Fashionable Eye For The Blind Guy...And Gal

Mare and I write a seasonal column in Dawson's fashion e-zine. He puts together a whole bunch of people's opinions on whats going on in fashion that season so that Visually Impaired People (aka VIPs) can keep up. Because obviously VIPs can't go window shopping or see what people are wearing. Now Im no fashion expert, Mare may claim to be though :) so its just what we've seen happening around us here and what we like.

Its been going for a couple of issues and its been read by VIPs and sighted people alike. Dawson's been interviewed by a couple newspapers and radio stations, and even people from overseas are taking note of his efforts.

Check it out at http://myspace.com/fashionable_eye or in the side bar on the bottom right of the page

The Winter 07 issue is coming out soon and you get to read Mare's and my column before anyone else does - you get an advanced preview of what Mare and I have noticed in Women's and Mens shoes and accessories in London.


Sexy Stocking Style

With the cold wind blowing up our intsy wintsy mini skirts – it’s a wonder we haven’t got frostbite on our tootsies! Yes, winter is upon us once again and well into the swing of things. Well…for some anyways. Here in London, its summer and I guess it’s comparable to a winter day in Sydney. When it is 20 degrees Celsius, the singlet tops and mini skirts come out as if it were a 30-degree day in Australia. As you can tell – I am yet to have acclimatized to the cool breeze of the English Summer. This makes my article a lot easier to write as I feel we have much similar weather although oceans, continents and the equator part us.

Mini dresses with cute stocking are a must this season! So easy to dress up, the stocking is a staple part of any fashion conscious wardrobe. They can be worn with mini’s skirts, maxi dresses and of course the good ol’ hot pants! So…what shoe to couple with this fantastic combination…? The choice is yours!

Firstly, the obvious choice for winter are boots. These can vary from the thigh high, “I’m feeling very sexy” stiletto boot to the flat, ankle high, “I’m funky” kind of boot (covered in last season’s article). Warm and comfortable I am yet to meet a girl without a trusty pair of boots she can slide on in the winter when the rain sets out and she has to go and play! For me, the choice is a pair of slouchy, calf high black boots, with a small stiletto heel and a cute gold bow at the back. Although originally I though the gold bow would be limiting with my wardrobe choices, I have found that the hint of colour goes with just about everything!

Boot outfit idea:
Long sleeve knee length dark green patterned wrap dress with black opaque stockings teamed with knee high, pointy stiletto boots – with a brown/beige trench coat for the outside wet weather and Burberry print classic wooden handle umbrella.

Secondly, there are there is the choice of a classic pair of pumps or the new version of the pump. The classic pump is the pointy-toed enclosed foot shoe. There have been many variations of these this winter with different colours and patterns. I find that Wittner always has a wide variety of classic pumps and also a range with a fashionable twist. Visit http://www.wittner.com.au/ for all their styles. The ‘tumbla’ is a current favourite which comes in a medium brown and jet black leather with a cute leather soft buckle style feature on the front with some frills.

The new pump is a slight change to the classic pump and comes with many different features. Firstly, the heel can come in any shape including round toe which is currently very popular. Also the platform at the front of the heel can add some much wanted height for those that are a little…that’s say, vertically challenged or who like the extra length in their legs. The height can range from a couple of millimeters to a couple of centimeters. Kylie Minogue and Jessica Simpson are famous fans of these updated version of a classic pump – both who love having super long sexy legs!

Pump outfit ideas
Turquoise long sleeve 60’s style mini dress with dark brown patterned opaque stockings and new pumps in a colour that is one shade darker than the stockings.

Another option is the sling back. Although this might be the slightly colder, wetter and less comfortable option, it can look super cool with this season’s trendy colours in fashion. For a more Indie / Rocker chick look, try mismatching your dress, stockings and shoes in different bright and interesting colours, patterns and shades. Note: if you are going for a classic classy style, stick to enclosed shoes with stockings, however, for a fresh and chic style you can’t go wrong with Indie style this winter.

Funky style outfit ideas
Purple trench coat with coloured patterned vintage shirt underneath, purple patterned opaque stockings and bright green peep tow sling-back stilettos.

My handy winter tip – If you are wearing Black plain opaque stockings and it’s an extra chilly outside – put on two pairs! It’ll keep you twice as warm and no one will know the difference!

So, there you have it – a few different ways to glam up the opaque stockings that will keep you warm all winter long.

Until next time, Love and peace.
Maree


The London Vibe

Damn there are a lot of fashion styles in London! And they are all a lot more extreme than those in Sydney. For example, the punk. In Oz this generally means wearing torn pants, a few piercing and spiky hair. But here in London, they live the punk life. There are Mohawks which are 30 or 40 centimetres tall, black boots with thick platforms metal clips and buckles, and piercing so big you can tie up a pony, and this is just for the guys.

Newtown’s got nothing on London’s Camden Town. This is where erect Mohawks, spiked dog collars around the neck and jeans with more holes than denim began. Usually there are guys dressed like this hanging around Camden drinking. If someone tries to take a photo they yell, swear and chase them away. Unless you ask, then they charge a pound to pose for the photo with their tongue out and middle finger up. The money often goes to support their drinking problem and addiction to hair spray.

There is also the American-type black gangster style, but again more extreme than in Oz. You can get a track suit with little dollar signs and bling diamonds printed all over it – that’s the matching top and pants with the same print – and people wear it!

But for me, the clothing styles of the black women are the most fascinating. Their hair is styled in the most imaginative ways with some parts long, others short, some in a weave and the side burns gelled and shaped in a vine-like curl which is plastered to the side of their jaw. This is usually all on the same women. It makes the long straight hair style seem dead boring.

As for the guys shoes and accessories – which is what this column is about – the shoes are getting pointy. If we take London as an indication of the soon to be Ozzie fashions, then casual shoes like vans and sneakers are getting more pointy at the front. Also the late 80s and early 90s Reeboks are popular. These are very plain, white sneakers with a boxy shape.

And for the accessories – if you like the gangster wear then you need a hat with the tag and stickers still on it. You wear the hat loosely with the brim straight and the hat slightly skewed pointing just away from centre. Other accessories are the leather wrist band, which has been around for a while but is still in. And the scarf - I hear its cold in Sydney town so a patterned scarf is great too – there are heaps of various designs to choose from over here and its only a matter of time before they land down under too.

Take care,
Tomasz