BEAUTIFUL BACKS & PRETTY DETAILS

via here

There's something undeniably sexy and beautiful about a female body's back, I love the curve of the spine on an exposed  back, the way the light falls onto the back & the shadows emphasizing the sculpted angles, a toned back, to pretty details on the back of an outfit...

Whilst cleavage and legs are the usual show stoppers on the red carpet or catwalk, I still love a beautiful back.

 via here

 via here

 via here

 via here

I love a black frock with amazing back details.

via different sources on Pinterest & Glamour Magazine.

Hope you're all having a great week so far! Sending you love & sunshine if it's a bit pooey!
p.s Sorry, word verification is switched on temporarily, why are there so many wacky peeps out there???

x.o.x.o

BEWITCHED: A DARK ROMANCE

Woohoo, it's Friday lovelies! It's still summer here and extremely hot, but that didn't deter me from my current obsession over all things bewitching. As we near the winter months, I love nothing more than  to indulge but all black. It's my safe & comfortable colour that can often hide a multitude of sins but is also deeply sexy when you're playing with textures or accessorizing to the nines after hours... Think Lace & leather, sheer silk chiffon & jewel embellished tulle or ornate beadwork... Darkly romantic, no?

I fell instantly in love with Gucci's AW 12 collection, especially the hypnotic black gowns, one of which Emma Stone totally rocked earlier this year (above). There were countless hero pieces that pack a mighty punch. Other favourite designers coveting all-black include YSL, Lanvin, Emilio Pucci, Ann Demeulemeester, Belstaff, Etro, Dolce & Gabbana, Mulberry, Bottega Veneta, Versace... Elie Saab however continues to create the most amazing black gowns ever - Daisy Lowe looks ridiculously striking & I suppose I ought to mention Monique L'Huilliers black gown from SS09 , which still takes my breath away today.

Other beautiful examples of Falls beautiful love affair with things evoking Gothic are these Dark Princesses - Charlize Theron at the Snow White & the Huntsman Premier & Natasha Poly at the amFar event 2012 - images via Just Jared and Zimbio.
Below, just a few to die for gowns... via style.com

 So black, so dramatic.... bring on the long gloves, faux fur and leather trim details.

 Alabaster skin, dark lips (bordeaux, currant & plums) & dark glossy locks. Alternatively, dark smoky eyes and nude lips are my thing too. via Vogue Nippon & below via Vogue Italia

Going shopping?

I swear everywhere I have looked recently has exploded with peplums... Wonder if the designers called each other up last season and asked if they were going to do peplums for fall!

1. Lace Dip Hem sleeveless top - River Island £30    2. Sara Berman Leather Tee - Outnet £180
3. Lace insert Maxi (Back view shown above) - River Island £40    4. Pu super skinny jeans - River Island £45   
5. Premium Spider Jewel Spike Necklace - Asos £50    6. Dominic Jones 23karat black gold spike ring - Outnet £132   
7. Wild thing bumper pack set of rings - Topshop £15   8. Ciate Caviar manicure set in Black Pearl - Asos £18    
9. Bobbi Brown Rich Lip colour in Crimson $24    10. Alaia Leather wedge sandals - Outnet on sale £427.50

Hope you enjoyed! Did I manage to entice you over to the Dark Side? 

The weekend is nearly upon us, have a brilliant time! What are you all upto?

Runway images via style.com,  the unknown one next to the Zara dress & studded glove shot are via Pinterest

Mullet Dress Madness: The Hi-Lo hemline

 

 Giambattista Valli Fall 11 Haute Couture via Vogue.it

Mullet madness is more mainstream than ever and I'm not talking about the haircut. There are numerous retailers selling "hi-lo", "Mullet" hemline dresses and more & more designers (including Bridal) playing with this tail gown. I never did really get the "business in the front, party in the back"

remark, as surely the shorter front is all about the party? Oh well, someone please explain!

Not everyone approves of this trend either, only a few days ago, Hollywood stylist Lauren Messiah declares "Lose the mullet skirt – the one that’s shorter at the front and longer at the back. That was a very short-lived trend." via Marie Claire.

With wedding fever just around the corner, I've been keeping an eagle eye for something a little different, in a bold colour and a delicate, flowing fabric, however... I'm not sure this style is it. What do you think of the "mullet/hi-lo" hemline? Discuss!

  

Balmain was way ahead of the game with this Fall 2009 rtw show stopper via style.com

Zuhair Murad 's white blingy number.

 

Blake Lively has been snapped wearing this mullet style on more than occasion, via tumblr.

Mullet dresses: Most definitely more striking in a light-weight satin, silk or sheer chiffon. Some high street number's I found perfect for summer days!

 

I love how this girl - Annabelle Fleur styled her LOVE label dress - also available via Topshop and RARE. Style with a simple statement necklace, belt and fierce heels!

 

via boohoo.com (international delivery available, check site)

 

(New Look dress  - international delivery available)

Anyhoos, I'm quite excited about the prospect of a few summer weddings, since the past 5 i've been to have been winter weddings. I'll probably get to wear my cobalt multi convertible dress at least on one occasion.

Soooo, it's Friday, I've been a little loca loca busy this week and i'll only have Sunday to rest a little... but least I'll be able to catch up with you guys.
I'm a little peeved that I've managed to catch a cold just as Fashion Week (Athens Exclusive Designers Week) is about to start tomorrow. Let's hope Lempsip works it's magic. What are your weekend plans? Whatever you do, have a fantastic time!

Steal of the century: The Ultimate Convertible dress!

It's miiiiiiiiiine! I repeat, I finally scored my dream dress.... I haven't bought anything this epic in ages. One seriously cool dress & 15 ways to wrap and wear it!

Ma-jor purchase in royal blue, one size fits all, talk about genius!

Most of you will know that when a special online sale is due to take place, you do not step away from the laptop. In my case, I dragged mine with me knowing that Cocosa (UK) was hosting the Two Birds designer sale, which was about to kick off in a mere few hours.

I swear I only react this insane when I want something reeeeally bad, ok, no that's probably an understatement. But since I missed out big time on the previous Two Birds sale, I told myself I would not be making such a rookie mistake again. Last time all the amazing dresses sold out like an hour and a half, and I was gutted to say the least. (The collection has sold out already at the time of writing this).

So let me relay how I very nearly did not get this dress.

• Cocosa emails me the day before with a preview of forthcoming sales, I see the Two Birds brand and a little birdie inside my head tells me that's the label I missed out on before.
• Eyes pretty much pop outta my head as I oogle all the fabulous dresses in a myriad of jewel colours. The dress I want was £250, now £119, i'm thinking, 'baaaaargain - I-must-have-it-now!!!!'. Really, this dress is going to get some serious wears.
  
• Set alarm to remember to go online at midday the next day.
• Today: Click on the page of the dress in the colour I want and close laptop set to that page.
• It's nearly midday UK time, need to find wifi connection, done, phew.
• Ok, it's 3 seconds gone and the sales are open, click on add to basket... noooooooo! The screen is blinking, and screaming 'checking availability' at me. Next thing I know it says someone else has put the item in their basket, should they not proceed with the purchase it will then be made available again. I click back to the Two Birds sale page (back and forth at least 5 times) and literally click 'add to basket' on 2 other dresses (held only for 7 minutes by Cocosa) - gotta have back up, know what I mean?
• So after a good 8 minutes of not being able to breathe properly I click back to the royal blue dress and find it's available again, breathe, click 'add to basket'. I had to uncheck the 2 other dresses I didn't want and finally, hoorah after filling in address and payment details it is MINE!

Honestly, I felt like tearing my hair out at one point (B if you're reading this, i'm sure you'll sympathize with me), especially when I kept clicking back and forth to the royal blue dress page (which loaded really slowly each time) & it kept telling me there was none available.... aaaagh!

So, why am I so kerrr-aaaaazy about this dress? Well, sometime last year I saw Vahni of Grit and Glamour in a stunning knot and tie dress, seriously V looked a million bucks (as she always does, see here) & the dress looked gloriously amazing. But for the life of me, I cannot find that particular post of her in that dress or who it was by again, all I knew was that I wanted a similar-ish dress.

The different ways to wrap/wear this dress

So what do you think? Score of the century or what?

Have any of you had any interesting or shall I say desperate, 'me-wants-now' online shopping attempts only to have someone (almost) beat you to it? Seriously, if this were in a shop and there were only one dress, i'd have versions of Rachel, Monica and Phoebe shopping (hunting) with me, whistles blowing all the way!

images via twobirds, edited by me
NB: twobirds is available in US, Canada, Australia and also the UK.

Party on Princess! Part deux

Hello lovelies, I have more fantastic frock fashion fixes for you! Enjoy!
(nb: nearly everything sourced has international delivery)

I have a really wide & open taste when it comes to dresses, be it for a party or special events, I always want to feel comfortable first and foremost in what I'm wearing, look spectacular and show just the right amount of 'look at me'.

Depending on my mood and my rather schizophrenic style/personal taste, I tend to pick out colour rather than going with an understated little black dress. But most of the time these days I struggle with a large number of options for getting dressed up! I can never decide or make snap decisions! It drives Mr. Perseus nuts!
Anyhow, I hope some of these picks inspire and help you 'steal the show' during the festive season.

I'm not done yet darlings! There's more to come, I promise!
all images via corresponding fashion outlets as mentioned above

Original & New Funny Girl: Jennifer Aniston pays homage to Barbara Streisand

Wow, I saw these images in Harper's Bazaar & Daily Mail this morning and had to share!!!

On another totally unrelated yet related topic of discussion is a fantastic post I read over at Beautifully Invisible on 'The Plus size and straight size debate'. One of the comments that spoke to me very much was left by Fashion Butter on how we should be more supportive of each other, rather than judging, criticizing, labeling others....
In the comments section to the Jennifer Aniston article in the Daily Mail, I was horrified by the bitter, negative and just plain horrid comments left by readers. It's OK to have an opinion or constructive criticism, but I'm just someone who doesn't feel negative/bitter opinions being aired. It's like sending bad karma/energy out there, slagging someone off just ain't cool. What kind of message is this to others? I've also seen this on a few blogs too... what's the point? Soz, i just had to get that off my chest, if you'll excuse my outburst...!

images via Harper's Bazaar for full interview click here and for all images here.

PS: I can't believe I bought a maxi dress last week, this discount code arrived in my inbox today!!! Take Advantage girls!

You may remember my Frock Fest post for a gorgeous draped asos maxi dress.

Going somewhere? Frock Fest!

I love getting dressed up and putting on a gorgeous frock just puts a smile on my face if you know what I mean. I have a lot of love for super girly styles, prints and floor sweeping numbers too. Here's a few lust-worthy dresses that caught my eye this week, from Bank friendly budgets to Bank Manager horror budgets.

STRAPLESS

From left:

• Coast 'Lexi' strapless dress - £125
• Lipsy print embroidered dress at House of Fraser - £65
• Matthew Williamson Neo Baroque dress at Outnet - now €507

ONE-SHOULDERED

From left:

• Emanuel Ungaro floral print silk dress at Outnet - now €546
• Emanuel Ungaro layered Organza dress at Outnet - now €719
• Karen Millen Signature 1 shoulder dress (Available in other cols) - £180

MAXI STYLE DRESSES

From left:

• Asos heavy draped maxi dress - £65
• All Saints 'Calvary' premium dress - £295
• FANTASTIC ebay find - $27.96 (plus $11 delivery) This maxi dress is made from cotton spandex based in Melbourne, Aus but deliver world wide! The direct link is here!

RACHEL GILBERT, SYDNEY

Awesome dresses and going out girly!
Check it out here!

Bad Bad habit...

No, I didn't blow £2.6k on this dress but...

Man, i want it baaaaaad! It's gorgeous twised bead overlay and structured asym hem is just to die for!
Peter Pilotto's Torsion silk beaded dress via net-a-porter

I've got a few days left in cold (it got really cold starting yesterday - what a wimp!), rainy London and i've already started packing. It's a bad habit of mine really as i've kinda over loaded on the shopping front for one and after rooting around in the garage i've discovered some cool bits i forgot i ever had - it's like Christmas all over again! Yippee! With only one suitcase and one had carry at the ready, all i can say is that the case is pretty full and ready to explode and the hand carry number is almost filled with stuff too. Yikes.

I stoopidly brought a smallish case... doh!

I can't wait to share some of the Bargainista buys with you all too! But for now, these are some of the dresses i've been checking out. There are so many options out there, from Maxi - gong out styles, beach styles and sweat maxi (Tee) style dresses, florals galore, nautical but nice dresses, nude feminine vintage styles, feathers, swallow prints, prom dresses, and a whole load of bodycon dresses.

So which of these do you guys like the most?

I have to add that i love the super serious shoulder look, I was a die-hard fan of 'Dynasty' a tv show back in the 80's and the shoulder pad look was something that leading girls, Alexis & Krystle use to rock! I will have to show you the crazy top i bought in Primark - it was a bargain at £6!

ref: images via Topshop, Miss Selfridge & Oasis

Miss Selfridge hits a fashion high

Hello Miss S, we've been waiting for you to hit that fashion high again since the reign of one Ms Fabulous Creative Director... I'm definitely one happy fashion bunny and am loving the vintage, super girly style. The SS10 collection has a wave of pretty florals, stripes, bows and soft romantic pastels and of course Miss S, signature style. There is way more stuff to drool over on their website though, better stash the plastic away now girls.

Cropped embellished jacket £95

Petites nude tiered dress £38

Nicole Ritchie, eat your hear out, this lace playsuit is a bargain at £38

Metallic beaded belt £28

The perfect blush

et voila, I've found the perfect blush/oyster pink dress, yum! You could probably rock a white blazer with some of these too.

This hand-embroidered beauty is by Haute Hippie, apparently it's ecru but it looks kinda like nude pink to me... check it out on Net-a-porter. Ok, we're in a recession, what's the next best thing??? See below fashion recessionista's!

SPLURGE

Hand Embroidered dress Haute Hippie £900

SPEND
Lace sleeveless D&G £595

STEAL

Lace beaded dress Dorothy Perkins £35

STEAL

Sleeveless butterfly print dress Miss Selfridge £28