December is always a good time to shop. I had deliberately done all my Christmas shopping in November (which is why there was no November Shopping article) and was thus free to take advantage of all the Christmas bargains- the first being the sample sale that was being held just 15mins walk from my house…

I also went down to Cambridge for a wedding, and decided to have a shop in Hamilton as it would be the last time I had an excuse to be in the city. Out of all the places I went to The T-Shirt Studio was my favourite. It’s a cheaper version of Mr Vintage  to appeal to the tourists but still has some great designs- and you can make your own shirt if you wish.

So in Hamiton I bought the skirt at Trendez but I’ve already had to throw it out because it was poorly constructed and the elastic unravelled after the second wear. The Indian-made chandelier earrings on the left are from Max in Hamilton Dressmart and are extremely light (which is a great relief for my earlobes). The bow earrings are from Wildpair and are very feminine (yet flimsy- so I have to handle them delicately) .

I’ve been buying quite a few T-shirts lately, because I threw out my flimsy synthetic Cotton On Tees and started buying 100% cotton tees instead. The two shirts on the outside are Lennox Tees that I bought from Ruby Square Market. The one on the left I bought in grey, and the one on the right has a sky-blue tiger lily print instead off the moss green colour shown. The trompe de l'oeil shirt in the centre left is Guy Harris: I quite like that Mr T layering necklaces look but I’ve never been able to pull it off- until now. The Freshjive ‘sexploitation’ tee on the centre right is actually a Men's shirt but it’s great to wear when I’m hanging around the house or going to the gym…the other three are for throwing on over a pair of jeans when I do my morning shopping. Not pictured is the Cybele T-shirt I bought from Glassons to support breast cancer. Usually I don’t buy those T-shirts, but they redesigned the neck and made them longer so they look quite flattering now. And how can I not support a good cause?

And the last piece of clothing I bought in February was the Kirrily Johnston Loves Maxshop Empire Cardigan. It’s from last years winter collection and was a really big thing for Max, but I wasn’t really into it as the cardigan was very expensive and the fabric was only 10% wool. Even now I can tell you the cardigan is fussy and high-maintenance to clean and dry, and it’s quite long (I ended up having the hem taken up a few inches so it wouldn’t drag on the floor). But put it on and you will feel and look stylish- I’ve already worn it out for after-dark activities and it kept me warm all night. I can’t wait for those terribly grey winter days- while everyone is shivering I'll be snug (and chic) and will have no need for a stupid Snuggie to keep me warm…

The Red Kimono ring in the middle is from Cherry Blossom- a New Zealand online store that buys vintage Japanese kimono silk and turns them into jewellery, bags and other accessories. I love how they’re turned a scrap of fabric into a ring with a fiery abstract design, but I think this will be the last statement ring I buy for a while. My collection is getting so big my tiny jewellery box can’t house them anymore!

Sticking to my resolution of being eco-conscious, I needed a moisturiser that wasn’t from the supermarket and a travel set. I was going to buy the Trilogy range but Evolu had almost identical products for less, so I bought their Organic Rosehip Oil, the 6 in 1 Travel Tower, and the Refreshing Face+Body Mist. The Travel Tower is my favourite as it’s perfect for travel (no huge toiletry bag!) and it’s refillable.

And at the end of the year I try to clear out most of my partners old skincare products and then replace them with new ones- and it was quite nice that I got a free gift set as well from Dr Lewinn's. I also bought a gold nail polish (as I already have one in silver) and a vivid fuchsia lipstick from the L.A Girls range.

So that was approximately three months of shopping in one article- I’ve left a few things out but you’re sure to see them later on in the year. I don’t see much shopping happening in March, but you never know…

I’m ashamed to say I used to wear a sweatshirt exactly like this in the 90’s…to be fair I wasn’t allowed to buy my own clothes!

It won’t win any Oscars, but you can tell she’s giving it her best. I love the line 'I'm sure you'll land on your feet... or your back,' it’s perfect to say to her character!

RIP Lee Alexander McQueen- NZ Herald

An editorial on hating fashion- Guardian

Check out Alexander McQueen’s work through the years- TIME

The real women behind Grazia Magazine- Times Online

Skinny underage models are being replaced by smarter, healthier girls- Stuff.co.nz

Have a laugh at these hideous ‘It Bags’- Femail

The Pros guide to Pampering- Real Simple

What to wear this winter- The Age

How do you catch copycat designers? – Guardian

Marc Jacobs knows the best statement is understated- Times Online

Our makeup, skincare, and beauty tools don’t last forever- LA Times

Kiwi made jewellery is heading to the red carpet- NZ Herald

How fashion went out of style- STL Today

5 top tips to a perfect makeup base- Elle UK

Shopping on a budget (with Tim Gunn)- Oprah

Fashion 101: Ruffle Shirts- Stuff.co.nz

Everything you wanted to know about diamonds and more- The Atlantic

DIY: Make your own ruffled shirt- Guardian

Get healthy hair with less hassle- Real Simple

Help out the charity Dress for Success- NZ Herald

Cut down on over-shopping- Femail

9 Chic Shoe Rules- Yahoo Fashion

How to wear charm bracelets- Stuff.co.nz

What's your fashion personality? – Elle

An Eastern German fashion photographer talks about communist fashion- T Magazine

Great advice on footwear- Independent IE

Treating minor beauty injuries- Real Simple

A guide to finding your ideal heel height- Daily Mail

Celebrity Hair Secrets- Elle UK

Fashion’s new function- STL Today

I'd like to believe that the women who wear my clothes are not dressing for other people, that they're wearing what they like and what suits them. It's not a status thing.

-Marc Jacobs

Shoes are scuffed but don’t have any shoe polish? Just use the inside of a banana skin to polish your shoes, and allow them to dry. When dried buff clean with a dry cloth.

First of all, happy twenty-ten everyone! I hope you had as much fun as I did in the holidays- I had the privilege of arranging Christmas Dinner for my family, I gave my two youngest siblings a fashion upgrade (they have good style, but the person who usually buys their clothes doesn’t), my father came up to spend the holidays with me and my husband and I had a lovely farewell dinner with my in-laws. I also spent my New Years Eve speeding down SH27 listening to 80’s soft rock ballads (because I’m the only sane one in the family- long story) and it gave me plenty to think up my New Years Resolutions. So here they are:

Be more eco-conscious

In the last few months, I’ve learnt a lot about the environment thanks to Good Magazine and all it takes is a change of habits (and buying more eco-friendly products). I’m starting by gradually using up all my old skincare products and buying something more natural that won’t give me cancer or slowly disfigure me horribly later in life. Some people might not be into clean and green but how are we supposed to have an 100% pure NZ if we don’t try to make a difference?

Read more literature

We have so many books that my two bookshelves are constantly filling up and I’ve resorted to stashing paperbacks under my bed (I’ve always wanted to have a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast). The problem is I never make enough time to read them! It doesn’t help that I like to read a book from beginning to end without being interrupted. Considering that I only read half a book from my holiday reading list means that I really need to work on this resolution…

Learn more about photography

I love taking photos (I bought my first camera at 16 and now have four cameras), but I must admit I’m a huge amateur. This year I’m hoping to learn more about digital and 35mm photography techniques, get more of my lomography film developed, and probably buy some more cameras.

Travel more

Next year my resolution will be to travel overseas but this year I would like to travel around the country and experience the wonderful things this nation has to offer. Who am I kidding? I just want to shop! I’m travelling to Wellington in a few months as the last time I was there (my honeymoon four years ago) the weather was so severe we had to leave almost immediately. Then later in the year I’m hoping to travel to Queenstown so I can see some real snow and do some damage to the credit card!

Explore my suburb

And on a smaller scale, I would really like to walk around my neighbourhood and see what's going on. I’m lucky to live in a good area that is going through urban renewal. Old industrial warehouses are demolished and new businesses and houses erected in their place. I’m very lucky that anything I need is merely walking distance from my flat. Now I just have to go out and appreciate them…

Improve my sleeping patterns

Insomnia can be a blessing. Sometimes I see awesome TV shows on at 2am, or a great film that I never would have seen, or an awesome music video. It can also be a curse- staying awake for two days straight, always feeling fatigued, or falling asleep in the middle of housework. It doesn’t help that I’ve been a night owl from a very young age either. This year I’m hoping to train my body clock to fall asleep BEFORE midnight and wake up before 8am. So far it’s been great to wake up an hour after sunrise instead of the crack of noon, and it’s improved my health greatly. Lets hope I can keep it up!

Look after my hair

Everyone has one part of their body they don’t like. Mine is my hair. It’s very hard to cut and style so I’ve decided this year to grow it out and then lavish it with hair masks (the Trilogy hair mask I was given at The Big Shwop finally stopped my hair from frizzing up in the humidity) and a good salon shampoo and conditioner. I’m also going to stop going to those no-appointment hair salons and start going to a slightly better quality salon as well. Hopefully this will cut down the amount of bad hair days that always seem to occur just before an important event.

Post more on my blog!

Over the last few months I’ve been very slack about updating- I couldn’t believe last year I was doing one post a day! It’s not that I have a lack of ideas, it’s just I never get the time to sit down and write them down in a post. This year I’m promising that I’ll try to go back to posting more frequently so more people learn about NZ fashion, beauty, and culture!

Style should be an expression of your inner self- You Magazine

How to make Vintage button earrings- Grosgrain

Top 10 items for summer- Stuff.co.nz

Women put 515 chemicals on their bodies everyday- Femail

Karl Lagerfeld hates everything- Celebitchy

How will this decade be remembered? - NZ Herald

'Cheap' watch worn by Barack Obama becomes best-seller- Irish Independent

When the magic left shopping- Stuff.co.nz

Men can create their own dress shirts thanks to an online tailor service- Canada.com

Why are people still wearing fur? – Guardian

The fur vest is for women who aren't ready for a full winter coat- Bill Cunningham

Snoods: because scarves aren’t good enough- Vogue UK

Do high-end boutiques fashionably discriminate? - The Frisky

Pantone picks turquoise as the colour of 2010- Pantone

Beauty mistakes you may be making- Oprah

Party dresses are a must-have right now- The Age

The prophets of glam- You Magazine 

15 classic men's items that will last a lifetime- Forbes

Big jewellery is big again- Stuff.co.nz

Can a $895 Dress be an investment? - The Daily Beast

Help boost your immune system to survive the silly season- Femail

Can eco-friendly fashion be just as stylish? - Yahoo Fashion

The revenge of the sensible shoe- Times Online

On the politics of vintage clothing- Jezebel

Ways you can wear wedges- Elle UK

Makeup rules for your daughter- Oprah

Watching these videos upset me…she seems like such a bright and talented person. After I finish my Sartorial Portal post I’m going to do a Fashion Muse tribute post for her.

 Swimwear by Moontide Internation Ltd at the Canon Fashion Show - Photograph taken by William West, 13 January 1987

Ever wanted to know what my inner monologue sounds like? The comedian Liam Kyle Sullivan has done it perfectly…shoes!

I love books. Mostly because I wasn’t raised with a television or radio until 1997- which means books were all I had to entertain myself. I have a whole bunch of second-hand bookstores in my neighbourhood and I always end up with an armload of books if I walk past one (damn them and their 3 books for a dollar deal!).

So I buy all these books but have never had time to read them- until now. With all the trips I have to take in the next two months and the holiday time in-between I have plenty of time to devour the pages of a good paperback!

My reading list for the Christmas break is:

1. The Beauty Myth - Naomi Wolf : Because I’m sure this is required reading for anyone who wants to write about fashion and beauty.

2. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series - Alexander McCall Smith : I’ve read the first one, and need to get my hands on the 6th book in the series- but I love the style of storytelling and I can be engrossed from start to finish.

3. I Capture The Castle - Dodie Smith : I’m a Jane Austen fan and I love coming of age stories, so I’m delighted to finally have my own copy to read.

4. Catcher In The Rye - J.D Salinger : To tell you the truth, I only bought this book because in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex The Laughing Man is a J.D Salinger fan, and the detective Togusa had to read the book to understand the master hackers mindset.

5. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy : The biggest novel I’ve ever read was 900 pages (Tandia by Bryce Courtenay), and I plan to see if I can endure reading 885 pages of War and Peace before I watch the film starring Audrey Hepburn. Also because I’ve never read Russian literature, and this book should definitely be my first.

So I hope you all do the same and read those good novels you’ve neglected after purchasing!

My friend Candy and I decided to have a girls night out and attend a nightclub opening on K (Karangahape) Road. I haven’t been in the city for a while (thanks to outrageous parking fees) so I thought this was just the ticket. They’ve been trying for quite a while to turn the seedy red light district from sex shop promenade to high fashion tourist area. When I arrived I saw a bunch of girls having a cigarette outside who I thought were street workers. The dress code was ‘dress to impress’ but it looked like they were dressed to impress men who’d give them $10 for a handjob!

I’m wearing a bronze/black RJC dress (the texture is amazing) from Sweetie (one of my secret shopping spots), my Stolen Girlfriends Club faux fur jacket, and my friend is wearing Supre wide-leg pants with a halter neck dress shirt from an independent Asian boutique.

Maybe it was the opulent decor, but once inside everyone seemed a lot more classier. The drinks were good, and I loved the music and decor. Sadly this kind of place isn’t marketed to us, so we decided to head down Queen Street.

And ended up in Crow Bar. I’d only been there once for 5mins on a bar crawl, but it’s a perfect place for me to drink and dance. It’s unpretentious, has red lighting (which makes everyone look good), and full of men! I had a lot of fun dancing and almost didn’t want to go home…

i danced all night
i sold my soul
i sang a song
killed everyone
i realized space
i abandoned love
i bought blood
i hid my tears

-Daul Kim

I never liked my wedding- I had so much to deal with and a lot of it didn’t go well (the person who was in charge of invitations went on a power trip and decided to not invite some family she was holding a grudge against- which meant I had furious family members turn up at the reception) but I always enjoy being a wedding guest. It’s the one event in life where everyone dresses and acts formally. I have three weddings this summer (so far) and I just attended a very sophisticated and classy union of a lovely couple held at Gracehill Vineyard (vineyards are usually the New Zealand equivalent to a country club). I’m looking forward to the next two as they are both family- and I’m going to enjoy looking for outfits to wear!

It’s been just over a month since I went to the show, but I’ve been rather reluctant to write about it. Why? Well, I don’t really know. I think it was such a personal experience I wouldn’t know how to explain it to anyone. I guess it’s like sex for the first time. You hype it up and think it’s going to be a wonderful experience and when it starts you feel body-conscious until you learn to relax, and afterwards you feel like you’ve experienced something but you don’t feel any different.

The first I heard of NZ Fashion Week this year was when they announced that Pamela Anderson was going to be our big guest. Now I personally thought that ten years ago that would be news (and many people agreed), but once I realised she was doing it to pay the bills I felt more sympathetic to her arrival. But I didn’t dream of going to it this year. I’ve only been blogging for a year and I thought waiting until next NZ Fashion Week would be more beneficial. Like a ghetto Cinderella I figured that there would always be another ball to attend. But then Pilot Magazine popped up like a well-dressed Fairy Godfather, waved his wand (no pun intended) and said “You shall go to the ball! Here’s a ticket.” and of course like the eloquent ghetto Cinderella I am I replied “Holy Shit!”

So I trashed my room and changed five times to find an appropriate outfit that would suit the weather (overcast and drizzling), be practical and not purchased from a Westfield Mall- and I came up with a navy Sole Mio jersey dress with navy bejewelled headband (from Modcloth), my Stolen Girlfriends Club faux fur jacket, the bow flats bought from YesStyle (who just opened a store in San Francisco, lucky shoppers!) and my Gucci watch and quartz cocktail ring from Angela Daniel Jewellery. I believe the Stolen Girlfriends Club show was after the New Gen show and too bad I didn’t get to see how they used their jackets- marvellous!

So I jumped into my horseless carriage with Prince Charming and we headed off to the show- only to run into rush hour/bad weather traffic. Cue me watching the clock and threatening my Prince that if he didn’t get me there on time I would cut off the part that made him so charming. I finally arrived at the Alinghi Base where they were holding the event at 5:02pm (the show was supposed to start at 5pm), my Prince escaped to Portside Restaurant to ease his nerves with alcohol as I went sprinting into the building, asking security guards where to find the Westpac Tent, getting lost in the tent corridors and panicking until the PA system came to life and announced that the show was postponed for 20mins (I heard someone say that some skirts had gone missing). What relief! I immediately called my Prince and apologised for my verbal assault as I looked around and realised I was surrounded by beautiful, stylish people wearing Fashion Week lanyards and I felt like this: But as soon as I got to my seat (I was sitting by Lily from Coco PR and a charity worker I always see at lunch) and when the show started I realised I could be wearing Pamela Andersons face as a gimp mask and no-one would care as they would be too busy staring at the runway.

And because I believe in saying nothing if you have nothing nice to say, I’ll give you my three favourite up and coming designers:

3. Serena Fagence

If your fashion idol is Lady Gaga, then this is the label for you! The clothes weren’t to my taste (I’m probably too old to wear that kind of stuff), but I loved the singer Bionic Pixie who performed her song ‘Quit Breathing’ while dressed as a 80’s psychedelic holographic unicorn. Check out her two singles on Youtube- ‘You did the NONO’ and ‘Toss the Coin’ (which was used in a Glassons ad).

2. Whiri

Whoever plays ‘Bring Change’ by Shapeshifter is automatically a cool person in my books, but I enjoyed their clothes as they were colourful, had great detailing on the sleeves, yet all the items were still wearable. The necklaces looked beautiful as well (though I may be biased as I have one that’s similar). I actually saw the male designer Hemi in front of me when I was waiting for the show to start with what must have been his family and I wished I’d had the guts to talk to them as they all seemed to be pretty grounded people.

3. Trix & Dandy

And the best for last,  the pièce de résistance of the entire show- Trix & Dandy! If Bonnie and Clyde lived today, this is what they would wear while robbing banks. The men looked dapper, the women wickedly retro, and the designer Michael Pattison swaggered out at the end toting a Tommy Gun. The show had a lot of personality and humour (who didn’t laugh at The Ballad of Trix & Dandy video?) and when I checked the clothing out at his online store, I was surprised to see they were reasonably priced which makes them accessible to many consumers.

So in closing, I really enjoyed myself and my Prince Charming couldn’t shut me up for the next two hours after I left the show. Would I go next year? Maybe. I have a long way to go before I’ll be regarded as anything more than a retarded horse blogger, but if I haven’t progressed in personal style by next year I can always attend this festival or go to the Fashion Weekend Sale instead. But a lot can happen in a year- maybe when the next Fashion Week rolls around I’ll be royalty instead of the ghetto Cinderella!

I love the Mint Chicks (I’m planning on erecting a shrine to Kody Nielson in my wardrobe sometime) and ever since they performed this song at the Vodafone NZ Music Awards this song always pops into my head whenever I want to sleep…it’s a pretty cool song though!

Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.

-Gianni Versace

Word: Flapper
Pronunciation: flap-er
Function: noun
Date: 1560–70
Meaning: A young woman, esp. one who, during the 1920s, behaved and dressed in a boldly unconventional manner.

For more information on flappers, read this article to find out about the nightclub era.

How do you fix smudges when you’re applying nail polish? Just get an old makeup brush (concealer brush is the best), dip it into nail polish remover and brush around the edges of the nails and cuticles to clean up any wayward polish.

Rachel Hunter’s rise to the top- Stuff.co.nz

Stupid stylist resigns over the use of ‘plus size models’- Femail

Largerfeld may have lost weight but he still has a big mouth- Expatica.com

Are plus size models a bad example? - News.co.au

The American Apparel chief executive is a grotesque sexual predator- Daily Mail

Makeup miracle- Izismile

Luxury labels suffer as frugality triumphs- NZ Herald

What Elle staff wear to work- Elle UK

Chic goes cheap- TIME

Mineral makeup is not natural or pure at all- Stuff.co.nz

I would love to be an anti-fashionista- Femail

How the ‘Amelia’ look was born- Yahoo Fashion

Toxic-free nailpolish selling in NZ (great for stylish mums-to-be) – Zoya

Transforming into a beauty- Izismile

Ralph Lauren fired a ‘fat’ model and hired a terrible photoshopper instead – Dlisted

Shwop till you drop- Stuff.co.nz

An insiders guide to London Fashion Week- You Magazine

Find the gold hiding in your closet- CNN

The story of Nellie Tier skincare- NZ Herald

How they counterfeit LV- Izismile

Does anyone actually wear runway fashion? – TIME

When goody bags go bad- Stuff.co.nz

Young women could actually be accelerating the ageing process by using anti-ageing creams- Femail

Designers still love Grace Kelly- MSNBC Fashion

Having Guy Fawkes a day late and getting sorted for houseguests and a workmates wedding. Here’s some awesome music to keep you going until I get photos and posts done! Love these guys, and the first song is my favourite of the two. NZ Music represent!

I have been living in a concrete jungle ever since I was 12, but before that I was a one horse town kind of gal. Every Christmas/New Years Holiday for most of my childhood life was spent in Manutuke, a town outside of Gisborne, and when my old man asked me to represent his family at his grandfathers/great-grandmothers memorial how could I say no?

I picked up my silver sweater for $12 during a rest/lunch break in a little shop called Recycled Labels. I didn’t realise until I came home that it was from Gerard Darel, probably purchased in Paris or London. The YSL scarf was given to me, stained with correction fluid until the man of the house dissolved it with turpentine and made it good as new. My bug-eyed Posh sunglasses are from Cotton On, where I got two pairs for $20. You can’t see my white Karen Cole singlet but it was $25 from some consignment store in Central Auckland.

The purple gemstone ring is from Lippy (Dressmart), the lovely girls from Wild Pair Manukau phoned around and found the very last LOVE ring in New Zealand for me, and my onyx ring is from Trademe. My grey Hugo Boss dress skirt was $50 from the Ellerslie Hospice, and my white ballet flats are from Wild Pair. I bought my L.A Girl Disco Brites Nailpolish from Life Outlet (Dressmart) for $6 and everyone at the club loved how it glowed under the black lights! I actually bought four nail polishes, and I’m going back to buy more next month.

Shopping in Gisborne mainly consists of department stores, surf/streetwear, $2 stores and op shops that have been picked clean, but there were two great places that caught my eye. My favourite was Gee Clothing on 52 Gladstone Rd, but I was too broke to afford any of their stuff (even though all the pieces were wonderfully stylish and well priced). I was really depressed until my man bought be a $13 grey Burberry check wannabe fedora from a $2 shop. The next place was Bex (a retro homeware/boutique/ souvenir store) but as I got there too late all I could see was the window display.

I really enjoyed myself and I’m already planning a picnic in Coromandel for next weekend- after my friends 21st of course! The dress I’m planning to wear needs to be fixed, and I need to sort out my hair, makeup and nails- but I’ll try to keep writing! Hope you all enjoyed your long weekend as much as I did…

This isn’t a fashion post by any means- my friends think my fascination with clothes is rather eccentric, and they like me looking normal instead of a haute couture show pony.  So I wore a $8 red dress and $1 red earrings from the op shop, my red lookalike Sergio Rossi zipper heels (bought from Glen Innes of all places), and my grey winter trench coat with the red envelope clutch I bought last month. I also stole some red party balloons to add to my accessories but they got popped by lit cigarette ends pretty fast.

Even though the party was held right behind a police station (where everyone went to take illegal substances), there were two fights in the parking lot, a trash can set on fire, puking in the bushes, a visit by a police patrol car, and a roaming tween-age girl gang taunting those they could sense fear emanating from. All in all, a typical night in Beachaven.

I’m almost finished packing for my trip to the East Coast, and I still have another party on Halloween. So posts will be pretty sporadic until next month.

It’s not news, it’s Foxylicious.co.nz! Jokes aside, I’ve been whizzing around the house trying to find an outfit for a 21st this weekend (and I have another one to attend on Halloween too), preparing the house for a guest, and packing for my trip to Gisborne as there’s a family event happening and I decided to turn it into a mini spring break with some friends.

I went to Dressmart last weekend after watching Drugstore Cowboy to look for a Love Ring (Kelly Lynch’s character Dianne was wearing one) to match my Love Bracelet, and ended up blowing my money on a peace bracelet and another cocktail ring instead. Sadly I’m not as lucky as some bloggers (who are given items to promote) but I’m pretty happy with the value I get for my  worthless dollars. The only thing I’m pissed about is that I missed my chance to get a Love Ring, but then I could always buy the Love Pin from the Tate for Christmas!

Yes yes, I’m already planning to spend money I don’t have yet…but I swear I’m not a shopaholic! I say it’s good planning and I’m sticking to that excuse.

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.”

-Irving Penn June 16, 1917 – October 7, 2009

Due to my mad spring cleaning frenzy I wasn’t able to show last months stuff, but this month should more than make up for it. To start things off I’ve been going crazy looking for Britannia styled shirts- I found one in Cotton On and a singlet in Supre, but underestimated the popularity of the trend and they all sold out before I could purchase one (I was pretty gutted).

I ended up buying the ‘Love’ photographic style and this cutesy Lanvin-lookalike singlet, and I loved this Zip Cuff at Max but couldn’t afford to dish out $50 for an (amazing) accessory.

I also bought this cute Jessica McClintock Red Envelope Clutch (shown with the Forever 21 dress I got for Christmas), a State of Grace grey dress (bought at the Great NZ Designer Sale- the sales assistants were so lovely), and a Kathy van Zeeland ‘Cleopatra’ tote (It’s pretty heavy so I have to shift it every 30mins to stop my arm ripping off). I love the clutch but the tote is growing on me- I really wish i didn’t need two bags or I would have spent a bit more on one good quality summer bag.

I went to the Big Shwop which was pretty awesome (check out the link for the video). I was given ten tokens and went browsing on K road while everyone else had lunch and their complimentary glass of wine and still managed to get a good place in line. I thought it would be a test in competitive shopping, and boy was it competitive! I had oversized bags smacked into me, people trying to grab my stuff, and at the end I had people circling me like vultures trying to see if I would leave anything behind. I had a pretty good system there- first I was just snatching, and then I was waiting at the rack closest to the dressing room for those dumping whatever didn’t fit. I think I had a pretty good haul- A nice vintage dress for my collection, three shirts, one jersey and three casual summer dresses. I gave two shirts to my sister (with some corporate gear I had) for her to wear to her job, and I was given Good Magazine (a magazine that focuses on sustainable living) with a years subscription and a container of Trilogy botanical hair mask. Not bad for $10!

I also went to the Streetwear Sale at ASB last Friday for a lunchtime shop and it was literally a maze of racks filled with clothes- I kept on parting the clothes and walking through the racks so I could actually get through. The line to the changing room was like trying to get into a club on the waterfront so i ended up getting trying them on in the queue so i could get out of there in time!

The stuff there was pretty good but I didn’t like the quality so I only bought this grey bow shirt and a similar purple bow casual dress (not shown because I’m a terrible novice photographer) so I can dress them up or down whatever the occasion.

So that was my month of shopping, I hope yours was just as fun!

Word: Fedora
Pronunciation: fi-dohr-uh
Function: noun
Date: 1885–90
Meaning: A soft felt hat with a fairly low crown creased lengthwise and a brim that can be turned up or down.

Even though I have four watches (two of them need new batteries) I have a classic men's watch that I love wearing all the time. Because of that, it has succumbed to wear and tear of everyday life. If you have fine scratches on your watch face, just rub on toothpaste and buff vigorously.

I have a lot to write about but right now I’m having a very very late breakfast and listening to music:

Here’s a new single/video from the wonderful Ladyhawke- she seems to have run with the ‘Magic’ theme and gone for a gypsy/peasant style. Nice!

I don’t listen to a lot of Sola Rosa but I do like their sound- starting with this assertive song sung by Iva Lamkum. It’s a nice song and I'll have to check out their later work and maybe a live show sometime.

I love Ladi 6 so I can’t do a NZ music video pick without her- and she looks so cute dancing around in her fringed dress! Simple but funky.

And the best I saved for last- I cannot tell you how much I love this song! When you’re having a bad day this is what you should play to put you in a better mood. I can’t wait for their album, it’s going to be my soundtrack for lazy summer driving!

So what have I been up to in the last few weeks? Instead of sitting down and writing, I have been getting stuck into spring cleaning. All my winter gear has been stored in my closet, and my nice dresses are out ready for the summer events I’m looking forward to (like weddings/birthday parties/work Christmas parties).

Thanks to our spare room finally being cleared out (most of it going to charity) and transformed into a craft/sewing room with a mini library, there's finally enough space in our lounge for me to have my ‘office’ (I think we only ever use the dining table for eating at Christmas) and for my partner to practise his guitar playing (he always leaves his acoustic in the bedroom to play at 11pm while I’m trying to sleep).

I also threw away my tacky souvenir cups and bought some pop art mugs to go with my pop art inspired ‘first kiss’ duvet cover. Cute right?

Now I’m just packing all my clothes and shoes that I don’t need (but were too expensive to give away to charity) for the Big Shwop at Langham Hotel on Saturday. I’m hoping I can get some more summer dresses and shoes but I’m scared at how I will fare against other wine-fuelled female shoppers (is it still a faux pas to elbow fellow shoppers in the face?). If the show this afternoon goes well maybe I’ll have to buy a ticket for tomorrow night’s Herald Designer Sale- even if I don’t buy anything it’ll be worth the experience!

So Fashion Week started this morning (though I believe the partying stated last night) and for us mere mortals who could never get in (for $100-$65 a seat), here is a list of websites/lucky people who get to experience all the fun.

1. The official website which has all the information you need including a twitter feed, facebook page and blog.

2. Fashion Quarterly’s twitter feed, which has information about the shows and pictures.

3. Rumi from fashiontoast has been flown in to document Fashion Week, so check out her twitter feed as well as her reporting at Front Row Diary (they have twitter as well). Why is it I’m more excited by her coming than Pamela Anderson?

4. Joining Rumi is Isaac Likes, a very likeable and fashionable bloke, and check out his twitter for pictures as well.

5.  And last but not least is FashioNZ, fashion site keeping up to date with the shows.

I have always wanted to go to NZ Fashion Week, but at the moment it’s just a dream. But a girl can dream right?

And for those who at least want to dress like the people putting bums on seats there is always Fashion Weekend, which is a lot cheaper at $15 a ticket and most importantly they have The Herald Designer Garage Sale! I’m hoping to go but I’ve already been to the Great New Zealand Designer Sale and The Big Shwop is on the same day and I might not be able to afford both events.

Argh! Why is life so unfair?

“As a fashion designer, I was always aware that I was not an artist, because I was creating something that was made to be sold, marketed, used, and ultimately discarded.”

-Tom Ford

Reading this article on crocodile bags made me realise how naive I was about the exotic skin industry. I always thought crocodile, ostrich skins etc were by-products of the meat industry, and that by using the skins none of the animal was going to waste. That may be so for some animal skins, but not for crocodiles. I then thought maybe crocodile skins came from culling the animals so that people and animals would be kept safe, but that wasn’t true either. The fact is that because A-listers have (been given) crocodile skin bags, now the fashion masses want them and demand has outstripped supply. Now they actually breed these animals to skin and give to vacuous celebrities.

Now because of my indigenous culture, I’m all for using parts of animals you eat and not letting them go to waste (I believe that some North American Indians are the same). We have whalebone combs and other utensils sitting in our museums. I’ve never seen a problem with wearing leather because we already have to kill them for meat, and cow bones are used for carvers to practice on. I would happily wear possum fur because they destroy native forests and massacre rare birds. But killing an animal just for it’s skin (or fur) is just a waste of a life.