FAIIINT

Archives for November 2013

Party Season

Covet

FAIIINT Wishlist Christmas Party Dark Style Black Draped & Tailored Outfit

Acne ‘Ceylon’ Dress / Malene Birger Cropped Jacket / Chaca Rope & Spike Necklace /
Kurt Geiger ‘Gia’ Crossbody Bag / Giles & Brother Railroad Spike Bracelet / Joomi Lim Spike Bracelet / Noisy May Chiffon Asymmetric Dress /
Mango Snake Jacquard Jacket / Religion ‘Atom’ Print Dress / Topshop Studded Shoes

This past week my inbox has been flooded with Christmas party invitations and festive lookbooks & newsletters, and I’m suddenly reminded that we’re getting pretty close to December now. This year has gone far too quickly, and though I’m not exactly a very festive person when it comes to this time of year, I do love any excuse for a party!

You may have guessed I’m not a sequined party dress kind of girl, instead I prefer to stick to more luxe versions of what I usually wear day to day. My standard party wear is a draped silk dress, or a paneled bodycon number, paired with a good fitted jacket, heels & some statement jewellery. You can never have enough party dresses & top of my wishlist for this year is Acne‘s beautifully simple silk version. This is the type of dress I’d be happy to spend a lot on, because I know that I’d still be wearing it & getting complimented on it even 10 years from now, a truly classic piece. I am trying to be curb my spending at the moment though, so I think I’ll be going for Religion’s grungy printed ‘atom’ dress, or the chiffon dropped hem version by Noisy May, which I think both look much more expensive than their tiny prices suggest.

I keep saying I have too many black jackets and telling myself I’m not allowed any more (23 at last count!), and yet every week I find another that I want to add to the collection. When it comes to clothes, they are my weakness, especially cropped or tux styles which this version from Malene Birger blends together so perfectly. It’s the ultimate jacket for throwing over a casual outfit & feeling instantly dressed up & put together. This snake textured blazer from Mango is another. I hadn’t been into Mango for the longest time, then a few days ago I spied this beauty in their window & found myself having a crisis in the changing rooms on whether or not to buy it. I left it behind, feeling quite proud of my self & my willpower, but I already regret it & I’m seriously considering going back for it…

Next SS14 Press Day

Life

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Next Spring/Summer 2014

On Thursday I made a little trip down to London to do a few press days, Next was first on my list & as you’ve probably guessed from my last post, I have been so impressed with their collections lately & SS14 looks even better still! They always know how to put on a great event, and I was treated to the yummiest wild mushroom risotto, macaroni cheese & fresh coffee whilst I browsed & caught up with some familiar faces, the perfect relaxed start to my day.

Ollie couldn’t come along, so he lent me his 7 year old D200 to take with me (he wouldn’t trust me with his newer babies!) & left me to my own devices! I have been practicing a little with it recently, but I am definitely no photographer, so sorry that these are not up to the usual standards around here! It was good practice though, and I feel I am starting to get to grips with it a little more now. I even quite enjoyed it too!

The products were laid out in little sections by trend, and unsurprisingly I immediately found myself drawn to the rail of black, grey & white pieces. A few people I spoke to called it ‘the Steph rail’ & I’d have to agree, I wanted almost everything on it! There were so many things I would have happily taken home with me, but the ones that stood out were the silky, leather trimmed sports jacket on the mannequin and the mesh grid skirt, the ribbed jersey biker jacket and the black & white smokey printed shirt. Lots of nice black on black texture detailing & layering going on, I really can’t wait to get my hands on some of these come Spring. I also loved the heels with the subtle asymmetric fronts, I just wish they had a chunkier heel or were wedges!

Although the items were set out in little trend groups, the influences of these trends are quite subtle & all of the pieces are things that you will come back to year after year, not fast fashion pieces that will be thrown away next season. I love that Next are giving their image a much needed update with younger, fresher silhouettes & fabrics, but they’re also sticking to what they do best by making these items classic, great quality, seasonless pieces that will become staples in anyones wardrobe & I think that’s something the highstreet definitely needs, especially at this affordable price point.

Next

Style

Fashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Next faux leather & wool black coat & leggings, Bracher Emden classic tote bag, Stylistpick velvet boots & Topshop asymmetric top. Dark style, all black, black on black, sci fi, goth.Fashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Next faux leather & black wool big wrap collar coat.Fashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Next faux leather & wool black coat & leather leggings, Stylistpick velvet eleonora boots.Fashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Next faux leather & wool black coat & leggings, Bracher Emden classic tote bag, Stylistpick velvet boots & Topshop asymmetric top. Dark style, all black, black on black, sci fi, goth.

Next Faux Leather & Wool Coat * / Topshop Asymmetric Tank / Next Faux Leather Trousers * / Bracher Emden Classic Tote /
StylistPick Velvet Boots *

Next is one of those stores that everyone seems to have a preconceived opinion of as a bit ‘mumsy‘, somewhere older ladies shop for safe, nice quality basics. I have a lot of pieces from there that leave my friends open mouthed in disbelief when I tell them that it’s from Next, this beautiful coat & these faux leather trousers being prime examples.

I’ve had so many compliments on the coat already, the huge fold over collar & leather detailing make it quite a standout piece, and I haven’t seen anything else like it on the highstreet either. Like everything from Next, the quality is so good for a highstreet store, it’s thick & warm, well made & you know it’s going to last. I think this is part of the reason people see the store the way they do, but personally I love that they’re not so trend led & instead focus on producing highly affordable, quality, classic pieces that will last. If you haven’t ventured into Next recently, I urge you to go & check it out, I think you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised!

I had been searching for a good pair of leather trousers for such a long time. Despite usually not liking faux leather, I decided a real leather pair were just not a good idea for me. I know I am far too lazy & would never get around to getting them dry cleaned, and for something that tight, that would just be gross! This pair are the perfect alternative, the fabric is soft & supple, with a matte, faintly textured finish which stops them from looking cheap or tacky, like you probably imagine when I say faux. They’re a great versatile piece & I have been getting so much wear out of them recently, mostly because they are just so comfortable & warm!