Chanel

How to: THE DENIM GUIDE

How to: THE DENIM GUIDE

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My 80ties nightmare is a pair of high-waist mommy jeans, worn with a perm to distract from the most unflattering ass ever. But that didn’t stop me from following the nineties denim trend with a stone washed carrot-shaped piece of navy fabric accompanied with the shoe-of-the-hour: jogging highs. (Brrrrrr!) Since then I have been a little careful following “denim trends” and it’s ambassadors (unforgettable: Britney Spears and Justin in a unisex tip-to-toe indigo combo), but this season there’s no way around it.

Denim is back as strong as its woven texture and if you invest smart, you will have at least four good reasons to buy some must-have shoes to complete the outfit du jour (which anyway is THE reason to follow a trend, don’t you agree?). Nothing wrong with a jumpsuit worn with a statement heel now (my favorite for a lazy day, no other styling needed!) or a cute little denim flowery skirt to channel your romantic side (peep toes, booties, sandals!). And although I will have to get used to the legitimate wear of flare jeans, I need a good reason to purchase clogs (back on the runway and hot!).

Best of it: you can mix & match all of the above because the greatest thing of any denim trend (throughout the years): it goes with everything!
HAVE FUN!

xxx

Today’s shoes are various
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All About Coco

All About Coco

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After having experienced the effect of carrying a huge Chanel shopping bag through Antwerp (girls giving me looks ranging from suspicious to all shades of green - guys looks of pure fear after having glimpsed at their ladies), must admit have become a little addicted to the uplifting feeling of wearing the double caps logo.

Decided I need to integrate more Coco into my everyday life. Getting that trompe l'oeil tattoo (Chanel SS2010), or wearing nothing but No5 (I wonder what my colleagues would say, probably “How very Marilyn of you”...) seem reasonable options, considering that I’m broke all the time and the last bottle of hip (and affordable) seasonal nail polish is always snatched away by some fancy magazine's beauty editor.

*Sigh*. But then I saw BF's smile as he was taking today’s foto* and was reminded: The best things in life are free, only the second best are very, very expensive.

xxx

Today’s shoes are Chanel

*Won’t mention that BF was probably charmed by my strawberry cake which he knew he would be spoiled with after the shoot.... but hey: if that’s what it takes.....

P.S.: For all gal's who can't get enough Coco as well: Den Haag's Gemeentenmuseum is hosting the exhibition "Chanel the Legend" until February 2014

Inspiration bomb

Inspiration bomb

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I’m sure you remember that I wrote about doing an interview earlier this year. Well, it’s finally about to go to print (am actually very excited) and I was asked to fine-tune it a little. "What inspires you?" I read in the journalist’s accompanying email. Hmpf.

1.000 ideas pop into my head, and rather than tell the truth - locking myself and my heels in the loo (aka only really private place) with a bottle of wine to think - I want to come up with something extraordinary, something that will also inspire the future reader of my literary-prize-worthy article.

And THAT'S difficult. You know it's life and people really, but how to describe all the little details, small quotes in a conversation, a move, an outfit, or a color combination which causes a firework of ideas (want to write about it, want to shoot it)? And all the photographers and artists I love and all the paper snippets I stick into scrapbooks (one for each category: shoes, jewelry, fashion, illustration, art direction, interior, food), which one to refer to really? Or to name first? (You don't want architecture to pick a fight with interior because it's ranked first on the scale of inspiration, right?)

Am tempted to just quote my mom: she once said that Inspiration is just the nicer sister of ‘stealing with the eye’. And right she is. I mean, take today's photo... (©Ellen von Unwerth). The lovely Ellen must have browsed my whole blog to have had the brain wave for this picture.
Which I in turn 'borrowed' as the only thing I got from locking myself in the loo was a hangover and no inspiration at all.

xxx

Today's shoes are Chanel

Typically Dutch

Typically Dutch

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I live in a country that conquered the world (once).
And am living in that country because a Dutch man conquered me (tempted to write “once” as well, but over and over again is more true….).
So I feel entitled to defend the Dutch against all the wrong ideas people seem to have about them and their country.

Acquaintances think I am smoking joints constantly. Former colleagues think I spend more time in the red light district more than in the cinema (they love the idea though and want to come visit all the time). My ex-boyfriends think that “going Dutch” is a sex position, even though I have explained countless times it simply means to share the bill. My Mom thinks “Dutch vegetables” are tulips. Foreigners who live here think the Dutch are greedy and won’t spend a penny unless they find a discount. My friends can’t believe I ride a bike. My sister thinks I wear clogs and a funny hat, feed cows as a hobby, and my main dish is cheese.

Time for some prejudice reduction. The truth is:
YES, I wear clogs, YES, riding a bike is standard, YES, we do have canals, and when the sun is out we immediately drop everything to spend as much time possible on, or at them. And YES, my favorite accessory almost every day is a bunch of flowers. But hell: you have no idea how cheap they are. Am blending in perfectly. Now it’s time to have some cheese.
Toedeledokie!

xxx

Today’s shoes are Chanel

Dear Karl!

Dear Karl!

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Papa Lagerfeld is a genius at designing those little must-have accessories every season. In contrast to that bag we have wanted ever since we were first able to write “Chanel” properly but could never afford, these accessories are still pricey (ouch) but within reach. And so worth it to have at least one Chanel piece in your seasonal wardrobe.

Now I’m not talking nail polish. I’m talking about the cute contemporary tattoos he showed in 2010, or the two-toned tights in 2008 (I was dying to find them on eBay… although in the end second hand tights seemed a little odd to me to buy, even if they are Chanel…).

So you see I am a fan of all his details but am missing one thing in the whole pool of Karl’s gorgeous ideas: Band-aids! Year after year, we happily slip into our wedges and open toes without “tights”-protection and end up with the worst blisters ever (well, at least since last season). And every beginning of summer we end up covered from ankle to toe with either Hello Kitty, or ugly old fashioned nude band-aids, none of which really improve a look.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a little Chanel as a consolation for hurting our feet trying to look all heel-alicious?

Dear Karl! Please! Help us!
That, or just send over your entire ballerina collection.

The usual address.

xxxToday’s shoes are Chanel