How to be your Super-self.....

The annual Armageddon Expo rolled into town recently, giving fanboys, geek-girls, (and my nephew), agreat day out*.  The timing was somewhat ironic too, as I have recently rediscovered something of a passion for 'Wonder Woman'!

Yes, Wonder Woman....you remember her, don't you?  The femme fatale of superheroes, that goddess in red white and blue, the 'X' chromosome to Superman's 'Y'.  With her boomerang headwear and bullet foiling bracelets, she gave young girls like myself something to live up to, (and young boys something to live for)!

But she shared more than her super powers with stars such as Superman - they also shared an incredible  knowledge of what a change of clothes can achieve!  Indeed, if you were looking for evidence of the transformative power of clothing you need look no further than Wonder Woman......   Depending on her clothing choices she was either a meek and mild "everywoman" or a Superhero with crime-stopping powers!  Not only that, but she could render herself virtually unrecognizable with each whirlwind wardrobe visit!!

So there you have it - dress this way and you are just an average soul,  but dress this way** and there will be little that can stand in your way!

*  (Not such a great day out for the wallet!)

**NB:  You should probably be aware, this will likely entail wearing something super-short and super-tight!  Oh, and you better hope that you suit the colours red, white, and blue!

Little Brown Bag.....

This bag reminds me of the case my grandfather kept his binoculars in.  Oh, how many happy hours I used to while away, this bag lying at my feet, the binoculars it housed pressed to my eyes, spying on the neighbours and any innocent passers-by!  I loved the smell of the old leather, the feel of its soft, aged leather, the red lining.......

The only trouble I have with this type of bag is that, sadly, it's really only large enough to carry a pair of binoculars!!  Like most women, I need something roughly the size of a rubbish sack to tote my 'essential' worldly goods around, (note that the person carrying this one is a man.....note also that men seem to have no need to take anything with them when they leave the house, unlike us females who invariably need everything, up to (and frequently including) the kitchen sink!  As you can see, you won't find many plumbers carrying their goods in a bag of these dimensions!!  Pity really - it would drastically raise the "style" of plumbers everywhere!

(Must fly - I'm off to Summerset Festival at the Basin Reserve;  a field normally home to cricket and its fans will, for one day only, be taken over by dozens of bands and their loving fans!)

xxo

Trilogy Red....

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love nail-polish - and here's why......

I'll let you in on a little secret:  I used to bite my nails furiously, ferociously, relentlessly!  And I didn't stop at the nail.....oh no........I kept right on going, gnawing my nails to the (figurative) bone!  I tell you, it got to the point where I would hide my hands, dreading the looks of horror that they invariably elicited from anyone who caught a glimpse.  But THEN............

I painted my nails!  That was all it took to cure me of my cannibalistic* habits!  I took one look at my pretty nails and simply couldn't bear to hurt them - I was cured, forever!!

Anyway, getting back to the point - today I was presented with a fabulous free gift - a glorious red nail-polish, and interestingly, it is a collaboration between nail-care giants Orly, and Trilogy, that ever-so-popular beauty brand from Down Under!  I am a HUGE fan of collaborations - indeed, following the enormous success of the recent pairing of Karen Walker and Beau Coops, I wait with anticipation to see who will combine their talents next!  Hmmmmm........."Cybele for Glassons" perhaps
xxo

* Apparently, (according to Answers.com), it is not actually called 'cannibalism' if you eat yourself!  No, it is referred to as 'autophagia'!  Now you know.


UPDATE:  I thought it worth letting you know that amazingly, this nailpolish stayed put for over two weeks - two weeks, it should be mentioned, during which I did the gardening, sans gloves, and mowed the lawns!  
My verdict?  I am fairly impressed!!!! 

This ones for you.....

There are lots of styles I (secretly) remember fondly from the 80's.......tube skirts, double belts worn low on the hips and oh so many more.  But one of my favourites from the era that taste forgot 'temporarily misplaced' is was the chunky knit/drop-shouldered/vest-type-thing!  You know the one?  It has perhaps been buried under the memories of frill-necked blouses and bubblegum jeans, but seeing this girl in her top the other day brought the recollections flooding back.

I love the wide armholes, the wide stripes, but mostly I love the Canterbury colours!  It couldn't be a more appropriate top to wear at this time.......so, this ones for you Christchurch!!!!

xxo

(PS. What I love more than anything is to see how the citizens of New Zealand band together when it's needed!!  We may clash on the sports fields occasionally, but when the chips are down we more than pull together!  Nice one NZ....)

Fluoro DIY....

I always love to observe the little ways in which people care about their appearance....the small things they do that make such a difference......

Like.....if you want fluorescent shoes then just go ahead and make them!

xxo

PS - Note what this young man is carrying in his hands, too.  Are books becoming the new "must have" accessory??  ;-)

Blue by you.....

Aaaaah, how wonderful to see someone carrying a real-life book......not a Kindle.....not an iPad or a laptop, but a genuine, 100% old-school type, book!  

Personally, I refuse to believe that there will come a time when people will no longer appreciate - or indeed even know - the joys of holding a book in their hands......smelling it's smell and feeling the weight and texture of the paper.  

Long live the humble book!

xxo

Colour crazy.....

The international runways have spoken, and 'colour' is what we will all be wearing next season* - colour......crazy, delightful colour;

Hopefully, along with this colour will also come the innate ability to get our pant up to our waists?  Surely not too much to hope for ;-) ?)

xxo

*(although we all know that kiwis don't roll like that....  No - kiwis wear what they want, when they want!  But still.....colour - that's what we should all want to wear!)

Blue on a rainy day.....

Because it decided to rain today, I have decided to share this picture of the perfect footwear for such weather.  Over the years Kate Moss has been held responsible for starting many a trend, and sure enough, her sanction of the humble Wellington boot (gumboot to us Kiwis), elevated it to the status of "fashion item with lightning speed!  Recently the 'Hunter' brand became available in Australia, and have now begun to appear on the streets of (appropriately) Wellington.  Until now, you had to have been lucky enough to have travelled to the Northern Hemisphere to sport these beauties!

Anyway, thanks to Kate, Wellington/gumboots are a viable daytime footwear option, and are are being embraced in all the colours of the rainbow.

xxo

Yellow fever....

I have been noticing a LOT of yellow around me on the streets of late.  Mainly displayed in the area of footwear, it has also been seen as far north as the t-shirt, and it never fails to make the wearer appear bright, sunny and summery!  Not a colour that wall-flowers should attempt, it certainly rewards those brave enough to try it - whether they just put a toe in the sandal water, or go for the full effect!

xxo

Bright skies.....

....burning like fire...

Now this is more like it!   It's not only the shepherds that find delight in a stunning sky at night..........

Indeed, I will happily forgo the bright dress for a bit more of the bright sky!

xxo

Wherefore art thou summer?

Once again (thanks La Nina) we are having a somewhat sub-standard summer.....  But this is what these warmer months should look like.........

Sun, sand, surf....a colourful dress.......and walking the dogs on the beach.  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah..........

(I'm reaching the point where I think I may have to start travelling TO summer, rather than waiting for it to come to me.......Mohammed and the mountain kinda' thing.....)
xxo

Neon now...

I am truly a Wellingtonian, thus black is my standard "go-to" colour - with shades of black thrown in for good measure!  There's a change in the air though.....

Some of my fellow Wellingtonians seem to be breaking free from the (black) chains that bind them, and are daring to take to the streets in bright, vibrant shades of colour!  And it looks like this new, bold mood in colour is not about to fade in a hurry.

In the latest edition of British Vogue, Christopher Kane talks of his love of neon...

















...while Proenza Schouler (in American Vogue) have also embraced the brightest of colours.  Indeed, magazines are positively bursting with neon!

To me, neon = bravery, but in two distinct ways.....
Firstly, you need a level of bravery to wear such loud, eye-catching  shades; but I also find that there is an enormous amount of bravery gained from the life-affirming, skin enhancing vibrancy of neon.....

xxo

BDO People...

While the day ended with the plastic cape as clear winner for "most worn" fashion item, there were many colourful exceptions throughout the day....

The lead singer of the band Wolfmother posed for pics in his bright pink dinner jacket.....

while shorts where everywhere, in every imaginable colour!

xxo

Blue Nudes...

Personally, shopping for shoes has always been a somewhat depressing prospect.  A trip to Sydney when I was younger (many many years ago) highlighted the sad fact that little Wellington was woefully lacking when it came to any footwear of style.  Lately however, things have started to look up.....with the arrival of Soles by Nude!  This brand, stocked at Ultra in Manners St (R.I.P Manners Mall :-( ), offers a stylish array of shoes, sandals, and wedges, at not-too-depressing prices!

Hurray for Nudes, I say!

xxo

Denim worship #3

Denim looks pretty good this way, too.  This guy was camping near us recently, and he was clearly Scandinavian - I like to think he was back-packing....a romantic lifestyle I would give ANYthing to be able to experience.....

....unfortunately my packing is getting worse, not better, as I age.  I am fundamentally incapable of fitting everything in one bag!  (I am actually fundamentally incapable of fitting everything in THREE bags, if the truth be known.)  As much as I admire this life, I know that within three days my whole trip would be ruined when I awoke wanting to wear something, only to find I hadn't packed it!

On top of that, I have never learnt to play the guitar - a very large part of my back-packing fantasy!

xxo

Denim worship #2

It's been really refreshing to see all the different ways people are wearing their denim over the past few years - it's not just for jeans!

xxo

Got the denim blues...

Silly really, I know, but I don't think I ever quite got how pretty denim is.  I always saw it as just....well.....denim!  I never saw what a gorgeous blue it really was.

And denim now comes in such a varied array of blues, there is surely something to suit everyone?!

xxo

(Matching shoes - now that's love!)

...over spots!

And red seems to be one of the favourite colours to sport your spots in!

xxo

Everyone's going dotty...

No, florals are not the only prints around!

xxo

Red too...

That's the beautiful thing with red hair - it comes in so many different shades!  The possibilities are virtually endless!  (Plus it complements so many colours - blue, green......your hair truly becomes an accessory!)

xxo