Grandma's Feet aren't rubbin themselves!

Photo by: Athol Shmith, Edited: S.A.A.

Recently I heard of a friends fantastic bargain buy which was a fantastic black cropped leather jacket for I think only about $80 purchased on the much loved Ebay. Another woman I heard purchased a vintage balenciaga bag for just $8. And mine? My grandma's vintage leather Yves Saint Laurent envelope handbag, which she gave to me in a very benevolent mood. Jealous yet? Cause you should be! So, how is it that everyone always seems to be grabbing up these never-thought-I'd-snag-in-a-million-years enviable bargains but all that you seem to be snapping up is your older nieces two-sizes-too-large old handme downs? Well with a few tricks in the bag I'll give you my secrets to spying those beautiful vintage pieces with the odd designer snap thrown in for fun!

S.A.A.'s 4 Hints to finding your Vintage-cum-jealousy-trigger in Record Time:
1. Regularity: If trawling all the OP shops that you pass on your way to work/school on a regular basis is not your style-DON"T BOTHER AT ALL cause that's how those beauties get found, by being the first one in the door!
2. A strong Nose: Cause those OP shops do stink, I'm sorry there's no denying it. So make sure you wash your garments as soon as you get them. Twice.
3. Ebay: Going through OP shops takes time so if you lack in this department go to my NBF (New Best Friend) EBAY! It is officially the best place to shop for vintage finds but obviously you pay more for it if someone else found it first. But this is where the real designer finds are sometimes, so scour it regularly and soon enough you'll have your find.
4. Grandma: Grandma was born in the time that is now considered vintage so this one stop shop is a complete NO BRAINER! Just take a bit of a peek and then ask to borrow and then, have whatever it is dry cleaned afterwards as a nice little thank you! Cause after that I'm sure Nan will find some other ways of repayment that don't require a bank account.

So girls and boys get off your tushes and start that hunt for your Enviable Bargain Buy or Vintage Piece. Now I have to leave you because I'm sure I can hear Grandma's closet calling, and Nan's feet aren't just going to rub themselves.

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

To tight or not to tight that is the question.

So here's my dilemma; Is it ok to wear leggings/tights as pants? Lately I've been having stocking tendencies (not tight/legging) but have not been out and about to be able to try out this tricky trend so I decided why not pose the question to you guys out there? So is it acceptable? Are we allowed to pull a model stunt and bare all but black pins-I say black because no other colour is even an option unless you're are 6ft and size 0? Or should some things just be left to the imagination and the editorial pages?

Well I, at the moment (opinion subject to change) think that......

UNLESS YOU LOOK LIKE THIS YOU SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT AT ALL ...

model

....TO AVOID LOOKING LIKE THISTyra Banks

BUT IF YOU'RE NAME IS BEYONCE....

Beyonce Knowles

OR BARBIE...
JUST COMPLETELY DISREGARD ANY POINT I JUST MADE.

Oh and just in case you can't decide visit this crazy cool site:

http://www.tightsarenotpants.com/

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

Magazine Addicts Anonymous.

Image: seanblanda.com

Ok so it's official. I am officially an addict and I'm not even exagerating! This morning upon arrival at a nearby newsagent I realised that I had now become a self confessed magazine addict.

Dictionary.com defines an addict as;

"to cause to become physiologically or psychologically dependent on an addictive substance, as alcohol or a narcotic."

Saddly this is just a discription of me and my magazine compulsion. Because as I approached this said newsagent this morning with my friend M, I realised that like a perfect addict, I had already planned which magazine was to be purchased today. Yes I already new what day, time, specific newsagent and magazine I was going to before it was even in my arms-ok so maybe I didn't know which newsagent, that one I got wrong. But after my guilty purchase of the latest issue of OYSTER magazine I realised I was obsessed, with a total of 5 magazines purchased this/last month(June issues) and with 1 subscription (vogue) I have a total of 6 magazines from the one month. O Dear God. The list of notables are, Oyster, Vogue Australia, Russh, Hapers Bazaar UK, Teen Vogue and Doing Bird.

You see the thing is I'm not sure that I can stop? I mean I see a favourite model or a special article and I just have to have the issue, is that really such a horrible thing? The answer probably is yes considering altogether that is a total of about $50 in one month on magazines minus the Vogue subscription. Hmm I think its safe to say that I won't be running out of reading material anytime soon!

So, tell me what it is that your addicted to at the moment or how many magazines you bought last month? Cause we all know that I'm not the only one out there, Am I?

Love Always xoxo

S.A.A.

Carmen Solomons- The next top model.

OMG! Would you take a look at this girl, she is AMAZING! She is one of the most unique and beautiful girls that I have ever laid eyes on. This rare beauty's name is Carmen Solomons and she's from Boss Models in Cape Town, South Africa. The unusually stunning model's green eyes, chestnut hair and crazy cool bone structure all add to her uncanny beauty and appeal. Definately a supermodel in the making despite her height which sits at 5'6" which is very short for a model but hopefully the industry will make an exception just like they did for Kate Moss (and look where she ended up!) so good luck to this girl cause we all know that she's not going to need it. So all I have left to say is, Damn this girl is Feirce!!

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

The Cover? Atrocious. Inside? Better.

Alice Burdeu on the July edition of Australian Vogue 2008

Abbey Lee Kershaw inside Australian Vogue, July 08

Here it is. You're exclusive first sneak peek at the July 08 Australian Vogue cover as provided by mwa one day ahead of schedule for all you gals that don' get it subscription! And may I just say here and now that I think it is the most boring and ugly cover that I have ever seen vogue do! I mean 1. Alice Burdeu on the cove, AGAIN. Wasn't it bad enough the first time! Don't get me wrong though I'm actually pretty much biased -I LOVE THEM- towards all red headed models being a fellow patriotic red head myself but for some reason Alice just doen't cut the cake for me. However I will let down my defense for a moment here and admit that she does look good with the one shot of her inside but that is the only time I've ever seen her look up to scratch. Oh and secondly the whole close up thing on the front cover? Kirstie Clements take note, NEVER AGAIN! Enough said. Luckily though the disappointment stops short at the cover and with all gag reflexes aside you should be able to turn over the cover-maybe with some gloves- and begin to enjoy the fantastic story on 4 of Australia's next supermodels making it over in New York, Paris and Milan. The lucky girls in order of appearence are Alice Burdeu, Abbey Lee Kershaw(well der) Stephanie Carta(even with the whole skinny issue surrounding her) and the gorgeous new favourite of mine, Skye Stracke. Another beauty to look forward to is the quickly rising star, Zippora Sevens who co-models in the shoot entitled, Laced with Luxury. Excited yet? But don't worry it gets better-if you believe me- because then we have a much appreciated appearance from the girl herself, Carolina Trentini in the shoot called Fantasy Blooms shot by Steven Miesel and stolen from some other vogue(because I swear i've seen the images before) but unfortunately it musn't have come from American Vogue because in it yes I see Trentini but I don't see any Jumpin? So either she caved in to criticism or it just didn't come from the pages of Ms. Wintour's Vogue.

Either way you should be getting hungry for more by now, so I guess you can just sit tight and wait till tomorrow to catch your dinner, whilst I'll be happily eating mine!

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

The Great Man Himself has Moved On.

Catherine Deneuve and Yves Saint-Laurent circa 1966

It's official. Mr Yves Saint Laurent has passed away at the young age of 71 after having suffered from sickness for several of months prior to his death on Sunday evening (local time) Paris, France. The Fashion genius whose last haute couture collection was in 2002 after 40yrs in the business was first discovered by then Vogue editor-in-chief Michel de Brunoff when he saw Saint Laurent's sketches. Laurent was considered a shy child who as a result found a love for fashion that has benefited socialites, princesses and other fashionably able woman ever since. His second stint in fashion came after he was taken under the wing of Christion Dior only to step up to Christian's postion after his death three years later. Yves often described as the most versatile of all his fellow courtiers was once described by Christion Lacroix as,

"...much more versatile, like a combination of all of them. I sometimes think he's got the form of Chanel with the opulence of Dior and the wit of Schiaparelli"

The man sinonimous with style has left us, but his legend will stay on for centuries to come and in this case I think it's relvent to mention , "Fashions fade, style is eternal"Yves Saint Laurent.

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

Chictopia -The Homemade Sartorialist

(Doesn't this girl just remind you of Irina lazareanu-btw it isn't!)

Lulu:Chictopia Creator
(All photo's from Chictopia Girls)

For those of you who have not yet been clued in on this fantastic site here is a treat from me to you. No, I lie it actually came from a friend, S, who spotted it before I did and was lovely enough to share the secret with me! So for those of you in the know by now you should have heard about the newish web site called, 'Chictopia'. This site is like a mix of The Sartorialist (www.thesartorialist.com) and Myspace, where überstylish people (like those who read this blog) can upload photos of their favourite outfits and then write down where they got them from and anything else important to that photo like where and when it was taken. But that's not even the best bit the best is where you can go a vote for whoever you think is most chic, in a ranking of: chic, good, ok, doubtful, not. I mean they probably could have come up with some more creative ranks like: Chic, Straight off Kate's (Moss) Ass, Only cause you're pretty, Maybe if I was wasted? and Hell to the No or My grandpa does better.

But that's just what I think otherwise this little beauty is practically the best thing since Myspace (until we all got over it) so hop on and tell me what you think! Oh and props to miss S for her great reference!

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.