i'll tell you what i want, what i really really want

listening to: 'electric dream' - shapeshifter

so, i had my first night back in dunedin. and last night was my first night of o-week '08 back in dunedin. i had the most amazing time; it was fantastic. town was crazy packed but i was so munted i didn't even care. usually i hate when it's that cramped but i was just having such a good time jamming on the dancefloor (especially to this song! ahh) that i didn't even care. until my feet literally started to bleed and i had to go home haha. oh and that reminds me, sadly my favourite going out shoes - i posted pics of them, they are black satin kitten heels with wee diamante thingees - broke!! i was so sad. and i was walking around the monkey bar with my shoe flapping on the floor. i must have looked a right mess. but ANYWAY.

what i wanted to actually write about was my incredible urge right now for a shrunken navy blazer. with gold buttons. i'm going to have to go check out some op shops for one, but i am going to be picky about it because i don't want one that isn't perfect.

anyway i have to go now because my friend tim & i are going to watch the godfather 2 on dvd now... and he is reading this and rolling his eyes! so i'll stop my little ramble there.

ps tim wants me to say he's hot. but really he's ok... may post pics, but only if they are suitably embarassing and drunken.

au revoir!!

alphabeat

listening to: 'fascination' - alphabeat

yet another example of how far behind new zealand is, huh? i had no idea these guys even existed until 10 minutes ago... but i fell in love instantly while watching their video on c4 (a music channel here).

so, i looked them up (thanks wikipedia!!) and was soo not suprised that they are a band from denmark. seriously, what is it in the water that makes scandinavians so inherently cool? apparently it makes everybody over there naturally, amazingly cool. definitely setting the standard, street wise at least.

i just wanted to note how cool i think they are: from their music to their amazing style. i'll definitely be grooving to them on my ipod a lot over the weekend.

a late new years resolution

listening to: "future baby mama" - prince

firstly yay for amy winehouse! not only is she looking a heck of a lot better than in past weeks, she also deservingly took out both album & record of the year at the grammys! she is one of my absolute favourite artists; its slightly embarassing to admit it but i am a HUUUGE mariah fan (ever since i was 6. i can't just let her go, whether you disapprove or not) and will probably never rate anybody over her. but amy winehouse comes close, very close. i've yet to watch her satellite performance on youtube, but no doubt it will be stunning. hopefully one of her resolutions this year was to keep off the crack: sure she lapsed, but we've got a bit of progress people!

speaking of resolutions, i've never really made them. i know in my head what i want to achieve each year, though i rarely do. not the biggies anyway. but tonight i was inspired whilst browsing i want big hair, a blog i stumbled upon earlier this evening. this girl is only 15 and yet she looks pretty handy with her singer!! my mum was an amazing seamstress - she made my ball gown in 7th form - and we still have ALL of her sewing gear: instead of just (somehow) getting rid of it, i've decided i want to inherit it, and hopefully eventually i also inherit her craftiness. i can never REALLY find clothes that i am absolutely in love with, so now this way maybe i can make them!

hopefully this isn't a completely ridiculous idea. you don't know this, but i am really not good at stuff like sewing. i always have grandiose visions, and then when it comes time to actually produce something it all gets shot to pieces, be it a painting or whatever. when i was third form we had to do a woodworking module for a whole dreary term, and the teacher told me that the jigsaw puzzle i attempted to make was the worst he had ever seen. and he had been teaching for quite some time.

i think the first thing i would attempt would be a skirt. it LOOKS simple enough... right? i had a friend who once made a skirt entirely of ties, and it wasn't bad. hey or maybe i could make a scarf!! all i'd have to get is a bit of fabric! a PREEEEEEETTY bit of fabric. i could make many scarves. i could be a scarf-making queen. gee whiz this is going to be grand. or is it just fuelling my ever-growing, bordering-on-the-unhealthy obsession?

dammit, i'm still stuck at work and i can hear the sex and the city theme song coming on... since i work at a newspaper, the tv in the newsroom is always tuned to the late night news broadcast when i'm at work. and satc reruns are on after that on monday nights. GRRRRRR. i don't usually work mondays, thankfully, but i jumped at the chance for extra hours since this is my last week of work. have i mentioned that? i head back to dunedin for university on friday morning. i have course approval the following monday, then it's crazy orientation ("o-week") week and then back to class. looking forward to being with my friends. looking forward to moving into my new flat. but not looking forward to actually living in dunedin again. i'm going to miss dad & renee like crazy, and i'm gonna be sick with worry over them. but i guess it will all work out in the end.

anyway, wish me luck - for both of my endeavours!!

alana discovers the joys of polyvore... and plugs some stuff she likes

listening to: "disco" - autozamm

hey beautiful friends! so, today i am planning to plug a couple of wee things (but for good reason i swear - i'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart, and my genuine appreciation!) but only because this a blog where i can write about things currently tickling my fancy, and everything that will appear in today's post is indeed doing that!

first things first. myspace has become a hub of music: artists and fans - and soon-to-be-fans - alike flock there to check out the latest and greatest, blah blah blah. and no, i am not so far behind trends that i have only just discovered myspace. give me some credit! but i do suggest you all head on over to myspace and check out disco by autozamm, the brand new song from the auckland quintet. i've only heard it on the radio a couple of times so far, but i'm absolutely loving it, and was inspired to share! sadly, it's not on itunes (yet). oh and ps, their other song (killer shoes) is also well worth the listen: i think i'll adopt it as my official getting ready to hit the town song.

so that was plug number 1. here is plug number 2. the girls over at our wishful wardrobe (yes, i do appear on their blogroll. please, no pictures.) have introduced me not only to paddington bear, style icon, but also to polyvore. let me just say THIS IS MY KINDA WEBSITE. you know how yesterday i mentioned my intense jealousy of cher's amazing computer program that picked out her outfits each day? voila, the 21st century version does not disappoint. so far i have spent approximately an hour ALREADY "just browsing". aka, pretending i can afford & also fit into these beautiful beautiful clothes.

actually, i just realised that was 3 plugs. i'm practically a slave to the man now. oh well, they are all definitely worthy of your time - if you waste time reading this, you have a fair bit of it on your hands, thus could definitely do with another website to aid your procrastination. the challenge i set myself - the dedication!! - was to create completely different outfits (one for day, one for night) using the same dress. i picked a relatively simple Development Wool twill dress (available on net-a-porter) as my base. here are the outfits i concocted:

day

1. dress

2. all saints contrast heel (lace-up oxford)

3. louis vuitton monogram pendant

4. fendi convertible bracelet (the set would look cool, rather than just the one)

5. flirt for asos over the knee socks

6. oli cropped jacket

7. 'marvelous' vintage wayfarers

night

1. dress

2. shimmer clutch (hopefully it's oversized!! mmm.) from fcuk

3. headband from target

4. cocktail ring, as featured at blog.stylehive.com

5. catwoman t-bar loubs

sorry the quality of the picture is so bad! i can tell i'm going to spend A LOT of time on that site... it's like the grownup version of barbie dolls! and i was a big barbie fan. speaking of barbie, check out gwyneth's dress. seen here at madonna's gucci/unicef party recently (relatively recently anyway) she looks more like a life-sized version of everybody's favourite disproportionate doll than style icon. give her a boob job and you're set! i love a big bow, but something about this just doesn't work. and don't even get me started on the shoes.

so, in summary, i like good honest kiwi music; i like other blogs, especially ones where i learn even more about the joys of the internet; i love playing dressups without having the hassle of having to actually BUY the clothes; and i am not a fan of gwyneth's stylist.

fini!

movie mania

listening to: 'fly together' - trey songz (i'm secretly gangster)

so, late last night when insomnia had gotten the best of me i started watching fear, with reese witherspoon, mark wahlberg & alyssa milano. i remember the first time i saw this movie - i think i was waaaay too young to be watching, it completely creeped me out. the scene where he beats his chest over & over again? eek! but it got me thinking... scary thought i know.

movies are obviously such an integral part of pop culture: just think of the dedication shown recently by fan's of kiera knightley's green dress in atonement. i haven't even seen that movie yet (i'm a little slow when it comes to movies... not a fan of the $12 ticket price. that's two drinks at a bar!) but i know precisely what the green dress looks like, and i can completely understand the devotion being afforded to it! sigh.

so what movies have shaped my mind, clothing wise? there have been many. reese witherspoon had a huge variety of plaid mini skirts: mini alana thought they were soo cool. but how did i know plaid minis were cool? because i was an impressionable 7 year old when clueless came out! although now it certainly isn't the epitome of all that is fashionable, without clueless i may not have even developed such a loooove for the whole fashion thing. alicia silverstone had my dream life: a computer (wow! at my school we had a boulder-like ibm in the library) that picked her outfits for her. she had a cellphone! she wore plaid minis with knee high socks and cropped t-shirts!! i couldn't wait to be 16. sex, clothes, popularity, whatever. i think basically any & every girl around my age, any girl who can simultaneously remember how jealous they were of cher horowitz and can also credit a mild to severe obsession with fashion, was influenced by the film. current trend alert - knee high socks anyone? and the resurgance in the popularity of plaid? thankfully these days we are a little more restrained.

no fashionable movie list would be complete without breakfast at tiffanys - think fashion, think movies, and the image of audrey hepburn in givenchy springs to mind immediately. how cliche is the phrase LBD? yep, and every woman's quest to attain the perfect LBD stemmed from this film. every time i see it, i want to slip into something sleek and chic, put on some pearls and don huge sunglasses and a chignon. the appeal stems from the sheer timelessness of it all: the perfect, if not cliched, example of stylish and classical dressing. thank god for holly golightly.

julie christie in dr zhivago? i've only ever seen it once: i watched it late one night with my mum, a looong time ago. i loved it, i loved the clothes, i loved how classy julie christie managed to be in siberia; it's no wonder i am so enarmoured with the girls on facehunter & the sartorialist who get snapped wearing those beautiful big fur hats.

titanic is not only one of the most well-known movies among my generation; it also left me in love with the fashion of the early 1900s. kate winslet had the most amazing costumes, resplendant and extravagant, complete with elbow-length gloves. her corseted figure, in that beaded red gown, is one of the most iconic moments i can remember when it comes to fashion in movies.

i had to watch his girl friday for a film paper in 1st year, and despite it's many attributes in other areas i really dug hildy's masculine take on the new look. the 1940s is a favourite era of mine: all those itty bitty waists and the bright red lipstick. i'm a sucker for practically anything set in this era: try the aviator, pearl harbour, yadda yadda yadda.

the devil wears prada is another one of those movies, cliche or not, that you just can't leave off a list like this. andy goes from drab to fab (could i be a corny voiceover chick or what?) and is a walking montage of amazing designer outfits. i especially love the old school chanel look she channels.

my favourite movie of all favourite movies is hairspray: a grin was permanantly plastered across my face right from the opening scene. despite my intense dislike for movie ticket prices (rarrrgh!) i went to this movie 4 times: the 4th time, i shouted my flatmates a trip too. and it wasn't just the musical numbers i adored, although i loved them so much that i bought the soundtrack the day after i saw h.s for the first time; i loved the outfits, especially those of queen bee amber von tussle. i daydream about dancing round, doing the stricken chicken, in those poufy big skirts. every time i watch it - and i've watched it a lot - i'm just mesmerised.

so, these were just some movies that hold a place in my fashion consciousness... i've no doubt included movies that people have been like HUH about, and ommitted films that to others probably seem like the most obvious of choices. there are still a heap of movies that i would like to see, that i have a feeling will probably make me swoon the same way: love story, for one. so i guess you could say this is really just a work in progress.

ps: how do you like my budget-ass montage? who needs photoshop when you have paint?!

if i won lotto

listening to: 'ramble on' - led zeppelin.

i'm thinking of making this my theme song: one of my many bad habits is talking far, far too much. especially when i am in a slightly intoxicated state... or when i log onto blogger, where i write pretty long posts about relatively nothing because i'm bored and have nothing better to do. keep reading: you'll find out what i mean.

judging by what i have seen from nyfw (new york fashion week... duh. i like to make acronyms to spice up my conversations. although i'm sure even those of you who aren't diehards managed to figure THAT one out, it wasn't too hard. actually, i'm sure someone made that one up before me. i'm so unoriginal sometimes) the trends aren't completely left-field; the majority are things that have already been filtering around the edges of fashion - mainstream or otherwise - for some time now.

like the fixation on grey: grey is the new black, yadda yadda. which is fine by me, i love grey! it makes a nice difference from wearing only black without being one of those people that stand out so much that passersby point and laugh: a common occurance, at least in little old new zealand. i haven't seen street fashion in my reality like the stuff i see every time i log onto facehunter and other sites of it's ilk. although, to be fair, that may be because of the seasonal difference. some trends seen at the major fashion shows simply do not work here in australasia. while people are donning fur hats reminiscent of dr zhivago in copenhagen, people here are lounging around in nothing but a pair of short shorts and their swimsuits. but i can still browse! so, if i had a bit of extra moolah lying around i would be picking up these grey high-waisted pants, from asos.com, which also manage to kill two birds with one stone, what with the military kind of vibe they throw off. as you may know i am quite in love with pointless details, demonstrated here by the lovely wee buttons. yes i know they are holding the pants together, therefore they aren't completely pointless, but i'm sure you know what i mean!

staying on the subject of colours, mustard may not work for everyone, but that's fashion for ya! is it bad that i have never heard of malene birger?? please don't hate me: i'm relatively new to this! i did a little homework (not a nerd, this is a far cry of being all absorbed in like algebraic equations or something) and found out that, among other things, this Danish designer is a favourite of HRH Princess Mary. See, I told you we were waaaay behind Copenhagen! Whatever, her sloane pleated top is not only pretty and drapey, perfect for a casual brunch if that's your bag, but it is also reduced by 60% on net-a-porter! so go, quick! at least if i can't buy it, i can encourage you luckier ducks to. the wide hem i imagine would also further add to the exceptional shape. pair with a big pair of sunglasses and a skinny pant for that uber cool, albeit precisely carried off, "oh this? i just threw it on" look.

the infamous 'new-look' look is also still a major force: cinched waists, dramatic red pouts and pintuck curls... cute! being advertised as one of the 6 key looks for the season by net-a-porter, you can either purchase this belted coat by chloe; or, if you aren't as keen on the £1, 193.02 (precise, aren't they?) price tag as you are on the actual style, i'd opt for this electric blue delight from the urban collection, which is a mere $US76. i think the endearing popularity of this style is the way the silohuette flatters basically any and every woman's shape, no matter what it is. whether or not you have a classic, 1940's-esque hour glass figure, the new look silhouette can be rocked by everyone. in the case of those with beautiful marilyn monroe-like figures, it accentuates what is already there; and for those who have a more athletic, less curvaceous, figure the cinched waist creates an illusion. the fact is that the absolute majority of women the world over do not have a figure that fits into industry standards: sure, no doubt some do; but fashion shouldn't just be for the skinny minnies. every woman would like to look nice, to be complimented on her appearance, and every woman would also like to be able to buy trendy clothes: a lot of the time, that just isn't possible. i'm as much a fan of skinny jeans as the next girl, but the reality is that that trend isn't something i am able to wear. but a beautiful bright blue trench coat, belted at my waist? perfect.

in complete contrast, designers embracing a more masculine approach / asthetic when it comes to women's clothing is still apparent. obviously a trend that has been around for awhile, as "the boys club" even appears as a new look on http://www.dotti.com/: dotti, for those of you who don't know, is an australian-based clothing chain with a demographic targeting mainly the late teen to early 20's age bracket. outfits consisting of wide leg pants, tailoring, jodphurs and vests, like those seen at rag & bone can easily be re-created on the cheap. the 8 button suit vest from dotti is only $NZ50: anybody living down under should take advantage! but if you feel like a splurge, my pick is an alexander mcqueen tailored waistcoat. net-a-porter pairs it with slim black pants and a phillip lim blouse; i personally would head in a more casual direction: teaming it with some indigo skinny jeans, vintage band t-shirt and a baker boy cap would rock-star it up a bit. cliche, yes, but then again i'm a product of an age where we are all spoonfed by tabaloid images, and i guess sienna miller still rates with new zealand woman's day.

tights galore were paraded down the catwalk: and they have donned the legs of every single remotely fashionable girl for what seems like forever. even plain black opaques are reliving their day in the sun. bright colours & patterns are no longer reserved for summery dresses; seeing someone in a pair of violet tights is no longer a rarity. visit any street style blog, and you'll see an array of colours paired with anything and everything. check out these two examples from facehunter: i loved them both so much i couldn't pick a favourite! so this is what motherhood feels like. susie bubble did a post awhile back about patterned tights; ever since then i've been dreaming about these creations from celeste stein: her motto promises she'll knock ya socks off, and she ain't lying! and the coveted features a tutorial on how to create gradient tights here. alternatively, head to http://www.topshop.com/: they have stirrup footless tights in yellow, turquoise, purple, orange & red. but, just so you know, my favourite colours would have to be violet and navy.

shoe-wise, slip your feet into lace-up oxfords or chloe criss-crossed sandals (the platform variety, retro cool at it's finest, complete with perspex and wood fusion heel).

with a few exceptions, the look is returning to the glamour of the 1940s, with a modern edge: the lace-up oxfords from topshop, for example, aren't exactly katherine hepburn fare, but i get the feeling that IF katherine hepburn was a current screen goddess, this is totally the shoe she would be rocking.

meanwhile, a girl can dream..

these are a few of my favourite things... shoes, anyway.

listening to: 'untouched' - the veronicas

yo yo! well i took my sister shopping again today - i should so be a personal stylist! i dress other people better than i dress myself. alas, the grandpa cardigan she got on our last little expedition (the one i wanted to go buy for myself too) was no longer on sale... i almost threw a tantrum in the middle of the shop but managed to refrain (phew.). i was basically the epitome of restraint today - i only bought some truly yawn-worthy stationary. oh, and the most amazing scarf of all time. plus a pair of super cute little shoes for $20.

the shoes made me decide to post a couple pics of my little shoe collection: please note that this isn't even close to covering all the shoes i own, just my favourites. minus the pair of bright yellow flats a la amy winehouse (well, i think so anyway). they are getting a little battered so i'm planning on buying another pair - the third pair i will have owned. oh! and note that i don't wear my jeans that short, i was just kinda hitching them up for purposes of the photo. sadly, due to a high instep, combined with inherited (from both sides) squat feet-physique, my feet look pudgy and wide, but what you gonna do??

1. the new shoes... haha when i took this i didn't notice the box of wallpaper in the background. dad's keen to renovate the house a bit before he sells it. i love the rounded toe (i am heart'ing round toes at the moment) and the slight shine... though you can't really tell from my shoddy photography.

2.

my standard saturday night shoes... they have the tiniest kitten heel, which means i can get roaring drunk without endangering my life (you know, aside from the possibility of liver failure etc) while still maintaining a semblance of girly prettiness that comes with wearing heels... nothing else gives your hips such a life of their own.

3.
i fell in love with these and got them on an absolute whim... my very first paycheck from my very first fulltime job last september! the peeptoe is gorgeous, and i love how the wedge heel makes it a little easier to walk in such high shoes... i'm still (embarassingly enough!) a novice high-heeler. still haven't been brave enough to wear them, aside from dancing round in front of the mirror in my bedroom.

4.

again, digging the round toe look. i went through a stage where every single pair of shoes i owned had a pointy end but i'm kind of over that look.. i love how the round toes are reminscient of the 40s, an era which has gradually started to influence my idea of beautiful. they are really quite high, for my standards anyway, but the relatively solid heel makes it easier for said heel novice to walk without feeling like a dodo. since the heel is so heavy i've decided this pair looks much better with a pair of jeans rather than a skirt.

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!!

20: not off to a good start

listening to: 'new soul ' - yael naïm

last night was pretty much awful... i think i really need to talk to someone objective, because i don't talk to anyone and then everything i bottle up just comes out when i'm drunk and i make a big mess of things. dad asked me once if i wanted to talk to a grief counsellor but i kind of just brushed it aside and we haven't mentioned it again. but i think it's gotten a bit out of hand; i don't want to keep taking the way i feel out on my friends. it must be pretty bad if i can't even enjoy myself with them anymore, but lately i've been having crappy nights more than i've been having good nights.

this is a bit of a downer really! will post again later tonight... right now i can't even think of anything remotely interesting to say.

goodbye childhood...

listening to: '18 till i die' - bryan adams

ok so i'm not 18 anymore... and i'm almost not 19 anymore. 4 more minutes and i'll enter a different age bracket.

so depressed right now!