The Cowgirl Goes to Town

Snake print booties: ZARA
Leggings: WOLFORD
Frayed handbag: IMPERIAL FASHION
Golden cardigan: LIU JO
Wool and fur poncho: PINKO (some seasons ago)
Fedora: STYLIGION (last season)

Photo by MG

As in my previous post, fringing, ponchos, brown leathers, cowboy booties... are very trendy. This weekend I had fun trying a new cowgirl-goes-to-town outfit, mixing Wild West details with some little more sophisticated/urban vibes.  So, I mixed some items I already had, like the wool and fur poncho and the large fedora, with my recent Zara booties, that I already showed you, and a brand new frayed bag by Imperial Fashion, relatively inexpensive* but very cute (I like a lot the visual effect of the fringes flowing around my hips as long as I'm moving).

Come vi ho raccontato nel mio post precedente, lo stile western con le sue frange, ponchos, pelle color cuoio, stivaletti da cowboy... e' uno dei trend più  attuali della stagione. Questo weekend mi sono divertita a provare un nuovo look, sempre in stile "Western", ma in chiave più "cittadina", come piace a me. Per farlo ho combinato dei pezzi che già avevo (un poncho in lana e pelliccia e un cappello a tesa larga) con i miei nuovi stivaletti di Zara, che vi avevo mostrato, e una nuova borsa con le frange che ho trovato da Imperial Fashion, poco costosa**, ma molto carina secondo me (mi piace molto l'effetto delle frange che fluttuano seguendo i miei fianchi, mentre cammino).

Thanks for visiting my blog./ Grazie per aver visitato il mio blog. 

* All the items you can see on this blog belong to my personal closet, they are not some advertising merchandise offered by Fashion brands, unless otherwise stated. So, in particular for bags and shoes, I generally prefer to invest in some statement/more expensive items in more classic styles, that can stand the test of time, and go for cheaper options for more fashionable items.

** Tutti i pezzi che indosso nel mio blog appartengono al mio guardaroba personale, non sono offerti gratuitamente dalle case di moda a fini di marketing, se non espressamente dichiarato. Per questo motivo, cerco di trovare un equilibrio tra il mio desiderio di esplorare i nuovi trend che mi piacciono e la relativa spesa. In particolare per borse e scarpe, mi piace investire in qualche pezzo classico, anche costoso, ma da poter usare per più di una stagione, e scegliere invece dei pezzi meno costosi per seguire le mode del momento.

XOXO/ Baci

Spikey V.

Let's Sparkle...

Rock version - Photo by MG

Chic version - Photo by YLS

Golden pumps: ZARA - other designers' option here or here.
Zip Tights: WOLFORD
Faux-leather skinnies: MANGO (last season)

The Holiday Season is approaching and golden pumps can be a great accessory to sparkle in your Christmas and New Year parties. Actually they can be a more versatile item in your closet, than just shoes for parties: you can sport them with more casual outfits to add some extra glam to your day look, matching them for instance with jeans or some leather/faux leather skinnies, as in my picture above.

I went for a budget version by Zara, pretty inexpensive but cool. If you like this style you can also go for some gold killer heels by luxury designers, even more sophisticated (and pricey).

Thanks for visiting my blog.

XOXO

Spikey V.

The Cowgirl Chic Trend

Leather print booties: ZARA
Jeans skinny: SEXY WOMAN
Denim Shirt: MANGO
Necklace: ZARA
Sunnies: CHANEL

Photo by YLS

If you are a fashionable kinda girl, like me, you like exploring new trends, right? 

The Wild West is actually one of the hottest trends of the season (from Chanel to the main-street retailers, which readily followed this trend with lots of denim, fringing, ponchos, aztec print knits, prairie skirts and blouses, brown leathers and, of course, cowboy boots).

Well, after buying my new (gorgeous) Zara printed leather booties in Barcelona, I thought they were perfect to try a "cowgirl chic" outfit, a little different from my usual go-to Fall-Winter looks, which are more urban/rock-chic, based on black accessories. I matched these booties with some denim skinnies and shirt plus a large rhinestone necklace (also by Zara) dressed over the collared shirt* et voilà ... I like to keep things clean and simple. 

Btw if you like this trend, you can find many interesting items at the Spanish Fast Fashion giant: ponchos, quilted bags, knits, fancy collar necklaces ...

Thanks for visiting my website.

XOXO

Spikey V.

*Denim on denim and necklaces over the shirts are quite trendy too.

Barcelona for Fashionistas and Urbanites

Barcelona is a real  open-minded and forward-thinking city, an amazing mix of traditions and modernity, which is attracting many urbanites from the globe.  Here my ten must-do in Barcelona for fashionistas and urbanites* (in no particular order, from my recent trip there):

1.   Don't know where to stay? One of the coolest hotel and scene of Barcelona night life is the W Barcelona Hotel and resident Eclipse Bar,  just in front of Barceloneta Beach.

Blazer and leopard print dress: Liu Jo
Stockings: Wolford
Pumps: Zara

2.   Barcelona is a Zara addict paradise: the density of Zara stores is the highest on universe in the city center (around Plaça de Catalunya), the merchandise is fully available in all styles/sizes and prices are a good 20% less than in the rest of Europe. Same applies for  Mango and Desigual. I couldn’t miss to buy two new pairs of Zara heels, ops...  :-)

Zip tights: WOLFORD
Golden Pumps: ZARA

3.    Passeig de Gràcia is the luxury shopping area, where you can find the Chanel, Saint Laurent, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik stores.... For the shoe lovers like me: here you can find a detailed list of shoe brands and stores  in Barcelona (International and Spanish, such as Castañer, Bibi Lou, Pura López, .... )

4.    Best tapas in town (no tourist trap, just be ready to queue):  Cerveseria Catalana, close to Passeig de Gracias

5.   Antoni Gaudí is the visionary artist and architect who shaped the city late 19th and early 20th century culture and landscape, his creations are a unique mix of fantasy, art, religion and technique...

Gaudi - Casa Batlló

6.    There are many ways to move in Barcelona: you can of course walk across the city main streets, full of people and things to be seen (Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia, the narrow streets in El Barrio), take the modern metro or one of the frequent bus tours, that you can get on and off all day long to stop visiting the places you prefer (these bus include an audio guide to the city and wi-fi access). There are actually many other pretty cool and even more flexible options to discover Barcelona at your own pace, i.e. renting an eBIKE connected to an iPhone with a built-in GPS device with GPS, a go-cart , a Twizy (a two-seater electric vehicle), or other eco-friendly vehicles.

7.    Barceloneta Beach is one of the liveliest and coolest area in the city: you can stroll, run, skate, bike, play tennis, tennis, paddle tennis, beach volley, waterpolo and actually surf …. Prior to the 1992 Olympic Games, Barceloneta was one of the worst areas of Barcelona (an ugly industrial zone , known as 'The Catalan Manchester') .

November in Barceloneta Beach

All pics are mine, except this one by Oscar.

8.    From the Montjuïc Cable Car you can  enjoy the best panoramic views of Barcelona (another amazing spot is the Miramar Hotel terrace at sunset).

9.  Barcelona offers a full variety of cuisines and restaurants. We were suggested by some local friends to try Roig Robi': "traditional Catalan cuisine, enhanced and adapted to suit modern tastes". We liked it.

10.  La Bouqueria Food Market. In the mid of Barcelona Ramblas: "At the Boqueria people eat, shop and gossip together doing what the Spanish excel at, living life well and enjoying a sense of community."  Best place for a quick, informal lunch sitting at the market stalls and tasting jamon serrano, embutidos and other local specialties.

When visiting this city, I'm sure you'll build easily your own must-go list... Enjoy.

Thanks for visiting my website. XOXO

Spikey V.

* Urbanite = A person who inhabits one of the major cities in the world, not necessarily defined by age, but by commonalities.  An urbanite is an affluent consumer with an optimistic outlook on life that is very different from those who live in "small town" or rural areas. Urbanites are both a subculture and a contemporary lifestyle. They have 6 key characteristics: Time-poor, city-proud, media-literate, brand-centric, trend-sensitive and culturally-aware. Read more

Gray: A Great Foundation For Your Fall Outfits

A seventeen century courtyard, in the heart of Via Cattaneo, in the very center of Varese.

Street graffiti in Via Cavallotti - The Little Brera (in Varese)

Filigree Earrings: Yvone Christa
Sunnies: Chanel
Blazer: Liu Jo

Tank: Lauren Moshi (similar here)

Motorbike jeans: Nicola by J Brand - on sale (similar here)

Lace-ups: Zara (last season, you can find some sizes on Amazon)

Handbag: Bottega Veneta

Who said gray is boring? Light gray mixed up with some bright colors/accessories can actually be a great foundation for your Fall outfits... 
Here the details of the look I wore last Sunday, strolling along Varese... I built it on these gray 'motorbike' jeans by J Brand (currently my favorite jeans brand) and on this gray tank by Lauren Moshi, added my Zara lace-ups, a black blazer and my dark gray Bottega Veneta bag and I was ready to enjoy my Sunday morning walk in Varese's Little Brera. 
If you like my lace-ups, pls note they are from last season*, you can still find some sizes on Amazon (just take care they run at least half a size smaller and their retail price in Europe was 69.95 EUR). Well, I liked this outfit, the tank print is really "street-style", you can also go for something less bold if you want to keep your look a little less grungy...

Chi ha detto che il grigio e' un colore noioso? Giocato con qualche dettaglio/colore più' acceso può essere un'ottima base per i vostri look dell'autunno... Ho costruito questo look casual per la mia passeggiata di domenica mattina nella "Piccola Brera" di Varese basandomi sui jeans grigi che ho preso quest'estate in saldo nel sito di J Brand (ce ne sono ancora in svendita) e sulla mia canotta grigia di Lauren Moshi. Ho aggiunto un blazer nero, i miei sandali di Zara (sono davvero un modello cult, mi piace moltissimo, li ho presi la scorsa stagione**, se ne trovano ancora alcuni su Ebay, fate attenzione che vestono almeno mezzo numero in meno - il loro prezzo di vendita era di 69.95 EUR) e per finire la mia borsa intrecciata grigio scuro di Bottega Veneta. Ecco la canotta e' davvero molto "street", se preferite potete usare una stampa un po' meno grunge..

*They were actually my first Zara heels, as you can read in my previous post, and so far, so good, I found Zara heels to be a really nice option for a shoe-aholic like me. :-)
** Sono stati il mio primo paio di scarpe Zara, come nel mio post precedente, e devo dire che ne sono davvero soddisfatta, le "zarate" come molte chiamano le scarpe di Zara, sono davvero una grande opzione per una malata di scarpe come me. :-)

Thanks for visiting my website. / Grazie per aver visitato il mio sito web.
XO / Baci

Spikey V.

New FW13 trend: lace up sandals (by Zara)

Senza Compromessi/No compromises

Ph. Private

Lace up sandals - ZARA

Kimono dress - ADELE FADO

Lace up sandals and sandals boots are an hot trend for next FW13. I love this style, sexy and cool, so I decided to try these ones by Zara. These are my first shoes by the Spanish king of fast-fashion. As you know if you are following me on this blog, I usually prefer to invest on accessories and shoes in particular and mix and match them with lower-cost clothing. 

My short feedback for you:

1) the buying experience was excellent: I ordered them online, chose to have them shipped to a Zara store close to me, was alerted by an sms when they were available in the store and picked them up there easily without having to go to the counter.

2) I really love their style: I'll match them with short dresses like the kimono in these pics or with skinny and maybe rolled-up jeans. 

3)their quality is fair compared to their price, so overall I'm satisfied about these sandals. Mixing luxury with less expensive shoes (in particular for fancy, very seasonal styles), could be a good strategy for a shoeaholic like me and for my wallet.. Okay, I'll try this strategy and I'll keep you updated about this new experience, even if I continue to prefer luxury shoes (their design, quality of leather and components, comfort, allure and durability are no doubt completely different than the ones of budget shoes, as their price ...). 

Do you love this lace up style? what is your experience with less expensive shoes by Zara or other fast-fashion retailers?

XO

Spikey V.