cold snap = alana's increasing desire for cardigans

listening to: 'wreck of the day' - anna nalick

well friends daylight saving has brought about the official beginning of the southern hemisphere's autumn. which doesn't bother me too much, as i grew up in a little bitty town with a reputation for being a bit on the nippy side. although i still adamantly maintain that dunedin is in fact colder than invercargill.

cold weather means i get to bust out my cold weather clothes. yay! this autumn/winter my focus is going to be on an androgynous tailored layering vibe. i've started scouring online for oversized men's cardigans (so far i have found at least 4 that i am DESPERATE to have. and considering they range in price from $4 to $15 i think i will be able to purchase at least a couple. i think my favourites would have to be a vintage pierre cardin one (i can't tell if it is grey or soft blue, with white vertical stripes) and a basic olive marle one. there is also an alpaca wool women's longline cardi that i am dying for but reserve is already $27 so i will possibly miss out on that. i've also had a quick look at mens blazers, but as yet haven't found anything that i couldn't live without. i know layering oversized men's pieces isn't exactly original, but i need to invest in some more basics. hopefully i will come up with ways of jazzing things up a bit. my first paycheck from work comes next wednesday (sadly i handed in my paperwork too late to get it this week) and i am soo excited! it will be nice to be able to buy a few bits and bobs. however, as i also have to purchase a new outfit for a wedding on the 26th i somehow think my shopping will be limited for a few weeks more yet. i am really digging a super sharp silhouette, with more structure than a skyscraper. usually i would define myself (and others would do the same) as a very girly, feminine person; but i guess this is just another eg of my super eclectic personality emerging. since it's getting colder now i will probably be stuck in a jeans/boots combo (yaaaaawn) but it would be nice to keep things interesting up top.

on a completely opposite note, dad has finally booked our holiday to vanuatu this winter! we leave on june 25th and stay 7 nights at the iririki resort and spa, which is a 69-acre little island directly across from port vila. it looks absolutely amazing, and i can't wait to just go and relax on a white sandy beach. heaven! i definitely think the 3 of us need it. anyway, as a result i've decided i need to buy a new bathing suit, so i've been spending literally hours online having a looksee. moontide's 'stardust' is my pick right now, but i guess it'll depend on how much i can afford to spend! i am so super excited though. if anybody has been there i'd love to hear anything and everything about it.

so my updated wishlist right now includes:
1. super long cardigans
2. oversized tailored blazers. single breasted only. i'd like them to be quite low cut too
3. a new pair of slim cut jeans. i only have a pair in black, which i left at home, and i don't really like the bogan vibe they throw off
4. some crisp white shirts with big collars i can turn up and have poking out of cardis and blazers
5. a checkered scarf, still
6. an interesting hat of some description
7. swimsuit!!
8. bright red suspenders. or yellow. or maybe electric blue. ok so anything in a primary colour

scarf-o-rama

listening to: 'new day' - shapeshifter

yesterday, after my dreaaaaaaaaaaaary post, i did a little research re: my favourite accessory. i've always been a huge fan of scarves - silk. bright colours. chunky & woolly. etc - but have never really worn them. scratch that, i've pretty much never worn them. but one of my MANY resolutions for oh eight is to inject a bit of scarf love into my life.

then i forgot to post some of the pics i found! so when i was browsing style.com tonight, and i saw their 'anatomy of a classic' section regarding scarves, i decided that i too would pay homage to (according to donna karan) "the most versatile" of accessories.

do you wear them casually thrown over one shoulder? babushka-style? the single loop of the neck and then hanging down over your shoulders? as a headband? or a simple square knot? i guess it all depends on the mood of your outfit, and the style of the scarf itself.

personally, i don't have a favourite. but there are a few things i look for in a scarf: i usually wear pretty plain clothes - when you're as broke as i am, the sensible thing to do is to buy staples that you can wear every single day, rather than (sadly) every single thing that catches my eye - so at the moment i am super into bright prints, especially abstracts. i also really like the whole touristy vibe some printed scarfs throw off: you know the ones i mean, they have pictures of like the eiffel tower and some dude in a blue and white striped shirt and a beret.

another thing i look for in a scarf is the length - i like them ultra long (this is where we get our minds out of the gutter my friends!!) so they flow outwards as i'm walking along. also, this way you can wear them as a headband with a really cute 70s vibe, a la lauren conrad.

and since the climate in dunedin is so damn cold, the chunky wintery versions are definitely much appreciated: my favourite colour for this kind is of course grey. and i like them to be really chunky and heavy looking: fine knits just aren't my kind of thing... not when it comes to scarves.

am i alone in my fixation? and how do most people like to wear them? let me know guys!!