Must have a rant!

So here I am today out to hit the shops (after the double smooch obviously) and whilst at the Lancome coutner at a largest department store in Rotterdam the strangest thing happen.

No it wasnt the massive in your face cleavage from the sales counter lady (although I am all for flaunting one's assets - I do but not in a in your face full one embarassing for even us girls kind of way) but when I asked her if there were any samples of Secret de Vie products she kind of gave me this chuckle, awkward laugh thing.

I should have then and there said so terribly sorry did I say something that was funny. How silly of me to think that one might want to test a product of a particular quality and price point to see if it suits my skintype after all we Dutch arent known for our customer service skills let alone the after-sales ones of that genre. Perhaps if more ridiculous to think Lancome Holland wants to sell this product no surely they are being purchased like hotcakes and only I could think that a personal test would be appropriate.

The silly thing in the end was me - I didnt say anything but instead left with my tail between my legs for being so stupid to ask this question. So I will stick to my Genefique and Reenergie products and maybe consider other purchases somewhere where customer service is actually present or the sales counter staff is just friendly, helpful and not ueber full of themselves. There I feel better - I got it out...

Calling all Men!

Maybe sometimes I focus too much on female fashion sights around me but not today! See I love guys experimenting with fashion, finding their own style all of that but boys come on ... there are some points to take into consideration that cause fashion fury to us outsiders. Here my top five list of fashion donts for the boys!

1) backpacks for boys
I understand, its practical - get it but come one no adult man should look like 12 year old school boy. Like today in the train even a Louis Vuitton version cant make it any better. Please boys embrace the man bag, it can totally make you look cool and there are so many versions that there will definitely be one out there to suit every single one of you.

2) male cleavage
Ok so this one not all of you even wager a shot at and thanks for that! I admit the majority of these having only been spotted the reluctant pop star with the ueber cool attitude. It is this attitude that on the one hand you need to even consider trying the look and on the other hand makes it totally unattractive. Because the male cleavage screams to every girl out there - hey baby I got it going on - admittedly you might but that's what might just scares us away too cool for school.

3)  jewellery
I pity the fool who stool my jewellery as Chandler kindly pointed out to Joey. Please guys there are the cool rocker accessories that I totally dig and I do sympathize that I can do my statement necklaces, rings, earrings, you name we girls have the whole lot to choose from but I am of the opinion that men are best to limit self experience through bling bling. A watch, a ring (always a great to see if someone is in fact otherwise attached) and a cufflink or two - ok maybe a stretch to be called jewellery but I needed to come with an even 3.

4) too short trousers
Ages ago in London these girls without knowing that I was Dutch said that we Dutch always wear our trousers too short. I thought they must be confused after all I was too short to wear my trousers without the remote fear of getting them wet but then I started to pay more attention and it is true our trousers are just too short. So this morning on the platform - there he was tall, slim great suit and way too short trousers. Personally I blame the tailor - someone should have said no.

5) fashion statement socks
This is a UK thing after all amongst all those pinstripes there has to be a little colour in a man's life. The English find it in their socks - red, purple, bright blue all in all shocking. The worst example a colleague who wore cartoon variations. I love the idea of fashion spirit and maybe I should be grateful that they arent white but come one purple isnt really a step up.

oh and 5+ labels on suits - this is my bonus number for the list. why oh why do men leave the label on the outside of the suit. I love that you are proud that is a certain brand or a material but just think how special it would be if it wasnt in BIG letters on the outside. So please if only one lesson to be learnt - no labels...

White shoes - love 'em or hate 'em?

This one always puzzles me. You see I grew up in the 1980s (yes do the math that old) and the rules were simple - white shoes only in summer and only up until Labour Day (sometime in early Septembter).

So as so many of us Sex and the City really challenged my idea of what the rules might be. And then it hit me - no more rules. I found my inner shoe diva - the one we women all have inside them regardless of our specific tastes. This new freedom was fabulous - I went mad hidden platform peep toes, studded nude courts, silk griege slip in heels, purple suede wedges, cognac cork wedges, black bow courts, black corset boots, black caged 

source: HBO Sex and the City

bootlets oh my... even just listing them brings a rush. That and I still havent managed to venture to a guru pair from Manolo or Christian (yes we are on a first name basis I think of them so much)

But then the white shoe or more particularly the white boots just baffle me. Carrie Bradshaw and Christian showed me that white courts can step outside even in the colder months and still look elegant. Nothing about them screams TOWIE (The Only Way is Essex) which admit it is a relief to us all I am sure. I even now have a pair of white courts with black little details which just helps to ease me into it. So maybe I am ready to take the plunge - white courts.

source http://www.sugarfab.com/



But wait - what about the white boot...

I had a totally different feeling about these... nothing but truly nothing can rescue these. I did a through internet search only to help support my fashion fury sighting today on the train. White boots dont work! There is nothing flattering about them, nothing elegant, attractive, appealing or even wearable.

source http://www.stylefrizz.com/

Maybe I am still too rigid in this and I am welcoming examples to proof me wrong but from where I am standing... white boots are a total fashion DON'T!

Does a HUGE ad campaign limit personal style?

So by now I am sure EVERYONE has seen them. The the new H&M campaign with the ever stunning Gisele Bundchen featured.

So feeling the bug myself - well it was a sunny day - I headed over to my nearest store to specifically get my hands on a floral print maxi. I was thinking as the maxi dress on my "Lust List" March 2010 still isnt available I would go after a skirt instead. But somehow I wasnt the only girl with this on her mind it seems. The shop was packed - surprisingly after all it was sunny - so after much searching I find the skirt, loads of them in fact and so many girls, women, people were hovering over the stand. The diversity of all us is unreal. In terms of shapes, sizes, skin colour, style everything and yet we all want this one skirt. As I get my size I take it for a whirl through the shop - its called bonding to see if we really have a click and with such as massive queue to pay I used this time to really see if I still feel as strongly about the skirt as I did when I walked in the shop.

As I see the stand again - still very popular with shoppers - I change my mind. I want my style to be about expressing myself and whilst I am completely aware of the fact that these are mass produced products and there will be people that have the same dress, shoes, outfits etc this was just one step too far. I love the high street, I love Zara, Asos, M&S, Reiss, Comptoir de Cotonniers and the up and coming French brands but they dont have such broad swept advertising campaigns behind them.

I feel that with so much advertising power behind a high street brand its just too visible for me and doesnt give me enough opportunty to make it my own. So in the end no maxi floral skirt for me!

Hair Updo that is a please dont do

I whole heartedly wish that I could be a supporter for any woman that spends time on herself. But there are some efforts that just dont work. Like the curly crazy hair up do with those little hair clips all wrapped around your head. So time consuming that I wish I could say - ten points for effort but minus 100 points for style and avoid all age appropriateness. Same thing such as pigtails - come on there is an age limit. Personally pigtails stop being cute around 10... but there are so many other much better options out there.

So to the darling girl on the train - please spend your time more wisely. I love that you tried but in this case - keep trying...

Fashion Fury of The Day

I have these fashion furies - I guess you can see them as crimes against fashion. Some of them are from me, some are from my sister and some from my girlfriends...

1) DO NOT - repeat - DO NOT walk on the nail of your heal. Everyone can hear it and it screams STREETWALKER
2) Make sure to remove the labels from your shoes. Yes some are very adhesive but a little nail polish remover and you're good to go. Colour in the sole if necessary.
3) Do not follow every trend - example leather skinnies not for everyone
4) Visible underwear - come on there are so many ways around this and this includes vpls and there is nothing wrong with Spanx even for those who don't need the figure correcting bit - they smooth you out why do you think the models wear them?
5) Skin coloured tights that don't actually ressemble a skin colour. Isn't the idea to create the illusion of flawless skin?

I am sure there will be more but this is to get started...

lots of love x