The Cowgirl Goes to Town

Snake print booties: ZARA
Leggings: WOLFORD
Frayed handbag: IMPERIAL FASHION
Golden cardigan: LIU JO
Wool and fur poncho: PINKO (some seasons ago)
Fedora: STYLIGION (last season)

Photo by MG

As in my previous post, fringing, ponchos, brown leathers, cowboy booties... are very trendy. This weekend I had fun trying a new cowgirl-goes-to-town outfit, mixing Wild West details with some little more sophisticated/urban vibes.  So, I mixed some items I already had, like the wool and fur poncho and the large fedora, with my recent Zara booties, that I already showed you, and a brand new frayed bag by Imperial Fashion, relatively inexpensive* but very cute (I like a lot the visual effect of the fringes flowing around my hips as long as I'm moving).

Come vi ho raccontato nel mio post precedente, lo stile western con le sue frange, ponchos, pelle color cuoio, stivaletti da cowboy... e' uno dei trend più  attuali della stagione. Questo weekend mi sono divertita a provare un nuovo look, sempre in stile "Western", ma in chiave più "cittadina", come piace a me. Per farlo ho combinato dei pezzi che già avevo (un poncho in lana e pelliccia e un cappello a tesa larga) con i miei nuovi stivaletti di Zara, che vi avevo mostrato, e una nuova borsa con le frange che ho trovato da Imperial Fashion, poco costosa**, ma molto carina secondo me (mi piace molto l'effetto delle frange che fluttuano seguendo i miei fianchi, mentre cammino).

Thanks for visiting my blog./ Grazie per aver visitato il mio blog. 

* All the items you can see on this blog belong to my personal closet, they are not some advertising merchandise offered by Fashion brands, unless otherwise stated. So, in particular for bags and shoes, I generally prefer to invest in some statement/more expensive items in more classic styles, that can stand the test of time, and go for cheaper options for more fashionable items.

** Tutti i pezzi che indosso nel mio blog appartengono al mio guardaroba personale, non sono offerti gratuitamente dalle case di moda a fini di marketing, se non espressamente dichiarato. Per questo motivo, cerco di trovare un equilibrio tra il mio desiderio di esplorare i nuovi trend che mi piacciono e la relativa spesa. In particolare per borse e scarpe, mi piace investire in qualche pezzo classico, anche costoso, ma da poter usare per più di una stagione, e scegliere invece dei pezzi meno costosi per seguire le mode del momento.

XOXO/ Baci

Spikey V.

Let's Sparkle...

Rock version - Photo by MG

Chic version - Photo by YLS

Golden pumps: ZARA - other designers' option here or here.
Zip Tights: WOLFORD
Faux-leather skinnies: MANGO (last season)

The Holiday Season is approaching and golden pumps can be a great accessory to sparkle in your Christmas and New Year parties. Actually they can be a more versatile item in your closet, than just shoes for parties: you can sport them with more casual outfits to add some extra glam to your day look, matching them for instance with jeans or some leather/faux leather skinnies, as in my picture above.

I went for a budget version by Zara, pretty inexpensive but cool. If you like this style you can also go for some gold killer heels by luxury designers, even more sophisticated (and pricey).

Thanks for visiting my blog.

XOXO

Spikey V.

The Cowgirl Chic Trend

Leather print booties: ZARA
Jeans skinny: SEXY WOMAN
Denim Shirt: MANGO
Necklace: ZARA
Sunnies: CHANEL

Photo by YLS

If you are a fashionable kinda girl, like me, you like exploring new trends, right? 

The Wild West is actually one of the hottest trends of the season (from Chanel to the main-street retailers, which readily followed this trend with lots of denim, fringing, ponchos, aztec print knits, prairie skirts and blouses, brown leathers and, of course, cowboy boots).

Well, after buying my new (gorgeous) Zara printed leather booties in Barcelona, I thought they were perfect to try a "cowgirl chic" outfit, a little different from my usual go-to Fall-Winter looks, which are more urban/rock-chic, based on black accessories. I matched these booties with some denim skinnies and shirt plus a large rhinestone necklace (also by Zara) dressed over the collared shirt* et voilà ... I like to keep things clean and simple. 

Btw if you like this trend, you can find many interesting items at the Spanish Fast Fashion giant: ponchos, quilted bags, knits, fancy collar necklaces ...

Thanks for visiting my website.

XOXO

Spikey V.

*Denim on denim and necklaces over the shirts are quite trendy too.

How to Sport Animalier Prints

Hat: Subdued
Leather jacket: Balenciaga Perfecto
Leopard Print Dress: Liu JO
Leggings: Wolford
Leopard scarf: Louis Vuitton
Tote: Chanel Shopping

Photo by YLS

I'm technically a sucker for animal prints... it seems I just can get enough about these prints, which are an evergreen in Fashion* and really fashionable in the current seasons. Many women love animalier prints, some others think they are a bit "too much". Actually there are many ways to use leopard and animalier prints with style, balancing their inner sensuality and sexiness:

1. Toning it down in colder shades, such as the gray leopard print I'm wearing in this pic, which I find pretty modern and easy.
2. Matching it with "less aggressive" accessories, for instance black leggings/jeans instead of nylons.
3. Another trick is avoiding super short and tight dresses or covering your top, if you are showing your legs, or vice versa, as many stylists suggest.
4. Limiting this print to one/two pieces for outfit (like the dress and scarf in my outfit)
5. Matching the leopard print with blacks or whites, also red and electric blue; another really fashionable way to sport leopard prints is to mix them with other prints (i.e. stripes, another fashion basic).

Thanks for visiting my website.

XO

Spikey V.

* It was Christian Dior in 1947 that first used leopard as a print.

Barcelona for Fashionistas and Urbanites

Barcelona is a real  open-minded and forward-thinking city, an amazing mix of traditions and modernity, which is attracting many urbanites from the globe.  Here my ten must-do in Barcelona for fashionistas and urbanites* (in no particular order, from my recent trip there):

1.   Don't know where to stay? One of the coolest hotel and scene of Barcelona night life is the W Barcelona Hotel and resident Eclipse Bar,  just in front of Barceloneta Beach.

Blazer and leopard print dress: Liu Jo
Stockings: Wolford
Pumps: Zara

2.   Barcelona is a Zara addict paradise: the density of Zara stores is the highest on universe in the city center (around Plaça de Catalunya), the merchandise is fully available in all styles/sizes and prices are a good 20% less than in the rest of Europe. Same applies for  Mango and Desigual. I couldn’t miss to buy two new pairs of Zara heels, ops...  :-)

Zip tights: WOLFORD
Golden Pumps: ZARA

3.    Passeig de Gràcia is the luxury shopping area, where you can find the Chanel, Saint Laurent, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik stores.... For the shoe lovers like me: here you can find a detailed list of shoe brands and stores  in Barcelona (International and Spanish, such as Castañer, Bibi Lou, Pura López, .... )

4.    Best tapas in town (no tourist trap, just be ready to queue):  Cerveseria Catalana, close to Passeig de Gracias

5.   Antoni Gaudí is the visionary artist and architect who shaped the city late 19th and early 20th century culture and landscape, his creations are a unique mix of fantasy, art, religion and technique...

Gaudi - Casa Batlló

6.    There are many ways to move in Barcelona: you can of course walk across the city main streets, full of people and things to be seen (Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia, the narrow streets in El Barrio), take the modern metro or one of the frequent bus tours, that you can get on and off all day long to stop visiting the places you prefer (these bus include an audio guide to the city and wi-fi access). There are actually many other pretty cool and even more flexible options to discover Barcelona at your own pace, i.e. renting an eBIKE connected to an iPhone with a built-in GPS device with GPS, a go-cart , a Twizy (a two-seater electric vehicle), or other eco-friendly vehicles.

7.    Barceloneta Beach is one of the liveliest and coolest area in the city: you can stroll, run, skate, bike, play tennis, tennis, paddle tennis, beach volley, waterpolo and actually surf …. Prior to the 1992 Olympic Games, Barceloneta was one of the worst areas of Barcelona (an ugly industrial zone , known as 'The Catalan Manchester') .

November in Barceloneta Beach

All pics are mine, except this one by Oscar.

8.    From the Montjuïc Cable Car you can  enjoy the best panoramic views of Barcelona (another amazing spot is the Miramar Hotel terrace at sunset).

9.  Barcelona offers a full variety of cuisines and restaurants. We were suggested by some local friends to try Roig Robi': "traditional Catalan cuisine, enhanced and adapted to suit modern tastes". We liked it.

10.  La Bouqueria Food Market. In the mid of Barcelona Ramblas: "At the Boqueria people eat, shop and gossip together doing what the Spanish excel at, living life well and enjoying a sense of community."  Best place for a quick, informal lunch sitting at the market stalls and tasting jamon serrano, embutidos and other local specialties.

When visiting this city, I'm sure you'll build easily your own must-go list... Enjoy.

Thanks for visiting my website. XOXO

Spikey V.

* Urbanite = A person who inhabits one of the major cities in the world, not necessarily defined by age, but by commonalities.  An urbanite is an affluent consumer with an optimistic outlook on life that is very different from those who live in "small town" or rural areas. Urbanites are both a subculture and a contemporary lifestyle. They have 6 key characteristics: Time-poor, city-proud, media-literate, brand-centric, trend-sensitive and culturally-aware. Read more