Clash of the Tartans

For many years growing up and experimenting with different styles, colours and "looks" that suited my personality and me as an individual, I always detested the thought of wearing tartan. I hated it! The image of that red check on anything made me shiver. I don't know wear the hate came from but it was there. For years I even hated the colour red and I am still not sure if these two facts are related. Yet over the past few years I have consistently read in many magazines the rise of the tartan trend and I genuinely was afraid of it. So many magazines that I loved (Marie Claire, Vogue, Company), all telling me to prepare for the print to be everywhere! Without trying to be dramatic but I thought I was going to have to avoid shops. It seems crazy that one specific print can unsettle someone so much but just my luck, of course it had to happen to me.

So the high streets were hit with a bang, alas the tartan! At this point I had made a conscious decision that it was something I was going to avoid, obviously! I did so well for a long time. I made it through two winters without feeling the slightest urge to pick up anything with the print on it. This winter has been a slightly different story. It started one evening when a friend called round for tea and she was wearing this beautiful tartan scarf, and to my complete shock I loved it. I admired it and told her how nice it was, a completely normal thing to say to a friend but I was surprised at what I was saying. So a few days later I find myself looking for a similar scarf to buy, and I suppose that was the beginning of my approval of the print that had taunted me for years. 

I suppose my attitude towards this whole childhood hatred for this whole look as slowly changed. Red is now one of my favourite colours; it is the colour of my room, my laptop, my favourite shoes, lipstick. So reminiscing on this is now quite funny. I am also now wearing a tartan scarf while I write this! I feel the words hypocrite spring to mind!! 

Last week I invested in a navy tartan dress from Penney's and can't wait to wear it. I suppose this is just another way of showing how your attitude to fashion can progress throughout the years. I mean if its good enough for Alexa Chung and Kate Middleton, it's good enough for me. 

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 

So Long Summer.......

So it's that time of the year again when we must pack away our white beach dresses and put the fedoras back in the wardrobe for another year. This part of the year is always a particularly gruelling task for me as I find summer style to be most natural to me. I long to live somewhere where it is acceptable to wear high waisted denim shorts (with no tights), a white tank and sandals all year!! So today I hvae decided to dedicate this post on reflecting on particular looks that I have admired, re-created and praised over the past few months. 

As I have already told you all, my style is very bohemian orientated and I love anything that has fringe, a tassle, has an exotic print or rich in colour and floaty. The summer is a great way to express this look but I look forwrad to the challenge of winter and bulking up the layers. I look forward to sharing my experiments with you guys for this coming season. 

Another trend I enjoyed this year was the extensive use of head accessories. Head scarves and jewels were all the rage this year and will continue this as long as I can. If you see a girl in the crowd wearing a head scarf in the snow it will be probably be me!! 

Below are some of my fav head pieces from this summer. 

This coming season I will be concentrating on the off the shoulder, oversized and punk trends. Better start planning my winter wardrobe! Love C X