Taking the p***

Fancy gladiator sandals these days are like, once you sew two strings of leather onto a sole, you've concocted a good enough excuse to cost the same as a small used car. Look, I'm not the kind of person who thinks price should derive exclusively from the level of craftsmanship and/or great quality materials, as I love a good concept and understand that great design and brand value have to weight on the price of what we buy - and that sometimes results in the utmost simplicity. But when it comes to gladiator sandals, I can't help feeling  like someone's taking the piss.

Pisstaking level: BOSS: - these Valentinos cost 840€ on Net-A-Porter, plus the blood of seven virgins.

Now these are a bargain at only 325€. , As a matter of fact, Chloé, I think I'll take two pairs. 

Alaïa is ridding the world of snakes (and you of your hard-earned dollaz), one gladiator sandal at a time. 910€.

Tamara Mellon, 375€. Mirrored so you can see the tears rolling down your cheeks as you take them to the cashier.

Aquazzura's feet straight-jackets come with a 550€ price tag for those of you who are loco enough.



So since none of these are a realistic option for me due to, ya know,  all the bills I gotta pay at the end of the month, and my awfull habit of eating, I found a very cool and simple alternative that really fills all my gladiator requisites. They cost me 17,99€ and are by Pull & Bear. As always, the Zara group has our backs. 

Lo and behold! My foot.

mixed, shaken, stirred

All hail the queen of mixed prints, Solange Knowles.

A shoe dream come true.

They're here! 

Finally found these bad boys.

Remember when I wrote about those 2011 woven Prada heels I was obssessing over? No? That's fine. 4 years after having passed up the opportunity to buy them (because euros and also due to already owning too many shoes - wow, I am reasonable sometimes), I have found them on my new favourite playground, Vestiaire Collective.

For those of you who, like me up until recently, live in the cold dark shadow of not knowing what VC is, I'll put it this way: thousands of ladies who share your interest in fashion and own beautiful shoes, bags, clothes, etc by your favourite brands come to this website to buy pre-loved designer pieces and sell the what they no longer want (which may be exactly what your looking for, in your size, and cheaper!!!). So, basically, a chic eBay.

*drools*

So when my dream heels came up on VC - and on a really fun colour scheme too - I had to whip out my credit card and get that over and done with. The soles show no visible signs of use and in the end I got them for half the price o f what they would have cost me back then. Boo ya. 

They still haven't arrived because VC will receive them first from the seller and verify their authenticity, which is essential in trading pre-owned designer stuff. This is why, my friends, you must never throw away the receipt, dust bag and box of every designer thing you buy.

Can't wait to pair them with fun prints, frilly tops, vintage midi skirts and dresses, man. Totes unleashing the Carmen Miranda in me. 

Well played, Margherita Missoni. Well played. 

Cold shoulder

Beyoncé showed up gift-wrapped in that tight see-through dress at the Met Gala, all curves chiseled by none other than angels in heaven...Quite a sight for sore eyes! I am always fascinated by women who are able to show that much of their bodies without looking vulgar and, on the contrary, look empowered and non-intimidating despite the hotness.

I, on the other hand, with zero millions of fans to please and impress, don't really need to make grandiose statements through the clothes I choose to wear. 

Yet, being the semi-slob that I am, I also like a little fantasy and a little frill in the wardrobe. Lately my thing has been off-the-shoulder tops and dresses. It's the latina in me that responds well to showing a bit of skin and to the romance and nostalgia this type of garment resonates. 

Off-the-shoulder loving stunners Carmen Miranda, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren

Brands in the entire price spectrum have been putting these out, from Asos to Carven, to Alexandra Rich and Chloé. Vika Gazinskaya does a mean cold shoulder too.

That lovely green Carven: ONE DAY I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL BUY YOU. Pre-owned and cheap.

So I went and bought this lovely wide sleeved shirt from Uterqüe and now I'm considering how to wear it up and down: 

All I need now is the weather to cheer up a bit round here. Come on sun, reveal yourself at once!

how beautiful is this?

I went mad when I saw this photo of a street bench (with the usual scribbled graffiti all over) inside a house. I love the sensation of surprise caused by an object that has been so cleverly taken out of context. Context really is the ultimate game-changer.

Satisfying associations (Drape It Like It's Hot)

Draping is one of the most beautiful things you can do with a simple fabric. It's got this classical sophistication, it's ultra feminine and suggestive and it sculps the body beautifully, enhancing its shapes while keeping a level of mistery. All it takes is a mute coloured fabric and a sculptor's sensitivity to create this modern day Venus look.

My favourite draping work is by Rick Owens. To me it comes straight out of classical sculpture:

All of this reminds me of a work by Michelangelo Pistoletto that always makes me laugh whenever I see it:

Venus of the Rags, 1967, 1974