One-stop Festival Inspiration Post

Hey All,

So it’s finally Oxegen time again. Ireland’s biggest mudbath festival has a rather large pop line-up this year, with Beyonce, Coldplay, Foo Fighters and The Black Eyed Peas in the line up. Not my bag naturally, but more on that later, fashion comes first.

I’m posting a little festival ‘street’ style round-up, looking at what people have already worn to this summer’s festivals and get some last-minute inspiration.

I’m thinking:

Light-blue denim shorts – high-waisted or dungareesWith a bandanna & vintage paisley blouse -Cara Delevigne at Glasto – Style.com

With a Smiths T.Shirt, pink Cons and an ice lolly – Olivia Hazlewood  at Hop Farm – Vogue.co.uk

Tribal influencesWith a Naval hat and a hit of crazy, I love this completely – Florazeman at Glasto – Company.co.uk

With a sh*t load of cool – K-OS and Mike at Sasquatch – Style.com

with leather shorts – Lia Nicholls at Glasto – Style.com

and a headdress – Lotta at Glasto – Company.co.uk

with big earrings and white crochet shorts – Megan L at Sasquatch – Style.com

Vintage stripestie-front stripes with colour-blocking – Kate Brighouse at Wireless – Vogue.co.uk

with lace up boots and simple black shorts – Georgia Beeston at Hop Farm – ElleUK.com

with tan bag, boots and legs – Tanita Sira at Hop Farm – ElleUK.com

Anything blackSheer and coy – Charity Thielen of The Head and the Heart at Sasquatch – Style.com

Dapper as – Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips at Sasquatch – Style.com

Badass – Jade & Chloë Lamb of Badlands777.blogspot.com – Style.com

Cropped topswith American flag denim shorts – Cleo Gloves at Glasto – Style.com

Probably only good for the VIP area – Ellen Kerry at Wireless – Vogue.co.uk

A Wax jacketWith colour-block shorts – Unk at Glasto – ElleUK.com

A button-up Fred PerryPerfect blond hair and a black Parka – Martha at Glasto – Style.com

If Festivals were held on tarmac and you stayed in a hotelBlack silk, tan leather and perfect hair and make up – Katy at Wireless – Vogue.co.uk

Accessorise with tons of bracelets and a 80′s rock-star attitudeAlexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells at Sasquatch – Style.com

On how to Festival-dress; Florazen (pictured above) says – “Blister plasters, glitter & raid your drama school’s dressing up box!”

And for an alternative musical line up I’d fight to see:

Friday – Fun Lovin’ Criminals to kick things off, then Maverick Sabre and Metronomy

Saturday – British Sea Power, Imelda May and Beady Eye (just to make proper use of the Fred Perry shirt you’ve packed)

Sunday – Nice and easy, spend the day at the Heineken Stage for Ocean Colour Scene, Crystal Castles, Chase & Status and Primal Scream

Yours,

Whisty Xx

A Style Post: Prints Charming

Hey All,

… After a month or so, wearing black which has been heavily reflected in my blog posts. Summer seems to be waiting, for something… so I think it’s time to go a little brighter. Clashing prints being the main objective. Florals and feathers being the two prints; Palazzo pants and a sheer tie-front blouse being the pieces.

I love the huge 70′s-inspired, almost psychedelic, poppy print on the Palazzos, and the fact that most of the trouser is white. It made mixing it with the mainly blue, tribal-inspired, Navajo Native American, feather print sheer top really simple and quite effective.

Print Details:

Top, A|wear; Palazzo Pants, River Island; Suede Platform block-heel sandals, Carvela.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Colour Block Lips

Hey All,

Today’s post is brought to you by the colour orangy-red and the word minimal.

I’ve spent the last two years going hyper on eye make-up. Lashings of gel, liquid and Kohl eye-liner and tonnes of smoky eye-shadow. I fancy a change, and it comes courtesy of Gucci, Fendi, and Diane von Furstenberg (SS11) and Hakaan (AW11) .

It’s not pretty, pale or subtle orange; it is IN (ON) YOUR FACE ORANGE!!! Bright and neon and I-can-see-you-from-across-the-street orange. Because lips are so strong, eye make-up is at a minimal though I dig the fierce brow that balances out the look, (see Hakaan below) worn with little or no mascara.

I like the idea of clear mascara for daytime and plain black for night.

The perfect tangerine shade at Fendi (SS11)

Glossy at Gucci (SS11)

Freja Beha Erichsen at Gucci (SS11)

With a fierce brow at Hakaan (AW11)

Pretty pinkish tones at Diane von Furstenberg (SS11)

Images via Style.com

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Forever 21 Spring/ Summer ’11 Preview

Hey All,

Short of throwing on a bikini and throwing myself off the 40 ft at Sandycove, I could hardly be readier for summer. So I was delighted to get the chance to look at the Spring/Summer ’11 at F21 last week.

After a ridiculously busy start to European trading, Forever 21 is now shoppable and probably worth a visit. Not only are the staff helpful, but they actually know what stock they have and, if not exactly where it is at least, which of the three floors it’s on. (I went in a couple of weeks ago looking for these leather shorts; there were only three pairs left which were behind some other stuff. The staff couldn’t have been nicer in helping me find them).

F21 have also gone al out to cut the prices since they opened too, (By about 30% in some cases) bringing it more in-line with the US and UK stores. Their Spring/Summer ’11 collections are now in store and I got the chance to have a look at some of it last week.

So apart from wanting to buy the midi-length Cowboy boots, the full-length lace dress and the crochet & fringed waistcoat. And wanting to steal the metal-fringing, polka-dot prints and velvet / lace detailing; I tried on one or two other pieces…

An alternative take on colour blocking; clash prints in bold colours:

With braces, two-tone brogues and a cropped tee it all felt a little bit Blondie and a little bit The Specials / 80′s Ska band, and I liked it.

Warehouse Spring Summer ’11 Preview

Hey All,

I don’t know about you but I go through these mini, trend phases. For example, at the beginning of the week I was completely into wearing black and white; last week was all about brights and colour blocking. It seems the end of the week has filled me with the want to wear neutrals.

The Warehouse SS11 preview was held yesterday, and I was immediately drawn to the crisp cottons, simple silhouettes and subtle shades of their ‘New Neutrals’ story. It was one of three that was showcased, and colour-wise it comprised, subtle shades from mid-brown to lightest blush-pink, and lots of white.

Rather than the usual tired pastel colours in frilly floaty fabrics, these New Neutrals are more about classic silhouettes and pieces that will serve to lighten and complement the rest of your wardrobe. NB: I loved the shell-hem cotton shorts.

There were two other stories pulled together for the preview; one a strong, vibrant holiday story and the other, a more subtle, tribal/ festival story.

If there was ever an argument for having a tan, then that collection is it. The next photographs are a little on the shoddy side as I had to use the flash, but you get the idea.

Unfortunately the snaps I took last night, don’t really do the collection justice: I’ve posted a few press shots to give you a better idea.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

 

DVF = Dramatic, Virbrant Footwear… Right?

Hey All,

I’ve been shoe-perving again this week. You know with shoes, you have your favourite designers; either eternally (mine’s YSL and more recently Miu Miu) or seasonally (3.1 Phillip Lim SS 2011 T-bar snake-skin heels).

Queen, (or princess? Diane von Furstenberg was once married to a German Prince) of the silk-jersey wrap dress, DVF appointed Frenchman Yvan Mispelaere as creative director last year. A new creative head often means huge changes for a design house… but as the title may suggest, I’m shoe-gazing.

Diane von Furstenberg‘s spring / summer 2011 footwear, is vibrant, wearable – see those heels, they’re not spindles – and as on-trend as they are timeless. I was in Brown Thomas the other day, watching the launch of the new DVF collection in-store when I saw these samples on the runway…

DVF’s clutch collection was worth a look too, lots of snake-skin, tassels and rock-chic elements:

Have a great weekend,

Yours,

Whisty Xx

(Shoe images via Style.com)

AWear SS11 Highlights

Hey All,

Continuing the new season collections review – Hard when there is a hurricane blowing outside, I know – AWear have launched their latest offerings. I was in store on Monday and had to stop myself buying a fantastic pair of ‘peg-leg’* Chinos let alone anything else.

Their major trend  is a kind of soft Safari-Chic. All subtle animal prints and pretty neutrals; think tan, beige, cream and Khaki It’s been launched with RTÉ‘s The Model Scouts winner, Tabea Weyrauch (IMG). Click here for AWear‘s behind-the-scenes blog post on her shoot.

In case you missed it the first time… and if I could’ve tried anything on at all, it would’ve been this skirt (€35)… I haven’t seen anything like this so far on the High Street this season.

‘70′s Glamour’

‘Festival Festivities’

See that stripey jumper? That’s GOING to be mine…

Yep, there are definitely a few pieces there that blow my skirt up, so to speak. Oh and their shorts…

Yours,

Whisty Xx

*You know the kind, high-waisted with a tapered leg that ends just around or above the ankle.

Oasis SS11 highlights

Hey All,

Hoorah! It’s February; the sales are officially over (be gone skanky sale rails) and all the shops are selling their new Spring / Summer ’11 wares. (See River Island SS11 highlights here).

Because vintage, clothing / style / everything when stratospheric last year, the high street seen to have hit back with hugely, vintage-inspired collections. And Oasis are no exception, calling their collections things like, Retro Knits, Clean 70′s, Roman Holiday (after the Hepburn movie) and Farrah (after Farrah Fawcett).

Here’s a few snaps…

‘Clean 70′s’

‘Feminine Neutrals’, left – ‘Farrah’, right

‘Farrah’

‘Retro Knits’, left – ‘Boho Chic’, right

‘Retro Knits’This look is in the campaign imagery, w/out the scarf and with fewer bangles, and it looks better really pared down. Baggy jumpers and shorts are doing it for me right now.

So because I can’t be in a room of clothes on rails and not try something on, I went for what in hindsight is a very typical Whisty choice. Though I was told I looked a bit bridal-y in it. But hey, I’d like to meet the kinda broad who’d wear a black hat to her wedding.

Anyway, I like it.

NB: The China Blue and Roman Holiday collections add a zip of colour to an otherwise very neutral / natural toned collection. Here’s a quick snap, not my bag, (far too clean-cut) but you may dig.

I’m taking me and my retro vocabulary off now…

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Shoes & Swatches

Hey All,

I’m having a busy worky weekend. Deadlines looming and being too skint to go out to play = plenty of pressure, and I love a bit of pressure!

So while I was busy writing about non-fashion related things, my subconscious decided that it would rather think of other things. Like shoes (and ships and sealing wax?) and frivolous stuff like pretty colours. My last style post was an excess of black, as is the way of Northern Europeans in wintertime. (A grandly sweeping statement, yes… well it’s probably true.)

I love dark colours, Navy blue is a favourite but I’m finding myself moving towards maroon and chocolate-brown. I never really wear brown, except maybe the odd pair of shoes or a bag now and again, but I love the idea of maroon wool, and dark-brown leather teamed with light beige silks.

Rummaging through the Pantone archives (can you rummage on-line?) I made a mini palette of colours I’ll be wearing for the next while at least: Deep plum-browns and maroons, rich creams, rose-greys and antique pinks.

I also quite like the idea of a pale tangerine, these suede Carvela (Brown Thomas) block heel sandals are along the right lines and are the exact shape I EDIT: want have. No new spindly spike heels for me this season. Give me good, solid, could-almost-run-for-the-bus-in-these, heels.

I’d already bought these shoes from New Look and luckily they fit right into this new palette.

Seeing as I can’t actually dash out and buy a whole new wardrobe, I have to compromise. Like rediscovering my Revlon Nail Enamel in ‘Vixen 570′.

Because neither my nails are as fabulous as these nor my nail-painting as precise, I have borrowed this photo from Glitz Bliss here.

Then it’s just a matter of adding in some delicious cream pieces… My trusty Céline trousers perhaps…
Anyway, that’s me done for today, I think this post took about 12 hours to do…

Rubbish!

Yours,

Whisty Xx

River Island SS11 Showcase

Hi All,

I’m pretty certain by now that you all know what we’re going to be wearing between now and Autumn. I’m not going to go into which new season trends I’ve fallen for or even what each trend is because there’s no point and it makes for boring (and lazy) blogging.

I know what I like and will probably wear, you know what you like etc… So I think it’s just a matter of seeing how the high-street has interpreted the trends and whether we like them or not.

River Island had their Spring / Summer preview on Wednesday, which featured two main themes; a kind of casual, luxury line, and a neutral-heavy textured collection.

Textured Neutrals

(From RiverIsland.com)

Casual Luxury

I really like this jacket. Were I a 9-5 office-goer I would absolutely be adding this to my wardrobe. I like the way it doesn’t scream “SPRING 2011” at me; it’s great to find pieces that you can buy and wear for time.

I was wearing a huge tuxedo jacket previous to trying it on, had no idea that the River jacket would suit the same outfit.

Yours,

Whisty Xx