The Basics: Denim Brights

One of the easiest ways to add spring cheer to your look is with brightly coloured denim. I love the entire Christopher Kane for J Brand collaboration. Great denim jackets and jeans in neon green, shocking pink and tangerine. 

Keep the rest of your look simple to avoid looking too fashion victim-- it's never good to wear multiple trends at once.

These photos are from SXSW in Austin so I add to pay tribute to Texas with the cowboy boots.

The Basics: The Rain Hat

I've just come back from SXSW (South by Southwest) in Austin, TX. First time at the festival and first time in Austin. Austin is a great city and it's also very weird. I saw great acts: Frankie Rose, Theophilus London and I even got to see Jay-Z! I also ate from lots and lots of food trucks, maybe one meal too many but it was all great fun.

The first few days of the festival were plagued with rain. Usually, torrential downpours  hinder major fashion statements but this doesn't have to be the case. Which brings me to my next must-have basic: a chic rain hat. 

This taupe Prada rain hat is both practical, light-weight, waterproof and easy to fold up, and stylish, in a neutral colour with a flattering brim. 

Also, check out the beautiful Shala Monroque in her crystal embellished Prada rain hat. 

Do you have an umbrella alternative? What do you wear for rainy days? 

The Basics: The Dress With Sleeves

Last month, I wrote about assessing your wardrobe and differentiating between needs and wants. Part of this assessment involves finding the gaps in your wardrobe: where are you lacking? What's missing from your ideal closet?

Last year, I realised I had very few really good pants; pants that fell correctly on the waist, were hemmed to the ideal length and could go from day to night. Now, I'm happy to say I have three pair of trousers I absolutely love.

Fast forward to this season, all of the Fall 2012 collections have been debuted in their various cities and I'm looking to buy on a strictly as-needed basis (even though there are some very tempting trends)!

So what am I lacking most? Dresses with long sleeves. It sounds bizarre, 'dresses with sleeves' aren't a perennial wardrobe staple but allow me to explain....

Most of us can relate to this dilemma:

We have found the perfect dress, shoe, bag and overcoat. We arrive, store our coat and then suddenly find ourselves  in this awkward middle ground: between our sleeveless party dress and our coat (now in coat check) we're bound to be a little chilly. Pashminas once warmed our cold shoulders, but since 2000 we've stored them away. A simple cropped cardigan can work but too often than not, the sweater covers the beauty of the dress. Many run to the smoking jacket or boyfriend blazer, but it's still not the same as showing off the dress. Time to cut out the middle-man and get straight to the point: the dress with sleeves! No need for sweaters, wraps, blazers or cropped knits because the function is already built in.

Here are the long sleeved dresses I've got my eye on for F/W 2012.

Video Art: Running

My latest video. Part II of my Video Art series. Enjoy!

Because I always feel like running
Not away, because there is no such place
Because, if there was I would have found it by now
Because it's easier to run,
Easier than staying and finding out you're the only one...who didn't run
Because running will be the way your life and mine will be described
As in "the long run"
Or as in having given someone a "run for his money"
Or as in "running out of time"
Because running makes me look like everyone else, though I hope there will ever be cause for that
Because I will be running in the other direction, not running for cover
Because if I knew where cover was, I would stay there and never have to run for it
Not running for my life, because I have to be running for something of more value to be running and not in fear
Because the thing I fear cannot be escaped, eluded, avoided, hidden from, protected from, gotten away from,
Not without showing the fear as I see it now
Because closer, clearer, no sir, nearer
Because of you and because of that nice
That you quietly, quickly be causing
And because you're going to see me run soon and because you're going to know why I'm running then
You'll know then
Because I'm not going to tell you now.