Shoeniverse

So I'm looking back on this past year in a slightly different way than traditional means, I am going to do it through shoes. 2013 was a different to most because it was the one year I found myself asking "Are those shoes too high??" and this made me feel old! My style transformed from college student to young adult and the great benefit from this is wearing heeled boots during the day. Now I did this at college as well but now it seems okay to wear the higher heeled boots. They also go with EVERYTHING! Seriously, try it, they really do. When heading on a night out with friends now we all seem to stick to a lower heeled boot in comparison to the sky scrapper heels which we lived in before. So are we coming of age with sensibility or is this a trend? 

My guess is that this is obviously fashion focused. Why would we just so happen to want to wear platform boots when the best collection just happens to arrive in the shop?



When it comes to footwear, particularly boots, I find myself drawn to black. I don't know know if this is due to the shade complimenting most of my clothes or that it is perfect for the "minimal" look which I loved in 2013. But either way, they were the clear winner for me during these past few months. Pull and Bears black booties which are featured int he shoeniverse image above in the left corner are my footwear crush at the minute. All the links to the boots featured in that image will be featured at the bottom of this post.

This year Christmas I asked for a pair of black (shocking) pair of boots from River Island. I've already checked that they are not going into sale so I won't feel cheated for buying at full price. If you follow me on instagram (@CiCiJewels) you will definitely get a look of these boots as I will be posting pictures of them.

Hope you all receive lovely shoes for Christmas .

Love C X 

MICHAEL Michael Kors platform booties

Boohoo platform boots

Topshop black ankle boots

Mango short boots

Pull&Bear black booties

Sperry Top-Sider low-heel boots

Dorothy Perkins high heel boots

H&M brown high heel boots

Jump... For my Love

Over Christmas we are faced with lots of nights with friends and events to attend to but also faced with the dilemma of "nothing to wear". My fix quick solution to this is investing in jumpsuits. Not only are they really comfortable and stylish but they also fix the top and bottom solution, perfect! A black jumpsuit will never let you down and will always be there for anything it is you need to attend, be it birthdays, weddings, drinks with friends or interviews. With that said it is also nice to step away from the classic black and venture for something bright and colorful, which is exactly what I have done here. Above are some of my favorites this season which include a healthy mix of dark and electric tones. All the links to the featured jumpsuits will be featured at the bottom of this post. 

In my honest opinion I feel the high street offers a vast range of styles for jumpsuits, be it in colours and prints so I have no fear that you will have difficulty finding one that suits your own style and personality. I don't think I could pull of the canary yellow jumpsuit as seen above but I do love this photo, a girl can dream! Rachel Zoe is also featured above wearing a black jumpsuit accompanied with a gold waist belt. She is a personal style icon for me and can wear anything and look great so it is no wonder that she works this look so well.


Below are links to my favorite  jumpsuits which were seen in the first image of this post.

Warehouse jumpsuits romper

Matthew Williamson jumpsuits romper

River Island romper

River Island jumpsuit

Jumpsuits romper

Warehouse jumpsuits romper

Topshop jumpsuits romper

Topshop jumpsuits romper

Boohoo jumpsuits romper

Love C X 

Lets get lost in Paris (Part 1)

 

So I am just back from a few days in the beautiful city of Paris. A couple of months ago, my Friends and I bought tickets to see Fleetwood Mac for Bercy as they were sold out in Dublin. This became a perfect opportunity for a girls holiday!  We were there for five days, so plenty of time for shopping around and viewing historical architecture. Knowing what you want when you go shopping is half the battle, and it was decided early during the trip that vintage was the main objective when it came to clothes and accessories. Being one of the fashion capitals of the world, we were not short of options and shops to choose from, so I have decided to share the experience with you guys, along with a suggested route to save your energy for rooting through rails of vintage, in the second part of this post.  

The image above sums up my few days; writing, sight seeing, shopping and going to see Fleetwood Mac. 

Where we stayed in Paris was north of the city and the closest metro station was "Gare du Nord". I highly recommend this area as it was very reasonably priced within a really expensive city. And the metro station can have you in any part of the city within minutes. First of all I will go through the top ten Vintage shops in the city and throughout this post I will talk through my experience and the ones I visited and bought from. 

Freep'star: 8 rue Saint Crocci, La Bretonnaire 

This shop is located in a very tourist part in the city but offers reasonable prices. During my time in Paris I only managed to visit a number of vintage shops and this was one of them. It was very busy, as it was a Saturday (try to go during a weekday morning if possible) but everything was well organised so it was easy to spot a section you like. There was a great selection of  leather shorts and denim jackets. The basement of the shop holds all flannel shirts, fur coats and granny knit jumpers, but watch the stairs as you go down as it is very narrow. Also, this shop has a great variety of silk scarves. 

Omaya Vintage: 29 rue Jean Pierre Timbaud 

While shopping this was was the first stop on the journey. From my experience, Omaya stocked amazing vintage coats and most were priced at 35 Euro. Every colour that you could think of, there was a coat! I managed to pick up an olive green blazer, which will go perfectly with black skinnies and biker boots for the winter months coming. I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I was also on the look out for a silk print headscarf, Bohemian Nights, and I am happy to say that I found the perfect one in this shop, and priced at only 5 Euro. 

Hippy Market: 21 rue du Temple, 75004 

This was another one of the shops hat we visited along the way, but it was the only one that none of us bought anything in either! Although there are amazing pieces in here (I particularly fell in love with the shirts), the prices are more expensive than others and I found it quite difficult to justify what I would have been paying for. It was also quite big and spacious which allowed for lots of stock. I would recommend this shop if you only have time to visit one of these vintage stores as you will absolutely find an amazing piece or two, and this can justify your purchasing rather than binging in all of the above also. 

 Episode: 12-16 rue de Tiquetonne, 2e

Although I did not actually visit this shop, I have read on line lots of amazing things about it, and now I'm devastated that I didn't! For anyone who does plan on visiting Paris anytime soon, the reviews say that this shop is a serious contender. Again, like Hippy Market, prices are a little higher than other Vintage shops in the area but the large space offers rare finds and completely unique pieces that won't be found anywhere else. 

  Mamie Blue: 69 rue Rochechouart
This particular vintage boutique has a specific genre focus on the 1950's/60's. It is also recommended that you should go there when you have a few hours to spare as it may take awhile to look through everything as it can be messy.

Guerrisol:19 avenue de Clichy
It is this particular store which seems to have everyone vintage lover in Paris raving at the minute. With its growing popularity and low prices, it is a must see within the city according to Time Out Paris. It is also this particular area of the city which is now considered the "trendy" spot of Paris.

By Flowers: 89 rue des Martyrs
Neat is definitely not what you will find here, but if on line sources are anything to go by it adds to the atmosphere and experience of shopping at "By Flowers". Most items are still in bags, so you will have to get your hands dirty a bit before you find anything but if this seems like a bit of a task, just think of the satisfaction of when you actually find something you love.


Frip'irium: 2 rue de la Verrerie 

This is considered the "upmarket" of vintage. Prices here are higher than most as a result of many items being pre-assembled into stylish looks, which can often save you time and energy. Everything is well arranged and visually presented well, and  you are  able to watch MTV while you shop. I am particularly intrigued in this shop as I am researching vintage inspired swimsuits and lingerie, both of which Frip'irium stock. 

Adom: 35 and 56 rue de la Roquette
Along with some of the previously mentioned shops above, this one has a 60's/70's rock n'roll theme. This place is split into two stores which are facing one another, one set up in 2007 and the other in 2009. A om is particular is well know for its selection of men's clothing.

 Bric á Brac: 104 Rue d'Aubervilliers, 19e 

Bric a Brac has alot of love on line and created a fantastic profile for itself. One of the great things that I love about this shop is the supply of vintage home ware. Old chairs, mirrors and frames to enhance the your unique style into your home. Classic hardback books are also available across all genres which are worth far more than what you will pay for them! 

Look out for the second part of this post which will feature a suggested route to take and tips on travel and accomodation in Paris. 

Love C X 

Turkish Delight

Warm sunsets, flee markets and a crisp sea breeze usually springs to mind when imaging/reminiscing the exotic plains of Turkey, but it is due to the cultural attributes that signifies its permanent presence in my style influence. Rich colours such as maroon, ruby, burnt oranges and Sapphire blues are all shades which have always suited my natural features well, this mostly springs from being a natural brunette and a fan of fake tan. These days, the high levels of Sally Hanson have calmed significantly and my hair tone close to white blonde, which results in experimenting with new colours. Yet, it seems that I am too accustomed to my genetic fashionista. Bold floral, grunge paisley and faux fur are all featured in my "wish lists" on ASOS, Missguided and Topshop, and when combined, portray the global traveller image which rests kindly with my fashion heart. Turkey continues to increase its popularity amongst tourists annually, and Istanbul in particular has recently been described as "the perfect mix of cosmopolitan chic and old charm", which reinforces (as if it needed to!) its influential stamp on todays trends. 

The Moroccan culture has evolved not only through the clothes that we wear, but lifestyle as a whole. Ow more than ever fast paced living menas that we crave "peace", "exotic" and "escapism" when it comes to home style,a nd the Turkish/Morocan vibe offers all of this. 

Love C X 

Animal Instinct

 So it is that time of the year again, colder days, shorter evenings, longer trousers and warmer coffees, the invasion of winter. Like all seasons I need a statement staple to add to my wardrobe collection and this AW13 will see the introduction/revival of the classic fur coat. Now I understand that this topic will cause controversy amongst many animal activist groups but they better block their eyes and ears because fur is making a comeback!  And being a lover of all bohemian-related pieces, I really think this can compliment the free spirited fashionista in me.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with my style, it is this simple, I enjoy creating a look that resembles a global traveller and most of what I write about will reflect this in one way or another, particularly with accessories (they are my thing!). So my next big investment is going to be a fur coat! Just to be clear, my bank balance does not allow for the cost of a designer fur coat so my purchase will not be real fur so hopefully that will  stand for something!

When I adopt a new piece or a trend, I tend to start small before truly investment in the whole look, so this would be called “testing the waters” if you will. Last year I bought a fur snood scarf from River Island and it literally went with all of my clothes, bags, coats, shoes, literally everything. Just in-case you are unfamiliar with a snood scarf, it is essentially a long scarf that is tubular. I think it mainly depends on the type of style that you have at the minute which will determine how you can involve a trend into your wardrobe at a naturally progression, and I am already a lover of a winter neck piece so this seemed to be an ideal starting point. Although this was the only piece of fur that I did purchase last AW season, I have already begun my look out for more.  Looking online is a great way to expand your options of where you can shop rather than being limited to stores that are in your area. My favourite online stores include ASOS.com, boohoo.com, missguided.eu and thankfully these places have already started stocking up on new fur lines. So far my favourite is the Merle Faux Fur Cape from missguided.eu , and this piece is black which can be placed over any colour to add either an edgier feel to the look or can also glam up a casual t-shirt and jeans comb. I know this piece is black, and I have always thought of myself as being a risk taker when it comes to style but sometimes going back to basics is a good thing.

Today marks the first day of NYFW and this means that over the next few weeks all the latest styles and trends for the coming season are going to be “revealed”. Sometimes as good as a trend is (and sometimes they are amazing), it is best to wear what you want to and be comfortable in that, and this time around it is fur for me.  I will be looking forward to catching up with you again after Fashion Week.

Love C X 

Ooh, you're making me blush

So here we are, another season and another "it" colour that will be taking up all of our wardrobes. Last year saw the significant popularity of Burgundy/ruby/maroon. I must admit, I am a serious fan of that colour so I splashed out big time, and my pocket definitely felt the burn! So I was curious to know what the big colour would be this winter, and various sources have claimed that the next big trend is all in the form of red!! Now, speaking from a personal point of view, red is not a colour that I would be in a hurry to put on! Therefore I will subtly be embracing, mainly through forms of accessories and jewels. Today's post is all about how you can embrace this colour, even if (like me) you do not want over kill.

When it comes to red clothes, I have always been a fan of coloured skinny jeans. I will definitely be breaking my pair out again and if you don't have a pair already I highly recommend Warehouse because they stay in good fitting condition for so long that they are worth every penny. The red skinny jean and the leopard coat is very east London hipster style but that's why I love it! If you want to be edgier with your style this is the perfect way to create that. A subtle red blazer/cardi/pullover under your winter coat is also another way to embrace the trend. I really love the one featured in the image above and will hunt the shops for something similar, and of course will let you know when I find one! 

A simple and easy way to add red into your style this winter is by wearing a chunky knit scarf! The one in the image above is amazing and something very similar is available in Pennys and will not the cost more than E6. If you want a guide on where to buy a red hat for the winter months, check out this post I did Hang on to your Hat! 

A red lip has been a classic look for years now, and is probably something that I would do anyway even if it wasn't cool anymore, but thankfully this season it still is! I experiment quiet a bit with all different make up brands and I have to say that MAC lip sticks are one of the best around but when it comes to shades it really is the best one for your skin tone and shading. I always ask the make up artists for advice because they know best and thankfully the girls at my local counter are so nice! 

Again, as I am sure you all know at this stage, jewels are my thing! As I come across amazing jewellery I will inform you guys but for the moment these are my fashion statements in the form of red! Let me know what you think :) 

Love C X