Black Milk Clothing

I had to share this webpage with you. I am already obsessed and wanting to buy one of everything. Loving the british patriotic pieces and in general the sheer wackiness. Had to share.

Enjoy!

Black Milk Clothing - from Australia <-- Link

Retro Game Leggings
© COPYRIGHT | BLACK MILK CLOTHING

Madonna, NFL and what I REALLY think...

So, I'm not normally one to fall out of line, express my real feelings in a forceful, gutsy and take-charge way. And by all means, I would not write under friends' facebook posts that I feel exactly the opposite of what they have deemed great, amazing or otherwise. I'm a peace-seeking, harmonious and friendly person in real life as well as in all social media I use.

BUT TODAY, the gloves are off, I am rolling the hard six, my own opinion is never wrong and I have decided to let my tongue roll and my fingers loose.

What am I talking about? Madonna. Last night. NFL, Superbowl. Long-awaited. Major hype. Super excited. Stars and stripes. Stars and songs. Dance and glory. And I know I will tread on toes, leave bad tastes and completely go against the opinions of many of my friends and lots of people out there. Frankly, it intimidates me; but today, I can't help myself.

What I am getting at is how irritated I am that everyone is saying how amazing her show was. And I hate to be the finger pointer, but really? Did you guys see what I saw? Here is how I break it down:

Stage/Set/Scene:

Now I know, that they didn't have long to build up the stage so I think it's great, that it was fantastically mobile and had stage lifts etc. Very good, not mind-boggling, but good. The videos that were played (or projected) were ok. The best being the dancer during "vogue" writhing on a Vogue cover.

Guests:

So, M.I.A., Nikki Minaj, LMFAO and Cee Lo Green all joined her. Well, LMFAO were great, but they are great anyhows. The others? Ok, Cee Lo Green is who he is too; but his contribution to "Like a Prayer" could have been stronger. but "Give me all your luvin'"? I saw the video clip online before last night and I thought: hmm, Lady Gaga really has overtaken her (even though I'm not the biggest Gaga fan) and Elton certainly knows what he's talking about. Really? I was just waiting for all the girls to start kissing each other like back in 2003 at the VMAs with Britney and Christina. There was no oomph, no power, nothing except very short skirts... Oh, and well done for sticking your middle finger up M.I.A.: very mature...

Costume:

Well... I mean, considering you're Madonna and you have top costume designers and stylist at your hands, it could have been more. Her outfit itself was bland, plain and the supposedly spectacular ripping off of the gladiator skirt went wrong and Madonna grappled at her skirt quite panicked to try and remove it. Not very pro. The dancers? Not really memorable... The only thing that stuck out was the Adidas tracksuits with music notes.

Dancers/Choreography:

The dancers were the absolute highlight for me. Fantastic through and through from parcours talents, slackliners and contortionists to the most talented dancers I take my hat off: legendary.

Madonna (dance and song):

Ok, so I've been relatively nice til now. But Madonna? Just her? The way she did it all? I mean Kudos for managing to hold through 13 odd minutes. But honestly? Neither the dance nor the singing blew me away. I mean, Madonna has never been a great singer, let's be honest. But she always managed to pull through by reinventing herself, her looks, her music. Now yesterday, none of that seemed tangible. Her dancing was awkward, as if certain movements hurt and she had to avoid certain bends or be assisted by her dancers. Her walking even looked weird, a bit like Tina Turner, bent at the knees, but Tina pulled it off. Were the heels too high? And the singing? Speculation that she wasn't actually singing live is already making its rounds. Ofcourse she wasn't. Lip-sync should be learnt: and yesterday we saw how it is not done.

Summary:

Now I'm sorry, if this is rude or if the comparison is unjust towards the "Queen of Pop" but if I look at what the "King of Pop" did in 1993 at the Superbowl with not half the technology we have today, with half the dancers, effects and costume changes I do believe that royalty has been delegated wrongly for quite some time and the queen should be kicked off the throne to make space for someone more worthy. See below the video of Michael Jackson at the NFL where the crowd cheers for two solid minutes while he just stands there, not even moving. The stage is simple, his entrance with the two doubles above the screens simple but effective, he possesses the stage, the effects are close to none, the dancers (a mere handful) and one costume change. Yet he sings brilliantly, performs like the legend that he is and his message of World Peace is conveyed adamantly throughout the entire show and not just at the end in bright, flashy lights.

I have nothing against Madonna, on the contrary, her music has brought many a groove to my hips, but that people are praising the performance last night the way they did, and considering she is put on par with the likes of Elton John, Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson, I think it is not right to say it was amazing, fantastic or any of the likes. I have seen stage shows in back alleys that have given me more of a thrill. 

Sorry all you hardcore Madonna fans out there: but this is how I face the music.

The Artist and the Roaring Twenties

The roaring twenties are back. Though I haven't even seen the film I am already overwhelmed by the response of the fashion world to the new film "The Artist" by Michel Hazanavicius. This spring designers such as Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Etro and Alberta Ferretti have already shown their inspiration with flapper dresses, fringes, gold, beads, low waists and cute details. The main character Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) is a wonderful shape (not too thin) and the cheekiness in her smile really peps up the twenties look. And as the stars are the first to pick up the trend with the likes of Zoe Saldana, Camilla Belle and Evan Rachel Wood as pioneers, I have decided that it should also be made available for us normal people.

So, here are a few looks. The twenties saw a lot of dresses. The typical charleston dress is not one I own in my wardrobe but there are enough dresses that border on the twenties time. And let's face it: women couldn't always wear fringed, beaded dresses. They had "dressing-down" days.

1. Compilation: dark day dresses
The following are two dresses I own, that can be combined wonderfully with cardigans, tights and heels or dandy shoes for a more casual style. Ideal with a little hat and gloves and a tiny umbrella if the sun comes out.

Polka-Dot Dress Dark Blue: from my mother in law, White heels: vintage
Burberry checked brown dress: Zara, Brown dainty heels: C and A 

2. Compilation: dark evening dresses
The following two dresses are always a charm on a flashy night out. With the right accessories they are also perfect for the twenties look. See further down also for a make-up and hair guide. The dark dress with long sleeves is a fave as I would rather wear a dress that covers a lot than exposes everything! Nevertheless, it has a completely bare back (eek!) and has a sash that drapes around the hip. I team it with opaque tights to hide even more skin.

Dress with roses: vintage
Long-sleeved dress: H and M, Gold Sandals: Stradivarius

3. Compilation: light dresses

The two light dresses I own are both multitalents. No matter whether with boots or heels, they both seem to dress up and down. The most important thing with light dresses is accessories as the light material tends to put a few pounds on. But I like to stick to pastel rose tones as I have pale skin and if I go too light I look like a snowman! The silvery looking dress is actually a light mauve colour. The dress is from H and M with a long zip down the back, short puffy lace sleeves and an A-Line cut (good on a frumpy day). I normally wear it with black tights and a black heel but for the twenties look it would also look sweet with a boyish touch of black tights and black or light dandy shoes. Again, accessories, accessories, accessories!
The second dress has a large flower on each shoulder which is already quite bold but I team it with flowered tights, white shoes with satin ribbons (that I bought especially for them) and a necklace with rose quartz entwined in gold.

Mauve dress: H and M
Greek style pastel pink dress and Tights: H and M,
Belt and Necklace: vintage, Shoes: OSCO

4. Compilation: Business Look (a)
I think the twenties look finds most use in the office. However, I have extended the twenties idols such as Clara Bow, Joan Crawford and Mary Pickford to Coco Chanel (see here). She is a constant inspiration in everything I do and so she should deserve some mention here!
This look is the typical Marlene Dietrich style trousers, relatively high-waisted with a white, long-sleeves, high-neck blouse. The heels are my most comfortable with a chunky heel and budapester pattern. As the look is already quite intense I don't dress it up with accessories too much. But I love a little hat and big sunglasses to give me that Chanel feel.

Trousers: TopShop, Blouser: H and M
Shoes: C and A 

5. Compilation: Business Look (b)
This is not as twenties but I still felt it deserved a spotlight here today. The top has such a wonderul neckline. The picture is in fact the back of the outfit. This is because the detail on both the top and the skirt are exquisite and on the back! The tiny buttons of the blouse look dainty if teamed with little wrist-length gloves. And the skirt has a ruffle across the entire back which makes my bum look a little fuller! As it is quite a bland look, I combine it with a pearl necklace, opaque black tights and little PVC booties with matching buttons.

Top: H and M, Skirt: ASOS
Boots: vintage, Pearl Necklace: granny 

Accessories
I have put together a few scarves, necklaces and brooches to give you an idea of what I normally combine with my twenties look. I like the pearls but I also like the pompous glittery stuff like my necklace from Swarovski. The scarves are almost entirely vintage. Best bet for accessories is always going to a flea market. The greatest of treasures are there!

Assorted items: vintage

Make-Up and Hair
I absolutely love make-up. The twenties look is also a great one. Mainly darker lips and well-defined eyebrows. I like to make myself considerably paler and also make my lips somewhat more cupid like with dark liner. See below a look I did where I wore a turquoise (or mint) dress covered in white lace. The eyeshadow matches the dress which means the lips have a really great contrast and stick out a lot more.

Ideally the hair is in a water wave but considering that is one of the trickiest hairstyles, I love putting in a hairpiece and going for a bit of a rockabilly quiff at the front with tumbling curls at the back. Alternatively, a low bun with a strong middle parting works. And if none of that is your thing: wear a hat or a feather hairband.

Right then, a long blog entry today. But really thought I would get it all out there. Let me know if there are any questions, suggestions or otherwise. Enjoy the twenties look (although I think we may have to wait a while til the weather sorts itself out!).

Interesting Links:

1920s Fashion and the Roaring Twenties
How 'The Artist's' Fashions Are Impacting the Red Carpet

Pastel, come and get me!

So, my post on spring and the Berlin Fashion Week (see here) was the beginning of a new found love for pastels. The more I check the newest in style stakes and fashion, lots of pastel is popping up everywhere. It must be the glimpse of sun every now and then which is tickling our fancy for brighter colours and not just black, grey and sludgy brown. Marie Claire has put together a whole selection (see here) and Ralph Lauren is really hitting it with his spring colours (see here). At the Critics' Choice Awards Diane Kruger and Elizabeth Olsen opted for pastel and just glowed in it (see here).

I have always had a thing for pastels, either teamed with really bold colours or just virginal white. So I have compiled three outfits, quite randomly this time, to get you in the mood for spring (flowers, love, birds tweeting and a break from all the dull faces as the sun comes out).

Look 1: Green and yellow pastures
The following look is proven to put me in a good mood almost immediately. I think colours really do give you a sunnier attitude and the looks I get normally back that up. The look is definately a casual, weekend one although I have worn it to work also. Instead of the flowery top a white blouse would give it a touch more finesse if you consider the colourful combo for work. The pastel yellow trousers together with the pastel turquoise jacket would not normally be my choice but teamed with the flowery top they just work. And because I know with such a bold mix I shouldn't overdo it any further, the necklace is simple and the shoes are flat.
Hair and Make-Up: open, flowy, beach-babe natural wavy hair, a dab of yellow on the eyelid, peach rouge and a dash of orangy lip gloss.
UPDATE: even Michelle Obama has got the mint going on (see here) and also Michelle Williams in a beautiful flowered dress (see here).

Trousers, Cardigan and Flowery Vest: H and M
Necklace and Sunglasses: vintage, Shoes: Deichmann

Look 2: All go with a green light!

The next look is a lot smarter and something for casual coffee or lunch, lounging, shopping with friends or also for work. I really like white. I even wear it in the winter when everyone looks at me as if I am mad. I don't care if it gets dirty in the sodding weather, I'll wash it; but again, it is a lovely contrast to all the dark colours out there. The white trousers I have had for ages now and with their sqin, slim-fit shape they are suitable in boots with thick socks in the winter and with strappy sandals and cute nail polish in the spring and summer. I also really enjoy green. So the green top, teamed with the green plateau sandals set off the white trousers perfectly and just to get a bit of a base in there (as I have brown hair) I like to wear a broad belt on my hips and a beige blazer to dress the whole outfit up a bit (the blazer was a gift from my mother-in-law and it is of fantastic quality with pink checkered lining). The shoes are amazing: green flowered satin, also very worn out by now. But the look also works with a dandy, brown leather shoe with laces.

Hair and Make-Up: a cute chignon at the back of the head (loose bun, larger than those of ballerinas), green eyeshadow with a dark forest green eyeliner on the top lid, bronze rouge and a moccha beige lipstick, no gloss.

Trousers, Top and Necklace: H and M,
Blazer: Susanne von Dörnberg (gift from Mother-in-Law),
Shoes: Italian, forgotten brand

Look 3: the girly mime, voilá!

The last look is a nice city look but also sweet for a romantic evening date over pasta and white wine. The recently acquired pastel pink trousers are not usually my thing (I'm not a pink, princess kind of girl) but I wanted them and so bought them! They work really well with white but here I've decided to team them with black and white stripes. This really tones down the princessy feel and especially with the denim jacket it has a bit more Madonna feel to it. With this outfit the accessories are important as the look is quite bland and can make me look pale and worn-out. So I have teamed it with an angel wings necklace and a rose quartz necklace to elongate the neck area. The handkerchief in the pocket gives it a bold contrast in an acrid pink and the squeaky green frog really sets that off. A casual Chanel watch on the arm brings a little sophistication into it along with the ridiculously high (10cm) but very comfortable strappy brown leather sandals.

Hair and Make-Up: hair in a high bun on top of head, thick black liner on top lid, pinky rouge and glittery pink lipstick.

Trousers and Top: H and M, Jacket: Jack and Jones,
Necklaces and Brooch: vintage and nanna
Handkerchief: from mother-in-law
Watch: Chanel

So, those are a few pastel looks for now. I am waiting on a pair of light blue trousers at the moment. Will give you an update with those. Look forward to my next piece on tights for spring. And let's hope collectively that spring comes soon!

Hell Bent on Leather

The newest fashion shows drift my way throughout the day and what I have to say I feel is missing is leather. I believe it's still gonna come. Cos let's be honest: spring is not only gonna bring pastels, it's gonna bring leather combined with pastel and the wonderful harmony of rough rock with light and girly...

In order to bring this closer to home (in my home to be exact), I have composed the following clothes collages to serve as some inspiration to everyone (including the designers: not sounding at all cocky now, ey?). I've put together an assortment of stuff from casual to chic to office to rock. Enjoy!

A word about the leather trousers:
I bought three of the same sort in different colours: camel beige, dark brown and black. Slightly high-waisted (makes for a great figure and stops any potential muffin-top falling out!), slim leg, with no pockets (Lagerfeld himself believes in sewing them up for a better fit) and with a stretchy band of material so that you can move easily and they don't bulge too much (classic leather difficulty). Quite good value for money ('nough said: fashion has its price).

LIGHT CAMEL: Office/Date/Family-Do

The following is a whole mix of wonderful colours and textures. 

- camel beige leather trousers feel warn against the 

- beige kimono with wonderful fuchsia, peach, jade and red splashes of colour, setting off the

- jade and red necklace and perfect with a peachy nail varnish to avoid any clashes and

- a simple peach or here it looks more fuchsia ribbed strappy top underneath.

- casual during the day with cowboy boots and 

- dressy in the evening with a strappy, leather, plateau, wooden-optic sandal that doesn't overpower.

- with it I love a plait that goes once round my head and a peach coloured flower with minimal make-up.

Kimono: HM, Shoes: BLU, Boots: Buffalo,
Top: Zara, Varnish: Manhattan

BLACK: Party/Friends
This is one of my faves. I'm not really a Rock kinda girl but every now and then I love to smudge intense kohl eyeliner over acrid green eyeshadow and tease my fringe into an elvis quiff. Additionally, I love contrast and bold with a cheeky wink of the eye. So, here we go:

- starting with the leather trousers that suggest rock, cool and hard I just adore the contrast of the

- screaming green sleeveless frog vest with "Just Kiss Me" emblazoned across it. Did I mention I also have a passion for frogs? Well, there you go. Covered with

- a vest, left open to allow for the print to be seen I like to wear

- matching green, squeaky wellie half-boots or, if I am hitting town and rocking hard then

- plateau booties which are incredibly comfortable and match the trousers perfectly. To top it off, my

- vintage necklaces (Ok, they belonged to my gran so not that vintage-y) but the heart and apple are further symbols that I love to combine with my outfits.

Top and Vest: CA, Wellies: Rossmann, Booties: HM
Necklace: Nanna's

DARK BROWN: Office/Date/Family-Do/Party
For this last pair I was indecisive which look to show you so I decided to do both. The dark brown is elegant, rocky and smart at the same time so they are suitable in many ways for all occasions.

The first look is complemented with my own design. Here goes:
- the T-Shirt is my own brand and design. I drew the character myself (he comes in many shapes and sizes, see here: MOOPY or directly on Facebook. I love it (not cos I drew it) but because it is so easily combined with blue jeans, white jeans, blazers, denim jackets and it always looks smart and raises eyebrows and makes people smile. Anyhows, combined with a
- denim shirt to add a little blue to the rather sombre tones and smartened up with a
- blazer that buttons in the waist. I like to keep my style preppy so I normally tie my hair in a low, sloppy side bun and cover fringe and all with a brown hunter-style hat (which we also used in the photo shoot) and my favorite
- black, pure, simple, leather heels and no accessories (the print speaks for itself).
- simple black, relatively thick eyeliner on top lid, mascara and a sheer, pinky gloss. Done.

T-Shirt: MissLisa, Denim Shirt: HM, Blazer: Zara
Hat: Zara, Shoes: Stradivarius

The second outfit is lighter, floaty and ideal for a romantic date in candelight or a summery day out with friends or family. Elegant, chic but still stylish. 

- the floaty, shoulder-free, slightly transparent but still child-friendly, elbow length top looks fabulous teamed with

- gold accessories in this case with a vintage flower pattern on pearl and pink stone twined in gold and a gold, bracelet watch with a 

- pair of suede, dark blue, grid, platform shoes (extremely comfortable and my

- hair in beach-babe curls and small, delicate bud earrings with a pastel blue and pink eyeshadow and sheer, fuchsia-coloured gloss. (I promise to do smthg on make-up sometime soon also!)

Top: HM, Accessories: Bonprix and Nanna, Shoes: Deichmann

There you go. That was hell bent on leather. Let me know if you have suggestions for the next blog entry: colour, material, style etc. and I will try and make it happen for you.

UPDATE: Yves Saint Laurent is getting into leather with the men this year. Also a great idea!! See article here: Yves Saint Laurent Fall 2012.

Fashion, Fashion, Berlin and Fashion

So the Berlin Fashion Week has begun. Again, I sit at my laptop all day watching the newest collections, the new trends, the trendy people and the extravagant parties. I'm not sure whether secretly I wish that I was there too because I love being homely, cosy and slugging out in my jogging bottoms with no make-up on but when I see all those flowy fabrics and colours I do get a twitch in me that ends up in me racing to the cupboard and pulling out clothes to combine in erratic harmony.

And so it came that, as I'm also unwell at the moment, I grabbed "The Devil Wears Prada" off the shelf, cuddled onto the couch with mandarine panna cotta yoghurt and indulged in a little visual retail therapy. I have to say I LOVE the movie. Apart from the fact that it has so many great outfits I just swoon over Meryl Streep. She's fantastic. But that's beside the point.

There was a great fashion designer at the Berlin Fashion Week called Alexandra Kiesel who inspired me today. See the Link here. It immediately made me think of fifties, spring, flowers, fresh and budapester shoes. And seeing I had just bought some new chunk heeled budapester shoes in camel beige (that I just fell in love with) I thought it would be a perfect look for the spring.

So, here's to the Fashion Week inspiring us even further and here's my first look for the spring:

Knit: Zara, Blouse: H&M
Skirt: Vintage, Shoes: Deichmann
Tights: Mango, Gloves: Vintage

using Photo Collage on the iPhone

UPDATE: The collection Blame won the Premium New Designers Award. Check out the colours and how similar the are to my ensemble -> here.

Sex Amnesia and being Sexy...

Let's talk about Sex, Baby

It's no secret that some people like more sex, others like less sex, some feel bothered by the thought of sex and some even use sex to get what they want (whether they enjoy it or not). What we mustn't forget: there are differences between sex in a relationship and single sex. Today I would like to address the former as I am in a monogamous relationship and have been for over three years now.

Making it happen

Lately I have got thinking about what makes a relationship successful and without a shadow of a doubt (in 99% of all cases) sex plays an important role. We are attracted to each other in the first place and appearance is the first point on our checklist that our gut feeling can cross off. This gut feeling (or the butterflies) decreases the longer a relationship goes as we get into a routine and daily life takes its toll. In a good relationship you are as much sex partner as friend and helper and hence when we come home in the evening we talk instead of passionately throwing ourselves at each other like in the hot first stage of the relationship. Hormones ofcourse also play a huge role in this: but that I will leave to the doctors to discuss and explain: Loss of Libido.

Love one another and you will be happy.
It's as simple and as difficult as that.
Michael Leunig

How I see it
There is no secret to having fun or being "good" in bed. At the end of the day, most men want to be "de man" in bed and women want to be the "damsel" that gets her fair share and not an in-out-shake-it-all-about-thanks-love-can you make me a cuppa tea kinda deal. Men like women that like men. And women like men that like women. Sounds kind of weird but at the end of the day, having a good time in bed relies mainly on both parties enjoying it, each other, being fair and being thankful for what they have.

Body issues
Leading on from how I see it I am aware that most women wish they had a bit more there and a little less here and some men think they're perfect (and secretly wish their tummy was a little more like that of the guy on the front of GQ magazine). But again, if you love yourself the way you are and just aim to keep healthy and fit then your partner will like you the way you are too (and if they don't: get rid of them!). It is incredible what a difference it makes if a woman is near to naked and thinking "I'm gonna blow his mind with some sexy, even though not perfect, salsa hip shake moves," to if she is near to naked and trying to hide her thighs thinking "Oh God, please don't look at my thighs as I try to wiggle a little salsa shake out". Work on what you like and temporarily ignore what you don't like. Men will instantly be drawn to whatever you decide to draw them to. Use it. They see boobs and their IQ drops a little (and some drool slightly). If you have a great bum, wrap it in something amazing and shake it to something. Even if you're not the greatest in Shakira moves, laugh and enjoy it. Trust me: it's incredibly sexy to laugh while you're wiggling... I know, we're not Baby and Johnny but you're a gift: present yourself that way.

Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, Dirty Dancing

Our face...

... reveals everything. If you try having sex infront of the mirror you quickly realise that what is actually going through your head is painted onto your face in the throes of passion. Although porn films really don't represent what we look like in real it is sometimes interesting to mimic some of their expressions and see how they look on us. Try it: if nothing else it'll make you laugh!

The Bottom Line

I don't want to go on about what makes a relationship great as it is different for every person. But the bottom line is, we should not try to be the people that tell others how humor, friendship etc. is so important to us because let's face it: sex is reproduction and is still the best way to bring us closer to each other. And so, even when you don't "feel like it", if your partner is making clear signs that he/she "wants" you, get over yourself, remember that you DO in fact like sex dating back to your first stage in the relationship and all those crazy hormones needless to say that it is a primal instinct, and let all your thoughts go, concentrate on only what is going on between the both of you and relax: it's not a chore and you WILL feel better after it.