shoulder doubt

I was a bit surprised to see Mary-Kate in this black jacket below not only because at first it looked like a bad excuse to wear a bin bag but because I thought the Olsens were past the big-shoulder trend. After looking at her for a while, though, I realised the jacket in question actually looks super cool on MK because it's kind of deceiving (it fooled me) as it has that grungy feel to it but it must be, of course, very pricey. Also, the shape of the shoulders doesn't follow the statement shoulder trend per se. They have more of a sculptural, balloon-y form.

I had a look around some e-tail sites to see what kind of jackets in the line of MK's I could find. I found some awesome pieces that, far from ascribing to the boring Balmain shoulder craze, the jackets below are edgier and actually have a personality.

1. American Retro @ Harvey Nichols, 2. Rick Owens @ Harvey Nichols, 3. Maison Martin Margiela @ Browns, 4. Maison Martin Margiela @ Browns, 5. RM by Roland Mouret @ Net-a-Porter, 6. Rick Owens @ Net-a-Porter.

I'm off.

[Pictures: RDuJour.com, store websites]

Paris Highlights

Once again Paris Fashion Week outshone London, New York and Milan by proving that it is in fact possible to make creative pieces while holding back on excess and flamboyance. Paris was less colourful than other fashion weeks which made the catwalks darker but more interesting in terms of texture and cut. Haider Ackermann, Roland Mouret, Celine and YSL best embodied this. Overall, we saw simplicity in the shape of a 60's (Giles, Louis Vuitton) and 90's (Isabel Marant) revival and plenty of lamé and khaki adding up to the FW10 trends.

Balmain

Givenchy

Roland Mouret

Pedro Lourenço

Celine

Junya Watanabe

Lanvin

Stella McCartney

Isabel Marant

Yves Saint-Laurent

Wunderkind

[Pictures: Style.com]

I'm off.

the copper globes

It has been a while since any award gala succeeded in getting to a fashionista's heart. And this year Golden Globes has been no different. However, I have come to the conclusion that if you will fail to even be vaguely fashion-forward you might as well stick to the classics.

Drew Barrymore has very much blossomed into a very interesting fashion personality. This Versace is not only on trend for next season but the bulgy detailing on the shoulder and hip add that edge she always needs. Emily Blunt, however, went for something a bit more restrained yet very gripping because of the way the fabric has been wrapped around. Plus, that haircut is a keeper.

Maggie Gyllenhall might or might not be aware that she doesn't have the most gifted face in Hollywood but she certainly knows how to compensate. Again, the subdued detailing makes her Roland Mouret captivating. Sandra Bullock gave me a big surprise. I loved how Coco's Tea Party chose her dress as the most unexpected colour, it is all about the hue.

Black doesn't really ever go wrong. I love how January Jones was one of the few to choose a high neckline. It made her Lanvin kind of intriguing and her casual hair-do added to that. Julia Roberts looked quite alluring in a very straightforward version of the LBD and the fact that she went into the YSL archive to get it really gives her bonus point in my book.

I was sad to hear from my flatmate that Julianne Moore was in the worst dressed list. My favourite moment of the night was when Tom Ford was asked if he approved of her dress and he almost spit out a "duh", noting that he is very good friends with Nicolas Ghesquière. And, of course, Ashley (the future Mrs. soVIPzone) in a flirtatious electric blue Erdem that takes my breath way. She also wore the Manolos from Sex and The City, which only gives me more ideas of how to propose.

[Picture credit: JustJared]

I'm off.

My Favourite Dress

It isn't something unusual to find a list of a blogger's favourite dresses every now and again —I have done it several times. However, it is not every day that the most prominent fashion big names open up about their preferences. In 'My Favourite Dress' 150 designers and fashion personalities look back at their trajectory to pick their favourite creation ever. If that weren't enough, the forewords by Suzie Menkes (personal Goddess) and Alexandra Shulman make this new book pretty much irresistible.I had the chance to have a look at the book and I have to admit I was impressed and surprised. I never imagined that certain fashion icons would choose such simple, old or new pieces. Anyone from Mary Quant to Stephen Jones and Christian Lacroix or Hamish Bowles describe as well why they love their picks, which makes you feel somewhat nostalgic and linked to them —I specially loved Gianfranco Ferré's, Hamish's and Donna Karan's selections (none of whom I was particularly fond of before the book). Hence, I am ordering my copy as a late Christmas present! Click here to get yours (UK click here).

I'm off.