Mr. Stylish

It is very very late and my eyes are begging me to go to bed, but I just had to share these photos with you. I have been adding to my stylist portfolio, and my fantastic husband was the first to volunteer as a model. Here are some pictures of the outfits we put together!! There will be more to follow..

Hope you like! Would love to hear what you think :)

xxx

In the Market for a Pretentious Frog?

As one works for a company that sells a plethora of ties, I think I can say that for the most part, Ive seen them all. Spots, stripes, paisleys, squiggles, vines, crazy or conservative, I know ties. So when I stumbled across this store on etsy, I was in awe! This etsy store has the wildest ties, I adore them!

 The store is called Scatterbrain Ties, and they opperate out of Utah. These ties are hand drawn by the man behind the company, Michael Phipps, and then screen printed on Microfibre, but if you're one with more discerning taste you can opt to have it printed on Silk instead.

Seriously, who doesnt enjoy a good illustration of a frog wearing a waistcoat? It's so Beatrix Potter. I can think of at least five men of the top of my head that I could buy that for, and they would love me forever because of it.



This Abe Lincoln tie is just fantastic, dont you think? 

 So perhaps the next time you need to buy a tie for your dad, or you're looking for an interestng gift for your man, check out this store! I'm officially a fan.

xxx

Inspire Me? Paloma Faith.

Let me just start by saying I have had a fairly emotional/hectic week. For starters, my beautiful sister-in-law gave birth the the most adorable little girl in the world! Her name is Emilee Ann Hannah and we flew up to meet her and coo over her last week. Seriously, she's the cutest - I am so going to be the cool Auntie that sends her thousands of presents.

 However, it just so happens that all our family lives in one of the most un-inspiring places in the country - the Sunshine Coast. I hate that place so much.  Now I'm terribly sorry if my opinion offends you, but I hope I have established already with my 'fur' blog that I'm perfectly comfortable with a little offence. I digress. Let me just say, the Sunshine Coast sucks the life out of me. I don't quite know why, I think it's a large combination of things, but after spending almost a whole week there I felt like a flat pickle.  I've spent the last two days since we've been back home in Melbourne walking around like I'm a zombie. I've been recycling the same outfits over and over because my creativity button refuses to switch on. I walk out of our apartment and feel insanely disappointed with what I find. I hate feeling like this!! So today, I forced myself into the city to have cupcakes with a dear friend, and the world was nice again. And then my Irregular Choice shoes arrived!! And they are just the most loveliest colour, it makes me feel all warm inside. What did I tell you? Its the simple things in life. Sometimes you just need that extra little kick to help you feel inspired.

SO, in the spirit of getting inspired, I thought I'd share some of what inspires me. I could go on and on for days about different people that just make me tick, but today I thought I'd start with a lovely english girl names Paloma Faith. She's a pop starlet, I'm sure you've heard of her, and if there was one person on the planet right now whose wardrobe I would love the keys to, it would be hers.

(Paloma and Noel Fielding on Never Mind the Buzzcocks. I watched this episode a dozen times on YouTube in utter fascination and those gorgeous pompoms.)

The thing I love about Paloma Faith is that she goes all the way with her creative expression. There's no bigger joy kill for me than people who insist that you have to water down your fashion statements to make them more people friendly. You know how it is - don't go too out there, just put a little bit of creativity here and there, mix it in with your sensible clothes. Lets not ruffle any feathers, God forbid someone thinks you're kooky!! If you know anyone who thinks like that, kindly give them a slap for me, would you?

Paloma gladly embraces her kookiness, and I love her for it. Her music isn't all that bad either, incidentally. I am so thankful that there are people in the world who don't give a damn about what people think of them. I aim to be one myself, though I have to admit I have my weak moments.

She is so obviously an all or nothing kind of girl, it makes me happy. Just so you know, that last picture I found in a blog entitled '20 weirdest celebrity faux pass'. Damn those critical small-minded bitches. This outfit is fabulous, and that's that. I have been totally convinced that two toned tights are exactly what my wardrobe needs - its so perfect, how did I not think of that before??  Here's one more for the road..

(Paloma with Josh Weller, who is another equally fabulous human being.)

So there, I hope you feel a little bit inspired. Paloma always makes me feel better.

xx

Tickle your Toes!

You know, I think there is true merit in enjoying life with a little bit of a childish attitude. Tantrums? Perhaps not. But there is something special about enjoying the simple things in life, happiness seems so much more achievable that way! I treasure the fact that a pair of shoes can make my whole day, sometimes my whole week! Life can be so wonderful when you get excited over pretty colours or enchanted by things that sparkle.

So, with that in mind, I simply have to tell you about my favourite new shoes and the fabulous people that made them!! Irregular Choice are a UK based company and they make the most spectacular shoes EVER.
Just look at these gorgeous things!!

These shoes tickle me all the way to my toes! Irregular Choice have recently collaborated with London College of Fashion (on of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world), and the top right red and white pinstripe is one of the fantastic creations they produced. Simply beautiful!!Yes, I am definitely falling head over heels with IC. I already own one pair (Minnie Mouse inspired with big black bows), and I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my second. And just look at them - they have cats!! Cats!! How do they come up with such fantastic ideas??

As you are no doubt finding these adorable shoes irresistible (and if you aren't then I really have no idea how to relate to you), here's a handy secret tip - always check to see if the darlings you want are on ebay first (ebay.co.uk, not ebay.com.au), because they will almost always be cheaper. I know its not very loyal, but in this economy loyalty rarely exists. The only flaw of Irregular Choice (every one has to have one), is that they charge 25 Pounds for international postage. Ouch. 

So, if you need a new pair of shoes that make you feel all giddy on the inside, now you know who makes them! I hope this has brought a little bit of joy to your day.

xx

Not to be controversial, BUT....

So in the spirit of starting with a BANG, let me confess that I absolutely adore fur. Now before you start screaming murder, lets talk about this in a polite, civilised fashion. I am not talking about endangered creatures or anything like that. Im talking about fox or rabbit, for example. Many suburban Australians dont quite realise that foxes and rabbits are pests, farmers must shoot them to save their crops and animals.If the must do this anyway, isn't it more prudent and less wasteful to utilise the parts of the animal that can be used? People eat rabbit all the time in restaurants, so why not keep the fur and turn it into a bolero or a scarf?

Anyway, you get my basic point, though I'm happy to discuss it futher if you have a problem with what I'm saying. Lets move on from our lovely ethical discussion and look at some pretty things!

This beaver fur coat takes my breat away every time I see it. I would genuinely expect to see this in a museum  exhibit of 1940's winter fashion, but here it is, on sale on Etsy. If I had a spare $600 I would buy it in a heartbeat, and think about whether or not it would fit later.

Now I know this next item goes against my previous assurances about endangered animals, but because it's vintage, the damage has already been done anyway, right? Anyway, I stumbled across this real leopard fur collar and I was instantly drawn to such a naughty idea!

There's just something about fur that takes us back into that primitive mindset of hunters and gatherers, of wooden huts and big fires, simple survival. I find it so sexy. Which is why men in fur is one of my favorite things - like Russell Crowe in Gladiator.. It's a shame that we dont get to see men like this anymore.

And so, to scale it down to a more modern idea (which I feel is a collossal shame), I have found a rather lovely fur collared coat that does not scream I-AM-A-HOMOSEXUAL that my husband wishes we could afford to buy for him..Isnt it lovely?  

Please excuse me while I daydream about a little cabin in the woods...

xx

Now lets not get ahead of ourselves..

I have so many things I'm looking forward to sharing with you, but I suppose I should start with me..

My name is Yaneka (as you no doubt have figured out already) pronounced ya-nee-kah. I live in Melbourne and I've been married for almost 8 months. I lived in London for a year and it will soon become obvious to you that my heart is still there. Its okay, Melbourne is nice too.

I have been working in fashion and retail for years, and I knew that Fashion was what I wanted to do after a brief stint working at Vivienne Westwood in London. So, I am about to start studying Fashion Business at Melbourne Fashion Institute, and perhaps after I finish Business I might move on to Design.

SO, in short, my name is Yaneka and Vivienne Westwood is a Queen. We are all on the same page? Good.