too echo the sentiments expressed by Jo at the truly sad death of Rob Guest yesterday morning. :( How emotional it would have been to go to last night's performance of Wicked and see and experience the incredibly moving tribute they paid to Rob.

- S

Rest In Peace

2008-10-02T17:57:00.004+10:00

Rob Guest is dead.

When my brother came home and said, "I heard that the Wizard in Wicked died." I said, "Oh not really, it's ambiguous." Which understandably confused him since I was talking about the character and he was talking about the actor.

It's all very sad because he was fantastic as the Wizard and I am so grateful I was lucky enough to see him perform. How amazing would it have been to have seen Wicked on Wednesday night, his last performance?

- J

WTF???

2008-10-01T20:48:00.004+10:00

The Spring Summer 2009 shows are on right now, and I haven't been keeping up because well, I have a life and don't have eons of time to leisurely scroll through the collections. I do keep up with the big players of course, and my favourite designers, but by the large I rely on other bloggers to keep me in the loop. Obviously much Alexander Wang and Balmain passed my screen. Both of whom I loved their previous two collections, but not this season. I felt both were weaker collections than previous. Balmain in particular felt like a rehash and frankly, they aren't looks that I can replicate myself, nor looks that would look good on anyone under 5'8" and a size 2 so therefore I have less interest in them.

We're in Paris Fashion Week now, which I will definitely check out when I find some time as it's always the pinnacle. However I just saw pictures from the Comme des Garçons show and all I can say is WHAT THE EFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFING HELL.

The FUCK is it? Now I love fashion; whilst I don't always understand what designers come out with, I can respect them. I respect Rei Kawakubo and her work. But I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS. AT ALL. IT'S LIKE SOME BIZARRE WEDDING OUTFIT FOR A YETI. I know this isn't meant to be taken literally, you don't wear it as is, but I can't relate to this creation at all and therefore I can't take it seriously or respect it. How can the model even see where she's going?

- S

Spring really is in the air

2008-10-01T20:09:00.005+10:00

Yesterday I went out with friends to see a movie (Wall-E, highly overrated people), eat yum cha and generally hang out. Lots of fun and good fun, a bit of shopping and of course, fantastic company :D We checked out the shops in Southgate, as well as a vintage store in Degraves St. I found a pair of drop-crotch black pants (in the Degraves St shop which name escapes me) which were very unattractively labelled "poo catchers". YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT, POO CATCHERS. For the love of god why the hell would you label an item of clothing poo catchers? Do you plan on repulsing everyone who may have tried them on by conjuring up images of diapers? Just call them drop-crotch trousers! Is that so hard?!

In a undefinable shop in Southgate (i.e. a mix of vintage, contemporary and frankly bizarre/hideous clothes) found more pairs of drop-crotch pants, mercifully generically named as "black pants". I found a pair of the most hilarious exaggerated jodhpur pants which I tried on - much to the laughter of my friends. The sales assistant said they were cute, I thought she should be fired for bad judgment. It looked like I had saddlebags on my hips. Lastly there was a pretty baby pink tulle skirt which I really liked. My friend has photos of both which I need to get off her. xD

This is what I wore, so err first outfit post too. Jo you should be proud. Since I actually went out in public I made an effort with my outfit, as opposed to lounging around the house in my pyjamas and white tee. I'm wearing a Ralph Lauren navy blazer, over American Apparel white tee and grey tri-blend jumper with a floral skirt that I got from the girls department of Target, lol.

By the way, I did get that job at the bakery, yay! I start tomorrow. And I have a group interview at David Jones in 2 weeks or so, so if I could get a Christmas job there as well I would be set for the summer. If I don't drop dead of exhaustion. Plus, exams are in about 5 weeks (!!!!) so it's time to really knuckle down. Of course, I say that but I won't make any concerted effort until the panic starts to set in around 10 days out from exams. A proper uni student, I am.

- S

Giovanna

2008-09-28T18:47:00.003+10:00

Source: Jakandjil

I will never ever look that chic because:
a) I'm not that tall
b) I can't tolerate anything on my neck except scarves - and only certain scarves at that
c) I am not Italian and do not work for French Vogue

Doesn't it look like a shot out of a magazine fashion editorial? ...Minus the people milling around of course.

- S

To bang or not to bang?

2008-09-28T16:08:00.006+10:00

I have been seriously considering cutting my hair lately, in particular getting a fringe. But there's a hitch: I hate having hair on my face getting in my eyes. And summer is coming which means I'll want to keep my face as clear as possible as well. Sigh. Maybe for next autumn I'll get bangs then. I totally rocked the blunt fringe when I was little; the bowl cut was the little Chinese girl haircut de rigueur. (Dammit I was going to put a photo of me when I was little up but my scanner isn't working :()

hair inspiration

You know what else I've been doing with Jo gone? Facebook stalking. Basically I looked up everyone I went to primary school with. Let me say that it is HIGHLY entertaining looking at how my friends - with whom I completely lost contact with after leaving school - have grown up, what university they are going to, etc. It's amazing to see the gawky kids I went to school with transformed into young men and women. Of course, they'd be surprised at how much I'd changed as well.

I changed primary school in grade 5 because my family moved, and I still feel cheated over it. I had great friends at my first school, knew everybody, and the move made me go into my shell so much in a manner which I believe shaped my character in profound ways. It didn't help that whilst my first school was as multicultural as it could get (and didn't have a set uniform and didn't have religious education), the suburb to which we moved didn't have any Asians around in a 5km radius, I kid you not. It was awkward. Try being not only the new kid, but the new CHINESE kid in a school made up completely of Caucasians who probably had never met a real Chinese person (that sounds so racist but I suspect it is true). Regardless, the kids at my new school were very nice but suffice to say after a couple of feeble attempts at keeping contact once we'd graduated, when my family moved yet again for me to be closer to my high school, that contact petered out.

So, now I can reopen these channels of communication which facebook has so kindly facilitated - or I can do nothing. Incidentally it's interesting to note that while many from my first primary school have facebooks (or any other internet space), few from my second school do, unless they went to a private school (like I did). Take that how you will. I think I will contact some of those old lost friends - it will be interesting (or humiliating) to know whether they remember me, have thought of me over the years as I have of them, or outright reject me. Fun fun.

Lastly why do people insist on writing like this online? "tat looks sik, sexc on u" wtf is it that hard to write in full correctly spelt words? For crying out loud.

- S

Colour

2008-09-26T21:21:00.007+10:00

The Sartorialist for style.com

I'm not one for a lot of colour, but these pictures from the shows may change my mind yet. Not a huge fan of Zoe but I love her outfit; the purple is jewel bright and the trousers... well we all know how much I love black trousers, hehe. And I definitely need a jewel coloured silk blouse like the gorgeous girl on the left. I love the combination of the darker shirt with the light skirt; usually it's the other way around. The girl in the middle is in the uniform de rigueur, i.e. black but I love the oversized clutch - it's the Marc by Marc Jacobs Airliner Magazine clutch in the turquoise Foam colour... yes perhaps it is sad that I can ID a bag.

- S

Meet my new friend(s)

2008-09-25T16:23:00.010+10:00

My new shoes! They're from Tony Bianco and are a gorgeous dusky cobalt colour. And let me just say, they are seriously comfortable for heels. They're not stiletto heels for one, and also they're a very manageable height. I love how they're reminiscent of gladiator sandals but because of the thickness of the straps and the large brass buckles it's a very subtle rendering of the gladiator trend. Normally I go for "practical" colours of shoes, tan or black, but I couldn't resist the vividness of the blue. (They make this style in brown as well, but honestly if they made it in black I'd be very tempted to get them as well, heh.)

Mmm so good. I've actually just been wearing them around the house, that's how much I love them. The next part of my wishlist are shoes in fact, lol. Like bags are Jo's weakness, shoes are mine. We complement each other perfectly I think XD

- S

Wishlist Pt. 1

2008-09-25T12:34:00.006+10:00

So 70% of my conscious thought is probably spent on shopping and clothes; what clothes can I get with the money I have, what would I really love to wear, how can Mimco charge so much for their ugly shoes, what would I not wear so much but still really like to have, what are the musthaves for the season, what new outfits could I create if I bought a particular item, I really shouldn't buy any more clothes in black or shades of blue, would Jo like it, we need to check out Witchery, the sales assistants at Fat are so intimidating etc etc. And due to my compulsion to list everything, I often create "wishlists" of things that I want. Due to my fickleness these wishlists often change, but there are constants.

To stretch my posts to cover the period Jo is away, and also because the number of pictures I planned on using made the list way too long for one post, this "article" (hahahaha oh man) if you will will be in four parts.

1. Black trousers
I'm very picky, so when I say black trousers I mean ones that are loose and slouchy, have pleat detail near the waistband and slightly taper at the ankle. Preferably cotton, and preferably cropped.

Chloe pre-fall 08

Other styles: jodhpurs and drop crotch track pants. I am not particularly enamoured with the harem style pants - come on, they look like nappies in a lot of cases. But subtle drop crotches are love. I particularly love the ones from Bassike.

Bassike jodhpurs $270 and lightweight jersey track pants $130

Additionally, I also need to get a pair of skinny black jeans - preferably wax coated. I'll probably go with the ones from Cheap Monday because a) they're cheap at $90 and b) they appear to still be skinny enough around the calves which I always have trouble finding because I'M SO SHORT (5'1"). However if they don't look as nice as I hope then there's always the Nudie Tight Long Johns which are $220.

Cheap Monday black Tight skinny jeans $90

I realise that buying black trousers now isn't exactly practical seeing as we're moving into warmer weather, but I DON'T CARE. I particularly loved the Bassike track pants when I tried them on in Fat, and even Jo agreed that they looked cool and Jo hates track pants in principle. The only thing preventing me buying them right now is that I am totally broke at the moment, having just bought a pair of heels (pictures to come hopefully later today) and tickets to go see Wicked (STALLS 3RD ROW CENTRE OMGGG) with Jo which has effectively ended any further expenditure in the near future. However I just put in my resume at my local bakery where my friend works so hopefully I shall be employed soon, i.e. moolah please god.

- S

back to the past

2008-09-23T18:14:00.003+10:00

So I am in New Zealand and alive even through the unbelievable turbulence on the plane. Seriously, never been motion sick before on a plane, there is a first time for everything.

This is my first internet encounter since arriving and it sucks balls. I'm at my mother's work and the computer has blocked facebook, ebay (GASP) and also seems incapable of loading image heavy pages (i.e. fashion blogs). I am catapulted back to ye olde days of dialup. *shudders*

Loved Sisi's report on my bag. It is beautiful. And I've taken it with me here and the leather is really starting to soften. Yay. Buffalo leather is hardcore shit.

Only interesting thing to mention is that yesterday whilst driving on the freeway in the right lane, a car travelling in the opposite direction ploughed into the concrete barrier between lanes and bits of car flew up onto my windshield which is FUBAR. On the way home I stayed in the left lane the WHOLE way even though there was a 4 metre tall gymnastics bus in front of me travelling at 50km/h. I use the freeway the least out of anybody I know who drives which makes it EPICALLY unlucky of me to have witnessed (like actually seen them happen) TWO accidents now.

Anyway, Sisi has been playing with her camera timer and apparently it works so HOPEFULLY she should be posting some pictures soon.

- J

All alone..

2008-09-22T14:01:00.005+10:00

Because Jo has flown out of Melbourne to visit her family in New Zealand today and was busy all weekend, it has fallen to me to recount her EPIC journey to procure her Mimco bag.

On Wednesday of last week, myself and Jo met up after I had finished uni, and she had finished work for us to have a looksee at the Mimco bag. Jo had gone the day before as she recounted, but of course she needed my opinion first (lol). Strolling into David Jones, it immediately became apparent that DJ was having a random 30% off almost everything sale. Obstensibly I think, to entice people to begin spending for the spring season. In the Saba concession area of DJ we discovered a beautiful classic beige trench jacket (for Jo) and a black silk/cotton cardigan (for me). Alas, both of us being completely broke meant that we did not buy them but it was fun trying them on nonetheless. So leaving Saba, we headed up another level to where the Mimco concession area was. And lo and behold they were also having a 30% off sale of their bags. Jo's bag was down from $450 to $269. That's a discount of 40% off the RRP.

Hardly believing our eyes, Jo spent the best part of an hour agonising over how to purchase the bag. I should clarify that Jo does in fact work part time, so does have income consistently coming in, but her parents had taken all her savings and put it in a term deposit. This was compounded by the fact that Jo hadn't gotten paid that week due to her manager failing to put in her hours. So she really didn't have any money except about a $100 she needed for necessities like metcards, petrol and food. She asked if she could hold the bag for a day - no dice, no holds on sale items. Then she asked if any other DJ had the bag - the sales assistant wandered off and came back saying that the Bourke St DJ had the only black one left. (The other colour is called "elephant"..and is a horrible khaki muddy colour.) Getting desperate, she called a couple of her friends to see if they had a) $270 to lend her, and b) in the city. Unsurprisingly, neither were, and so reluctantly we left David Jones.

So the story would have ended, if Jo had not, on a whim, decided to go to the Glen Waverley David Jones on her way home the next day. Her friend Mark had said that if she really liked the bag he could lend her the money, and since they both practically live in the Glen (the shopping mall in Glen Waverley) they met up and had a quick look to see if their Mimco section had the bag. It did. Calling me, she excitedly related that they had the bag, that the sales assistant had lied when she said they had the only black one (grrr), and that it was $269 as I remembered and not $296 as she had remembered. No hesitation. This was fate. And it is truly beautiful, and all the sweeter it is having it considering all she went through to get it.

And so journeying from one side of the city to the other, braving lying sales assistants and agonising money woes, Jo has emerged triumphant. And let me just say, it is damn fine looking when I saw it the next day. Especially after bashing it around a bit. Buffalo leather is very stiff.

An amusing exchange when we met up on Friday:

S: You do know that that's the third black bag you have bought this year.
J: ... ye-eeees. But hey, come on, how many pairs of shoes have you bought this year?
S: One!
J: Winklepickers Sisi.
S: Fine, five.

- S

Quick update

2008-09-19T10:07:00.005+10:00

My partner in crime, Jo, has an EPIC story to tell you of her procurement of the aforementioned Mimco bag (!!!) and hopefully outfit pictures will soon be in the having. Thankfully our mid-semester break starts today so we'll have lots of time to post! Except I'll be doing all the blogging because Jo will be in New Zealand for 2 weeks from Monday. Sadface.

Unfortunately I've been bogged down all week with a god-forsaken essay which is due in...7 hours and that I HAVEN'T COMPLETED YET. Gah. So once that's done (2000 words + footnotes + bibliography) and all, myself and Jo will be meeting up in the city, going to DFO in search of cheap goods and then heading over to Dish's for a Gael Garcia Bernal movie. Good times, good times.

And Jerome, if you're even reading this, R.I.P. Rick Wright. There, I mentioned Pink Floyd.

- S

a day trip to feel up the day tripper day bag

2008-09-15T21:53:00.009+10:00

(Mimco Day Tripper Day Bag in Black)

Okay, when I last said "I wish there was something similar to the YSL bag around the $500 mark" I did not actually expect to find anything around said mark. But amazingly I have, which could be good/bad.

Having discovered the Day Tripper Day Bag on the Mimco website, I was determined to check it out in real life, therefore I made my first stop of the day the Mimco store in GPO. The good thing about shopping in the middle of the day is that there aren't many people around. The bad thing about shopping in the middle of the day is that there aren't many people around and therefore you generally find yourself outnumbered by sales assistants which is not a fun place to be; frankly I am not THAT much of an attention whore. So with a hovering chatty girl lurking at my shoulder, I lasted all of 80 seconds in the store; long enough to briefly pick the bag up, answer a few mindless questions and before making a quick break for the exit.

Luckily I then ambled off to David Jones where (SUCCESS) there was not a sales assistant in sight! Not even around all the expensive-chained-down-bag section. That allowed me a good 15-20 minutes to appreciate the dimensions, adjust the straps, empty out all the stuffing and fall in love.

So alas, the challenge for the next....indefinite period of time, is to see whether I can keep my erratic spending in check long enough to perhaps finance the bag. Peanut butter sandwiches here I come.

- J

Whyred

2008-09-14T22:46:00.012+10:00

So Australia is moving into spring/summer and lately the weather here has been beautiful. Lovely 23 degree weather means it's warm enough to wear just a sweater with a pair of shorts pretty comfortably. And so my desire to buy boots such as the ones from Whyred (one of my favourite labels and still relatively little known, but the achingly cool Melbourne boutique Swensk stock them) is completely illogical as soon the only shoes comfortable enough to be worn on warm days will be sandals (and thongs on super lazy days).

Gorgeoussssssss. Although I'd prefer them in black.

And just so this post isn't just a "omg I waaaaaant" one, here are some pretty pictures of Whyred designs from their SS08 collection. So leather shorts are somewhat suspect I love everything else. <33

Source: Refinery29

- S

I made a friend while you were gone

2008-09-12T22:14:00.008+10:00

Yves Saint Laurent Large Rive Gauche

Isn't he just beautiful? Unfortunately at $1,795.00 USD he is also totally out of reach. Maybe if I pawned my car I'd get close...not that I would ever pawn the car....it not being wholly mine and all....can imagine the parents would have a few things to say about that.

Given the lack of pictures on this blog, I thought we'd make the first one a special one. I wish there was something similar out there at around the $500 mark so that maybe I'd have the vaguely realistic (but knowing my petty food habits not quite realistic) option of SAVING UP over the period of....a long time.

Worryingly http://www.lovemeandleaveme.com.au only has the bag in leopard print which seems like a perverse violation of its natural beauty. Why designers continue to rape items with animal print is beyond me. I think we should stop encouraging them.

- J

On the Australian retail scene

2008-09-12T17:47:00.010+10:00

There is a distinct curse that comes from living in Australia, and that is that our stores and labels are stupendously slow when it comes to picking up on trends for the current season. While for the Northern hemisphere the fashion shows forecast trends for the next season, Australia is less lucky. For us, it's a year - or more - before the good stuff gets translated to us. So here is a little review of the retail scene down under.

What further exacerbates our problem is that our high-street chain stores like Sportsgirl, Bardot and Witchery have distinct flaws. Sportsgirl like to rehash boho gypsy crap way too often (like... right now), Bardot are just.. Bardot i.e. suffering from ombre overload (seriously guys... that trend is OVER) and Witchery are somewhat overpriced, especially for students like us. Then we also have stores like Supré, yes with the wanky accent on the e, which suffers from lycra disease, pantsless sales assistants syndrome and suffering from the ridiculously black interiors and blaring music that afflicts all teen el cheapo shops. Your intrepid bloggers, brave in most things, are somewhat intimidated by the sheer bad quality of it all. This applies also to: Dotti (though admittedly a step above), Temt, Barkins and Valleygirl. Yeah, we've never set foot in most of these places but we don't need to; their displays are terrifying enough.

Of course we do have some good ones. Forever New is a fairly recent addition to the Australian retail scene but have proven themselves to be quite impressive. There are the usual suspects of FCUK and Country Road which along with Witchery are more upmarket so can be counted on to deliver, but once again some of the pieces are a little out of our price range. Cotton On is good but only for basic tees.

But for affordable, on-trend clothes with a little bit of an edge, a personal favourite of ours to shop is General Pants Co. I recently picked up a pair of Something black track pants (pictures to come) there that are absolutely one of my favourite pieces. Our department stores Myer and David Jones are always good sources of clothes as well. And like any other in the blogosphere, American Apparel basics are big obsessions. Finally, eBay is god. There are so many fantastic items on there, most at relatively bargainous prices, including my pair of Levis' faded cutoff shorts I recently bought off there which will undoubtedbly be my favourites come the warmer weather.

Despite the somewhat negative tone of this post on the Australian retail scene, it's not that bad. I've merely outlined some of our pet hates, but the Melbourne retail scene is undoubtedbly fantastic with so many great high-end boutiques, some quality chain stores and edgy contemporary labels popping up everywhere. More posts to come on that!

-S

AND SO IT WAS BORN

2008-09-12T13:41:00.003+10:00

A momentous event in the lives of every adolescent girl with an internet connection. The creation of one’s very own blog.

“You’re So Vain” is the combination of the egos of JoJo and Sisi and we are getting off to a flying start by dedicating an entire post to us.

Jo likes albino animals, blazers, musicals, rubix cubes, calligraphy, films films films, working at a cinema, facebook-stalking, her fake Hermes orange wallet, plays and minesweeper. She dislikes commerce and law and the finite nature of money.

Sisi likes AFL (Australian rules football), St Kilda FC, slouchy trousers and sheer white tees, Melbourne laneways, absurd heels, German soaps, trashy fantasy, going to the theatre and Vietnamese pork rolls. She dislikes conservatism, leggings worn as pants and animal print.

Sisi and Jo LOVE Edward Norton, New York City, Gossip Girl, Angels in America, the History Boys, cheeseburgers, English country houses, Margaret Cho, Sweet Valley High recaps, So You Think You Can Dance, cake, men in uniform, Hairspray, Matthew Mitcham, Team America World Police, kittens and eBay.

Sisi looks forward to taking outfit posts of each other which may prove difficult because of their locations. Jo looks forward to spending more time on Sisi’s roof pretending to roll joints. Sisi has been practising artistic photography by taking pictures of Jo on said roof looking melancholy. Jo has been practising wandering listlessing around abandoned fields and deserted roads while looking vulnerable and confused. Sisi hopes that Jo will not completely put her foot in her mouth and alienate all fellow bloggers in internetland. Jo can’t wait to think of wanky things to say about her clothes but for Sisi’s sake won’t publish them. Jo has also realised from writing this that she is a lot more self-absorbed than she first thought.

And so begins their journey.