Reconnecting: why blogging is still relevant for me

For as long as this site has existed, I’ve always wanted honesty to be one of its key core values.

If you are a regular reader, you´re probably aware of that already since I created an entire category dedicated to being bold about blogging and then called it The Honest Fashionista Diaries. So, case in point, I am going to be open with you about my late absence, today.

The last few months have been a strange period, to say the least. This year started a bit too quickly, almost on a hectic way for me—a new job, a new city, new opportunities… new everything—which made me feel rather overwhelmed at times. As a consequence, and as much as I hated it, the blog took a back seat. This decision was not easy, and I felt sorry about every missing opportunity to post a fresh article. However, I do believe you must give your 100% when you love something—and this website, guys, is one of my biggest loves.

While life itself was not contributing to the mind-set I need to write in here, I was also struggling in terms of mental health. Most days I felt exhausted and under the weather, which is an awful place to be as a creator. But I am not speaking about creating content only, though. I am talking about the perception I had on my self-worth and even my self-image.

All of a sudden, I began feeling not only my contribution to the blogosphere was insignificant but also resenting my appearance when taking pictures or simply by looking in the mirror. Age was certainly taking its toll on me: I felt old, wasted, and ugly. Even worst, every time we went out for shooting, I felt ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I am a very realistic person and always knew I was no model at all—and that’s OK too. For me, blogging is not about that one perfect look but about writing and creating a nice picture to inspire others—but at some point, I got completely lost in the middle of the fog.

There was a moment in which I plainly refused to get my photo taken. Then, this whole crazy lockdown situation arrived at our lives and we ceased going outside.

Working remotely and from the comfort of my apartment, there was a period when things got even worse for me. I would feel utterly depressed by simply looking at the news and everything else seemed pointless. Hence, I stopped logging into social media and reduced my presence online to almost zero.

Back then, I began spending more time taking care of myself: I started reading every day, watching nice films, having lengthy baths, and taking good care of my skin. I started having long walks in the park (always keeping the safety distance for obvious reasons), reconnecting with nature, and detoxing from anything negative in my life.

After one month, I finally discovered the value of resilience. I began enjoying the quiet, the long conversations with Sebastian, and a good long morning meditation session. I began liking myself again—both inside and outside.

As time goes by, I keep healing every day. I came to realize it was all a matter of time: I needed to stop and smell the flowers, feeling grateful for every small blessing in my life. Because most frequently than not, we don’t pay attention to those little things, taking them for granted. It is still a work in progress but the whole point of this post is, as a thirty-something woman, life is difficult sometimes.

The raw truth is, the expectations list seems endless: Have children, keep yourself young forever, have a brilliant career, keep your home spotless, organize family days out, take care of your family/spouse. And it goes on and on.

With such a burden, when do you get the chance to stop and listen to yourself? When are you supposed to become the priority? When was the last time you said “enough of this”? For me, it had to be in the middle of an extreme sanitary emergency lockdown. It took that much of a change to give it a thought. As I did begin thinking more and more about it, another question came to my mind: How many women on their thirties, forties or older feel exactly like this? How many of us are struggling to cope?

And this is where I was going with all the rambling.

Whoever you are, whatever your situation is, you are not alone.

From now on, my blog will be a place where you can come and say: I am NOT ok with this. I will do my best to write for you, to post as frequently as I can about how to be your own best friend. How to stop feeling worthless, wasted, ugly. I will post on how to dress for yourself, take care of your mind, and soul, and feel better in your skin.

Welcome to the place where you can be you.

Nothing else matters.

September 16, 2020September 15, 2020

Allegra Caro26 Comments

My 2019 in Outfits: Developing my Style Sense

High priestess fashionista Iris Apfel once famously declared that, while fashion is something you buy, style is something you possess. ‘The key to style’, according to Apfel, ‘is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style.’

Since I first read these words during my university years—a long time ago in a galaxy far away, dominated by the dark forces of cheap rosé and poor fashion choices—it’s been a long road, but I’ve never stopped believing in the truth of this creed. The wisdom behind Apfel’s words lies in her interpretation of style as a part of the identity construct: ultimately, it’s not about the hottest trends or the latest IT bag but about who you are.

Self-discovery process can take months, years, and sometimes, even an entire lifetime—hence, for most of us, the style evolution goes hand in hand with this learning curve.

In this sense, 2019 wasn’t any different for me. Certainly, it’s been a long year packed with big vital decisions and scary changes which were all part of my own personal development. In parallel, my style has been changing too, while taking a new interesting direction. I am not going to lie: it has taken a considerable amount of trial and error to figure things out for me (whoever says adulthood is a piece of cake is nothing but a blatant liar). Fortunately though, with age comes some wisdom and I like to think I’ve got quite a clear vision of my life (and style path) at this point.

Style-wise, 2019 was the year when I learned to appreciate bold colours—as well as keep growing my unconditional love for jewel tones—, to love designer pieces and start adding to my expanding collection, to stop being afraid of experimentation. But let’s do this recap one month at the time.

This was my 2019 in outfits!

January

January always feels like the longest, gloomiest month of the year (hello January Blues, how you doin’?) but last year was a bit of an exception since I was in Spain for a holiday. During 2019 Summer, I started adding some designer pieces to my closet and January was the month I got my first major investment item: the CHANEL Boy bag! This babe had been in my bucket list like forever, so it was really nice to see it landing in my wardrobe, finally. Read the full original post here.

February

February was quite an interesting period. Sebastian and I booked a city break in Bucharest, where we lived for a couple of years since it still keeps a special place in our hearts. It felt nice to be back and visiting all our favourite places—the national art gallery, the hotel where we stayed during our wedding weekend, and the best antique market ever (where I hunted for some fabulous little accessories). A few people know that Bucharest is called Little Paris, but it is totally true and does deserve a visit.

March

March was quite a busy month, packed with work and events: consequently, it was quite exhausting and I had very little time left to relax. In the end, I got sick due to the lack of rest and spent an entire week feeling rather poorly. I am not keen to be confined at home, so I might or might not have spent a crazy amount of time online shopping… (Read the original post here.)

April

To me, April was the month to rule them all: I finally fulfilled the long-awaited dream of visiting Vogue House and having a glimpse inside Condé Nast well-oiled machinery. As an articles writer (and also as a reader) CN publications have been always an editorial reference—as well as a source of inspiration for me. In April, not only did I manage to study one of their journalism courses, but I also met some wonderful new friends. In other words, I had the time of my life. I documented the whole experience back in April, so please feel free to read bout it.

May

May felt a bit like a hungover, really. For most of it, I tried to regain something of a normal routine both at work and personal life, which left little time or energy for fun. However, I did enjoy some time relaxing over the weekends and got ready for all the major changes coming our way in June…

June

June was the month we finally came to learn about our next destination: London! In all honesty, this change was something we had been craving for long enough and it felt surreal to see it was happening. As some form of self-indulgent celebration, we spent most of June back in Spain with our families and friends. No need to say this was just what we needed and the beginning of a refreshing start.

July

I am not going to lie to you: July was a savage party which I spent paying daily visits to the closest swimming pool club and eating my weight in gelato. Since we were preparing our international relocation, I dealt with any stress by means of frequent outings and Summer events. This situation lasted for the whole month and it was extended to August. I consider last Summer the best I enjoyed in quite a long time and I am very sorry adulthood doesn’t look like that more frequently. Ces’t la vie, I guess!

August

August was nothing but the best period last year: it was time for my yearly birthday trip, as well as the moment when we moved to London for good. Our stay in Budapest was a bit of a grand finale, really—the golden brooch to a great Summer, which was one of the most precious for us both. You can read more about our adventures here and here.

September

In September, we started calling London our new home. The transition was slow and, at certain times, also difficult but we worked so hard to make this project happen over the last five years, we are nothing but grateful. As mundane as it may sound, September mostly consisted of running errands, completing an endless sequence of paperwork, and leisurely getting used to the hectic city pace. Back then, we spent quite a lot of time exploring around and falling in love with Notting Hill and Portobello again (where I might or might not be secretly planning to buy a house at some point…)

October

Autumn was such a fuss! October started with a good deal of problems related to a certain domestic accident. This involved a burst pipe which made our lives miserable for a while. For starters, we found out that water extended all under our apartment pristine floors, flooding the air cameras underneath with the resulting trouble of wet walls in every house room… I am not gonna lie: it was a bit of a nightmare, really. Unfortunately, it could not be solved from our side since the water was running from our neighbours’ place. We experienced this problem for a month and a half until the works next door were completed, which made October and November a stressful period I barely remember about. (See the original post featuring a review of the Michael Kors Mercer Gallery Bag here.)

November

Domestic accidents aside, November was rather pleasant. The fall season shone in all its decadent rusty glory and we made the most of it by taking as many days outdoors as possible. This only positively, affected our moods, since we were engaged in seeking for brand new positions in London and anything distracting our busy minds was welcome at the time.

December

In the big scheme of things in 2019, December was a magnificent period when we finally started feeling at home. Most of the adaptation process was completed, including but not limited to finding new jobs, making the most of our brand new apartment, and establishing new and enriching relationships. Since life finally started feeling normal again, we were able to relax and enjoy the festive period. I can´t wait to see what 2020 will look like.

How was your 2019?

January 27, 2020January 26, 2020

Allegra Caro8 Comments

Seven Days of Christmas Outfits: Day 4 The St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel

Every city in Europe has got Christmas traditions of its own: Vienna shines at festive markets, Paris dazzles with its choir singing concerts at La Madeleine, and Rome makes quite an impression with its nativity scenes.

When speaking about London, the list looks endless. I will save you the details since I wrote about many of those local traditions before and I don’t wish to bore you by repeating myself. Today though, I’d like to tell you about one of my best-loved ways to celebrate—with a festive cocktail on a five stars hotel! (If a delicious Bellini won’t make you feel extra-festive, I don’t know what it will, honestly. I mean, socially sanctioned afternoon prosecco? Count me in.)

On Saturday afternoon, we headed to St. Pancras railway station where the Renaissance Hotel is located. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the place, it occupies much of the former Midland Grand Hotel designed by George Gilbert Scott which opened in 1873. Nowadays, the hotel contains 244 bedrooms, two restaurants, two bars, a health and leisure centre, a ballroom, and 20 meeting and function rooms, all of it wrapped in Victorian style extravaganza. In other words: Amazing.

The reason why I love the place so much is the exquisite classicism of its architecture, combined with the seasonal decorations. To me, visiting feels pretty much like living on a Charles Dickens novel. (Er… one in which you aren’t a poor orphan, obviously. Because that would spoil the fun, right?)

Another thing I love about St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel is the fact that you’re allowed to take some pictures in the main hall, even if you are not registered as a guest. Over Christmas this is especially nice since you can go there for a drink and then enjoy the pure awesomeness of the seasonal decorations. This year, they put two impressive natural trees up—both carefully garnished with garlands, bubble and ribbons. I love the way the whole hall smelled like fresh spruce and spice. Simply delightful!

For this traditional celebration atmosphere, I went for a forest green and brown outfit. The coat was a lovely acquisition from my last trip to Tokyo and totally suited for the festive season (I don’t know about you but brocate is the ultimate Christmas fabric, to me). The silky afternoon tea gown, on the other hand, makes a nice texture contrast. Last but not least, to wrap things up I added a handmade velvet bag and some gold accessories. Et voilá: Christmas spirit served with a Victorian vibe. Anyone said carols?

And this is it, for day four of my week of Christmas outfits.

I hope you have the loveliest day with your family and friends.

Dress: Zara (old, similar here)/ Coat: Juliette et Justine (vintage)

Bag: Handmade / Boots: Deichman (alternative here)

December 25, 2019December 24, 2019

Allegra Caro1 Comment

Seven Days of Christmas Outfits: Day 2 Christmas Afternoon Tea

In terms of Christmas activities offer, London remains unrivaled. Being one of the liveliest cities in the globe, its seasonal festive palette can be only described as vibrant—a never-ending sequence of street festivals, music concerts, drama plays, and parties. In my eyes and as an aspiring Londoner, this is a bit overwhelming sometimes: indeed, it feels like the city never sleeps. There’s always another event in the calendar, or another party to attend, which may be exhausting (not to mention not that great for your finances). Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change that for the world, but this much physical activity can take a toll on you. Hence, I am regularly looking for new ways to relax and recharge my batteries.

Undoubtedly, one of my favourite relaxing winter activities is Christmas afternoon tea.

The main reason is that it does allow you to shelter from the dropping temperatures and unwind while having a nice conversation over delicious food. In case you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you probably know how much I love a good ol’ afternoon tea. (I look at tea like Popeye looks at spinach, only without all that let’s-save-Olive mumbo jumbo. Sorry Olive but you’re kind of needy, and I have no time for this much drama, you know?) But where was I? Oh, yes, afternoon tea. Well, you get the point, don’t you?

With this said, for day two of my festive blog installment, I decided to spend a nice relaxing evening at Fait Maison. For those of you who don’t live in London, Fait Maison is a local chain of tea houses, well-known for its beautifully spiced food, fabulous patisserie, and dreamy venues.

In other words? The kind of heavenly place you will find me during a frigid mid-week December evening, sharing wonderful food with a friend. Case in point: I arranged a meetup with a new acquaintance from London and proceeded to spent a good part of a foggy (and otherwise miserable) Wednesday talking arts, London designer exhibitions, and interior design (she’s brilliant at the latest, by the way. Just check out her blog and don’t miss her bedroom renovation post, which is basically interior design goals to me!)

But back to track! Speaking of Christmas afternoon tea, I decided to dress up and channel the holiday spirit with festive forest green waterfall pleats and sparkling silver accents. The best about this outfit? Each part is a standalone statement piece and works wonderfully as separates. Win-win here!

When it comes to seasonal outfits, most people will go for a festive green and red or gold game, but I think black and silver accents give you that magical feel without being a total cliche. Also, black will enhance forest green and you can add some drama by creating volume and texture. (A light-weight petticoat did the trick this time, helping to add a bit of puff to my circle skirt.) Et voilá! A classic Christmassy outfit for afternoon tea or any other glamorous occasion!

And this is it for day two of my week of festive outfits!

Please, share your thoughts on your own seasonal traditions. Are you fond of Christmas afternoon tea?

Skirt: Chicwish / Sweater: Zara / Tights: Calzedonia

Shoes: Deichman / Bag and brooch: CHANEL

December 19, 2019December 19, 2019

Allegra Caro8 Comments

Seven Days of Christmas Outfits: Day 1 Christmas Shopping

Can I hear a hallelujah here? In London, the streets are packed with seasonal street markets, Christmas trees and fairy lights from mid-November, transforming the place into a Charles Dickens book—or into a giddy version of the Christmas spirit on steroids, depending on who you ask to. Being the festive equivalent of the cookie monster though, I can’t feel anything but pleased about the prospect of all the merry-making coming my way. November was a dull, long, rainy month so anything making the city look its best is more than welcome.

This year, I started looking at all those wonderful bloggers out there mastering Blogmas and it occurred to me that I should plan something special as well. Although I love the concept and December is one of my favourite seasons in terms of content, unfortunately, Blogmas does require the sort of time commitment I am unable to adopt right now, so I came with an alternative idea.

To celebrate, I decided to share with you a little glimpse into my holiday this year, and some inspiration in the form of an entire week of festive outfits (or Christmas-inspired outfits as I understand them, anyway).

Starting today, I will be covering every possible season occasion: from presents shopping to a soiree at the ballet, and from a glorious morning at the London Winter Wonderland market to Christmas day.

Help yourself with some eggnog and let’s get started!

On day one, Sebastian and I went out for some mandatory festive shopping. As it turned out—spoiler ahead—we didn’t even remotely finish shopping and I am quite worried it’s seven days until Christmas Eve and I still need to get a few things sorted. (Don’t judge me too hard, I am perpetually multi-tasking to get everything done in time and at this point of the year I always feel the days should have at least 36 hours if you ask me.)

But back to the topic, we needed to have a look at seasonal decor and gifts and London is nothing but the perfect place for that. In all honesty, you can’t go wrong by visiting Mayfair shops when in search of presents for your significant others. New Bond Street area is well-known for being home to some of the most luxurious boutiques around: Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, CHANEL, Hermès…—you name it. Even if you are just window-shopping, the place does deserve a visit since the festive decoration is stunning.

After paying a visit or two to our favourite shops (and adding some little recommendations for Santa to our wish lists in the process—blink, blink, Mr. Klaus, those Manolos would do no harm. I use a 39 in case you need to know, thank you!) we moved to the closest place for a coffee break in order to shelter from the cold.

London temperatures, you see, can be freezing at this time of the year, so I was grateful to be wearing a Heatech thermal top underneath my turtleneck sweater, as well as thermal tights and over the knee suede boots. Winter style can be truly challenging unless you learn to use layering and weather-appropriate fabrics to cope with extreme conditions. My absolute essentials at this time are tweed (just look how festive is this little red and white miniskirt, folks) and cashmere. I am still learning new ways to dress stylishly during the coldest months but is a fun process I am truly enjoying.

And that’s it for today! I know this post is shorter than my average article but I trust you will excuse me since there is a new post coming your way tomorrow. In between, stay merry and jolly.

Have you finished your Christmas shopping?

Sweater: Zara / Skirt: Similar here / Coat: Zara

Suede Boots: Deichman (similar at Aldo) / Bag: CHANEL

Beret: Collectiff

December 18, 2019December 13, 2019

Allegra Caro7 Comments

A Day of my Life in Pictures (blogging behind the scenes)

Back in the day, in what now feels like a hundred years ago, I used to be an active Livejournal user. For those of you who are (far) younger than me, LJ was an early blogging platform intended to be used as a personal journal. Although I didn’t post so often over there, I was still an avid content reader. My favourite community was A Day of My Life in Pictures (a.k.a. ADIML), a group whose main target was to document the daily lives of anonymous people around the world. As you were posting, let’s say, about your daily errands in a little English town, other individuals were sharing their day-to-day from Korea, Argentina, or Morocco. Cool, right?

Those were candid times when social media was not developed yet and DSLR cameras were a rare privilege, mostly used by professionals. This means photos were taken with domestic devices/phones and the edition was close to nonexistent (shocking!) Oh, the good ol’ days!

A couple of months ago, I published a mock day in a blogger’s life post which was written with a humorous tone and produced a good dose of positive reactions. The truth is that post made me feel a bit sentimental about the bold simplicity of blogging on those first early days, just for the sake of it: there was no editorial calendar, no SEO research, and of course, no content strategy—we didn’t even know about those things back then. As strange as it might sound today, we used to blog for fun. Hence, I thought that for a change I could write a new article, reflecting a random day of my new life as a Londoner. Just as I would in 2005. Don’t say I am no nostalgic…

So, here we go: this is my November 27th, 2019.

08.00 a.m. (My apartment)

I’d love to write I woke up with that Hollywood movie golden sunlight but for the sake of honesty, I’ll confess this is the gloomiest day this week so far. (Because, as we all know, if you plan a photo day, the chances are it will be the darkest morning ever. Hey, Murphy’s law! I love you too…) Given the fact I live in London now, rain and fog are on the daily menu at this time of the year which means coffee is an integral part of my morning survival strategy. I should be probably taking a photo of me, just as I wake up but c’mon, no chance that happens before coffee… There you go a photo of the bedroom views instead.

08.30 a.c. (After coffee, FYI)

Once the coffee has helped to vanish that heavy morning cloud of doom, I am ready to start my day slowly. Reaching for the phone seems unavoidable, but it is a necessary part of my early routine: while I finish my first cup, I use the time to check my email inbox, post on a few daily twitter morning threads, and schedule social media posts for the day. Once I’m done with the most basic digital errands, I relax a bit with a magazine (old school girl here) and then, I am ready for some self-care.

09.00 a.m.

After the shower is time for skincare! Since I started embracing my mid-thirties—or how I affectionately call them, the beginning of the end (I am joking. Sort of.)—I’ve been experimenting a bit with natural rose-based products (more on that coming soon). So far, my favourite is The Ordinary Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil. I apply about six drops every night after my normal evening routine and next morning my feels soft and radiant. Also, it seems to reduce my hormonal breakouts sensibly—in other words, Saint Grail.

In the mornings though, I am using Clinique Liquid Facial Soap for very dry to dry skin, applied with my Foreo Luna 2 for a deeper cleanse and exfoliation. After that, I am finishing things up with the Garnier Soothing Botanical Toner, followed by the Dramatically Different Moisturizer and (still under test) Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Creme de Jeux. Then, I wrap myself in unicorn tears infused silk and I am good to go. Oh, the times I would splash some water on my face and leave the house…

10.30 a.m.

Before getting ready, I sit to drink a second coffee and make some quick blog admin. Replying comments is my favourite part (although I probably spend far too much time thinking about what I should reply and kicking myself for not being a bit better in conversation). By the time I am finishing, I check the watch and oh my… Houston, we’ve got a problem. As usual, I misjudged the time span after breakfast and I suddenly realize I’ve got about fifteen minutes left to blow my hair, apply makeup and get dressed to leave the house. Great, right?

11.15 a.m.

Well, it looks like time elapsed again while getting ready and Sebastian is now standing at the room door, looking to his watch and frowning at me consecutively. I am ready and good to leave the house but you know what? I’ll just make use of an extra minute (or five) to take an atrocious mirror selfie. I like to live dangerously, it seems.

a-day-of-my-life-outfit — The only “outfit of the day” picture I can show you right now. Take a second to appreciate my moody expression. Very festive, indeed.

12.30 p.m. (The Royal Arcade, Old Bond Street)

After a stressful tube ride, one line exchange, and what it feels like a hundred years, we finally arrive at the location selected for today’s photoshoot. Of course, our friend Murphy comes to the rescue again: since we are shooting at The Royal Arcade, the second we reach the place it starts pouring and waves of people shelter in, which leaves us with an interesting decision to make:

A) Wait for the rain to eventually stop, so we get some privacy while we work (at greater risk of missing the scarce daylight we’ve got to work with)

B) Acting plainly stupid and trying to work with a crowd looking at us

So yeah… we went straight for the latter. I mean, obviously. We love to feel super-weird while we work, after all.

13.30 p.m.

After one hour of hard work in which we had the privilege to feel like freak circus locals (thank you very much to that group of about ten tourists who thought it was totally OK to take random photos of us with their phones while we were working…), we packed our stuff for good and moved on. I’d like to say the effort was worth it, but the pictures we managed to take on those conditions are not that great—I predict a long editing session coming my way—so, can I hear a hallelujah here?

We left the place and stopped at the closest Café Concerto to eat something light. I totally failed at taking a neat picture of my sandwich but I was far too hungry and upset. Am I nailing this post or what?

15.00 p.m. (Fait Maison, Gloucester Road)

After lunch, I say goodbye to Sebastian, who has got a late professional appointment, and I take the underground to Gloucester Road. Today, I am meeting the adorable Tatiana Bellator for afternoon tea. We are visiting Fait Maison, a charming tea salon decorated with flowers and fairy lights, which thankfully sweeps my bad mood in about a minute. By the time she arrives, I have got a delicious Moroccan mint tea, dates and scones in front of me and life is good again.

19.00 p.m. (My apartment again)

Once we leave Fait Maison, I take the tube back home. By the time I arrive home, it’s pitch dark and I am feeling a bit sleepy due to all the delicious food. Hence, I make myself another cup of coffee and start drafting this post but I feel far too tired to finish it. In the end, I switch off the laptop and get myself comfy on the couch. It looks like I am going to have an early Netflix session.

20.00 p.m.

Sebastian gets home just as I am finishing a fascinating documentary about Highclere Castle (a.k.a. Downton Abbey). Unfortunately, it’s now too late for him to perform any damage control since I’ve already redefined my living standards, so:

We need at least one butler, two maids and one chef (I will pass without the so-called deer-killer for now because… you know? Creepy.)
I am searching online for fancy tiaras, preferably with pink diamonds
How do I get my own castle? Does anyone know? Asking for a friend…

09.00 p.m.

By the time we sit down for dinner, I am not over the fact no butler is serving us (#sounfair), although it’s probably for the better. As Sebastian kindly remarks, I can be socially awkward in the presence of strangers and an army of servants would not help. Well, I might have no faithful Carson to serve dinner today, but I have pasta on my plate and that can only be a good thing.

10.30 p.m.

I went to bed with the firm intention of catching up with my read but it looks like I fell asleep at some point. I think I should call it an early night. I have written 1500 words by now and most likely nobody will be reading this, anyway. But if you are: first, you’re a hero and second, thank you for reading about this crazy fashionista daily shenanigans.

And this was my Wednesday, 27th of November 2019.

How was your day?

December 2, 2019December 2, 2019

Allegra Caro26 Comments

I am not adopting a capsule wardrobe and this is why you shouldn’t either

This blog was born with a single core value: to be honest with my readers at all times.

As you may or may not have noticed, that’s why the site’s motto is The Honest Fashionista Diaries, why I chose to publish this as my first post ever, and why there is an entire category called The Honest Fashionista Series. Openness is important to me and that (plus a pinch of humour) cannot harm the Blogosphere.

With that said, I believe there is a big difference between being sincere and blatantly regurgitating my unsolicited opinions at the earliest opportunity. After all, we have the right to hold off-record thoughts which we’d better keep for ourselves. As my grandmother taught me when I was very young: if you have nothing pleasant to say, it is better to say nothing. In other words, you don’t need to fight every battle or give your opinion about every topic on earth.

By nature, I am a peacemaker—one of my sisters refers to me as the O.N.U. family negotiator which never fails to make everyone laugh—and I try to avoid conflict when I see no good can be done. Summing up, I might be honest but I also know when to shut my mouth.

When the capsule wardrobe philosophy became a trend, I patiently read as many articles and blog posts as I could to have an informed opinion on the subject. What I found out though, didn’t resonate with me at any level, so I took a step back and kept my opinion to myself. Usually, this would be the end of the story—and it was for a couple of years—but a few weeks ago, I received an unnerving message via Instagram. The person who sent it was reacting to one of my outfit photos and felt the need to rave about how terrible I was as a person for posting pictures of me wearing my clothes, and what an awful example I was for every young impressionable person out there. People like me were, in her own words, a total disgrace and I should be ashamed for not promoting capsule wardrobes and sustainable fashion.

You can believe me when I say my first reaction was nothing but confusion. Mainly because:

A. My Instagram is a small account that (luckily) receives zero hate.

B. I don’t consider my content to be exclusively focused on outfits.

C. You can easily see I wear my clothes more than once and I am very far from a serial shopper.

Once the original feeling of astonishment left me, it was replaced by disbelief and finally, an increasing outrage. However, I blocked the person and forget about the whole thing as soon as possible. Three days ago though, I received a new DM via Instagram which contained almost the same message, sent from a sister account. Again, she seemed disgusted by the fact I kept posting my “non-sustainable” outfits and NOT EMBRACING THE CAPSULE WARDROBE TREND.

If that person would have spent a single moment to visit this blog by clicking in the link on the bio, she’d have probably learned a thing or two about my style perception and the sustainability topic.

For starts, the main reason why I’ve never written about the capsule wardrobe philosophy before is that, from my point of view, it suffers from some serious inconsistency on its base principles. The main target is reducing waste and using the whole contents of your wardrobe, which can only be a positive thing per se. However, reducing to thirty-three pieces your existing closet makes no sense from a logistic perspective.

First, the continuous rotation of the same pieces will inevitably damage even the best-quality pieces, leaving you with the urgent need to replace them at the end of the season at the latest. Potentially, this means money and waste. Second, thirty-three pieces may help you to survive for a season if the given items are high-quality but you will need to add a new set when the season changes and pack away (or dispose of) the used stuff. This means buying four new capsule wardrobes a year which depending on your budget and previous shopping habits might not be that good all things considered.

After second thoughts, there is yet another aspect holding me back: the deep existent association between capsule wardrobes and uniformity. One of the main ideas, you see, it to achieve a very defined style, with all the pieces working together. Pretty much, like a uniform.

One of the things you don’t know about me is that I studied at a religious private school for a couple of years. I could write an interesting (and probably juicy) list of the lessons I learned over there but the main and most important one was uniformity is rarely a good thing. When you make people wearing the same neutral colours every day, looking alike, there is a certain point in which they start thinking and acting alike. And I have read enough dystopian fiction to be afraid of any form of hive mind (thank you very much for the nightmares, Mrs. Atwood).

To me, fashion is all about individual expression and I think that’s something wonderful.

So, am I openly admitting I don’t give a s@#€ about sustainability? As a matter of fact, nothing is further of the truth. Adopting a capsule wardrobe is not the only way you can contribute to a sustainable lifestyle. Instead, I prefer to explore other paths including but not limited to:

Taking good care of your existing pieces, so their lifespan is extended
Cutting down on your shopping habits and getting only the things you love
Choosing clothes that are better quality and more durable
Shopping second hand or vintage
Supporting ethical brands of your choice

These might not look like life-changing rules but once you have been practicing for a while, you will realize they are. I have been shopping vintage, second hand and being more selective with my shopping habits for a while now (I think about five years and counting) and in the long run, you feel nothing but satisfaction and relief. Satisfaction because you love everything on your wardrobe. Relief because you can walk outside a shop with empty hands and feel good about it, anyway.

So, the next time anyone feels tempted to judge me for posting outfit photos online, please make me a favour and just unfollow…

November 21, 2019November 20, 2019

Allegra Caro48 Comments

Reasons to love Autumn (even in the Instagram age)

Last Sunday, I convinced Sebastian to go for yet another autumnal walk at Regent’s Park.

Given the fact that it’s November now, you might think it’s not earth-shattering precisely (and that I must be a bit bored to make a weekly highlight from this), but the keyword here is YET. At least, that’s what he underlined when I asked him to spend the day outdoors on Sunday morning. “Are we going out for YET another autumn walk?”, he muttered rolling his eyes. No need to say that I did the only sensible thing—I ignored his comment and cheerfully proceeded to unpack my new tweed Zara coat, wrapping myself for that ignominious walk. (And totally feeling like a winner by getting all those #blairwaldorfvibes. Thanks Zara. We have had our differences but you really amended things with this beauty.) But back to the topic…

I don’t blame him, though. As a matter of fact, I totally see his point.

In case you have been a social media user for some time now, you might have experienced a certain Déjà vu just before the summer death: you are still wearing sandals while enjoying the last few days of your vacation but suddenly, your Instagram feed is full of girls enjoying their first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. Temperatures are still over 30°C and scarves look like medieval torture instruments, but the Fall obsession is real. Every TV ad, internet pop-up, and tweet is solely focused on this.

By the time October arrives, you are bored of Autumn style—all the dull knitwear, tedious ochre and brownish tones, and Hypster hats. To sum up: you are sick and tired, praying for December to come so it’s over. Rest assured, you are not alone.

Disclaimer: The next confession might make you leave this blog and never come back, screaming in horror. Even so, I’m going to roll the dice and tell you my darkest secret. Ready? (Hitchcock music coming in three, two, one…)

Against all odds, I love autumn.

Horrific, right? I live in fear my family will find out, proceeding to disinherit me at once. Probably, after posting this, a raging mob will raid my apartment at midnight, armed with pitchforks and torchlights.

I know what you are thinking: “Allegra, dear. You started the post quite reasonably. And now you come up with this?” Well, I could apologize and blame all those films glorifying the autumnal season in New England. But instead, I prefer to tell you why despite all I wrote before, Autumn is still my favourite season (and yes, that’s a total cliché).

Reasons to love Fall

(even in the Instagram age)

01. Autumn Picnics

Everyone enjoys going for a picnic in July, right? Well, here goes my second confession today: I HATE it. Not only do I get sunburns easily and hate mosquitoes with a passion (I consider them to be my personal nemesis), but also my thermoregulation is close to non-existent. In Autumn, on the other hand, you can sit on a blanket under a tree with your thermos flask full of tea and a book, enjoying the landscape.

02. Outdoors Cinemas

I am rather peculiar about this too. I promise I am good person, though.

For most people, Summer is the outdoors season but very recently, I’ve enrolled an outdoors cinema where movies are shown from March to November. As a result, I’ve watched some of my favourite films in a garden, with a cozy blanket over my knees and a cup of tea in my hands. And let me tell you—there is something undeniably poetic in listening the words “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again” by an autumnal bonfire.

03. Fashion

And I am not referring to earthy colours and knitwear only. September is the date time for New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. Pinterest blooms with thousands of seasonal pins, and the new season collections are finally out. Besides, you can use black monochrome outfits and darker lipstick again with zero judgement from other people (welcome home Rouge Noir! We missed you so much).

04. Netflix pre-Halloween marathons

Many people might have their say about admitting this on a style blog, and it won’t make me look like the most sophisticated person ever but to be fair, I don’t consider myself very chic. So who cares, really? I LOVE horror movies and to me, October is the perfect time to plan endless home evenings, catching up with AHS or any of your favourite horror classics in Netflix. Yes, I just broke the fashion bloggers rule by saying that. Don’t worry, I will return my badge to the fashion police…

05. Landscapes

I left my favourite part for the end, as I usually do. Please, if you can, take the chance to have a walk after work, or maybe just go in the weekend. Enjoy every single seasonal colour. There’s something about all those red, gold and rust tones that deserves to be contemplated once a year.

In the Instagram age, seasonal clichés have certainly doubled and at some point, we have all gone a bit extra with the number of seasonal pictures we over-share with our friends and family. However, our personal preferences and tastes (whether we’re speaking about autumn walks, that very-much-hyped beauty brand, or photos of cute kitties) should be respected at all times. At the end of the day, they are a part of our identity too.

Coat: Zara / Blouse: Zara (last season, similar here) / Headband: Zara

Bag: Metamorphose (vintage piece, similar style at Dune)

Skirt: H&M (sold out, alternative at & Other Stories)

Boots: Deichmann (alternative at Aldo)

November 14, 2019November 15, 2019

Allegra Caro25 Comments

The Knitwear Edit: Why we all need statement jumpers this season

Certainly, not me! I’ve always thought it’s funny how people find fall fashion a bit depressing, really. They see it as the beginning of a long soulless season when style must be sacrificed in favour of the weather demands. Goodbye sundresses, hello old coats. As for me? Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a matter of fact, I find dressing in summer challenging: yes, you have all those beautiful light dresses but depending on the hot temperatures (and remember that I am Spanish, so I know a thing or two about that) any outfit easily ends up on a sweaty mess. Chic, right? I have lost track of the times my perfectly planned summertime outfit had to be replaced by some random natural cotton dress which would allow me to breathe and not to bake in my clothes…

Cooler weather, on the other hand, leaves some room for creativity. There is that awesome trench coat you love so much and the occasional playful pattern; there is the softness of velvet and the statement coat you can’t live without.

But knitwear is what really makes me squeal of delight.

The second October hits and the weather chills a bit, I devote myself to the sacred mission of unpacking the jumpers: all that gorgeous cashmere, angora and chunky wool sadly packed away during the warmest months. Also, it’s time for my yearly wishlist!

Two days ago, Sebastian frowned at the sight of my (always expanding) knitwear pile but said nothing. Then, he found me sitting in front of the laptop, happily adding about 40 sweaters to my shopping cart. “Just to be clear”, he stated with a concerned tone, “you’re not shopping ALL of that, are you?” I simply looked at him, Regan McNeal style bloodshot eyes, and gave him a quick yet unconvincing “Just researching for the blog” reply, which seems to be my personal motto these days. Actually, I repeat “Just researching for the blog” (or J.R.F.T.B. from now on, if you please) so much, I am afraid they will use that as my epitaph… But I digress here.

The whole point is, knitwear can be not only a sartorial need but also FUN.

Everyone from couture designers to high-street brands seem to agree since this season is full of statement pieces. Forget about your neutral colour old-school jumper: Autumn and Winter will be dominated by jewel tones, rhinestones, lace, textures and more!

But do we really require statement sweaters this season? In my humble opinion? We do. Maybe, one of the reasons why most people loathe autumn fashion is its apparent monotony—its hardly arguable tedium. Maybe, all we need is introducing a stroke of colour, an unexpected twist.

Since I truly believe fashion—above all the things—should be fun, I am sharing some of my favourite seasonal knitwear today. All the statement styles and all the budgets. No matter if you are a Chloé fan or a New Look lady: I have you covered.

The Knitwear Edit

Jewel tones opulence

Zara Christopher Kane Gabriela Hearst

I tried to convince myself that I was looking at these three beauties as a part of the J.R.F.T.B. process but let’s be honest: we all know they will end up in my closet sooner or later. I mean, rich colours, rhinestones, and velvet? Who could resist that? Surely, not this girl! I guess I will have to figure out a way of smuggling these into my house while dodging the attentive surveillance of Sebastian (a.k.a. Hercule Poirot). I should start watching Peaky Blinders to get some fresh ideas…

Feminine neutrals

New Look Zara McQueen

This Fall, neutrals are not boring anymore. Just look at these astonishing specimens. Sometimes, the use of simple elements such as an interesting neckline, some cute ribbons or a frilly cuff can make all the difference between plain and stunning. Personally, I rarely go for neutrals when it comes to knitwear but this year may be the exception. Both the New Look and McQueen pieces can be easily added to your professional wardrobe with zero effort: try pairing them with some nice tailored trousers or a nice statement skirt. Plus, they are classics so they will add value to your collection in the long-term too.

Embellished beauty

Dolce & Gabbana Self-Portrait Red Valentino

I have left my favourite sweaters at the end of this post. What can I say? They are nothing but pure perfection. I love every single detail in them: from the amazing silk flowers to the bell-shaped sleeves. And although I know their price tag may look a bit intimidating, I firmly believe the number of times you will wear something made with high-quality materials will balance the cost-per-wear. Sometimes, it’s not only about the design but also about the piece’s lifespan.

This is all for today’s post. As for now, I will add a few more striking pieces to my shopping chart (feel free to send me any links you consider relevant).

After all, I am just researching for the blog, right?

Jumper: Stradivarius (last season, similar here) / Shorts: Old Zara (New version)

Bag: Michael Kors / Tights: Calzedonia

Boots: Deichmann / Scarf: Natura (similar at Burberry)

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019

Allegra Caro20 Comments

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.