Yay or nay: Tulle Skirts

I am starting a new segment: Yay or Nay! It is all about things which I know people either completely love, or absolutely hate. And to start off, I would like to discuss tulle skirts.

For the longest time, I've had a fascination with tulle skirts, or tutus you could say. Something about the layers of tulle, the way you could twirl in it, the feeling when you bunched all the tulle up in your hand, was extraordinarily delightful, even as a person who no longer dreams to be a fairy or a princess (but i still wouldnt mind to be one ;)). Just the layers and layers of pouf is exquisite, and I still sometimes just put it on for the sake of feeling totally awesome. :D

But something that I have to say is that, tulle skirts can be incredibly hard to wear well As they themselves are such eye catching items of clothing already, it can be so easy to overdo it. I've seen disastrous attempts where the outfit has been incredibly childish and the person just looks like she came out of ballet class or a costume party, but have also seen outfits which could not have been done better

Its one of those types of clothes which can work in credibly well with the outfit, or can be complete blunder. So I'm putting the question out to you, do you think they are awesome and brilliant, or just a fashion faux pas and just plain childish? :)

Above: Custom made tulle skirt by ouma

Katie-Louise Ford

I first discovered Katie-Louise Ford in the fantastic Australian magazine, Frankie (more about the wonderfulness of Frankie later). Katie-Louise Ford lives in Melbourne, and specialises in handmade women's clothing. She has a very successful store on Etsy,  and is such a wonderful and accommodating seller. She is open to suggestions and alterations to styles, and the quality of her products are excellent. She specialises in amazing dresses, and those with peter-pan collars are to die for :) She also makes shirts, which are equally stunning. You can choose your fabric, and sometimes she finds the most gorgeous and quirky vintage material. These items of clothing are custom made, so she makes them according to your own measurements!

Currently,  I own a high-necked, short-sleeved, full circle dress in an adorable black cotton gingham. When I open my wardrobe, I always jump to that piece of clothing, even if it is freezing and only 10 degrees. I just feel so...awesome in it!

Right now she is in the U.S. traveling and is keeping a journal of her travels on her blog here. I am waiting for the news when she will be able to take orders. I'm already drawing sketches to give to Katie as some ideas for dresses. It will be a long wait... :)

Above: Dress by Katie-Louise Ford

Audio Technica AT LP120-USB

Recently, I have found that collecting records is a brilliant hobby. Yes they are more expensive than CD's, and yes they require much more maintenance than CD's, but the sound quality is so much better! The distinction between voice and instruments is much clearer and the overall sound produced is much richer. Nowadays, you can easily buy second hand records for a mere five dollars, however, if you are opting for newly produced albums, they can set you back a good thirty to sixty dollars.

Records

Nevertheless, I have started buying records, and was using a Sony record player from the 70's to play the records, until a few weeks ago, when it broke down and the motor stopped spinning. I was devastated and distraught. This lead me to go on my hunt for a decently priced yet good quality record player. After days of searching the internet, I found the Audio Technica AT LP120-USB model, which conveniently also changes records into a digital form. It plays records of course, can change pitch, reverse play, change needle, among many other functions.

AT LP120-USB

So today, I decided to buy this record player as a belated Christmas present. It was pretty heavy to carry, so if you are considering to buy one, make sure that you have transport close by. At home, I unpacked it all, and it was relatively easy to put together. And within minutes after plugging it into my Yamaha MCR-042, I was listening to my favourite records.

This record player will set you back around $399 AUD at an authorized Audio Technica dealer (eg. HUM Music on King, Sydney) but is an excellent investment for the price and quality. I highly recommend it, and it would be lovely to see a revival of vinyls. :)

Alexandra Grecco

I have recently come to the attention of a certain brand for women's fashion, Alexandra Grecco, based in New York. It started off as a small store on Etsy, and has now has its own website, including online shopping and their products are being stocked in Anthropologie and several other major stores around the world. Currently, Spring/Summer 2013 is already available for pre-order. The products which are available are beautiful, the styles flowing and elegant, slightly reminiscent of the 1950s, while the colour palettes are soft and relaxing.

I must also mention the very stunning tulle skirt, the "Gretta Tulle Skirt" from the Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, available online at here however no longer available at Anthropologie. :) 

All images courtesy of Alexandra Grecco

A Single Man

I know that it seems slightly late to put up a review for a movie which was screened a few years ago, and a novel which has been published for a good three decades. However, I, Anonymous, have read and watched A Single Man several times, only to be in awe at the beauty of the language and the skill of Tom Ford's direction. Each moment is captured perfectly, sometimes even too perfectly. The buildings, cars, fashion, make-up, direction and mood are all divine. 

The story follows George Falconer (played by Colin Firth), in a day of the life of an unhappy gay single man, as his partner, Jim, had recently died in a car crash, set in the time of the beatniks and bohemians. Julianne Moore acts as Charley, a close friend of George's, and serves as his confidante. This film essentially shows a troubled man, who is trying to build a personality to cope with his grief and sorrow, a grief and sorrow which society at that time did not accept. 

I don't know whether to tell you to read the book first, or to watch the movie first, however either way, it should please and move you as an audience. :)

About Me

Welcome! I am Anonymous and am completely new to blogging. In fact, I didn't even have facebook until the beginning of this year. So you could say that I've been living under a rock in terms of the media of today. I am interested in fashion, music, movies, philosophy, but that doesn't say much. But I do hope that you will get to know me better as you read my blog. In case you didn't read my "About me" information, I, Anonymous have nine goldfish, likes ice cream and always does midnight maccas runs. Enjoy :)