Miu Miu of 2010

It seems almost pointless to covet a collection two years after it's release and when all skerricks of pieces online have long since gone, but Miu Miu and Prada have been releasing some of the best collections within the last few seasons and my favourite needs to be recognised. Fabulous fashion blogger, American teenager Tavi Gevinson has sported a few of their pieces, especially the Miu Miu silk shoes with sweet girly intuitive style such as the above photograph. Above is one of the sweeter combinations of vintage printed skirts and American Apparel lace socks worn with the iconic shoes. I myself had a lovely pair of cat silk shoes in a similar fashion, but alas they were too small and instead I sent them back to the online market to be re homed and find someone to wear them more than I did.

I adore seeing the candid photographs of fashion-hangers-on and models walking glamorous streets in amazing clothing such as these daisy Miu Miu silk pumps in tandem. While my legs may not be as glamorous and stick thin as a models, I would still love to see what they look like while wearing a good pair of Miu Miu shoes. It's sort of rare to see a pair of shoes that looks as good on their own as this collection did, but I think the little wall chart above of all the shoe designs proves my point rather nicely. I never imagined that something with such distinct structural shape and chunky heel would appeal to me in such a manner but the combination of 1960s flowers and Mary Jane shoes just seems so right.

Two years ago there was a wonderful array of knock-offs and copies abound in stores across all the common shopping centres. While I turned my nose up at them then and there was also a shortage of shoes in my size I wish I had been a little more persistent in my pursuits. The usual pallet of colours included variations among black, gold and baby pink but it's the wonderful and simplistic patterns that really impressed upon me the importance of design and simplistic collars and satin pumps.

I've managed to track down some leftover copy-cat Miu Miu shoes, including the high zipper boots pictured on the left in a glorious dark blue satin material and white daisy pattern. I'd prefer a size 40 to choose from and some of the reviews state the the sizes run small so I am a little skeptical, but at just $30 a pair plus postage I wonder if the gamble would be worth it. I had a precarious pair in size 36, a far stretch for my long feet but alas, they've run out of the favourable feline pumps. To further channel a hippie, moon-child vibe I can imagine them being brought to their full fashionable potential with a flowing, but sheer maxi skirt and a casual singlet top with a nonchalant and offensive slogan. That's one of my favourite combinations of clothes at the moment, it's a little hard to feel like you're working it going in to university everyday, the days splatter together and it all feels like a blur.

I have reserved opinions at best about wearing gold and yellow- it needs a certain skin colour to be able to pull it off as well as confidence but with this golden pair of swallow covered pumps I dare say a pale complexion would give them a heavenly glow. As well as the use of floral headbands and garlands amongst ghostly looking girls, I've seen a stunning semi-precious stone crown slung around the forehead from Opening Ceremony. Pair that with a translucent sheer white dress and some definitive pale pink undergarments and you have the making of a god walking amongst mere-mortals and forever trapped in a photograph.

There hasn't been as many mass-produced copies of detachable shirt collars in the stlye of Miu Miu butan armada of crafty and resourceful fashion bloggers at the height of the trend were determined to join the action and contribute their own styles and interpretation. I think my favourite of the collars is the naked lady, and yes, the original collar did have celebrated and pointed nipples on supple curves and marble-like complexion. With Winter fast encroaching on the Southern hemisphere realms of the world, I think detachable collars are a great piece to wear with a casual jumper for extra class and something provocative can give people something to talk about wherever you are.

Tomboy Style

When I was a child I was the biggest tomboy and although our family was the perfect model nucleus containing two males and females, since I never really counted myself it always seemed that there was a stronger male presence in the house. To this day I still prefer the company of my brother and father over my mother but I suppose that's a personality flaw that alters my preference really.

Anyway, I never really wore skirts until I was aged fifteen and never wore anything other than pants and shorts when I was below the age of ten. I always felt very threatened and unprotected from the elements. As an homage to my past life there are a few mashed up photographs that have a male presence about them and there is only one skirt in sight- I think that's a pretty good compilation really!

Today was spent merrily romping around in my Vans made to look like brogues in leather (named the Sofia shoe in tan leather if anyone cares) as well as my favourite pair of shorts and my comfortable spiked sweater from Ashish X Tophshop. While I don't have a high regard for tiny little shorts that are skimpy, I must say, having loose legs of denim wrapped around my legs makes my thighs look suitably smaller, although that may also be due to the mad amount of sport undertaken on the weekend. Either way, shorts, vintage or otherwise, are a great way to show off legs but without being too feminine and girly depending on the design and material.

A woolen lamb beanie that looks like it belongs in the wardrobe of famous Mongolian Attila the Hun? How much more manly and impressive can you be? Going without the long and flowing mustache at this point is advisable though.

At times I'm jealous of elements of style which are traditionally reserved for the male set; most particularly is desert boots at the moment as well as structured trousers. They just don't make many wonderful pairs for women these days to make them look dapper although the cool patterned socks and brogues aren't such a big deal anymore. I always feel slightly intimidated to walk into a unisex shop and fall in love with an item of clothing destined for the opposite sex- it's just such a mean ruse!

In the midst of all this tomboy style, why not show you all what a real dapper man looks like and not his sort of rough pose on a red and striped couch with matching pillows that can only be fit for a true dandy. In contrast to my rough and rugged style of torn jeans and loose shirts, I must admit I do have a certain fondness for feminine furniture and decorations such as pink skull candle holders as well as tapestry as far as the eye can see. A bit of ying to balance out the yang, as it were.

My dream boots (other than a bargain buy from Etsy) are the Madewell boots in a similar style to these ones shown above. The heel is a little bit lower but the rounded toe edge is absolutely perfect and they would look great when worn with cool and quirky shorts as well as a loose band shirt from another era. It's so much fun getting to dress as a rogue now and then as well as abandoning all female sense of style, but I usually come crawling back to that alternate reality when faced with images of fairies and witches dressed in flowing dresses of white and black respectively.

At this point in the article I would like to point out that to channel tomboy chic successfully, that doesn't mean you need to lop off your lock and luxurious locks. A cool cat such as a felt wide brimmed hat is enough to echo Western times were men reigned supreme but the long hair hanging out the side in a rough and messy low ponytail or braid is enough to suggest where your true femininity lies.While hair has originally been used as a distinction between men and women, any modern-age person is knowledgeable enough to know that it really means nothing nowadays and style and structure of clothing is a bigger tell-tale sign of gender when an ambiguous haircut lies in front of you.

Many great clothing such as plaid and structured shirts that have a male presence and flair about them should ideally be bough in the women's section of any department store and don't think you'll ever be clever enough to buy something in the men's section that is structured such as shirts and trousers and think you can pull it off! If I have learnt anything within the last year or so, it's that men and women are built very differently and although the two styles are mingling dangerously like two loose people at a party, you should still respect garment structure and have that as a key influence when you buy clothing.

Combat Boots and Creepers

Now that I'm free of wearing school uniform I'll probably never subject myself to the torture of wearing a school uniform unless I plan on doing something weird and/or shady. Still, it would have been nice to be different and buy Dr Martens brand Mary Jane t-bars instead of the generic brand everyone else wears and maybe some frilly socks from American Apparel. Instead I choose and made the informed decision of being like every other girl in my year level and a little on the mediocre side. Well let me tell you, that's not going to happen this year, instead I have plenty of wonderful outfit posts planned which I'll try out tomorrow and dress reasonably well in vintage and new clothing alike.

When I can avoid my feet sweating and creating small puddles in my own boots, I'll be brave and once more wear my own pair of black Dr Martens in black leather and embossed in a floral motif. I don't own anything as colourful and eye-catching as the floral boots you see above but they are typically the most expensive of the British company's boots and also the most artistic in my opinion. How often do you see such great detail and painterly lengths on something that isn't a pair of vintage combat boots? New Zealand model Zippora Seven favours this design because the feminine floral design softens the style of combat boots. Perhaps for added irony a camouflage shirt worn over a feminine blouse could be worn?

Although I do quite like the neat and folded buds of these fakeroses I'm not quite up to decorating my plain Dr Martens in such a manner. As pretty as it is, it's simply not practical and this year I'm going to need to be practical to survive this new chapter in my life.

Never before have I attempted to DIY stud something, let alone a pair of shoes or leather jacket. Maybe to set myself on the path of becoming a DIY expert and start on 'training wheels' as it were, I could stud a pair of thick woolen socks to wear with a pair of Vans sake shoes or some creepers for extra grunge effect.

Jeffrey Campbell Lita in Butterfly

I've been toying with the idea of buying a vintage kimono to wear as a shrug or light Summer cardigan and I found the perfect shoes to wear with it. My prayers were answered by the one and only Jeffrey Campbell making a pair of Litas in a beautiful butterfly print with a royal blue background. I love them do death and have been searching for the perfect pair of Litas to buy and I'm so glad I mindlessly scrolled around on Solestruck.com in a vain attempt to try and find some other shoes by the American label.

The structure has been recreated in so many different patterns and colours I've sort of been saving myself to find the perfect pair and I'm so glad I did- butterflies are a special motif to me. You have to be patient for them to come towards you and in Greek mythology they represent the soul and Psyche, the lover of Cupid. When I was a child and my Uncle died, I drew a picture of butterflies for his widow to cheer her up and I still have the thank you note after all these years. Butterflies are just these amazing impossible creatures of beauty and they're one of my favourite exhibits to visit at the zoo when I go.

I would love to wear them with a long and colourful kimono to really channel the oriental appeal of the prints but both items cost over one hundred dollars and without having participated as a referee in the big basketball tournament, I can't quite buy them without being able to know for certain I'll earn the money back yet. Still, they're in my size and I can pay via Paypal (one of the greatest inventions since online shopping) so I'm perfectly content for the moment. I can't wait to have a pair of heeled shoes I can wear with confidence! The butterfly ankle Litas are one of my favourite variations on what might possibly be one of Jeffrey Campbell's most famous shoes.

Chloe Pre-Fall 2012

Since I live in Melbourne, the city that inspired the Crowded House hit, 'Four Seasons One Day' today I could really use with a little rugging up and a nice big coat of scarf to snuggling into. While I was previously pining over one of my boyfriend's jumpers, perhaps something a bit more stylish such as the new Chloe Pre-Fall collection for 2012 is just what the doctor ordered. However, this is just a sneak preview of what is to come and what goodies we can enjoy. Unfortunately since I'm in the Southern Hemisphere a lot of the most famous fashion houses host their runway collections in the opposite season and everything is topsy turvy. If living in this city with its messed up weather has taught me is that when it gets cold, layering is an art and the large coats of the Chloe collection would be a wonderful thing to take shelter in when its turns cold and there's a bitter chill in the air. 

 

While the colour pallet is seeming subdued I do like the structure and puffed out jackets shown best by these side-profile photographs. There's also a bit more of an emphasise on the patterns, woolen materials and deep pockets to shield your hands from the cold and eliminating a need for gloves. I'm interested to know whether the high neck collar and tight sleeve around the wrist are from a blouse underneath of the coat itself- a high neck which is snug fro a coat would also be a lovely addition in the garment design to keep warm. This white and patterned coat would look very good with a chain scarf knitted from Yookoo and her online Etsy store.

Even bigger and cosier than the predeceasing white jumper is this large and patterned coat featuring white and light brown. The contrast against the dark hair of the model has got me sold and you could easily team this piece up with a slick pair of riding pants from American Apparel or neat pleated slacks. The colour is quite different from the Central Business District attire in Melbourne where the dress code is black all year round. I'll definitely be hanging out to see the price tag of this gorgeous coat- I may even get it before my trip to Canada at the start of 2013.

It's a hard task to find a leather skirt that isn't tight-fitting but I love the combination of one of the seasons' hottest trends, pleats and thick leather. With a high-waisted skirt, large pleats and a hem that ends at the knee you get some sensational folds and pleating. It really shows off the gorgeous tan coloured leather and the use of leather mid-calf black boots doesn't take a lot of emphasise away from the skirt but still manages to channel a cool and chic cowboy look.

I love the structure of these herringbone printed pants- their a loose combination of harem style and flairs with a gathered hem that fans out at the ankles. While it engulfs the ankles and prevents your shoes from being seen you have to be careful to make sure it doesn't skim the ground and wear and tare as you walk. Maybe something suitable for sitting in the front row of a fashion runway show; I bet Alexa Chung could team up a Mulberry bag and a cute vintage looking blouse to get the full school girl charm going.

Gram Shoes

Gram is all about making sophisticated sneakers. We create shoes that fill the gap between sneakers and traditional shoes.

Our roots lie in the Scandinavian design aesthetic; design with clean lines and attention to details. Each model being unique in its own simplicity.

Our goal is to design and produce a range of unique shoes, that reflect the present, yet rely on the past.

The brand is centered around the concept of weight, with each shoe being named after its weight in grams.

Gram was founded in Stockholm in 2005 by Alexis Holm and Anna Stenvi. As head designer Alexis is still an active part of Gram, but currently lives and works in Hong Kong. The rest of the Gram crew are based in Stockholm, Sweden.

 

It was the bright coral red and mixing of primary colours clashing on the floral print on these casual shoes that attracted me to do a little bit of a dig and research about this Swedish brand- the thin decorative laces as well as the cute round toe and rubber soles remind me a bit of the Opening Ceremony desert boots but there's a splash of colour as well. In their other designs you'll see high-topped sneaker designs recreated in luxurious buffalo leather and the mingling of canvas materials in bright colours as well as leather. While these particular shoes would be very hard to style with for those who are all-out, bombastic and layer clothes in the drapery and eclectic style I can see these particular shoes going to very good use. I could easily see fashion blogger Susie Bubble (Susanna Lau) of Style Bubble wearing these shoes and having them peak out under masses of layered clothes and a long pleated skirt.

 

While shoes of this particular design are usually more suited towards those of us of the male persuasion, I can't help but feel jealous of the guys for getting to wear such lovely leather shoes with a pair of jeans. They could be worn by a girl too- to make the outfit more feminine I would personally suggest black tights as well as a short and flirty skirt that looks vintage maybe with a floral motif or little boys as well as a long and loose comfortable jumper. The shiny leather in the harsh professional photographer lights shows off the great contrast between that rusty shade of brown leather, the black as well as the laces which combine the two colours together and really pulls the shoes together.

Using only carefully selected premium materials and genuine hand crafting during the production process, every 380g is hand lasted by skilled artisans and matched pair by pair, for the ultimate dressed up comfort experience.
The 380G shoe embodies the essence of classic footwear with its simple derby cut paired with a sneaker like, light weight, dura-lite out- sole and rubber heel for unrivalled comfort.
Upper: Navy Blue Linen

Lining: Leather

Welt: Leather

Insole: Anatomic Rubber Sponge

Outsole: Hi-Density Rubber Sponge

Heel: Heavy Duty Natural Rubber
Laces: Round Waxed Cotton
Shank: Tempered Steel

 

The combination of a fine light brown tartan as well as leather and thick rust coloured shoe laces remind me a lot of my childhood in which I'd potter about the garden with my father helping him with odd jobs. Worn with skinny jeans or riding pants these boots would really add a nice vintage chic touch worn with say- a large woolen cape? I love receiving emails from American Apparel about their California select range which includes dead stock vintage items and the clashing season, I keep seeing snugly knits and ponchos for Winter while I'm enjoying the sunshine in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

The metal clasps keeping in place each turn in the shoelaces is very reminiscent of old school hiking boots but the structure and rounded toes in the black and dusty leather material is closer to tennis shoes. I haven't seen the two elements combined together in a shoe before so I must really tip my cap to Gram for being able to bring something new to the world of casual shoes.

The last two shoes aren't available on the Good as Gold online store which is based in New Zealand which I had used as the basis of this post but I couldn't resist including the two leather boots with linen material inserts of cameo and a jungle sort of print. These two boots may not be suitable for hiking in the mountains but walking around the zoo with a safari hat, bulky khaki vest and binoculars around your neck would make for quite the interesting photo shoot.