About Copy (and Paste) in the Fashion Industry

I am not a staunch observer of the latest fashion trends, although I wish I am. Terribly split between 1000+ projects in a quite diverse range of industries, and a more than hectic family and personal life, I cannot dedicate sometimes more than a couple of minutes per week for observing fashion trends and influences. However, when you have good sources and references, even less than one hour per month is enough to understand where the fashion goes for the season and what are the main tendances and favorite colours and patterns.

Also, my time for shopping is very limited, especially for visiting a store without a clear intention to buy anything even more. Even as a young girl, without too much responsibilities on my sleeve, I always wanted to go straight forward to a store, buy what I wanted and keep myself busy with other things for the rest of the day. Still, at least once the month, I like to have a look in a couple of stores, to check the fashion tendencies in my home city, even though in most cases I am not interested at all to buy anything.

Approximately aware of the latest high-fashion tendencies, and with an eye on what is offered on the middle range market, I couldn't but notice a very worrisome tendency: patterns and models of big fashion brands - such as Chanel, Gucci or Versace - are copied - without the logo - and adapted for the low range market. I've seen, for instance, more than a chained bag on sale on H&M that only missed the C from Chanel, or whote shoes with flowers reminding of the Gucci sport shoes. A tendency so common also to ZARA or the peculiar Primark. Such a merchandise gives you the feeling that maybe you can convince yourself and some other non-fashionable people too, that you wear a precious item which is similar with the ones in trends. Did I say that I even spotted a ring that was strickingly similar with the classical Cartier rings in a big drugstore chain?

I personally don't have nothing against shopping from affordable brands. For my sport outfit, or when I am getting dressed for going in the park or other children-related activities, or for some weeekend trips, I prefer to wear comfy, funny looking clothes and shoes. I want to be original, unique and to wear quality clothes, but I completely reject the idea of wearing fake brands or looking-like-brands. If I really want a Chanel bag, I save fiercely and I eventually have it one day. If I want to wear branded clothes and my budget is limited, I go to a TK Maxx, where I can buy discounted quality original brands. 

This worrisome tendecies of the big brands are a bit depreciative for the usual customers of those companies. What, if you are not so rich, it means that you cannot be original? You have to resign yourself to the reality that you will never be able to be more than a sad buyer of second quality look clothes? Why those companies not use their resources and imagination to create interesting and original products which will make you feel comfortable, dignified and proud of your style. I bet people wearing Chanel-like bags are proud in their own way, but what about offering a nice creative alternative to the big fashion trends. After all, people purchasing from those companies have their own lives, struggles and challenges and creating fashion products inspired by their realities makes more sense than offering them make-believe brands.

To be honest, I have no problem to buy something that looks nice and original from a no-brand, but I will stubbornly refuse to invest my money and something that looks like it is Chanel - to name my favorite brand - but it costs less than 30 EUR worth. 

Therefore, one of my next blogging projects in the next weeks and months will be to focus on original local and international creative brand, offering original, mid-priced fashion products. They are worth to be known as an alternative to an industry that seems to go through a creative block.

My (Very) Pink Bag is Waiting for the Summer...

Isn't it summer yet? Not yet? For how long I have to wait more? With cold temperatures that makes your breathing hard, and temptation to add as many anti-fashion layers because, you know...better safe than sorry...summer looks like one of those open-eyes dream nurtured while staring at Instagram feeds from happier places than yours. But everything is short-term in this life, and as I am a big supporter of planning, I am preparing meanwhile to welcome the summer with the perfect, colourful, happy mood inducing outfits. 

Let's start with a bag then. A big pink bag, which I received via a partnership I made in the second half of December last year with Eva Leather, a company based in Guangzhou, SE of China, which creates fashion bags and designer inspired hand bags. The company was founded in 2012 and has a large variety of products that can be purchased online. The delivery was relatively fast - within one working week. They have their own loyalty points system for their regular customers and a money back guarantee policy. 

Talking about the bag...It was delivered in a small bag cover which allows to keep it in the closet safely until you have the right opportunity to wear it. At first, I was a bit in doubt about the colour but you can easily match it with various other summer colours, like green, yellow, a smart black dress and any kind of floral dresses - which I love very much, by the way. It is made of Togo leather, which is anti-scratch and finelly textured calf leather. It doesn't smell and looks like a great accessorize to wear at the beach, at a smart meeting, on a date and for an evening out with your favorite girlfriends. The choice is yours.

It has also a gold-tone hardware, with flap and padlock closure, which suits it elegantly and creates a smart diversion from the too much pink colour of the surface. It comes with a padlock, a leather strip and a key, which is a great safety especially if you plan to bring the bag on your long or short-term travels.

I personally always like to travel with a stylish touch, and my big problem is that I can rarely find an alternative to backpacks when it comes to bringing out a lot of things that I usually need while on the road, especially my professional camera, my notebook, my agenda plus pens, documents, my small makeup bag, a book or my tablet with my Kindle, a charger...The good news is that soon I will be able to take all of them in my pink bag from Eva Leather, because it has plenty of space for such a long list of necessary things to carry on. 

You can also organise your stuff smartly, as the bag has an inside zipper pocket and one large open pocket. The key gives you a great deal of safety to keep your things in your safe hands while on the road.

My conclusion is that this bag is strongly recommended to busy modern women like me and you, it offers a lot of possibility of wearing it and enough space to carry it with you all round the clock. As it is available in other - more 'serious' colours too, I would have rather prefer another colour, but this happy pink is not such a fashion catastrophy anyway and I am looking further to match it with some of my colourful outfits too. 

Now, I only need the summer for showing it - and colourful me, to the world. 

Disclaimer: Bag offered by Eva Leather for review in exchange for an honest review

The little black dress from Ralph Lauren

If there is one single black dress to have in your closet, this beautiful silk with gold embroideries from Ralph Lauren is the one and only. Stylish, elegant, easy to match with a modest outfit, and with either an elegant black or gold pair of shoes, with or without high heels. A clutch goes very well with it, also either gold or black. As for the jewelery and make-up, I see it as simply minimalistic, with dramatic mascara and some elegant gold earrings. 

The cut in itself is simple and easy, maybe if you have some experience in making your own clothes you think you can do it too. At a closer look though, it is a whole art to create a balance between the simplicity of the material and the heavy embroideries. The baste is very fine and was done to create a good effect of the material on the body. The embroideries are impressive, simple yet very distinguished. The gold thread is special, not strident or shining for the sake of shining. It is the contrast of the black silk, in a game of alternating between jour and contre-jour. 

The dress was on sales for around 300 EUR., was available at the KaDeWe store in Berlin, shortly before the holidays. However, as an inspired woman, you can wear this outfit all round the year, with elegance and style. As the creative modern woman you are!

5 Elegant White Shirts from Anne Fontaine

White shirts are a classic fashion staple, especially if you are an adept - more or less against your will - of the office smart clothes. Anne Fontaine offers one of the best examples of elegance and craft, which makes every simple white shirt a statement well crafted. The prices are medium to high-end. If you are a lawyer or s business woman, you should have at least one of her items, as it sends a clear message of strength and self-awareness. Her products can be bought online too - site available in English and French - and for purchases of over 300 EUR., there is free delivery. In Berlin, there is a beautiful small shop on Kurfürstendamm 42.

Here are my 5 elegant shirts that I recommend. Believe me, the choices were not easy...

1. Agustina, 395 EUR.

This long sleeve silk shirt has an extraordinary elaborated embroidered front. The sleeves are 100% of polyester, and the front from silk. The collar can be open, giving an air of easygoing and self-awareness to the entire outfit. It suits a pencil skirt - the choice of the colour is up to you - as well as a pair of elegant black trousers. You can wear it during the day, at work, or for a late sophisticated date at the opera.

2. Antonina, 250 EUR.

Simple and elegant, this blouse with an elegant pagoda sleeves, is an exquisite choice too. The collar has a classical touch. You can wear it for a special occasion, during the day, matching some colourful patterned skirt or the obligatory high heels.

3. Nazia, 650 EUR.

The perfect outfit for the coming holiday season, this long sleeve blouse in foliage with embroided organza has a bohemian style for women that love elegance. It is the main resistance piece of any outfit and thus, I see it together with a simple pencil skirt. The fine foliage motif is exquisite too. The drawstring at the neckline can be modified and it changes completely the shape. As in the case of most shirts by Anne Fontaine, it requires professional dry cleaning.

4. Aelys, 195 EUR.

One of my favorite from this collection, it has long embroided sleeves in broderie Anglaise style. The chiffon removable lavaliere gives it an air from another, more stylish, times. It makes a date statement, but it can also be worn at a conference or special presentation, matched with a simple skirt or an elegant pair of trousers, preferably black or, if you want to be assertive, red or cognac, or even yellow. 

5. Naidy, 195 EUR

A classical cut, but with an air of sophistication, especially given by the long sleeves in lace. The lace part is playing a smart game with the rest of the shirt body, between transparency of the shoulders and arms and the opaque fluidity of the rest. Is very elegant as work outfit, but also a concert or business lunch. A simple silk pastel skirt make you look like an ethereal presence. 

Pictures from Anne Fontaine website

Forever elegance by Diane von Furstenberg

In a fashion world predominated by extravagance and screamed-out loud fashion statements, Diane von Furstenberg remains a particular elegant voice, not only as a person, but also through her creations. The creator of the iconic wrap dress, she remains a voice of authority, without anything strident or without making any effort to confirm her message. She succeeds because she is genuine, modest and creative. Every new collection is a new statement for pure elegance, that kind of elegance you are rather born with, instead of trying to attach to your body through glittering and plastic surgery.

At the simple yet elegant store of Diane von Furstenberg in the KaDeWe in Berlin, I recently discovered an interesting collection of long sleeve lace dresses that I instantly fell in love with. They are long enough to fall around knees and with an elegant, simple and modest collar cut. The variants, preferably for evenings and for special occasions, are available in colours for all tastes: from exuberant pink to elegant black. I am personally for the ultra-marine, just to forget how much would love to wear the exuberant pink. At least once. In both cases you can play a lot with the accessories, with the condition to keep it simple. A more colourful bag and high heels are mean to create an unforgettable impression. Like everything this fashion designer creates.

Modest high fashion in Jerusalem - Amanda K.

Being modest and being fashionable do not go always together, because being modest mostly means to not be seen, while a fashionista cannot cross the street without attracting any kind of views. But being modest does not mean either to be unkept or dress the same clothes - preferably black - every day. In the last decade, many modest, religious Jewish women in Israel and elsewhere were able to show that not showing too much of your body and not wearing extravagant clothes is not the opposite of being elegant and good-looking. 

As I was strolling the streets of Jerusalem, in the growingly popular Emek Refaim area, I discovered Amanda K store. It uses fade colours and pastel materials, creating attractive dresses, skirts and blouses. Without being extravagant, you keep a sense of wellbeing and natural beauty. And this, in my opinion, is the essence of tzniut: praising the beauty of natural woman.

An important section is represented by the headgear, including very fine silky scarves, items that I really love - a long post about modest headgears, coming up in the next days. The colours are from the same discrete yet elegant palette, sending modest statements. 

For the husband, fancy velvet covering for prayer books and shawls are also available, but somehow I've found them a bit extravagant for the kind of man I fancy - who will not cover his tefillin in a sequins bag.

The prices are middle to high, and the customer service is very friendly too. 

5 Things to NEVER Wear

Summer is the season when more than ever you can see many inadvertencies and faux-fashion pas. In Berlin or elsewhere, teenagers or just too busy to give a second chance to the mirror impressions, we are all doing mistakes once in a while. This post is aimed to help you to avoid them.

Spaghetti blouses and, in general, any kind of spaghetti clothes. Hungry? Go to a restaurant, you do not havve to wear them with you! 

Holes in the jeans...I just can't stand this. It looks so cheap and no, not rebel at all, even if you are a teenager. Random cuts of the jeans looking just two steps away from the garbage bin. You better do not wear them at all if you hae a little respect for yourself.

Buggy pants. I am not a pants wearer in general, but this style it sends a message of neglect and indifference to the wearer. Even if you want to wear them only in the house, such items look like you are ready to take the garbage out.

Army prints. No single way. Even you have been or are about to go in the Army or any other military love you nurture. Except if you want to look as a special forces employee. But there is no elegance or distinction or anything good in terms of good taste with such an outfit.

From the same category with the previous item, the Army-looking boots are unfriendly, aggressive, ugly, non-elegant and, in general, very inappropriate for a lady.

All being said, what is your favourite non-fashion item on the hate list?

5 Blue Outfits from ZARA. And a flowerly bonus

Blue is my favourite colour that I am wearing as a makeup, bag, shoes...everything possible. It is the colour that reminds me the clear summer sky and the hope and, in general, that also good things happen to good people too. I do not have any complexes to wear it all round the year, but particularly in the summer, it is the best outfit colour choice. On a research visit at the big ZARA store in Berlin, close to the iconic KaDeWe, I noticed the following blue beauties:

A very simple stripped dress, that reminds me of gardening parties. Simple yet feminine cut, easy to match and to wear. The local price is 49.85.

A blue leather jacket makes a very elegant statement. You do not have to read a motorbike, but to wear it with elegance and lady-like attitude. It looks like jeans but it is more elegat than that. Available for 49.95 EUR.

Either you pack for a long beach weekend or you need an outfit for an evening in town, this printed dress is too interesting not to consider as an important item of your luggage. The purchase price is 39.95.

This blouse took my heart away. First, the colour, then, the cut, and the possibility of oh, so many combinations with skirts and shoes and bags. It costs 39.95 EUR.

The beauty of blue can go even much further: inequal blouse with long sleeves, but made of a material that suits even the much warmer seasons. Recommended for work, special meetings or just in one of those moments when you want to show yourself how much you care about you, you and only you. It costs 39.95 EUR.

And here are my bonus discoveries, two beautiful flowerly-print dresses: elegant, simple, with an inspired choice of colours, that can be weared all round the day and on many occasions. The prices for both are 49.95 EUR.

This medium length dress brings joy and happiness. Can be weared with a pair of jeans and any style of shoes, from simple to very high heels. As a bag, I will rather wear a mono-vivid colour clutch.

This second dress is more serious and may bring some mystery for the long summer evenings. Add some black shoes and some long earrings and success is your middle name!

What about you, blue lover reader? What are your main summer finds?  

6 Outfits from Desigual for a Colourful Summer

Summer time, and the live is the best - at least for me.The sun is shining and I can go around the city searching for interesting fashion items. When I am in the search for a colourful combination, I know that Desigual has always the right balance between price and quality - although the prices are usually from medium to high, but it is a worthy investment -, plus, in most cases, a helpful customer service. With so many nice items, a choice is not easy, but as for now, I made the difficult selection of only 6 (six) items that I can fast buy for a nice impression and a good feeling.

This blouse goes well any time of the day, and even of the year, for holiday or a casual Friday at work, with jeans, denim skirt or any kind of skirt. Available out of the sales season or 69.95 EUR.

I lately made a passion for clutches and this ethnic imprint stole my heart. Available for 59.95, it is elegant and sporty, with enough space for a purse, a phone and some make up too. 

For some more special elegant evening in the city, in summer and autumn, this yellow trench made a difference. Add to combination some skinny white or black skirt, with high heels - as high as you can - and a breathtaking view will follow. All being said and done, the heart breaking season is over!

This dress caught my eyes for its colours and shapes and mysterious messages. A definite choice for an elegant person, it makes a statement of romance yet independent personality. For the modest fashion, it can be weared as a blouse, with a black silk skirt. Available for 49.95 Euro.

Finding the right shoes, especially if you are looking for a combination between style and bold fashion, is not easy. With this flowers imprint, you have the right answer. With a bit of imagination, you can wear it either for the weekend in the woods or for a casual date, as they go very well with almost everything modern and youthful.  

First, your eyes are caught by the flower silk, but there are many more details to this dress. For 59.95, you can take it at home and find out what is the right combination for surprising your friends again and again. 

What about you? What are your best summer choices from Desigual?

Modest outfit from the American Apparel

The spring is finally in the air in Berlin too and it is about time for a refresh of the wardrobe. With Purim and Pesach holidays coming up very soon - and as usual, it seems I am not ready at all -, expect more social interactions and going out, hence the need to pay more attention than usual to dress codes and outfits. Searching for some new colours and inspiration, I landed yesterday at one of the American Apparel stores in Berlin. There is a friendly ambiance with music on the background, and more importantly with welcoming and perfect English-speaking customer service.

Here are my main choices:

Mid-length pencil skirt bordeaux, available also in electric pink, a colour I do not fancy, and a beige that I might be interested in one day - 42 Euro

Add the brushed Jersey Turtleneck - 42 Euro, altough the colour is a bit lifeless but can offer a good background for some sparkling jewels. 

For the cold mornings and afternoons, add a new layer: the Cropped Fisherman Pullover, 76 Euro

Alternatively, you can match the skirt with the Carmen top Rust Navy Stripe - 36 Euro.

What about shoes? First, I was tempted to add to the basket this lovely pair of Canvas Shoes sunflower, available for15 Euro...

But on the way out of the store, I fell in love with both colours - Bordeaux and honey - of these classic clogs - 135 Euro each.

Regardless of the final shoes choice, this Canteen Bag in honey colour - 72 Euro -matches very well both of them.

As for the collant, I am a big fan of colours, and I decided for the one in Bordeaux, for 16 Euro.
At least for two or three outfits, I am done for now...To be continued...
The items are available at the American Apparel store in Berlin, Bayreutherstr. 35