#styleblogger

5 style lessons I learned in my first 5 weeks as a Londoner

Let me quote a universal piece of wisdom: Time flies when you are having fun.

Last Thursday, it was five weeks since Sebastian and I moved to London. And in all honesty? I still can’t believe it. I feel like we just arrived last night although we managed to do a lot during this hectic period: arranging our legal residence permits, unpacking all our belongings, and organizing our new apartment took some time and energy. (Please, feel free to send more ginseng, thank you.) However, I am glad to report most details are fixed and we are ready to become proper Londoners now.

Over the first few weeks, we took the chance to explore the city and start experiencing that famous London lifestyle. From trendy street food markets to majestic art galleries, and from cozy tea rooms to vintage stores—London never stops surprising you.

One of my favourite things about being an expat is discovering the local fashion style: Tokyo taught me everything about chic, while Budapest certainly deserves to be acknowledged as the new capital of shopping. It was rather ineluctable to learn something valuable from Londoner street fashionistas too.

Throughout my now five weeks of living in London, I have probably learned more lessons about style than ever before in my life. Today, I want to share them with you.

So, what have I learnt so far?

1. Sh#& Rain happens: Get yourself a statement trench

If you are remotely familiar with the British weather, you might know it is rainy. Like, cats-and-dogs kind of rainy. You’ll get used to carrying an emergency umbrella with you at all times and even start wondering how was life before that (or how did you look with neatly arranged straight hair, for the matter). But that’s OK because you will also learn to love a nice trench coat. Actually, I already loved them before we landed here, but my affection has gone deeper ever since: Hobbs, Burberry, Mulberry, Céline… the options are endless! You might certainly think a statement piece is expensive but here is where the second lesson hits.

2. The best fashion finds often come from charity shops and vintage stores

No, I promise I didn’t drink an entire bottle of prosecco before writing this (maybe later, but let me finish this post first). Many charity shops in London receive designer donations. Checking their branches regularly improves your chances to find a treasure in the shape of a Prada handbag or a pair of Chloé trousers. So far, my Max Azria collection—fan girl here!—has increased dramatically. I truly recommend paying a visit to stores around Knightsbridge, Notting Hill, Marylebone and Kensington areas since they often receive the best stock in town.

3. Chelsea boots are life (and you can’t change my mind)

We all know how important it is to dress sensibly, but too often we don’t pay enough attention to footwear. London is not only a city but a huge one, even with the brilliant public transport network you will walk quite a lot. No need to say wearing the wrong shoes can easily spoil your day. (Please, raise your hand if you learned this lesson after years of poor and painful decisions too. Heels on cobblestone pavement? What could possibly go wrong?) When we first arrived, I would only carry some replacement flats in my handbag but then, as the weather started cooling, Chelsea boots became a natural ally—they are comfy, they are stylish and the epitome of British style. What else could you ask for?

4. Blazers are not for office only

Look, I have been there too—limiting blazers to the office ecosystem is very tempting. But, believe it or not, they can be fun too. One of my favourite things about Londoners and their style sense is the way they incorporate blazers on a weekend outfit without losing that effortlessly chic vibe. On a personal note, I love a good slip dress & blazer number but the options are countless: adding a nice pair of jeans, or even a knit dress can fix those Saturday brunch outfit plans. And speaking of knitwear…

5. When in doubt, just throw an oversized jumper

As simple as that. It doesn’t matter if we are speaking about a lazy at home Sunday or an office Monday morning, really: most of the days a note of wool can make all the difference and save your outfit. Reuniting a great quality collection has been in my fashion to-do list FOREVER (when I started that list back in the day, commercial transactions were still paid with wooden tokens and we used to adore volcanoes… good old days!), but coming to London has been the push I needed. Cashmere and Scottish wool are wonderful high-quality materials that may add value to your existing wardrobe. Plus, they will keep you warm during the long cold months.

And these are the five foolproof style lessons I learned over my first month in London.

Fashion Find Alert: This Must-Have Fall Skirt Is More Affordable Than You Think

The very moment September hits, I start hoarding all things burgundy.

There’s no denying my Autumn closet is mostly monochromatic: from the deepest shade of mahogany to the richest currant tone, every single burgundy hue is represented there. And while I am always happy to test other tones in the seasonal palette—mustard, forest green, and gingerbread are some of my favourites—I owe my loyalty to burgundy.

For some reason, I find this colour to be universally flattering: It looks great on almost everyone, but also looks great with mostly everything. It is the ace in the matching-outfits card game. Think a second about it—burgundy pairs well with forest greens, navy blues, rich browns, jet blacks, and even some shades of pink! To be frank, it never stops to amaze me how much wear I get out of it.

Hence, it is no shocker I fell in love instantly with this must-have Fall midi skirt.

But let me tell you the story from the beginning.

When we first landed in London four weeks ago, my luggage was packed with sundresses, perky shorts, and sandals. Unfortunately, I didn’t consider that the weather here in London was “slightly” cooler than the 35 ‎°C we were experiencing in Timișoara at the time. (And by that I mean my legs turned blue on the first attempt to leave the house in shorts. You can call me Smurfette from now on.) As a consequence and until our belongings arrived seven days afterwards, I found myself with nothing to wear. Fun times, right?

Obviously, I did the only sensible thing: Shopping!

After a couple of hours at the closest mall, a nice pair of leather trousers and some decent knitwear made it to my shopping cart. Then, I went to Primark looking for inexpensive velvet hangers and was absolutely amazed when I spotted this glorious satin skirt (I know! Who could have guessed?). It was the perfect wine shade and the fabric felt surprisingly nice to the touch.

I have always been an advocate for stocking up on the items you know you’ll wear on repeat. Once you know your style inside and out, you can easily recognize those items you’ll wear to death. In the past, for instance, I have told you about my personal obsession for slip dresses and this totally extends to satin skirts too (I am a total sucker for delicate fabrics). In my experience, the price range for decent quality pieces goes from 30 to 60£ or more. This beauty was less than 15£ though! C-R-A-Z-Y. Since I could already predict I would restyle it countless ways (for cool Autumn evenings, I love to layer satin and silk with a good chunky sweater and ankle boots, while a nice blouse and blazer is my to-go choice for office), I didn’t give it a second thought.

Because let’s be honest here: there’s nothing that gets me more excited than finding a luxury vibe item with an affordable price tag. This perfect satin midi skirt not only delivers that decadent expensive look, but it’s also burgundy. Win-win situation here!

After a few weeks of anticipation, I finally decided to wear the skirt and guys, I am so glad I bought it. For our first visit to Notting Hill (the first of many to come, surely) I went a bit over the top by pairing the skirt with a lovely high-neck sheer top, and the most comfortable Mary Janes on Earth. To finish things off, I am wearing Dior Rouge in Fifth Avenue, my beloved Gucci belt, and the newest addition to my bags collection: the Michael Kors Mercer bag!

Once we took some pictures in the neighbourhood, we moved to Portobello market for brunch and I couldn’t believe the number of compliments I received on my skirt. In all honesty? I felt like a million dollars.

I am a firm believer in the Anna Wintour philosophy of mixing-up designer and inexpensive pieces. It gives your outfit some flavour and you prevent the risk of looking like a living brand advertisement. So now you know: when looking for a versatile skirt to add your Autumn closet a bit of glamour, pay a visit to the closest Primark shop. It will only cost the price of a Costa latte and muffin. You’re welcome!

What is the last amazing fashion find you have made?

Skirt: Primark (available in stores only, pink version here)

Sheer Blouse: Asos (sold out, similar at Nordstrom) / Belt: Gucci / Bag: Michael Kors

Mary janes: Deichman (sold out)

September 30, 2019October 6, 2019

Allegra Caro9 Comments

Does fashion blogging even make sense anymore?

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for a couple of years, there is a chance you are aware of that obsessive anathema regarding the alleged death of fashion blogging.

The rumour has been written in forums, shared, and even printed in t-shirts as a catchy slogan: “Fashion bloggers are dead!”, they say, “Long live Instagram!” This tagline might sound like seasonal news material — a form of objective information, if you please —, once you come closer though, a mild vindictive flavour can be appreciated.

For a long time and as a relatively new industry, blogging aroused suspicion and a great deal of controversy. Certainly, it took some time for the public to understand that blogging was nothing but a digital version to fashion editorials, curated by anonymous people who shared their personal approach to style. In the beginning, there was nothing aspirational about it: most bloggers were mothers, students, or corporate ladies living their lives while blogging for fun.

On a deep level though, it could be argued that it turned into sort of a sisterhood, where normal women could partake of the fun and stop feeling like “Plain Janes”.

This was the starting point from which the blogging empire ascended.

As in any other field, some bloggers started taking a more occupational direction: blog layers were endlessly edited, while outfits became more and more polished. Some started suggesting that authenticity was sacrificed at the expense of professionalisation — a topic stirring passions that would require a post of its own.

The same people (and conservative media) who criticised early authors for their lack of expertise, began resenting their new attitude. Even so, the industry was growing, with a few top bloggers gaining status as respected experts and making a six-figure income.

There was no point in denying reality anymore: fashion blogging was here to stay.

Once bloggers grew into brands and household names, blogging became mainstream. As in any popular industry, the market was suddenly saturated. Many even suggested that the cooperative spirit between bloggers vanished overnight. The same industry which gained momentum as the anti-establishment of fashion, they pleaded, morphed into the materialization of its nemesis.

This was the defining moment in which Instagram was introduced too: a simpler platform that would allow people to post their outfits without the nuisance of composing an entire article around it. Naturally, many saw it as the perfect way to save-up countless hours of writing and editing and dropped off their websites in favour of Instagram. After all, why to spend days working on a blog post when you could easily share your outfit in real-time?

Back in 2016, Tavi Jennison (who became famous by sitting front row at NYFW as an influencer at the age of 12) famously stated: “Yikes, what is the function of this blog anymore? Everything is basically on my Instagram…!”, a sentence that embodied a whole new worldview.

At that point, the question became quite obvious: was fashion blogging dead?

A recent study shows that the Millenial generation prefers social media as an advice resource and the decreasing number of style, outfits and fashion trends blogs seems to provide enough evidence. At the same time, the progressive abandonment of the term blogger in favour of content creator can’t be ignored as a clear indication of this process.

But then, should we all quit our blogs in 2019 and go home?

Personally, I am an optimist: yes, the market might be saturated and highly competitive, and yes, it might be hard to become six-figures income blogging royalty these days (pretty much as hard as becoming a dazzling movie star), but I do believe people are still interested. Nowadays, many blog readers value them as a way to unwind after a hard working day — a certain detachment from social media hectic pace. Maybe, the secret of blogging survival lies in this quality time dimension. Surely, only time will tell. As for now, let me close this article with a good wish:

Long live fashion blogging!

Cami top: Zara / Sailor trousers: Vivienne of Holloway

Sunglasses: HM (old, similar here) / Straw bucket bag: Primark (similar at La Redoute)

Other accessories: off brand

August 14, 2019August 15, 2019

Allegra Caro31 Comments

Why black is a great colour for Summer

Let’s talk about fashion clichés: you are not supposed to wear white after Labor Day, florals are for Spring, and black is a big no-no in the Summertime. Classics, right?

However, that doesn’t mean they are commandments carved in stone. The thing about clichés, you know, is that very frequently, they are based on old ideas and misconceptions. Even so, some of them die hard — and no, it doesn’t matter how much you try, your aunt Mary will not change her mind.

My favourite line in the rule book is probably that one about dark colours and warm weather: we all know they don’t mix well. Except, is that really accurate?

By nature, I am a curious person and, as weird as it might sound, I enjoy reading on cultural assumptions. Sometimes, from a scientific angle. (Thank you Wired for the countless hours of interesting reading!)

During one of my endless pool-side mornings a couple of weeks ago, I read an online article claiming that most of what we mindlessly repeat about colour and weather is wrong. After all, thermodynamics don’t lie (sorry, I always wanted to have an excuse to write that. Actually, this entire post is just a pretext to do so. Let’s just pretend it is not…)

But back to the topic: Which colour is more suitable for Summertime, black or white?

White is claimed to be the best option — not only it is chic but will also keeps us cool in the warmest season. Or so they say. Actually when we look at white colour, we are seeing the combination of all existing light, meaning that the sun’s rays are reflected. And yes, that is perfectly right. Although, it is incomplete information too.

The heat comes both from the sun and our bodies. When all that body heat reaches the white clothing, it gets reflected right back towards the body. Hence, when we wear white, we cook ourselves.

The best color to keep cool in the heat, it turns out, is black.

Black absorbs the solar radiation, true, but it also absorbs the body heat without reflecting it back. Hence, the helpfulness of black clothes will depend on finding a fabric that is similar to those summery white clothes. It is quite logical, isn’t it? Atmospheric conditions play a leading role: once the heat is absorbed, if there’s a little wind, the tissue will radiate it away. That was unexpected, wasn’t it?

(Actually, this whole science-nerd moment was quite unexpected too. Please, don’t tell the cool fashion bloggers out there…)

Personally, my to-go warm weather uniform on its darkest shade consists on a sheer blouse and shorts, or fine skirt that will allow air circulating. Natural fibres such as pure cotton and linen are completely awesome to keep the heat at bay. I am a big fan of investing in Summer black — actually, black for all seasons.

For this look, I went for a a boredom-proof monochromatic Summer look by simply adding an organza ruffled blouse with dramatic sleeves. The shorts, on the other hand, are quite simple which help to balance the outfit. It can be styled both with heels or flats, (which I usually carry on a tote bag in case I feel too tired after a long walk, as this was the case).