Matin Lapin: fashion

Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts

belting up

For as long as I can remember, I have always been just between dress sizes. As well as annoyingly having very few clothes that fit properly, it means that my jeans are either so tight that I have to unbutton them after a meal, or so loose that they fall down.

Of course, the obvious solution would be to wear a belt. But belts are pretty boring, right? I've always thought belts were nothing more than trouser-holder-uppers, but recently I've started falling for their colourful, crystal-encrusted charms.

Look at some of these pretties! I'm going to start getting all Clarissa about my belting, and pair them with the most ludicrous things possible. Now I just need to buy them all...

{red//} {orange with bows//} {skinny orange//} {gold//} {yellow bow//}

{neon yellow//} {neon green//} {green heart//} {green and black studs//}

{turquoise bow//} {teal//} {blue w/crystals//} {blue w/heart//} {blue studs//}

{purple bow//} {metallic purple//} {pink bow//} {neon pink//} {multi studs//}

{black sequin bow//} {black 4-way//} {silver glittery//} {zebra//}

Which is your favourite?

(semi) quiff-tastic

When I decided to cut off all my hair - OK, not all of it, but 11 inches in length! - I thought it would be kinda like a new start, with a new house and new hair and all that jazz.

What I hadn't bargained for was the odd reaction that my long, thick hair had to being shortened.

And that is: not allowing me to style it in any way without a demi-quiff.

I know, it's not even a full quiff, it's only a partial quiff, an incomplete quiff.

For weeks now I have been perusing the internet for ways to control this half-hairdo and have sunk into the depths of despair upon finding there really is nothing I can do about it until it grows out a bit...

...but then, THEN, I'll be able do this with it:

What magnificent quiffage!

Until then I'll have to accept that I somewhat resemble Andrew Ridgeley from Wham! and.just.get.over.it.

How do you like the quiff?

How else do you think I could style it?

a splendid Valentine's day out

My Valentine's day wasn't too dissimilar to my perfect Valentine's day in the end, though instead of wearing that delectable mint outfit that I was so in love with, I went with this odd concoction:

*bow top//River Island//£20* *black skirt//Miss Selfridge//$50*

*necklace//$8.50* *heart tights//Pamela Mann//£7.95* *orange cardi//Monsoon//£38*

*boots//Blowfish//£58* *gold nail paint//Barry M//£2.94*

I ordered the tights especially for my V Day lunch with Kazatron and although I also ordered the mint dress, it just didn't suit me so it's on its way back. I should know by now that pastel colours look ridiculous on me, I just can't help myself when it comes to pretty mint green things...

Before meeting my lunch date, I popped into Lush to buy her a frog prince bath bomb and had a lovely chat with the girls in the store about how Valentines should totally be about friendship rather than silly romantic love. We had a nice chat and a giggle, but I was still super early for my date. Doing the only thing that came to mind - wandering around aimlessly in order to kill time - I found myself lost near Old Street in absolutely no time. It was only the familiar sight of Paul that told me I was finally heading back in the right direction.

Lunch consisted of rigatoni with tomato sauce and mozzarella served on a wooden plate, and talk of a very sensible nature. No sweet nothings whispered here, my friends, talk was of training, bodypump, my ridiculous health and work. All important topics of conversation, it's true, though not entirely Valentine's suited. No matter, for the company was splendid.

After a short bus journey into central London I realised I had gone almost entirely the wrong way, and made my way back towards Soho to visit Paperchase in order to buy myself some pretties. Down winding streets (that I ought now to know) I traipsed until I finally spied the familiar corner station and made my way, past a silver-slathered living statue, towards the small stationers located in one corner of Covent Garden. I was served by a lovely girl with an Eastern European accent and then, warmly content with my purchases, trundled back towards Seven Dials to meet Susie for my second date of the day. We met at Artbox, yet another kawaii sticker emporium. Anyone would think I had an obsession with the things.

If you have ever been to Artbox you will know how addictive a place it is - racks and racks of glittery, furry and holographic stickers peer out at you, and seem to be saying "go on, you know you want me - think how cute I would make your journal look!" I am simply unable to resist. Smiling teeth and brushes, puffy donut animals, water-filled ocean animals and bespectacled rabbits made it into my trusty owl satchel, and after all the excitement of the sticker-a-thon, we decided to retire to a tea shop for much-needed refreshment. Yumchaa was chosen by Susie as our refuge of choice, and what a choice it was - I felt like an extra in Portlandia (and that can only be a good thing)!

Subtly-flavoured Midnight Grey tea and moist carrot cake were consumed and greatly enjoyed. More talk, of a non-Valentine's nature, ensued and it had become dark by the time we realised that it was early evening and we had been busy chatting away for hours. We dozily headed for the tube and talk turned to rhinestones, sequins and fascinators, as is fairly standard whenever we get together.

All in all a pretty splendid day spent with some pretty splendid friends.

must have Monday - spatterdashes (or 'spats' to you and me)

I know I’ve written about some of my favourite kids TV programmes already - here and here, for example - but I recently remembered another great one: Spatz.

It was set in a diner in Cricklewood, and that’s pretty much all I remember other than the awesome theme song…

I was never really sure why the show was called Spatz, and even now I’m not sure... I think perhaps the waiters wore spats as part of their uniform…? That could be it.

I had never thought about spats as anything other than those shoe cover things that are normally worn by members of the mafia - and 90's diner waiters, I guess - but I have come to realise that they are so much more than that, and I’ve become a little bit obsessed with them…

{one} {two} {three} {four}

{five} {six} {seven} {eight}

{nine} {ten} {eleven} {twelve}

{thirteen} {fourteen} {fifteen} {sixteen}

...and is it any wonder? Aren’t they gorgeous!?

I also found some patterns so I can make my own! Wanna join me?

<<<patterns>>>

{1} {2} {3} {4}

must have Monday - a pretty gym bag

Since joining the gym back in the autumn, I have always used the same bag to transport my kit. It's plastic, it's green and white and has nice sturdy handles, but it's basically just a plastic bag. I've been contemplating getting an actual gym bag, one that fits everything and doesn't look as silly as wandering in off the street with a plastic bag, which isn't a great look, but normal gym-specific bags are pretty ugly and are often emblazoned with some sports logo, which just isn't me...

I would rather have something pretty and functional, stylish and big enough to hold all my stuff. I've never really been into bags, I just have my owl bag and that's about it, but I have to admit that all the "research" I did for this post was super-tastic fun!

Enough of that - let's get on with the bags...

♥ ♥ ♥ cheap chic ♥ ♥ ♥