The Beret

I was browsing at my new supermarket yesterday---I love Lithuanian supermarkets, great packaging and all--and I came across a piece of head gear I'd never worn. I love hats and I've been told I carry them off well. But I'd never worn a beret. And right there in the supermarket were a selection of berets. I bought one and will be sporting it all winter.

Fall Colours

Fall? What fall? It's bloody winter in Lithuania with temperatures hitting 8 C as the high today. It's all gray and rainy and blah but still the leaves on the trees do make it look like fall- the colours are beautifil (burnt orange, red, yellow). Still it's great being away from the gray, dusky Brussels. Seriously, it is.

Images: JCREW Blog

Just in time. JCREW at New York Fashion Week decided to anticipate the winter misery by cheering us up with its spring 2017 collection. I like all the girly pink set against the khaki. I want that pyjama shirt like now...just so I can wear it in the middle of the Lirhuanian Fall.

Zara Brings the Warmth

 

It's starting to feel chill here in Brussels. And I am trying not to exercise the silliest impulse: one must not buy this pimpish yet fun-looking coat. Must one? 

Swishy and Flirty in the Fall

 

I am still stuck on what to wear in the Fall. I've moved on from coats because I found and bought this scrumptiously warm coat from Cole Haan and now I am fully onto how to maintain the flirty and ladylike while trampling through the shift in weather.

Falling Into Fashion

I returned to Belize this past Sunday. It's been a long week of work. I could not get any blogging done, obviously. And now I am feeling acheyish and my eyes hurt. But before you listen to me tell you I have Zika or some such thing you should know I am a hypochondriac. I generally think a cold means I am at death's door. So...

I missed blogging for you. This summer has been especially busy, doing lots of work (law) and lots of traveling to facilitate work.

 I am not even prepared for the coming fall. Where to begin? Always with the fashion. I need a good coat and I am on the look out for one that has a hood so I can wear it in grim, rainy Eastern Europe. The summer is almost over...am sad.

I leave Belize today and head to New York and then my family and I spend a nice few days together and I head home to Brussels...a city which will not be home for much longer....

Summer Outfits

It can't decide whether it's summer, fall or spring in Belgium. So one day I am boiling and sweating while showering, and the next day I need my leather jacket and scarf.  I am light on blogging these days because I have a lot of work and a lot more distractions. Speaking of work...I have to go off to Belize for work this week and I so wish I knew where to get those colourful, wide-leg trousers. Would come in so handy in Belize.

I Got a Few Fall Necessities

These town houses in Brussels, built a hundred plus years ago, stink---literally. Most of the houses are attached or semi-detached. So a lot of damp air gets trapped between the houses. The electric ventilation and extraction systems were non-existent when they were building them and unless you factor ventilation and electric extractors into your housing renovation plan your house will smell musty and moldy in the winter months-- mainly because you don't want to open the windows in the winter (and also if you have a dog named Fred). So every winter I must have some homemade potpourri hanging about in sachets under my sofa cushions, in baskets beneath my beds and along my stairway and also in trays in my bathrooms and kitchen.

 

1. Scented Air: You can see how to make your own cinnamon scented pine cones here and cinnamon stick, star anise potpourri here.

 

2. Flower Colour: I also need fall flowers, mainly for the colours. Lillies smell like a funeral parlour according to my husband, but I love when they are mingled among some berries. And I also bought some thistle at the market this week. Here is a lovely guide for a bouquet for your home.

 

3. Miniature Pumpkins: And I absolutely must have miniature pumpkins. I use them for roasted pumpkin soup, pumpkin cheesecake and to liven up my front yard together with some Fall perennials.

 

4. A Fall Wreath: I also use a pumpkin for the wreath on my door. That last picture of the wreath is mine. I put on my best Martha Stewart and hung it last weekend in preparation for giving a warm reception to the little sugar monsters on Halloween.

Tell me, what must you absolutely have during the Fall months?

Yes, absolutely, you can share my pumpkin and spice love with your friends.
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What to Wear This Weekend

 

Image Found Here

Deep cleavage, glimpses of the bare posterior and the flashing of the lady parts are overrated, I think. In the fall/winter, their presence is unnecessary, to say the least. Plus, it's cold, so who wants to flash lady parts? But there must be a way to do sexy in the fall/winter, no? I take inspiration from this singular, intriguing lady, above. And no, I have no idea who she is.

And for some practical day wear to meet the other ladies for lunch, here you go: D'orsay tartan heels: Sole society; Black Long-sleeve blouse: Forever21; Skinny cargo pants: Asos. What about outerwear, you say? Outerwear is overrated.

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Thigh High Boots: How are You Wearing Them?

 

I do love that OTK boots are back on this fall/winter. But I always experience a feeling of hesitation when I see them in the stores. If I wear one, will I look trashy or like I belong in a gentleman's club? But I have seen some street style and catwalk looks that definitely reassure me that it is possible to look-- if not demure-- possibly dainty? 

 

 

 

My preferred approach would be to wear one with a skirt.

 

Maison Margiela Shortsleeved Chunky Sweater/Jumper: Farfetch.com;  Olive Green/Khaki Boots: Asos.com; Jeffrey Campbell Burgundy Boots: Nastygal.com; Dusky Rose Boots, Alice + Olivia Mini Skirt, and Tweed Colour-Block Skirt: Harvey Nichols; and Pink Pleated Coast Natalia Skirt: John Lewis.

Faux Fur Vest

 

How are you wearing faux fur vests this fall?

Copy that: Dresses for Fall



This Fall/Winter for work, I want to wear dresses and boots. I am a long time lover of the dress for wear in the professional setting. It is an easy and yet polished option. I feel the dress inspires a mix of admiration, nostalgia, respect and then, maybe, at the last glance, anxiety, when they look at the shoes.

 

 

 

Dresses: House of Fraser; High-leg Snakeboots: TopShop; Snakeheel boots: House of Fraser

Fall Inspiration: Fashionable Leathers

Good Styling: Creating a Classic and Practical Outfit

When I look at magazines like Vogue and Marie Claire, pinterest or fashion blogs, I also look out for the manner in which different pieces of clothes are arranged and whether the pieces fit together to form a practical, yet striking outfit, that just makes total sense, and looks like it could be a lasting, classic arrangement. A skirt and jacket is totally predictable; and so is a handbag that matches the colour of the shoes. This is why even as I find the magazine spreads to be too high art, I still plough through to find ideas of shaking up a day's outfit. Here are some styling ideas I love:

1. Summery dress with Bolero/Cropped Leather Jacket:

2. This totally practical yet on-trend and fashion conscious vest-skirt-sweater combi fall outfit:

3. Belted faux fur vest over a dress. Makes total sense for October:

4. When you want to wear jeans and still look "dressy" and elegant:

5.A shirt instead of a cardigan:

6. I can never find a good pants suit. I am talking about one that is a simple pants with a matching shirt, as opposed to a tailored pants with a matching jacket. So I have been searching for a long sleeve jumper that I can belt right at the waist---so it dissects the jumper and it becomes a pantsuit.

7. Fancy-like jewellery on a casual piece or jewellery in unexpected places:

8. High-Slit shirt-dress with a skirt

9. Tiny shorts with a tailored shirt and dressy flats for a polished look:

10.Turtleneck sweater inside of a shirt dress or inside a flirty little sleeveless for added warmth:

Also, great options for transitioning into the Fall, no?

*Images sourced on Pinterest