Fall must-have list

Apparently the hardest part of the moving (see previous post) is over and I’m currently somewhat caught in between two lives – the one I had in Greece and the one I will have in this new place where I’m headed in less than two weeks. Having given up my flat in Athens I’m now chilling out at a hospitable home of my friends, with my bags stashed in every corner of the room. In the meantime September came to an end but I still made but a few (very few) seasonal purchases. What can you do, moving sometimes involves unexpected expenses plus I already have too much to ship and carry with me as it is, so it only makes sense to do all the shopping in the new place. Also, I’m moving into a very different climate and wardrobe will have to be adjusted accordingly. Either way I have a pretty good idea regarding the things I certainly cannot do without this season – some of them I already own, others are to be obtained “ as soon as.”

1. Leather biker jacket

Looks like the studded black leather jacket which I got two years ago at Zara was a very smart investment indeed. Surely I wouldn’t mind having this one from Balmain as well, but, apart from being unaffordable to me, it’s also a bit too flashy while mine suits any occasion and goes with everything.

2. Mustard Yellow

Completely in love with mustard yellow this fall. And since I don’t own a single piece in this color yet, I need a splash of this in my life ASAP! A sweater or a cardigan for starters, probably tights too and maybe even a bag.

3. Leather pants

A definite must-have for a sleek rock-chick look that's so IN this season and has been a favorite of mine for years. Of course a pair of genuine leather pants of good quality (any other kind would inevitably stretch in all the wrong places and fast) would be pricy, but lucky for me H&M made a perfect alternative this fall - pants/treggings of faux leather with black elastane stripes running down the outer sides of legs. I wasted no time in getting my pair – I sense that H&M would quickly run out of them, at least in the popular sizes.

4. Long-sleeve shirts

Certainly shirts never go out of fashion, but with the whole androgyny trend now growing stronger every day, they really took center stage. To such an extent that even I, who never seemed to like myself in shirts before, gave in and added a denim number to my wardrobe still back in spring, and most recently a semi-silk champagne colored shirt that I snatched at Zara’s summer sale.

5. Kohl & Eyeliner

Sixties look is making a major comeback right now and what says “sixities” better than generously lined eyes and super long eyelashes? I’ve been an eyeliner fan for a while now, and with black kohl and black feltpen-eyeliner lying ready in my makeup bag, I’m anxious to experiment with even bolder lines this fall – at least for my evening look.

6. Lace boots

When moving to Greece I didn’t bother bringing more than a single pair of boots with me – it may have been a bit of an oversight, but I was already paying a lot for extra kilos in my luggage, and shoes are the heaviest part of the whole thing. So now that I’m going to live in a climate where boots are not just a fashion statement but also a necessity, I’m simply lusting over a pair of boots such as these. It’s practically urgent!

7. Boyfriend Jeans

I’ve been wearing ONLY skinny jeans for the past few years, always feeling that any other kind of pants made me look big. Well, I think now I’m finally ready to try on a grungier look, inspired by fall collections of Paul Smith and DSquared. Plus boyfriend jeans are a key element for cool urban layering that I’m so into this season.

8. Dramatic nail polish

The trend for bright, statement nails is clearly here to stay, however the neon shades that were so hot last spring/summer are now giving way to darker, deeper, more dramatic colors. Which means it’s time to expand my nail polish collection. Black appears to be the hit of the season, but I find it way too goth – dark blue, green and red is the way to go for me.

Heat & sales

This week in Athens has been really hot – and when I say hot, I mean HOT! it was the first such heat this summer, and I’m really finding it hard to handle. In this kind if weather you really NEED to be somewhere by the seaside, where there is at least some breeze to refresh you and you can jump into the water to cool off as often as you want. But sitting inside the apartment, constantly perspiring, unwilling to move and unable to think and really focus on anything – that’s quite a test. It’s like being mildly tired – but all the time. That’s also the reason why I haven’t written any proper posts for a while, and I do have ideas – but damn, realizing them feels like too much energy.

But what do you do at a time like that (apart from showering every now and then, drinking copious amounts of water and being a total couch sloth)? Stalk the internet sales of course! That sure doesn’t require much brainwork – though turning off your head completely would neither do, cause you may easily overspend.

The real dilemma of sales for me is, however, that they kind of force you to shop (no matter what your financial situation is at the moment) – since if you don’t, you will feel guilty for missing out on all those great deals later. Also, during sales, I get easily seduced by things I wouldn’t normally consider buying – if they weren’t so cheap that is. So trying hard to stop myself from purchasing yet another pair of shorts (because I don’t yet own that particular style) or some kinda cute bag, I came up with the following shortlist.

On ASOS I “saved for later” those two pairs of ankle booties – I’ve wanted boots like that since February, and while I almost never buy clothes ahead of the season, the “saver” factor here is crucial. So now all I need is decide between Blink Western Boots (left) and Rocketdog Rancher Boots. Any thoughts?

I also think of adding this really cool top to the order:

With ASOS I really need to hurry – there is an extra 10% discount available that runs out this weekend!

I have also put away a few cute items at Topshop:

The dress and jumpsuit are incredibly sexy (adore), and the earrings and crochet shorts are so hippy chic. Also, since at Topshop you need to pay for delivery – 6 pounds for Greece (unless the order is 75 pounds or more, and I’m shopping “cheap deals” here)

Ah the sales, you really drive me crazy. On another note, despite all this heat, I will still go now and try to have a nice workout at the gym. Luckily it’s just a five minute walk away and air-conditioning is on in there. Since I’m seriously hoping to get away to the beach for a week or two (namely, to the island of Samos) – a bikini body is an order.

DIY shorts, gladiators and a clock-camera

I finally got around to shooting the latest arrivals to my wardrobe. Two of them are the result of my first ever shopping at ASOS - I know, right? But, better later than never... Anyway, I'm happy to say the "test" was successful - my package arrived within five days which is pretty rad for a free delivery (in case you didn't know - it works for anything you buy, no minimum spend required).

One of the ASOS goodies is this cream-colored t-shirt. It's pretty simple and minimalistic, but I'm all about such loose, neutral-colored and slightly sheer tops right now, so it immediately became one of the key pieces in my summer style.

The second ASOS item is this camera pendant necklace fitted with a clock. I have wanted a camera-necklace for a while now, but I didn't expect to find one which can also tell time apart from simply looking cool!

Finally the third new goody is this color-blocking pair of sandals. They are from a Greek brandFULLAH SUGAH. They have a really great collection of summer footwear, I'm especially in love with their wedges! But I also needed a pair of new summer flats, since my ALDO gladiator sandals acquired a rather worn look after two years. Initially I was after Fullah Sugah's jelly sandals which I spied on their website, but upon a closer inspection they turned out way too shiny and sparkly from all the sequins glued to them - that's really not my style. And then I spotted this pair below - now they are much more me! I've also tried them in red, but in the end went with the blue.

Oh, and as for the DIY short I've mentioned - I've made them out of my old H&M skinny jeans, that got too stretched for wear. They are nothing spectacular, yet it's the first time that I had the patience to carefully carve the shorts out to perfection - rather than just butcher some poor old jeans and as a result get something horrid and unwearable which happened a few times before...

My summer wishlist: the TOP 5

Don't know about you, but for me, summer is always the time of freedom, energy, fun and making lots of plans, even if half of them fall through. Perhaps it has a little something to do with being able to wear my favorite mini shorts and tees, letting my skin breath and thus feeling light and pretty at all times. Either way, I've realized that lately I've been gorging over a number of things, which may or may not materialize this summer - but it would be really nice if they do.

1. VESPA

To be honest when I first came to Athens two years ago and had to get on the motorbike with my husband to go downtown - I was petrified! I've never been on one before, moreover, I've never been on one in such crazy traffic, and every time we passed through a particularly narrow spot between two cars, I'd just close my eyes in fear. But as time went by I started feeling completely relaxed on a bike, moreover, I've realized that due to the very narrow roads in Athens, always packed with cars, and since there are no paths for bicycles, BIKES and SCOOTERS are the best way to get around. For a while now I've been gorging over a Vespa, just like the one below - classic red. The problem is that buying a Vespa won't be enough. I also need a special scooter lisence. Also, such a shiny and pretty vehicle would easily attract thieves, who would at the very least break off rear view windows and other small parts - yeah, people do that here. And yet, I want it sooo bad!

2. JEFFREY CAMPBELLS

Recently I've fallen fully and completely in love with JEFFREY CAMPBELL shoes. They are simply too gorgeous. The white cutout wedges (bottom right) are my biggest shoe crush at the moment! The problem is they are kinda out of my price range, or, rather, I can't really spend 150-200 Euros on something like a pair of shoes without a very well paid job to back it up and the latter is missing at the moment. But things change and sometimes very quickly. The time will come when Jeffrey Campbells and my feet will finally meet!

3. UK SUMMER FESTIVAL

I've never been to one and I'd really looove to go. And why woudn't I want to? The atmosphere is fantastic and more than half of the line-up is made up of my favorite bands almost in every case. READING & LEEDS festivals on 26-28 of August would be a really good idea. My Chemical Romance, Muse and The Strokes as well as The Vaccines, Jane's Addiction, The Kills, The Horros and many others will be there! It would be awesome...

4. RAY BAN WAYFARERS

And I mean the authentic ones - no the Chinese fakes that you can buy anywhere. Truth is I've never really spend much on sunglasses. By the time I could actually afford it, I'd already had a record of breaking or losing sunglasses. Or if I'd had the pair from the previous year by next summer, I'd usually be bored with it and wanting something new. Hence, spending much money on sunglasses was a waste. But I decided to take a chance on Ray Bans at last. First of all I believe I'm grown up and responsible enough to handle a pair of prime sunglasses without losing them or stepping on them. Secondly, my romance with WAYFARER glasses shape has been going on for two years now, and I still find them looking totally awesome on me. And thirdly, even though I'm not one of those brand-obsessed fashionistas, I still believe it wouldn't hurt to have a couple of authentic brand accessories in my wardrobe. Especially if it's something as timeless and iconic as Ray Ban Wayfarers.

5. SMARTPHONE

I'm not one of these people who buy a new iPhone every time it comes out (whether they can afford it or not) - I have much more economical and practical approach to gadgets, and paying extra 300 Euros just for Show (as in case of iPhone) is not my style. But I've had my elegantly designed clam-shell Nokia for 4 years now and it feels aged. The battery is very weak plus it has other issues and I also just need a gadget that will allow me browse the internet, check my email and use social networks among other things. After all, these functions are becoming pretty standard in phones, so why not take advantage? For the time being it's a close call between NOKIA E5 and HTC WILDFIRE. The HTC is a very decent Android-based touch phone, but Nokia's Blackberry-style keyboard is a very nice feature. As a writer I'm used to typing, and I'd prefer real buttons to touch screen.

To sum it up, I believe that at least one of the wishes will definitely come true - the phone, because I really need one. Ray Bans are also a possibility. As for the rest - I cross my fingers...

My perfect summer sandals

Since the end of last week when the BlOGGER login issues forced me to use Firefox which proved somewhat painful, I've been totally lazing off the blog over the last few days and I feel guilty for it. Truth is I'm a lazy person by nature (guilty as charged) and it's no good for me to take a break from something that is not my job (as in smth I'm being paid for) since it does no good for my motivation. But again - it's all BLOGGER's fault!

Anyways, now that I'm officially back into action, I will try to make extra effort bringing in some cool content and I'll start by showing off my new shoes! I've been looking for new sandals for some time now, and when I stumbled upon this pair at OYSHO last week at ATHENS MALL - it was love at first sight.

Here are several reasons why the shoes are perfect: they are wedges (exactly what I wanted), they are also clogs (which I also wanted), they are very medium height - which means I don't need to calculate exactly how much time I plan to spend on foot before putting them on, end - they were only 40 Euros, which means I can still get a new pair of flat sandals that I also really want without feeling like I'm spending too much.

To be honest I'm lusting over some block-color wedges too - I'm totally loving this trend, and who knows, I might just give in to it. But the classic brown leather goes with pretty much everything and until I can afford a giant wardrobe that some lucky ladies have - I'm gonna stick with practical approach to fashion.

Honesty in online shopping

I fell in love with those FREE PEOPLE wedges the moment I saw them. I'm currently looking for a pair of wedges anyway, and those were some of the coolest sandals are saw so far, plus the price, Euro 62.35 fit in my price range just fine. And I might have already gone ahead and ordered them had I not spotted the "Reviews & Fitting" section, containing 2 comments. The first review was mild, though not especially favorable; the second was quite negative, criticizing a number of QUALITY aspects, and both ended with the authors claiming they'd be returning the shoes.

Naturally that cooled down my excitement, especially considering that I'm generally cautious about buying SHOES online - it's so unpredictable when it comes to feet! But at the same time I couldn't help thinking how thankful I was to Free People for not only allowing comments on their product pages, but also NOT deleting the negative ones! ONLINE shopping is a tricky world, full of possible mishaps, and it's nice when someone gives you a warning.

Of course there is every possibility that the 2 commentators were not truly honest, just feisty or annoyed with the store for whatever reason. But if they were right, they possibly saved me time and disappointment since I'm not a big fan of returning goods do the store, especially by mail and especially in Greece were the post office is only open 5 days a week till 2 p.m. I wish more ONLINE SHOPS where like Free People, but not likely - who wants bad publicity?

STYLE OBSESSION: Allegiance to the flag

In general, wearing a country's flag should be seen as an indication of the person's patriotism, however it's been long since American and British flags have become a symbol of the free-spirited, rebellious styles that were born in those countries and then spread across the globe. Flag prints seem especially hot this season - even Balmain included a number of American flag-printed tops into its wild spring collection. So I believe a printed-top such as the one from Zara or ASOS, shorts from Topshop and a pair of American flag Converse could fit in my casual summer wardrobe just fine!

ZARA

TOPSHOP

ASOS

CONVERSE

DR. MARTENS

BALMAIN

BLANCO

TOPSHOP

SASS&BIDE

May rains in Athens...

This quick creation was inspired by a heavy downpour that hit Athens late morning today. Spring rains are tricky - they often come unannounced and get you soaked before you know what's going on and then, just as suddenly, the sun is back on - as if nothing had happened. So, specially for such weather, I'd get armed with a hooded rain jacket, classic wellies and an umbrella - and once the rain is over - the floral dress is there to take in the sun.

May rain in Athens by AlexMatoshko featuring a bubble dome umbrella

Samos Diary: Day 2

Our Monday in SAMOS started with a traditionally late coffee drinking at our favorite cafe, followed by a short ride to a quiet and deserted spot by the sea, and then - by a very enjoyable meal at a taverna on the Samos seafront. The late lunch featured lots of Ouzo (traditional Greek anise-based alcohol drink, served with ice and cold water) - hence some of the crazier pics you may see below :)

My spring shoe cravings: Aldo, Zara and Manolos

Here I posted a number of shoes I'm craving after this spring - and hopefully one or two pairs of those will actually end up in my collection sometime soon. As you can see this spring I'm mostly after clogs and wedges, including wedge shoes which I never found attractive before, but Aldo made me change my mind.

So let's start will ALDO:

Now, some ZARA:

And finally, a few MANOLO BLAHNIKs as pure springy ice candy: