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They call them pant-skirts, I call them 'tricky pants'. Why? because of the extremely tricky shape. The length is an absolute nightmare and unless my legs would be sky high, I will never wear these pants with flats.  I am just 5ft so I live by the motto 'Beam me up Scotty'. Creating height is a must when it comes to pant-skirts combined with my length. Another complex part is the high waist and the wide legs. They emphasize the most curvy part of your body.

There would be a lot of eminent stylists who would say: dear, this is an unconditional no no. But I don't care a lot about fashion rules, so I make my own rulebook. Double oversized is a remarkable principle to me. You get an instant casual Dynasty effect. Wrong? no, fabulous and fun? yes. Wear a belt to break up the oversized effect and add some bright color accent. 


style note: The rucksack is my first designer bag. I wrote about it here.  

sources: Marc By Marc Jacobs Bleecker Street/ The Outnet/ Delvaux Leuven/ 

 pant-skirt MBMJ/ blouse vintage/ heels Christian Louboutin/ rucksack Delvaux/ bag jewelry Louis Vuitton/ scarf Christophe Coppens 

tropical banana

Let me introduce you to my best friend, an absolute beauty talent. What she does best? Nail art. Her endless inventiveness and unbelievable motor skills (yes she is two-handed) allow her to create minuscule masterpieces. As a duo we can generate perfect synergy: I choose the color, she does the rest.

Because summer is almost over it was the ideal moment to wear mint green nail polish (Pro nails). The gold-leaf adds an extra dimension to the nails. It is like the gold is melted into my nails.

sweater and bird ring Marc By Marc Jacobs/ Original Royal Boch Expo '58/ ring Patricia Field/ ring Wouters en Hendrix 

too blue

To me this is a difficult look to style because of the Diane von Furstenberg skirt. I was in awe from the moment I saw the glittery mini skirt dangling on the hanger. I almost started to sing Christmas carols to express my moment of joy. Garments like that are designed to make you gasp for breath. So no matter what, I was going to buy this extraordinary piece.

In a normal shopping situation my body goes into a series of physical reactions: heart beats like a rhino, body starts to tinkle, smile on my face. From the moment my body goes back to normal modus, my intellect takes over and several style questions start popping up! But even when I had no idea how to style the skirt, I ignored  the feeling...

The bright colors of the skirt forced me to go in complete overdrive! Too blue it is. The blue casual architectural tee turned my night skirt into a day skirt! talking about a double function. 

sources: Icon/ DVF Brussels/ Sergio Rossi Brussels

tee Theyskens' Theory/ skirt & sunglasses DVF/ shoes Sergio Rossi/ clutch Vintage/ necklace Alexis Bittar 

something old something new

The clutch was a gift from my mother (well actually I stole it from her closet). I love her wedding clutch because of the vintage feel and the little details. It has such a rough and rugged feel, but that is what makes the bag extra delicate! 

Who says fashion is volatile? This clutch is almost 40 years old and I still wear it. 

enjoy this preview! 

necklace Alexis Bittar/ bracelets Dior & Delvaux/ watch Gucci 

mix and match

What I love to do most in fashion is combine different styles and create an eclectic look. This is who I am. The diversity you generate by combining trends is endless and it forces you to get more and more creative. You get a mix and match effect which will give you that unique identity.

Take this look for instance. The dress is designed by an uber classic designer Paule Ka. Every time you enter one of his flagship stores you can feel the classic french vibe. It is like taking a step back into fashion wonderland and reliving the panache of the 50's. Paule Ka is all about elegance and sophistication. What I love most about the designs is their unique personality. 

This dress is an example of how perfect a fit can be. I adore the little vintage balloon effect and the bow adds a feminine touch. I must say that the sleeves are genius, they give the dress such an erudite glance. But my favorite parts are the inventive pockets. you cannot see them but they make the dress a little bit more whimsical. 

But I did not want it to look too refined. Alexander Wang is perfect to give your look a new boost. His designs are all about pure shapes, basic colors, bold looks and he always adds a little bit of rock and rolla. So the boots made the outfit complete: the creamy white color makes it soft and their shape definitely stands out. 

closing Dansaert

Imagine this: you have planned a fabulous trip, went trough all the details over and over again, you know exactly what you want, your credit card is fully stocked, you are overly excited because you have organized a shopping trip in heaven (and believe me Dansaert area in Brussels is like heaven).

Imagine that: You park your car, you rush out of your car without an umbrella because the new F/W '11 is waiting for you, You want to enter the store and you see a big sign saying 'WE ARE CLOSED'! Your hubby does not know how to react. He is so happy for the bank account but he sees the disappointment on your face! 

Don't worry, minor let-down, I thought! But I knew that this sign was a premonitory symptom for the rest of the trip! And I was right, all my beloved stores were shut.  

conclusion: fashion drives me nuts, literally!


I didn't give up the hunt and certainly not the treasuring! I went back to basics and I bought some killer fundamental pieces. 


The snake printed Dries Van Noten boots have the most phenomenal fit! It is like you have found them in the back of your uber stylish grandmothers closet. 
My new blue vintage striped wool pants forced me into my first DIY project: I had to alternate the buttons.  
Every girl should have a pair of tuxedo pants. We all want to feel masculine at some point, these pants are a perfect way to achieve that feeling because nothing beats a masculine fashionable sentiment. 


sources: Francis Ferent/ Isabelle Bajart/ Hatshoe

the choice

It is time for the F/W '11 boots! Ankle Boots are a must have for every fall. The versatility of extraordinary boots can never be underestimated! 

When I buy clothes or shoes I always base my choice on two rules. First of all it must be a whimsical, smashing piece and it has to blow me out of my socks right away. In other words: I choose with my heart. But after a while my brain takes over. This is the moment when the second rule comes in. Furthermore the piece must stand the test of time and it has to be multipurpose. 

Which pair did I choose? 

Boots Dries Van Noten 

fauna & flora

As I told you before: accessories do matter! Begin with a simple black and white outfit! It is the perfect basis to start from. With a canvas like that you can go any way you want. You will see that the accessories change the mood of the look. Take this hat for example. The casual shape makes it ideal to wear during the day. But I am completely blown away by the mint color. So ideal to combine with other bright and interesting colors. Wouldn't you be proud to walk around with a sweet little mushroom on your head? 

So let's stick to the fauna and flora theme. My Giraffe is easy to twirl around my neck. You can play around with those endless legs and long neck. Have fun with it and let the wind go trough this dazzling animal scarf. 

mammal

This Christophe Coppens scarf is one of the most distinctive accessories I have ever seen and it belongs to my uber stylish mom. When she first saw it, she could not resist it. We were intrigued by the exuberant colors and the interesting shape. After an intensive investigation we realized it was a mammal, yes a mammal: a Giraffe. So without harming Peta or exotic creatures, I can safely say: I am walking around with an animal around my neck and I am proud of it. 

Nobody understands the importance and the diversity of accessories better than Christophe Coppens. He knows that the right hat or brooch can make your look. His collection is teaching us not to be afraid of playing around with accessories. Try as many as you can and don't be scared of colors. Every single detail does matter. You may look like a Christmas tree, but hey, a Christmas tree makes me smile.  

Not convinced? Take a look at these fabulous ladies and you will be! They all understand the power of accessories. 

sources: Nicolette Mason/ Beckerman Bite Plate/ Advanced Style

scarf Christophe Coppens

preppy what

When Unlimited PR invited me to Tommy Hilfiger's Preppy Pop-up store in Knokke I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. I have known Tommy Hilfiger for ages but Preppy what? My fashion vocabulary is apparently very limited. Moreover it confused me a little bit. The brand has a massive american charisma but preppy sounds so English. The word simply forces you to pronounce it with a lot of attitude, you have to try it! Stick your nose in the sky and say 'Preppy'.

I don't like to do a lot of research so I made my own associations with the fashion epitome. Concepts like The Kennedy's, Cricket, The Hamptons, Grey Gardens, ... pop up into my mind. Conclusion: When preppy becomes decadent, it gets interesting! This means that Tommy's little beach house could not have been in a more perfect place than Knokke. The town by the sea embraces every corner of the fashion continuum. On the one hand you can spot too many wrong dogs, colored jeans and Blair Waldorf's. On the other hand you can look for the most exuberant beautiful fashion pieces. 

The preppy concept is created by a genius. It is the prefect way to elaborate the personality of the brand. People can immediately connect the clothing with a certain fashion identity: who wears it how? In other words, Preppy is like a guideline and a very coherent inspiration. So mr. Hilfiger give this genius a fat bonus. 

I must say, it was a challenge to incorporate Preppy into my wardrobe because it does not immediately represent my fashion identity. So my advice, don't be afraid to wear denim and experiment with accessories. It is a very tricky exercise but a fun one!

Delvaux love and hate

This is a story about my love and hate relationship with Delvaux. Delvaux is Belgium's most luxurious accessory brand. The house of Delvaux equals 'fine leather luxury goods' and sublime craftsmanship. Every design contains a letter D, their signature mark. The character will always be part of the product, sometimes in a very latent way and sometimes you will notice it right away. 

I know Delvaux for more than 15 years. The love for the brand was enhanced by my mother. She gave me my first  Delvaux for my 17th birthday. It was a gorgeous black rucksack, pure black 675€ opulence.  From then on every leather accessory I bought was designed and crafted by Delvaux. I was in love. Our love and loyalty was endless and everlasting.

Until a few years ago. One fine day I entered the refined store because I was looking for a new bag! All of a sudden I realized that I did not like one bag. They could not enchant me anymore and the collection gave me an old fashioned feeling. At that point we ended our love relationship. My respect and trust towards Delvaux was gone. Over and out.

I asked myself: where did we go wrong? simple, they had lost their spirit. The whimsical collection I once knew was gone. It was like they only changed the colours of the bags. The rest was plain and simple, but not in a good way. The bags were reintroduced over and over again. Don't get me wrong, every brand needs classic designs that stand the test of time. The Brillant PM is a magnificent example of a true iconic bag with some innovative adaptations. But it does not mean that you have to obtain a standstill policy for the rest of the collection. You have to find a balance between tradition and innovation. 

I understand Delvaux does not want to lose their identity of extraordinary craftsmanship ! This does not mean you should get stuck in your own designs. Sometimes you have to take a risk and you have to reinvent yourself. Fashion is all about marketing and personality. With all due respect, if I see old fashioned people walking around with a Delvaux bag, it does not make me want the bag. If you sell a bag for 3800$ at Barneys, you have to have a marketing plan! If nobody knows you, nobody wants you. I am a magpie, bedazzle me and I assure you that it will benefit your bank account!

So in my point of view you need to create a vision. Not only for yourself, but for your customers. Now I don't have any anchor points in my brain that represent Delvaux. So what pops up in my mind when I think about Delvaux? Confusion.

Delvaux is like an old everlasting love to me so I will never stop loving the brand. I do believe in their expertise, endless potential and pure handcrafted techniques. I am sure that one day they will overwhelm me again. Maybe this day will be here sooner than later because Delvaux is going trough some radical changes these days.

paradox basics revisited

I have a very difficult relationship with this Stella McCartney denim top. I fell in love with the top from the moment I saw it, immediate attraction. But Stella, you have challenged me with this top. The fabric is very stiff, so a belt is not an option because the denim will start a life on its own! Another problem is the length: too short to wear as a dress, too long for a mini skirt. I have stared at it for ages, wondering 'with what to wear and how'?

But I love the casual vibe and the gorgeous bright blue colour. So at least the colour is the easy part. Here I have combined it with my very old Acne jeans. The impeccable year round dark blue colour is so easy to style. 

And for the ultimate advice, I listen to my gnomes. For those who are wondering, no I am not crazy but don't take fashion too serious.