Two recent street style favourites:
This one is from the Sartorialist, reporting from Florence. I like the play between this woman’s severe fringe and her round glasses. And the owl on her ankle!
Scooter love! She’s wearing a very refined selection of basics, and damn good shoes. It really sets the bar for ‘what I’d like to look like when I roll out of bed’. Shot by Glamcanyon.
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First bags, then garters, and now SWANclothing is capturing the imagination of stylish women the world over with the new range of collars and cuffs. Aren’t they just dreamy? I really love Tara’s aesthetic. Made from vintage polyester, they look delicate, but the craftsmanship is of an extremely high level. (Reading the SWANclothing blog I get the impression that each piece is wholly infused with passion).
The descriptions are wonderful too, and I can’t go past a good colour name. Butter, Rose, Antoinette White. Mm.
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Unearthen make many beautiful and precious pieces of jewellery, but their crystal bullet necklaces are holding my attention. Each crystal is encased in a spent bullet and comes hanging in a wooden box with elements of nature, and includes a booklet outlining the properties of the crystal. As you’d expect, each piece is one of a kind.
The uniting of the crystal and empty bullet creates a powerful opposition, causing old dreams and new beginnings to fall upon it’s bearer. For this reason, the stone with the right properties for your needs will inherently attract you.
I was drawn to a stubby amethyst chain, shaped like a lipstick. Ancient Egyptians apparently used the amethyst guard against fearful feelings, while in dreamland it is meant to help insomnia.
My recent aesthetic obsession with crystals reminds me of my childhood, when my family would take summer holidays to Mt Maunganui (a sleepy beach town in the North Island of NZ). On the main street, alongside piercing parlours and used bookstores, there was a crystal store where I’d spend hours scouring the bins of semi-precious stones and checking out their whale song CDs. Actually, come to think of it they had a giant amethyst geode in the front window…
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At lunch time yesterday I’m picked up a brand spanking new scooter to make my commute a bit more zippy. The agency I work for at the moment has just picked up and relocated itself a little way out of the CBD, and buses are just not cutting it as a mode of transportation. For someone living in the city, needing a low maintenance option, and on a budget; the moped is the perfect solution. Aside from the heavy rain I encountered on the way home (baptism by monsoon), it was so much fun to ride!
Hot tips for scooter riding:
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It’s April and winter is undeniably bearing down upon Auckland. Dreary! These are a few of the things I’m lusting after right now, that might make it a bit more tolerable & stylish. There seems to be a strong animal theme running through this collection.
Clockwise from top:
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On Saturday, I found this winner at a Karangahape Road vintage store – I am lucky to live one block away from a stretch of fantastic thrift stores & op shops (This Is Not A Love Shop, Vixen #8, Tiny Space and Aunty Mavis are my favourites). I have been obsessed with denim shearling jackets, aka Brokebacks, from the film Brokeback Mountain for a while. This one will definitely be keeping me snug over winter.
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Some of the most stylish Auckland ladies I know are having a stoop sale this weekend. As the poster says, there will be heaps of vintage clothing, accessories, shoes and more. I’ll be selling items from my vast vintage collection, including some lovely winter coats. So come along and snaffle a bargain!
11am till 4 pm, Saturday 19th March at 28 St. Kevins Arcade (off Karangahape Road)
Of course no sale is truly hyped without an accompanying video promo, so check out the one Juliet made. And a Facebook event, rad!
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Derek Hydrangea T-Shirt dress by Karen Walker. It was possibly made for me…
(Thank goodness it’s not sleeveless though – that would be too much.)
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Check out my fancy pants KeepCup, snapped this morning while I waited at the bus stop.
KeepCup is the first barista standard reusable cup and is designed to save our little planet from the strain of indulging in disposable cups. I for one, never quite realised how often I said yes to the ‘easy’ throwaway option… Over the course of a week I probably take at least 5 coffees to go, which adds up to 260 a year. Holy moly.
Until recently I never realized that every paper cup could take 50 years or more to biodegrade. And according to the KeepCup site, it’s not just the cup and lid that go into landfill. On average each disposable cup contains only 5% of the raw materials involved in the process of making and delivering it. Despite that, there is enough plastic in 28 disposable cups and lids to make one KeepCup! That’s only a month of takeaways.
If you’re not yet convinced, think about the cool factor. They look damn good (compared to say, those ribbed paper cups – they give me the heebie jeebies), and you can choose the colours and size. They make lovely, useful gifts too; mine was brought back from London’s Design Museum, a nice alternative to the usual tourist tchotkes.
After just a couple of weeks of using it, I love my KeepCup. It’s not really a hassle to wash, and you know what, I love my planet more than a little bit of convenience. So with that in mind, I’m making a vow:
NO MORE TAKE AWAY CUPS, EVER.
If I don’t have a reusable vessel on hand, or I don’t have the time to sit down and enjoy a coffee, well, too bad. A tiny sacrifice, but I’m sure I’ll remember my KeepCup after a few cranky mornings with no caffeine. Join me?
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A navy vintage lace gown, found on Saturday afternoon at Peachy Keen on Karangahape Road, Auckland. Total bang for my twenty bucks. I’m thinking of altering it to fall just above the knee. On the other hand, it looks gorgeous simply hanging on my wall. Decisions, decisions.
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Auckland is as humid as a cigar bar during summer and I have a few weddings to attend this season. This means forking out and frocking up, while still trying to stay cool. I wish I had one of Shabd’s hand-dyed Solaris Dresses hanging in my closet; it’d be the perfect smart-casual piece to slip on. Because it’s made of breathable silk, I might even be able leave the shaded comfort of the marquee…
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I’m always a sucker for a cute camera accessory. The Tokyo Dreamer camera strap from the Photojojo Store pushes all the right buttons. A whimsical phrase, bleached summer colours and a pocket for film = win!
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I’m digging: heavy hands, weighed down by baubles. Mixing and matching, gold and silver, plastic and stone, cheap and pricey. A look for summer? Perhaps, apart from the mean tan lines.
(Photos taken from all over the show.)
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Being no longer stuck in the year 2006, I find cuppycake iconography totally overcooked and a bit twee. But I can’t help but smile when I see this “Bake Someone Happy” tee by Parinto. It’s true! Baked goods make the world go ’round.
Designer Stephen Richardson says “Back in the 1970′s my dad’s advertising agency produced some sweaters for a client with the slogan “Bake Someone Happy” on them. He gave one to my mom and for whatever reason that slogan has always stuck in my head. To cut a long story short, this design is a nostalgic nod to that long-gone sweater.”
Look how stoked this guy is:
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Hello! My name is Amber Parkin. I'm a New Zealander living in London. I'm a writer obsessed with fondue, chesterfield sofas, vintage dresses, foxes, and 35mm.
Here I like to talk about fashion, design, food, travel, writing & books, and culture. Everything else (including my photography) goes into my digital notebook.
If you'd like to email me the address is amber@codeforsomething.com
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