Black Witch

It pains me to say that this is the only reasonable outfit post I've managed to metaphorically bring to the table in six weeks of university attendance in which I'm not totally ravaged by hunger. An hour each way on public transport can do mighty funny things to a person when they just want to sit down and have a big hot bowl of food. The lighting isn't it's best but I kinda like wearing black band shirts with dark images and something utterly feminine such as a long and trailing pleated skirt. Trailing comet tails of eyeliner have been my speciality as of late and while the pose of my left arm isn't flattering I kind of like the shy expression on my face. There are three outfits waiting to be photographer in my wardrobe and some other that are sure to be dreamed up during the rest of my mid-semester break.

Oyster #97

I spent a lot of my day lounging around either on my bed or the couch and let me tell you- I looked a lot glorious then the model pictured above. I am missing a pair of metallic hot pants and what looks to be a combination of beanie and fur vest streaked with pink. I'm afraid with my dark brown eyes and hair as well as black nails it would only look awkward and offset the sweet tones of the photograph. Such is the course of being half Asian but there are the perks of tanning instead of burning in the sun.

While I would have loved to lounge around in my pyjamas all day long, it's really not feasible when they look embarrassingly daggy. Thankfully a popular trend among many websites is pyjama style such as sleek silk pants in amazing printed patterns as well as low cut loafer shoes and open lapel shirts too match. I will be utterly thankful when stuffing yourself on the couch and looking glorious are things that can be done at the same time for someone of my particular grace and style.

Shiny American Apparel also made it into this editorial for Oyster Magazine in their ninety-seventh issue and while I don't own a copy of any of their publications I spent a good time reading one while working as a Christmas Casual. If I had any sense I would read all the magazines and bother to look at the Vogue's my mother bought for my birthday but I've been too lazy to even flick through the pages. Shame on me.

It's only on very bad and stressful days that I choose to contort into all manner of shapes and forms- but today I have been busily revising Biology lectures. It's only when I'm learning new material that my brain ceases all work and I feel the weight of the world press down on me that I choose to stretch out over the couch and watch the television absent-mindedly.

Bad Romance

Wearing: American Apparel Sheer Floral Blouse, Marc Jacobs Guitar Watch and Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ovale Rings.

At the moment I'm probably epitomising the worse spirit of Valentine's Day in which selfish girls buy themselves presents because their alone and single. I've spent nearly five hundred dollars on the two rings shown in the above photograph and spent ten dollars on a present for my boyfriend- worse person in the world? Most probably, but I would rather spend time with someone then give them a gift. I just want to have a date on Valentine's Day and a lovely little kiss on my forehead, cheek and lips.

Red lipstick as well as a floral shirt and minimal pants to maximise the look of my legs was something I had been wanting to try for a little while but I think I should stick to taking outfit posts while standing up in my hallway. Still- this is something a little different and a bit more flirty since Valentine's Day is coming up- I'm getting plenty of emails from shopping centres and stores about their products. A little more emphasise on making your partner feel good emotionally through physical contact should be at the centre of this 'holiday' I prefer think.

With a steadily growing social schedule I'll have many more occasions to wear my lovely new rings, as long as I don't have to pick up a pencil and write notes I should be fine. I know I said I was going to throw one of these rings back onto eBay and cut my losses but they're both so lovely how can I resist but keep them both? I've got a few more things to go onto eBay in the meantime and gain the money I spent but I think it was worth it to get two real Yves Saint Laurent rings in my hot little hands since I have been lusting after them for a few years now.

Vintage Sunglasses from American Apparel

Summer may be at an end in the Southern Hemisphere, but for the online store at American Apparel things are just starting to heat up with many vintage and dead stock treasures now added to their store including sunglasses and eye wear I'm clamouring to get my hands on. I haven't had a good pair of sunglasses that I was comfortable wearing since that ill-fated day when my host family's dog gave my lovely pair a chew and I'm still a little sore about that. I would love to order from American Apparel online, but they only accept credit card, a policy that has been a thorn in my side for far too long.

 

Purple is my favourite colour and I wouldn't mind having a pair of glasses, frames and all in the colour to shade my deep brown eyes. I'm really excited about the amazing colours of the vintage eye wear range, the chameleon-like matching of plastic frames and lenses as well as the circular shapes of the lenses. On occasion there is a cat's eye shape frame as well as accentuated detail and quirk that are sculpturally admirable but it's hard to know whether a pair of sunglasses will look good on you without being able to try them on for yourself.

 

The pair of sunglasses I lost to the jaws of that ungrateful bulldog looked much like the pair above- perfectly round with thin plastic frames in brown striped pattern without the golden metal over the nose bridge. I never remember in my youth this stylised shape of sunglasses ever being popular but I love its rise to power including the glorious rebirth given to it by the dead stock collection available from the American Apparel online store.

 

There seems no limit to the wonderful wealth of sunglasses shades, colours and patterns. One of my favourite effect for glasses frames is tortoiseshell because of the variety of shades of brown used and the amount of darker coloured spots that become apparent in the design. I love these dark green frames though, they're very bold and just a little bit deviant. Not for the faint of heart and I'm sick of being the shy little nice girl everyone thinks very little of- I want to make a name for myself in university and from what I've seen there's already some colourful characters. Last year was all about study and hard work, this year is going to be my time to shine and show myself off to the world.

 

It's not too often you see such a thick nose bridge for circular framed glasses- in that respect their a bit like goggles but hot goggles leaking 1970s goodness all over the place. I love the way their made, the horizontal lines across the front of the glasses as well as the sunburnt tones of brown and orange all over the place. The muted coloured lenses in brown are a nice touch to it all and I wouldn't mind trying them on for size. I bet a gorgeous looking girl with a high fringe showing a bit of forehead with long nails and drapery clothes could pull off these bad boys with ease and grace.

 

As well as classic shapes and designs there's the occasional quirky teen pair of sunglasses including these sweeties covered in floral design and a purple tinted lens. There's three colour variations for this single design each with varying designs in plastic but the floral print in pink with hints of dark green and red seems so romantic. Their the perfect pair of sunglasses to get you in the mood for St. Valentine's Day, if you're willing to buy into the merchandise and dream-filled fantasy.

 

It's harder to find more similarities between a vintage piece and modern design, but these pointed and angular cat's eye frames remind me so much of the sunglasses from Alexander Wang. There's only the deep and dark wine colour left, but I prefer it to the dusty black colour and tinted lenses- they look absolutely gorgeous against this blond with pink lips and pale complexion but I wouldn't mind rocking a pair for myself. It almost makes me wish I had my front fringe again with signature streak down the front of my bangs- instead of blond I would be tempted to try white instead in a Cruella DeVille homage to really bring out the red colour of these sweet sunglasses.

 

The sunglasses and accessories divisions of the high-end department stores in Melbourne fail to excite me with boring and unimaginative lenses without plastic frames and Karen Walker jewellery and clothing is only available in Myer at the CBD. It appears that the vintage collection from American Apparel is more to my liking and in tune with youth culture than the slow to catch on national brand I have known since childhood. You know that there's too much of a good thing when you long to have more than one face/ hand/ more fingers etc. in order to wear glorious colours and variations of clothing and accessories at once.

 

The closest variation to my dear sweet, departed sunnies that bit the dust just over a year ago now- they didn't make my nose look too rounded and like a mushroom but they were still stylish and able to be worn with any outfit. I don't wear a lot of brown, I'm more of a fan of black when it comes to basics including jeans and shirts but I do rather like the allure of brown/ tortoiseshell sunglasses. Their just such a classic and iconic on some faces. That's not to say I'm not a fan of pink perspex frames from Karen Walker, but the range of shades here is just marginally cheaper.

 

 

The perfect companion to a pool party or any gathering by the beach would be these blue tinted sunglasses complete with plastic frames and lenses all in the soothing shade. The flecks of yellow remind me a lot of the 1980s and abstract patterned bomber jackets in silk as well as windbreakers and anoraks. After spending about thirteen years of my life attending schools in which uniform was compulsory and they were both blue, I'm over the shade and probably will never chose to incorporate it into my wardrobe entirely.

 

Artistic and with thick frames in a marble effect swirling orange, red and purple these frames remind me a lot of rare vintage Chanel pieces as well as sunglasses worn by British television personality and DJ Alexa Chung. They're very mod inspired as well and have a sophisticated 1960s vibe evoked about them. I don't even think I would mind if they didn't suit my face, pair them up with a toggle duffel coat as well as skinny jeans and I would happily run about the place pretending to be my favourite celebrity personality.

 

Plastic red and the most expensive of all the sunglasses shown in this post, I think they cost close to $400 or something ridiculous, they're Vintage Red Walter Van Beirendonck Sunglasses but they remind me so much of the quirky view master slide show viewer I'd love to own a pair just for their aesthetic nature and the fun of wearing them in a red outfit. There's nothing soft, romantic that flows about them but I love the bright plastic and the bombastic nature of the frames surrounding those little purple lenses.

Vintage Eyewear from American Apparel

 

I love seeing vintage deadstock items for sale, and although American Apparel still tries to make a profit from it, where else would I find perfectly pristine and round frames in a light purple mother of pearl finish? I don't need glasses yet but I would love to own a pair of these glasses- there's something very feminine about them with a Harry Potter touch. I was planning on joining a club at my university dedicated to Harry Potter anyway so these glasses would bring me a step closer to realising my dream of a few weeks.

 

The topic of glasses was also brought up a few days ago when I put my boyfriend's glasses on as a joke and had him trying his best not to laugh- we both agree that he looks the best in his glasses and that I would look better with thicker frames. It's a shame I won't be in the market for proper optical glasses in the next twenty years or so but that probably won't stop me from trying to find the perfect pair already. I would love to buy online from American Apparel, but they don't accept Paypal at the moment and I'm a bit stuck as to whether I should try and get a credit card- without a proper tax deductible job I think that would be a bad idea.

 

If I were taking a more serious approach to the glasses hunt and finding myself a good pair I would try and match a similar structure to my own face and then buy a pair online with fingers eagerly crossed. Another thing that excites me about scouring the world for vintage glasses is the variation between tortoise shell designs- from the shades of brown used to the types of patterns for the affect. It seems such a small and unimportant detail, but to me, therein lies the prepossessing nature of glasses and the way they can achieve beauty for the wearer.

 

One of my favourite brands for vintage eyewear has to be Le Club for the wide variety in colour as well as these thick structured frames with thick painted detail on the left. Just visible in the left top hand corner is a small purple crane and the detail on the shoulder is of a green painted field and a sunset. While I don't necessarily think that all that detail is necessary to a good pair of glasses, I just can't say no to a great pair of thick tortoise shell glasses in the shape worn by Buddy Holly.

 

I'm a bit keen on these frames for glasses as well but without a proper model, even a plastic mannequin head to rest on it's hard to know what the glasses will look like on your own face. While I would prefer to be able to try on a pair of glasses in these instances, one can't be too picky when buying from an international brand and online store. It appears that it's a case of first in best dresses and most dapper. I wonder how many people that will buy glasses from American Apparel will actually need to change the lenses for a prescription...

 

I still have a strong crush on the colour purple and what's great about these frames is that the arms are so thin and the ends are coated in rubber too for extra lightweight ease and comfort. Although the plastic frames at the front profile of the glasses aren't that thick, there's just enough plastic and width to show off an unusual combination of purple and green leopard print. Whether I persuade a parent to buy a pair for me using their credit card and pay them back will entirely rest on the price of the glasses as well as availability as well as my mood at the time of purchase.

Vintage Le Club Optique Round Black Plastic Eyeglasses. For some strange reason I'm left with the impression of a magician wearing these frames and I'm not entirely sure whether it's the familiar Harry Potter shape but in a thicker black plastic as opposed to thin wire frames. It must be the high nose bridge in wire and the plastic nose bridge too, as well as a thinner rim of plastic at the bottoms of the frames.

 

Ideally I should be looking for a pair of glasses wearable for both day and night- I have this image of myself attending fashion week celebrations and the like, being a blogger, taking photographs using a Canon 500D or something and putting it all up on my blog, hanging out with other fashion bloggers and eating extravagant food while dressed perfectly. With more outfit posts and a greater focus on myself and the jewellery/ clothing I own maybe it will one day be possible to receive invitations to the launches of collections for clothing brands one day.

 

Vintage Le Club Optique Square Black Plastic Eyeglasses. I quite like this understate design and colour variation about these glasses- compared to all the wild and fantastic colours and patterns I've picked from the available frames in the American Apparel online store. They're not overly bland with different coloured arms in a mahogany, rich wood texture and I like the little golden darts just above the eyes as well. Depending on my budget, these may well be the perfect pair of frames for me and the ones I finally settle on!

 

I never knew the world of vintage eyewear could be so bold and creative- whenever I have tried in the past so scour eBay for hidden treasures I was left feeling disappointed at not being able to pinpoint the correct buzzwords to refine my search. However it seems that American Apparel will do the work for me and also send me the gorgeous frames with free postage due to the hefty price of the item itself. Still, maybe with increasing success and advertising space slowly paying off I can justify splurging on a great pair of frames now and then put the money back into my account later.

 

These frames with inlaid mother of pearl are very suitable for the opera, given by the ornate floral detail on the nose bridge and shoulders of these glasses. I suppose I also want glasses due to the influence of one Olympia Le-Tan, the french designer who's crafting gorgeous book clutches but hasn't yet released them in her online store. I have saved half the money I would need to pay for one book clutch so in the meantime I will have to continue to sell old and unworn clothes on eBay to continue a stream of revenue as well as slaving away at a thankless job.