Well...It Ain't No Diana

I just woke up from a really weird dream- John Travolta was dressed up as an angel and not like the movie Michael- and then I realized, "Hey, the Royal Wedding is on!" Luckily, I found a live stream online so here I am watching it. So why not blog about some of the looks?  And I just thought that Kate's sister, Pippa, was Kate. And I was thoroughly disappointed in her outfit. But...then it wasn't Kate. As of now, we're still waiting.


THE MEN: 
While I liked Ian Thorpe's gray hues, he looked very clean and simple, my favorite was Prince Harry. Maybe because he's cute and, since he's not married, I have a .000000000000000000000000001% chance of being his wife? I'm not dumb, obviously they don't have a say in what they wear: it's uniform. But he's so cute, I  figured this is a perfect excuse to put his picture on this post. But  I did think that the navy looked great with his red hair.

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Not from the wedding, but I'm coming for him...watch your back, Chelsy Davy.  Since my name's Kelsey and her name is Chelsy, he won't notice the difference? Right?



THE  LADY GUESTS:
 It seems like the major trend for the guests is bright minimalism...with a tophat. THERE WERE JUST SO MANY TOPHATS. I wonder if it was dress code or is everyone paying homage to Kate's hats? Well Samantha Cameron didn't wear a hat (oooooooh).

• Posh Spice's  look, from her own collection, is...well...posh! I think it's a great color and silhouette, especially for a pregnant woman. While I wish she had a nude pump, I'm obsessed with Posh's sleek pony. BUT I WISH THAT STUPID HAT WAS GONE! She may think she looks Posh, I think she looks silly. 

• Chelsy Davy has not one, but TWO dresses! Steal the spotlight why don't you? Everyone seems to be giving her flock about her seafoam Alberta Ferretti, but I can't appropriately judge because I haven't seen the bottom half! But this is what I can see, so far.

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A little ill-fitted but, I love the color against her blonde hair. And finally, a sleek and chic hat!

• English socialite, Tara Palmer- Tomkinson, is fancier than Pippa! While I would usually love this cobalt blue and huge fashion statement, this day isn't about you! It's about Kate! And Sarah Burton! It's waaay too much blue, I wish she added some subtle hues for at least the gloves! 

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It's worse than Princess Eugenie's!  I actually like Princess Beatrice's avant garde head piece with the tan dress.

HERE ARE THREE LADIES WHO REALLY KNOCKED THE FASHION ATTENDEE  LOOK OUT OF THE PARK: 

Princess Maxima, Charlene Wittstock,and Princess Letizia

Both of them found the key to looking chic at the Royal Wedding: muted pastels and dainty hats. While Wittstock's blue outfit suggests more minimalism, I love the small details on Princess Letizia's dusty rose dress as well as Princess Maxima's tan lace dress! Princess Maxima is rocking a turban-esque hat which I loved! Apparently is Charlene is wearing Armani to her own wedding, July 2nd.  Anyways, neither of the two overpower the special occasion, which I love. 

THE ROYAL PARTY:

I dont really care about Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, so I'm just going to ignore her. BUT HOW CUTE DID THE QUEEN LOOK!?

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She's looking adorable in her yellow Angela Kelly dress and I'm so enamored with her cute top hat. This is seriously a top hat...none of this chic and fashion-forward hat for the Queen!  Ugh, she's so cute, I just want her to bake me cookies and serve me milk...because the Queen would do that...

I think Pippa Middleton's McQueen by Sarah Burton dress was beautifully understated. I swear I thought she was Kate...did I already say that? It's really early. Anyways, I wish she didn't wear white. It's her sister's big day, let her wear white! I'm sure my sister would be kind of pissed off. Sticking to navy, black, or any spring muted color would've been much better! 

THE BRIDE:

IT'S THE MOMENT THE WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR! YIPPEE! Kate Middleton looked like a modern fairytale in her Alexander McQueen (by Sarah Burton) dress. Did she know his exhibit is opening in New York soon? Clearly, she'd rather be at the Costume Institute Gala than the Royal Wedding...jokes. Anyways, I'm in love with this dress! Guliana Rancic, yes I stay true to my E! no matter what, said that it looked a lot like Grace Kelly's wedding dress, with the long laced sleeves, which I love. Clearly, this was not like Diana's huge 80's sleeves and train. But, even though I do love the 80's, I love Kate's dress more. Part of me wishes that she picked some no-name from London; however, that designer would dive head first into a state of chaos and shock right about now. Sarah Burton can do it: she's the successor of fashion's prince so she must be used to pressure! Anyways, the dress! I loved how the cinched waist really flattered her shrinking figure and it really wasn't some avant garde piece. She stayed very true to her own sense of style: small crown, light veil, and I heard she wanted to do her own makeup. All in all,  the perfect choice for Kate.

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She's a modern-day princess, living the modern-day fairytale. I sincerely hope that she and Prince William share a lifetime of happiness! Congratulations!

xx

 

A Spontaneous Journey

Today, I went to the Tower Bridge with my lovely boyfriend. As we were on our way to this iconic sight. we saw a sign: "Fashion and Textiles Museum" it read. Obviously, more like reluctantly on my boyfriend's part, we had to go. A stroll, a lot of pulling on my part, and eight pounds later, we were there.

There was a Susan Timney/ Timney- Fowler Exhibit.

Even though the exhibit was a bit small, it was extremely visually pleasing.

A bunch of fabrics for the feel! I loved how each one was so diverse but, at the same time, suggested some cohesiveness.

A nice close up.

This was so whimsy, so Alice In Wonderland. If you look closely, my reluctant boyfriend is sitting on the steps behind the chairs.

There was a great display of silk shirts as well, but an intimidating security guard was sitting in the corner so I wasn't going to risk it. 

Also,

There were some great Zandra Rhodes pieces.

So retro.

Cut, color, print- LUVS IT.

It's so 20's  flapper meets distressed 50's housewife on "date night" with her husband.

Her prints were apparently considered too outrageous to sell. 

Some designs!

xx

Though I'm Walking Through the Shadows You Are With Me and You Comfort Me

So as everyone knows, or should know, I'm utterly obsessed with Cheryl Cole. Her style is utterly incredible, I LOVE her CD Three Words. I just love her so much. So obviously, I was super excited to see her music video for her latest single, "Promise This".

CHECK IT: 

I absolutely loved the outfits in this music video sooo why not blog about it?! First and foremost, I love ballerina inspired looks.

Two of my skirts. Pretty baller...ina if I say so myself! 

So OBVIOUSLY, I was so smitten with  Cheryl's ballerina outfit. The fitted bodice was matched so beautifully with the "feathered' skirt of the dress. To me, it wasn't like Cheryl was trying to hard to be sexy, it was just pretty. The ivory/tan color also works perfectly with her skin tone (an ivory dress is hard to pull off so props, Ms. Cole) and epitomized femininity. 

I wasn't a huge fan of her blazer look. The stripes were so London chic, but I think that a patterned tight  (for the record, I'm loving patterned tights at the moment) would have created a more cohesive look with all of the outfits. But I think the beauty of London Fashionistas is their ability to experiment and overall originality. 

The more I look at it, the more I enjoy the "vine mini dress". I always love a good mini with long sleeves. In my personal opinion, it's so fun and mod. Sexy, without being promiscuous. The idea of the vines is definitely interesting, but the lighting totally flushed Cheryl out. When you look at it closer, however, the neckline is absolutely GORGEOUS. It's beaded and the mini an understated complexity. 

And finally... the orange dress. What to say? First of all, the silhouette is really beautiful. I think the bows on the shoulders  and the bright orange color gives a long and, for a lack of better words, boring dress some spice; however, the cleavage. Is it unanimous that the cleavage is just wrong. Obviously, I love Cheryl, but I thought the cleavage disrupted such an edgy and sophisticated overall look. Without a doubt, this look was extremely disappointing. 

Cheryl's new album "Messy Little Raindrops" is expected to hit London stores in early November, so I will be getting my copy when I go to London in December. Can we just all stop and reflect that she is showing a little red sole in the album art. Cheryl, you cease to amazing me!

With the Blink of an Eye, You Finally See the Light

Photo Cred: Vogue.com

So let's talk about the Burberry Prorsum show in London. In. Cred.I.BLE. LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT. I remember back in my youth, when I originate my love for the finer things of fabulousity, I always thought that Burberry was focused around trench coats and plaid. But of course there's Burberry Prorsum, which is the epitome of London Glam. And of course SS 2011 was NO exception. What I love about London fashion is its consistency to define rock and roll glam: it's so independent, spikes, leather, THE BOMB. What I loved about this show was that it wasn't predictable, but there was a sense of consistency with the fabrics and silhouettes. AND I LOVED THE COLORS: so bright and refreshing. Liiike... lime green or even silver motorcycle jacket?! SIGN ME UP. Speaking of jackets, I loved the use of spikes in the leather jacket: such a modern twist on something so classic.

Christopher Bailey is just awesome. The end.

xx

My Beef with the American Topshop

The SoHo Topshop (picture from http://www.life.com/image/85770472)

Topshop is without a doubt one of my favorite stores. Ever. I remember all too well the first time I entered the fashion Mecca. It was November of 2008: I was with my mom in the LONDON Topshop, only decently content with what I saw. Everything was either not my style or a little bland.  And just when I thought all was  lost, a saw and escalator to this mysterious basement. It was like the angels were singing: beautiful florals, interesting cuts, things I've never seen before.  I was in heaven. There is a heavy portion of my wardrobe that is from that beautiful basement. I've been back to the basement two more times, which has added a heavy tag to my luggage.

Like...this really happened on my last trip to London! 

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If you don't realize how much Topshop and I are made for each other, here's a nice little anecdote:

"When I was in Ireland, I saw Topshop and knew that was your store"- my boyfriend's mom, circa a few months ago (not exact wording because it was a few months ago but the same idea)

So when I heard that there was going to be a Topshop on the other side of the pond, I was tearing up with joy! I remember venturing to the US Topshop last year, of course to find a massive line of eager fashionistas.  I found a lot of the merchandise to be things I already purchased in London. Disappointing? Yeah. But it was kind of enticing, knowing I was kind of a step ahead of the New York fashion scene. When I went last week, on my shopping excursion, I was the most disappointed I've ever been at my favorite store. Ever. TWO DRESSES?! REALLY. The rest of the collection was so drab and just not unique enough to crave. And I definitely know why: the basement. Topshop New York has no basement of fashion heaven nor does it have any of those clothes. It's just such a shame. People who have never crossed the pond for the REAL Topshop assume they've seen it all. They haven't. I think what the US Topshop should do is combine the men's floor with a smidge of the fashion heaven. I should write a letter. I'll get back with that!

xx

Laced to Perfection

As an aspiring fashionista, I am always on the prowl for good fashion taste everywhere: on the streets, in school, and in magazines. So I was extremely happy to find this spectacular number on www.teenvogue.com. I really wanted to see the movie Remember Me but not for the reason everyone else wanted to: Rob Pattinson. Personally, I'm more of a Taylor Lautner kind of girl. The plot seemed interesting but, besides good 'ol Rob, I had no idea who was in the movie. Apparently Emilie de Ravin is. And apparently, she dressed quite well to the London premiere of her movie. I've always been a big fan of lace: it can be feminine, sexy, old school glamour, or all of the above! But it can also be something else: old lady. Some people can pull of the lace quite beautifully, but others fail and look like a reject from Grandma's closet. But Emilie did it perfectly; the short dress, bowed waist, and some lace on skin action made her look like a feminine sexy vixen from Old Hollywood. To put it bluntly, I loved it. I sometimes think that people are afraid to wear lace, in fear that they'll look too matronly. Quite frankly, you can wear lace anytime: a mini, a sexy dress, a sweater with lace detailing, or even your lingerie! And in terms of the color: I thought it was genius. In my personal opinion, lace can only be worn as outter wear in either dark or nude colors. NO NEON LACE. I also think that people instantly associate black to being "emo". I wear black all of the time and I consider myself a rather happy person! Emilie de Ravin looked chic and sexy in black. In conclusion, a major fashion do in my book! This outfit doesn't have to beg to be remembered, it'll never be forgotten!

xx

A True Inspiration

I never consider myself a true fashionista: I call myself an aspiring fashionista. As a fashion queens in training, we are constantly trying to improve our style. Sometimes, we need an extra boost to enrich our passion and knowledge .On my British holiday, I sound quite English saying that, I found the perfect thing to inspire even the most self sufficient style queen: The Fashion exhibit at the Victoria and Albert. After acquiring knowledge about this exhibit, I anxiously awaited seeing it. While the Reinssance sculptures and artifacts were more than impressive, I was blown away by the fashion exhibit. Countless designers were in this collection, Yves Saint Laurent,Catherine Walker, Manolo Blahnik, Vivienne Westwood (who I learned is kinda a big deal in London), Christian Lacroix, as well as eighteenth century designers. Of course, a dress by the late and great Alexander McQueen was glorified as the dress of the year. It was truly inspiring to see fashion's transformation; I consequently wanted to study more about designers and time periods. Ultimately, I wanted to try my hardest to become a real fashionista. The earlier designs were so intricate, and fancy, which made me oddly long for the days of petticoats and chivalry...not like I ever experienced them! My absolute favorite piece was Jean Patou's elegant, yet casual, evening gown (pictured). It was a combination of everything I love: the silhouette and gold belt portrayed a vintage glamour and the shimmer exuded a whimsical femininity. Before this exhibit, I never knew who Jean Patou was. Then I a rather obvious epiphany: I need to research the obscure designers, not just Karl, Diana, and Donatella . If Jean Patou can pull of this amazing work, just think about what less famous designers can do! Although style is mainly about intuition and editing, we need to study it too!

xx

Not Gonna Reach My Telephone!

While me and my friend, Emily aka cutluvandprosper.blogger.com ,were shopping until we literally dropped in London, we saw simply one of the coolest window displays. There, right in front of us, was Lady Gaga and Beyonce-esque mannequins dressed in their "Telephone" in the window of Bershka. I do believe that window displays are completely important: they show us what to expect when we enter their store. I mean, isn't it the window displays in Saks Fifth Avenue that excite us every Christmas? Everyone has flipped through Vogue or Harper's Bazaar, wishing they could emulate the fabulous cover girl or pull off a

certain trend seamlessly. But there's one

problem: you have no idea how to begin! Window displays are the perfect antidote for this problem! They say "home hither, I'll solve your fashion problems". Although Bershka has a Spanish origin, they target clothing at all fashionable teenagers. Emily and I had been to many places to shop: Brick Lane,Selfridges, TOPSHOP (my absolute favorite),and other random stores. We passed this store a plethora of times, completely ignoring its existence. The only reason we went in was because of the window display. Having just seen "Telephone" in it's entirity, I was intrigued to enter Bershka. Could I purchase all of these outfits, somehow transform my hair into Gaga's crazy locks, and poison a whole diner?! Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but I think this window display was genius on Bershka. Love her or hate her, I personally love because she's embracing originality, Lady Gaga is one of the hottest celebrities and fashion icons of our newborn decade. And "Telephone" is so hot right now; it's currently the number one downloaded music video on iTunes. Although I absolutely love all window displays because of their artistic quality and originality, this is my absolute favorite! It added both pop culture and fashion together. All of the other window displays are strictly fashion with a concept, but I think it's important to add a whimsical fashion world into reality. Now if you all excuse me, I'm going to listen to some Lady Gaga now!

xx