Businesslike

Two more days of work and then I'm off to Berlin for the new year's celebration. A mini vacation is in place since they made me come to work during these "in between days". I don't really see the point when my email box is screaming of emptiness...

Speaking of work, someone once asked me to post about my work clothing and tips about how to look chic in the boring office environment. The trick I've learned, is to keep it simple with the basics but to also add something that makes the outfit pop, such as an interesting detail or accessory. The topic allows me to introduce something my lovely boyfriend got me for my birthday: a blazer/cardigan designed by our talented friend, Richard Söderberg. Richard's brand Obscur is a menswear label but the smaller sizes seem to fit me fine (you can get his clothes at least here, here and here). I've worn this number on several occasions since it's suitable for both office and free time wear. The piece looks professional, though it has that special "twist" which makes it look more interesting than those basic blazers or cardigans people would normally wear to an office. I kept the rest of the outfit simple with basic peg leg trousers, the only additional detail being on front of the white top. You can even add platform ankle boots to this outfit and no one would make a big deal because the cardigan is the true show stopper here. In a delicate way, of course.

I hope you all are enjoying the holidays, I'll be back next year!

Blazer/cardigan: Obscur
Trousers: Asos
Top: Zara
Ankle boots: Fendi

We're living like skeletons

This black dress always makes me think of bones, so I've been calling it "the fish bone dress" ever since the mailman brought it to me. I was wondering where I've seen a similar dress before and suddenly it hit me: there was a white version in the Alexander Wang f/w RTW 09/10 collection. It's no wonder my eyes were glued on this whilst browsing the Asos.com's never ending morass of clothing.

Tonight should actually be a fun night, as we might go check out the great Joensuu 1685 (they're absolutely the best Finnish band at the moment!) or meet up with friends at the local British pub. We'll see how the night unfolds. Enjoy your weekend!

Dress: Asos
Draped cardigan: H&M
Lame leggings: American Apparel
Boots: Ann Demeulemeester
Bag: All Saints /Spitalfields
Bracelet: COS
Chain bracelet: Jimmy Choo for H&M

"There's a gaping hole in the way we are
With nothing to fill it up anymore
No flesh no blood just broken bone
A frame to hang our lives from
We're living like skeletons

Won't someone wake the dead in me
Won't someone shake the dust off me
Give me water give me bread
But don't give me up for dead
We're living like skeletons"
The Sound: Skeletons

Glass Candy, part 1

I figured that the secret of bringing the summerish cycling shorts to the freezing cold temperatures of Finland, is wearing tights and warm enough boots with them. Now that I look back at these outfit pictures, without actually even realizing it, my outfit for the Glass Candy gig was quite Alexander Wang inspired all the way down with the dress, cycling shorts, boots and the hat. I guess when a good collection is stuck in your head, it stays there like glue.

Lately shoulder pads have been making a huge return into my closet, and this moderately padded dress is one of the scores I made in Berlin last week (Berlin posts still to come, I promise, just need to go over like 300 photographs!). The Ann Demeulemeester boots are also something new, though second hand; I made such a steal with those in Berlin as well. Man, I love that city (I'm actually booking tickets to go back for New Years with bunch of friends). The bag and the bracelet are also from there.

Laura was looking fab as usual, and isn't hear feather thingy so gorgeous? I have so many pictures of the oh-so-fun night that I have to make two separate posts, so more about Glass Candy a bit later. Toodles for now, folks!

Dress: COS
Cycling shorts: MTWTFSS
Boots: Ann Demeulemeester
Bag: All Saints Spitalfields
Hat: Uniformal Warehouse via eBay
Bracelet: COS
Ring: Kalevala Koru

Somebody lurks in the shadows

Ten points to the reader who guesses what I therapy shopped from the online discounts a few weeks ago. This amazing designer piece is hanging on my clothing rack at the moment, and will get it's premier this weekend at the Monsters of Pop festival. If you are in the Tampere area, MOP is definitely something worth checking out!

More about this grey, shadowy dream piece to come. Now I'm off to watch one of the best TV-shows at the moment which goes by the name True Blood. Fits the mood of this garment perfectly.

Ecoluxury

Being a huge fan of Scandinavian fashion, meeting the Finnish born fashion designer Camilla Norrback while in Sweden, had a great importance to me. Her brand has been a pioneer in "ecoloxury", a term that has been widely used but in fact, originated from her. In Camilla's words "ecoluxury is modern luxury with an ecological point of view"; most of her clothes are produced from environmentally friendly, renewable raw materials. A good example were buttery soft leggings which I would have never guessed being made of recycled PET bottles. How can something so rough and ugly turn into something so comfortable and pretty?

Source: Camilla Norrback

While visiting her boutique, Camilla promised us a -25% discount from her collection. I obviously couldn't leave empty handed, and this Art deco/80's inspired dress was mine to keep. According to Camilla, her clothes make the wearer feel both beautiful and proud which with, I have to agree. I wore the dress to Saturday night's indie club feeling both beautiful and proud; not only had I bought an amazing dress but it was also a very wise purchase.

The button of the dress is made from the finest quality leather and in a Swedish factory that also manufactures the leather straps of Louis Vuitton bags. How cool is that?

Dress: Camilla Norrback
Shoes: Urban Originals
Clutch: Bianco

Camilla at her boutique

Not so sunny Tuesday afternoon

It has been raining now for the past few days and seems like it's not going to stop anytime soon. Due to the bad weather conditions, I have not worn anything special to be worth photographing. When I get home from work my hair is usually wet and my makeup is falling, so it's not a very pretty sight. With this greyness all my inspiration has gone out the window and got lost in the rain...Where are you sunshine, where are you summer? Oh this depression!

Due to lack of my own outfit photos, I am now introducing a new Swedish brand called Pudel. The designs are very similar to Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair with the abstract cuts and dark colors. I love how they are using black on their spring/summer collection, it's so Scandinavian of them. It is also rather cool that the boy in the pictures happens to be my friend from Stockholm. Way to go Jocke!

You can purchase the clothes online from here.