Decisions Decisions....

My flatmate is currently undergoing the skin-crawlingly tedious process of searching for a new winter coat. Coats (unlike tights or lattes) cannot simply be bought, they must be adopted, they have to fit into your life seamlessly while simultaneously adding a new depth to each outfit, not easy. They can't be too boring because it won't feel worth the cost, but equally musnt be too much of a statement unless you want to become known as *the girl with the red trench coat* kill me now. Style aside, they have to last more than one winter in order to be cost effective, I know it's boring but if you're going to buy a good one it has to be warm, comfortable and well made, three things which Lanvin left off their brief for H and M and unfortunately do not come with a price tag under, ok I'll be a little lenient, eighty five pounds? And that is pushing it. I mean seriously. With that in mind, you can't buy anything too catwalk conscious, I have a gut feeling there are going to be a fair few red faced girls wishing they hadn't spent their month's wages on a camel cape come April. My advice, should you care to note it, is stick to dark grey and dark navy. Strangely black coats have a tendency to look cheap, not to mention the incredible amount of fluff they seem to attract. However if you are going to buy a cheap black coat which lets face it most of us do at some point in the 10 month long English winter, be smart and replace the horrid shiny buttons with your own ones. They're cheap to buy second-hand and worlds away from the identikit mock tortoiseshell ones which invade the high street. Oh and if you're really dedicated you could walk around with a mini lint roller in your pocket. Or not. Anyway if you are planning on investing in something special, make a beeline for the longer, more masculine shapes. Dream about Prada and Jil Sander, max out at Paul and Joe, or settle for J+ at Uniqlo. Collars are pretty much eternally chic, as is tailoring. Sailor coats are a huge no no and don't even mention the Balmain-esque military jacket, however the most important thing about buying any coat, pay attention guys, is making sure you can fit at least two jumpers underneath it ! See mother, I DO listen!

Coat by Alexa for Madewell

Homecoming

Moni came over yesterday and shot me at my new-ish flat. I'll post the link when they're all up but here are a couple. FML Moni is so cool it's ridiculous.

Brew York City

 

Daniel gave me this beautiful Pamela Love ring when I was in New York. Best day ever. And next time you're in Williamsburg go check out the Duane Reade on Bedford, they have their own brewery thing where they give you these beer jugs and glasses for like 7 dollars. It's kindof great but more likely the product of way too many focus groups full of scenesters with hangovers.

Buckle Up

I was lucky enough to swing an invite to the Fleet Ilya party last night which was thrown in a beautiful Victorian house in Dalston. Weaving leather into tough cuffs, equestrian harnesses, head pieces and.. cough.. underwear, the wonderfully peculiar Russian couple behind Fleet Ilya have updated body armour for the style conscious 2010's. Rihanna is strapped up in the video for Te Amo, Naomi Campbell virtually vibrates in chiffon and buckles for iD, and Erin 'O Connor looks strangely vulnerable in her exo-skeleton cuffs for Oyster Magazine. The party was spread over five floors which comprised of the reception room, two bars, the Rankin room, and a mysterious fortune teller at the top which unfortunately I didn't manage to explore (blame the vodka and elderberry, I'm a sucker for a good cordial). Sufficiently dimly lit, spooky and sexy, Rankin's black and white erotic photographs and haunting short films were hung and projected over torn and textured wallpaper. By the window a lone violinist infused the room with intrigue, and a very homosexual monk sporadically burst into improvised dance, provoking much wistful pondering and a few incredulous snorts (again the cordial.. so not my fault). Jokes aside, the amount of skill which went into not only the leather pieces themselves but the house, the incredible atmosphere and the lighting (by the aptly named McDeath) was really inspiring. Groping down a rickety wooden staircase and suddenly finding oneself eye to hoof with an entirely leather-bound horse certainly isn't something I'm used too (surprisingly), and the craftsmanship was totally flawless. We each left with a little leather helmet for what I'm certain must be a Borrower sized Doberman, and a sense of adventure and excitement unlike anything I've ever experienced at the hands of a fashion PR. Oh and a slight headache.. Of course.

Space Jam

With the discovery of a new planet, have Peter Pilotto's bags for Kipling ever been more relevant? Need that tote!

LDN

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Oh hi

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Who loves orange soda?!

Got this blue furry hat at the Brooklyn Flea for $10, it reminds me of so many good people but most importantly Kel from Kenan&Kel. I wish it was Kangol though...

NYC

0800 CONTACTZ

So yeah basically just checking in to let you guy(s) (?) know I'm still alive, kinda. I'm currently in New York trying to overcome a bout of flu, okay it's probably man flu whatever that is but my head is still stuffy as hell. It's really cold here and kindof hailing also so I'm wisely avoiding Bedford for the comforts of American advertising and MTV2 and yeah just trying to not pass out from nausea or think about the fact that my hair's falling out (it is). Not that that would particularly matter because I'm sure I'd wake up in a couple of hours with the same adverts and weird Rick Ross videos, and maybe a bit less hair. Anyway I just heard an ad for weight loss pills which are clinically proven to be more effective in removing body fat than liposuction. I mean.. wow that's pretty impressive they must contain, like, cyanide? So I better go rewind the TV and start thinking about thinking about preparing to leave.. Maybe I'll, like, take pictures of some food or something. I mean I'd rather just lie in a quiet dark room thinking about Paije's X factor audition, but whatever, USAOKAY.

This Girl

is hugely styling out her Lanvin for H&M jacket, I guess it proves you can wear anything if you're tall and beautiful. Oh wait. DUH.

  

www.carolinesmode.com 

Remember this?

Chanel FW07. Hello friend!

Trying to pack for NY tomorrow...

Feeling a bit high off cold medicine and chocolate spread..

IMG

HM..

Slightly disappointed with the hotly anticipated release of the Lanvin for H&M lookbook. Ok, make that very disappointed, it looks like what I imagine the ugly Pussycat Doll leaves on the rail at a Daily Mail photoshoot. Too shiny! Too busy! WAY too Dalston market on a Saturday morning. Lanvin has experienced similar problems to Sonia Rykiel in her hit and miss collection for H and M by not realising quite how cheap the materials look. Once you venture into patent territory, you're pretty much knee-deep in quicksand, not too mention satin-look snazzy jackets, wowee that was a long shot. I don't doubt that Lanvin was aware of the massive compromises they'd have to make quality wise, and I'm sure they put a lot of effort into keeping the collection as consistent as possible with their brand identity, I just think it's too easy to put a *famous french designer* for H and M sticker on something, and triple the price tag. Don't just buy it because there's a queue round the block, people queue for clean needles? Do YOU?! Ok maybe slightly excessive comparison but whatever, I'm upset, where are the boyish dresses and tapered trousers? The only thing which I could see myself putting on and not looking like I've walked off the set of a new Boots christmas advert, is bright pink! WHAT?! Let's revert to floor length black velvet a la FW09, guess we'll all just have to start saving up..

My new curtains are super RAD

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