Lazy Oaf Sweater Dresses

 

I treasure the warmth and comfort a cosy sweater has to offer on a cold day, or just when I need an item of clothing to retreat into after a tough shift at work. My number one priority from the Lazy Oaf online store is this sweet Teddy Bear shirt with bow tie and small little eyes and face on a black background. I've been meaning to get this for a while, but compared to online auctions where the situation is like a pressure-cooker you can take your time when buying from an online store as long as their new collection doesn't push out all the old stock you have your eyes on and you catch some items on sale as well.

 

A familiar motif for those who are a fan of Lazy Oaf or perhaps actually live in England and have the capacity to visit their stores in person is the hiding eyes jumper which you can easily shun by pulling the zipper across your stomach. I suppose for those of you who would love to be a pseudo foster mother to a kangaroo this is a rather neat jumper but somehow, the colour combination of red, grey and black is a little ominous to me.

 

For those of you who love wearing clothing that can double as a cute costume, there's also the clown jumper fitted with white contrasting 'cape' around the shoulders and large pom poms in red down the middle. All you'd need to do is buy some cheap face paint for a few dollars a piece and some make-up as well, a pair of red Converse Chuck All-Stars and you're set for a wicked night out full of mayhem and chaos!

 

The sweaters aren't actually made to be worn as dresses, the models of Lazy Oaf simply don't wear any visible pants for the photo shoots and are a little bit on the long side. Hopefully by the time the weather turns cold I will end up getting this lovely Teddy Bear sweater which is on the sweet and dapper side for myself before the S/S12 collection gets launched. The main figure reminds me so much of my own little teddy bear I would bring to school with me in the first grade when the teachers encouraged that sort of thing.

Seeing Red

After walking around my local area for about six hours, getting light sunburn on my cheeks and waking up with a horrible searing pain on my shoulders I have resolved never to deliver catalogues again. Though it was good for the fitness, it's not worth all the repercussions. I may just hand in my resume all over the local shopping centres and try my hand at that rather than intense manual labour. And the whole ordeal stemmed from me wanting a little more cash on the side to buy nice things. I guess being money-hungry and just plain greedy can turn you in to a bit of a monster.

In my defence I need to save what money I can before my term deposit matures and also there's a range of book bags I want to buy at the store I work out- they look just like the penguin classic book covers in simple horizontal colour blocking design and they come in purple, green, orange and pink. I want them all! There's also luggage tags to buy, iPhone covers and a whole bunch of goodies I'm planning on making a part of my 'back to school' stationary shopping.

 

While there are several rose bushes and climbers hanging around my house we have never really grown this cheery bright red colour. There's been bright pink, pale yellows, pale yellow with tints of pink at the edges as well as a single dark, deep blood red rose. But I quite like this cheery red colour, a symbol of a high romance- I wish we had roses like this around my garden. Then again I may just be going through a large phase with bright red, I can think of a red bag I want as well as a vintage quilted jumper to match. I've really just got red on the brain.

Another proof of my current madness and love for red is the effort I went to adopt a chair abandoned early for hard rubbish collection- it took a blue lifting trolley and careful balancing to fit the rather large chair onto the bottom and walking down two streets earning myself curious looks to put it away safely in the garage. Unfortunately today it's raining and I suspect there will be some mud on the bottom, the garage has a tendency to flood a lot these days. Still, at least I didn't leave it out about and in the open. It's the kind of chair I've been thinking of buying with a large wing back at the top and an upholstered look. It's only red vinyl and ripped in quite a few places but it also reclines so I'm happy.

I love the drama of red and the holiday spirit associated with it as we are know left in the wake of Christmas 2011, which has left us behind. A colour for boys and girls and I have tried to combine the best of the two together; for example the second photograph of the red lion sweater is a mens sweatshirt but I'm itching to try and get my hands on it for myself. I find great comfort in wearing baggy and loose red jumpers- my Literature teacher once advised me that when one is sick, one tries to cheer oneself up by wearing red. This held true for me when I was sick for about the first time in five years and wore a red jumper I favour quite a lot on my trip to the doctor.

I don't even care that it might be a wig- I love the colour coordination of all red clothing with blue hair lying against a red and blue rug. It's a very healthy and homely look and I wouldn't mind getting a rug for my room when I find the room and the time to rearrange everything. I have the perfect rug in mind- it has a moon on if and it's from Urban Outfitters but it is quite expensive and well- it would be nice to have the space waiting for it before I order it. Otherwise if it's just sitting around and waiting to be used it's a waste really.

Tomorrow I get to catch up with all my high school girls and watch Disney movies and eat garbage junk food! I'm quite excited, I've been really slack and haven't seen anyone since schoolies and it's been even longer since I've seen my closest friend. Luckily everyone else has been much the same and this is our first major gathering I guess since study scores were released and it's the Thursday before our University offers come out on Monday. I expect to hear some lovely gossip and see everyone giddy with excitement. The friend's house we're going to is tripped out with a home cinema, heaps of beanbags and pet ferrets! It will be a very good day indeed.

I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of an American Apparel blouse in white and a resin necklace I bought on eBay- you may remember my post about the brand 'This is Make Believe'? Well within just one search I got a red rose necklace for only $60 including shipping. I'm very excited; when it all comes in I'm going to try and have my armchair in my room by then and I'll take photographs of my reading books in it and wearing my red American Apparel cape. So there will be a lot of red around when all that comes to fruition. I could also throw some red lipstick into the mix as well- but I think wearing the blouse and my red rose necklace with lipstick and maybe plain black jeans or slacks would be quite enough colour coordination.

Givenchy Fall/Winter 2011: Clothing

This is the second and final post covering the sensational Givenchy Fall/Winter 2011 collection which will cover the greater spectrum of their clothing released in the collection. There were many eclectic prints incorporated into blouses and jumpers as well as comfy sweaters, the use of leather and velvet. To view the collection is to feed the soul and a feast for the eyes to witness all the patterns, the detail, the luxurious and varied textures and materials as well as the use of purple, yellow and green to give life to a new tribal pattern. The haunting eyes of the panther and bursts of yellow of the iris and orchids were the details that cuaght your attention on the sleek and shiny blouses as well as the soft and light absorbing sweaters. Let's explore, shall we?

 

These are just a few of the sexy sweaters used in the collection; I haven;t seen much of the first two but I do like the use of flowers around a 1950s naked pin up girl with censored black strips across her chest. I love the look and texture of the first jumper of black velvet, the material hasn't been crushed and instead traps the harsh lights of the runway. No light bounces off it except at the sheen and crinkled lines of the sleeves. For me there is nothing more comoforting that to hide in the folds of a large jumper after completing a touch shift of work; it's the ultimate safety blanket for me.

For those who are anti-drug, facists and square and don't condone illicit substances, this exciting pansy flower pattern uses plenty of green leaves on the skirt and sleeves of the silken bomber jacket and skirt ensemvle. At first I didn't quite agree with the chains bordering the sleeves and trims of the jackets, but now it's really warmed up to me. It injects glamor to the panther motifs and also creates an interesting juxtaposition of man harnessed gold against the beauty and delicate flowers of nature.

There was no major gimmick for the make up of the models in the launch of this runway show- instead there was a greater focus on the intricate detail of the clothes and their bright colours as well as the decor used to decorate the runway. Guests and photographers alike were hidden in the iconic greenery and flowers featured on many of the blouses, jumpers and clutches using one of my favourite shades of purple for the flowers. While the collection didn't feature a lot of bright yellow (quite sparsely distributed only here and there) this mohair jumper and skirt shines brightly. I love the sleeve details of the jumper but would find it hard to pull off wearing something so bright and bombastic myself. Yellow is a very hard colour to properly wear without it end up wearing you, it must be all in inner confidence and self belief.

I love thecareful stitching as well as kooky cut out shapes of the panther army against a sheer blouse- with the sharp black collar at the top this is a blouse I am lusting after. I love the use of black bras in the runway rather than bare chests- it makes the look so much more slick and also doesn't detract attention away from the garment by erotic body parts.

 

I love the sparkly collars and cuff sleeves of this stunning blouse underneath a silk bomber jacker. It's hard to decide what I love more in this photograph but the shy pose of the model and long, black hair reminiscient of geishas makes me feel proud of my Asian heritage. Black panthers on a background of leafy plants as well as purple and yellow pansies is gorgeous but the sparkle of the crystals encrusting this blouse makes reminds me of the lovely Miu Miu 2010 collection. The arrangement of crystals with occasional yellow among purple is just another reason that the Givenchy Fall/ Winter so intricate and well-thought through.

A more toned down andminimalist approach to the collection featured the chain detail on a black blouse as well as boat neck jumper and dual chains around the sleeves. I love the refined texture and print of the chain combined with the simple black of the blouse and jumper. The look is finished off and made quirky with the panther furry cap as well as glasses which feature panthers on either arms of the glasses.

 

I've never had an opportunity to experience the soft and fluffy nature of a mohair jumper and I have to say, the floral wreath at the centre of this luxurious jumper paired with matching skirt is simply divine. I love the shade of purple used as well as the soft halo of iris flowers and fringing yellow pollen and flowers. I wish Santa had brought me something as wonderful as this for Christmas, but a girl can't have it all huh? The pencil skirt in black velvet would look lovely with the jumper combining the top and bottom half of these two runway snap shots together. This shot really shows off the arches of flowers and fake leaves brought in especially for this runway show and impressing upon us the beauty of the floral motifs in the clothes.

 

For something a little less fluffy and more sleek than the mohair jumper comes this silky sweater with a fierce panther at the centre of the chest. If you love the night life but prefer to live in the shadows and hunting prey with style, I highly recommend this Givenchy jumper which emulates the style and fur of the panther in silk with comfortable cuffs and crew neck for ease. Although I adore my sweaters and comfy jumpers I would opt for a bomber jacket over one of these bad boys just as a precaution against wiping my make up against the material. I haven't yet mastered removing it or avoiding getting skin coloured smears on my clothes yet, even at the tender age of eighteen.

Covered in small panthers, Texas stars in gold as well as thick glorious chains and amazing patterns at the chest of this blouse, it looks more like an intricate silk scarf than a shirt. I must say though, manufacture and sew each pattern and making it meet up at all the folds of these blouses would take so much time and effort, let alone producting the fantastic patterns on to silk. While the Givenchy collection isn't cheap being one of the most famous fashion houses in the world and producting their own perfume, their reputation for style as well as the quality of their garments certainly contributes to the price tag.

I never thought it possible for one brand, in one single collection to craft so many gorgeous sweaters all of which I adore. Ranging from velvet to silk, mohair, and everything in between all of the jumper the patterns all revolve around the same principle design of flowers, panthers as well as wreaths and naked girls. I wish it was Winter again, I'd love to wear of them and own a jumper and bomber jacket for each day of the week. 

Lenko: 2010 Animal Sweater Collective

I was really excited when I first saw these. On a holiday wander and meander with friends through the city of Melbourne and popping into any store we fancied, we chanced upon Lenko in the Cathedral Arcade. We had meant to check out the vintage sellers and op-shop-poachers Retrostar, I loved their range of soft sweatshirt jumpers.My favourites were they toucan in a bright green and the lemur jumper with a dark burnt red/ maroon. I like the sort of trial and variation on the patterns of the animal designs, the rough sewn patterns and the button eyes. The previous range of jumpers couldn't hold a candle to all the colour that was available. 

When sorting through the piles of jumpers I even saw a purple unicorn, the only possibly a trial design they tested out before settling on the bright blue mane of the unicorn. I was heart-broken when the sold out and have tried to scour the Internet and eBay for anyone who was willing to part with their fantastic jumper and have not had any luck at all. 

I will not give up easily however, and I will own a lovely jumper from Lenko. My friends I promise you this. Lenko also stocks a range of lo-fi toy cameras by Superheadz, they source clothing and accessories from Lazy Oaf all the way from the UK and have lovely vintagesque stationary as well as brooches of lady gaga in plastic. Last time I checked they still had them, I hope they still do- they were really cool!