A Ladybug’s new outfit of the first ray of light!

This is not a very recent outfit, I think that I wore it about one month ago but I loved it a lot for two reasons: first of all because it was taken in an area of Milan that I love (Bastioni di Porta Nuova-via Solferino) and secondly because it was a beautiful sunny day, maybe the first warm ray of light of this early spring season in Milan. I wore it for a Saturday lunch with my friend at the ramen restaurant that we love so much.

There’s not vintage this time but I thought it was worth a share!

I wore Imperial navy trousers with Zara lurex grey sweater (both from older seasons) and I added my new Max&Co grey coat  from the last winter sales and & Other Stories printed scarf.

I accessorized with Coccinelle camel bag, Valentino rockstud sunnies and Giordana F (bargain from Yoox) pointed brogues.

PS: Yes, I didn’t wear tights that day…I’m getting very Milanese, I know! LOL

The Ladybug’s outfit for a shopping day (the only one!) in Sicily

I must confess that when I am on holiday in Sicily I bring with me super light suitcase: only swimsuits, flip flops, sun creams, sundresses, running shoes and clothes and maybe a dress or two in case I decide to do something different that going to the beach, running or relaxing at home. This is my real way to relax: I go out and do things eleven months a year and when I am on holiday I go in a total relax mood that doesn’t need any makeup or heeled shoes and dressing up.

There are just two occasions when I need to get dressed properly during my summer holidays: my birthday party and a last summer sales session at home usually with my sister in our favorite shops in town.

This is when we made this little shooting during a little break in our shopping session!

I wore a Mango dark orange tunic dress with an handmade African knotted headband handmade by Madame Ilary with an old African fabric that I had at home (it was an envelope bag for an Asos Africa dress that I bought many years ago!), Nike for & Other Stories white sneakers (the only pair of shoes that I brought with me!), Valentino round frames and Miu Miu bag.

I’ve been told by a girl in a shop that I looked like a 60’s girl…best compliment of the day!

The Ladybug and a vintage-without-vintage outfit challenge

This is one of my favorite outfits of this summer because it is a very good example of how to create a retro inspired look by using only new pieces. Even if I prefer to add always a little real vintage here and there this time I decided to challenge myself and try to look retro without using anything vintage.

All started with this lovely white silk top that I received as I birthday present from my colleagues at the office from one of my favorite shops in Milan, La Maison Momonì. I saw it while hanging around with some of my work colleagues and we made a joke about it because of the quote on the blouse and how it could apply on me and they decided that it was the perfect gift for my birthday (it was indeed!).

I decided to wear it with this pale pink circle skirt (bought from H&M during the summer sales for ten euros!) that I loved immediately for its retro inspiration (and for its price, of course!) and with another retro inspired piece, these pink and burgundy platform sandals from L’autre Chose that look like coming straight from the 50’s with the lovely peep-toes and ankle strap bought on Yoox.

I finished the retro outfit with my round Valentino sunglasses and Miu Miu bag.

What do you think? Did I win my challenge?

The Ladybug’s vintage tee for a casual Sunday brunch

Since I live in Milan, one of the things that I do most is spending Sunday mornings having brunch with my friends.

I often don’t have enough time during the week to have a good talk and an aperitif with them, but a Sunday brunch is perfect to enjoy good food and good company and Milan is full of great places to spend a lovely, lazy Sunday morning and to have a proper brunch!

This time the choice was California Bakery (who can resist its bagels and pancakes? Not me!) but I asked my friend to take a few shots of me as I was wearing a very causal outfit with a vintage piece that I adore!

The piece is this Rolling Stones concert tee that I got for 3 quid in a charity shop in London a few years ago and that I paired with a 70’s inspired Zara denim buttoned mini skirt.

I added a Michael Kors bucket bag, Nike for & Other Stories white sneakers (I almost live with them on my feet even if it took me ages to buy a pair of white sneakers!!) and Valentino round sunnies.

The Ladybug answers THE question: did you visit EXPO?

If you live in Milan I’m pretty sure that the most frequently asked question you have answered in the last few months is always the same: did you visit EXPO? It happens at least once a day and it may come from a friend, a colleague, someone you meet in the subway, your family and friends leaving somewhere else, the owner of the bar where you use to get your coffee in the morning: the question is there and you need an answer! Also you need to get prepared for a second question coming in case of affirmative answer: How is it?

Well, as I had to cope with this question for the last few months I decided that, as EXPO happens in my town and it is “just around the corner” I had at least to step in and see what it was all about!

The occasion came a few weeks ago, when we organized a ladies night out with my colleagues to go to EXPO in the evening to watch “Alla Vita!”, the Cirque du Soleil show especially created for the EXPO: it is a one-hour show at the open air theatre and if you haven’t seen it yet and have never watched a Cirque du Soleil show before you can’t miss it (you have time until the 31^st of August). You can admire the dancers, acrobats and artists who made the history of Cirque du Soleil and believe me, the show is really worth a visit!

At the same time you can take advantage of the five-euro ticket for the night entry to have a look around and see what EXPO is, while sipping a Colombian mojito or eating Belgian fries with your friends! You can also take pictures at the China, Ghana or Nepal pavilions or get lost in the colors and scents from your motherland (yes, I needed to have a look at the Sicilian pavilion!). Of course the main attraction remains the famous Tree of Life, incredible at night with its colored lightening; I guess you have seen it in pictures everywhere but I must confess that seeing it for real is an experience!

If my answer to the (in)famous question is then “Yes”, I’m not sure that I’m really prepared for the second one: How is it? As I didn’t spend too much time there and only had a quick look around before the show I allowed myself a second chance for a whole day, just to make sure that I can give a serious advice while answering the second question; in the meanwhile I just answer: “Seems cool!”

As I wanted to do EXPO in a vintage style, I wore a lovely dress from Episode Vintage in Bruxelles, Lazzari shoes, Michael Kors bucket bag, Topshop belt and Valentino sunglasses.

Be sure that I will share my second “serious” visit here but now I want to know: did you visit EXPO? And…how is it? 😉

The Ladybug tips for 2015 Summer Sales!

Like every year, a new sale season has started and like every year I plan a post on the subject that I have never published so far for many different reasons! It seems that this year I have the occasion to say something about sales, so let’s start with a few but important rules:

1. “Just get what you need”: I know that we don’t really need anything as our closets are full of clothes but when I say “need” I mean it in a girly way. How many times did we say: “I need a pair of black shoes to go with my trousers” or “I need a camel bag because I only have black bags”? that’s the “need” that I mean! Most of the times when we are lost into a shop during the sales we are tempted to buy all the nice things that we see even if we don’t really need them and we end up buying things that we won’t use when we can just save that money to buy things that we really “need to buy”. So, make a list of what we “need” and add things during the non-sale times whenever you use the “I need…” phrase: when the sales arrive you will know already what you “need”!
2. “Make a limited use of high street shops”: high street is for regular use, as most of the times they sell things that we can more or less afford during the year. But how many things did we see that were out of our budget? Well, sales are the right time to buy that specific piece that you coveted during the year but that you couldn’t buy. Now that it is on sale you may be lucky enough to still find it in your size and at a price that you can afford. For this, don’t forget to save money during the year though!
3. “You can survive only one huge sales session with limited but targeted shops list, not more”: as you may know, going around during the sales may be very depressing; women lose their cool at this time of the year and most of the times the long queueing outside the fitting rooms can be exhausting. This is why you cannot survive more shopping sessions during the sales; so pick up a day (first or second day of sales are better), prepare a list of the shops to visit and go for it all day. Once you are done, don’t repeat one week later! Ok, if you want you can repeat in case of further reductions but in that case you won’t probably be as lucky as during the first days and you won’t find almost anything left.
4. “Go vintage”: Vintage shops do sales too! So, make sure that they are on top of your list of shops that you need to visit so if you don’t find your “perfect match” there, you can try somewhere else!

These are my top four rules during sales, but if we want to go more in detail about summer sales 2015 here are a couple of pieces that you can buy now and that you shouldn’t miss:

1. The circle skirt: it has been a trend of this summer fashion and be sure that you will use it again and again for a long time, so if you didn’t get one before it’s time to do it!
2. The white sneakers: if like me you hesitated and resisted so far, I think that we must surrender and accept that they won! From Adidas Stan Smith, to Nike or Pinko the white sneakers are the winners and you need a pair too (I have an original vintage Adidas and I just decided that I’m wearing them again!)
3. The 50’s inspired bikini: one of the pieces that must be in every summer sales list is a swimsuit; most of the times you can buy one just before going on holiday and for a reduced price, so why buying one before? If you can go for an original vintage piece it would be amazing as their shapes and materials are just top but if you can’t find anything just go for a retro inspired 50’s piece: your body and your neighbors at the beach will thank you for that!
4. The culottes: essential. Period!
5. The palazzo pants: this year they were everywhere, the colored palazzo pants are the undisputed princes of the summer and the 70’s vibe that goes with them will make them a piece to buy for further use!
6. The pointy heeled shoes: a classic! Just change colors at every sales until you feel that you have enough!
7. Shoes: always! Use without moderation!

For my summer sales session in Milan I wore: Cos black shirt, thrifted striped pants from Epiphany Vintage in Frankfurt, Lolita Milano flats, Michael Kors bucket bag, Valentino sunglasses and lovely handmade necklace from Le Cosine di Pape!

(Jantzen pictures are taken from the blog Envisioning the American Dream)