Lovely Living & Total Look: Retro X-mas

This Christmas I went retro-style for the decorations and my outfit. Not a 'fashion'- Christmas tree but one that makes you nostalgic with the classic colors:red, green, gold & silver and colourful lights! It even goes a little Kitsch, tacky; but I don't mind, I like Kitsch but the one with the big 'K' ;)

A real Nordmann-Christmas tree(I love the smell), 5 different strings of lights...
Let me take you on a journey through the tree... 

In the red photoframe-ornaments I've putted different retro-pics.

 

Lots of glitter in general! :) Stars, snowflakes, deers, christmas balls, bows, roses,...

 
Angels

And a lot of candycanes, a string of Jinglebells and I was very enthousiastic when I found those candlelights in the basement (very suprised they still work!) they are perfect for the retro-theme!

The tabledecorations:

And it wouldn't be Christmas without the beautiful polish christmas carols: koledy (I could not find my favorite versions on youtube :( got to load them up myself! ;) )

My outfit:

Black & Red and a lot of bows! A cuter, more elegant version of a christmas-sweater on a dress in tule(the one I saw windowshopping at Breda ;)) to give that 'petticoat' effect.
Sweater: Vue sur mer
Dress: Zara  
 

Red velvet heels in pin-up style
with matching velvet bag.

Shoes & bag: 3Suisses
Nailpolish: Bourjois'Rouge Escarpin' 

Red sequins bow-hairpin: Jessica Louise (www.jessicalouise.com)
   Lipstick: Rouge allure laque 75 Chanel

Big bow: Cosy@home (www.cosy-home.eu)


Style it, Personalize it!
Lara

Total Look 22/12/2010: Purple delight in the snow

This look is to show that even in the snow you can still be stylish! No need for moonboots but boots with high heels! It's handy because you can fixate the heel in the ice for grip. :)
The hat keeps your head warm and the falling snow out of your face.

Hat: H&M
Coat, belt, bag: Mango
Boots: New Look


The best is to combine with the black hat an other color than black for the coat, so there is not that 'witch' vibe going on. ;)

So 3 colours for this look: black, gray, purple who are all three in the scarf with roses.
Scarf: H&M
Cardigan: 3Suisses

 3 different flower Corsages: 
black rose (la foulardière),
purple rose (Veritas),
Velvet flowers (vintage) 
Bracelet: Veritas 
Nailpolish: Bourjois 

This dress has warm lining so it can be worn in winterseason.
Dress: Zara

Other jewelry instead of the bracelet with roses can be: necklace and bracelet with pearls.

Bracelet: Cleo Crunelle Creations

 

 I kept the make-up very soft. Eyeshadow, eyecrayon & lipgloss from Sothys.

(www.sothys.com)

Style it, Personalize it!

Lara 

Total Look: Retro feel

A perfect look for the winter-season!  You can finish the look with fluffy earmuffs, gloves, tights and 'laqué' bag (it resists to snow! ;) ).
 

                                                                    Coat: Zara  (www.zara.com)  
                                                                     Earmuffs: Accessorize  (www.accessorize.com)

 A cardigan that closes in the waist and then gradually flares, goes very well on a tight dress for that ultra-feminin forties-fifties look. (and covers up a belly ;)) You can accentuate the waist with matching laqué (patent leather) belt.

Cardigan: Vero Moda  (www.veromoda.com)

The dress has a little dogtooth pattern, with this pattern red accents are a must! (bag, flowercorsage, nailpolish, lipstick)
As in every total look make sure elements are repeated:
leather gloves->leather shoes
patent leather bag->laqué belt
colours red & black 

Dress & pumps: Zara













This wouldn't be 'retro' without using genuine vintage stuff, it's original and has a history... but do not exaggerate with the old, you don't want to look like a granny. Think more sofisticated pin-up! High heels, nailpolish, lipstick, long gloves makes the difference!

Handbag: flea-market (I've cleaned it first with dettol, but watch out: these bags often have a carton base)
Gloves: Lanvin for H&M

                                      FlowerCorsage: vintage
                                      Nailpolish: Chanel 'Pirate'


For the make-up I used: liquid eyeliner from M.A.C. and 'rouge d'amour' lipstick from Chantal Thomass for Nivea.

(http://www.chantalthomass.fr/#/accueil/la-collection-de-maquillage-nivea)

(http://www.nl.nivea.be/Producten/make-up/chantal-thomass)

Who is great in expleaning how to apply make-up is Kandee Johnson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyv05hmcbU0

For my look I didn't use fake eyelashes and instead of the brown (to create a shadow), I used darkgrey (matches better with my blue eyes).
If you don't want to have too much make-up on, like for the day, just put on some black mascara and a red lipstick with a less brighter colour.



Style it, Personalize it!
Lara

Inside my closet

You can never have enough of......Pink Stiletto's!

High heels from: New Look, Nada, Poti Pati, Together, Mango, La Strada, Zara, Via Uno.

Total Look & Happy Shopping on November 17th: Steps Special Dresses Night

I went to Breda for the "Steps Special Dresses Night", there are Steps-stores in Belgium but this event only took place in the Netherlands where the brand comes from. So hup, I took the train to the closest city next to the Belgian border and since Breda received the name 'best citycenter' ,I wanted to check it out. Yes it's cosy and everybody was very friendly! :)

My Total look for the day: 'Night-butterfly'

  

A comfy look (for the road) with sparkling elements 
(for the 'Special Night' ok, but still every day is special! ;))
Because there are a lot of details in this look, I used only 2 colours. The satin-dress has the accent-color, petrol-blue, that colortone comes back in the stones of the bracelet & shoes and eyeshadow. Black as neutral-color. 
Because of the 'empire'-line of the dress, I've chosen a long cardigan with a cut that has the stiching also in the 'empire'-waist.
Dress: Zara
Cardigan: Esprit
Bag: Mango

The Butterfly-hanger-brooch (yes 2 in 1!) 
(Caroll Paris  www.caroll.com)
is the eyecather with beautiful grey-black stones. I've attached it in the empire-line to 'break' it.

Jacket: Zara
Butterfly & dragonfly-rings: Claire's
Nailpolish: Chanel 'Black Satin'

I find it very important that elements come back. In this case the stones from the bracelet and shoes are quite similar.
Bracelet: Mango
Ballerina's: Sacha Shoes (www.sacha.nl)

I normally always wear high heels but this 
ballerina's are so pretty, I couldn't resist!
and yes,  the 'Sacha'-collection has also a pair of high heels with the stones but the huge sole is not flattering and makes it vulgar.

  

For the hair: a little black pin with butterfly's & gray-black stones. 
The pin is not from a particular brand, I've found it at a cute little giftshop here in Brussels.

It's not good to over-accessorize unless it's in the same style and not too flashy as you can see in this look.

                                               The eyeshadow comes from this lovely Claire's make-up box,
                                               I've mixed 3 colours (the ones with the *). Other make-up: 'touche éclat' YSL,
                                               'Stiletto Lash'-mascara Maybelline,
                                               eyeliner-crayon from Art Deco, transparent lipgloss...

Happy Shopping at the Steps Special Dresses Night:

The Steps-clothing caught my eyes this year's spring, it's not too classic and the collection always has special pieces. It reminds me a little bit Monsoon (www.monsoon.co.uk).
This is my selection from the website: www.steps.nl

                                                                     3 Dresses

                                           Martini-dress,  Jardin-Dress,  Vaslav-tunic



                                                                        Paris-Chic

                                               Moulins-skirt,  DaschundDog-top,  Library-vest




                                                                                        
                                                                     Stylish Basics

                                    SevresJersey-vest,  RondSleeve-Bolero,  Pinos-top



                                                                   Indian Contemporary

                                                Margay-colbert,  Madeleine-tunic,  Mohair-bolero


There is much more on the website; sadly they don't show the very nice accessories.

   4:50pm: waiting for the store to open                                         5pm: guestlist-check      
   (everybody could subscribe on the website)
   I like such shoppingnights: something to drink, a reduction,..
   it makes it all more festive!

 let the shopping begin!

 

oh!... this vest would be perfect for my friend Jyoti!











  and this blouse for Evie!

I took a picture of one of the saleswomen who's wearing the 'Jardin'-dress. She shortened her dress and was right about it:  this dress is better with a shorter lenght!

 The gorgeous 'Martini'-dress

A size XS-34 fits me, dutch sizes are clearly big but what a feelgood-boost! :)

 
First I didn't find the 'Vaslav'-tunic in the store, but the saleswomen found it in stock for sale, jipie!

Beautiful chinese-style blouse.

Yummie pink! and pretty necklace.

That was fun! In my bag: the Vaslav-tunic and Jardin-dress.

 

Some window-shopping after:

ooo that dress @ Zara!

and this skirt @ D.E.P.T
A raison to go back to the Netherlands!

Lara