Bohemian Beards 👨

Posted on by

20141231-095131-35491663.jpg

A trending must-have accessory for many young women this season seems to be a bearded hipster man! Beards which were favored by men in the late 19th century had gradually given way to mustaches in the early 20th and then to a no facial-hair clean look which symbolized the 20th century modern man. However as with all things post-modern, bohemian and fashion you go back to earlier forgotten trends to stir the pot… and so facial hair is back from New York to Beirut and with it an entire industry of facial hair grooming is booming! As usual, leave it to the Lebanese to take a trend to the next level: in Beirut these days you can have your beard degradée or with a ombré effect and some men are even having facial hair transplants to join the hairy club! So how do you tell apart a hipster beard from a religious beard? particularly the long Victorian preacher-style beard that some hipsters go for ?!? Hipster bearded men often sport other anti-convention hints, a carefully crafted non-challant look, tight pants and often a mix of flashy expensive fashionable items (e.g. new shoes, large bag or sunglasses) with simple items (e.g. a white, black or plaid shirt). One place you’re not likely to be confused is the Mar Mikhaël street in Beirut where you will be be surrounded by the latest beards sipping on the latest beers!

Let me know what you make of this trend? Would you date a hipster bearded man or ask your man to grow the extra facial hair in 2015?

Athens OOTD 🐟

Posted on by

Hopped to Athens for a couple of days on our way home for Christmas and faithful to our ‘take the kids everywhere with you’ survival policy we climbed all the way up to the Acropolis area with them 🏆 which was tiring but still rewarding and under control… except things started getting more complicated when we were forced to steer away from our plans as we tried to get back to our hotel by the parliament and it turned out that the whole area was closed off for a protest… We took the advice of a random cab driver who drove us through the Castella area and into Mikrolimano to a restaurant of his choice by the Aegean Sea…here our girls truly shined today as (despite all our policing) they went 20 fingers plunging into the lovely Greek oily fish… the highlight of course was to follow when I turned to look at my youngest, who was starring at me with her big guilty-looking eyes and in an instant she sneezed all her purée on my OOTD (luckily I had taken those pics before!) Things got back to the cheery side however as we had a very entertaining cab ride back to our hotel and through the Plaka area with a really funny local who seemed very at ease with the screaming kids saying he had 3 kids of his own that fill his life and stress him out and then he went on a cab-ride-long monologue on the worsening economic situation wrapped up with the zinger: “my wife used to call me to tell me I love you and now she just calls me to say: “I
want foulous!” (this means money in Arabic as he wanted to impress us with his language skills…lol) Now we’re back at the hotel and the protest in front of parliament has been replaced with a music concert surrounded by glittering Christmas trees… 5 more days to Christmas!!!

20141219-155254-57174635.jpg

20141219-155255-57175032.jpg

20141219-155255-57175699.jpg

20141219-155255-57175335.jpg

20141219-155256-57176245.jpg

20141219-155256-57176385.jpg

HOT💥 Couture Sneakers👏 🎓

Posted on by
haute sneakers

Top Left: Dior; Top Right: Chanel; Bottom Left: Dolce & Gabbana; Bottom Right: Pierre Hardy (Sneakers with Detachable Fur)

It’s clear by now that luxury sneakers are here to stay… they’re getting better each season and all the big names are joining the game! While technically you may be able to wear some of them to the gym, you may want to save them to add some edge and comfort to an otherwise traditional glamor look. In choosing your OOTD involving haute sneakers, remember that they provide quite a strong contrast and statement by themselves, so you’ll need to be careful not to overload the rest of the look to keep the overall effect balanced and give them the spotlight they deserve. In addition to my picks above, I can’t wait to try on a pair of sneakers from the new colorful Mary Katrantzou x Adidas collection.

LoOse Yourself!

Posted on by

Hanging out in the Victoria and Albert Museum I was reminded of the creative ways 18th Century fashionistas showcased their silhouettes while adding sophistication and story to their looks. While tight body outfits definitely have their place in a woman’s wardrobe, playing with loose effects (in the right proportions of course!), can throw in a unique edge and flow to your look and when contrasted with tight closing in the rest of the outfit can still highlight the hard work you’ve put into your silhouette. So don’t be afraid to mix it up and if you’re in London and want to try on the effect, head to the Victoria and Albert Museum where you can try on a wide petticoat… Now of course, you won’t be streetstyling the 18th Century look (although it would be priceless to see someone try that in a crowded city! Weddings however are fair game… done that! 😉 ) but what you can definitely do is loosen your streestyle looks with wide-leg trousers or harem pants…

Right: Adjusting dress volume to nowadays city life where living spaces are shrinking compared to Left: Mantua and petticoat illustrating the grandest style of court dress in the 1740’s and 1750’s in England. This mantua is a display of decoration in Rococo embroidery along with patterned silks and printed textiles. The dress can be seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

My favorite on the run, comfy and passe-partout outfits

With or Without the Diaper Bag?

Posted on by

20140720-120248-43368243.jpg

Not that I always have the choice! #embraceyourdiaperbag

Quick Style Tip: Try to balance functionality with a neutral / soft colored or minimally patterned diaper bag, flexible enough to fit with more than one outfit! I know it’s hard to think of your diaper bag as another fashion accessory but if it’s going along for the streetstyle ride, it might as well fit in!