Amp up the Bling

I love me a good dose of Sparkle. So why don't I use it a lot?

Here's the thing: when you look at the amount of fashion related stuff that I do (you can believe that is a LOT, lot of stuff on a very daily basis) is very easy to get bored and start demanding a lot more from your clothes. And I'm not even talking visually, but quality wise. No more polyester once you've mastered silk!

Sparkly things that you know you want

Which brings me to cheap bling: I hate it. I hate it with all my might (unless, you know, you are owning the cheap look and in that case kudos to you for being awesome). Plastic beading is not great. Glued beading in never ok. Nothing good comes from polyester.

So while I'm fainting at some very expensive, utterly out of my budget, designer sparkle I tend to keep bling free.

Chanel, Dries Van Noten, Haider Ackermann, Marc Jacobs, Meadham Kirchhoff

Or do I? What I love the most about second hand shopping: you can get amazing garments for so much less. And when I found a pure silk top with glass beading, I know it had to be mine.

And this beauty is mine, all mine

Moral to this story? Love thy bling. Shop second hand. Never stop believing. That is all.

Bare with me

It seems like every year, as the sun decides to start showing, I'm having this conversation again: Summer is coming. Shorts are getting shorter. Tops are getting smaller. And there's nothing wrong about that.

Photo by Miles Aldridge

But let us start from the beginning. I simply adore the human body. I do not care if you are tall or short, skinny or chubby, dark or pale: YOU ARE GLORIOUS. Your body is an amazing machine, capable of dreamy impossibilities. Together, you two have survived this far... and I'm betting that's a lot to survive. We've all been to hell a couple of times and came back to tell the story. Thank that body of yours.

Photo by Laurence Philomene

So please, PLEASE! treat it nicely. Don't hate on it.

And if you feel like showing it that's great. And if you decide you don't want to show it, that's great too. THAT IS YOUR CHOICE. No one should feel entitled to making that decision for you.

Which brings me to the theme of short shorts. EVERY SINGLE YEAR PEOPLE. Every single year I ear mean, depreciative, harmful comments about shorts. Usually something among the lines of being too revealing for someone that (young, old, skinny, fat, tall, short.... you get the picture).

It's hot outside. Shorts are comfortable. My body is none of your damn business.

There you go. Happy Summer!

Photo by Helmut Newton

History Lesson - The T-shirt

There's nothing like a T-shirt: A piece you can throw over your head for just about any occasion, from a gala to the apocalypse. 

I'd call it an unsung love but, truth be told, I talk about my undying love for t-shirts at pretty much any occasion. T-shirts are awesome. That is all.

So let's talk about them. A T-shirt is a shirt in a T-shape. Sound simple right?

I've been in love with these from Moschino since day one. Christmas anyone?

It is believed that t-shirts are a natural evolution from the undergarments from the 19th century and, as a matter of fact, T-shirts were considered as undergarments for the longest time. Most definitely not fit for using as outwear. Of course people started noticing those simple pieces were very, very practical and started using them as work wear. Still not fit for use on a daily basis but great to get dirty (especially in hot environments: you know, like miners).

In 1904 this simple piece of clothing started being advertised as bachelor undershirts ("No safety pins - no buttons - no needle - no thread!")

We can no longer call a t-shirt basic! Calvin Klein Collection and Splendid

And then came the navy. The US Navy that is. By 1905 you could read in the Uniform Regulations that a cotton "undershirt" (The word T-shirt became part of American English by the 1920s) was to be used underneath the uniform, being exposed for exercise and work (so it would get dirty instead of the uniform itself).

We now have a lot of choice, with new materials and great construction. Alexander Wand and J.Crew

With the end of World War II, veterans started using their t-shirts along with the uniform trousers out and about! It became a casual staple and a symbol of american pride. That's how it begun being used by boys and young men in casual environments. It was a matter of time until it reached the Silver Screen, where stars like Marlon Brando and James Dean made it popular.

And then there was love. Printed t-shirts started on the 50's and never stopped. By the 60's we had tie dye. By the 80's the hem went higher and lower for t-shirt dresses and crop tops. By the 90's those bad boys were absolute staples, symbols of rebellion and youth expression.

From the white t-shirt to the shirt dress, life is great. Madewell and T by Alexander Wang

So there you go, next time someone calls your jeans-and-tshirt outfit lazy throw some history at them. Make a stand!

And love your t-shirts a little more everyday. I know I will.


On the Catwalk:

Chanel Resort 17, For Restless Sleepers SS16, Manish Arora SS15, Babyghost SS16

Moschino SS16, Junya Watanabe SS15, Babyghost SS16, Txell Miras SS15

On my list:

 Freebird Apparel, on etsy

Karizma, on etsy

Welcome Friends!

Hello, hello!

A new corner of the internet opens today. This little project started after a couple of years writing in portuguese. But as I become more and more a citizen of the world, living in different places and meeting new people, writing in english just makes sense.

Like many in their 20s, I've been living out of a suitcase. Graduated in Fashion Design around 2 years ago, work as popped up in different countries. And I go where opportunity is.

This comes with many adventures, a lot of amazing people and an unimaginable amount of growth. But do not forget it comes also with many challenges: DO NOT INSULT MY GENERATION. We have our flaws but we are fighters.

Since starting to (finally) make some money of my own, my buying rules get more strict: I DON'T BUY CHEAP SHIT. Did I cut fast fashion completely? No, of course not. Why? Because it's really, really hard. But I do collect a lot of vintage, second hand and independent brands, Also, I don't buy a lot and that makes a huge difference. If I don't need it and won't make me happy, it's not worth it.

So hop on and come along. It's going to be a hell of a ride!