Summer Summer Summer

It is waaaaaaay too hot for blogging. I can't bring myself to spend time in front of the computer when there's a blanket on the grass outside with my name (and my almost-finished Terry Pratchett book) on it.

Please accept the above pretty picture as an apology. I have absolutely no idea where I got it from, but I wish wish wish wish that dress was mine.

Daily Outfit: Skinny Jeans and Cardigans

This kind of outfit is a staple on my university campus, and so I always feel like a bit of a sheep when I wear skinny jeans, a cardigan, and flats. At least my t-shirt doesn't say anything dumb, I guess...

Cardigan - second-hand
Jeans - Dorothy Perkins
Top - Ms. Selfridge
Flats - Penneys/Primark
Bangle - Kabaret

Is there anything that makes you feel uncomfortably like 'one of the crowd'?

Links à la Mode

Links à la Mode : May 28th

• A Typical Atypical: How to wear the fashion of the eclectic makeup style of the the Dresden Dolls
• Agent Dreamer: An interview with Izzy of The Dandy Project
• Capitola Girl: Modern wood designs for summer accessories
• Decline Designs: Defining your personal style, part two - the essentials
• Dirty Laundry: Monochromatic style exploration
• Fashion Grail: A few modifications for one of Sienna Miller’s go-to looks
• Fashion Matchmaker: Fashion at the Cannes Film Festival
• Felicia Sullivan: Score ten amazing summer pieces for under $100
• Pop Your Fashion Pill: 4 DIY necklaces in 30 minutes using safety pins: No scissors, pliers or hooked used!
• Retro Chick: Showcasing Kristinit for this month’s Ethical Design Spotlight
• Style Symmetry: Eyeliah celebrates her 1,000th post with a snazzy reader giveaway
• The Coveted: Who Knew? Over 50% off American Apparel deals on Amazon
• The Demoiselles: Translating boyception - how they perceive our style
• Unfunded: The many ways to play with ShopStyle ranging from shopping to blog content
• Vulgar Moon: How to enjoy the comfort of sweatpants while still looking good
• Style on the street: My outfit and a style advice for the next Fall-Winter
• Yes Please Mademoiselle: Introducing french label ‘The Kooples’.
• Felicia Sullivan: Score ten amazing summer pieces for under $100
• Super Kawaii Mama: Creating an Everyday Glamour Girl Makeup Look - a video tutorial.
• Fun, Flat Broke and Fabulous : 7 Questions to ask yourself before you buy.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Essential Wordpress Plugins for Fashion Bloggers

See more Links à la Mode over at the Independent Fashion Bloggers community...

Daily Outfit: Velvet & Lace

I spent the last couple of days eating Indian food and watching Star Wars (Episode V, if you really want to know), but I'm still tired somehow.

Dress - Almost Famous (second-hand)
Slip - Etsy
Shoes - Red Tape (second-hand)
String top - Penneys/Primark

My poor camera seems to have died a horrible death, so forgive the crappy point-and-shoot picture. I just wanted to share this brilliant Almost Famous dress that I nabbed yesterday in a second-hand shop. Velvet! Love!

How to Look Good in Sweatpants / Yoga Pants

The Definitive, Ugg Boot-Free Guide to Wearing Sweatpants and Looking Good

The jury seems to be eternally out on the subject of sweatpants (and/or yoga pants). Are they comfortable or just lazy? Acceptable or a huge no-no? I used to think they were horrible things, pretty much equivalent to going out in your pyjamas... but then I bought a pair. I needed something easy to change into after going swimming, and they seemed to be the logical answer, and I was instantly converted to their wonders.

I can still understand why people turn up their noses at them, but they are so incredibly comfortable. And, after a bit of experimentation, I've also come to the conclusion that it isn't impossible to look good in them - they just have a bad rep, mostly because of their horrible associations with bling and Ugg boots.

So I decided to come up with a list of tips for making sweatpants look acceptable (maybe even nice), in the hope that more people will overcome their prejudices and give comfort a chance!

DON'T:

Wear Uggs with sweatpants.
Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top? I know lots of people who like them, but I see no charm whatsoever - they're just lumpy lumps of ugly in my eyes. Wear them around the house all you want, but leave it at that!

Buy sweatpants with anything written across the bum.
Do I really need to elaborate?

Buy anything made of velour.
They look cheap, tacky, and tasteless. And also trendy in a bad way.

Wear old, dirty, raggy sweatpants.
Not in public, anyway. Treat them with the same respect that you would your other clothes. If yours have gone beyond social acceptability, then you can grab a new pair for a grand total of €8 in Tesco. Not exactly bank-breaking for a lot of people.


DO:

Buy pants that fit.
For God's sake, try them on before forking over the cash. Just because they're stretchy doesn't make them one-size-fits-all. If they're too big they'll look like saggy elephant-skin, and if they're too small they'll be the least flattering item of clothing you've ever owned.

Find a pair with a nice cut
Personally, I despise the ones with elasticated ankles, and I think most people agree. The best rule is probably to stick to your favourite style of jeans, and look for a pair of sweatpants with a similar cut, whether that's flared, bootcut, or straight-legged.

Embrace the casual look.
Sweatpants will never be dressy things, and if you don't accept that then you'll just end up looking trashy and awful. Pair them with t-shirts and other such comfy items and let your casual side show.

Colour coordinate.
Casual doesn't instantly mean effortless. If you're aiming for style here, then treat your sweatpants like you would any other trousers and build a colour scheme around them.

In conclusion, love the sweatpants, I say! When worn properly they are your friends, not your enemies.

But what do you think?

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Daily Outfit: Ditsy Floral Dress on a Rainy Day

Can I talk about the weather, or is that way too boring? Well, I'm going to do it anyway. Getting dressed for the last couple of days has been a pain. The sun is shining one minute, and then the next I'm practically drowning. Dear Ireland, IT'S THE END OF FRIGGING MAY.

Dress & scarf - second-hand
Necklace - Present
Hat - H&M
Boots - Clarks

Anyway, this was my solution to the stupidity outside - layers can go off in the sun, and on in the rain. Mostly, though, I just wanted to wear this dress. I scored it for €3 in a second-hand shop a couple of weeks ago, because the little old ladies in charge decided it was acutally a top. They were probably right, but... eh, it's all good once I have leggings underneath. I hope.

How do you deal with schizophrenic weather? Or do you even have to, O lucky readers who don't live in this crazy country?

The Beauty Spot: Primark's We Love Fruit

I hate spending money on toiletries. Absolutely hate, hate, hate it. Which makes the fact that I love fiddly bath and shower things a bit of a problem. My answer: Penneys!


Their new 'We ♥ Fruit' (I don't really know whether to call it 'We Love Fruit' or 'We Heart Fruit') range of bath yokes appeared in shops sometime earlier in the year, and at 50 cent or €1 a pop I got pretty excited. The range of scents wasn't exactly vast - you can pick from Pomegranate & Watermelon or Kiwi & Lime - but, like I said: a euro. I'm not going to kick up a fuss over the details.

I can't speak for the Kiwi & Lime range, because the radioactive green colour didn't exactly entice me to spend any more money, but I've been using the Pomegranate & Watermelon shower gel, body exfoliator, and body butter for a while now. They're not mind-blowingly amazing, but they're definitely worth what you shell out for them.


Well, actually, the shower gel is as mind-blowing as any shower gel I've ever used... which is to say that it cleans me and smells good. Is there really any more that I can ask of it? The exfoliating scrub is really nice too; not too harsh, and leaves my skin really soft after showering. The body butter isn't quite up to the same standard, but I may have been spoiled by all my L'Occitance freebies. I can't really use it in the morning, because it takes too long to soak in properly, but it's actually pretty nice to schlap on before I go to bed at night. And it doesn't make my shins scream out in agony if I use it after shaving, which is kind of unusual for me.

The verdict: cheap fun, without completely compromising on quality. Just don't read the ingredients lists if you like your natural products, okay?

P.S. I'm officially free for the summer now, so check back for regular updates and subscribe to the RSS feed for lots of Vulgar Moon goodness! And if you have any suggestions for further Beauty Spots, feel free to e-mail me or just leave a comment.

Inspiration: Anderson & Lauth

Fact: I would much rather be running around in a crazy dress than studying for exams.

Alternative fact: Good grades make a happy Emily, so I should probably save the crazy for June.

Dress from Andersen & Lauth. Icelandic amazingness! Who wants to come and flounce around Reykjavik with me?

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