How To Wear Brogues

Brogues: a man’s shoe fit for women? We began to spot them last year, worn by Alexa Chung and other celebrities. However, with the masculine/androgynous trend coming up this autumn/winter, we are going to see them everywhere. While I love my heels and wedges, I’ve always been a fan of … men’s shoes. A tad weird, I know, but I guess it just proves the point that, if I were a man, I would have the same ridiculous shoe collection as I have being girlie me. Not too freaked out by my musings yet? ok, I shall go on.

I initially got a grey come blue pair from Primark in Spring, loved their comfort and paired them with skinny jeans and chinos. A couple of weeks ago while browsing Spartoo, I fell for the ones pictured above (you can find them here). As soon as the postman delivered them, I don’t know what it was, I loved them even more. And I have already thought of 3 ways in which to wear these beauties.

Option number 1: Inspired by Alexa as seen here.

Blouse: Zara
Cut-out jeans: Etnies
Shoes: Clarks courtesy of Spartoo

Is it just me or do I look really tiny in this picture?

Look number 2: the masculine take. Probably my favourite. Comfy yet I felt quite sexy wearing some red lipstick and attempting to style my hair with a retro quiff and a ponytail.

Jacket: Zara
Top: Denny Rose
Shoes: Clarks courtesy of Spartoo

Option number 3: Girlie girl

Dress: New Look
T-shirt: Pull & Bear
Shoes: Clarks courtesy of Spartoo

So there you have it, three different ways in which to wear brogues. They also look great with a pretty cocktail dress, but the overall silhouette must be sleek, so avoid making the top part of the body too bulky.

Brogues are a style of shoes that you either love or hate, what is your take? Masculine trends for women, yay or nay?

Pictures: Fashion Limbo

A Gorgeous Andalusian Hostel – Solar Montes Claros

This is an ode to a place, a physical location, an actual building… oh and there’s an outfit in it too.

Last week was my birthday, and apart from cocktails, cake, some truly amazing phone calls from loved ones – Mila I love you and need to visit you in Barcelona soon – and some pretty gifts, I was treated to a surprise trip to the city of Granada with two adorable guys and my dog. I was spoiled with the accommodation: we stayed at the Solar Montes Claros hostel. Below are some pictures of my bedroom, which went under the name Jessie’s Room, oh sorry, I mean Sumeria.

The bath was HUGE – I need one of these at home

Top: Zara
Skirt: H&M
Leopard print wedges: H&M

Yes, my dog was allowed to stay – Spanish hotels and restos still need to get with the times. Solar Montes Claros is way ahead.

 
Oh dear, I fell and now I can’t get up

The shower… no words for this

I cannot recommend the hostel Solar Montes Claros enough. The service was exceptional, breakfast was a luxurious treat with fresh seasonal fruits, toast, jam, honey, freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee. Now, just in case you thought all I did was take pictures of myself all day, here are some images of the rest of the hostel, because I did leave the room… against my will.

From my room’s terrace – yes, I’ve decided to refer to that room as mine… forever – you could actually see the Alhambra, the fortress complex that brings countless tourists to the city of Granada every day. The price varies depending on the room you take but it’s seriously affordable starting at €45 per night, per person. What you get in exchange for your money is a unique, luxurious experience, worth every penny. Yes, I LOVED it, and can’t wait to go back.

Quite beautiful, right? Where have you travelled to lately?

For more information on this piece of paradise visit www.solarmontesclaros.es.

Pictures: Fashion Limbo

My Problem With Zara

Apparently, Abercrombie & Fitch have offered an “interesting” amount of money to one of the stars of MTV’s hit reality-TV show Jersey Shore. The point is not to endorse him with their clothing, but to request he doesn’t wear them. The “reality” the show portraits is quite similar to that of The Only Way Is Essex, showing a section of our society more worried about the size of their pecs and the strength of their tan than anything else. They seemed to be pretty obsessed with sex too, but I’ve never watched the show so can’t say much.

I can state, however, that I’m quite envious of Michael Sorrentino – the guy at the centre of this rumour – and wish Zara would pay me NOT to wear their clothes. Why? Because I fall into the same trap over and over again: I’m lured into spending my money on bad quality fashion.

I recently bought this leopard print tunic in the sales. And after one wash, see the second picture below to discover what happened.

It went through a cold wash, in the delicates programme. Result: after wearing this tunic twice, it’s ready to be used as a home-made duster.

Don’t get me wrong. I ADORE Zara, I walk into their stores and could easily walk out with absolutely everything, but time and time again I’m disappointed by the quality. Another failed purchase from them this year was my leopard print moccasins aka the most painful shoes in the world!!!! – maybe someone is trying to tell me to stay clear from said print?!

You could argue it’s what I deserve for buying cheap fashion, but Zara is far from cheap. Their designs are fabulous, their business model is very clever, but this over-priced low quality fashion is beginning to get to me. So yes, maybe they could pay me to stay away from their racks, and afford even pricier brands? Maybe a higher price tag does not mean I would own a more durable garment.

What do you think? Is good-quality fashion something of the past? Are there any resonably priced brands that don’t make you feel like you just wasted your money?

Pictures: Fashion Limbo

Happy Birthday Madonna … again

This is a post that was originally published in Muse Communication. However, because of the day it is today, I had to re-work it a little and publish it again, plus show you some pictures I took one of the last times M and I met 😉

I confess: I have been a Madonna fan since the age of five. I have all the albums, singles, calendars, posters and books. I troubled my parents and made my conservative aunts blush covering my walls with her Erotica pictures when I was only 10. I learnt about love, sex and life from her, and she remains my role model.

Madonna began with nothing. She is an icon of the 80s, the 90s, and she is still an idol today. She has sold millions of records, topped the charts more times than Elvis, received dozens of awards. She created her own record and production company, and has written books and a directed a film. Her latest album is a global hit, her last tour sold out in countless cities.

Madonna in Cardiff, for the opening of the Sticky & Sweet tour

She is the ultimate businesswoman, has defended femininity and girl power worldwide, telling women to take control of their lives, live their dreams and ignore male-imposed principles. Yet, all the headlines are saying lately is that she is over 50, young no more, and really: isn’t it time she stopped? And who does she think she is walking around in skimpy underwear for her latest video? And what about all the surgery she has had done?

Relationships and motherhood proved to be two more battle grounds of principles for our Queen of Pop. Madonna has not only been portrayed as a sperm shopper, but also as baby snatcher for falling in love with two Malawian children at an orphanage. She was portrayed as an unfaithful wife because she keeps working, travelling abroad, networking and leaving her husband to do his own thing. At 51 she released a raunchy album, daring to dance alongside young Justin Timberlake. The media focus on her age over and over again: just Google “Madonna turns 50” and you will see what I mean. It is everywhere.

Me and my mates trapped in the first rows at Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium

My sister and I forming an orderly queue to see Madge, again, in Southern Spain… and yes, I’m wearing the same t-shirt. It was expensive enough so I had to wear it at least twice, ah, the lucrative business of mixing overpriced t-shirts and crazy fans!

My question is this: when Brad Pitt turns 50 (he is 48), will we all make the fuss we do today? Will we be debating whether he should start toning it down and covering up, will we question his ability to do his job?

Why is it that women have an expiry date to their career, their femininity or motherhood? Why is it that beauty products still use teenagers to sell anti-wrinkle products, and apart from Dove (and Jane Fonda), older female models have yet to enter the media and marketing landscape? We still live in a world that teaches us every day: “if you are a woman and wrinkled, cover up, because nobody wants to see it”.

A Madonna fan with a tattoo of her Madjesty

The purpose of this post? To congratulate my idol on her beautifully successful existence. To tell women out there that we owe her a lot, that we still need her to remind this world of the need for change, and to publicly proclaim that she is the sexiest woman on this planet at 53, 55 or 65. This post is for all those women who are turning 50, or who are 60 and older and still feel sexy and refuse to slow down.

And last but not least: this one is for Madonna…For contributing to who I am, for opening the worlds’ eyes to erotica, female sexuality without guilt, music and artistic integrity, in the 80s, 90s, noughties and beyond.

Happy birthday Madonna… and also happy birthday to my beloved friend Javi. I love you my dear xx

Pictures: Fashion Limbo

What She Wore- denim dress & killer wedges

I’m simply too upset about what’s happening in my beloved London, so no ramblings today. However, I want to bring a bit of sunshine if you are stuck at home in front of your computer, or at work wishing for a holiday, so how about some inspiration with an outfit post?

Featuring my little sister and some killer wedges… because fashion is there to make people happy… or something like that! What can I say, I  just got back from treating myself to a skirt, yes it made happy, yes I may be shallow, but who cares? No deep thoughts today.

  Dress: Pull & Bear
Belt: Pull & Bear
Brooch: Musgo
Shoes: Zara Limited Edition Summer 2010
Purse: Dorothy Perkins

She’s pretty isn’t she? She is also a nurse, a pretty good one too… but she steals shoes, the ones featured here are my favourite pair.

Any members of your family with shoe-stealing tendencies?

Pictures: Fashion Limbo

The Rant – The sad Zara girl

The Zara logo is sad too, you know?

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Following the huge amounts of attention this post gets, I feel I need to clarify a few points.

This post was originally written for, and inspired by, customers’ experience mostly in Spain, more specifically, southern Spain. The version that appears in a publication for the region, can be seen here. It was written from the point of view of the customer, to entertain customers, and make them think about, why, in general, customer service in Spain is so poor. 

Personally, I have worked in fashion. I’ve had the horrid staff room with no heating in minus zero degrees in winter. I have been physically assaulted by customers that got angry because I didn’t let them return a dress that was stained and smelling of cigarettes. I developed a back injury from lifting boxes full of stock, up and down very unsafe stairs. I’ve been insulted, I’ve been threatened. I have seen with my own eyes the disgusting things some human beings do in changing rooms.

Now as a customer, and a ridiculously polite one, I have been, on most occasions, treated with a lot of arrogance by Zara staff, but – and I cannot stress this enough – mostly in Spain. It’s happened to friends of mine, family members, acquaintances, co-workers. I didn’t make this up. This is why this article was written in the first place, and also, after reading – as it’s stated in the article – reviews that can be found on newspapers and online magazines. However, I do know, and respect that, in Spain, there are wonderful Zara girls, who work their ass off, with a smile, even when customers behave like demanding little monsters.

Also, the intention was not to offend Zara workers all over the globe. The intention was not to offend anyone that is working stupidly long hours, with salaries that will never pay the rent, and working conditions that are disgusting. I’m pretty sure Zara is not the best place to work at. And I’m also sure the circumstances are VERY different for someone in Australia, in Colombia, Thailand, Korea etc. This is NOT reflected in this post. 

It is a scientifically proven fact that the girls working in Zara are always miserable. You walk up to the till, patiently wait your turn, finally reaching the sales assistant. You greet her with a smile and a hello, and she doesn’t even look you in the eye.

She folds your clothes to neat perfection, with a halo of sadness reminiscent of the unhappy housewife, re-living her misery every day, as she folds the laundry, her husband ignoring her scoring mistress after mistress.

She takes your credit card and scrutinises it closely, asking you to introduce your PIN number with a lifeless voice, returning it to you with no “thank you”. The Zara girl doesn’t know that word. She hands the bag of purchases to you, then looking into thin air, calls the next customer.

Have you ever experienced this sort of, sad, impersonal customer service at the Inditex brand? I have seen it happening in London, in Brussels, Antwerp and now I’m experiencing the full-on “I’m too miserable to even acknowledge your presence” attitude in their Spanish stores. Mary Portas went to the Oxford Street flagship store in London and compared the service to that of Burger King, even calling it “snooty”.

Why are they so sad? is the pay that bad? Are the working conditions so horrid? Why do they hate customers? Because, the truth is, they hate us all.

Maybe it’s the uniforms they have to wear: jacket, top and trousers, ugly shoes, all in black. Day in, day out. Maybe they see us happy customers smiling away with our colourful purchases. Their resentment must be at a mighty high after this Summer of vibrant colour blocking.

Maybe they are told not to smile? They might have been warned about Anna Wintour not including smiles in the upcoming September issue of Vogue, and we all know how good Zara is at replicating the latest trends.

I wonder whether they have motivational posters in the storage rooms, as in “make a customer feel as insignificant as an amoeba and get a 10% discount”.

We may never know the real reason. All we can be sure of, is that the girls in Zara are sad. Very, very sad.

Note: I have worked in retail, in some miserable conditions. I have worked in pubs, with minimum wage and drunks as customers. Still, I believe a smile goes a long way. I’m seriously curious about the lack of customer care in Zara, if anyone knows anything about their working conditions, please enlighten us. Until then I can only look at this misery with a pinch of salt 😉