bloomzy /

I’m supporting: How to wear a scarf – with pride!

Next’s official Team GB and Paralympics GB Supporters’ Scarf*

As a member of the Next blogger network I was recently offered the chance to work on a post about Next’s new line of scarves. These are special scarves that have been released this Summer to celebrate and show support for London 2012!
All profits from the sale of the scarves will be donated to the British Olympic Association – helping British Olympic and Paralympic athletes deliver their best performance at London 2012.
I was asked to style the scarf in my own way, and show you guys how I would wear it.
Admittedly, I’m a bit boring when it comes to scarves. I love them to pieces,  but I do tend to wear them in pretty generic ways. Even so, I tried my best and came up with a few ways to style it. However once I’d put it on and played around with it, I realised that it wasn’t all that bad. My favourite way to wear it is probably tied around the neck, or as a headscarf.
My parents and sister will be off to the Olympics (without me, boohoo) so I have kindly donated the scarf to my mum as she really liked it. That way she can show her support, and look classy!
As you can see, I also had a few guest models for this post. I wanted to show everyone just how versatile the scarf is.
It may not suit your style, but maybe your other half might like it? …or even your dog?
The scarves are available in Next stores for £10.
You can find out more about Next’s campaign here.
bloomzy /

Wish List: EMODA

A selection of items from the EMODA Global Webstore

Emoda is a brand that I have been a fan of for several years.
Based in Japan, they have now opened up their global webstore (in English).
This means that fans outside of Japan, and newcomers can buy and order items to their country.
When the store first launched it was filled with mostly basic items, but since the opening more items have been added. The store still doesn’t feature the full collection that you might see in-store/on the Japanese webstore, but it is slowly building up. It’s likely that more pieces will be added if the team see a market for it.
The webstore also offers members the chance to collect points, much like you would be able to do in-store. After you have accrued over 500 points you can spend them on any future purchase you make – 500 points = 500yen discount.
The reason I choose the items I did is because they were cute basics that I could easily coordinate with my own items. To be honest I already have a necklace exactly like the Emoda one, but I still wouldn’t mind adding it to my collection. My favourite pieces have to be the mixed texture t-shirt and the floral print dress. They both really stood out to me.
You can browse Emoda’s new global webstore here.
bloomzy /

Photo Diary: Tokyo, Old & New

Central Shibuya and Ichigaya Fishing Centre – Tokyo, Japan

I wanted to do another photo diary post from Japan as it seems like I haven’t done one for a while.
As I was looking through my photos from my time living in Tokyo, I was reminded of one of the reasons I love the capital city so much – the mixture of old and new. It might seem a bit cliche or it may not even make sense, but to me Tokyo manages to perfectly mix traditional (or ‘old’) and modern culture. Of course there are times when the two don’t match, but it’s surprising how harmoniously they get on in such a bustling city.
The new
Shibuya is arguably one of the most modern districts in Tokyo, known as a mecca for young people.
In the photos I included you can see Shibuya station, which is constantly packed full of commuters.
I also included photos of popular shopping malls Shibuya 109 (aimed at young women), and Shibuya 109-2 (the male equivalent of 109, which also has a few women’s stores). The adverts on the sides of the buildings change constantly, keeping you up-to-date with the music, food and tv you should be partaking in.
The Old
Ichigaya Fishing Centre may not seem that ‘old’ but the past-time of fishing goes back a long way in Japan.
As you exit the highly modern commuter train (Chuo/Sobu line) and look out across from the platform you will spot the fishing centre hidden amongst skyscrapers, and high-rise office buildings/apartments – the set-up definitely stands out against its backdrop. The customers who frequent the centre use traditonal methods to catch the fish.
Don’t worry though, all the fish are put back in the pond after being caught and weighed.
bloomzy /

Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Haul’

Marc Jacobs Necklaces & Compact Mirror

You probably all know by now that I’m a Marc Jacobs fan.
Well whilst I was in London last month I decided to stop by the ‘Marc by Marc Jacobs’ store.
I absolutely love the store. It’s spacious, laid out well and in a gorgeous building, in a lovely part of London.
Whilst I was there I said I would treat myself to a little suttin’ suttin’, kind of like a celebratory gift to me, for finishing university and exams etc. Of course I could have picked tons of items, but I didn’t want to spend too much. I was thinking of an iPhone case as I’ve been wanting one for a while, but I love my Gemma Correll one too much.
I finally decided on the ‘Wishbone Necklace’, ‘Monocle Necklace’ and the ‘Heart Compact Mirror’.
I’ve been eyeing the wishbone necklace and mirror for a while, although I actually hadn’t seen the monocle necklace before, but I have a thing for monocles so I had to add it to my collection. I also loved the idea of a manly monocle mixed with gold and pearls.
I can’t wait to start accessorising with these!!
bloomzy /

Wish List: Best of British

Best of British

 

Best of British by bloomzy Ok so I may not be a Royalist, and I won’t be celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee…
However I am proud to be British, and I do like limited edition, special occasion items.
I’ve been gazing through windows at the decorations in stores, and the items they’re offering.
So I thought since it’s the Jubilee weekend, I would do an extra special wishlist!

With all the current hype around the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, tons of brands have been bringing out limited edition items to celebrate the occasion. This means lots of British brands are showing how proud they are, although that hasn’t stopped a lot of non-British brands also having some fun. Hey, it’s a party & everyone is invited!

The items I choose for this wishlist are items I would happily buy/wear any time of the year!
I love the selection of items, from Union Flag cupcake decorations to red, white & blue nail polish.
Although the ‘Markus Lupfer’ Crown Sweater, the ‘Not for Ponies’ Corgi T-shirt & the ‘Nails Inc’ Jubilee Crystal Colour Polish have to be my favourites…Oh who am I kidding? I want everything!! 

bloomzy /

Discuss: Can make-up represent a clothing brand?

Today I want to get discussion going about something that is popular in Japan.
I will be featuring one of my favourite Japanese brands, Murua, to help explain.

In Japan, clothing brands spend a lot of time representing themselves and their staff.
The presentation of the staff reflects on the store and brand, which makes a lot of sense.
This is done through not only their clothing and accessories, but make-up and hair too.

So with every new season some of the brands and stores send their shop staff (usually the store manager) off to a special meeting. Here, they are taught the key make-up and hair looks for that season, for the brand. The looks compliment that season’s collection, and make the brand and staff stand out. The manager then goes back and passes on this information to the shop staff, who are then expected to use these key looks in their everyday make-up & hair routine, whilst at work.

The shop staff are not forced to re-create the looks step-by-step and are allowed to add their own personal flair.
This means that they can retain their own personal style within the brand, much like those who work for clothing stores are expected to wear clothing from that store, or make-up counter staff are expected to wear make-up from that brand.

I personally would love to see something similar in stores like Topshop that have their own make-up line. I know a lot of clothing and department stores have rules on what kind of make-up to wear (subtle etc) in the UK, and are asked to be on-trend, but it’s not usually like this. I think it would inspire the customer more and help represent the brand too, whilst adding a little something extra. I do fear that it restricts people’s personal tastes a bit, but I think there’s always room to be inventive. However I think this works so well in Japan because of customer loyalty, so I’m not sure if it would catch on.
What do you think of this idea?
Do you think it would work in the UK, or Europe?

Source; 1
bloomzy /

I have a bit of a fetish…

(White polka dot tights & Pink gradient tights: eBay)

As some of my more frequent readers may have noticed, I have a bit of a tight fetish.
More specifically, patterned tights. I have a whole ton of them, in various patterns and colours.
The majority of my patterned tights though are in black, so I wanted something a little different.
I decided to look on eBay as there are some amazing shops out there.
I finally settled on one that had a large selection of black, white and multicoloured tights.
I went for some white polka dot ones (£1.32 here) and a pink gradient pair (£1.90 here).
Both run a bit small, so if you’re over 5’3 (my height), once again I’m afraid these aren’t for you.
The fabric is a bit thin but they seem pretty durable so far but it’s always best to be gentle with tights anyway.
For the price, they’re pretty good quality. I’m especially happy with the white polka dot pair!
The gradient pair are nice, but not exactly what I’d wanted. No complaints here though.
Have you grabbed any bargains lately on eBay?