Saturday 20 August 2011

coat for winter analysis

yes, i know, it's summer, but ever one to be prepared, i have my winter coat now! (hurrah!)

i was shopping in miss selfridge for a few extra holiday dresses, when i came across this delightful piece-



despite the army-green look on this photo, my new coat is in fact BLACK. fitting at around knee level, this is a coat that will look very elegant in the snowy months with black tights and heels. i love the collar of this coat, and with it being faux-fur, i am even happier knowing i'm not wearing a dead fox of some variety! i find the fabric of this coat absolutely perfect, as it is cosy, and warm, and can be worn both open and closed for an equally stunning look. also, the fit of this coat is brilliant, because my size 8 version of the coat is wonderful for bringing in the waist and emphasising the hips, YES HOUR GLASS!
(ps, hour glass is definitely the new 'in' figure.)
at £85.00, i would say the value of this coat is very good, as you would EASILY pay more for it in different shops! besides, it's a winter coat; you need three at the most, so it's definitely worth spending that little bit extra on such a lovely coat!
Well done Miss Selfridge!

film/book: the devil wears prada

the devil wears prada! WHAT a film!
a few months ago, my best friend lent me the book, forcing me to read it and going on about how amazing it was. at first, i was slightly dubious as to its content, believing that it would be some unrealistic love story about an evil girl wearing expensive stuff. however, it is the most realistic and insightful story of the most sought-after job in the world, so kudos to my best friend for giving it to me!

reading the book at the dinner table, my mum came in and asked me, if i had seen the film. THERE'S A FILM?! oh my word, it gets better! answering no, i vowed i would find the film, and watch it until i could recite it backwards (it really is the kind of film you want to do that with)!

so, on a trip to town with two lovely friends of mine, we visited HMV, and i rushed to the film section, searching desperately for the devil wears prada. at £4 from new, i was elated with my find, and i arrived home excited to watch my new film.

i watched the film, and found sections funny, upsetting, and plain gob-smacking!

in case you've never read the book, or watched the film, it's basically a film about your normal girl working in a fashion industry. it's enlightening, as to what goes on under the magazine cover; how everything is done in time, how the models are so thin, and why they are never as down to earth as they seem.

for anyone planning on working in the fashion industry (actually, anyone at all) this is a must watch/read.

i promise you, this will not disappoint!

Tuesday 16 August 2011

lyrical meaning

i don't know if it's just me here, but i find that these days, lyrics are becoming less and less meaningful, so here are two songs, which i believe still have lyrics that make sense, rather than the usual love-he-doesn't-love-me-back generic 'lyrics'.

1- there is a light that never goes out- the smiths
this song is about a man, who appears to have been turned out of his home by his roommates ('oh please don't drop me home, because it's not my home it's their home and i'm welcome no more.') and he has managed to get on a night out with the girl he loves. they are driving in her car, and he feels like he suddenly has the chance to ask her, possibly for a kiss, another date, or her hand in marriage, who knows? however, he gets gripped by fear, and doesn't ask. he sings about if they were to die in the car, he would die a happy man, because he would be dying next to the love of his life, little does she know it ('to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die.') finally, i think the outro is meaningful, the repeating singing of 'there is a light, and it never goes out'.  i think the 'light' is either a metaphor for hope, saying that there is always hope that they will get together, or a metaphor for his love for her, that it will never be turned out. either way, brilliant song, good old The Smiths!


2- a lady of a certain age- divine comedy
in my opinion, the best song of all time! this is a song about a woman, who is getting older, but is in denial about becoming an old lady. she has had a very well-off lifestyle (from london to new york, cap ferrat to capri, in perfume by chanel and clothes by givanchy) , due to her parents and her husbands wellbeing, not her own ('you had to marry someone very very rich, so that you might be kept, in the style to which, you had all of your life, been accustomed to, but that the socialists had taxed away from you')
the lyrics tell us about how the lady had a rich husband, a son and a daughter. her husband is now dead, and left everything to his mistress in marseille. her son works away, and only visits her very briefly. her daughter ran away with a man that was not approved of, and is never heard of these days. so this aging lady is all alone. the heartbreaking part of this song is the chorus, i will analyse it here-
'you chased the sun around the cote d'azur, (she spent her days, being loved and doing what she wanted, seemingly in France, as it is the cote d'azur)

until the light of youth become obscure
and left you on your own and in the shade (one day, she realises, she's not the youth anymore. everything is new, and strange.)

an english lady, of a certain age   (an old english lady, nothing special except for her past of riches)

and if a nice young man would buy you a drink
you'd say with a conspiritorial wink
you wouldn't think that i was,*age inserted*
and he'd say, no, you couldn't be!'     (this section of the chorus is the tear jerker; each time we get to the section 'you wouldn't think that i was...', the lady thinks she is younger. the first chorus reads 'you wouldn't think that i was seventy', and then the next, sixty three, and the next, fifty three. when she hopes people don't believe she is seventy, they really think, no, she's probably a little younger, and agree with her. when she hopes people believe she is younger than sixty three, they guess that probably is her age, but agree that she looks younger so as not to hurt her feelings. by the time she hopes she can get away with being fifty three or less, the nice young man agrees with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humour; of course he wouldn't think she was fifty-three, she's obviously older. so while this lady thinks she is getting younger, and that this nice young man is taking her seriously, really, he's having a laugh at her expense, as all she is now, is an expendable old english lady.)

all she is, is a lady of a certain age.


review to read

a quick book review here, about a book that i recently read.

paper towns, by john green.

the back of the book reads-

printz- award-winning author of LOOKING FOR ALASKA
WHO IS THE REAL MARGO?
quentin jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificent, adventurous margo roth spiegelman from afar. so when she opens his bedroom window late one night and summons him to join her on an ingenious campaign of revenge- he follows.

after their all nighter ends and a new day breaks, q arrives at school to find that margo has not. always an enigma, she now becomes a mystery and q soon learns that there are clues to be followed in his search for margo.

'not only clever and wonderfully witty but also deeply thoughtful and insightful' BOOKLIST.



MY REVIEW- i thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the lessons available to learn, such as how unimportant popularity is; proved in the social status gap between margo and q. q shows some amazing loyalty towards margo in the end of the book, and that's what we like to see in good friends! a good read, and an exciting page turner!Paper Towns by John Green

holiday song

if there's one song that reminds me of the holiday i have just returned from, then it would have to be 'because of toledo', by The Blue Nile. most likely, it's because i went to toledo.



 before the holiday, i had never listened to The Blue Nile, but i have now discovered that it is the most beautiful type of easy listening; the gentle acoustics against a soothing voice, belonging to Paul Buchanan. the song 'because of toledo' has some meaningful lyrics on reflection, which i will analyse here for you, what i think the song means, and how the lyrics portray themselves to me: (italics=analysis)

Because of Toledo,
I got sober, and I stayed clean.
the man feels toledo has sorted out his life.
The pick ups in wild prairies
The shadows dancing in between
its a beautiful place, of tranquility
Girl leans on a jukebox
in a pair of old blue jeans
Says i live here
but i don't really live anywhere
a poor girl, feeling she doesn't fit in, wherever she goes. she is possibly homeless.
Because of toledo,
tuesday it's raining
blandness.
and i'm pulling on my shoes
i guess i quit believing in
early morning news
maybe nothing really is what it seems.
there's a boy orders coffee
and he settles down to think
'bout the woman that you love sometimes
is the water that you drink
you seen to only love her sometimes, but truthfully, she means everything to you.
and another faded waitress dressed in pink
they're all the same around here.
cries for toledo
lipstick and the cocaine traces
coming off drugs, and trying to be beautiful
one face in a thousand faces
stumble through
so many places
you're only one person, no matter where you go
because of toledo
(yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah)
because of toledo,
the highway looks so thin
now everything is plain, compared with toledo, nothing is as beautiful. he has begun travelling.
see another motel sign
think of pulling in
going somewhere to think, where to go? this travelling is no use.
write your name upon the mirror, there
the only secret that i know
but i guess that i'd be chasing rainbows
you're so special, but really he knows, he'll never be up to your standards, so it's pointless anyway.
back to toledo, i think i'll go
let's just go back to toledo, where i'm of any use.



a beautiful song, do you not agree?


Monday 30 May 2011

geek the girl

Mustard Hooded Metal Clasp Coat






yellow coat 75 GBP, topshop
orange jumper 34.99 GBP, river island
tan satchel 113 GBP, cambridge satchel
tartan skirt 37 GBP, american apparel
block socks 6 GBP, urban outfitters
JAKE mocassin 32 GBP, miss selfridge



love fragaria, xxxxx

Saturday 30 April 2011

fragrances

let's face it, everyone likes it when people smell nice. you like people when they smell nice. people like you if you smell nice, which is why it is important to wear the best perfumes availible! i'll blog here about my favourites, because i think most people know, i'm quite in to perfumes and sprays, so this post could go on a while!
So Hooked On Carmella, by benefit.
this perfume is so gorgeous; i wear it most days now.
it's quite strong, but it smells musky, sweet,
and it smells of spiced vanilla.
fragaria: 9/10.

wildbloom, by banana republic
this is a lovely light and girlish
perfume, which you can tell by the bottle!
it draws you in, and in this sense is slightly
overpowering, but in all other ways, its floral
scent is lovely!
fragaria: 8/10.

princess, by vera wang.
this perfume is sweet and girly, but it isn't
too overpowering, yet it lasts a long time.
it smells of vanilla and marshmallows, a lovely
soft combination.
fragaria: 10/10
be delicious, by dkny
ah, the fresh and sharp be delicious! i love this
perfume for its crisp apply finish, not like any
other perfume! it's long lasting and doesn't overpower
you, so i think this is an ideal perfume. however, it's
freshness means that it is not best suited to nights out!
fragaria: 9/10








love fragaria,xxxxx

Saturday 23 April 2011

besos xxxx

as the weather starts to get warm and dry, your lips will become more chapped, so it's important to get a lip gloss that as well as protects your lips, has a gorgeous colour and flavour to it! i personally own a ridiculous amount of lip glosses, so it should be easy for me to find some of the better ones, and blog them here
<>
natural collection in FONDANT

mor in MARSHMALLOW


benefit in ALMOST FAMOUS:COPPER PENNY

philosophy in MELON DAIQUIRI

lancome in PAMPLEMOUSSE






love fragaria,xxxx

nailed it

it goes without saying to me, but you can't complete an outfit without the right hairstyle, makeup, accessories and nail polish, and it has just occured to me that i very rarely mention nail polish in my posts, so here are a few of my favourites to wear in the current bright warm days, along your pastelled outfits
MALIBU GREEN, american apparel.
COTTON CANDY, revlon.

CORAL REEF, models own.
STRAWBERRY ICECREAM, barry m.



all of these nail polishes are good quality, long lasting, and as you can see in the photos, lovely colours!
love fragaria, xxx

easter day

with easter being tomorrow, i guess i should make a post about some stylish ways to celebrate easter! i think easter oufits tend to look girlish and elegant, but that's just my opinion! however, with the weather being currently warm and rather humid where i live i think it's best to go with girly dresses anyway

easter is best matched up with springy pastel colours, and you can buy dresses in a great variety of these colours. you can also buy so many accessories to go well with easter, so i will make a mix and match post on some good easter outfits for you!


dresses-

DRESS 1.
Scripps Pier in Green, 36.00GBP hollister.

DRESS 3.
floral pinafore, 28.99GBP new look.


























DRESS 2.
Pansy print dress, 19.99GBP republic.






shoes-



ecote shoe, 48.00GBP urban outfitters.

<>
floral laceup, 21.00GBP schuh. 




VILLETTE pumps, 20.00GBP topshop.














love fragaria, happy easter!,xxxxxxxxxxx












Friday 15 April 2011

the moccasin shoe

beautifully styled, comfortable, and wonderfully summery, there's nothing to not love about the glorious moccasin shoe!

they're availible in pretty much every clothing shop right now, and considering they're going to be a height of mode in summer, you're probably best buying a pair or two now, as they will match everything you will want to wear in the summer months, and will be a perfect pair of shoes to take on holiday with you if you are going somewhere hot!


Blue Ballerina moccasin
35.00GBP, next






<>
MOSES tan moccasin
32.00GBP, topshop



amywinehouse moccasin
52.00GBP, fred perry



espadrille moccasin
15.00GBP, schuh



bow moccasin
17.99GBP new look




love fragaria,xxxxx


chinos!

hey again! sorry i haven't posted for so long, but i'll make up for it, and post lots for you now, starting with the lovely new craze, chinos!

when i first saw people in chinos, and photos of them, and them on hangers in shop windows, i just thought, 'they're hideous;who would wear them?!' but, now, having seen them in lots of different ways, i've decided that actually, i really like them!

something that i admire about chinos, is that they can be worn to create lots of different looks. they can go with khaki and vests to create a military look, shirts to give the smart impression, and even cardies or pullovers for the prep style! so, i'll post some photos of different chino types, and ideal outfits...

this is a photo of reese witherspoon, wearing her chinos
with a casual cardie and flip flops, showing the casual style to the
chino trousers! i don't know where reese bought her
chinos, but there are some just like it in your usual
high street shops!
this photo of a pair of chinos clearly doesn't
show the whole outfit, but this should show how
lenient the wearing of chinos should be! these
particular chinos, are camel, 36.00GBP
at miss selfridge
i'm not sure if these trousers completely pass as chinos, but they will have to do!
teamed up with an oversized blazer, heels, and white vest, these chinos make up a really
stylish look, which could be worn into town, to look very fashionable!
zara, 49.99GBP





these chinos, 24.99GBP are khaki from h&m, and
worn under this varsity baseball jacket, and with
flat pumps, they can give the sporty look.



love fragaria, xxx




















Friday 11 March 2011

A collection of must-watch films for a friday night...

as much as this is ideally a fashion blog, i think everyone loves some films every now and again, so, go and get these films in, because they are actually the best!


(500) days of summer
i love this film soooo much, i only first saw it relatively recently, but it's wonderful! it also has a brilliant sort of 'moral' to it, but i won't say what it is, because i'm not entirely sure how obvious it is, or whether i've just over-analysed it! anyhow, it's a lovely film, but there are sad parts too...
i'll give it a quick summary-
summer (Zooey deschanel), has come to the attention of tom (Joseph gordon-levitt). however, whilst tom has been dreaming of finding his 'one true love', summer has never believed in the sort. the pair then go on to have a pendulum relationship, going between rowing, and a loving couple. one night, summer invites tom to her balcony party, but the result could not be expected! this causes a split in the couple, and tom finds it hard to move on. when he does move on, however, a moral is revealed...okay, i'll tell you it...

true love- how true is it? say for instance, you could be sitting right next to your true love right now and not know it, they could be a random passer-by. and what's the chances of you meeting them? what would happen if you turned up to your true love first meeting place half an hour later, and they had left? would you meet them again, and call it fate, or is that really it? you just never know.
anyway, enough pyscological stuff, on to the next film!



Little miss sunshine
;aw, you just can't help but loooove this film; it has so many storylines going on, and they are just all so loveable! i've watched this film so many times that i think i could act it out now, which is probably not a good sign! this film is happy, in a fun and cheeky way, a great film to watch!
olive, (abigail breslin) is practising for her dance competition/beauty pageant. she's not the perfect skinny pretty girl, but she has a dream, and she certainly puts in the effort! brother dwayne (paul dano) is undergoing a vow of silence, in order to go to flight school. uncle frank (steve carrel) is a gay scholar currently living with them folloing his failed suicide. dad, richard (greg kinnear) is failing to sell his motivation scheme, and the family are falling apart financially due to it. he's doing the work, but people are not interesting. grandad edwin (alan arkin) is a foul mouthed and foul minded man with a good heart (and a drug addiction), and has taken it upon himself to coach olive for her pageant. so, all in all, this slightly disfunctional family set off on a road trip in a broken van to allow olive to partake in her dream; the pageant. inevitably, there are some shocking results,which have sad, and hilarious outcomes! i can't say any more without giving it all away, but this film is definitely worth watching!




everybody's fine
this film is the saddest film i've ever seen, but it certainly will teach you a lesson; DON'T LIE.
a widowed man, frank, (robert de niro) is getting lonely. he has four children, who as far as he knows, are all living successful lives in different countries, but sadly, he hasn't seen much of them lately. so frank plans a party, buys expensive food and wine, and gets the house ready, but one by one, each of the children cancel on his party. determined to see his children, frank sets off on a cross country journey to visit them, despite his heart health meaning that he shouldn't. he firstly heads off to visit david (austin lysy) in new york. frank waits on davids doorstep for the whole night,but david isn't in, and doesn't return home. assuming he is on a holiday, frank goes to visit amy (kate beckinsale) in chicago, who lives in a very smart house with her children, and her 'husband'. she quickly moves frank on to her brother, robert(sam rockwell), in denver. in franks eyes, robert lives a successful life as a musical conductor. however, robert's orchestra are set off to europe, so frank is moved onto his fourth child, rosie (drew barrymore) who lives a trendy life as an actress. that night, she is babysitting for a friend's child, and so frank is once again moved on. a part of this film that i found particularly upsetting was that when frank was talking to his children, he saw them as 'children', the way they would have looked twenty or so years ago. anyhow, feeling uncomfortable with his children not appreciating his presence, frank flies home, only to suffer a heart attack during turbulence on the plane.
the children all come to visit, and let the truth slip (i won't let it slip, though). after finding out the truth, frank feels slightly more optimistic about his children's lives, and the film has a happy ending, as the family eat around a christmas meal table, and frank speaks to his late wife's grave about their children's lives.


SERIOUSLY. watch these films.
love fragaria,xxx

Saturday 5 March 2011

love&toast

a beautiful range of scented products;arraying from lip balms, to perfumes, to hand creams and more. 
the company is run by margot elena, and it is cool, quirky, fun, and beautifully fragrant!

there are three main collections, the salt'n'sea, clementine crush, and dew blossom


i love all of their perfumes, which there is a great range of!
-gin blossom-honey coconut-mandarin tea-paper flower-pomme poivre-sugar grapefruit


my overall favourite product, however, is vanilla chai lip balm, it's delicious, despite the fact that you aren't supposed to eat lip balms!

http://www.loveandtoast.com/

broderie anglaise

this season, broderie anglaise is getting very stylish, and so i have put together a post of some lovely items from this look. broderie anglaise is technically a type of embroidery, but it has recently been used as a term to describe gentle and feminine yet minimal white garments.






river island £29.99




















this dress might look a little plain, but the broderie anglaise look can be best worn if there is only one part broderie anglaise per outfit, for instance, this dress would look best worn with a plain bag, such as this beautiful small satchel


































Woven Tuck Lock Satchel
urban outfitters £46