Back.. again. Birthday Bargain Shopping, and THE Dress!

Alright, so I might have lied a little bit in my last post by saying that I was going to be more active, but I’m almost done with my finals which means that it’s going to become a reality very soon!

I will be having a very refreshing break from my finals though, as it’s my birthday on Saturday! The only reason I am mentioning this is because… I obviously went shopping for the occasion!

Before I went shopping, I sat down and thought about what exactly it was that I was looking for. I ended up deciding that I want a simple dress that looked a little different from what I would usually wear. Additionally, as this birthday is my 21^st, I knew for a fact that something would either be spilled on or burn my dress in the celebration process (I’m very clumsy), and therefore I did not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a birthday dress. What does that mean? That’s right, another ‘bargain shopping’ post for Beirut!

I found my dress on Hamra, in a store called Duroc (I’m guessing because that’s what the bag says, but I’ll update it if I’m mistaken), it’s next to Starbucks. The funny thing is, it was the store with the worst display I have ever seen. I normally would not have gone in, but after looking at so many horrible stores with sad excuses for dresses (I tried on a white dress in one store, and it was completely see through!!) I was desperate enough to give it a chance. The front of the shop slightly depressed me, until I got to the back where the dresses were. I actually pulled out 6 great dresses to try on out of that little hole-in-the-wall. The prices are very reasonable, my dress was only LL 92,000, and my goal was to find a dress under $100 so that if anything were to happen to it, it wouldn’t be that much of a loss. I am very much considering going back for another dress that I really liked. So, I have a message to send: don’t judge a store by its window display; it is very possible that the old woman who owns it just has really bad taste.

On to the shoes! Another hole in the wall, or rather hole in the ground. This store is slightly more eye-catching on Hamra, it’s called Rubi and it is a store which sells bags, shoes, and faux bijoux. I saw a pair of shoes in the window and thought they looked amazing, and so I went inside. I have to admit, there are a whole bunch of “hooker shoes”, as I’ve heard them being called, but there is an equal balance of shoes that people would actually wear. I tried the shoes on and loved them. Now came the moment of truth, finding out how much it cost. I definitely wasn’t going to spend more money on shoes than I did on the dress, because I was more than certain that by the end of the night, knowing me, something would go terribly wrong with the shoes on my feet. Imagine my excitement when I was told that the shoes were only $50! Obviously, I bought them immediately.

Moving away from bargain shopping, I finally picked up the dress that I bought for my cousin’s wedding. (This is my proof that I have been very busy, as I bought the dress in April, and only picked it up last week). It is perfect. They tailored it to fit me exactly, and I love it even more that I did when I first bought it, so here it is!

Dress: 5th Avenue, Le Mall

Gaza: investigate the raid, end the blockage. Sign the petition

Dressing is a way of life - Yves Saint Laurent

Feels Like Summer!

I know that I haven’t been blogging as frequently, in fact I haven’t posted anything in a while. There is a very good reason for this though. It’s almost the end of the semester, so I have heaps of work to get done. Another thing is that I’ve joined a gym. I never thought it would be possible, but I did. So those are the factors in my life that are taking away from my blogging time. I am not giving up though, I’m going to try and make some time from now on.

Whether the weather likes it or not, summer is here. Everyone is tanned again, and Riviera is back to its old self: filled with oiled up university students standing in the pool with a drink in hand, while slightly moving to the music. As summer so obviously comes with beach time, I’ve decided to dedicate this post to summer 2010’s swimsuit trends.

Cutaway Monokinis

Gottex

Max Azria

Max Azria

Note: if you’re a tanning junkie, these swimsuits are NOT for you! Cutaway “monokinis” are for those who like to go to the beach in style. They’re really funky, and can give off a very sexy vibe. You have to be careful picking yours out though, because a little extra flesh exposed can turn that sexy look into a skanky one.

One-shoulder bikinis

Marios Schwab

Victoria's Secret

I personally love the “off the shoulder” look when it comes to clothes, and now we can get this look with swimwear. These one-shoulder bikinis are very cute, and come in a number of different styles. The only thing I would worry about is how supportive that one strap is, as I have a very bad history with bikini tops slipping off. If I can find a way to secure that this style of swimwear will stay on me at all times, I am definitely buying myself one!

Colours, colours, colours!

Ed Hardy

Forever 21

Forget that simple black bikini, this summer it’s all about standing out in vibrant colours. I don’t know how well that’s going to work with me, since I’m someone who is very dedicated to black, but I’m willing to give it a shot because the colourful bikinis that I’ve been seeing at the beach are too cute for words.

Plunging necklines

Hurley

Jessica Simpson Swimwear

Poko Pano

They were in for a while, and now they’re back. Again, this is not the best choice for sun soaking girls, as it will leave you with a very awkward tan line. However, these will d great for beach parties, which come pouring in with the summer heat. There are many different styles and these are often accessorized, making them not so practical for swimming, yet perfect for partying.

Vests?

True Religion

I’m unsure about this trend. I’m actually leaning heavily towards disliking this trend, but I night grow into it. For now, all I’m going to say is: it looks like it would be quite hard trying to swim in a vest. What do you guys think about this trend?

Stay tuned, as I will be searching the streets of Beirut (and possibly beyond) throughout the week for stores that hold all of these very in and very stylish swimsuits!!

And finally, check me out on Chanty's Blog. And definitely check out Beirut Beauty, the other blog mentioned with mine!!

Sources:

Fashionising.com

About.com: Petite Fashion

Seven Carats - All That Shimmers

Seven Carats is an online store, founded by Layal Chemaitelly. She is also the designer of all Seven Carats items, and they are all her original ideas. Shipping will not be a problem for anyone, as Seven Carats ships all over the world via DHL. You must now be thinking, "that's great and all, but what is Seven Carats?"

My cousin told me about SC very briefly, and I decided to go online and check it out myself. When I did, I have to say I was extremely impressed. It is an online accessory store! Not only are the designs breathtaking (not to mention hand-made), but there is also an enormous variety of items that SC offers. Here is a list of items that can be found at SC:

Divine Scripture Covers – These are covers for Holy Books, customized to suit almost any personality!

Mobiles/Laptops/iPods/Cameras/Cars/Keys/Lighters – SC crystallizes all mentioned items with your choice of colour and design, and in the case that you don’t really know what you’re looking for, they are willing to discuss some ideas with you until you are satisfied with a design.

Other – There is even a crystallized “argeeleh” available online, it’s just too cute!

All crystals are guaranteed Swarovski crystals, and the items and designs vary between different styles and budgets. Definitely check out the site as there are a number of great pieces up for grabs.

Something I’d like everyone to notice is the extra tab at the bottom of the website which reads “Give Back to the World”; this takes you to a page with a form to fill out in order to make donations to the needy. I think that it is absolutely great that people are still taking the initiative to raise awareness about those who are in need.

In conclusion: Ms Layal Chemaitelly is an amazingly creative designer, an impressive businesswoman, and someone with a big heart. Additionally, everyone should visit the site because trust me you will find at least one thing that you'll really like.

Due to my lack of inspiration yesterday, I do not have an outfit shot, but I did learn one thing: You can make ripped jeans and a white tank top look good by simply over-accessorizing, so stock up on that jewelry!

Also, the blogs that I spoke about yesterday are available on my sidebar under "Blogs I Follow", look out for more to be added soon.

"A fashion that does not reach the streets

 is not a fashion." - Coco Chanel

(Note: All pictures obtained from Sevencarats.com, and are copyrighted by Seven Carats)

Fashion Bloggers to Follow!

I personally enjoy reading a lot of fashion blogs, and that's the reason that I'm currently following 20+ of them. I use Bloglovin to stay up to date with all the blogs that I follow, and with Bloglovin, you see the title of the blog and then the beginning of the post. I will click on a post judging by how interesting it looked at first glance. So, over the past few days, I've been keeping track of all the posts that I've read and which blog they belong to, and I've constructed a list of must-read blogs!

So, if you enjoy reading fashion blogs, here are some that I recommend you check out (Click the titles for links!) :

Beauty and the Budget

I fell in love with this blog. It was one of my favorites from when I first started to discover different fashion bloggers. The thing that I love about it is that it targets high school and college girls (therefore making sure to stick to a reasonable budget when talking about fashion) yet does not let the money-factor affect how great the items being shown look!

Tweet

In all honesty, the reason I first took a look at this blog was its name “Tweet”. It put a smile on my face. My smile then grew when I started to go through the blog. It is generally very image heavy, but not in the bad sense where the pictures look like they’re there just to fill up some empty spots. The pictures are not only relevant, but inspiring and very pretty to just look at. It’s a great blog to follow, you won’t be disappointed!

The Clothes Horse

This blog is definitely inspiring. The outfit shots are brilliant and even a lot of the other pictures posted up there will trigger some sort of fashion inspiration from within. It’s a great place to get ideas of what to wear, and generally a good way to put you in a cheerful mood!

Cakes and Lace

Just the name of this blog excites me, come on now… cakes and lace! This blog is the perfect place to check out all of the new, strange, and funky aspects of the fashion world. I am about a million percent sure that if you’re into haute couture, you are going to love this blog.

Not only do these girls have great blogs, but I contacted them and they are lovely people. Usually when I read blogs that are out of this world, the bloggers seem intimidating, but they really are sweethearts.

Sneak Peek for tomorrow: I will be devoting my entire blog post to a certain company that I stumbled across yesterday. All I am going to say is this: if you like adding "bling" to just about everything you own, and love unique pieces of jewelry, you should check out tomorrow's post!

Once again, here's my outfit from yesterday:

Top: Zara

Vest: Topshop

Pants: River Island

Necklace: Forever 21

Bangles: Forever 21/H&M

"I think fashion is about suspense and surprise and fantasy.

It's not about rules." - Wolfgang Joop

Shoes - Never Enough

I decided to focus on shoes today, and this will somehow add to the Beirut shopping guide, as I am going to be telling you the place which I refer to as "shoe heaven".

It's gotten a bit to warm for boots now, and yet still a little too chilly for sandals, so what do we wear? The oh-so-cute "ballerina shoes" come in handy during this time of the year. Of course, one would want to stock up on them, and have them in just about every colour possible, right? Well, at Sport et Loisir in Verdun, I managed to get myself 3 very cute shoes for only LL 49,000 each (not on sale!). I also found a few cute ones next door in Bershka going for the same price. So if you need a pair, get down there as soon as possible! LL 49,000 as a starting price is definitely a great find. Here are some of the ones that I bought:

(Sport et Loisir)

(Bershka)

Now for news that will excite those who, like me, enjoy reading fashion blogs. I am currently following 20+ fashion blogs, thanks to Bloglovin (seriously, a savior in the blogging world!), and have been marking down the number of times each blog has posted something that caught my interest. So, tomorrow I will be posting a list of my "Top Blogs", and I do recommend that everyone interested should check out the blogs that I am going to put up.

Finally, yesterday's outfit, let me know what you think!

Top: Zara

Shorts: New Look

Necklace: Henry's Handmade

Shoes: Sport et Loisir

Bracelet: Diva at Miss Selfridge

"Fashion is very important.

It is life enhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure,

it is worth doing well." - Vivienne Westwood

Crown Outlets, Alexander McQueen and Wikifashion

What is the greatest find for those who are looking to buy more for less? Any store or event that includes the word “outlet”! Luckily, Crowne Plaza in Hamra (the hotel that Roadsters is in) is giving us just that, for 3 days.

The clothes that are going to be available are from the spring summer collections, and include brands like:

•          Bebe
•         Fred Perry
•          Hollister-California
•          Juicy Couture
•          Ed Hardy
•          Christian Audigier
•          Abercrombie & Fitch
•          True Religion

They guarantee prices of at least 50% less than the original price. The open house will be taking place in Crowne Plaza Hotel (1^st floor) on Friday 30^th April (11am – 10pm), Saturday 1^st May (11am – 10pm), and Sunday 2^nd May (11am – 7pm).

Remember, this is an open house event, not a store. So if anyone is interested, make sure you catch it on any of the three dates. I think it would be interesting to look around and see. The beauty of shopping is that even in a sea of clothes that could never be worn there will always be that one piece that fits you perfectly. So go check it out!

I have 2 news items before I end. The first is a sneak peek at Alexander McQueen’s Fall 2010 shoes, only 3 of them are being shown, but they are definitely worth the look. As usual his genius came into play when designing these shoes, it’s so sad to know that his designs came to an end so soon. Here are the shoes. (Thank you for bringing this to my attention, you know who you are!)

The other piece of news is this: Wikifashion.

I’m sure just about everybody in the world is familiar with Wikipedia. Well, now we have something called Wikifashion! To quote the main page would be the perfect way to explain what this site is here for:

“Wikifashion is a project created for and by the fashion community. It is where you can find and catalogue anything fashion related, such as blogs, style icons, brands, and magazines. You can start contributing or editing existing articles by creating an account.”

So, to all the other fashion bloggers or fashion followers, if you would like to see this unlimited supply of fashion resources, sign up and contribute a little. A little bit from everyone will eventually build one of the best fashion encyclopedias online!

And finally, here is yesterday’s outfit!

Sweater: Warehouse

Top: Topshop

Pants: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: Sport et Loisir

Watch: Toy Watch

Bracelet: Cream

"Fashion is never in crisis because 

clothes are always necessary." 

- Achille Maramotti

Day 3: Saifi Village... and a little extra.

I went to Saifi Village yesterday, for some reason every time I go there I can't help but smile. I think it's all the colours in the stores that I go into! My first stop was Cream, I absolutely love that store. Unfortunately I had put myself on a budget before I went there, because I really shouldn't be buying any more things at the moment, but I did buy 2 small items. If you love bright colours, weird designs, and things that will make you stand out, then Cream is where you should be shopping. It's very funky and up to date with the latest trends. It's technically a high-street fashion store, so the prices are a little but over the average, but the pieces are worth the buy. Along with all the wearables, they sell books and magazines that they feel appeal to their customers. It's a great place to go and check out.
I bought a bracelet from there. I also bought a book, despite all the negative comments among a sea of a 50-50 "yes/no" divide, I wanted to decide for myself whether or not I like the book "Why Men Marry Bitches".

My next stop was a store called Sun Flowers. It's technically the same idea as Cream, very bright colours and unique pieces. There was one thing that stood out for me there though, clutches in bright colours with metal plates of Arabic calligraphy on them. They are beautiful!! I will be going back for one when I've had a long enough break from shopping, haha. I think everyone should go and see these clutches, they're really great.

Now for some news. Due to an overflow of exams, presentations, and projects, I may not be able to check out stores on a daily basis. So, my shopping guide will be spread out rather than come one after the other. Because of this, I'm adding something new that will ensure a daily post from me. A new mission along with this one, except this mission is called:  Mission Dress to Impress. This mission consists of me taking a picture of my every day outfits and sharing them with all of you. The two reasons I am doing this is as follows:

1. I do not want to slack off when it comes to this blog!
2. I feel like my style is getting too plain and boring, and this will motivate me to spice it up!

So, I will leave you with yesterday's outfit, and come back for more tomorrow!

Thursday, 22nd April, 2010.

Blazer: Zara

Tank top: New Look

Harem pants: Topshop

Shoes: New Look

Necklace: Freedom at Topshop

"When a person is in 

fashion, all they do is right."

- Lord Chesterfield

(No more "tweet your comment" link... because I fixed my comment box!)