// 2ndhand coat

Posted on | January 24, 2012 | No Comments

This lovely wool coat was waiting for me in UFF 5€ day — it comfortably accommodates my chunky sweaters underneath. The generous lines don’t mind a little bulk underneath — but I do like to pair it with skinny jeans to avoid excessive aunty vibes. Nothing wrong with aunty vibes, though, it’s just my personal preference to mix a bit from here and there. I also feel that neutrals like this love a drop of bright, like my neon Cambridge Satchel I bought last winter. Or a colorful scarf… …there’s actually a lack of those in my wardrobe and as a first aid I snatched this rather nice speckled one from remains of Zara sale. Would not mind a brighter one, though. Jeans Cheap Monday, shoes Surface to Air and the grey leopard scarf in lightweight wool H&M.

I feel that all fun in winter wear is about outerwear — coats, scarves, hats… …too bad they occupy such an amount of space. Wool and leather coats, even fur are so fun to thrift!

Honestly I don’t wear heels outside now (snow… …ice… …bruises… …broken bones…) but my black chelsea boots are continuously wet, just could not drag them to our living quarters…

Posted on | January 24, 2012 | No Comments

// The everyday story

Posted on | October 14, 2011 | 9 Comments

Dear all. Im’ here to warn you about the dangers of self-employment. You might end up on endless rut of wearing T:s and denim — and getting overtly excited about a pair of jeans that don’t act as a cat hair magnet at all. Imagine the couple of extra minutes you get to share with your morning cuppa…

T-shirt by Blood Is the New Black, rubber coated jeans Cheap Monday, Rützou wedges.

This is also the time of year I try to extend wearing my lightweight leather jackets (that one is a great sales find from Selected Femme from last year) — the favorite fabric piles include this DIY poncho with gorgeous texture, it acts like a giant snood — an the yeti like Mongolian lamb vest, adding scarves and other sheepy items depending on the temperature. And what’s the thing with the fabric bags — I seem to pick one almost every day over my leather ones… I love the lightness and that carefree look of them — plus this one made of H&M Lanvin collaboration fabric remnants is particularly cheerful.

Posted on | October 14, 2011 | 9 Comments

// How yellow

Posted on | August 14, 2011 | 1 Comment

Pairing the bright yellow Zara shirt to utilitarian blue / gray origami skirt. The accent color used like this reminds me safety garments — and the effect is slightly wrong — maybe that’s why it feels right to me. I like how there is some severity in the combination of these feminine, soft pieces.

Skirt is 2or+, my trustworthy Rützou wedges — AA tank top underneath the yellow blouse gives a hint of refreshing white. With bright red lip my face does not look all washed out…

Posted on | August 14, 2011 | 1 Comment

// With live preview

Posted on | July 27, 2011 | 1 Comment

I thought that live preview option on computer screen would make taking self-portraits easier… …but truth to be told I’m not convinced yet. Canon EOS Utility is buggy as hell and freezes in regular intervals. The live face detection mode is difficult to control, the software seems to lose the focus as easily as it gets it. And… …the remote does not work when in computer control mode. I have to examine this, there has to be a way around. Controlling the shoot with mouse and keyboard was not particularly fun.

Anyway, this is an attempt to shoot my summer dressing. We are experiencing such a great summer this year, high temperatures and sunny skies day after day. My already modest beauty routines are in complete state of forestation and I walk around in frizzy, curly hair (it frizzes and curls anyway in this hot and humid weather so why bother) and with minimal makeup.

Dressing is also simple, I’m wearing an old Diesel Black Gold jersey dress — it’s constructed from sheer knee length top layer with subtle wrinkle effect and shorter lining — and it looks surprisingly sharp for a jersey dress. I like to use clothes for sun protection (vs. iffy creams) and this lightweight Zara silk kimono is an excellent piece to throw over almost any summer ensemble. It works as a jacket and a blouse, it has button up front and a wide obi-style belt for further styling options. Considering I bought it in haste (do seagulls shit on people on purpose?) I’m liking it quite a bit! Horn necklace from Savage Salvage — and the body chain DIY.

Posted on | July 27, 2011 | 1 Comment

// Klein blue heat

Posted on | June 13, 2011 | 9 Comments

Summer in this country is full of surprises — last week was awesome… …heat, sun, summery winds — and the rude awakening to the state of heat appropriate part of my wardrobe. There’s nothing wrong on going to park in a pair of jean cutoffs — but hey, I have still some work to do before holiday. Structured skirts crease, delicate fabrics stain, high percentage man made fibers feel like plastic…

So, the quick solution was this lightweight pair of palazzo pants from Zara. My wardrobe truly has lacked a pair of super wide leg.The fabric is actually awesomely heat proof, it is a mix of cool viscose and polyester — it dries instantly, breathes well and drapes so beautifullyand a light crease finish makes it extremely easy to wear. Can’t really say that they are flattering to my average height, normal weight frame — but do I really care? Nevertheless, the amount of lightweight fabric around my legs feels quite luxurious — and they are so comfortable to wear!

I really like strong and bright blues — but again I was not into color blocking — gave in to minimalism, though. Soft nudes, browns, golds and bronze mix also well with this shade. My simple peachy nude silk shell is ancient and from French Connection (I love it, but honestly I still feel too boobalicious in it, thus the side poses with strategically placed hand…), plain chocolate brown wood soled sandals from Bianco — and the resin bangle by Sobral adds the finishing touch.

Posted on | June 13, 2011 | 9 Comments

// Bending the office code

Posted on | June 1, 2011 | 1 Comment

I know that in the near future I will be wearing jackets and blazers more than I have used to lately. But I probably can get away with less than formal ones… …maybe with that printed one from Topshop, soft and easy kimono style from Zara — or fabulously reduced NOM*D painted blazer from Amelie Boutique sale (thanks again, Kingdom of Style!).

Posted on | June 1, 2011 | 1 Comment

// Casual stripes

Posted on | May 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

Sorry about the downtime and other technical problems. I’ve had some bad luck lately — first the problems with the name service, and now the server just broke down… …good timing, though, I’ve had not too much time for this blog in past couple of weeks.

Duh, I wish that this Zara cotton silk shirt is not a straight-off-replica of something Jil Sander — cuz I did buy it. I have had really hard time keeping myself off from shopping all the jewel tones… …so rare in actual production and shop shelves, at least here in North (I have a theory that the adventurousness of buyers has inverse correlation to latitude).

But I did not do that color blocking thingy — just wanted to wear this first with my usual casual stuff, laid back, all loose, unflattering, comfy, lovely. Stripping the “nowness” off from these cheap high street stripes… …which goes well with my old All Saints grandpa-meets-harem (I’m not thinking what you are thinking…) pants, pair of Chucks and Margiela MM6 coated fabric bag. The vintage neck cuff probably does not make any sense to anyone except me… …but there it is.

Posted on | May 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

// Red

Posted on | May 3, 2011 | No Comments

If there is one psychologically difficult color for me it’s definitely red. I love the energizing effect of it, but I have hard time figuring out how to wear such an attention screaming color.

However, seeing it currently literally everywhere I’m starting to warm up. I would like my red to be bright and fresh, perhaps slightly shifting to either coral or raspberry. For cautious approach to it I have been looking for bottoms, they would be easy enough to tame with my slouchy neutral tops. Oh… …the clothes shopping ban — well it was not for jeans and I could truly add a pair, my slightly shrunken frame has changed most from the bottom half and all too many jeans of mine just don’t fit anymore.

The pair above from Zara would have been perfect, especially the subtle coating looked really good in person — but they don’t fit. 38 is loose from the leg an thigh, 36 gives me awful muffin top (I’m very surprised about Zara bottom fit, their tops tend to be small, but bottoms are, well, generous — and definitely cut for very feminine shape. And yes, I have only skirts and tops from there…). Suggestions of anything 1) fresh bright red 2) tight or fitting 3) casual 4) cropped or foldable?

Posted on | May 3, 2011 | No Comments

// DIY clutch

Posted on | April 21, 2011 | 3 Comments

So I converted an old leather jacket to this large clutch bag. I loved the heavy leather and striped construction — but unfortunately I did not get along well with the shape and size of the jacket. It cost me one euro — and the original thought was to reuse the fabric if the jacket was left unused.

I thought that this would be a simple little project — just cut the piece from the middle back of the jacket, sew on the metallic zipper and sides — add a long leather stripe to the zipper for easy pulling action… Well, the back piece was weirdly asymmetrical and it took four attempts before I got the pleats right — they give the clutch subtly softer shape and balance the asymmetry.

There’s also a confession to made. My clothes shopping ban has worked relatively well, I have purchased only few second hand things, couple of accessories and maybe couple of t-shirts so far this year. But when the bright jewel tones of this summer arrived I could not resist, I fell not just for this one jewel toned skirt from Zara… …something else bright and new in my wardrobe as well, back to that later. On the other hand I did not get the jeans I was after this spring, so be it.

Excuse my chicken legs… …I do use short skirts and shorts when temperatures rise, but now it is definitely too early. This time I was after my chartreuse tights for this photoshoot, but just could not find them. Shoes are from Topshop and stripy shirt from Weekday.

Posted on | April 21, 2011 | 3 Comments

// Star-spangled rip-off

Posted on | April 10, 2011 | No Comments

In Finnish blogs there has been some interesting discussion about fakes, copies and rip-offs. I haven’t paid much thought for this issue until recently — I’m not after that certain “Celine” or “Chloé” –look — or whatever is the hottest shit this season so my interest to high street rip-offs is low by nature.

Needless to say I would never buy a pirate copy of any product.

Anyhow… …I bought a pair of Jeffrey Campbell shoes from the winter sales. I knew those JC ways to rip-off a designer look and then produce about million variants of the theme cashing out all fashion inclined with limited budget — but I could not associate anything particular to this model so I went for it. Duh, the shoes are almost 1:1 copy of Stella McCartney wedges — I don’t pay much attention to her accessories because she does not use leather — and I don’t use plastic shoes (unless they happen to be Westwood for Melissa wing wedges — which I still don’t have — and even with these I would love to go for the original leather version if it were available). Hmm. I feel embarrassed. I don’t want to do this ever again.

I have done a lot of high street shopping during my lifetime and I do have respect especially for H&M group, even the main chain has some original design thing going on all the time, not to mention the crown jewels of the group: COS, Weekday and Monki, they sure prove that it is possible to make original and inventive clothing in middle and low price range. I do shop in Zara occasionally — although I’m truly aware of them ripping off the most wearable catwalk looks and practically riding on that. But they do use good materials, cut a nice jacket and I do dig that they don’t advertise at all.

So… …I picked up that super pretty scarf there couple of months ago. I needed a lightweight, neutral colored one. The ultra light wool-rayon mix scarf had a nice hand feel and those little stars really appealed to me.

Fast forward to our Rome trip. I spotted some Faliero Sarti scarves at a window of some boutique and went in to have a decent look. One of them was scattered with little white stars and had a really nice hand feel…

So this Zara scarf is another 1:1 rip-off. What really blows me is that they are copying a high profile, exclusive brand that does not mean a thing to maybe 90% (or more) of the regular high street fashion consumers. How should I interpret this? Maybe they are just too lazy to design anything of their own? Maybe they trust the minor percentage of their customers to recognize the reference and happily go for the cheaper version? (Personally I’m pretty sure that most of those who know that brand can afford an original one…)

Anyway — I got pretty sick… …this is not the kind of entrepreneurship I want to support. I’m not throwing off these lame copies, I’m using them and remembering every time I wear them what I really want to support. Original design, that is. Or a nice, well done interpretation of a classic — some shapes and constructions truly are too general to be owned by anyone…

This is the original Faliero Sarti for comparison…

…the other stuff I’m wearing in the picture: Day Birger & Mikkelsen silk secretary blouse, CK bra, Filippa-K pants, Pura Lopez pumps, vintage heraldic necklace.

Posted on | April 10, 2011 | No Comments

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About

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Contact: kamicha (a) gmail dot com

I'm especially interested in young designers creations, non-established labels and indie fashion. So if you have something interesting to show, feel free to contact!

You can find Finnish design from both specific and some outfit posts - but both are tagged.

You might be also interested in DIY posts, How-to posts, DIY ideas - or my adventures in Etsy =).

More about me and this blog.