Lemms & Hems

The Blazer Collection

2010-02-18T18:28:00.026Z

Item #7
Karen Millen vintage yellow mustard blazer w/ purple lining

Fits a UK size 8-10
Price: £35

With the defined shoulder look back in trend, this amazing velvet blazer will put you in the centre stage. A rare piece. You will hardly find anyone wearing the same thing as you with this.

The purple lining in the underside of the blazer is slightly faded at the bottom (as seen in picture) however, it is not noticeable. (Personally, it adds character to your vintage find!)
65% cotton
31% modal
4% acetate

Measurements:
Shoulder to shoulder - 40cm
Length - 70.5cm
Sleeve length - 57cm

Item #8
Vintage Jack Heppenstall Blue Blazer

Fits a UK 10-12
Price: £35

Androgyny is in, now with shoulder pads! Beautifully sculpted and flattering, there is everything to love about this blazer, from the colour to the cut. Slip on those stilettos or a pair of brogues for a power walk that suits you. This blazer is savvy and smooth. A tailored vintage piece from Jack Heppenstall; the workmanship is quality and the lining super smooth. We’ll be sad to see this piece go. We hope you’ll love it as much as we do. Don’t miss out.
Condition: In absolutely pristine vintage condition. So pristine that we even thought it was brand new!

Measurements:
Shoulder to shoulder - 44cm
Length - 75cm
Sleeve length - 57cm

Item #9:
Vintage Teenflo Brown Blazer

Fits a UK 8-10
Price: £25

This vintage-gem is another one of ours from Paris. The curves complement the waist and the shoulder-pads will give you that striking silhouette everyone is going crazy about. With a touch of avant-garde in the collar, it is your daily-wearable signature piece. Workable, confident and sleek – this blazer is sweet!

Measurements:
Shoulder to shoulder - 45cm
Length - 65cm
Sleeve length - 57cm
Waist - 42cm

Item #10
Vintage Red Equestrian Blazer

Fits a UK 8-10
Price: £25
Forget the gloomy winter colour-code and lift step out with this confident shade of red. Complement the contours with some tights or skinny jeans. You don’t need a horse to be an elegant rider of high society – just some fashion smarts!

Condition: Typical of a vintage find. Stored in a smoke-free, pet-free home. In good quality; no stains or faded patches.

Measurements:
Shoulder to shoulder - 43cm
Sleeve Length - 58.5cm
Length - 76.5cm

Item#11
Vintage Sailor Inspired Royal Blue Reefer Blazer

Fits a UK 8-10
Price: £30

This is a fitted classically-cut, double breasted navy blue jacket with gold buttons. This vintage boat-club blazer will make you look sharp and chic all at the same time. Tailored in Paris, one of a kind and with shoulder pads for that in trend tower sholders look. What are you waiting for?

Condition: In very good condition, typical of a vintage find.

Measurements:
Shoulder to shoulder - 45.5cm
Length - 70.5cm
Sleeve length - 59cm

Item #12
Body Best vintage brown blazer

Fits a UK 10-12
Price: £25

This fabulous blazer has shoulder pads that will give your shoulders that sculptured look. Put this made in London blazer on to give your outfits that tres chic edge!

Condition: Typical of a vintage find. Just needs to be ironed out!

Measurements:
Shoulder to shoulder - 46cm
Length - 76cm
Sleeve length - 58.5cm

The shop

2009-06-10T18:15:00.005+01:00

Finally! After a long wait, we can officially present to you the true mission of Lemms & Hems.

The shop.

We have ransacked the whole of London, searched far and wide to find quirky, whimsical treasures for you and you alone; Vintage Karen Millen, Teenflo, Pret a Porter, handmade Italian boots and many more vintage items that will entice you to return for more. We hold strict principals and ensure that every gem chosen is something that we would personally wear. All items are in excellent vintage condition (unless stated). We hope you will love what we love!

Now, we are proud to present our Launch Collection - 6 unique pieces just to give you a flavour of what's in store. We stayed sleepless and sugar-highed to bring you our take on these looks; well worth it.

To celebrate our Launch, we are offering our first 3 buyers 20% off and subsequently a 10% loyalty discount on your next purchase.

Item # 1

Item # 1
Laura Parker Dark Blue Coat/Dress
Made in Paris
Vintage Size Label: EU 38
Faux fur collar not included
£30

This item has been sold.

This can be worn as a coat or a dress, and it is, IMHO, one of the coolest things we have. The defined shoulders, the mandarin collar, the three-quarter sleeves, the slinky length -- it's a formula for FIERCE! Also comes with pockets to shove your hands in if they're cold or if you want to look nonchalant. (Nonchalantly FIERCE.)

Measurements
Shoulder to shoulder: 39cm
Length: 116cm
Sleeve length: 46.5cmCurrent sizing: UK 8-10

Item # 2

Item # 2
Pret-A-Porter
Little Black Satin Dress
Lace tank top worn underneath not included
£10

This would be great for a night out. Since us Lemms are incredibly boring and never have nights out, we're selling it. Accessorise it with a belt and killer heels and think pityingly of us as you're dancing the night away.

Measurements
Bust: 83cm
Hips: 79cm
Current sizing: UK 6-8

Item # 3

Item # 3
Simon Jeffrey
Royal Blue Blazer
Vintage Size Label: UK 10
£15

Doesn't Sam look like some sort of indie Japanese musician? All she needs is a guitar. This could fit a modern size 14 beautifully, but would also be ever so slouchily chic on smaller girls. The material is pretty thin, so it'd make a great summer jacket.

Measurements
Shoulder to shoulder: 42cm
Length: 66cm
Sleeve length: 57.5cm
Current sizing: UK 6-10

Item # 4

Item # 4
Blue Gauzy Top
£10

This delicate gauzy top makes a really cool layering piece. I love the patterning, the subtle variation of colour and the ruffle details on the lapels. Throw it over a tank dress or roll it up to turn it into a scarf.

Measurements
Shoulder to shoulder: up to 50cm
Length: 64.5cm
Sleeve length: 43cm
Current sizing: UK 6-10

Item # 5

Item # 5
Uber Wide Red Trousers
£25

As a child, I once wore red jeans to school. I was mocked cruelly by kids who had no imagination. If I could go back now, I would strut through the playground in these red culottes, combined with a white tank top, a Balmainesque/Napoleonesque military jacket and knee-high boots. Sure, those kids would still laugh at me. They would say: "Are you wearing trousers, or a skirt? Ha ha!"

But I wouldn't care. Because I would look awesome.

Measurements
Waist: 81cm
Length: 85.5cm
Current sizing: UK 8-10

Item # 6

Item # 6
Irie Silver Blazer
Made in France
£25

You can't really see it from these photos, but we've just discovered that this blazer has a glorious flare at the back which is amazingly flattering to the hips. This is therefore recommended for girls with hips. The material is also slightly shiny, so that wearing it makes you feel like a sexy robot from the future. There is no downside!

Measurements
Shoulder to shoulder: 42cm
Length: 71.5cm
Sleeve length: 60cm
Current sizing: UK 8-10

The pound has greatly devalued and interest rates are at its all time low so why not invest in some classic vintage pieces without looking like the girl down the street who got that vintage-esque tweed jacket from H&M? E-mail us at lemmsandhems@googlemail.com if you are interested in any of the pieces above, or just want to own a real vintage tweed jacket from the 70s, with shoulder pads to boot.

Lotsa Love,
Lemms and Hems

Under Construction

2009-06-06T04:23:00.005+01:00

We will be away to make some changes to the site. Don't worry, we will continue to blog here. We are super excited and hope that you will like the new changes!

Hang on tight for the ride guys!

Lotsa love,

Lemms and Hems

Transitions

2009-06-05T16:29:00.017+01:00

A week ago, I was slogging away to beat the system that I was under for 4 years.Clockwise from left to right: Cup of tea to keep myself awake, laptop to check notes and fiddle with, scrap paper with some stuff on Dynamical Systems in Chemical Engineering, blue pen

Dressed like this. The lazy outfit.

T-shirt dress - Zara, Merino cardigan - Gap Men, Shorts - Max and Co, Tights - H&M, Gladiators - Far East Singapore, Bag - Charles and Keith

A week later, I was here.

Selinunthe, Sicily

Trapani, Sicily

Next, I will lead a high flying lifestyle and have 2 kids of my own. Joking.

In all seriousness. Next will be some insane changes to Lemms and Hems which we have been hoping to see for quite some time, so stay tuned. We will be back with a lot in store for you!

xoxo

Lemms and Hems

Shape and drape

2009-06-05T13:38:00.004+01:00

I've been paging obsessively through DROP, which features Japanese street style. I find it difficult to mess around with clothes back home in Malaysia as much as I do here in London, mostly because of the familial mockery/surprise that greets anything remotely new, but partly because it's so damn hot. They get pretty hot 'n' humid summers in Japan, though, so it's interesting to see how they dress despite it.

This is my favourite outfit that I've seen so far, but one wonders if it isn't a little too perfect. It is a bit ridiculous of me, but will she ever be able to come up with so ideal a combination of hat, hair, sun, dress, bracelet, socks, shoes and sunlight again? If you asked me why I thought this so beautiful I would have to say it is because of a) the colours and b) the fact that the dress and hat are both a little too big. The precise lines of the dress, the wrinkled socks, the angle of the hat on her perfectly bleached head ... it is too beautiful to think about!

And the Japanese are the emperors of layering. Layering in the summer! Madness. And yet they don't look like they're about to up and drop dead of the heat.

Possibly it's just because they're made of tougher stuff than we are.

What I find particularly interesting is the fondness of shapes that don't necessarily have to anything to do with the shape of the human (female) body.

That isn't very clear, is it? What I mean is -- so much of (Western?) fashion is focused on being sexy, or showing it all, or not showing it all but suggesting. Which is fine, obvs, I'm a huge fan of the tiny mini shift dress and that's hardly modesty central. But it's interesting to see fashion that isn't fixated on how much you can show off or suggest, where a baggy T-shirt is not the worst thing in the world.

I'm not going to say it's not about sex, because who knows? I'm not here to do a sociological study. But it's cool to see summer fashion that isn't just tiny summer dresses, much as I love tiny summer dresses!

- Zen

Pretending to be a little boy in the girliest way

2009-05-28T19:05:00.001+01:00

Approx. 1 million years after everybody else, I have come to the realisation that waistcoats and formal shorts make the cutest combo.

Chain scarf/necklace - knitted by me; black waistcoat - H&M; white lace cami and grey shorts - ... Primark

I actually only picked up the waistcoat at H&M because I thought it was on sale. It wasn't, but its sharp Vs were so cunning that I couldn't make myself put it down.

All hail summer!

- Zen

Onitsuka Tiger Love

2009-05-24T22:24:00.007+01:00

Now that the UK is having sun phases, it makes me want to go out n run!!! Although I’m more likely to stay indoors and enjoy the coolness while admiring the bright colours through my window>_<.

Since I have contemplated running (and my old pair of trainers + bad training regime = problems with shin splints this year) I’ve been looking around (online mainly) for new running shoes. Maybe I should get a pair of Asics? Obviously while looking at Asics...I got distracted by the Tigers and all their pretty colours! Now my brain desperately needs some Onitsuka Tigers...and seeing as how I’m such a t-shirt+jeans person...a pair would round off my daily get-up perfectly:D

I love the Fabre series, because I love basketball and I love the cut (I am truly simple-minded>_<).

This blue low-top pair is more or less exactly what I'm looking for, I love blue so will definitely go well with my monochrome wardrobe...

This high-top Fabre is amazing! I would like a t-shirt with a print like this one. Threadless style.

This pair is also love! Saiko runner series...sounds like they will run well! Maybe I'll go poke HADEGUJA for them...

Shall I be "productive" and go Tiger watching this bank holiday?

This is just like the Converse phase I had a few years back. I never really noticed Converses till I tried on a pair as a stalling tactic while some top-secret present buying was going on...from then I was hooked and I only loved Converses...till now. I sense a similar, slightly manic, episode for Tigers coming on...>_<

-Sam

Whimsicalism and Denim Rage

2009-05-11T01:13:00.007+01:00

My definition of whimsical. Different takes of Pizzicato Polka.

And today I brought out the denim jacket that has been hidden in my closet for years. I'm glad denim jackets are back as I have 2 in London and 2 back home. O.o Yup, definitely a kid who grew up in the 90s.

Stone washed denim jacket, shirt dress and leggings : H&M

Gladiators : New Look

Man, the boyf really needs to learn to make me look taller in pictures. Almost all the pictures are angled like 23 degrees above the plane of my head. I am short as it is already but these pictures make me look even shorter. Anyway, I'm practically living off leggings now because they are super comf and easy to style. I mean I can just dump on a huge shirt, accessorise and that's it. Let me point out that these leggings are made of proper pant-elastine-whachamacallit material unlike footless tights so nay I do not run around showing my bare ass.

Actually, I now recall that I use to wear leggings and over sized T-shirts (mainly of the Mickey Mouse variety) when I was about 7. I still remember they were from St. Michael's, now rebranded as Marks and Spencers. My aunt bought a pair as a gift for me and from then on I never looked back. There was even one in black checks, in a nice way of course, not too big to look stupid and too small to be too mind boggling. I doubt that was fashion sense then, as a while after that I fell in love with the likes of dungarees and Timberlands but oh well, life goes on.

Leggings are like the Gwen Stefani sweat pants of my early teenage years and it being the trend now is the right timing as well becuase it's the exam period so comfy clothes equals hight efficciency. It's true! Irritation from anything can cause a lot of downtime.

Interesting fact of the day: Revision makes me watch thrashy MTV reality series and Michelle Phan.

What does revision do to you?

- Sue

Update

2009-05-05T14:01:00.005+01:00

Okay, I just finished a three hour long essay based paper based on the plant design I was working on for the 11 weeks of my life and it was so so. It's been 4 years since I have written a proper essay (currently everything subjective are either derivations of equations or calculations) and I ran out of ink. Obviously there was an extra pen because I play safe like that but as strange as it sounds, I have this satisfying feeling when a good pens run out of ink. It's like a 50p pen has been put to good use throughout its lifetime and can now die of honour and dignity instead of being lost into the depths of the black hole to never return. Can you imagine how much money you could have put into that Chanel 2.55 bag fund if all the pens you used were used to death? Like maybe £100? Srsly because some people spend A LOT of money on gel ink pens and it doesn't help that when you fiddle with your pen, pen dropping accidents lead to a loss of another good pen. So there, now you know about my pen-finishing obsession.

Anyway, last week I wanted to buy some antibacterial gel because again, I am safe like that. Hey the swine flu was scary last week okay. I wasn't the only one because Boots ran out. Instead, their till points proabably had a week's worth of anti-bacterial hand wash. So I decided to get the new Boots Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum for the mum since they were on 3 for 2, plus they were recently published in the Journal of Dermatology - proper scientific proof that it works. (I am never buying stuff that 'claims' to work anymore unless publish. hmmph) And also this.

L'Oreal Pefect Slim Pro-Massage

Hahah, I know, am I paranoid or what? But no, I am not. I am 22, UK size 8 but I suffer from cellulite. Okay honestly? You have to squeeze the thighs to see them but I noticed that there are more and more of them appearing and man I don't want them to appear in full glory when the need to squeeze them to view 'em horrible things disappears. To all girls who think I am crazy, I am not. In fact, I would issue this strict warning that once you reach 18, never, and I mean NEVER take your metabolism rate for granted because when you realise what hits you, it's too late. Weight gain and weight lost is no problem-o but don't gain weight too fast because then when your fat cells expand too fast, the lack of flexibility in the nearby connective tissue will cause the fat cells to tend to bulge upwards towards the surface of the skin, hence giving you a thigh with weird dimples. (Sigh, why can't cheeks get dimples that way huh?).

Oh my goodness. Read this

Lastly, women's panties are a very important causative factor in the developement of cellulite. Women's underwear today is radically different from their counterpart 50-60 years ago. This discussion is not intended to be a history of women's underwear. However, in the sixties hemlines on skirts started to get shorter and thus the length of the underwear shortened. In the last 40-50 years we went from loose underwear around the thighs to tight underwear going across the middle of the buttock. Interestingly, with the introduction of the Mini Skirt in the 60-70's era, along with the Hot Pants, there came a wave of exposed cellulite.

Wearing thongs, boyshorts, or sleeping naked can reduce the occurance of cellulite. Underwear that has tight elastic across the buttock limits blood flow, causing cellulite to form. This is especially important while sleeping, as the legs are not as active. When taken into consideration with the above two methods, cellulite can be prevented with a couple easy precautions.

Okay I always had the suspicion that I started getting more cellulite after wearing skinny jeans and this has proven me right. Noooooooooo 3 years of being in fashion caused cellulite? I am disheartened. Where has fashion freedom gone to? Sigh

Back to the product that can hopefully reverse the errors of my ways. The way this baby works is you have to knead your thighs with the rollers, which kinda pinches your skin then you rub the gel around the areas you have just massaged. I don't know if it works or not, we'll see. Like eye cream and sun screen, this is going to be an imperative regiment for me. Now if only I was not so lazy to exercise.

-Sue

Matthew Williamson William Matthewson

2009-04-24T14:02:00.006+01:00

I know there has been a whirlwind of wants from this collabo. I am sorry but there hasn't been one collabo that didn't live up to its H-Y-P-E (ie Commes des Garçons).

The ruffle dress and the blazer looks awesome and all but no I wouldn't spend my unemployment check on a dress that you know, I know Katie Perry wore not because she loved it and bought it for herself but because she was attending a H&M sponsored event and was probably given a choice over which dress she would like to wear for free.

Anyway, queues and umemployment checks aside, I thought this picture best summed up the meaning of H-Y-P-E over premium and high street brand collabs.If I were to see only the eyes on that woman on the top right corner, they say to me either,

'Omg, I've struck gold/oil.' (albeit at the wrong time)

'Omg, I've won the £60 million lottery."

'Omg, that dress is so beautiful I think I have died. No I think I have died and gone to HEAVEN because it's cheaper than an original Matthew Williamson whi is a god with colours. Me queue-ing from 5am in the morning was worth it. Now, hand that dress to me in size 8 you skinny b*tch.'

-Sue

The Beauty of the Pound

2009-04-21T15:04:00.001+01:00

Now that the pound is so weak, visitors and tourists should start celebrating whilst foreigners earning in pounds wallow in the pits.

Here is something to kick start your shopping day/week if you're over in the UK.

Go get yourself a classic Burberry trench before it's too late.

Just don't be too ambitious for fear you may walk over to the fug side.

-Sue

Sharpness

2009-04-18T23:08:00.003+01:00

Whoa, look at those shoulder pads!

That combined with her hair and shoes. I have never been so inspired by sharp things before but this, is amazing!

Photo credits: The Sartorialist

-Sue

Shoe Geek

2009-04-16T00:29:00.000+01:00

Look away if you fall in love easily because I'm afraid these pair of Marnis are to die for.
Unfortunately, they cost £302. BUT they are on sale now, for a mere £226.50 excluding delivery. Boo
I really like how it looks when worn. Besides, nude is here to stay. Okay, it's nude-ish. Close enough. I am not usually a fan of high wedges (especially ones where the whole shoe is elevated by 2 inches from the ground) but its shape and sharp lines are just love. Secondly, these babies sort of cover your whole feet in a strange way that does not looked wrapped? I am usually uncertain about shoes like these but Marni must have done something right for me to love em so.Sigh, even Susie Bubble has a pair. Lucky for me I found a cheaper version from Carvela for £95 a pop.They don't look quite the same, but they will have to do for now. Actually no, not really. I am still unsatisfied that Zara has not done any knockoffs. Zara was quick to cash in on the Balmain Spring 2009 Crystal Studded Sandals. The original £1370 pair.The Balmain inspired £120 pair from Zara.

That is a pair of pretty good knock-offs, don't you think? So yes, if anyone finds a Marni patent wedge look-alike from wherever that does not exceed uhmm, too much, give me a ring okay. My feet will thank you.

p.s. The price should be £30 because you see for the Zara pair it was at around a 10% fraction of the price of the real deal hence £30 should be the maximum price ANY Marni knock-off should be at. (Proud at self for awesome rationalisation.)

-Sue

Ol' Skool Kute

2009-04-15T00:03:00.000+01:00

Makes you wonder if hanging that Nintendo Wii nunchuk aorund your neck is a strech too far. Anyhoos, it's a cute look that works. The 90s rocked man. More posts up soon. I promise. (:

Credits: facehunter

-Sue

An image

2009-04-01T22:51:00.001+01:00

I wasn't that interested in the outfit when I first looked at this picture from an Anthropologie catalogue, but the more I looked at it the more enthralled I was. I like the demureness of the soft rose tights under the staid brown of the trench and the shoes. The delicate straps on the shoes, the profusion of buttons on the coat, the contrast between the creases in the pushed-up sleeves and the neatly folded scarf. But most of all, the colours. A subdued greyish-blue, rose pink and I'm-not-sure-what-to-call-it brown. It's just so pretty and thoughtful and gentle, something you'd wear on a grey day when you weren't feeling too chirpy but you weren't too down either -- just tranquil and in a mood where everything is beautiful.

I don't have tights which are that precise shade or a skirted trenchcoat of any hue, but one could mock up the scarf with a pair of knitting needles and some patience, if one so desired:

Bow-knot scarf by Katherine Burgess

Ribbed mini-scarf by Celeste Glassel

Anthro-inspired scarflet by Kim Seio (on Ravelry)

And looking at that picture, one thinks one might be inspired!

- Zen

Of prints

2009-03-26T13:01:00.002Z

Yesterday Sue and I went to the Burberry sample sale. The only thing I can say for it is that it confirmed my impression that the Burberry tartan whatchamacallit is ugly. Why put this print on the lapels of a perfectly good polo shirt, rendering it hideous? Why have it on a quilted bag with black leather handles and panel? Why put it on wellies? Dim gai ah?

In justice I should say that they had one rack of women's clothes which were interesting and which I might have bought if they were not over £100. I tried on a gorgeous empire-waisted calf-length deep purple dress which was made out of some sort of matte silky/satiny material and was just heaven to touch. And some other things -- a gold dress, a hilarious aquamarine top covered with big plastic sequins -- were interesting. But on the whole it was a mildly depressing experience, filled with overpriced mackintoshes.

We bought shirts for our fathers and brothers and grandfathers and skedaddled. After a dim sum lunch to revive our spirits, I ambled with Sue to South Kensington, where she dropped me off at the V&A museum.

I didn't pay the requisite £5 to see the Anthology of Hats exhibition, but I did have a leisurely poke through the permanent Fashion collection, looked through some of the Asian sculptures and carvings, and then wandered around the V&A shop.

I lusted after these Japanese print cotton scarves, which you can get from their online shop if you're willing to fork out the £20:

So pretty, so light, so perfect for spring, so ... much more than I would be willing to pay for a scarf ...

Sigh. :(

I was cheered up by these headbands, which, like the scarves, are pretty and expensive -- in fact they were much more expensive than the scarves, their prices being in the range of £40-£80. Unlike the scarves, however, I see distinct potential for DIY in them.

This one was especially gorgeous. The leaves were very flattering against dark hair, and they were made of a soft suede material that was magic to the touch. I am not entirely sure how one would recreate them -- find some material and cut leaves out of them? Crochet some leaves? Pluck some leaves off a tree and preserve them in some way? But clearly the first step is to find a cheap hairband.

Finally I dropped by TK Maxx and ended up buying this intriguing drapey jersey dress.

It defiantly ignores my figure, the colour is one I usually dislike on myself and it's a strange length, hitting just below the knee ... and yet I love it. And it is super comfy!

I also caved and got the terrifically cute jazzesque shoes I am wearing in the photo, justifying it by thinking of the shoes as a birthday present. Of course, my birthday isn't for a month yet, so I am going to put them away in the back of my closet and pretend they do not exist until it does come around.

And with that, I have resolved to go on another month's shopping ban. Inconveniently, for the first time my procrastinatory eBay searches have turned up floral print hats of the type I have been looking for the past couple of months:

What's a girl to do?

- Zen

Skirts that go with T-shirts

2009-03-22T20:40:00.000Z

I've been on a dress kick after years of lounging around in T-shirts, but after picking up a couple of oversized T-shirts for a song at Zara, my interest in them has been reignited. They're surprisingly versatile. Under a cardigan and belt, they are reasonably convincing dresses; they add lightness when tucked into a ladylike calf-length tweed skirt; they are super comfy when worn with tracksuit bottoms as sleepwear. But most of all, with a scarf, a pair of jeans and Converses -- I may look like a misguided hipster kid, but damn it, I am comfortable!

So when I saw that Threadless was having a sale, with their super cool graphic T-shirts going at US$5, it seemed an opportunity too good to miss.

Having dithered and finally settled on three T-shirts from the site, I started wondering how I'd wear my T-shirts. I only have two wearable pairs of jeans, and I'm very lazy about laundry, so there had to be some other option for when both pairs were in the wash.

So I went to H&M and tried on about half a million things I thought might possibly go with graphic tees.

I liked this A-line skirt the best, not least because it had a really mod feel, with the shape and the double row of buttons down the front.

This was the right size; I checked to make sure once I'd put it on, because damn, it was tight! It wasn't bad, I guess -- it didn't make my tummy look quite as obvious as it seems from the photos -- but overtly sexy is not really my style. For one thing, I like being able to sit down.

I was enchanted by this frilly mint-green skirt when I saw it on the rack, but when I put it on I didn't like it quite as much.

High-waisted poofy bubble skirt! I couldn't decide if I liked this or felt it was just too much. It's actually a very demure, non-shiny cotton, though the lighting makes it look as if it's made of PVC.

Blue-and-white striped denim skirt, though you can't see the stripes in the crappy light. Was pretty meh about this; I like the buttons, but dislike the sort of squarish shape of the skirt.

My second favourite of the items I tried on was a navy blue pencil skirt. I have mixed feelings about pencil skirts -- as I said, I like being able to sit down and for all my various bumps and concavities to be hidden from the public eye, and pencil skirts don't always cater to those desires. But this one does look quite charming.

Edited to add: I forgot to mention that I also tried on harem pants!

Yeah, er, I don't know. From some angles they have a chic slouchiness, but from others they basically look like clown pants.

I did in fact buy one of the items I tried on, but a picture of it + T-shirt in all their glory will have to wait till I actually receive the T-shirts. In the meantime, I'll keep rewearing my Zara T-shirts ...

With optimistic pink shorts! :)

- Zen

Vintage inspiration

2009-03-12T15:10:00.000Z

I was idly browsing Modcloth when I came across this adorable dress:

I love the black & white colour scheme, the slanty pockets and the buttons. Sigh.

I hadn't heard of Peggy Moffitt so I went to my trusty friend, Google Images. Talk about inspiration!

Peggy Moffitt liked bright tights ...

Crazy dresses!

High hem-lines.

(I love how the circles repeat themselves across her dress and socks.)

And ... looking like a cross between a Regency soldier (the white stockings and black shoes) and a little boy (the shorts)?

I like how she combines colours in unexpected ways, and her distinctive hair and make-up -- the look is almost clownish, more scary than sexy. I doubt I want to try her make-up or hair (too lazy), but I find her palette of clashing bright colours inspiring.

- Zen

Opposites Work

2009-03-10T00:34:00.000Z

Presenting to you frabric geniuses. Mix match. Colour co-ordination. Complex layering. Simple lines. Girls gone bad. Ladies who lunch. DSquared2. Lanvin. Enjoy.

Starbucks toting, blackberry handling chic? Brilliant.

I love how elegance and decadence are rolled out nicely in simple block colours.

/

And can someone please, for the love of the fashion god(s) up there, tell me this is not becoming a trend?

Hussein Chalayan

Prada

Because in my honest opinion, they are horrible.

- Sue

I put away this scarf in hope that spring will come...now!

2009-03-07T17:46:00.000Z

Here's a little tribute to the long woolly scarf that my sister left behind when she flew back to the US. Was really useful when we had the unexpected cold at the beginning of the year, but my sister would just laugh...how can we compare when we don't have ice forming on the inside of our window sills? Nevertheless the scarf kept me nice n warm...good job Woolly :) !

...but I'm looking foward to dressing like it's warmer too! English weather never really seems to make up its mind on what temperature it wants to be, so now we are in warm-cold limbo...

wake me up when the weather gets better...

-Sam

I want

2009-03-04T20:02:00.000Z

Florals ....

Maybe if we dress as if it's spring, that will make it come faster?

Mr. H, So Sweet, €45.50
Accessorize, Japanesque Floral Foil Print Bag, £25.00
LoveColour LoveTights, Lullaby Peach, £9.95
Hetty Rose, Amalie 2
H&M, Rok, €34.90
Modcloth, Floral District Dress, $74.99

- Zen

Sense of accomplishment

2009-03-03T23:54:00.000Z

I maded a hat. :)

1 skein and a bit of Noro Silk Garden Lite on 4 mm circular needles, following the Felicity pattern

I poured blood and tears and two pairs of circular needles into this hat. I kinda mucked up the top bit, but I don't think it's too obvious.

I plan to wear this with EVERYTHING.

- Zen

LFW 09

2009-02-28T00:54:00.000Z

Erdem Moralioglu. Loves I. The most EPIC empire line dresses I've seen so far. Those prints and embroideries make you go, oh daaaaannnnnng

Now, can someone tell me what were Rodarte and Dolce & Gabanna thinking?
- Sue

Recent outfits

2009-02-22T23:52:00.000Z

I've been more active on Wardrobe Remix lately a) partly to motivate myself to dress pretty and b) mostly as a means of procrastination, 'cos I've got exams. I'm too sleepy/stressed to make a post with, like, words in it, so here's a bunch of recent outfits.

Black cardigan - Topshop; slinky taupe dress - Zara; grey tights - Tabio; oxfords - River Island

I really liked this outfit; I've been having a thing for pale neutrals recently. Sadly my wardrobe is dominated by black&white and strong reds/dark blues.

Enamel flower necklace - stall at the Curve; burgundy merino vest - Gap; black patent belt - Far East Plaza; mauve, burgundy and white print skirt - H&M; tights - Topshop; oxfords - River Island

I really liked the shape of this when I saw it in the mirror, but it doesn't look that nice photographed for some reason. I think it might be the shape of the vest -- it's quite rectangular, isn't it? I wore this with my black cardigan over it; maybe that made it look better (or maybe not).

It's actually quite good to take photos of your outfit, if you can be bothered. It allows you to see it as other people will, and it's surprising how different it looks from how it appears in the mirror sometimes.

Blue top worn as dress - G2000; black boyfriend cardigan - H&M; black bead necklace - somewhere in Malaysia; tights - H&M; blue knee socks - Tabio; brown leather knee boots - DUO

I pulled this top out of the closet with the idea of wearing it under my white dress (see below) -- as an experiment, you know -- put the top on, then realised it pretty much worked as a dress. As a short dress, but hey, I was planning to spend most of the day at home trying to work and getting distracted by things on the Internet, so why not?

I get such a kick out of finding new ways to wear old things .... That said, later that day I went to Sainsbury's to pick up some groceries, tripped over a pavement and scraped both my knees. So serve me right for trying to do without trousers. "Gondor has no pants ... Gondor needs no pants!" my foot.

Pink bead necklace - shop at Cineleisure; T-shirt with splash of pink and eldritch stick creature - Zara; belt - Far East Plaza; print skirt - H&M; navy blue tights - Topshop; oxfords - River Island

I bought this T-shirt to wear as a dress but when I tried it my courage failed and I lamely covered up with the long black cardigan featured in the previous outfit. But it is a very nice T-shirt!

I initially wore it as a normal sort of T-shirt, tucking it under the skirt, but that somehow did not look as nice as wearing it over the skirt did. So I went for the slightly weirder look.

Grey and white polka dot cardigan - Marks & Spencer; black bead necklace - somewhere in Malaysia; ivory belted shift dress - Dorothy Perkins; grey tights - Tabio; grey and white heels - Charles & Keith; watch - vintage from my dad

The shoes in this picture are a tiny lie; I wore flats really, and only put the heels on for the photograph. But I was wearing those heels in my soul.

Lilac dress - Zara; navy blue double-breasted blazer - charity shop; black patent belt - Far East Plaza; black tights - Topshop

The dress is new -- I wandered into a Zara right after an exam and picked it up for £7 as a treat to myself. It looks nice with the black belt and all, but really I want to wear it with mint green, dusty rose, the palest of primrose yellows ... but I have none of those colours in my wardrobe.

What I do have is one and half skeins of Rowan Milk Cotton in pale green sitting under my bed, though. Hmm!

- Zen

4/5 ways to rock a skirt

2009-02-14T14:10:00.000Z

I do apologise for the lack of updates from myself. My final year is partly to be blamed for. If I were to let on that I busy myself 24/7 with the design of a complete refinery plant based in Kingston upon Hull, anyone would reject my credibility of having any sense of fashion. So I would spare you the horrendous details and let you on on something more extraordinary. Skirts.

Ever the versatile but sometimes overwhelming boring, I injected some fun by trying out different ways of wearing a vintage skirt I got from Notting Hill Gate. Of course, you have the normal and 'unoriginal' way of wearing skirts - on your hips.

The looks here are for more formal wear but the skirt can also be worn with a white tank with your Alexander McQueen skull scarf paired with your flip flops ala Olsen twins style. Don't forget the wayfrayers.

Then, I tried them on as a dress. It was slightly harder to so, as you can see from picture #1, the waist band is not elastic, but has a metal clasp to hold the skirt. I was surprised myself, but with a little tightening of the chest, all was well. In fact the tightness was good as that meant the 'skirt dress' would not fall off.Here, I had the ends of the skirt folded in to give a bubble dress look. A tad too simple for me but with accesories, I am sure it would work.

This, I like. I wanted to tie a rose knot but it ended up looking like A Knot =.= Oh wells. The asymmetry look made it edgier and unique.

Here, I have a belt cinched on my chest to give the 'skirt dress' more shape. And the resulting picture looks more to the side of sophistication. It's something I could defintely wear to a tea party, with pearls of course. (:

Who would have thought how much versatality a skirt would have? The right skirts can bring you from a business meeting to the club to lazy summer days to places where ladies lunch.

Unfortunately, I have yet to wear them out as of yet because the skirt is rather thin and looking at the snow last week, I will not brave the cold with that skirt. Plus, don't forget that final year design I have been working on. Time waits for no woman who wants to dress up when it's crunch time.

- Sue

On footwear

2009-02-12T21:43:00.000Z

New shoes. :)

Aren't they beautiful? They make me exquisitely happy; I wear them with everything. I can honestly say I want no more from life in the matter of footwear -- not that if a pair of knee-high flat black leather boots on sale were to walk into my life, I would spurn it and walk away. But my new shoes have effectively stilled any sense of yearning.

And yet, it's as if buying them has tripped a switch in my brain and turned it back onto gazing obsessively at shoes. I don't really feel the need to buy them; it's just quite nice to speculate what one would do if one did.

And is it just me, or has the shoe section on the Oxfam online second-hand store improved remarkably? If I were not so very well-supplied in the feet region, I would be tempted to buy these:

Gino Ventori black ankle boots, £3.99

I like the buttons, and you've got to admit you can't get much better than £4.

Gant brown leather and suede boots, £65

And if these were my size, instead of being a vile unattainable 6.5, I would buy them right now despite their unOxfam-like price. I'm not 100% sure, but they look exactly like a gorgeous pair of boots a friend of mine owns, which I have been quietly coveting for the past term. The different textures! The shades of brown! The fact that they look a little like riding boots and a little like boots for the style-conscious spaceman!

There are the sensible, pretty Fly London Mary Jane wedges, which one does not perhaps have a passion for, but which one knows would be much worn and would go with everything.

Fly London wedges, £29.99

And an obligatory nod to the always wearable classy black patent heels, vintage --

Vintage Miss Holmes black patent heels, £9.99

or designer --

Salvatore Ferragamo black patent court shoes, £39.99

I've got to say, though, of all the shoes there? I'm most tempted by these hypnotically dreadful purple snakeskin loafers.

Peter Kaiser purple snakeskin effect shoes, £13.99

Yes, they are awful. But are they not also somehow transcendent? Think how well you would have to dress all the time to pull these off. They would add an interesting touch to these spring pastels the shops keep throwing at us, in defiance of the gloomy fact of the weather.

- Zen

Bohemian rhapsody

2009-02-05T19:26:00.000Z

Excuse the ill-done flower. I ran out of yarn, or I would've made a better one.

- Zen

Adventures in fibre arts

2009-02-03T20:42:00.001Z

CK told us Lemms off for never updating our blog. I'm sadly uninspired these days -- it is too cold to play dress-up! And the sales are quietly leaving the shops, alas. I did shake a couple of pairs of tights out of them today -- 2 for £4, thank you Topshop.

The lipstick theory of recession: lipstick sales go up in an economic downturn, because they're a small, relatively inexpensive luxury that brightens one's day in a time when the days need brightening. Tights perform this function for me. They're warm, practical, there's no harm in having lots, and if you get the right kind they can make an outfit.

But they are not very interesting to photograph when you have just got basic black and dark blue ones. So really this is not a post about tights, but a post on what I've made recently with the magic of CROCHET. (And some knitting.)

How I have longed for a cowl. And now I have one! With buttons! The yarn is a wool/alpaca blend; the buttons are from my mother's button box.

My cousin 'Lina scoffs at a cowl because she says you might as well make a scarf, and it is just laziness not to, but you see buttons would not look as well on a scarf. And they are quite versatile!

Cowl - made by meeee; cardigan - H&M; dress - Cicada; tights - Urban Outfitters; shoes - Vincci Accessories

You can wear them on your neck all crumpled, or not.

Cowl sweet cowl; white top - New Look; skirt worn as dress - my mother's; tights - Uniqlo; stockings worn over tights for warmth - Japan; shoes - Vincci Accessories

You can fold 'em and wear them. (Granted, this is not a very clear picture of it being worn folded. Also please to ignore the fact that I am wearing exactly the same colour scheme as in the previous picture. My obsession with black&white&dark blue is embarrassing.)

You can wear them as a hat and put a soft toy in the top! Er, probably you'd only do that if you were Sam. But you see, I told you they were versatile!

And then I knitted a scarf out of gorgeous hand-dyed Manos del Uruguay wool. I call this my indulgence scarf, because the yarn was such an indulgence.

I'm absurdly proud of the finished product. A couple of not-very-good photos of me wearing it:

It's a proper scarf -- no cowl this -- but I like to wind it round my neck and tuck the ends in so it looks like a cowl. The advantage of this is that it's super warm.

And the effect is not uncute!

Finally, I crocheted a hat for a friend who has yet to receive it, but fortunately she does not read this blog, so I can post the pictures without spoilering her. I made it according to a pattern for a slouchy beanie that I found on the magical Internet machine, modifying the pattern to make the hat more slouchy and adding a scalloped edge basically 'cos I could.

You can wear it slouchy. (Forgive terrible morning hair; I'd just got up.)

Or you can turn up the bottom and wear it so your head looks like a grape!

That's all for now, folks. The next hill I gotta climb: fingerless gloves!

- Zen

Experimentation

2009-01-18T17:54:00.000Z

I have a great admiration for people who can make their own clothes and accessories, and dream of the day when I will have levelled up sufficiently to be able to knit my own jumper. My first DIY project was less about putting a personal touch on high street clobber, however -- it was really more about damage control.

The subject: angora blend fingerless gloves from H&M, acquired for £2.

The problem: the care label inside one of the gloves was too long. Left uncut, it was sure to impair comfort.

The worse problem: I was visiting my boyfriend at the time and he is left-handed. This isn't going to be some bigoted screed against left-handed people -- he only had left-handed scissors and I was finding them a bit tricky to manipulate, so I asked him to cut off the care label.

Result: GIANT HOLE in my new gloves.

So I crocheted a lopsided heart to cover it.

I am quite pleased with the result! It almost looks like it was done a-purpose. Just don't ask to look at the sewing. It wouldn't get past quality control even at Primark.

***

Walking this same glove-destroying boyfriend to Victoria Station, I dropped into a Topshop and tried on their sale gear just for the hell of it.

After following several fashion blogs featuring people wearing tight wet-look leggings and looking great in them, I thought I would see how this pair of shiny trousers looked on me.

Verdict: nnnnn. Some day I may conquer my prejudice against leggings and trousers so tight they look like leggings, but today is not that day. I think I'll stick to my non-shiny tights and derriere-covering dresses.

- Zen

In Response to When The Going Gets Tough

2009-01-14T19:40:00.000Z

Zen, the outfit screams for tights and boots/oxfords! As seen here.

Double breasted coats over mini shifts. I love the idea! Forget about the hanging ass. No one's gonna notice.

Inspired much.

Source

- Sue

When the going gets tough

2009-01-13T21:06:00.000Z

... the tough cry and throw things and overdose on caffeine. Then they go shopping.

Acquisition: Jigsaw jacket, £8.

Jacket - Jigsaw via charity shop; ex-dress - H&M; shoes - Charles & Keith

I wouldn't actually wear this ensemble in public. The dress is a deep blue lace mini from H&M, the most beautiful thing, but it is unfortunately an ex-dress, a dress pining for the fjords, as it were. A few heedless rounds in the washing machine (in this allegory, the washing machine stands in for the Wheel of Life) and lo and behold, we have reincarnation. I could still pretend it was a dress if I were the sort of person who approved of going around in public with my ass hanging out, or if I were the sort of person who approved of leggings, but since I am not either sort of person, I am going to have accept its new life as a top.

I suppose it will make a nice top. But it was such a nice dress. I am desolated.

What shall I wear the jacket with? I'm thinking interesting tights and a tiny dress. But perhaps something marginally less tiny than that H&M dress-turned-top. One must consider what one's mom would say ...

- Zen

Pizzicato 5 Inspired Part 2

2009-01-13T04:35:00.000Z

Presenting Lemms Challenge #1: Lemms – On the Sunny Side of the Street (Pizzicato 5 cover)
Well of course we weren’t thinking of singing, but we did want to recreate the looks we saw in the P5 music video.

Just to recap...last year we watched this on YouTube...

Sue said, “Look at the clothes...!” (Or something to that extent...because it was quite Sue-style no?)

While resisting the urge to stalk and buy more vintage stash, Zen had a brainwave - Create our versions of the outfits worn in the Pizzicato 5 music video “On the sunny side of the street” from what we can scavenge from our wardrobes.

Beg or borrow. No using this as an excuse to buy new clothes!

^_^ I love having an excuse to take photos...

Look #1:

Well we got a trench! Didn't get a beret although Zen was contemplating croqueting one. We managed to get hold of an eyepatch...but it's not in these shots unfortunately. And we have an umbrella, although not as colourful... but I think Sue looks super cute in this and since we got the trench right do we get a 10?....or a 9? haha...

Look #2:
Okay huge deviation now...white shirt, check. Black tights, check. No beret like before, but I threw on a slouchy caddy looking hat. Blazer and skirt have the rough idea i guess...and we have the umbrella!

Look#3:

We got the colours of this set slightly inverted, but plus points for the wig? While we were happy snapping, we learnt that the above-the-knee stockings really lengthens the legs! True for Zen at least. No wonder people in Japan love them. It makes our daikon-ashi (daikon radish-shaped)legs look more slender.

Look #4:

Last look for the Lemms. Simple...yet with attitude! The bf's shirt and jeans combo never fails isn't it?

Under our umbrella, ella, ella eh eh!

Lemms signing off...^__^

Lemms & Hats

2009-01-08T16:45:00.000Z

I bought a new hat from Urban Outfitters, again from the post-Christmas sale. Wasn't really that much of a discount, about £13? More than what I paid for my shoes (an unfair comparison). It’s dark brown/greyish-purple...and woolly/felty/fuzzy? OK I’m no good at descriptions so take a look instead...

I feel that I’ve lost my frost-proof ability somewhat this year. I’ve started wearing scarves and now I have a hat (although I definitely did not buy it as a winter-warmer)! Or maybe the London temperatures have been ridiculously low (for London that is...)! Still don’t own gloves though>_<

Am I trying to be “poser”?....yea maybe...but hats are still awesome. I might have watched too many mafia movies as a child or I may secretly want to be a detective (Dick Tracy-style – I don’t actually remember much about Dick Tracy from my childhood, apart from a trench, a hat and lot’s of yellow. Pretty much the same description I would give Singing in the Rain).

1) Hats are awesome
2) Hats keep you warm
3) Hats hide your bad-hair day
4) Hats make you look taller (or so I comfort myself...)
5) The hat hunt is not over...
6) ...at the end of it the Lemms will be holding a tea party. Scones!

Can’t wait ^_^

-Sam

The Long Awaited All Mighty Awesome Sales Coverage

2009-01-05T22:45:00.000Z

I've finally finished shopping and decided to cover the Boxing Day Sales 2008 a week after. Not true really, on the shopping part because I hear the sales will go on and on and on until the economy recovers which has potential, because from what I saw on boxing day, shoppers can single-handedly shop the world its way out of this dreary recession.

For those who have not come to discover the mother of all sales, Boxing Day is the day when shops start to slash their prices from 50% and above to get rid of stock. Of course the sale usually lasts for a month but usually the good stuff will finish on the first day because people actually wake up early in the morning to queue outside the store before it opens. I am speaking the truth.

Okay, I have never really been around for the actual Boxing Day sale itself because I always go back home to the sun. My first winter here in university doesn't really count because I only went for the high street stuff. Sure the clothes are really cheap but unless you don't mind queuing early in the morning to enter with a sea of people stomping on clothes strewn onto the floor and elbowing you to snatch that bag you've just put down then yes, amazing bargains can be found.

This year, oops, last year (it's always weird when you are trying to adjust to a new year don't you think?). Last year though, I tried something different, I decided I would go early at 9am to Selfridges.

Did I make it?

Unfortunately, I woke up late and got around Selfridges around noon. The boy and I were freezing cold when we got out so I was a bit flustered because not only am I late for the sales but it's cold. Then when we finally got on the bus, I heard the bus driver speaking to someone else about Selfridges.

'Have you seen the queue outside Selfridges? Mad, ain't it?'

'Yeahhh, I dunno what's in there.'

A queue into Selfridges?! My heart immediately dropped. Now not only am I cold, late but also missing the sale of the century!

Fast forward into the journey, I was bracing myself for a sea of people on Oxford Street but surprise surprise, it was like any other weekend crowd so that was good. I told the boy that maybe we hit the high street shops again but would see if Selfridges was actually that bad.

So we hopped off the bus and true to the bus driver's word, the queue snaked out of the building but the queue turned out to be a queue to somewhere, just not Selfridges, anyone could enter as they wish.

The doors opened.

And I was in for a huge shock. The ground floor of Selfridges is the posh home of all the bags in the world that can EACH feed a family of four for a lifetime in third world countries. It was amazing that the bags were strewn everywhere. Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, Mulberry, Chloé, any fashion house that did not have an enclosed shop, had their bags mixed together, picked up, scrutinised and thrown back into a pile of, dare I say it, rejects. Seriously, it was like Primark on a weekend. (Primark sells cheap clothes and people go mad and pick everything they find in their size and it is messy in there, if you've not been to a war zone, Primark is the place to start.)

Now, on that day, all the bags I saw was 50% off. So if the Balenciaga bag that you bought a month ago was at a retail price of say £1000, on that day it was a mere £500! Hey, that amount still feeds a family of four in a third world country but that is cheap for the middle class!

Happiness it was for the middle classes, so much so that I saw several women toting 4 bags in one hand and pushing in to find more bargains. The atmosphere was almost euphoric. Long queues were outside Chanel (no sale), Louis Vuitton (no sale), Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Miu Miu and the longest queue of them all was Gucci. Remember the queue that snaked to the outside of the buidling into the sidewalk? Yup, it was the queue into Gucci. But the sale there looked pretty good. I sneaked a peek and it looked like almost the whole store had up to 50% off.

Did I mention that the atmosphere was euphoric? Don't blame me but it was the whole mood of it. I grabbed a Michael Kors bag, a Marc by Marc Jacobs wallet (because I was pick pocketed just recently) and stood in the queue into Louis Vuitton. Yes, seriously, the euphoria of luxury brands at 'affordable' prices got me insane in the membrane. It was only when they started playing 'The Final Countdown' that I realised my madness and the psychology Selfridges was using to hype up the sale that I put down the bag and also left Louis Vuitton (but only because there was no sale). In the end, the boy bought me the Marc by Marc Jacobs wallet which was I believe a very sensible buy. (:

That was not just the only thing I got out of the sale though. Because all the bags were within reach, I could scrutinise a lot of bags which I would never have had the chance to until I retire. One thing that struck me was that luxury prices do not give you high quality goods. I repeat, high price does not equal awesome quality. A little secret between you and I, the large unconventional zips of Marc Jacob bags were absolutely useless. Extremely hard to unzip. While I was trying to unzip and zip one of the bags, one of the zips actually came off. Noboday saw me but the horror at what had happened was more than the fear of getting caught. The lesson here girls is don't be fooled by the sweet talking of your S.A. that you dismiss to do any quality control. Make sure you give that bag of yours a through check before passing them your cheque.

And that was all the shopping I did on the 26th. Because it was so packed and everything was so crazy that you just wanted to pay and run with your goods. In the end, the boy and I went to Carnaby Street to eat £3.50 noddles at Cha Cha Moon but to our dismay, found that Alan Yau has jacked up the prices. Booo.

So that was it. The Boxing Day experience. Not much different with the high street one really but much better because luxury items become slightly affordable I would say. Cheap or expensive, as long as there is 50% off, elbows are always the lead in the story.

p.s. I did go to Harrods but avoided the crowd on the first day and regretted it thoroughly because I found La Perla tights down from £9.95 to £2.95! But no S sizes were available anymore. Booo. Wolford and Tabio were 50% off too but again no more S. Is there a correlation between the rich and the skinny? hmmm.

p.p.s Some of the pictures I had to scour through 2007 archives so the goods may look very out of season. The goods were actually mostly spring 2008 I presume, from the bags I saw.

- Sue

Shopping ban brogue-ken!

2009-01-03T16:06:00.000Z

Okay, sorry for the super lame title of this post...but I just couldn’t resist>_<...and I had to share the love for my best post-Christmas buy with all of you.

Here it is...

Finally a pair of brogues!!! I’m sure all 3 Lemms have been eyeing brogues for ages...and I found this pair randomly while holidaying in Berlin, and for only €10 too, even after the drop in the £ it’s still a good buy no? Luckylucky^_^

I should find a better way to tie the laces so they don’t look like I'm walking around with 2 giant daddy long legs.

-Sam

Spotted #1

2008-12-29T14:29:00.000Z

zomg.

Can I on behalf of the lemms exclaim our undying love for dim sum? Is it even possible to describe the extent of our love for em' small wraps? I dunno but the love is there. My boyf can attest to all the eating we do at dim sum places.

But this.

This is pure genius.

Spotted here.

- Sue

Capitalist excesses, part II

2008-12-27T15:14:00.000Z

As I remarked pensively to my best friend Max today, if the economy has yet to revive, it is not for lack of effort on my part.

The rest of my shopping has finished being laundered, so: pictures! Items new except where described as remixed. (As far as I can tell, "remixed" is just a fancy way of saying "I have worn this before and am now wearing it again", in the same way that "vintage" means "basically, old; usually, smelly".)

Grey polka-dot cardigan - Marks & Spencer; necklace - Vincci Accessories; top - Seed (remixed); skirt - Colours (remixed)

This outfit makes me feel like a primary school teacher. ^_^ I shall wear it to go watch a film tomorrow.

Dress - Ember; shoes - Vincci Accessories

The shoes are the angelic white ballet flats mentioned at the end of the previous post. I know I said I was sick of shopping, but firstly, I was probably lying; secondly, they have more or less stopped playing Christmas music, and have started playing Chinese New Year music instead! I have a far higher tolerance for Chinese New Year music than for Christmas carols, due to prolonged exposure in my youth.

Thirdly, look at them! They are so cute! And they were RM30, which is not excessive for shoes. I shall remove the straps and wear them everywhere, but always bring a rag and some soap with me in readiness for untoward events. In three months they shall be grey, alas.

Deceptive knit top - Cortefiel; jeans - Dorothy Perkins (remixed many a time); white ballet flats - Vincci Accessories

The top is deceptive because it is not really a shirt under a sweater; it is just a sweater with pretend shirt-bits attached. I love the dramatic white sleeves. They make me feel like a Shakespearean actor.

Top - FOS; necklace - Axxezz

Axxezz is shockingly expensive, but this choker-necklace creature was RM12, probably because it is basically made out of coconut.

It is AMAZING. This top is not right. None of the three tops I tried on with it were right. I have not figured out how to wear it yet, but there must be a way. I adore statement necklaces, and this one says, "Hello! I am awesome!"

Dress - Nichii Fashion City; stockings - Daiso

And my last, shameful extravagance. I have no particular need for this, especially as it is entirely the wrong colours to wear to my brother's wedding, but I tried it on for fun when Max and I wandered into Nichii Fashion City looking for evening dresses, and then spent five minutes gazing at myself in the mirror, transfixed.

I can just about sit down in it. If I put on so much as a smidgen of weight from my joyous feastin's this holiday --

Delicious delicious pho

-- I will no longer be able to wear my beautiful dress which makes me feel as glamorous as a million Audrey Hepburns smoking those cute old long cigarettes and wearing strings of pearls, and Sue will have to inherit it, whether she will or no. May that day be long in coming!

- Zen

Fruits of labour

2008-12-26T13:57:00.000Z

I've been home a week and already I'm thoroughly sick of shopping -- not out of any innate thriftiness that causes me to draw back in horror from my recent extravagances, but basically, because every shopping centre in the PJ/Klang area will insist on playing Wonderful Christmastime six hundred million times.

I'm as fond of Sir Paul McCartney as the next man, but come on!

The main aim or purpose of the week-long shopping spree was to acquire a dress for my brother's wedding next week, but of course I picked up other things on the way -- if only because you're not allowed to wear black or white at a Chinese wedding, and I have an unfortunate passion for black and white. Especially together!

Dress - Cicada; over-the-knee stockings - Daiso

Which passion I combine with a passion for colourful hosiery. A new-to-me RM5 shop, modelled on the Japanese 100 yen shop, has opened at a shopping centre near me, and I took the opportunity to buy SOCKS. Oh how I love socks.

Green sweater dress - P & Co; grey argyle socks - Daiso; cowl - crocheted by myself

Another thing I cherish an abiding passion for: sweater dresses. Sweater dresses are a tricky one -- they can be difficult to maintain, and they cling in an occasionally awkward manner -- but they are just so cosy and casual I cannot resist.

I crocheted the cowl according to this pattern, only modifying it to make it bigger. The general feeling among my friends and family appears to be that cowls are scarves cut off in their prime -- "aren't they just a monstrous cross between a neck brace and a truncated scarf?" -- but I love it, so there. I think it looks great, and it will be super nice and toasty when I am back in England.

Grey argyle knee socks! Grey argyle knee socks for RM5! :D

My final and most acute love:

Dress - Suzuya; stockings - Daiso

SHIFT DRESSES. I would wear this with tights, a cardigan, a scarf and pure undiluted happiness.

It is ridiculous how beautiful shift dresses are. I took about six pictures of myself in it and I look amazing in every single one of them. This did not happen with the sweater dress, I can tell you that!

The final pictures are not of new purchases, but I started rummaging around in my wardrobe and found a couple of pieces I am totally bringing back to London. I bought them a while ago in Hong Kong and Japan and ended up hardly ever wearing them because they are a bit, um, unhinged --

Panda T-shirt - shop in Harajuku; tutu - shop in Mongkok; stockings - your friendly neighbourhood Daiso

But unhinged in such a fun way!

I must toughen my hide and wear this out in public some weekend in London. Perhaps I shall buy those angelic white ballet flats I saw in Vincci Accessories to go with them ....

These aren't all the purchases I've made since getting home (embarrassing admission), but the others are in the wash, so I'll make another post with pictures when they have come out again!

Happy holidays, and have a fabulous new year!

- Zen

Where the Treetops Glisten and Children Sing

2008-12-25T01:10:00.000Z

It's Christmas morning guys! Sadly, Sam and I are not celebrating Christmas at home so we are celebrating it together. Steamboat, chiffon cream cake, christmas pudding, and playing Wii equals christmas for the lemms minus one. Zen, in the mean time is home with home cooked food and family.

Since my fingers hurt from playing too much Smash Brothers, I shall sit here and look for nice christmassy things. And I found things, well not things exactly, but Christmas images that we would love.

Sam was the easiest, I saw this and knew that she wold immediately love this and would die to have them all. Introducing Christmas with Sam's loved ones.

They are fluffy and lovable, like Sam. The duck with the reindeer hat is the cutest of the lot. And I would like one of Mario's mushroom too.

For Zen, it was tough. I didn't want to find anything clothes related because clothes adorned with a christmassy theme can be a bit lame and unoriginal. But lookie here,

The image comes from a 60s arts and craft magazine, thus explaining the bauble in her hand. because they were teaching the reader how to make a chirstmas baubles as well I believe. At first look it's a lovely christmassy skirt but no, look closer at the words, it's a holiday apron! I didn't know aprons were made like that but it does look really stylish. A great idea really if you want to spiff up a plain shift dress like the one the model is wearing. The hair is awesome too.

Another one which I thought funny was this.

Look ma, not only am I making our Christmas tree look like it was snowed in from non existent snow but it is now NOT a fire hazard. No need to worry when a candle falls.

As for myself, I went straight-a-hunting for Christmas food and found this.

Hummingbird Bakery is the world's best place if you feel generous enough for a trip to sugar land and back. Its cupcakes are moist enough to go with the icing and the icing is the best I've eaten so far. I believe they are relatively cheaper (by 50p maybe) compared to other cupcake places around London. I have not tried Magnolia Bakery but do let me know what you think if you've tried both.

A little bird told me that another great cupcake place is Lola's at Selfridges. Their christmas themed cupcakes are pretty clever, aptly names The Twelve Days of Christmas. I will try one day.

I can't imagine how this post has actually turned into a food post. Sorry guys, but now you know which places to eat when in London. (:

So yes, now I bid you farewell and good night. Eat well, sleep well and don't remember not to faint when you get a christmas present not worthy of an owner like you.

On behalf of the lemms, I wish you all a Merry Christmas from London!

p.s. Don't forget Boxing Day sales. We just can't wait!

75% off, here we come!

-Sue

Unconventional Finds

2008-12-23T01:55:00.000Z

Finally, a break from studies and back to lazy mornings sipping English tea and munching on freshly baked bread spread with Lurpak butter while going through e-mails and blogs. No, the fresh part was faux because firstly I don't mix and knead dough everyday and secondly, there's this small miracle in life where you can get part baked pain, pop them into the oven for ten minutes and voila! The illusion of freshly baked bread.

Anyway, enough about my morning rituals. Let's talk about something more exciting. Stuff you've never thought you did like before. You know, things like mince pies, liquorice, marzipan or brussel sprouts. I am sorry, everything here seems to revolve around food, but you get what I mean.

Today, I bought something I would never have worn. Prints. More specifically a watergarden open back print dress. A more visual object, this.

Well, to be fair, the picture does not do any justice to the colours at all. It looks like a Renoir painting. But again, what was I thinking? Let me explain.

My aunt was in a shopping spree mood, what with all the great reductions welcoming the 'next great depression the world will ever witness'. We were also in an area where high street stores were absolutely obsolete aka Sloane Square. I mean, I love the area and its stores but it's just that I never felt it was right to splurge daddy's money on decadent things. My own? That's another story which I can only tell if this recession gives me a job.

So, I was there being her carrier for all bags paper and big when she went into Whistles which was having this massive 50% off sale. 50%! I must admit, I am a quantitative person but when it comes to percentage, as long as the numbers are BIG, even if the the net price nis high, it will always increase my endrophins and adrenaline. (Man, I should just have 50% off signs posted all over my bedroom to make me happier.) High levels of endrophin and adrenaline are really such a dangerous combination. I just started grabbing dresses that apperead nice without a second thought and immediately rushed into the changing rooms to try them on.

I don't suppose I was going to actually buy any of them but I just wanted to try them on 'to see'. And when that dress clothed me, I was amazed at how flattering the prints made me look. It's ruched at the waist so the top hangs loosely but in a nice way because it's silk. Then the bottom skirt bit had a slight volumious flow to it. I was actually reminded of Bree van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) of Desperate Housewives.

In a good, low key, sophisticated way of course.

Did I mention that underneath the dress was a lace skirt as well? It was lovely! To be honest, I hated those things when I was 5, they itched like hell and gave me the heeby jeebies when my mum dressed me up. I even had matching laced socks for effect which amplified my itchiness and grouchiness. But those things do make a huge difference to how the dress hangs on you. In fact, if put under the right material, it makes the whole dress looks so much better.

So yes, in my defense, I thought I looked great in it. Plus, it was something different. Not a staple in the wardrobe but one striking outfit. It's rare to find dresses that looks great on you and doesn't look black. And of course, I could have waited for boxing day sales but I didn't want to take the risk of not being able to find it in my dress size and then I would regret and be sad and paste 50% off signs in my room to alleviate my sadness, which would make me an even sad-er person. Another plus point, I have a return option too.

I actually plan to wear this for the Chem Eng annual dinner going to be held at The Roof Gardens. It's pretty apt, don't you think so? The dress is also a great summer dress and perfect for any classic English country wedding, if I am going to one that is. So what are the thoughts? Have I absolutely lost it or was it a moment of genius?

Meds & Hems...

2008-12-16T16:57:00.000Z

My interests in fashion are few...true, to a certain extent, mainly because I can’t be asked to wake up the extra half an hour, or however long it takes, to look pretty in a dress and tights (knowing how I’m such an un-morning person...half an hour extra is actually being really optimistic!). So you can imagine me at the end of my pre-clinical days (all that was required back then was to roll out of bed, be hygienic and crawl to lectures in pyjamas-level presentable) looking excitedly at clinical school life, where I finally run around in the hospital with my stethoscope, thinking “crap I need to buy a whole new wardrobe..." >__<

I have whined and digressed way too much! The point of all this is...want to see what I have in my “clinical school-wardrobe” now? It’s not really that special, but for me it’s a super step up! I will obviously tweak the looks depending on what the NHS trust dress code is at the time, but in general: nothing below the elbows (so no watches around the wrist), no jeans, and clothes with offensive slogans^_^! It’s probably a good thing that we are required to dress smartly and look somewhat professional (whether or not we have truly learnt the communication skills for it yet!

Here comes the skirt and tights! ...and I had to throw on a vest because I love vests (and am now banned from buying anymore...) also because I think it makes it look like I put in slightly more effort...even if I do look more like a waitress!

White shirt - Fox. Skirt - Interplanet. Black tights - Japan. Vest - random stall during the Thames Festival.

I love vests! You’ve probably noticed that I’m trying to sneak black jeans into the hospital...well sometimes you can get away with it. I still prefer them to slacks...old habits die hard.

Shirt - Comme Ça Ism. Vest - somewhere in Harajuku. Jeans - Bik Bok.

This is more casual, and works when all I have to do is attend seminars and teaching sessions etc. Could work in the ward with the slightly-less nitpicky nurses and doctors.

Sleeveless top - somewhere in Japan. Vest - Comme Ça Ism. Jeans - Bik Bok. Jacket - Mango.

I should also probably also blog about the shoes I have hunted down for clinical school...but that will be another post, for another month! (I really should get off my lazy bum and blog more too!)
Hopefully the next hospital I am at has the white tunic rule for medical students. I could get away with so much more when you throw a white tunic over everything. Maybe I should keep an eye out for how well people can work it and blog about that! I have spent too much money on clinic-clothes this year, I think I shall join Zen in her shopping ban...

-Sam

Zen's picks from Oxfam online - #1

2008-12-16T00:08:00.000Z

Vintage 50s dinner coat and dress set, £145

I have a new means of procrastination: the Oxfam online secondhand store.

It's a sad truth that it's difficult to find affordable vintage in the UK -- of course all depends on your definition of "affordable", but what with shipping costs those beautiful Etsy shops selling gorgeous vintage dresses at $20 a pop are rarely an option, and even on eBay the real beauts soar beyond £20 pretty darn quickly. Sue and I hardly ever win eBay auctions because we are so cheap.

The nice things about charity shops is that they are affordable. The less nice thing is that often they are an exercise in wading through a sea of Marks & Spencer jumpers. The Oxfam online shop is not dissimilar to its real-life counterparts in that respect, but it has some really gorgeous pieces if you dig a bit, like this vintage lace dress:

Garmel of London dress with lace overlay, £35

And this highly bargainous Prada jacket:

Prada pinstripe wool jacket, £34.99

(It did occur to me to wonder how one would know it was Prada -- but hey, if one is going to trust N. E. Ebayer when she swears her item has only been worn twice and retailed at a million, one might as well extend that trust to Oxfam.)

And even Marks & Spencer has it in them to come up with something pretty neat once in a while.

Marks & Spencer cotton/polyester jacket with damask pattern, £9.99

I love the glossy brocade effect on this jacket, and ever since I saw it I've been wondering what one would wear it with. I don't know! I don't think it is that wearable and I am a bit dubious about the fit and yet I am strangely infatuated with the jacket all the same. (A chunky scarf? A little dress? Jeans and unexpected shoes?) I would so buy it and find out what it'd look good with if I were not on a shopping ban right now.

So, um, after about a coupla hours surfing the website I decided I had best put my wasted time to some kinda use and do a Lemms post about it. Here's a handful of Zen's Picks -- nothing over £20 unless it was awesome enough to merit inclusion. Click on the pictures to go to the Oxfam website!

Dresses

1970s dress with matching belt, £11.99

1970s shift dress, £13.99

The description on the website claims that this is handmade. This isn't a great picture, but from the close-up of the fabric it looks like it would be super cute on, and I love the angled pockets.

Jacques Vert sheath dress, £16.99

I can't decide if one would look like someone's great-aunt or totally awesome in this -- I suppose it would all hang on the fit.

1980s jersey crossover dress, £17.99

1970s handmade dress, £25.00

I didn't like this one at first, but the more I gazed at it the more charming it became. I like the grid pattern, the glossy material and the gorgeous deep colours.

Kaliko loose roll neck dress, £19.99

High street secondhand rather than vintage, but if the colour is anything as rich in life as it is in the picture, I think it'd be gorgeous.

And I was going to go on to coats (-- then waistcoats -- then tops -- then skirts), but I looked at the list of links I'd collected and, well, it is bedtime. I'll save it for another post. You should tell me if you buy any of the dresses linked here so I can hate you secretly in my heart!

Chronicles of the easily inspired

2008-12-11T22:47:00.000Z

Now isn't that pretty? I saw it in a shop window on Lower Marsh (my favourite road in the world -- it has two vintage shops, three bookshops, a knitting shop and cafes galore! You must understand: in my head Heaven's high street is like this). The shop sells various vintagey/kitschy/girly gift things, and lots of Noa Noa clothes and accessories.

I loved the delicacy and whimsical details of this outfit in the window display, so I thought I'd try to recreate it. Noa Noa is of course far beyond my budget, but you know what is within my budget?

H&M!

Dress - H&M; cardigan - H&M, rosette made by me; necklace - weekend market at the Curve; scarf - random London shop; tights - Uniqlo

You will note that really the only thing this has in common with the window display is the vaguely flower-shaped brooch. But I'm especially proud of that brooch because I made it myself! It is the first crochet flower I have ever made. And I think it looks pretty neato!

Since I didn't have any appropriate white yarns to use, I deliberately flipped the colours of the scarf and flower. I don't have any thin white necklaces -- I like my necklaces chunky or quirky, but rarely so delicate -- so I went for my phoenix necklace, 'cos I hardly ever wear it.

I added the cuff also 'cos I never wear it, and because the colours sort of match:

Overall I'm not that pleased with the look I came up with as an imitation, though I am happy with it as an outfit -- it's casual and cosy and warm! I love casual and cosy and warm. And it means the rosette is perpetually in the corner of my eye, reminding me to bask in the lovely warm glow of having made something myself.

I would like to get up an outfit a bit more similar to the window display, though. For that I'd need
- a more interestingly knit long cardigan
- a more interesting scarf
- a floatier dress -- you can't really see it in the picture I took, but the dress is sort of layered and gauzy. I do have a similar black dress I tried on this morning, but since my cardigan is black as well, it ended up looking a bit too eveningwear.

We shall see. I am technically still under a shopping ban ... though I breached it briefly yesterday. But that is a story for another post!

Bucketloads of Inspiration

2008-12-10T18:43:00.003Z

You can all shoot me if you don't think these images are cool. Don't you love the military jacket? And the blonde hair. She makes me crave for a fringe and blonde hair, both of which I cannot pull off.

She looks pretty normal. Biker jacket over dress. Uggs with tights. But look at her hands!

Awesome crocheted gloves. Zen, do you think these are possible? Your crocheting skills will one day rule the world. (:

Personally, I love this girl's look the best. Sassy and fun yet classy at the same time. I think it's the make up. And those ankle boots are to die for.

So whaddya think? Oh I think I can so pull off those wide leg pants the guy is wearing. I really would love a pair of those, santa. The blazer and shoes too, please? The hair? No thanks.

Photos from Drop.

Sue

Cowls and other creatures

2008-12-08T19:00:00.000Z

My BFF Max has requested that we post clearer pictures of our clothes. My sucky photography skills and the appalling lighting in my room don't really allow for that, but Max's reproof did remind me that I've got something of a backlog of clothes photos that I was meaning to post here.

Not-terribly-exciting outfit photos posted at Wardrobe Remix:

Scarf - from my mom; T-shirt - Seed; necklace - somewhere in Malaysia; sleeveless top - H&M; skirt - Nicole; tights - Boots; stockings - random shop in Tokyo; boots - DUO; elephants - Bali

I really like this outfit just because it's a new way of putting old clothes together. The black top actually has a white bib on the front; it is very charming, but is too big for me and gapes at the chest shockingly, so I always have to layer it on top of something else. Usually I put it on top of a tank, but the T-shirt look is quite cute as well, I think.

Dress - Zara; long cardigan - H&M; tights - Dorothy Perkins

Reading Fruchtzwerg's Island made me realise that the one thing missing from my life is a long cardigan, so I rushed out and got one from H&M. Again, a really simple outfit, but it delights me because it's a new way of wearing the dress. The dress is very cute, but when I wear it by itself, there's something about its fit that I don't like. Really I shouldn't have bought it, but I was too charmed by the gorgeous print (my friend called it a "juicy blue", and it really is!). It's spent most of this term mouldering in the back of my closet.

But then I put the new cardigan on top of it and suddenly I love the look -- it's comfortable enough to wear while slouching around at home; it's casual enough to wear to school without feeling awkwardly overdressed; it adds a pop of colour to my day but isn't too loud because the cardigan quiets it down. It still needs more -- an oversized scarf, maybe, or a belt, or a necklace -- but it will do for now. I foresee myself wearing this dress a LOT.

Anyway, I have decided that the cardigan is going to be my absolute last clothes purchase for myself this term. I've been spending far too much money! My resolution is a bit cheating really, since there's only two weeks left to the term, and I will be shopping when I go home, if only because my brother's getting married and I haven't yet acquired an appropriate dress. But it's a very necessary resolution in these sale-ridden times.

What I'd like to do more of is combine what I've got in new ways -- I initially typed 'interesting new ways', but they don't have even have to be particularly interesting, really, just novel. I've been thinking especially about this:

It's an Alexander McQueen dress I saw in the Bath Fashion Museum. (Not awfully worth going, btw; one might as well visit the V&A -- at least that's free.) Ever since I saw it I've been pondering how I might recreate it with my lace dress -- for I have a lace dress! It is not the same colour or shape, but it is lacey. The general idea is there.

But I do not know how I am to obtain the top bit.

I don't know if you can tell, but it is some sort of leather yoke/collar thing. I was thinking I could recreate something similar by crochet, perhaps -- perhaps by trying to imitate one of Yokoo's marvellous creations --

-- though of course it would be a poor imitation at best -- but it is called the Pembroke cowl! It is as if it was meant to be!

But the thing about the McQueen dress is that it is a play on the textures and the associations of leather vs. lace, so it wouldn't work if it was crochet.

Unless I tried to crochet a cowl in leather ...

Belted Down

2008-12-04T02:08:00.000Z

Literally. Labs, events and interview, read one interview have bogged me down. So here I leave you all with a look that goes with my current mood. I'll be back! Soon I hope.

boyf's sweater, h&m scarf, primark grey tights (inner), m&s tights (outer), vintage belt, charles and keith buckle pumps

Sue

Which is mostly Zen moaning

2008-11-28T17:27:00.000Z

There are days I can't bring myself to get out of bed unless I promise myself I can wear something exciting. Since my usual uniform consists of jeans + a faded top from Seed/Padini, my definition of 'exciting' isn't very, but whatever gets you through the winter, right?

I don't like winter :(

I'm slowly growing reconciled to it (winter, that is) on account of having newly a) started to wear scarves and b) started to make scarves. If there were no winter, there would be no real need for scarves, and then where would I be? Crocheting pointlessly, that's where.

But still I keep dreaming of summer ... in Cambridge especially. I haven't summered in the London yet, but I imagine it would on occasion be a bit sweltery and awful -- I find the smell of exhaust about a bajillion times more horrible when it's hot than when it's cold for some reason. It's so gorgeous in Cambridge, though. The green spaces. The trees. I was sitting in class earlier this evening staring sadly out at the grey world and remembering the people who used to clamber out of their windows and sit on the roof.

Happy days!

But I shouldn't just roll around in nostalgia like a dog in a pile of poop; I certainly have a lot more free time now than I did then. And there are lots more vintage shops, where one may find delightful dresses for 10 of the British pounds!

That is five gazillion in Malaysian, but it is not too bad compared to Topshop.

NB. I did not really wear the scarf that-a-way the whole day. But I should have done!

- Zen

Zen's day out

2008-11-23T16:17:00.000Z

So there are pros and cons to living in London.

Con: one is always having to deal with boilers and fridges and washing machines that leak. (This is not inherent in living in London, but they never made me deal with this kind of nonsense in Cambridge! Hence it is with London that I associate tardy plumbers.)

Pro: everyone has interesting shoes!

Con: -- and I think this is something peculiar to city life -- one suddenly understands road rage in a way one never did before, because when you're pushing and shoving in a crowd of about 1 million people all pushing and shoving to get on a bus, and it is cold and wet and smells of exhaust (not to mention exhaustion), and suddenly some City dude with an irritating tie steps on your foot -- then you know the true meaning of abrupt fury!

Pro: but you can have such great days out!

The subject of this post is going to be days out, because City workers with irritating ties and boilers are not very interesting things to blog about. Also they are not as photogenic!

Yesterday my nice young man came down from Cambridge and we went to the Royal Academy for the Byzantium exhibition -- highly recommended, particularly if you're interested in Christian art. But there won't be any pictures of that, because probably they wouldn't have allowed it, and anyway I left my camera in the cloakroom.

But what is more relevant to our purposes: I'd been impressed by the too-quirky-to-be-formal chic of this classy lady's outfit on Wardrobe Remix, and was eager to attempt to replicate the look with my H&M lace dress.

(It is such a great dress.) Unfortunately, while it has much in the way of charm and retro quality, there is one thing it lacks significantly, and that is length. And yesterday I checked the temperature and it was 1ºC in London.

How we suffer for beauty! Alas, not only was I freezing whenever necessity drew us outdoors, I did not manage to get any pictures in which both I and the outfit looked nice, so posting to Wardrobe Remix in ecstatic homage will have to wait for another day.

Outside a shop window, yearning to be let in :(
Jacket - Dorothy Perkins; shawl worn as scarf - random London shop; glittens - Accessorize; lace dress - H&M; 2 pairs of tights - Uniqlo and Debenhams; ballet flats - Franco Sarto

This, for example, is rather a nice photo, but it is useless as regards showing you what I was wearing. Nevertheless I have included in tiny font a list of what I was wearing, because I do so love knowing what people are wearing and where each item comes from.

What I was gazing at were these:

Which inhabited a shop fronted by this:

There's a knock-down argument for you!

After admiring Byzantine art and macaroon towers, we went to Patisserie Valerie to have PASTRIES.

but seriously it is ridiculous how photogenic pastries are!

I had a strawberry-and-kiwi tart.

The cream goes right down into the heart of the tart, and it is encircled by a layer of strawberry jam between the strawberries and the pastry. It basically tastes of happiness.

After that we wandered around Piccadilly and down Regent Street, where I poked my nose into shops, withdrawing it in some disappointment when it turned out that there were no sales. But there's a happy ending to this story: discovering to his shock that I had never heard of or been down Carnaby Street, P led me down that street of wonders, where we found Kingly Court, home of Cha Cha Moon and something even better -- vintage shops.

Which is all basically just a roundabout way of saying: I scored a dress in the bargain bin! Woo!

NB. I look slightly less like a hobbit in real life

I'd prefer short sleeves, but long sleeves are so authentic! We shall see. I plan to wear this with a houndstooth scarf, tights for the winter and boots; it will be interesting to see what works.

- Zen

Proenza Schouler PS1 update

2008-11-22T13:22:00.000Z

I NEED this bag now! Large Brown Leather PS1 bag, I will call you when I get myself a job.

Bagaholic has more pictures and price info.

Sue

The Very Latest Thing, My Dear

2008-11-22T11:30:00.000Z

What was meant to be good web hopping one fine day led to a treasure trove of inspiration that can only be better than any fashion magazine.

As we all know, androgynous is the holy grail of fashion this season. You ooh and ahh at the select skinny few i.e Agynes Deyn who can pull it off. And for those who can't pull it off, there are several clothing that has been designed to help the god forsaken ones - the boyfriend jeans being one of them. Thus milking more moolah once again from the vulnerable fashion conscious followers.

Then there's the fashion magazines. You spend several pounds a month just to look at people who can wear the most beautiful things on earth and wish you were them but deep inside you you know you will never become an airbrushed beauty. Sigh, the fashion conscious milked again.

But here, it is here on the WWW that inspires me, for free. Anything free is good, no? Yes, yes fashion blogs are a great source of inspiration but have you ever ventured further than that? Ever thought of going back to the actual source of inspiration that the rest of the fashion forward world have been longing after? I give you the original mod 60s and swinging 70s.

Does Twiggy not rock the androgynous look awesomely well? It is so fashion forward too. I would wear that shift down the streets any other day.

Another pretty good example of the how fashion these days are rocking backwards to that era is this lovely picture of Nadia Cassini. I don't know who she is, probably an actress but I do know that she has everything on that is in this season.

Fringes ala Fashion Toast. Check.
Shorts. Check. Well, over tights now since it's winter.
Belt to define waist. Check.
Beret. Check.

If it wasn't for the old skool cars in the background, I would have thought the picture was taken just recently!

Then there's The Ascot. By golly, those ladies would never have been able to get into today's Ascot because of the new maximum two-inch above the knee rule. I really like the mini shift the girl in the far right is wearing and also how she instinctively turned to the camera when the picture was shot. The poser intuition, I call it.

The shocker of all pictures is probably this one. Not because of what she is wearing but who she is. Cher.

Simplicity equals black shift and black sheer tights. Très chic. Jane Birkin rightly deserves to have the world's most coveted bag named after her.

After all these lovely eye candies, I found myself starting to youtube 60s and 70s videos. I found one movie trailer that got me yearning to watch the movie purely just for aesthetic reasons. The Blowup is a movie about a fashion photographer who stumbles upon a murder when he has his films developed. Be prepared for an explosion of 60s fashion in this one.

The obligatory video.

Sue signing off, wishing she lived in the 60s.

Crochet and feathers

2008-11-21T02:41:00.001Z

I've always had an obsessive personality, and I have just acquired a new thing to be obsessed about: crochet.

Crochet! It's done wonders for my Internet addiction, except when I go on crazy crochet website surfing sprees and turn up millions of things I wish to make when I have honed my skills sufficiently.

Like this sushi roll scarf:

Found here.

And a crazy vintage hat:

Only one of many crazy hats from the year 1944, here.

And handwarmers!

Pattern here.

With the little crochet flower on the side, oh how adorable.

Apart from these mad orgies of wish fulfillment, however, my addiction to the Internet has sat down and shut up. Upon coming home, no longer do I rush to Gmail with a hopeful expression. Instead, I curl up in my armchair with a 4.5 mm hook and wrestle with loops of cotton yarn, looking hazily through the stitches at the future.

The future is glorious, and it looks like a scarf.

I started crocheting all of a week ago, when I went into a shop to buy yarns for a knitter friend and got distracted by all the pretty colours. The textures! The variety! The glorious things you were able to make with them, they said, ranging from sheep-shaped tea pot cozies to fancy-ass dresses! I bought a hook and a ball of yarn and a book --

It is a crappy book, by the way; don't buy it --

And came home and started to crochet. Since the explanations and diagrams in my book were not terribly helpful, I had to consult the Internet at a couple of points, but once I had cleared up the nature of the slip stitch everything was smooth sailing from there.

Well, not quite. With heedless enthusiasm I started on a double crochet (single crochet in American) scarf in strawberry and mint colours, but rapidly came a cropper for various reasons: I was using the wrong sort of yarn; I failed to do extra stitches to make up for it; not only was I using the wrong sort of yarn, I was using different wrong sorts of yarn ...

The long and short of it is, that scarf was not a success.

I look quite happy here (well actually I look like a blank-eyed alien, but never mind about that), but that is only because I was bravely biting down on my anguish. The reasons why the scarf did not work out are many and varied, but I won't bore you with the technical details. I moaned about them in detail to my sister, who said, "It doesn't have to be a scarf! Why don't you use it as an accessory? Like, you know, instead of wearing a necklace and earrings, you could wear your ... thing."

Zen: Right, that'll go down well. 'Hey, Zen, what's that you're wearing?' 'Oh, it's my, you know, it's my ... accessory.'
Sister: Yeah! It could be your trinklet.

So we have taken to calling it my trinklet. I have hung it up on my bedroom door: pretty, resembling coral in its charming curliness, but ultimately useless.

The projects I next wanted to go on to doing were a) a beret and b) handwarmers and c) something cute in the way of amigurumi ... but since I have only yet managed to produce a trinklet and not a scarf, I decided to start over again and do a Proper Scarf, a scarf one could actually wear and not look that odd in.

It is going reasonably well so far! Again I will restrain myself from expounding upon it in technical detail, but there will be pictures if it does eventually turn into a scarf. Wish me luck!

Just in case crochet chat is not your bag of Jelly Babies, I include an obligatory non-crochet related link.

Link.

This is a wealthy heiress circa 1911 (probably). Isn't she marvellous? She's just exactly what you'd expect an heiress to look like somehow.

We don't have heiresses anymore, do we? Not simply as a descriptor but as a job description, a definition of a particular identity. I guess if you dream of the Marxist utopia, as surely we must all do, you can't regret the loss, but what a shame people don't wear hats like that anymore.

Anyway, what I was meaning to say was: the Shorpy Photo Archive is a repository of supremely cool old photos, worth a look if you're interested in people and the past. I haven't found that much in the way of glamour so far except in the photo above, but check out the beauty pageant photos; they are absolutely hilarious.

- Zen

Pizzicato Five Revival!

2008-11-14T00:45:00.000Z

It’s been ages since I’ve listened to Pizzicato Five! They used to be my happy-pills made into song; wouldn’t you love a band singing about Twiggy sitting next to a cat? After being surrounded by all the vintage-talk from the Lemms, I guess I can’t help but close my eyes and jump off sober ground, onto the slippery slope with them. With Comme des Garcons and H&M generating so much hype, and crazy long cues in Tokyo, I followed this thread of Japanese intrigue with what I knew better – J-pop! I soon found myself hunting down Pizzicato Five’s music videos on youtube. Thank God I’m not living in a dorm anymore where they limit your usage so much that after a few videos you can forget about checking your email!

Brace yourselves for Japanese-style quirkiness if you’ve never encountered it before...

Don’t you just love the little white dress and tights? I don’t think I could pull that off but I would put it on Sue in a heartbeat!

Here’s another one to enjoy. Not as exciting as the first one, but I do heart this song too...and I also want a trench coat.

Lastly, another one I like. Just look at the clothes, I would love to dress like that more often if I weren’t so lazy (not sure about the eye patch though). This is proof that Pizzicato Five can also do the classic walk-down-the-street-and-sing-with-a-few-costume-changes routine.

I’ll be watching more music videos till my computer says no....

- Sam

Fashionista kiasuism - my first Polyvore set - cool links!

2008-11-12T23:15:00.001Z

Maybe I won't swing by H&M to have a look at the Comme des Garcons collection after all. O_O Can you imagine? I hate going to the Primark at Marble Arch as it is; this looks like it would be indescribably worse. (Though at least the clothes would be nicer!)

Today I wore the following outfit!

What I wore 12/11/08 by lemmsandhems

It's a bit dressier than was really necessary, since all I was doing today was staggering to school, but I woke up this morning and thought: I am not getting out of bed unless I have something to get up for. So I decided to make my new dress from Dorothy Perkins an incentive to get out of bed.

The cardigan's a much prettier colour in the fleshbric, a sort of cross between plum and aubergine -- plumbergine, as the fashionistas say. Once I put the dress on the rest followed without much thought: thick charcoal grey tights because it might be cold, a cardigan, boots because boots look nice with dresses and I wanted to casual up the outfit. But the colours surprised me once everything was on -- they looked really nice together! Subdued but not dull. And I love wearing lined dresses; they make one feel super classy when they swish against the legs.

Neato links of the day:

Retro to Go
A blog focusing on retro design, inter alia in clothes.

Clever Nettle has awesome 1930s photos of a girl and her various outfits. E.g.

So cool, and very inspiring! Several of these are totally looks you could wear today and look awesome in, so go check them out.

- Zen

Proenza Schouler PS1

2008-11-09T23:18:00.000Z

My very first post and already the title is so unoriginal and boring. But wait.

See see see! I proved myself and you wrong. Those bags are amazing aren't they? Trust me, I have been hunting high and low for classic school satchels ala gossip girl style. Those that I have managed to hunt down either had too much structure or just looked too public school-ish. Now these. These are love. Especially the tan one. From messenger bag to oversized clutch to top handle bag. Oh the versatality!

I never knew Jack McCollough was a glass blower and Lazaro Hernandez a medic though. Complete geniuses! Can you imagine what the three lemms could come up with if we moved to Parsons? A lawyer, medic and an engineer. We will achieve more than a bag that transcends seasons, our names will transcend centuries. But I digress.

Back to the bag. Named after a New York public school which has been converted to an art house, the PS1 can be yours for a measly £1,179 in suede. Available also in leather and black python. Head to Harvey Nichols now. You will most probably see me sitting there admiring that piece of art and longing for a very very rich boyfriend.

- sue

Comme des Garcons for H&M

2008-11-09T16:46:00.000Z

So I'm pretty excited right now about the Comme des Garcons collection for H&M. H&M own the parts of my soul that don't belong to Patrick O'Brian and the guy invented Choco Leibniz biscuits. Before I came to London in September I owned 0 dresses from H&M; now I own -- O shame -- three. They are gorgeous and I wear them all the time, but rest assured that I wear them solely to roll around the floor in guilt.

Their prices are very reasonable, though! And the quality is pretty nice, unlike the stuff you get in Primark, which rivals your average potato sack for comfort and workmanship. Hopefully quality will be evident in the Comme des Garcons pieces for H&M, because cheapness isn't their most notable characteristic.

You can, for example, get this charming polka-dotted scarf for £34.99. That is not what I call bargainous. I guess an original Comme des Garcons scarf would cost that times a bajillion, but still ... I'd be interested to see what the scarf is made of; it would make sense if it was cashmere or something.

I really like the piece de resistance of the collection in a "omg that is crazy, I love how crazy it is" kind of way. I wouldn't wear it, but you could imagine a certain kind of girl looking hot couture in it.

Most of the collection is really wearable, though. I love this ensemble that they've put up on the H&M website:

Just your classic black-and-white skirt-and-jacket combo, wearable in even the most conservative offices, but so cool! I love the weird asymmetrical details on the jacket and the frilly cuffs of the shirt.

I just really like the jackets in the collection, actually. They mostly seem to come in black and grey, so very wearable colours, but with that touch of detailing that makes them special.

I like the raggedly scalloped edge. And again, asymmetry in outerwear is always a surefire hit with me.

What are those weird stringy things hanging off the front of this jacket? I don't know! But I like them!

And this tuxedo jacket is just adorable. What I love about it is that it's costumey yet normal enough to wear every day (though of course everything depends on how you define normal!).

The jackets are mostly £60 to £70, so it's unlikely I'll be getting them unless they go on sale after Christmas. Sigh. But an ad in Vogue informs me that the collection will be in stores November 13, so I'll definitely be swinging by H&M in Regent Street next week just to see what the clothes are like in person. It would be delicious if that tuxedo jacket actually had tails!

- Zen