Corporate Couture: Cat Eye Time Trials

Corporate Couture... That might be a misnomer as I don't mean "labels" nor "houses" nor 7 inch heels. 

I mean "couture" in the way that it's fantasy and art and very, very individual - an enhanced dreamlike version of the norm. 

And "corporate" - meaning corporate. 

Put them together and you get what this series is about - incorporating your personal style into work appropriate outfits that won't have your bosses dialling for the mad house nor wondering if you've recently suffered a house fire. Or at least it will try to be!


First things first, I am working on getting a morning eyeliner routine down pat. I think if you got the subtle cat-eye going for you then you can be forgiven a less than gorgeous button down and loafers combo.

See! Like this:

You TOTALLY can't even tell they are wearing pajama jeans and snuggies... BECAUSE OF THE EYELINER!

Here is my first attempt at this quickfire challenge...

A bit wonky and smudgy - not to mention the heavily windblown and not at all styled fringe. Look, it was either eyeliner or everything else that morning. Me needed some sleep.

Without sleep I look like this:

(Yes, I have gotten into the weird kinda old-timer habit of taking pictures of the telly. I have got a great video of Mr. T dancing to Frankie Lymon that I will post at some point because it needs to be shared... This reminds me of my friends grandma who prints out jokes from the internet on paper to be saved in a binder - which might be the best thing ever...)

All in all though, not a bad attempt and I think this clocked in at just under 5 minutes with application and tweaking. Next time I will be more scientific with an actual stopwatch for the sheer joy of being hopelessly weird.

Credits: SHAG print via Daily Du Jour

Fresh Ink!: Or, How My Moms Is Like Totes Gonna KILL Me

So... I officially have two tattoos now - Given that it doesn't up and R-U-N-O-F-T in the middle of the night...

This fact means many things to me. One being that it's solid proof that I wasn't just really wasted when I got my piggly wiggly ink:

That's actually "Pigasus" - John Steinbeck's signature mascot. I promise I was fairly sober when I got this one - and that it has tons of layers of meaning behind it but I think that is for a later, more well thought out and coherent post as it touches on things very dear to me!

So onto the fresh ink (that's still smarting a bit):

Another literary shout-out. This time to the great and damaged Charles Bukowski. The quote is "In the morning it was morning and I was still alive" (I think that's right... since getting the tat I have been too scared to Google again in case I got it all wrong - whatevs.)

I love this line from Post Office. It's just so... raw and uplifting in the least Precious Moments way possible. When the novel closes at this line... followed by one more but I won't give it all away!... it just hits you in all the right places... it's very "holy crap - he's right". (I'm so eloquent on a Sunday night.)

So I got this done by Ricky at The Family Business which is a great tattoo parlour that comes very highly recommended from just about everybody you ask.

When I first went for the consultation I was lucky that I got to have it on the same day as a walk-in as that joint is bizzzzzy. I explained what I wanted to the ceaselessly helpful front-desk dude (not sure the official title!) and he got Ricky over so that we could chat it through in more detail.

I couldn't decide how I wanted the font. I toyed with the idea of getting it in a kind of retro banner looking thing but given my noodle arms that wasn't going to work. So we decided that we should try and have a go at it in the author's handwriting. Since there are quite a few of Buk's handwriting samples easily available online all we had to do was look at a few before Ricky was able to get the lettering right for the tat - what a sport! I know it's not some glorious huge piece but to me it was very important to get it just right and he really did. Not to mention his EXCELLENT bedside manner. He was so lovely to chat to and made me so comfortable even as I was having a needle dragged through my sensitive spots! He was so good I think I only muttered the eff bomb once... that's pretty good for being stone cold sober at 5pm on a Sunday.

Now onto the next one... Am thinking some flowers in a shoulder corsage or a Las Vegas sign done in a pin striping style on my back... does any of that sound sane? Methinks it will require a little bit more thought before making the full commitment.

Bonus: This is what you get when you Google "funny precious moments kids"... I don't know if this is just an American thing but I think it's funny....:

Hilarious.


Credits: Zeitgeist in a Petiole

Mintage: Spending Spree!!

These past three weeks have been a case study in the lack of self control present in 20-something females itching for sunshine and a little Vitamin D - I mean, what else can explain the vast quantities of hot weather apparel I purchased while sludging around London knee-deep in rain.

But in order to dilute the real issue at hand, and spread around the guilt, I will do a "X-Part Series" of reflections on my recent purchases....

First up... What Katie Did!

So I finally dragged my LAZZZzzzzzZZZzzzzY self out to Notting Hill to visit What Katie Did in the flesh. The shop was just lovely and the shop assistants both beautiful and helpful.

I had gone out there with a few missions:

1. Determine my sizing in Bernie Dexter so I can start ordering in bulk (especially the items that aren't available in the UK... which I can have sent home to LA)

2. Maaaaaaaaybe pick up a swimsuit depending on my self-esteem that day

3. Any other fun underthingies that strike my fancy.... depending on my self-esteem that day... ha!

So how did I do?

1. Everything fit... perfectly. I tried on the Capri Pants in Black Denim as well as the Beatrice Dress in Tiki Mask Print.

I was really concerned about the Capri Pants as according to the size chart I am size "non-existent" with my 29" waist and 43" hips... ok, maybe 30" and 44" hips depending on the weather and the trouble I've been up to :)

But, incredibly enough, the Large fit perfectly and were insanely flattering! I snatched these babies up! So, girls, please don't be put off by the claims of their being "very true to size" because, while they are, with a little twine and grease they will go on and actually start to give by the second time of wear (so much so I am considering that I may have to throw them in a hot wash to shrink them back down to their optimal girdle-like level of compression). Disclaimer: I am currently wearing them and was tempted to do a product shot in real life alas I've just died in the arms of Meat Mission and don't feel up to the challenge! (Below, a bonus pic from Meat Mission - it's a jazzed up memorial to the residents of Hoxton who lost their lives in WWII...)

The Beatrice dress was, as expected, incredibly flattering. Though the Tiki Mask Print is gorgeous, I just didn't feel the same way about it as I did the insanely awesome BBQ Print version:

Since I had figured out my sizing, I visited the actual Bernie Dexter online shop and dropped some serious cash on the BBQ Beatrice, the Black Dungarees (hoping they are a similar fit as the capris), and the Ginger top - to be sent home to LA and eventually put into my grubby little mitts at a slightly less instantly gratifying date.

2. Mission impossible, you say? Trying on one swimsuit and landing it the first go? Lies! But it's true, I swear. Unless WKD was piping in some kind of instant feel good vapors, this really happened. And now, a brief history of Gigi shopping for swimsuits: none.

My last one was a quickie Gap polka dot number that was actually quasi-decent given that I couldn't even be brought to try it on. Instead I just used a 30% off coupon and ran out the place before I could think twice of the implications of buying a swimsuit - that is, actually having to wear it. Before that, I had settled on a nice £10 M&S number that looked stunning on the glamourous Greek Isle getaway I had purchased it for - NOT! It was gross and though I was probably the youngest at the resort, I was by far the least glam. Sob sob sob - sob story over....

This fit beautifully! And the quality of the material is really something to be seen and felt. It just felt good on. I have a trip to San Sebastian coming up and can barely contain my excitement over how ace this is going to look in such a picturesque place... I can only hope the weather participates in my fantasies....

3. As for mission #3? Well, I suppose that's just for me to know! But let me just say that, wowee, that is an incredible selection of undergarments and the quality, feel, and fit of just about everything I tried was extraordinary. There was only one small hitch... I nearly suffocated to death amongst the ostrich feathers in the dressing room while having a go at a corselette... I guess I will always be a little bit of a weasel in that I could not figure out how to get that thing on... I guess this is why I deserve my nickname: "Scooter". Because sometimes I am just such a dweeb.

Until next time, in which we will chat: Shoes!

Credits: What Katie Did, Bernie Dexter

Jamz!: Wild Records Edition!

Wild Records....

Ah.... those beautiful monsters....

The bands they've got there are life-ruining in the best way... I can see where they got the logo:

That is LITERALLY how I feel when I listen to some of their acts... just devastated with love and lust and envy and every time feels like the first time...

This week I have been listening non-stop to the Delta Bombers from LV, NV.

Though the growls send shivers down my spine, they remain infinitely squeezable.

I do hope to see them live someday. Please come to London soon, k thx.

But until then you can listen to a whole 25 minute set of their visit to Forest FM at the link below:

Delta Bombers on Forest FM (Youtube)

(I couldn't find the video to embed in the funny video upload blogger gizmo - so apologies!)

ALSO...Wild Records is having a mini-revue with Gizelle and Omar & the Stringpoppers March 30th in London.

Le Beat Bespoke Info

See ya there?????