I WANT WANT WANT: Metalic Lily bag

When I saw this D&G bag today at BTs I literally gasped! It's simply perfect! Need I say more?

Oh yeh: my-wardrobe.com is selling it for 642 Euro, but it's a little overpriced. For a change, it's slightly cheaper at Brown Thomas. I'll definitely be waiting for August Sales before I go anywhere it again...gotta stay strong.

Moschino knows best...

Ann Marie hiding behind the motto of the day :)

February Wishlist

Marni bag: 618 Euro (40% off)

Camilla Skovgaard shoes: 195 Euro (40% off) - appearing on my list for the second time just to reinforce how much I want these!

Phillip Lim blouse: £305 (30% off)

Stella McCartney pants: £88 (50% off)

Stephen Webster ring: 340 euro

I know its not February yet, but I got paid today, so my list starts now ;). Besides - some of the above items are the best of January sales leftovers... come February we turn to saving mode (yeh right).

Dreambox: Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra Necklace

Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra collection centers around four leaf clover. The above yellow gold and onyx necklace is my dream piece. You can see Reese Witherspoon sporting one on every occasion. Sigh......

Oddity of the day: Miu Miu SS 2010 Platforms

Sporting Daisies The Birds

Very odd - by so very lovely! I want them all!

The DOs and DON'Ts of Harem Pants

OK - I think we are all in agreement that Balmain made us lust after a pair of harem pants like never before! I admit that when harem pants made their comeback in 2008, I was not impressed. Some things should never be brought back ... or so I thought. It was not until mum – my style inspiration - requested a pair, that I gave this wacky trend a second chance. I even bought Topshop harem pants but never had the courage to wear them in the daylight (or nightlight for that matter). I'm still convinced that you can either look absolutely fantastic or terribly hideous in harem pants - there is no in between.

Below are some examples of Do's and Don't with Harem Pants:

DOs

The Trendsetter: Balmain RTW FW 2009

The Poster Child: Gwen Stefani

Domino Effect

DON'Ts


Too many toos: too Costumy, t00 Bulky & too Boxy

Repeat Offenders: Ciara and Sienna

Don't even go there...

and the final verdict is:

- If styled right, harem pants can look fabulous as both day and evening wear.
- Less is more: keep the top half sleek – tank top with biker jacket does the trick.
- Try color blocking and avoid patterns.
- Unless you're the world’s tallest woman, wear harem pants with platforms and heels.
- Avoid a very low crotch and ditch the bulky shapes.
- Lastly - look in the mirror before you leave the house!

Military Trend: how to wear it

Anna Sui: Romantic

Balmain: Uber-Cool

Chloe: Minimalist

Dsquared2: Kooky

Marc Jacobs: Geeky Chic

Military was definitely one of the biggest trends on both sides of the Atlantic this season. It had different permutations: from Anna Sui's humorous romantic take to Chloe's utilitarian approach.

There is a lot to choose from if you want to emulate this trend: from vests, jackets, and coats, to hats, boots and body con dresses. I recently bought a gorgeous black military cotton vest from Zara (I think it was from the fall/winter collection, coz I grabbed the last one from the window display ;). In the summer I plan to dig out my old cargo pants and pull on my Cuban hat I bought in Havana.

For those who don’t know where to start, I listed some useful tips and picked my favourite designer and high street pieces:

French Connection Jumpsuit (£40);

Juicy Couture Cardigan ($248) & Khaki Pants ($138);

River Island vest(£29.99)

Tip #1: check your wardrobe: I guarantee you have an old pair of cargo pants you forgot about!

Tip #2: limit your military look to one piece: head-to-toe Balmain looks good on the runway – not in real life.

Laundry by Shelli Segal Coat($204);

Juicy Couture Coat ($238);

Day by Birger et Mikkelsen Coat ($275)

Tip #3: go for lasting effect: military coats are IN every season. You are guaranteed to get good mileage out of a quality wool or cotton trench coat.

Tip #4: don’t take it literally: the above pair of officer pants by Kris Van Assche is a bit OTT.

Tip #5: you can always turn to DIY by adding embroidery to your vests (see here), applying shoulder pads to t-shirts (see here), or simply sewing on gold jacket buttons.

Tip #6: have fun: wearing a Cuban 'Viva La Revolution' cap is having fun in my book ;).

I found that the best brands for the Military look are French Connection and Juicy Couture.

Best and Worst Dressed of the SAG Awards 2010

The Best Dressed

Marion Cotillard in Elie Saab

Marion Cotillard is a winner!

She took a risk by wearing a mini and it paid off.

Marion manages to look edgy and glamorous at the same time. Bravo!

Vera Farmiga in J Mendel

Vera looks angelic! What can I say - timelessly beautiful!

Nicole Kidman in Oscar de la Renta

Nicole is our comeback kid: after last week's

fashion faux pas at the Golden Globes she's redeemed herself!This slighly Bohemian look really suits her.

The Worst Dressed

Meryl Streep in Balenciaga

Meryl Streep woke up on the day and said to herself:

I need to get on a worst dressed list - like Presto.

Well you succeeded Meryl.

If this was not the intention -

I would start by firing your stylist.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in D&G

Morticia from The Adams Family called - she wants her outfit back. (Not your best moment - Stefano and Domenico!)

Diane Kruger in Jason Wu

This just shows how celebrities can never rest on their laurels. Just last week Ms Kruger was among the best dressed at the Golden Globes. This week she is wearing a dress of a very questionable color. Nice cut though...

Photos: Style.com

The Little Yellow Cardi that could

Maxmara Cardi £84 (50% off)
Preen tote £505 (30% off)
Pedro Garcia broques 166 euo (50%)

CC Skye bracelet 101 Euro

Freda pants £158 (50% off)

Maxmara Cardi £84 (50% off)
YSL easy tote $1295
Icone suede boots £314 (30% off)
Kara Ross ring £68 (60% off)
philosophy by alberta ferretti dress 153 euro (50% off)

Maxmara Cardi £84 (50% off)
Erdem Dress 349 Euro (50% off)
Ioselliani ring 237 Euro (50%)

Mulberry Ava suede clutch £350
YSL tribute pumps £285 (40%)

Oddity of the Day: Boot Cuff by Start London

This boot cuff by Start London is very odd, but I'm loving it! You can wear this cuff in two ways: like pictured above or over the bottom of the boot. Not sure I'm ready to pay £69 for this spiky oddity.

The Best of Designer Cuffs

Kara Ross - £130 (60% off at Asos!)

Rachel Leigh - starting at $66

Ben Amun - $170

Blue Bijoux - $96

These are my picks for the best of Designer cuffs. I didn't go crazy and didn't pick outragiously expensive designer pieces, but concentrated on more affordable and yet very fabulous designers!

My all time number one for cuffs and rings is Kara Ross. I have a beatufil golden cuff with zitrine stone and gorgeous blue stone cocktail ring. These are not everyday pieces, unless of course you like your bling bling. I would wear mine for special occasions and when I do, they make any outfit pop. The two snakeskin cuffs pictured are on sale at Asos!

Next is Rachel Leigh: her jewellery is more funky and girly. I have a couple of small bangles which I wear in the summer. They are super cute and won't set you back much. Ben Amun and Blue Bijoux cuffs are always very sparkly and over the top - and I love it!

Asos Cuff - £19
Topshop Cuff - £16

I get most of my cuffs and bracelets on the highstreet. The best places for one of a kind pieces are Asos, Topshop and Mango! I got an amazing blue stone golden bangle for 10 euro at Mango the other day. It could easily compete with some Kara Ross items.

January Wishlist

ALL Saints belt (£45);
Camilla Skovgaard open toe boots (225 euro -50% off);
French Connection Gilet (£30 - 70% off);
Alexander McQueen clutch ( €355.68 -40% off);
Topshop breton knitted dress (£45).

Oddity of the day: Jurassic Park by Giles Deacon

Giles Deacon stayed true to himself when he introduced a very bizarre element to his SS 10 RTW collection: dinosaur handbags. I find this super amusing! I'm thinking no-one in their right mind would buy one of these (apart from Lady Gaga of couse). Little Dino made for great theatrics on the runway though.

Designer Spotlight: Yigal Azrouël

Yigal Azrouel is a breath of fresh air. His designs are chic and relaxed at the same time. Yigal's signature is a beautful draping technique. But there is definitely less of draping and more of assymetric and cut-out pieces in his SS10 RTW collection.

I love the color pallette: black, yellow and white were the most striking combinations. And I particuarly loved the fact that he mostly used jersey material. Casual chic all the way - I'm definitely inspired!

Photos: Style.com

iPhone App du jour: Grazia in Westfield Sudoku

I know some of you have not yet converted or don’t plan on doing so…but I can’t imagine my life without my iPhone. Trust me, a year ago, I would have laughed at myself for saying that. Every so often I find an app I adore! This week I discovered Sudoku by Grazia in Wesfield. I decided to give it a shot on a long train journey, and got so competitive that almost missed my stop.

You play it by aligning outfits and there is an element of logic and styling involved. Some of the outfits are totally off – better write to Grazia about that. The game is really entertaining (if you got nothing else to do) and helps polish your knowledge of fashion merchandise) P

Miuccia Prada - the Mad Scientist

Prada Summer 2010 Lookbook

There is high fashion and then there is Prada. I always think of Miuccia Prada as a mad scientist of the fashion world: always doing
her own thing...Each time, it takes me a while to warm up to her collections. Spring/Summer 2010 RTW is a good example. At first glance I thought the outfits were a little too futuristic, but the more I look, the more I really like them. And Prada's Summer Lookbook is nothing short of a work of art!

Photos: www.fashionising.com, style.com