Elsewhere

As I am currently in London for four months, I have set up some kind of journal on Tumblr following my every twattish move around this exhilarating, never-failing-to-inspire-and-amaze city. It is called One Hundred and Five Days of London (what else? in all honesty, my inspiration was obviously lacking but it seemed fitting). If you're curious about my (so far fairly unfascinating) life in London, head on over to Tumblr.

All the love, always.

Lacoste Love

(Lacoste L!ve striped dress and Zara lace-up wedges)

I already told you that I can't get enough of Lacoste right now. If you would've told me two years ago that I would ever own a dress, let alone two by Lacoste I would not have believed you. But there's something about their Lacoste L!ve line that really appeals to me and here I am, head over heels for all things Lacoste. This dress is one of the things I bought in London when we spent the day wandering around Shoreditch. I had seen it online and in real life before and I knew that I had to have it this time. If I'm being completely honest here, I have to admit that I purposefully went looking for it. Less wandering, more carefully planned turns and directions. Now why do I love it so much? It sort of reunites my old love for all things collars with the way I like to dress nowadays. I know peter pan collars are a common high street trope, especially this season but I don't think I'M entirely biased when I say that this particular collared dress feels a lot more current, like some sort of updated version of the trend. Maybe I really am biased. What are your thoughts?

Let's move on to my life feed then. Sadly enough I still don't own a smartphone and thus you'll have to take my word for it but at the moment I'm settling back into uni life. This pretty much involves stocking up on yellow markers, lots of coffee dates (imagine all those lattes I could have instagrammed) and the second best spaghetti bolognese in the world for the meagre sum of 3 euros. And the occasional classes too, of course. Life is good right now. - x

P.S. Thanks for all the London post love.

Tales of London, Day One & Two

I feel like everyone and their mother - or, let's not exaggerate, some Facebook friends and Belgium's blogger elite - was in London in September. So if you're feeling overwhelmed at the thought of yet another hip chick (well...) detailing her adventures in Shoreditch, do know that I feel the same way. I got back home last Friday night to a feed full of London, London and yes, more London. 

Still, please bear with me as I rave and ramble on about the likes of Islington, Primrose Hill, Saatchi Gallery, sharing a room with twenty other girls, really good guacamole, chain restaurants and all other things London.

I left for London only a couple of hours after the wedding had ended and arrived on Sunday afternoon in - quite frankly - a state of mild panic. Reason for my anxiety: hardly any of the Underground lines were operating and I had absolutely no clue how to get to my hostel otherwise. After some wrong stops and confused texts I had no other choice but to call Julie and ask her to come find me. She did, eventually and at last, Fundon 2012 was a fact!

First thing we did? Scour the floors of the Topshop mothership on Oxford Circus. This as we were swooning over the J.W. Anderson x Topshop collection and all its little trinkets. After what must have almost been two hours, we scored our first purchases. Overwhelmed by the madness at Topshop (an instore cupcake bar, really?), we headed straight to the Big Ben like just about every other proper tourist. We took in all the sights and just revelled in the fact that we were in London.

We wandered around Covent Garden for a bit, had Italian for dinner at what was unbeknownst to us just another chain restaurant. That same evening - and in the week to come - we would keep running into the same chain restaurants over and over again. The whole of London seems to be a brand of something. Finally, close to midnight, we headed back to our A+ hostel, Palmers Lodge in Swiss Cottage.

 On Monday we started off our day at the National Gallery where I treated myself to a little gift: a beautifully illustrated children's book called This is London. Julie shared some of her travel wisdom with me about lunch: just buy some French bread, sit down in a park somewhere, anywhere really, and save truckloads of money. Done. Honestly, after hours of walking around, nothing would have tasted better than our daily guacamole and houmous from Waitrose. On Monday we decided to head out all the way to Primrose Hill to have lunch. With a view. I had never been to this neighbourhood before but I couldn't help but love it, even in all of its unapologetic bourgeoisness. Primrose Hill itself was mostly deserted except for the nannies strolling around with their prams and us two, eating our lunch deliriously. 

As by sheer luck, we stumbled onto the Primrose Bakery on our way to Camden. Even though we had only finished gorging on bread and guacamole a while ago, we could not pass up on the opportunity to have a cup of coffee and a cupcake at this lovely little place. It was a quiet Monday afternoon. We sat there sipping our coffees as we observed all the schoolchildren and their mothers pass by on their way home. If there is such a thing as pure bliss, this must have been it.

Camden, on the other hand, never has been and never will be my thing. It's too loud, too in your face. The market at Camden Lock is basically one stall after another selling the exact same seven dresses and even worse, YOLO-printed leggings. I kid you not. One of the best things about this trip was that my friend Julie and I were on the exact same page all the time. She also wasn't feeling the Camden vibe at all. Needless to say, it didn't take long before we left there.


Later that evening, we dressed up a bit more sharply and headed out for delicious burgers and fries at Byron near Trafalgar Square. Another chain restaurant but every branch has its distinct own style and interior and the hamburgers were just so good that I won't fret over it too long.

Original dining tips is not something you'll get out of these London posts, I'm afraid. Still, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this one because there are two more coming up in the next week or so. Love, always - x

From Nice to London

I'm at it again with a completely gratuitious photo of myself staring all mysteriously at you through your screen, runny mascara included. I've been in a blogging stupor over the summer but as the academic year approaches again, I predict that I'll feel like updating a lot more. Every blog, even the ones with as little a following as mine, needs some serious TLC in a while. Therefore, some good ole blog TLC is pretty high on my priority list.

But you know what's higher on that list right now? My cousin Mark's wedding in a village near Cannes this Saturday. My brother and I fly over there (we leave in half an hour - squeal!) tonight and we'll be staying in Nice for some days. And you know what's almost equally awesome? After my stay in Nice I'm flying over to London where I'll meet up with Julie, who will have bravely travelled from Brussels to London on her own. I'll get to be in my favourite city for six days. Six days of exploring vintage shops, coffee bars, little markets, museums, parks and hipster hangouts with one of my best friends. Sounds pretty great, right? An epic ending to a not so epic summer on my part. Just what I needed. You'll hear from me soon enough. Thanks for sticking around, always - x

I Want You

...but I can't have you. Oh you gorgeous Les Prairies de Paris overall, the things you do to me. I've been lusting - literally - over these overalls for a good week now (which is in fact not that long but bear with me, will ya). Sadly enough I've done the math and there's no way I'll be buying it. It's not that I can't afford it right now but when I add up what I've spent on clothes these last two months, a fricking overall with sailboats on it seems highly unreasonable. Even though it is probably - no, definitely - the cutest item of clothing that was ever covered in sailboats and palm trees. 

Sometimes, things are just meant to stay on your wishlist forever. Just let me revel in its gloriousness for another minute or so and I'll be ready to move on to greater and more exciting things (A wedding in Cannes! A trip to London!) - x

The Bobbys

Aaaah, I really did it! I've been a proud and ecstatic owner of a pair of Isabel Marant Bobbys for approximately seven hours now. If you hadn't noticed already, this is kind of a big deal to me. Like, I even have a hard time acting all cool and relaxed while I type this. I generally do not keep my cool. No, I'm the obsessive fangirl kind of person. I freak out. I own a pair of Bobbys, damn it! Jeah, as Ryan Lochte would say.

I have always loved the Bobbys/Bettys/whichever name it is this season but I had never actually considered buying them until last week. I pondered over it for a while in agony, went to try them out not once but twice but it wasn't until today that I mustered up the courage to actually buy them. Jeah. Seriously, I felt like I was tripping when I handed over my money to the saleslady. So far it has not been a bad trip. I probably look down at my feet every 20 seconds to admire my snazzy kicks - x

P.S. I edited these in the most abysmal way, my apologies for that. Purple and taupe are obviously not a good match.

Five Things

Where have I been all this time? It must have been my bi-monthly blogging rut. Seriously, I'm beginning to think it coincides with my period or something. The thing is, I've been working a lot. And when I wasn't working, I tend to alternate between being a social butterfly and a total recluse. Last week has been leaning towards the latter. Whenever I waste hours behind the screens of my laptop, it eventually starts itching again and I feel like blogging. A girl can only check her Facebook Timeline so many times, right?

So here I am, getting into the spirit of things with my favourite kind of post. Here are some of the things  that have been keeping me busy on the Interwebs. - x

1. This Girl by The House That Lars Built makes me squeal in delight every single time.

(via The House That Lars Built)

2. The endless debate. I already freaked out over it on Twitter. Will or won't I?

(Image via THEFASHIONGUITAR)

3. Wise words for the weekend. That totally still apply on Wednesday.

(via 70percentpure)

4. Ever since buying the pink wonder I've been really into Lacoste's L!ve collection. Even though I have many feels regarding that obnoxious exclamation mark.

(via Lacoste)

6. This song. Endlessly on repeat.

The Good Kind of Surprise

(Pictures courtesy of Ines over at The Purple Whale, Lacoste dress)

I went to the Provence last week with my family but now I'm back and hell-bent on keeping my promise of showing you all of last post's glorious pink purchases properly. As you know, the weather here in Belgium is absolutely shit - and I don't tend to swear on this blog - right now. That's why I haven't felt like traipsing around in this little number for outfit shots. All the while keeping my promise, I decided to act upon my opportunist side and used some pictures that were taken at a surprise birthday party/barbeque two days ago. Incidentally, I wore my new Lacoste dress a.k.a. the pink wonder. It might have also been a calculated move on my part but honestly, I just love wearing my new clothes and for the first week or so I tend to do so all the time.

 Anyways, the birthday boy in question is Nathan - that big dude in the second picture - who is the other half of my other half Chloé. I can't even begin to recount all of the hours we spent together in class, gossiping and having hysterical fits of laughter - we truly were one of those girls - during high school. She's one of my dearest friends and I love her. And even though we don't even necessarily get along, I've sort of come to love Nathan too. Moreover, I have to admit, without even the tiniest hint of sarcasm, that I had a blast at his surprise party.

May I just add as a conclusive statement that this dress is worthy of all sorts of praising adjectives that I'd have to look up in a thesaurus (think of awe-inspiring, stunning, exquisite, sublime, marvelous etc.). It is just grand. This dress is what greatness is made of. - x

Pink Moment

(Zara pastel pink dress, Nike running shoes and Lacoste tennis dress)

I was on the look-out for some bare essentials when I went sales shopping on Wednesday: a pair of jeans, a new marinière and perhaps even a silk blouse of some sorts. Obviously, I ended up with none of the above. The marinière at Petit Bateau that I had lusted over for months, turned out to be rather ill-fitting in person. It got even worse as just about every pair of jeans I came across seemed to have some kind of ill-fated wash that did not flatter my butt at all. And all of the sudden Zara apparently only carries linen blouses. Hence, no basics for me.

Everything I did buy was pink. Except for a sports bra but I'm fairly sure you don't care about that. Aside from a matching pink coat and skirt, my closet isn't overflowing with pink but I simply couldn't resist these two dresses. And I sincerely believe that hot pink running will motivate me to work out more than once every two years. Naturally, a celebratory outfit post of both dresses is in order soon. - x

Gia Coppola

 

I'm sure Gia Coppola is no stranger to most of you but I just felt like taking a moment to appreciate her sense of style. One of my preferred pastimes when I have absolutely nothing else to do is reading the Coppola clan's Wikipedia page. Honestly, how cool is is that Roman Coppola frequently collaborates with Wes Anderson who in turn has cast Jason Schwartzman in several of his films, who incidentally happens to be Roman and Sofia's cousin? The Coppolas are like the prime example of well-deserved nepotism. 

The comparisons between Gia and her aunt Sofia are readily made. Both are film makers. They also share a similar aesthetic when it comes to dressing up. Even their hairdos sort of match. Still, it'd be too easy to just cast her off as a younger replica of her infamous aunt. She's done some short films so far, for the likes of Wren and DVF in collaboration with Current/Elliott. I, for one, am curious to see whether she'll branch out into feature films in the future. In the meantime, here are some of my favourite outfits of her. Images are from here and here. Enjoy - x

Hello !

Just a quick post to keep my monthly average up. No, I just wanted to tell you that I'll be back soon enough. I only have three exams left to take and then I'll be free until September. In the best case scenario, that is. And my hair is short again. There's that. Haircuts are definitely worth a post, right? It seems like I am (and look) especially awkward today.

Anyways, thanks for the comments as per usual. Maybe I will take some amateur pictures of my room this Summer. But for now this sad, little substitute post will have to do. And now I'm off again. Football or English linguistics? Tough call. - x

Wallpaper Nostalgia

I discovered Christopher Patrick Ernst's work through Frankie. I really love these photographs for a very particular reason: I happen to have wallpaper like this in my bedroom. Actually, the exact same one as in the third picture. When we moved houses three years ago, the only thing I really wanted for my bedroom was that wallpaper. Eventually I found out they sold it at a wallpaper store in my neighbourhood. The owners of Priem are two sisters in their eighties (at least, I think so?) with a stock of wallpaper that probably dates back to when they were born. Amongst the piles and piles of outdated and not so outdated rolls of wallpaper, I found my dream wallpaper!

In his own words, photographic wallpaper is the intersection of the place we live in and the place we wished we lived in. Cliché but spot on, really. These dreamy images, enchanted forests or faraway islands, are usually set in the most banal of surroundings. This definitely is a good kind of nostalgia. Check out more of his work at his website! - x

Sunday Company

First off, thanks for all the fun comments these last couple of days. They make study breaks so much more enjoyable. I went to Antwerp on Friday and did some shopping. In fact, I was actually hoping to still score an issue of The Gentlewoman somwhere there but Frankie and Lula make for a good alternative, don't they? I didn't even know Frankie was sold in Belgium! 

Frankie reminds me of the time I still read N.E.E.T. magazine, back when I was first discovering all things fun and fashion on the interwebs. Does N.E.E.T. even still exist nowadays? Anyways, it's all cute and crafty and it features so many young and talented people. It's less cutesy than I had expected but I think I like it better this way. 

Lula is still out of this world. Picking up an issue and flicking through it always makes me giddy. I stumbled upon the last two issues by chance (Stockholm, I miss you) and Friday was no different. The photoshoots have lost some of their magic (or maybe I have grown up a little) but the interviews are still the best. For this issue Tavi Gevinson talked with Iris Apfel and Tennessee Williams with Lesley Gore. Lesley fricking Gore! I love how the interviewers are not just journalists looking for some ridiculous tagline but old friends or great admirers having a cosy chat with their interviewee. With a cup of tea and macarons, obviously. At least that's how a Lula interview takes place in my mind. I'd like to keep that image.

Now if only I could get my hands on the next issue of The Gentlewoman. 

(Acne dress with open back and Dries Van Noten silk sweater)

I also bought actual clothes on Friday. Result! Now I don't want you to get the impression that I'm all of the sudden rolling in dough. I got my designer fix (lol) at Rosier 41, this amazing outlet store. They have a really excellent stock of designer vintage. For example, they had two clothing racks with nothing but Dries Van Noten. Seriously?!

 I'd say I mostly shop at Zara here in Ghent and whenever I can, COS in Antwerp but every few months I buy a thing or two that is a bit more special, like those Essentiel trousers. I like the fact that I am slowly (very slowly) but surely building up a wardrobe with a few very beautiful and timeless pieces. I'll show you more of my dress and sweater in an outfit post when I finish my exams i.e. an eternity away from now! - x

Moonrise Kingdom

The Filmfestival of Ghent was brilliant enough to organize an advance screening of Wes Anderson's new flick Moonrise Kingdom yesterday and I could not not go. My friend Chloé and her boyfriend Nathan were the awesome people who agreed to come along. When I drag someone to a movie or a concert I'm always really anxious to know whether said person is having the time of his life. And I think they did.  

Well I definitely did. Moonrise Kingdom is glorious. Honestly, it's that good. I have to admit, I'm not quite a seasoned member of the Wes Anderson fandom yet. People often complain that he overuses his shtick or that he only caters to hipsters. I think that's nonsense. He obviously has a fondness for quirky characters and his own distinct niche. Couldn't the same be said about, let's say, Judd Apatow or Michael Bay? I know whose movies I'd rather watch. Next up is the hipster label. Oh the horror. I'm pretty sure that the term hipster has become so mainstream in itself that even that argument is hardly valid. Seriously, who cares.

I could get lost in the little universes he creates. I want to be Suzy. I want her Sunday school shoes. I want  a record player with the soundtrack on repeat all day. Most of all it's a love story. Edward Norton is in it. How could you not love it? I believe it opens in theatres just about everywhere next week. Go check it out!  - x

Ode to a Shirt

Yesterday was all sorts of productive. I studied a litte, made some progress with my essay on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and I cleaned out my wardrobe. Life is at its best when dresses hang in colour-coded order. When that one pair of pants is no longer stuck between your plaid hotpants and that rather unfortunate Etsy buy. A paperbag skirt that definitely does justice to its name, but in all the wrong ways. I'm getting off track here. When you clean out your wardrobe, you can think clearly again. About important life choices but mainly about said wardrobe.

Now that all the stuff that I sort of loved but never wore but didn't want to get rid of either (the never-ending dilemma) is out of the way, I can start thinking about all the things I want and could actually use. Now, I love the idea of the idea of the five piece French wardrobe, I really do. But I could not be committed to it. I never really go shopping with a fixed plan in mind because it never ever works out for me. Still, yay to staples all the way. Staples. And that's exactly what I'm missing in my closet. I have six striped t-shirts, yet not one of them is the perfect one. I don't own a single white button-down shirt. How is that even possible?

(via Equipment)

Luckily, Equipment has come to the rescue. Not for the white button-down. Not when there usually are too many viable options at Zara. No, these Equipment silk Ava shirts epitomize everything I've been trying to express in that last paragraph. They're a staple, right? But they'd also be an incredible investment piece. And they are really off-beat, not your typical silk shirt. I reckon 289 euros is a lot of money for a shirt. After all I'm only a poor student, as poor students like to say. But this is not just any shirt. This is the Equipment Ava silk shirt. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? And it's a staaaple! Win win. Needless to say, I'd have serious troubles resisting collar/colour delight in a hypothetical final sale-scenario. - x

P.S. Oops, sorry, another long post of me blabbing about staples. Guess this really is a fashion blog?

It's Showtime! Raf for i-D

(via i-D Online)

As someone's who's from Belgium, I was full of pride when it was finally confirmed that Raf Simons would be the new creative director at Dior. Weren't we all? Everybody loves Raf, right? It's hard not to love him as a person (and what do I know of him, really?) or as a designer. I haven't bought a copy of i-D in over a year but I will be shelling out money for this issue. I'm just really curious about what this fella from Neerpelt is up to...

P.S. Exams are coming up and I won't be around too often from now on. My last one is on June 27. That's just plain cruel! Alas. Have a lovely weekend - x

Within Vintage

People who read Instant Flowers might have seen this video already. One of these girls, the gorgeous tall one with the gamine haircut, is my niece. Even better,  she's the best niece you could ever wish for, the kind that loves scouring the streets of Amsterdam with you in search of the perfect little coffee bar. When she showed me this video, I figured: why not plug her latest endeavour on my lil' blog here as well?

My niece and her friends set up their online shop Within Vintage last year and I'm dead serious when I say that they sell some really great stuff. This lookbook video, made by Manon of Instant Flowers, pretty much sums it up: the cutest group of friends you've ever seen, the perfect soundtrack and and the coolest stock of vintage shorts, sweaters and loads more. Like the Within Vintage Facebook page for more information and spread the love - x

Busy Being Make-believe

(Essentiel trousers, Zara shirt, vintage necklace, thrifted wedges and cardigan)

I'm too inert right now to attempt editing out my sister's shadow out of the pictures and this outfit consists of too much greatness to just leave them be, withering away in some folder. Really, so many of my favourite things are featured in this particular outfit. 

For starters, these are the trousers I was swooning over last time, but now you can actually see how beautiful they really are. Versatile too. And dare I say, tomboy? But there's more awesomeness. The cardigan has pencil sharpeners as buttons. Pencil sharpeners! It still boggles me every time I wear it. Here's something about these wedges. I don't have the slightest clue which brand they are. I got them about a month ago at a closet sale hosted by a friend of my mother's. And you know what? I only paid twenty euros for them. A string of exclamation points would be sort of appropriate right now. That smile on my face, it's genuine, y'all. Enjoy your weekends. I promise I won't ever rant about an 

outfit as I did just now again - x

Five Things

It's been too long. Here I am again with an abridged instalment of Six things a.k.a. Five things. Today seems like the perfect day to recycle blog posts, images and ideas that you've come across and loved the week before. I'll be back with an outfit post soon though because I've got an amazing pair of wedges to show (off). - x

1. Belgian skateboarding photographer Switn. I so badly wish I could skate.

(via SWITN PHOTO)

2. Ashlie Chavez's awe-inspiring, funny and nostalgic collages. Where did my childhood go?

(via Au pays des merveilles)

3. Dreams of fuzzy Philosophy by Alberta di Ferretti coats. Affordable alternative, anyone?

(via Vanessa Jackman and Hanneli)

4. TOME, the Australian New York-based label x Badlands x My Chameleon

(via We The People)

5. Wren FW 12 x Tavi Gevinson, who continues to be nothing short of amazing

Time to Pretend: Summer Wardrobe

In between studying, watching Game of Thrones and listening to the soundtrack of Magnolia on repeat I've also been thinking about clothes. Summer clothes, to be exact. I once said right here on the blog that when faced with a decision, I always choose the pretty dress. I truly am a dresses girl. Not in a way that I'd proudly proclaim that I haven't worn pants in like *forever* but still, since I turned fourteen, pants have been seriously outnumbered in my closet.

Lately my interests have been directed towards the effortlessness of tomboy style and French girls. It's not a sudden fancy and there certainly isn't anything new about a cute Parisienne in a breton top. But the idea of having a few timeless pieces and combining them in endless ways is definitely something to aspire to. Quality over quantity, all that stuff, I dig. And let's be honest, they never miss a beat, don't they, those Parisiennes?

So I went about and looked for summer pieces that I would wear, worship and rewear until I'd have another highly fictional and improbable list of clothes on my mind. Which kind of defeats the purpose of it all. Still, here's what I'd invest in if I had money to blow. Key words: denim and coral/hot pink.

1. Acne cotton-jersey top - 2. 3.1 Philip Lim v-neck jumper - 3. Etoile Isabel Marant high-rise shorts - 4. United Bamboo tied sleeve top - 5. Zara Vinyl Upper sandals - 6. Madewell Chambray denim tee - 7. Equipment silk shirt - 8. A.P.C. Shorter New Cure jeans - 9. Vanessa Bruno crêpe blazer with shoulder pleats - 10. Sandro jeans - 11. Carven suede flats - 12. Superga tennis shoe -13. Carven silk and lace dress - 14. See by Chloé denim-effect jersey dress - 15. Comme des Garçons PLAY striped t-shirt - 16. A.P.C. Denim trapeze skirt

Talk about a lot of clothes! But I mean, there isn't a single piece that couldn't be worn with any other piece, right? If I haved learned one thing from compiling this post it's one thing: stop bitching about it and start buying basics! Amen to that - x

P.S. Thanks for all the lovely comments. Y'all make me a lucky gal!