Fairy Tale Part 3: You're Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want

So last month a new film was released based on Red Riding Hood, and starring Amanda Seyfried. I have no idea if it's any good or not, but I love the imagery and the story of Little Red Riding Hood in general. There's also an updated version of Beauty & the Beast coming out, but I consider the original Disney one an untouchable masterpiece so the less said about that the better!

Incidentally, Amanda Seyfried has done a cover of Sam the Sham and the Pharoah's ingeniously lyrical 1966 hit, which I somewhat unexpectedly love. Here it is:

Hope you like it!

Ciao for now,

Charlotte

Fairy Tale Part 2: That's Why It's Hotter Under the Water.

What little girl (or in some cases, boy) hasn't dreamt of being Ariel with her red locks floating around her while she swims up to that little hole that the light pours through, dreaming of the human man she loves?

Ok, maybe not.

But there's something so romantic and alluring about mermaids. Maybe it's the whole nothing-but-shells covering the breasts thing, but oh well.

So here's a few items that could build up a mermaid-inspired look:

  

 

1. Topshop Premium Skeleton Maxi Skirt, $125, as seen on Olivia Palermo.

Image from us.topshop.com

2. House of Harlow Fish Scale Platform Pumps, £225 @ Harvey Nichols

Image from harveynichols.com

3. D&G Sequinned Cropped Jacket, £585 @ Net-a-porter

Image from net-a-porter.com

4. Matthew Williamson Pre-Fall Collection 2011

Image from style.com

5. ASOS Suspender Cropped Corset Top, £30.

Image from asos.com 

And finally:

Little Mermaid
Message in a Bottle Necklace
by Disney Couture
£55 @ zentosa.com
(Image from zentosa.com)

And now for my favouritest scene from the Disney movie, with the rock, and the romance, and the splashing ocean, and the vocal, and ok, I'm sorry, I'll stop now:

For Part 1 of the Fairy Tale series of posts, click here.


Ciao for now,

Charlotte

Fairy Tale Part 1:"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale of all" - Hans Christian Andersen

As a perpetual daydreamer since childhood, I have always loved fairy tales. From Hans Christian Andersen to the Brothers Grimm to Goethe and later, to Disney and Tim Burton's imaginings, I think they're one of the most interesting cultural legacies that we have, particularly in continental Europe.

I've spoken before about combining styles in fashion and literature, and how important I think this is. This becomes relevant again because the beauty of fairy tales is in their combination of beauty and whimsy with the gothic, the surreal and the sinister. And how could that not be relevant to fashion?

It doesn't take a great deal of research to trace the links between fashion and fairy tale. From the Chanel No. 5 advert starring Estella Warren to Galliano's (is it safe to mention him yet?) princess-inspired catwalk designs at Dior, fashion and fantasy are intrinsically linked.

And, after some considerable scaling down (after all, we can't all dress like Paloma Faith and Lady Gaga in daily life), these inspirations can be relevant to your wardrobe too. I've already done a post on the seriously enduring peter pan collar, which you can view here.

I felt I should document some of the countless editorials in all the great fashion magazines that prove that these classic tales are a ceaseless and seemingly infinite source of fashion inspiration.

Tim Walker, The Snow Queen, featuring Caroline Trentini, for British Vogue 2009

  

A selection by my all-time personal favourite photographer, Annie Leibovitz:
Alice in Wonderland, featuring Natalia Vodianova, for Vogue, 2003

  

  

The Wizard of Oz, featuring Keira Knightley, for US Vogue 2005

  

Beauty and the Beast, featuring Drew Barrymore, for US Vogue, 2005

  

Though if anyone could rival my Leibovitz-love, it's this ingenious caballero:
Eugenio Recuenco for Vogue, 2006

  

  

Mert and Marcus, Into the Woods, featuring Natalia Vodianova as Red Riding Hood, Vogue 2009

  

Of course, when it comes to fairy tales, Disney have had something of a Monopoly since the 1950s, and - as a self-certified complete and utter Disney geek - I am not complaining one bit. In recent years, the Disney Couture line has become popular the world over, with celebrities and plebeians alike. Browse and buy from the collection on Zentosa and ASOS.

  

So take some time to add some fairy tale charm to your outfit, be it a bow in your hair, romantic lace and chiffon, or a beautiful piece of Disney Couture jewellery. Who says you're only young once?

Ciao for now,
Charlotte
(image source: weheartit.com)

Pyjama Party

I'm having a pyjama day, don't judge me. I've been revising my bohunkus off and will continue to do so today, but in a slightly lazier way.

Here are my essential companions for a duvet-day:

Calvin Klein Essential
Pyjama Top, £33
Harvey Nichols
(Image from harveynichols.com)

Purple Stripe Pyjama Short
£12
Topshop
(Image from topshop.com)

BlackBerry Curve 8900.
Maybe I'm a poser, but I love my BB.
(Image from phonedog.com)

Samsung R710 Laptop
This is my laptop. This is my love.
3 years and still going strong.(Image from samsung.com)

Final Fantasy IX on PS3
I'm a geek. This is an old game that is now available
in the PS3 online store.
(Image from playstationlifestyle.net)

Football Manager 2011
Seriously, I'm too good at it.
(Image from footballmanager2011.net)

Twitter
Follow me here.
(Image from simplyzesty.com)

Disney's The Lion King
I'm a Disney FREAK, this is my lazy-day fave.
(Image from celebritywonder.com)

Sex and the City Boxset
(Image from ezydvd.com.au)

The Golden Girls
(Image from eonline.com)

Frasier
(Image from blog.newsok.com)

Starbucks Caramel Syrup
US$10.95
(Image from starbucksstore.com)

My Favourite Mug!
(Image from themugger.net)

Mudd Face Mask
(Image from thestylepa.com)

Take some time for yourself, too. You deserve it.

Ciao for now,

Charlotte

Second Star to the Right

...and straight on 'til morning. If you don't recognise the above quote, shame on you! It is, of course, from Disney's version of Peter Pan. And, apart from being one of the greatest children's stories of all times, Peter Pan is important to me for another reason. 

The Peter Pan Collar.

Image from mediamanager.osu.edu

These are huge at the moment, and they've kind of sneaked up on us a little, with none of the fuss some other trends seem to demand (here's looking at you underwear-as-outerwear). So here's a compilation of some of the ones I've seen around. Enjoy!


From ASOS:



Images from asos.com


From Urban Outfitters:


      
Images from urbanoutfitters.co.uk


From Topshop:


    
Images from topshop.com


From Modcloth:


      
Images from modcloth.com




And finally, for those of you with a bigger budget, some designer options:

From top to bottom: Marc Jacobs at Net-A-Porter, Milly at Net-A-Porter, Marc Jacobs at Harvey Nichols, and, for him, YMC at Liberty London.
Images from net-a-porter.com, harveynichols.co.uk, liberty.co.uk

And finally finally, here's me hopefully doing the peter pan collar justice for a work night out lately. (I work with all guys so dressing up wasn't exactly on the cards.) The top is from Urban Outfitters and the shorts are my absolute favourites, from H&M.

Just remember, you can fly, you can fly, you can fly!

Ciao for now,

Charlotte