Shakuhachi

I am not deliberately meaning to just write about fashion brands at the minute. My exams mean a lot of internet browsing and in turn online shopping. Spreading the love.

Shakuhachi is an Australian brand based in Sydney and has some great stuff in at the minute, and a wonderful sale. 50% off a lot of their summer wear which is perrfect for these horrid rainy days we're having. Makes me want to bronze my skin, put on a dress and go outside into the sunshine. Holiday/Sydney please!

Free worldwide shipping: even better. LOVE

 

Shakuhachi, D-Ring Deluxe Racer Back Cami Dress, AUD $110.00

Shakuhachi, Scarf Print Tee Dress, AUD $115.01

Shakuhachi, Brocade Leather Tee Shirt, AUD $175.00

All images sourced from Shakuhachi website
Shakuhachi Facebook
Shakuhachi Twitter

Lacuna Apparel

Had my eye on this new brand for quite a while and still really love it. Sometimes simple can be effective if matched with the right pieces of clothing and Lacuna Apparel has tapped into this look with a strong brand identity. Making a plain t-shirt stand out is not easy, but their patch pocket idea was sold to me instantly. This has evolved over a few months to include their brand logo as the print on sweaters and t's and also a rib cut cage back on some t-shirts. I love them all, and realised today that during August they were doing a limited edition of patches. Hope that happens again!

Lacuna Apparel, Cage Back Patch T,  Burgundy £35

Lacuna Apparel, Logo Sweatshirt, Black, £40.00 

Lacuna Apparel, Patch Tank, Black, £25

Lacuna Apparel Website  - all images sourced from here
Lacuna Apparel Facebook
Lacuna Apparel Blog

Ones to Watch

By watch I mean literally go and see. Had the delight of seeing Jessie Ware, Ben Howard and The Black Keys perform this term and none of them have failed to impress.
Three very different venues and three different artists/bands.
Jessie Ware played in the top room  of Sound Control and it was the perfect venue to really enjoy and listen to her music. Chatting and joking away with the crowd, Jessie played most of her 'Devotion' album to absolute perfection not missing a note. She has such a beautiful voice and if you like her album then I would thoroughly recommend seeing her live. She will not disappoint.

Jessie Ware, Sound Control, November 2012

Ben Howard, also in November, played at the Manchester Apollo. A large crowd and a sell out gig, he had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Taking his songs up to crescendos with the whole room cheering and clapping along, he could stop the music and the crowd would fall silent with him within seconds. With only three other people on stage and a large amount of acoustic music to perform, this gig was far from mellow and one of best I've been to in quite a while. A seriously talented man and I urge you all to go and see him live.

Ben Howard, Manchester O2 Apollo, November 2012 

Finally was The Black Keys playing at the Manchester Evening News Arena (M.E.N). Energetic and with some really simple but great visuals, good old Patrick and Dan played the classics along side the equally popular new songs. With two of the worlds biggest disco balls making an appearance for their encore the gig was huge, upbeat and an absolute crowd pleaser. Get them on their tour!

The Black Keys, M.E.N, December 2012 

Rat and Boa

There goes another two months of missed blogging. New Years resolution to become more consistent perhaps. 

Semester 1 has finished and instead of moving myself away from the bright lights of my computer screen (good for my health and eyes) I have instead spent hours scrolling through blogs and I'm just so content. Reignited my love for pinterest and building up quite a nice collection of clothes and styles I want to recreate. 
Newest obsession (and I mean obsession) Rat and Boa Clothing. I cant stop looking through their website, tumblr, blog, facebook; you name it, I've stalked it. Now following them on twitter, instagram, facebook - it's actually going a little to far. So clearly I thought a good way to place me in a better, less creepy light, would be to blog about them...I can only hope they take this as a compliment.

Creating and selling individual pieces, their clothing and jewellery appealed to me immediately because it looks wearable yet has an edge that makes it so much more interesting then a generic high street piece. Fashion should be about wearing something you love and enjoying trying out new style, not just wearing clothes for the sake of it. I think Rat and Boa provide a good opportunity to be more experimental and individual.  

Narrowed these down to my three favourites I think:

Rat and Boa Clothing, Colourful Feather Print 2 Piece, £60 for both, £28 Shorts, £32 Shirt 

Rat and Boa Clothing, Patterned Denim Dungarees - £30

Rat and Boa Clothing 

All three of the above are on my wishlist, especially the first one which I cannot stop looking at!
They state their inspiration comes from: 'the Oslen twins, Keith Richards, Native Americans,  Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, magazines, blogs, models, photographers alike and any other person that sees fashion as a form of expression and freedom'

Well it is definitely working for you!

Rat and Boa tumblr

Rat and Boa website

All images sourced from: Rat and Boa facebook

I Eat My Words

The wounding of my pride that this blog post has caused is something I'm sure will come back to haunt me later in life.
When studying A/W12 collections a few months back I firmly decided; military style = yes, equestrian style = NO. For those of you who know me better, this will not be a surprise, since my somewhat irrational dislike for horses and anything that can be associated with them, is getting worse by the day. However, as titled, I have to eat my words because October 2012, I cannot get enough of some aspects of the equestrian style. Top number one on my shopping list, the item that has caused me to write this post and rant and rave to anyone that will listen; the riding pant. 

Oh gawd they're so nice. American Apparels version in particular (village green). I have high hopes for them being as simply fantastic as their disco pant, but if anything, that little bit comfier. As winter draws in, I am all for hitting the shops to improve SAD moods. If that means spending obscene amounts of money, I'm sure I will find some vaguely relevant reason to justify my actions. For the riding pant, I already have two. Forward thinking:
1. Jeans are like a sponge when it comes to water. Manchester being the rains favourite place to fall, you don't want to have soaking wet jeans all days. That will only cause you to get a chill and develop cold and flu like symptoms. This in turn will hinder my ability to concentrate on my uni work and thus cause me to fail. (use this approach when introducing new clothes to my dad.)
2. As stated in my post below, the trouser is a winter staple. The riding pant look fairly tight yet stretchy. Leggings or tights underneath would work like a charm I reckon. 

Need I say more, must factor a shopping trip into my day tomorrow! Comes in a variety of colours so one for every mood. £64 is rather steep but my house mate claims everytime you wear something it reduces by half....investment. 
I fear for the day I say I've bought some 'simply delightful knee high boots to wear with them'...equestrian will get to us all, even those most opposed. Strong fashion trend. 

American Apparel, Riding Pant, Village Green,  £64

Five Reasons to 'Heart' the Change in Weather

Some people may say I'm crazy. I'd rather say I am positive. No matter how hard we wish or try, September signals the end of summer. So instead of hating, start embracing. Having a huff won't make the sun come out, so hit the shops and dress for the occasion. 

1) The Boot.

Put those sandals and flip flops away and your little tootsies back inside some big cosy socks and get your ankle boot on. Love love love. Plus military and equestrian are all the rage this seasons. These trends would be going nowhere without their boots. 

Office, Neptune Stud Black Boot, £70.00 

2) The Knit Wear - especially jumpers.

Oh lord, I have to be restrained. My sister recently banned me from buying my dream jumper. I haven't forgiven her but my bank balance has. The chunkier the knit the  better. Add a slight splash of colour and go for burgundy/maroon. Lush! 

Zara, Ribbed Front Cardigan, £45.99

3) The Coat

Staple for the winter. Unavoidable so don't resist and leave it until January to think maybe you should buy a new coat. Go now and reap the benefit, no doubt you'll be needing it from October. Reiss have some beauty's in at the minute but if in doubt, French Connection always have a cracking range of coats. 

French Connection, Lucky Wishes Double Breasted Coat, £230.00

4) The Scarf

Biased as I live and breathe scarves but we don't want our chests getting a chill and keep those soar throats cosy with a big hug of woollen love. Pulled up over your ears on those bitterly cold days. 

Topshop, Two Tone Zigzag Snood, £16.00 

5) The Trouser

Skinny trousers may still look hot but if you buy a pair with a slight bit of leeway then you can always pop a pair of leggings on underneath on those chilly days and people will be none the wiser. One of my house mates is considering wearing her wetsuit all winter under clothes to keep warm. Maybe a bit extreme...plus hassle when you need the loo. We've all been there with a play suit. 

All Saints, Roseport Ashby, £75.00

Magpie Eye

Sparkly, shiny, diamonte clothes tends to go against everything I agree with however, I can't currently get enough of the stuff. It may be the simple 'diamonds are a girls best friend' attitude which is surely embedded in a part of our chromosomes or I am developing expensive taste. Good job my attention is currently on the cheaper side of the style.

Bertina Multi Coloured Sequin Hotpants, Miss Guided , £22.99

Bam Bam Black Square Stud Boot, Miss Selfridge, £60

Printed Sequinned Cardigan, Zara, £119

No judgement if you hate these all, I probably would have a few months ago. 

Rita Ora

Hawwwwwt damn. Shiny jealousy! 

Jessie Ware - Devotion

Jessie Ware's debut album 'Devotion', released this Monday just gone, went straight to my top 3 albums of this year upon first listen. Treating myself to the Deluxe Version I sat for most of the afternoon yesterday just playing it on a loop. It is an absolutely stunning album. Having heard Jessie's vocals on the likes of SBTRKT's records and being a big fan of the Disclosure remix of her song 'Running', I was eagerly awaiting her solo stuff and was not disappointed. I've tried to chose a personal favourite off the album, but I just can't. There is too many. Her current single 'Wildest Moments' is a bit of a gem mind.

Jessie Ware - Wildest Moments

Go buy! Let's get this near the top of the album charts this week.

Après Beach

This is my indulgent product. I love love love it. Oribe luxury hair care is onto a winner with this wave and shine spray. I blogged last year about Bumble and Bumble Sea Salt spray, well personally I reckon this is the next step up. The price difference is visible with Oribe wave and shine spray coming into stores such as Space NK apothecary at £33.00. However, if  you're in the mood to treat yourself or you may have just celebrated a birthday, then go and buy. You wont regret it. It tousles your hair without that horrible stiff feeling of salt and smells DIVINE. I've just finished mine and its now going to be a loooong wait until Christmas or a lot of trips to the beach. (Fyi: 300ml, used most days, has lasted me about 3 and a half months. Definitely worth your pennies!) 

Oribe, Après Beach Spray, Space NK Apothecary, £33.00

Recommendation

I first saw Lucy Rose play last November when she was the support act for Ben Howard. Fitting in perfectly with the ambiance of the night, her music was beautiful, relaxed and caught your attention. This is one of my favourites off her debut album, 'Like I Used To', set to be released towards the end of September.

Lucy Rose - Bikes

Go see her if you get the chance! 

Book Club Fail

With all good intentions, a friend and I made an attempt at a 'book club' to keep our brains ticking over this lazy summer holiday. How proud our parents would be. To be honest, we mostly just wanted to watch a few films but felt it was only right to read the books first. Our first book: Pride and Prejudice. An English classic. This lasted about a week when a confession of a text revealed that one of us didn't even own the book and the other hadn't picked it up since we made our little pact. Maybe next time.

In the meantime, I found the cutest French website specialising in handmade accessories, it was as if (very mild) fate had brought us together:

P.S. Besitos book clutch. One from the Jane Austen Collection

I've decided that this is exactly what I need if I ever want to consider reading a book.

Back where I belong I guess, shoppppping. 

Other designs:

http://psbesitos.blogspot.co.uk/

Style Steal

Gillian Zinser aka Ivy Sullivan from 90210 is a great summer style steal. I don't know if its the sunny weather, my revived addiction to internet shopping or my housemates mild but 100% understandable obsession with Gillian but her style is suddenly at the forefront of my mind. And what one hell of a beach goddess she is. 
If you're a southerner, I hope you are enjoying the sunny hot weather, if you're a northerner, you may be as confused as I am with this grey humidity and occasional storms so here is a number of options for a style steal.

1) The Red Carpet Alternative 

This is perfect if you're in the mood for a night out this summer but don't fancy the cocktail dress and killer heels. The bodice looks like its an American Apparel number, teamed with sheer bottoms and a top as causal as a denim shirt. If its good enough for an A-list event, its good enough for us.

2) Summer Simplicity 

Low buttoned, tied at the bottom checked shirt is a great way to make a long sleeved top work for the summer. Roll the sleeves up for an even more effortless causal look. To finish, a swept up messy bun and some pink lipstick will suffice. 

3) Bohemian  Babe

All Images sourced from: IMDb.com

I urge anyone who can pull off hats like this to just wear them all the time. Trilby ones, bowlers, boaters, I'm not bothered, just add them to an outfit for the rest of this summer. Gillian's dress is gorgeous and embraces the maxi trend but with a more original edge.  

Now recreate. 

Manicure in Minutes

Having not been a huge lover of false nails in the past, I'm surprised at how much these new nail wraps have caught my attention. False nails and gel nails in the past have destroyed my poor nails and weakened them beyond belief causing me to stay well clear, however this has not damped my desire for long and manicured nails. Therefore these new nail wraps seem like a godsend. Easy to use and shouldn't rip off the first layer of your nails when removed. Available from most high street health and beauty stores and not to pricey, so why not add a little extra to your make-up routine this weekend. 

Superdrug, Broadway Impress Press on Manicure, £5.99 

Feeling patriotic for the Olympics, try Nail Rock, £6.65

Feeling a bit more jazzy, Rebel Nails Inc, Black Splatz Nail Wraps, £7.99

It's Time...

They're back! One of my all time favourite bands Mumford and Sons have produced this gem as their first single off their second album 'Babel'.
One of those songs that you love as soon as you hear it and a perfect song to see you through the rest of the summer. Give it a little listen. 

I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons

Excited for tour dates!

Tapered Trousers

Love, love, LOVE!

If you find the right style and the perfect fit, you'll never want to take them off. I've been monitoring the classic high street stores in hope of stumbling across my ideal pair and havn't had much luck.Until today. Having avoided Topshop for a few months due to limited funds, I was reminded of why I always chose to just be poor when it comes to shopping. Spotting a gorgeous pair of tapered trousers on a manikin I made a beeline across the shop floor. Got my size, tried them on and was very very happy. I'd love to now write how I purchased these and made my happy way home however, this was not to be. Due to my new attempts to budget I left them on the rails, to go home and dream about these beauties and somehow 'save'. (I don't know what's worse, avoiding the shops or knowing what I'm missing.)

These trousers will see you through this crazy monsoon us Brits are having and nicely into the autumn. Dressed down for daytime with a jumper and flats or dressed up for the evening with a pair of heels and a sheer shirt. Some may disagree but personally I'd say, the more pyjama like the better!

Topshop, Tile Print Skinny Trouser, £40.00

River Island, Green Paisley Print Crop Trouser, £30.00

Zara, Printed Trouser With Contrasting Waist, £39.99

The Wall Street Mash

Despite about 80 years separating modern day and the 1930’s, economic similarities unfortunately can be drawn. 1929 saw the Wall Street Crash and 1933 saw the Great Depression. Granted recent economic events may not have been on the same scale, but times are hard. There is no way to escape the harsh realities of money (if I find a way I’ll be sure to let you all know) but there is no point sitting in every night and worrying about it because that will change nothing.

The 1930’s was a time of glamour and sensuality. An era dedicated to swing bands, night life and dancing. Not so different from today (minus the swing bands) but that is exactly what I want to encourage you to change for at least one night.

The Wall Street Mash is a new club night in Manchester with its second night taking place on the 15^th March at Joshua Brooks. The music will be electro swing taking that little bit 1930’s charm and adding a current electro twist. If this sounds like your cup of tea then search out a long elegant, backless dress or a sexy flapper style outfit and go enjoy yourself for a night. I ensure you all dressing up is encouraged and this isn’t the kind of event you come across every day. Here’s a little taste of what to expect:

http://soundcloud.com/duttymoonshine/dutty-moonshine-swing-n-bass

If that date isn’t good for you, or you need a little bit more time to come around to the idea, don’t forget about it. There are not many nights like this about and I assure you, it will all be in the name of fun!

https://www.facebook.com/thewallstreetmash?ref=ts

Sorry for the absence!

Apple Cart Lane had a mini holiday due to a small excess of Uni work however thankfully its back! Watch this space. Lots of lovely fashion, beauty and music posts to come!