From the category archives:

girly stuff

A couple of weeks ago I was reading my issue of  InStyle Makeover when I saw a dress that I recognized from one of the past collections by Kate Moss for Topshop. It was a flirty summer dress in a flowery print over a black background. (I would show you, but apparently it’s been sold out for so long and to such a degree that it no longer exists online. Anywhere.)

If you know me, you know I usually come just short of hating floral prints. Or really, most prints. I know, I’m boring, blah, blah. (Bite me.)

And yet, quite unexpectedly, that dress looked really appealing. I could picture it layered over opaque tights and a black turtleneck, paired with motorcycle boots and a big scarf.

And all of a sudden, the idea of a flirty dress in a delicate floral pattern seemed irresistible – something to be worn in a completely different way from what it had been designed for, no doubt, but that was also the only way I’d wear it. Not for me, the girly-girl look of flowery dress and high strappy sandals, I prefer to ground it a bit. So that instead of saying “I am a delicate flower” it says “I may be cute, but I won’t break so easily” or even “I may be a girl, but I can still kick your butt” ;-)

So it was only fitting that a couple of days later I came across a dress that I probably woulnd’t have tried on normally – a short black dress with a small flower print – but that I ended up getting and wearing exactly as I’d pictured it: over leggings, with ankle boots and a scarf, and topped with my studded trench.

Girly dress makeover

I know, I would look better with motorcycle boots. I’m on it…

And yesterday it happened again: I was taking a peek at the Beth Ditto for Evans collection when I saw this rose print dress and… I know what you are thinking. What??? Rose print?? And it’s true, normally I would say it looks like grandma’s couch. But something about the color made it less cutesy, and instantly I pictured myself wearing it like this:

Flowers with an edge

Flower dress by Beth Ditto for Evans
Ash suede platform boots
L.A.M.B. clutch
Jimmy Choo for H&M studded cuff
Chanel nail polish in
Particulière (similar shades: OPI You Don’t Know Jacques and Sephora Gipsy)

And then it happened again when I went on the H&M website:

The girly dress makeover, continued

H&M floral dress
H&M faux-leather jacket (I told you about it here)
LaRedoute slouchy motorcycle boots (on their way to me right now! Told you I was on it)

I can’t stop!

Ever run across an outfit and felt like it was so… so YOU? And wondered how come you didn’t see that before? I have seen this combination of pieces in a different style, much more boho, with less refined dresses and less edgy accessories. I like this version a lot more.

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I don’t feel about jewelry the same way most women do. I never wanted a big diamond ring – still don’t. When I pick jewelry, I don’t think carat, transparency, platinum or gold? I pick my jewelry based on three things: will it give me an allergy? (I’m allergic to anything containing nickel.) Do I like it? Will I actually wear it and not leave it sitting pretty in its box?

I see jewelry as any other accessory, and as any other accessory, I like interesting pieces, pieces that say something to me, pieces that… show personality, so to speak.

And that’s exactly what I would say of Thomas Sabo jewelry: it shows personality. Yours!

I first saw a Thomas Sabo display several years ago on the newly renovated accessory floor in Globus, one of the more upscale department stores in Zurich. At the time Globus had the exclusive for carrying Thomas Sabo jewelry in Switzerland, and while the collection was nowhere as large as it is now, it was stunning, and it was love at first sight (for me at least, not sure how the charms felt about the woman ogling them all the time).
The charm collection, called Thomas Sabo Charm Club, was really what drew me in; perfectly shaped charms, like small silver sculptures, packaged in an individual tiny hat box. Fun! And you could make charm necklaces, not just bracelets – I love necklaces much more than I ever will bracelets, so this was definitely a selling point.

Fast-forward to the following Christmas, when I received my first Thomas Sabo charm necklace; my husband, probably sick of hearing me talk about it and showing him the catalog all the time, had bought it for me on his last trip to Switzerland, picking 3 of the charms I had selected as my favorites:

Yes, he’s good. I think I’ll keep him.

My collection has grown since, ans so has my obsession: I now make a point of checking for new catalogs and pass by regularly to see specific charms in person, so anyone who has spent any length of time with me has been dragged to the nearest Thomas Sabo counter at least once (including Ally, when she came to visit from Atlanta :-) )

The Thomas Sabo Charm Club and the Thomas Sabo Sterling Silver jewelry line have also grown, and now count hundreds of pieces, each year more original, detailed and eye-catching than the next. The charms come in a variety of topics, from fashion-related items to Disney characters; from sport-related charms to famous monuments and cultural symbols; and many more, including categories like Wild West, Gothic, Weddings, and so forth. (And they don’t  tarnish like some other popular pricey silver jewelry *cough cough* Tiffany’s *cough*)

And in addition to the traditional silver, you can now make charm bracelets and necklaces with stretch pearl and stone bracelet, braided leather cords and colorful silk strings. And you can preview it and get a price estimate with the online charm creator.

My daughters meanwhile cannot wait until they are old enough to be able to borrow this jewelry and they help me pick the best charms twice a year, when the new catalogs come out. No doubt looking at it as something they will eventually wear, smart cookies ;-)

What do you think? Do you have an obsession? Something you have been collecting for years and still love after all this time? Share please.

Note: this is not a paid or promotional post. I have received no compensation nor free merchandise in exchange for this post. Though I kind of wish I had.

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Copyright Elisa Bieg, 2008-2009.