'Would you buy Doc Martens?', she asked.

Dear Readers,

As you know, I'm always very happy to receive your requests and I do make an effort to answer them all personally, and if not, through a blog post. But, sometimes, it so happens that I'm rather unable to answer a particular query. Case in point, a question I received yesterday about a particular type of shoe, namely 'Doc Martens'.

Docs come in all shapes and sizes

'Why can't she answer?', you might be already wondering. Well, to articulate it as simply as I can, it's because I really don't like Doc Martens. They're one of those trends I always pray to God to extinguish it from the face of the earth, but the Lord doesn't seem to hear my prayers. 

Docs are too far away from my world, from my style and from one of my main beliefs: the importance of versatility. I have still to meet someone who can convince me that these shoes are versatile. Even after having lived on LookBook and Chictopia for almost 3 years now, I can only think of a handful of items that can be paired with.

I can, however, think of at least 100 pieces that shouldn't be in the vicinity of. For instance, Doc Martens are clearly grungy, alternative shoes, so why on earth have I seen them worn with dainty, girly clothing? I don't know, I might be narrow-minded, but I really can't conceive an outfit featuring Docs and a classy cardigan. 

Love the phone, lol!

Thing is, I believe that there are only a few people out there who can pull off Doc Martens according to my conception of fashion and style. So as usual, I guess that's as subjective a subject as it always is in the fashion world right?

Anyway, on to answer the question I received. Well, dear reader, without unnecessary hesitation, my answer is 'no'. However, since you seem keen on buying a pair, I have some tips for you that you are free to follow or disregard.

• Buy a black pair if you really have to.
• Whenever you want to wear them, think of them as 'combat boots'. That means pairing them with anything grunge-looking would be okay, I guess.
• If you have big feet, stay away from these shoes. They make anyone's feet look gigantic and bulky, so unless you want to look odd, big feet should stay away from Docs.
• Wear them with either (a) skinny jeans, VERY skinny jeans, (b) black tights or (c) vintage high- waisted denim shorts. The kinda ones that are cut out from men's jeans.
• Speaking about men, I love black Docs on men, if they can handle them, that is.
• Most importantly, keep everything else simple!

I'm off to continue coughing my heart out, because yes, I'm still sick.

-B

Colour Me in Mustard

Dear Readers,

I have a little confession to make: I grew up with the 'Yellow Complex'. My self-coined term over there denotes a slight obsession with yellow and a sense of melancholia for not being able to pull it off. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't find anything appropriate in canary yellow, bright yellow or any sort of yellow. I reached a point where I told myself, 'Surrender, it's just not your colour'.

Until one day, around this time last year actually, I walked into Peacocks and I spotted a lovely coat. It had frills, and buttons, and a peter-pan collar, and and and and it just had it all. They had this coat in mustard or green, so I naturally floated towards the green one to try it on, only to find they didn't have it in my size. Having been told that another Peacocks had it in my size, I decided to try the mustard one in my size just to make sure it fits right. 

I swear I heard a little 'Praise the Lord' kind of song in the background. I found a shade of yellow that I could pull off. Needless to say, I bought that coat. Last Winter, I practically raided shop after shop buying anything mustard in sight to make up for all those years of pain induced by the 'Yellow Complex'.

The Mustard Coat

Little did I know last year that mustard was set to be the 'it' colour this season. As much as I hate wearing the colour everyone else is wearing, I have succumbed to the mustard trend. I keep finding myself purchasing anything mustard, so much so, I nicknamed myself as 'Mustadia, the woman in mustard'. 

Unlike some other trends this year, like fur for instance, mustard can be incorporated subtly if you're not too keen on it. Think about a skinny mustard belt, or a little mustard satchel, something along those lines basically. I'm not for subtlety, so I'm going full force on this one. 

Here are a few of my favourite ideas to style mustard:

1. Mustard and Teal

Okay, I admit I got the idea for this one from a couple of shop windows I've seen recently. Teal seems to be quite popular at the moment as well, so wearing them together would be hitting two birds with one stone, right?

 2. Mustard and Navy Blue

In my wardrobe, my mustard blazer is stored next to my navy blue one. Last time, during my 'stare at blazers session', I noticed that the two colours go well together! Yeeeeehah!

3. Mustard and Stripes

In my head, black and white stripes go with anything, mustard included. I know that the first time I'm wearing my mustard chinos, I'm probably wearing them with black and white stripes. Yay!

I guess that's all from me today, I'm off to eat a good plate of pasta! I hope you're all having a great weekend and take care! 

-B

The Power of the Sunflower

Dear Readers,

I'm slightly worried about my mental well-being at the moment. Here I am, on a Sunday afternoon, in my little pink room, following live updates from London Fashion Week via Twitter. Add me on on Twitter, by the way. And you know what? Whilst most people I know aren't even concerned with what they're wearing next Autumn and Winter, I'm already making plans for my Spring and Summer 2012 shopping as I watch designers unveil collection after collection. You lost me, completely. I'm a lost case.

My careful scrutiny of Spring and Summer collections has revealed that designers are currently obsessed with sunflowers. Rodarte's collection, for instance, was inspired by Van Gogh's paintings of this same flower. His string of sunflower print pieces stole the show at New York Fashion Week last week. In a very similar way, Ashish's collection incorporated sunflowers quite extensively I dare say. 

Ashish at London Fashion Week

Rodarte at New York Fashion Week

Sunflowers make happy, so this trend makes me all warm inside. In addition, it's also a very fresh way to sport floral print during the season of flowers. Can you smell the freshness? Don't say no.

I do understand that for many, it might be way too early to start shopping for next Spring. However, since I noticed this trend already, I'm going to keep my eyes open for sunflower prints starting from tomorrow. Forewarned, forearmed.

I'm off to sift through more Twitter updates like a freak. Eeek!

-B

Vampire Moi

Dear Readers,

YSL Black Lips

Today's post is about Vampire lips: my current obsession and one of the biggest make up trends for the coming season. This is a love-it or hate-it thing, and as far as I'm concerned I'm all for it.

I'm not into Vampires. I'm one of those people - insane people, according to some - who hasn't watched or read 'Twilight'. I have no intention of doing either of them in the foreseeable future. 'The Vampire Diaries' doesn't make my 'Favourite Series' list, even though I've heard hundreds of positive comments about a handsome vampire called Damon (or Damien? I don't feel like checking). As a sidenote, this Damon guy is nothing compared to 'Angel' in Buffy. RAWR! What was I going to say? Oh yeah, there's another series about vampires I believe. It's called 'True Blood' right? I don't watch that either. Anyway, you get my point. I'm not very crazy about vampires, unless they come in the form of David Boreanaz. 

BUT that doesn't imply that I despise mysterious, dramatic, Vampy looks. There's something incredibly attractive about dramatic, dark lips. I blame movies like 'Corpse Bride' and 'The Nightmare before Christmas' for this. Tim Burton exercises a huge influence on me, enough to make me flirt with 'the darker side'.

Deep reds are also an option

The great thing about this trend is that it gives us some leeway with regard to colours. This is not the 'red lip' trend, where you're only confined to wearing red. For this trend, all dramatic, dark colours will do. This means you're free to experiment with colours like wine red, maroon, dark plum, burgundy and, for the super brave, black. I'm still quite sceptical about black though, I'm still trying to broker an agreement with the bad-ass as I write. My point is that we have a good variety of colours to choose from, and we can also change the hue with put on from time to time. Both matte and glossy colours will do. 

Unless you want to look like you're getting ready for a Halloween party, keep the rest of your make up as simple as possible. Fair-skinned ladies have an advantage here, because the contrast created by your lips and skin will favour you greatly. Focus on contouring your face, highlight your cheekbones and make sure you don't look too pale. The least thing you need is looking like you've woken up from the dead. If you're slightly more daring, I advise filling in your eyebrows to create definition and avoiding eye-liner. Some mascara won't do any harm.

I think she wants to bite you

Here comes the million dollar question, 'What should I wear this with?' I say 'Lace, plenty of lace.' The whiter, the better. I'm all about contrast, so nothing will beat the dark + light contrast in my eyes. Be careful if you want to pair black with vampire lips, it's like dancing the Macarena on thin ice. It might be too dramatic for some to pull off. Then it really depends on how daring you are, as always. Oh, and while we're at it, you'll need plenty of confidence with Vamp lips. It's mandatory. People will look at you. A lot.

I'm still hunting for the perfect Vamp shades myself, although I've spotted a couple of potential candidates in my huge lipstick palette. I'll keep you posted about my favourite shades, promise. In the meantime, think less about Damon and put more effort into finding your perfect shade.

-B

The Boffism Guide to Double Denim.

Dear Readers,

Please look at the picture below. What's wrong with it?

The Horror, the Horror!!!!!!

Everything really. Britney and Justin look like they played 'Ex-Disney-Kids wear all the denim in da house'. Needless to say, I'm not a big fan of this game. You shouldn't play it, even if you're not a Disney Kid. NO!

This picture has been haunting my memory for ages, so when I heard that 'double denim' looks were back in town, I immediately shuddered with fear. I imagined entire groups of people wearing head-to-toe denim. They took over the world. They invaded Denmark until it became a new denim-invaded country called 'Denimark'.

But then, Spencer Hastings, that incredibly stylish character from Pretty Little Liars, came along to alleviate my poor soul. Like an angel, Spencer showed me that there was a way out of this horror. In her double denim attire, the youngest Hastings daughter made me realise that the look can actually work.

Spencer Hastings <3

So, the newly converted double-denim side of me decided to experiment with this trend. I came to the conclusion that this is one hard nut to crack, definitely much harder than colour-blocking and pattern-mixing. So, caution dear readers, caution.

Both girls and boys can rock this trend if you follow a few easy tips. For example, one of the most basic things to do is to restrain yourself from including more than two denim items. Three is  a disaster. Four is apocalyptic. You get my point, two items is the rule.

Always vary the washes of your denim items. Basically choose two completely different washes/hues of denim like black and light blue, or else opt for two denim pieces that are two or three shades apart. This difference in colour creates a contrast that helps you avoid the 'cowboy look' that gives nightmares to so many of us each day. Speaking about cowboys, it is imperative to stay away from any 'Western' details like cowboy boots, or Western-inspired belts if you're in a bi-denim mood.

The last golden rule is to break up the look: you must break up the harshness of the all-denim combo. How to do that? Easy. If you're a lady, then pop in some girly accessories, something in lace, or chunky earrings. These elements will distract attention from all the denim in your outfit. Give people something else to look at basically. Both girls and guys have another option. You can break up the look by introducing a block colour. You could, for instance, wear a bright red t-shirt beneath a denim shirt and over a darker pair of denim shorts.

Moving on to some example sets now. In Set 1, I chose two completely different washes: black and blue. I decided to break it up using a bright red turban. People always look at turbans, I swear. To break it up just a tad bit more, I slipped in a floral clutch which I so would like to own!

Set 1

Example two is a daring combination that's more adequate for a night of partying and dancing. This time, I opted for two blue shades of denim, which are about 2 hues away from each other. The American Flag on the shorts helped to break up the look, but I felt like I needed to add something else to the outfit. A pair of chunky, very Rihanna-like gold earrings solved the problem. I can so see myself wearing this.

Set 2

Do you like double-denim? Or is it still a huge faux-pas for you? I think I've changed teams, I might be in love with this trend.

I apologise for this sucky post. I feel so tired but I wanted to blog anyway because I love you all :)

-B

Mix, don't Match?

Dear Readers,

I read about 23 fashion newsletters per day, which adds up to approximately 140 newsletters per week. This week, at least 60 of those newsletters focussed on pattern mixing.

I'm not a person who's usually hesitant to embrace a bold trend like pattern mixing, but for once, even Lara Boffa found it difficult to understand the inner workings of this trend. I did a lot of trial and error work, and I think that I've finally grasped the basics of pattern mixing. However, I still have a lot to learn about this trend and I feel like I'm not being bold enough as I would expect myself to be. Pattern mixing is fun and fresh, but so incredibly frustrating to master. Anyway, these are a few of the things I've learnt after hours (literally) of experimentation.

The less, the merrier

This is a case in point. I think that overdoing it is a big no-no. Don't get too enthusiastic about mixing patterns. I think that limiting yourself to two different prints is enough. As I said, I'm walking down the road of caution with this trend, so I'm not for having 345 patterns in one outfit. Two is enough.

Vary the weight

Not your physical weight obviously. I'm referring to the print's weight. If one of your items has a very heavy statement print, then combine it with a more muted printed item. For example, if your skirt has a huge flower print - so huge you could actually be mistaken for a giant bush - then don't choose another patterned statement piece to go with it.  Look at the set I found on Polyvore below. I think the entire outfit works well because one of the two patterned elements is smaller and less 'in your face' than the other. Keep this rule in mind: one dominant, one muted.

Find a common denominator

Even the two most different people can live in harmony if they find something in common with each other. That's the golden rule for pattern mixing as well. Prints seem to work better together if they have a common denominator. That common denominator is usually a specific colour or a colour family (ie. different shades of the same hue).

In this Polyvore set above I chose a grey and white striped top and paired it with a bolder black and white polka dot skirt. Black and grey are not the same colour obviously, but they do stem from the same colour family. I always recommend to keep accessories simple if you're pattern mixing, you don't want to have too much going on. In this set. I chose silver shoes and accessories because I think they look slightly simpler than gold pieces! Kudos to my sister for inspiring this set :)

Throw in a neutral colour

This is the tip that was most frequently mentioned in the articles I read recently. Neutral colours rock, they have this divine ability to water things down when things are too fiery. Rawr! Personally, this is a recommendation I fully embrace. When things start to tilt towards the 'too statement' side of the scale, then pop in a neutral colour like black, white, beige or grey.

Both prints in this set make a statement, and even though they both have a strong element of red in them, they needed to be 'calmed down'. Then the Black Flat Sisters and Mr. Handsome Black Bag came to save the day. And they all lived happily ever after, in spite of their differences. The End.

In my world, stripes are a 'neutral pattern'

I think that I'll never get over stripes, they're the answer to the 'What the F am I gonna wear today' question when I wake up looking like Shrek. If only they solved all of my life's problems in that way. Since I'm naturally inclined to throw on a striped piece every time I open my closet, I admit that I experimented with stripes mostly. And you know what? I'm glad I did because I found out that stripes (white + colour stripes) are neutral. They matched everything I paired them with: polka dots, florals, aztec and the list goes on. So, I guess that stripes are can help you tame this trend a little bit better though I do have to admit that I'm still opting out of the stripes + animal print combo.

Experiment as if your life depended on it

The above suggestions are things I learnt from experimenting with things I already had in my wardrobe. However, I suggest you all try to find what works out for you! Go to your room, put some playful music on, and start trying to mix prints and patterns!  My almost scientific experimentation of the trend made me realise that for me, the best pattern mixing look involves stripes and florals. However, I'm sure you're going to come up with some interesting combinations yourselves and I can't wait to hear all about them :)

Striped Blazer, Floral Scarf and Neutrals in Rainy Brussels <3

If you have any other suggestions please let me know! As I said, I'm still trying to master this look so any help is more than welcome!

-B

The Boffism Guide to Doing It Like A Dude

Dear Readers,

I don't mean to shock you with this statement but I have to declare that Jessie J isn't the only one who likes to 'do it like a dude'. I like it too. However, whilst dear old Jessie enjoys grabbing her crutch, drinking beer and rolling money like a pimp, I like to dress like a dude.

Androgyny, from 'andro-' meaning 'man' and 'gyn' meaning 'woman', denotes the tendency of mixing strong masculine and feminine traits. Androgyny has taken the fashion industry by storm, there's no denying that! 'Boyfriend looks' are set to be one of the dominant trends of A/W 2011-2012 as I described in my post about upcoming A/W trends.

Why I like it.
I like boys, a lot. I don't like including masculine details because I'm into girls, although there's nothing wrong with that, obviously! Anyway, there are other reasons why I like to do this, including the following:

• Androgyny makes a statement. Why fit in when you can stand out?
• Men's clothes are incredibly structured and I'm a sucker for structure and clean lines. Hello, boyfriend blazers!
• Warning: paradox ahead. I believe that a woman is more feminine when she's in touch with her masculine side. I understand that this might confuse many of you, but I strongly support this assertion. I'm convinced that a woman looks sexier in an edgy masculine tuxedo rather than in a red dress with a plunging neckline. This belief of mine also explains why I thank God for blessing me with a small chest: I have a better canvas for androgyny.

It takes two to tango

Excuse the cliché, but I just couldn't help myself. What do I mean by the tango expression? Simple. I'm not encouraging you to dress like a boy head to toe. The trick is to water down those harsh masculine details with softer feminine touches like a bright red lip, hoop earrings, lace details, sheer materials, pearls, a skirt or a statement ring. Look at Kirsten Dunst in the picture below. She wears a masculine inspired tuxedo and pairs it with a pair of high heels and large hoop earrings. The key is to include elements from both genders until they even each other out. Voilà!

Go shopping at men's stores

Whilst you can find plenty of male-inspired pieces in women's stores nowadays, you have to make an extra effort and explore the uncharted territories of men's clothing shops. Yes, be brave women! I know this can be a bit difficult at first. Shop assistants might look awkwardly at you when you try on something from the men's section, but you'll get used to it. Just think that those shop assistants are incredibly ugly by nature, they're not looking nastily at you! Go on, if you want to slay the dragon you have to go and hunt it down in its own cave.

Tips from a Seasoned Androgyny Lover 

I have a few tips that I can pass on to Androgyny newbies and to anyone who wants to experiment with this trend. There are a few go-to clothing items that instantly make your outfit more masculine. First up - and rather obvious - is the boyfriend blazer. All decent stores have boyfriend blazers and they come in all colours and sizes. Check out the stunning ASOS boyfriend blazer I've posted below! Many also like replacing their skinny jeans with a pair of boyfriend jeans, but personally, I avoid these jeans. I think they're very unflattering and I don't think I can pull them off. You're free to try them for yourself though!

The right type of accessories can increase the masculinity of your outfit drastically. Take braces for example. Paired with a simple white t-shirt and a pair of light-wash denim skinnies, braces can give an extra 'boyfriend' spice to your outfit. I also like to wear bow-ties with blouses or else I like to tie a piece of black ribbon to my blouse collars for that extra masculine touch. 

Another thing you could easily do is to ditch your girly ballerina flats for a pair of brogues, and guess what, they're comfortable anyway! I don't know why, but brogues remind me of naughty school boys so I tend to wear brogues if I want to androgynise a look (yes, I invented that verb. Blogger's licence). Are you going to wear a blouse? Then fasten all of your buttons, all the way up! Do it! That's the easiest injection of masculinity...no cleavage allowed. Personally, ladies with heavier chests should avoid doing this, because it looks wrong, very wrong. I'd rather have you flaunt what your mama gave you than trying to hide it.

Chinos also give a masculine flair to an outfit, even though they accentuate feminine curves impeccably. I included a pair of bright green chinos in the example set above. The 'masculine' elements are the chinos and the pair of brown brogues. In order to tone the harshness down, I chose a flowered vest, a pair of cat-eye sunglasses (nothing screams WOMAN like cat-eye sunnies) and a red bandana for your hair. Oh, and the Chinos' bright colour is more feminine than masculine, in my opinion. The above set is a playful combination of the pin-up look and tailored masculine cuts. I personally adore this. 

Androgyny rocks my socks. I like to get the best of both worlds. Suck on that Miley.

-B

Sometimes, the solution is a detachable collar.

Dear Readers,

I was diagnosed with the 'closet full of clothes, nothing to wear' syndrome at the the tender age of 15. It's such a horrible condition and the treatment is so heartbreaking.

You know how things roll. You have hundreds of tops and blouses in your wardrobe, but somehow, you have nothing to wear. You try things on but they seem to be missing that certain something. They don't have that special detail.

If you know what I'm talking about, then ladies, I invite you to invest in a detachable collar. Sometimes they're also called 'collar necklaces' or something along those lines. As a fussy lover of vintage details, I can vouch for these little miracle makers. They provide that extra detail that we would like to have on plain t-shirts and blouses. Detachable collars instantly change the outfit they're paired with. The come in lace, pearls, leather and a number of other materials.

If you're wondering where to get one for your own, then here comes the low-down. Start by looking in jewellery stores like 'Accessorize'. As I said, many times these collars come in the form of necklaces so it makes sense to look in a jewellery section or store. You can also try visiting your local haberdashery and see whether they stock them there. Haberdasheries tend to sell them because many seamstresses purchase them to attach to a dress or top they've  made. I personally visited my local haberdashery and it had a very interesting variety of collars on sale. However, don't forget, you will need to attach the collar to a little bit of string if you get it from the haberdashery's!

Since I'm a hard-working blogger, I found you a couple of detachable collars from ASOS. Prices vary, and some of them are on sale at the moment. Click on the picture to be directed to its respective ASOS page for details and prices.

I'll show you the detachable collar I bought yesterday later on today in a recent purchases post. I'm going to get a few more so I'll keep you posted on those as well :)

-B

My take on 'Ombre Hair'

Dear Readers,

We might soon forget the days when girls fretted about their regrowth or their roots. Ombre hair has come to save the day.

'Ombre' is a French word for 'shaded'. So, by implication, 'ombre hair' is shaded hair, or rather, hair with multiple shades. In other words, it's simply a fancy way of describing hair that's dark at the roots and light at the ends. 

This hair trend is very low-maintenance because you don't have to touch it up frequently (you don't have roots!) This means that you don't have to worry about regrowth like I do. However, maintenance is not non-existent. Remember, your hair must be bleached to achieve the lighter ends so keep a good nourishing shampoo and conditioner handy! 

I think ombre hair is ideal for those ladies who are unwilling to dye their entire hair in one block colour. It's also a perfect choice for those who want to spice up their hairstyle and try something different without looking 'too different', if you know what I mean.

The two colours that are mostly used to achieve this look are a stunning caramel colour and light blonde. The key to rocking this trend is to choose a colour for your ends that is 3 of 4 shades lighter than the colour at your roots. Some girls I've seen have been slightly braver and chose very contrasting colours like black and red. The latter option is definitely more original but it's also very difficult to pull off.

There are hundreds of 'Ombre Your Hair Tutorials' on the internet, but I would advise you to consult your hairdresser and not to try and do it at home, especially if you're a newbie! Take a picture of the look you'd like to achieve and ask your hairdresser to recreate that look for you. Here are a couple of photos of ladies who are sporting the ombre hair trend to perfection. I tried to choose pictures that demonstrate various extents of ombre hair :)

I'm assuming that many of you might be wondering about two things. The first is whether you should skip touching up your roots next month to get an ombre look. I say, it depends. It really depends on so many factors. Firstly, it depends on the way your hair colours are working together. Does it look faded out? Is your natural hair colour black and your hair is dyed blonde? Does it look bad altogether? If the answer to any of those questions is no, then forget it. However, some can actually skip their retouching and try out this look. For once, I'm one of those lucky people. My natural colour is brown and my hair is dyed in a bright copper colour. But, for some reason, when my hair grows my roots and ends look even. I can't explain it to be honest. It doesn't look that horrible. It looks like I got bold copper highlights. I might skip my next touch up to see how it goes. One word of caution, you can't keep postponing touch ups forever. There's a limit. I say skip it once and that's it. Then it will start to look awkward and we don't like that!

The second thing you might be wondering about is whether this look is solely reserved to girls. I admit that I personally haven't seen any pictures of men with ombre hair, but you know what, I say why shouldn't they try it out? I'm really curious to see how it would turn out. Go for it boys!

-B