INSPIRATION MONDAY: CLEAN CUT CHIC SUMMER

Starting this Monday out with a summer mood - what a great sunny weekend it has been! Hence a little sunshine in this post too, in a way that I sure can appreciate: clean cut chic. I'm obsessed with this editorial from the April issue of WSJ Magazine .. such an elegant approach to the days that are coming, and hence a major source of inspiration for yours truly. Hope you'll enjoy it too - and have a great week! Pictures from Fashnberry

HAPPY WEEKEND/ GLAMOURDAY

After a week of illness horrors, I'm all up for a weekend with friends, sunshine and a proper diner or two - and not to mention, a bit of shopping. And shopping will do, as today is Glamourday in the Netherlands & Belgium: the day where you get 20% discount in a solid number of great stores just by showing a copy of the magazine or applying the discount online - think Asos, H&M, River Island, and so on. I've sure made my wishlist, as you can see below - so now I'm out on the hunt. Happy weekend! X

INSPIRATION MONDAY: BALANCE

Balance is essential to me when it comes to fashion. I like my fashion to have two contradicting edges: for example, chic YET casual, masculine YET elegant .. in other words: I like seeing two worlds come together. The editorial below captures that perspective to a large extent, in a way that has been practised many many times but with which I'm still obsessed: the masculine vs. feminine style. Manlike, but in such an elegant way the feminine side comes through at the same time: a job well done in the October 2013 issue of Numero. Pictures from the Fashionography

ON MY MIND: TOTES & SHOPPERS

Totes & Shoppers.

cc Alexander Wang, & Other Stories, COS, Zara

FROM THE STREET

When it comes to streetstyle, I notice a kind of strange turn in my way of looking at fashion. Rather than falling for particular outfits and pieces of clothing themselve, I am more attracted to the mood and style brought forward by a particular combination of clothes, shoes and accessoires. It's probably fair to say that those out on the streets are putting all efforts in to define themselves, resulting in strong & edgy outfits that provide tons of inspiration. In my view, this generally happens on two accounts: either by use of a statement piece, where one outfit item stands out, or by a combination of pieces that together create a statement outfit.

It is this last category I fall for and take most of my inspiration from, as you can see below. That non-obvious combination of clothing, shoes and accessoires that translates into something unique. Something inspirational. 

 Pictures from Le21Eme 

INSPIRATION MONDAY: THE GENTLEWOMAN

Picked up my first copy of The Gentewoman EVER just a few days ago at the airport; something which I very much looked forward to ever since I first heard about it - a strong fashionmagazine with something to tell and not too much of a commercial vibe, how good does that sound? It didn't disappoint at all, I can assure you - strong interviews, interesting topics and beautiful editorials. An editorial that particularly catched my eye is the one below, entitled Free. Summer is on it's way, and for yours truly the public park plays a giant role during it (also because there's no sea/ lake around, true..) - hanging around all day with friends, having wine from plastic cups while enjoying the sun OR just being there on my own, reading a book/ magazine while getting a tan. The SS2014 issue  editorial below captured that exact feeling, and hence got me obsessed: I definitely can't wait for summer to come. Can you? Pictures from Style Pantry

THE TRIP: VALENCIA

Valencia, you beautiful city. Me and the boy have had a great week where we went to the beach, strolled through the city, had magnificent diners and highly enjoyed some time off of our daily home-routines. Sure helped me to gain back some perspective en clear my mind! A little photo impression: 

They know how to do food, period. I fell for not only their cuisine (again), but also for their routine: they do the proper eating at lunch (as opposed to the Dutch, who do it around 6PM) and pick up whatever kind of hunger is left in the evening with some delicous food, for example tapas you can see above.  

Went to a football match; yours truly aiming to enjoy the atmosphere, the boyfriend to enjoy the game. Great evening, the Spanish go nuts while cheering for their team - which caused me to go at it too, mainly as the referee was horrible. Screamed my lungs out, didn't help .. the bloody bastard. 

Valencia has a truly impressive and outstanding market, Mercado Central, with whatever fresh and local products you're looking for. Strolled around for an hour, left with fuet sausage, a bunch of herbs and kilo's of fruit. Will be missing this place greatly!

That beach. Way too cold just yet, but it was great to feel the sand under my feet and even toetip into the sea (fréézing). The fresh air/ wind cleared up my mind too, great afternoon that was! 

Day and night strolls around the city, enjoying the oranges Valencia is known for ánd the party the city is currently hosting: Las Fallas. Short for putting crazy statues on crossroads, launching a daily firework show and eating bulks of churros (snacks). What a sight!

And then there was the shopping. Kinda held back, as luggage requirements were in place. Ended up with the perfect boyfriend jeans from Zara, which I hunted down in their sale leftover corner, 3 colorfull yet very different tees from COS (which you will be seeing later on) and an everyday of the week undies' package. Just what I needed!