Es ist Montag und ich denke sehr stark an Urlaub. Ich dachte, ich teile ein paar Bilder mit euch von einem schon etwas weiter zurueckliegenden Aufenthalt in Seoul. Im Maerz 2008 war ich fuer eine Woche in der Suedkoreanischen Hauptstadt und war sehr beeindruckt! Leckeres Essen (mmh, Kimchi), tolle Menschen und wirklich sehr erschwingliche Mode an abertausenden Marktstaenden. Mein liebster Ort war Ssamzie Market, ein moderne und kuenstlerischer Markt mit einem Mix an Modeboutiquen und kleinen Laedchen mit diversen Einrichtungsgegenstaenden und anderem Kram.

Dort habe ich auch meine neonpinke Einkaufstasche ergattert fuer weniger als $6 (Ich wuenschte, ich haette mehr davon gekauft in allen Farben des Regenbogens. Leider hab ich sie erst am letzten Tag entdeckt und habe mein letztes Bargeld fuer zwei Exemplare ausgegeben. Mein Freund hat eine orangefarbene bekommen und will sie mir einfach nicht zurueck geben).

Besonders entzueckt war ich von den vielen tollen Schuhen in einem der Einkaufszentren. Sie waren alle aussergewoehnlich und fast schrullig, doch gleichzeitig feminine. Leider passte mir kein einziges Paar. Die groesste Schuhgroesse ist 38, fuer meine europaeischen Standard-39er-Fuesse muesste man eine Spezialanfertigung bestellen. Meine koreanische Begleiterin hat sich ueber meine “Riesenfuesse” kaputt gelacht. Dabei dachte ich immer, bei 1,74m Groesse waeren meine Fuesse noch relativ klein.

Wie die stylishen Koreaner, habe ich mich heute fuer den Etagenlook entschieden: Socken ueber Strumpfhose, Weste ueber Cardigan ueber Kleid. Jemand hat mir heute uebrigens gesagt, dass ich wie eine Schornsteinfegerin in Tracht aussehe. Nicht gerade der Look, den ich erzielen wollte, aber trotzdem ‘dankeschoen’.

It’s Monday and I am thinking very hard about holidays. I thought I’d share some pictures with you from a not so recent trip to Seoul. I was in the South Korean capital back in March 2008 for only a week and was so impressed with it! Lovely food (mmh, Kimchi), great people and some very affordable fashion in what seemed like over a thousands market stalls. My favourite spot was Ssamzie Market, a modern & arty kind of market with a mixture of interior design and fashion boutiques. Just the sort of place where I’d be hanging out if I lived there.

This is where I bought my fluorescent pink tote bag for under $6 (Damnit! I wish I had bought more of them, in all colours of the rainbow. But I only found them on my last day and literally spent my last Won on two bags. My lucky boyfriend got the neon orange one and he ain’t giving it back!)

I was especially charmed by the huge variety of women’s shoes in one of the shopping malls. They were all quite quirky and really stood out, while still looking feminine. But, not a single pair fit me! The biggest shoe size in Korea is a UK size 5. With my bog standard European feet at size 6 I would have had to order them to be specially made for me. My Korean escort couldn’t stop giggling at my ‘ginormous’ feet. And there was me thinking that my feet were small for my height (5’8’’).

Like trendy Koreans do, I opted for multiple layers today: socks over tights, waistcoat over cardigan over dress. Someone said to me today that I looked like a German female chimneysweeper in traditional costume. Not exactly what I was aiming for but thanks anyway.

Cardigan: Topshop

Waistcoat: H&M

Dress: Primark Beachwear

Tights & Socks: H&M

Court shoes: H&M

Ssamzie Market

Plaques outside Ssamzie Market

Nighttime Market Stall

Lego / Chocolate Earrings

In-a my country, athlete's foot is for free!

We enjoyed a little snack in the taxi...

Jeder, der mich kennt, weiss, dass ich sog. ‘Foot Shots’ hasse (und meine Fuesse noch dazu), trotzdem wollte ich ein Bild meiner neuen Sandalen im Greek Godess Style nicht vorenthalten. Bitteschoen!

Nachdem ich letztes Jahr von der Legion an Roemersandalen genervt war, hab ich mich fuer diesen Sommer doch noch zu dieser Art von Sommerschuhen hinreissen lassen. Waehrend ich in Ballerinas und Pumps schwitzte, zeigten die anderen Londoner Maedels ihre buntbemalten Zehen in luftigen Sandalen.

Besonders gemuetlich sind Riemchenschuhe ja nicht gerade, aber dieses Paar von Topshop war auf Anhieb bequem und ich weiss schon jetzt, dass wir diesen Sommer die besten Freundinnen werden.

Anyone who knows me is probably aware that I am not the greatest fan of foot shots (and not that much of my feet either). However, I wouldn’t want to deprive you of a picture of my latest acquisition of Greek Godess style sandals. You’re welcome!

After last year’s strict abstinence from gladiator soles (seeing them everywhere really got on my nerves), I have now thrown over my own rule and decided to get a pair of my own. Reason No.1: while last summer I was sweating in ballerinas and court shoes, many cool London girls were showing off their painted toe nails in airy sandals.

I never thought that laced shoes would be this comfortable but I took a shine to this pair of Topshop beauties: the only pair that was instantly comfy. My sandals and I will be bff’s this summer. Fact.

]]> http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/summer-shoe-solution/feed/ 2 doraetlabora IMG_5373 IMG_5376 http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/pimp-your-clutch/ http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/pimp-your-clutch/#comments Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:31:24 +0000 doraetlabora http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/?p=453 ]]>

Raspberry Clutch, customised, side: Daytime

Als einer der billigsten Londoner High-Street-Mode-Ketten eine Unzahl an diversen Clutch Bags in seine Regale stopfte, kaufte ich mir ein himbeerfarbenes Krokoleder Exemplar mit silbernem, ömeligen Schnappverschluss für gerade mal vier Pfund.
Doch leider färbte noch vor dem ersten Tragen, das nie statt fand, meine Zeitung auf die Tasche ab. Die eine Seite war für immer mit Druckerschwärze gebrandmarkt.
Ich schleppte sie zu ein paar Flohmärkten, wo ich beschämt nur die saubere Seite zur Schau stellte. Aber wem kann man es verübeln, so ein hässliches Gerät nicht kaufen zu wollen.
Nachts beim Aufräumen kam mir die zündende Idee. Wie wir es damals in den 90ern taten, könnte ich sie mit alle möglichen Stickern bekleben um sie etwas aufzupumpen. Die schwarzen Streifen wären somit kaum noch zu sehen. Tagelang suchte ich nach meiner alten Aufklebersammlung, die noch ein paar nostalgische Überreste meiner einst prächtigen Sandy Lion & Co. Kollektion enthält.
Irgendwann fand ich die Aufkleber in einer Flyerkiste und machte mich an die Arbeit. So ist eine Tages- und eine Nachtseite entstanden.

Ich finde, dass sie so gut zu einem schicken Outfit passen würden. Gestern kombinierte ich sie mit meinem anthrazitfarbenen Einteiler, meinen neuen weiß-grauen Greek Godess Topshop Sandalen und einem beigen, langen Cashmere Cardigan.

Raspberry Clutch, customised, side: Nighttime

When one of the cheapest London highstreet fashion outlets stuffed their shelves with all sorts of different clutch bags, I bought a raspberry croc leather clutch with a silver grandma-style latch for a mere four Pounds.
Unfortunately before I even got to use it, a copy of a commuter’s free magazine had marked my bag. One side was forever engraved with ink.
I took it to some fleamarkets where ashamedly I only showed off its clean side. Nobody wanted it and I can’t blame them.
One night when I was going through my stuff I decided to do what we did in the 90s where we stuck all sorts of stickers to just about anything we could get our hands on. For days I ended up looking for my old nostalgic collection of the likes of Sandy Lion. Finally, I found them in a box of flyers. I ended up designing a day and a night time side.

I think that this clutch matches well with a smart outfit, thus creating a break from a usually conservative style of dress.
Yesterday we spent out Saturday afternoon down the park and I combined the clutch with a charcoal jumpsuit, my new off-white Greek Godess Topshop sandals as well as a beige, long Cashmere cardigan.

(Todd Lynn, fashion designer)

As much as it is exciting to look at designers’ new collections at London Fashion Week, doing some people watching, at any fashion week for that matter, is just as fascinating.

Self-evidently, anybody attending a big fashion event, pulls out their most stylish outfit, whether to make an impression or to fit in with the fash crowd. To me, this is the most exciting part. After all, whatever trends the designers are coming up with, it has to have an appeal to their target market who in most cases is then going to mix and match different new trends with their personality or with what is already in their closet.

So naturally, designers are inspired by trends on the street and as a result their work then further inspires the styles that are worn by everyday people. The two factors depend on each other and one does not work without the other.

Personally, I have always looked towards the style on the street for fashion inspiration, since within it you can pick up key fashion trends simultaneously.

Here’s a selection of some outfits from LFW that I really liked.

Sarai wears:

jacket – vintage

jumper – vintage

jumpsuit – Topshop

shoes – Swear

bag – Angel Jackson

scarf – vintage

tights & shades – American Apparel

Camille wears:

dress – All Saints

jeans – Citizens of Humanity

jacket – H&M

boots – from Italy

bag – Yves Saint Laurent

jewellery – Zoe & Morgan

Millie wears:

jacket – vintage

dress – Chanel

shoes – Terry de Havilland

*

Zoniel wears:

Cardigan – vintage

Dress – Reiss

Tights – from Japan

Trainers – Reebok

Rosy wears:

blouse – Kookaï

trousers – Topshop

scarf – H&M

shoes – Topshop

belt – vintage

I’m wearing my newly acquired jumper and kept the rest of the outfit fairly plain in black.

jumper – vintage (Made in Berlin)

tights & mini skirt – Primark

shoes – Office

Dies ist mein erster Post auf Deutsch!

In zwei Tagen habe ich als Tourist in meiner Heimat diverse Modeläden und Boutiques abgeklappert, doch zugeschlagen habe ich eigentlich nur bei Made in Berlin: Eine neongrüne Jogginghose, ein schwarzer 80er Pulli mit Sternenapplikationen, sowie ein cremefarbenes T-Shirt mit 80er-Hollywood-Print, insgesamt für knapp 80 Euro.

Seit meiner immensen Ausräumaktion und dem letzten Retro Sale in London, habe ich wenig Lust mein Geld für neue Kleidung von Ketten auszugeben und setze eher auf individuelle Teile. Zudem lassen sich Second-Hand-Geschäfte besser mit meinem Gewissen vereinbaren.

Um einige meiner ungeliebten Kleidungsstücke zu Hause zu ‘pimpen’, habe ich mir gerade ein Tütchen verschiedener Knöpfe gekauft. Ein langweiliger Cardigan kann mit ein paar Goldknöpfen doch noch nach was aussehen.

Beim Anprobieren habe ich ein paar Bilder von meinen neuen Klamotten geschossen.

This is my first German post!

For two days I jaunted through various fashion stores and boutiques as a tourist in my home country, but only struck at Made in Berlin:

Fluorescent green jogging bottoms, a black 80s jumper with star appliqués, as well as a creme coloured T-Shirt in 80s style Hollywood Print, all for under 80 Euro.

Since my humongous clear out session and the recent retro sale in London, I have little desire to spend my money on clothes from chain stores and focus on individual pieces. Besides, vintage shops help salve my conscience.

In order to ‘pimp’ some of my unloved items of clothing at home, I bought a bag full of different buttons. A boring cardigan can suddenly be boosted with a few gold buttons.

I took some pictures while I was in the vintage shop’s dressing room.

To complete the array of items I bought in the Angels Retro Sale last Saturday, I have taken some more pictures of the rest of the pieces.

Item #4 is an oversized knitted cotton cardigan that my friend pulled out of one of the hundreds of boxes. I instanty loved the crest detail on the back. I have teamed it with a grey T-Shirt and some washed out black denims. To accomplish the ‘college look’ I teamed the outfit with my beloved brogues which not so long ago, I wasn’t even sure I’d keep.

cardigan – Angels Retro Sale

T-Shirt – Primark

trousers – H&M

wingtips – Primark

__________

You don’t know how long I have been looking for the perfect black pencil skirt. I have forever been searching for one for years but somehow never found one that fit me. There would always be that one detail that I didn’t like about it and thus never thought it was worth buying a skirt that I didn’t love 100%.

To my surprise, I found this high-waisted patterned pencil skirt in the 60s and 70s section. Not sure that it would fit me – it looked rather small – I tried it on in a less busy corner and was happy to see that the zip closed!

Because this is quite a smart skirt, I combined it with a plain white vest top and some white plimsoles to avoid looking like a secretary.

pencil skirt – Angels Retro Sale

vest top – Cheap Monday

watch – Casio

plimsoles – Brick Lane Market

__________

This blouse was more of an impulse buy but since it is a very thin silk-like material I decided that there was just enough space to bag another item. Teamed with a leather belt and shorts, this shirt can be worn during the warmer months and I am already looking forward to wearing it outside once the weather allows me to do so.

blouse – Angels Retro Sale

belt – Topshop

shorts – H&M

shades – Primark

One of my precious finds at the Angels Retro Sale on Saturday was this 80s style collarless blazer.

Not that I needed another black blazer (I can still hear my friend laughing at me on the phone, ‘you bought ANOTHER blazer!?’).

But – and this is a big BUT – I haven’t had an 80s style blazer up until I found this little beauty. The massive shoulder pads are mind-blowing.

There is just something about vintage pieces that make them special. At around four Pounds per item, you would never be able to find a highstreet equivalent at such rarity and quality. I am quite happy to show off its black patterned shimmering lining. Makes a change to the cotton or polyester inner coating of my other blazers.

80s power dressing screams for big statement jewellery. I teamed the blazer with big gold and orange earrings and a heavy multi-layered metal necklace with pearls and coins that have already featured in previous posts.

The rest of the outfit was kept simple with a white plain T-Shirt, some black stirrup leggings and a pair of black suede heels with gold stars. I found them in 1999 during half term break in London, in Office’s outlet store in Covent Garden. They have been with me ever since. Although they were never my favourites, they have recently been re-introduced into my wardrobe.

blazer – Angels Retro Sale

T-Shirt – H&M

stirrup leggings – Primark

shoes – Office

earrings – Urban Outfitters

necklace – Miss Selfridges

__________

Item#2 that I managed to squeeze into the tiny bag worth 20 Pounds, is this coral knitted backless jumper. Not the most practical of things, but then again, how often can we say that about our clothes? Don’t we just enjoy dressing up for the sake of it and then realise, once we have left the house, that it’s either too cold, we’re totally overdressed or we constantly have to tug on them to ensure they stay where they are supposed to stay?

Either way, I am going to give this vintage jumper a chance. I love how it manages to be casual yet glamourous at the same time.

jumper – Angels Retro Sale

stirrup leggings – Primark

necklaces – Topshop

faux fur coat – H&M

tote bag – Hackney Museum

__________

This squared hand-knitted jumper shall officially be called my ‘Berlin Jumper’. There is something about its style that reminds me of my home country’s capital. It will definitely be in my suitcase when I’m off to go there in a few days.

Not until it has been washed yet another time. Sadly, a lot of the clothes at the sale smelt bad and the mothball odour still hasn’t left the knitting of this garment.

As you can see, the design inspired me to take up knitting again. Okay, for like two minutes. But since winter is here to stay there is still time to add some warm pieces to my wardrobe.

jumper – Angels Retro Sale

leggings – Primark

trainers – Reebok

]]> http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/angels-delights-part-one/feed/ 0 doraetlabora blazer vorne blazer innenfutter detailansicht rückenfrei hinten roter pulli vorne stricken http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/dress-up-frenzy/ http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/dress-up-frenzy/#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:44:16 +0000 doraetlabora http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/?p=361 ]]>

Are you a fan of motto parties? I wouldn’t say that I am.

There is something about forcing all your guests to dress up that I don’t necessarily agree with.

However, some themes are so tempting, that you actually want to put all your effort into sourcing the perfect outfit together. Last night’s 80s / 90s hip hop theme was one of those for me. Shaking your booty to old school rap tunes while showing off your cheesiest retro outfit, bring it on!

I used my much needed nap time after the Angels Retro Sale to curl my hair into foam curlers to strut a perm-style hairdo in true 80s Working Girl fashion. In the picture I’m trying out my friend’s horn-rimmed faux glasses.

My body still hasn’t recovered from the vintage sale and fancy dress party craziness, so I’m actually too tired to write any more. But I promise to show you my precious finds (six in total!) from yesterday’s warehouse sale, part of them are still in the wash…

Part of the hour long queue before the sale. It snaked around several corners and there are actually some more people that you might just about make out in the back.

Inside the sale. Amazing how many people would get up so early on a Saturday to pick up dusty, mothball-smelly clothes.

top – customised Uniqlo

denim jacket – H&M

purple strapped bag – Beyond Retro

faux glasses – friend’s

]]> http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/dress-up-frenzy/feed/ 1 doraetlabora hiphopparty Kopie retro sale schlange IMG_2351 http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/floral-pattern-dressed-down/ http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/floral-pattern-dressed-down/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:21:40 +0000 doraetlabora http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/?p=343 ]]>

Last summer, highstreet shops were filled with floral patterned garments, from tops and dresses to skirts and tights, Topshop was beginning to look like the inside of a praline box.

For the fear of not looking like one myself, I have kept the patterns in today’s outfit to one item only. Less is more!

That’s the thing with patterns, you can either go completely berserk, totally mismatching the different designs and styles, going that much over the top that it looks cool. The kind of cool that actually looks dreadful, dreadful enough to be cool again.

However, an in-between state where you’re mixing only a couple of patterned items, could sometimes look a bit like you got dressed in the dark.

Floral tights...

... call for a floral necklace!

Because I am working at the office today, I opted for safety and combined my floral patterned tights with a plain black highwaisted skirt and a white vest top. To break up the overall picture of appearing sickly sweetly girly, I teamed my playful outfit with some hi-tops and a beanie.

The weekend is nigh and for the fear of being tempted to have a late one out ‘n about in Soho tonight, I will prepare myself to do a runner at 6 o’clock, rushing home to finish reading my book (‘Everything is Illuminated’ by Jonathan Safran Foer – a great example of how tardy I am when it comes to books bestseller lists…).

Inspired by a recent post on one of my fashion blog favourites Park & Cube, I am going to pluck up the courage to get up before sunrise to get a good spot in the queue for the Angels Retro Sale in Wembley. £20 per bag, stuff as much in there as you can, just my sort of thing!

I’m already scared and also eager and happy in anticipation. While my wallet is beginning to warm up, I am already beginning to freeze. Let’s hope I hear the alarm tomorrow morning when it rings at 5.30 am…

vest top – Skinny

bolero – H&M

skirt – American Apparel

tights – Primark

hi-tops – Nike

jewellery – grandmother’s

beanie – Dad’s

]]> http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/floral-pattern-dressed-down/feed/ 1 doraetlabora IMG_2333 IMG_2345 IMG_2339 IMG_2340 http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/bad-hair-day-solving-it-50s-style/ http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/bad-hair-day-solving-it-50s-style/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:57:08 +0000 doraetlabora http://doraetlabora.wordpress.com/?p=327 ]]>

We all have bad days. It could be down to weather, lack of sleep, stress or simply a bad hair day.

Nothing will work, you have tried endless amount of styles which all looked great inside your head but not on your head.

If you’re like me, then hair behaving badly equals a grumpy mind. One of the easiest and laziest solutions that usually works for me is wearing a head scarf. I just tie my hair back in a topknot, clip my fringe back and tie a thin scarf around it, in 50s ‘housewife’ fashion.

Today I am wearing a vintage silk scarf which I inherited from my stepmother. Her style was always perfect and she dressed with effortless chic. She loved vibrant colours and accessories, always having on matching lipstick and immaculate nail varnish. It was her who inspired me to regularly wear nail colour. I can still hear the sound of her feet clucking about in high heels. A very impressive small lady with bundles of energy.

It is not surprising that she had a collection of what must be about a hundred scarfs. I treasure the silk scarf I received a couple of months ago. There was something about its design that I instantly adored. The mix of colours and the apple and stripe print is giving me a sense of nostalgia, bringing me back to times when my friends and I would play dress up in the height of the 80s.

I have kept the rest of my outfit minimalist, wearing a black oversized jumper as a dress with matching leggings and leather ballet shoes. My brooch is also vintage – my grandmother’s – with three shades of gold intertwined into a rosette.

jumper dress – H&M

headscarf – vintage

brooch – vintage

leggings – Primark

ballerinas – Miss CallagHan

vest top – Muji