My god, is it just me, or are these HIDEOUS? From afar, the clothes look quite nice. Then you take a closer look at the models...and you lose your appetite. At least I did.

God, I adore karlacloset.com.

If you haven't visited her blog yet, you are MISSING OUT. I cannot believe that she FINDS those outfits in second hand shops. Oh, shush you, I get that it's 'vintage', but we all know that the word has just become the fashionable way of describing clothing which is, essentially, old. Oh, how I love euphemisms.

Nevertheless, I digress. She always manages to find the most fabulous sheaths of fabric, intricately woven or sewn or whatever the words people use to describe the process of making clothes, together in order to create masterpieces. These are some of my favourites:


She is my insipration. Her sense of style, her wonderful classy individuality shines through the way she dresses. Just by looking at her, you can immediately tell she has innate style, one that transcends any trend. Her clothes, I have noticed, are primarily comprised of timeless, classic pieces which I suspect have been tailord expertly to her shape. These classics are usually combined with some quirky/ eclectic accessory, often a fabulous shoe, bag or scarf.

I am so miserable right now, I just cannot see it getting better.

Well, it's more that I'm preparing myself for the worst, but that in itself is costing me energy, my concentration and my health, and I don't know how much longer I can go on like this. I NEED to know if things will work out ok, because I can't stand the thought of hoping all this time, and then just getting shot down.

I need stability, and I need love. And I only want it from the one person.

Stylesightings.com

The Sartorialist

Stylesightings.com

OK, I may not be the most stylish person in the world, and maybe I have just begun to scrape the surface of fantastic fashion, but one thing that The Sartorialist and Stylesighings.com, as well as various magazines, shows and other fashion vessels have convinced me of is that true elegance can only be found in Europe.

New York fashion, as quirky, eclectic and imaginative as it is, can simply not compete with the sheer chic of European style. LA, as distinctive and, ahem, revealing as it is, simply does not have the innate markings of individuality and class. Asian fashion, in all of its cutesy glory, has certainly carved a niche of its own, and is, in many aspects, a fantastic representation of its surrounding culture. Nevertheless, my heart belongs to Europe.

Paris...it's just innate. I wish I was Parisian. I could pull of quirky leather trousers, 7 inch leopard heels and a sheer, chiffon olive green pussy bow blouse. Or even wear a firefighter hat.

In Milan, I would be able to ride a bike in my sailor's platforms, my long, luxurious hair flowing freely from under my green cap...and looking beyond alluring. Sigh.

I am going to Europe.

What do you do when you feel like your whole world is turning on you? How do you begin to sift through the mess that is your brain? How do you force yourself to face your fears, however minuscule they may seem to others?

It's interesting how the person you present yourself to others can often be so different from the person you feel you are inside. How do some people start of sweet and understanding, and turn into dragons and backstabbers once you make them angry? How do some, seemingly arrogant and heartless, turn out to be the sweetest and most loyal?

And how do some put up veneer of casual independence, and then drown in their own feelings of insecurity, projecting them onto those they love most?

Humans are made up of a labyrinth of emotions, actions, perceptions and interpretations, and only lately I've begun to scratch at the reflective, glass-like surface of their complexity.

Is this not just one of the most stunning, simple yet elegant poems??


It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love -
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me -
Yes! that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud one night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we -
Of many far wiser than we -
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling -my darling -my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea -
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Need I say anything else? They always say that a picture speaks a thousand words...I believe this one is a thesis then.

Oh, the JACKET. EXACTLY WHAT I WANT. The hair would be nice too.


And there you go. Absolutely gorgeous.

Something I covet...a simple black cotton/ woolen dress, ideally dressed down with a black leather biker jacket, black opaques and lace up ankle boots, or ballet flats. Set off against a palette of gold, chunky jewellery and leather cuffs, and you have an amazingly chic, day time outifit.

For nighttime, just add sky high heels, preferably in silver, bare legs, smoky, cat eyes, and an elegant bracelet from Tiffany & Co. Bam.



The hair, the jacket and the massive bracelet... sheer rock chick elegance.



Simple, chic, yet requiring a certain flair to pull off. I'd probably be really cold in the sleeveless jacket, but we all must make sacrifices for fashion.

Some of the images from the current Kirrily Johnston autumn/winter '09 collection. I was just browsing around, looking for any particular designers I would like, and stumbled upon her new line. I've been an admirer of the Australian for quite a while: she creates beautiful, simple clothing, using clean lines and block colours, easy to combine. Really, there's nothing more elegant than simplicity.

So today I cut out, or at least began to cut out, something that's been rotting from the inside for quite a while now.

It's the most definitive step I have taken so far, and it feels as if a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Even though I suspect I'll be lonely, I think that I need this both for myself, and for the issue to be resolved.

Fingers crossed.

As always, this show is ruining my life.

Instead of doing my homework, which I have in abundance, I am sitting down in my bathroom, in front of the heater, and watching the latest episode of what I will refer to as that 'addictive devil show'.

I was just about to say that I don't know why I like it, but it's pretty obvious that I do: the fashion. Really, that's all it has to recommend it. Fashion and beautiful highschoolers doing more interesting things with their lives than most people get to do, ever. I suppose the allure of it lies in the escapism of its 'plot lines' (and I use the term loosely, as I have never encountered secret societies, teacher-student affairs, rich society ladies getting it on with their daughter's boyfriend's (or ex boyfriends, depends on the episode) fathers, or some random Countess having an affair with both the show's resident sweetheart and her own stepson, who, on the other hand, seems to be having a good time courting the resident spoilt, revengful (albeit well dressed) brat.) which, you'd hope, are nore really part of your everyday teenager's life.

Oh, but the clothes...they evoke within every girl (I hope) a fantasy of beautiful bags and shoes and dresses, all tailor made to perfection, corresponding with the outifits of their friends as well as their surroundings perfectly, with just the right amount of fashionable juxtaposition and contrast to set off a new trend.

Oh Gossip Girl, as a show, you sure are shit; but when it comes to fashion, no one, (dare I say it?) not even Sex and the City, can do it better.

I hate Connex more than anything or anyone I have ever hated in my life. In fact, until I met Connex, I don't believe I really hated anything at all. Oh, I've often believed that I despised certain things such as seafood, trackies, jelly and the cold, but now I realise these 'hates' are simply mild dislikes. Connex, on the other hand, is a whole different ball game.

Oh Connex, now I wish to express to you the amazingly wonderful contribution you have made to my life. You have taught me that it IS possible to wish, endlessly...unpleasant things...upon certain corporations (and their heads). You have taught me that true hatred knows no bounds. You have extended me in the art of stressing. You have instilled within me such a deep seated resentment that even I am astounded at the strength of my disgust at your 'service'.

You have made me angry in the mornings when I do not wish to be angry, and you have, unforgivably, made me late for class. For that, I will forever hold you responsible, as I had to endure the mortification of coming into my first tute of the year 30 minutes late.

I also do not forgive you for taking up countless 'vent your spleens' and pissing off every single person that has ever travelled by train in Melbourne.

I sincerely thank you for cancelling my express train every day this week, and for raising your prices while declining in service. Top effort.

I also deeply impressed by the sausage sizzle you hosted last weekend, as I do believe that a sausage will definately appease your incompetance, as well as make us all love you again. Oh, Connex, you're so generous. :)

I believe in democracy, and I believe that democracy can help solve this problem. We just all have to voten you out. I realise that I care about very little in life; I have extremely limited interests, and it takes a lot to raise any passion out of me if it is not directly related to my sphere of understanding or interest.

But, alas! You have succeeded in making me passionate. So well done, Connex, I sure applaud your disgraceful efforts, because really, nothing on this planet has ever failed this badly, except for perhaps true Communism. Please go back to France where you belong.


And now, a short verse:

Oh, Connex,
you make me so happy,
to travel within your shitty
carriages,
where in summer it's hot,
and in winter it's not,
and where students get fined
for not carrying concession cards,
while filthy commuters smear greasy feet
all over the seats,
and sweat through their cheap,
Polyester suits.
But of course! you don't see,
you only charge,
titanic prices for lateness and terminations,
whilst we all, by and large,
promise ourselves that one day
we'll get you.

They are my passion, my love, my life. I pine for them, I dream about them, I am endlessly entertained simply by looking at the magnitude of the choices available. Buttery soft leather jackets, tight cigarette pants, silky and woollen and cashmere scarves, patterned blouses, glittery and wooden bangles, pinafores, tassels, lace stockings, tartan skirts and skinny leg jeans are all beautiful creations, waiting patiently for someone warm hearted and loving to accept them into their family. I am usually that person.

I do not understand why, or what it is that is so enticing about these pieces of branded cloth, but their allure burns bright in my mind, forever binding me to their beauty and variation.

How can I pass up the chance to own another pair of stunning suede boots, or yet another gorgeous necklace that simply works wonders in bringing any outfit together? Then there are the colours and tones and shapes and sizes, all appropriate for different occasions, yet all beguiling in their own sweet way.

How can I love inanimate objects so much? How can I value style so highly? I don't know, blame the media :P

So, my life has been reduced to waking up in the afternoon, reading a book for the next three hours, then having a shower and finally reading again while I wait for my fake tan to dry.

Sometimes I iron clothes or something, or cook dinner (to those who know me, I am not what you'd call a whiz in the kitchen or the home, so the mere fact that I'd consider doing those things, let alone do them, should indicate my increasing level of boredom).

But alas, there IS light at the end of the tunnel!! This time next week, not only will I be 21 (woot woot) but I shall also be, once again, embedded within the world of study and knowledge that I miss so much. I miss having a purpose for which to get out of bed for; I miss socialising with random people I have just met in my tutorials. I miss seeing friends, both close and fleeting, and I miss the atmosphere of a world removed from the mindless existence I currently lead at home.

I haven't even been writing in my blog, because literally, there is NOTHING TO TELL. I go out, I come home, I do nothing. I work. Till midnight. And it's boring, unless there's someone stealing or something, like the old lady yesterday, whose efforts I thwarted by my amazing stealth and cunning, stemming from the utter tedium that is work.

But soon, I shall be riveted again!!! I'll have a goal, of not many, to strive to!

Love.