Real vs Steal

sure, no doubt. the steal can never replace the real, but when it comes this close it definitely is an acceptable option for all of us with a low budget.
and when it comes to trend pieces like a baby pink backpack, the steal sometimes may be the better choice.

sure, what makes a mansur gavriel bag so special is the perfect leather, but this topshop copy is a good option, as it is a real leather bag for just a fraction of the cost.

the price for the mansur gavriel backpack is 700 € (950 $). topshops version is on sale right now and costs 40 € (down from 105 €).

a pink backpack is not on my wishlist, to be honest not at all...but i think it's a beautiful bag and i wanted to share this awesome find with you! didn't do a real vs steal in a long time, but this one was definitely worth to revive this category.

get the mansur gavriel here and the topshop here

Heel Love

there's one reason that makes me wait for autumn...these zara heels! 
i love them, i've never worn them and now it's time to bring them out! i just need the right weather, not too hot and not too rainy...

expect some outfitposts with these amazing heels this autumn! i have plenty of ideas to style them

Mood Of The Day

sometimes it's important to keep things simple. in mind, relationships and wardrobe. 
did this moodboard almost one year ago, found it now and thought i'ld share it with you!

have a great weekend!

Sale Love

i must admit, i love sale! i think i bought 70% of my wardrobe during sale, especially zara sale.
years ago i bought whatever i liked and that didn't punish my wallet, nowadays i think i understand who i am and what suits me. before i buy something i consider if it fits the style i have and that i try to embrace. 

there is this one question i always ask myself before i buy anything on sale. 'would i pay the full price for this item?' if i wouldn't i leave it right there at the shop! 

why buy something i wouldn't even consider for a few euros more? i guess this just shows i don't really like the piece and it's just the price tag that attracts me. 
i only want to buy things that have the potential to become a favorite! i want to love what i wear, i don't just want to buy for the sake of making bargains and having tons of clothes. 

but these zara heels are just perfect! they suit almost everything and are really comfortable. they're real leather and i scored them for 39,90 euro (original price was 89,90 Euro). i left the shop with a huge smile on my face!

the bag is from mango and was on sale too. i got it for my birthday and love it! next to an olive colored shopper this is one of my two not black bags. i just have a weakness for black bags!

certainly i have some other sale finds and i guess you'll see the one or the other item on this blog the next time!

what are your sale finds? do you love sale time as much as i do?

Barbara Schwarzer Fashion Show

yesterday i was invited to the barbara schwarzer fashion show in düsseldorf. as i live and work in this city of corse i knew her and her work as she is quite known here. 

i love her feminine hallmark, the flattering fabrics and subtle colors. she understands how to make a woman stand out without obtruding, make her look mature and gentle. 
this collection was quite casual as she is is known for her gorgeous evening wear which came little short in this collection.

i think this woman is a big deal for düsseldorfs fashion world and so it was just the perfect choice to let her open this weekends 'platform fashion' event which accompanies the fashion fair 'the gallery'. 

the 1957 born designer lives and works in düsseldorf/germany. 

she founded her label in 1997 which has 3 underlines called 'augustat', 'angie' and 'barbara schwarzer'. last one is the highest-grossing and known all over the world. 

her style is characterized by classic elegance. she doesn't follow each new trend and focuses on her own understanding of a chic and timeless elegance.



this weekend is packed with fashion shows and i'm quite happy to be a part of this event. i'll keep you updated and show you what my fashion city düsseldorf has to offer! thumbs up for german fashion!

(images via PLATFORM FASHION)

Casual Friday

sometimes the most casual looks are the ones we love the most! 
that shirt is a staple basic in my wardrobe for years now, i love it to pieces (well, hopefully not^^). it was a real snap, 3 euros at the h&m sale in 2010. i love these kind of pieces!

shirt - h&m
pants - primark
shoes - birkenstock
necklaces - vintage
watch - daniel wellington
sunglasses - asos
bag - celine paris

Urban Safari

summer time is safari time. and because i'm living in a big german city, this look is the closest i come to a safari. but i'm fine with that as i'm an absolute sissy and so the urban jungle is just right down my alley!

The Borrowed Look

 i called this post 'the borrowed look' because except jewelry and shoes everything was borrowed for this picture.
some weeks ago i was invited to a blogger night at a boutique here in düsseldorf. i met some lovely fashionbloggers from this area, we had some champagne, good conversations and browsed through the lovely fashion with a mission, find the perfect look. the best look had the chance to win a 50 € voucher.

as i am quite tall and not anywhere near a size zero it's always a struggle to find something that fits and actually is my style, especially in small boutiques. so i already was attuned to find a compromise i could live with.
but let me tell you, this is outfit is far from compromise. i love this look! i already fell in love with the white lace top a few days before when i visited the shop. i had the plan to compose my look around it, and then, that day forgot to wear a top underneath my clothes. so i had to improvise, and as all the jackets were too small i tried this amazing knitter. i love the combination of the sheer black knit and the transparent white lace. and how gorgeous is this stella mccartney look a like bag? its of the softest leather and available in different colors.

all in all i have to say this boutique is a great addition for düsseldorf! this city was missing something like this, every single piece is handpicked by the owner, who is a fashionblogger herself. she knows the trends and brings them to us for absolutely appropriate prices, no need to rob the piggy bank for an individual style. but be quick, the number of each piece is limited, which makes it even more exclusive!
i will soon post an interview with the gorgeous owner alina knips and give you all the facts about this gorgeous boutique!
for all who don't want to wait and check themselves, the boutiques name is 'La Parisienne' and you find it at Collenbachstraße 1 in Düsseldorf.

pictures were taken by her gorgeous friend, whose name i forgot (shame on me!), but shes on instagram and called 'the little black mag' (the gorgeous brown haired girl next to me). thanks to alina for sending the pictures over!

Flatlay Skills and Birthday Thoughts

because of the lack of outfit pictures and the fact that this still is supposed to be a fashion blog first, i decided to share some of my instagram pictures and flatlays with you.

i LOVE flatlays, lately i'm quite obsessed with them, so what could be more reasonable than to learn how to do them myself. first it was quite tricky to find the right place with the best lighting etc, but then i found out that i have the perfect light on my bed in the afternoon. and cause i'm working from home as a freelancer i can make some free time every now and then and practice.

i have so many beautiful stuff, fashion and accessories, that i want to share with you! but i still have the problem that i have no one to take pictures of me, so this is the best way. there will still be outfit posts, this is just another way to embrace my love for fashion and photography.
some of the pictures are taken by my (crappy old) phone, some with my nikon SLR camera.

here you see some of the items i got for my birthday last week. i turned 29 on tuesday and had a wonderful day with my family. now it's just one year till the big 30.
but hey, i have no problem with getting older. as 40 is the new 30 and growing up with sex and the city, i always looked forward and enjoyed looking back and laughing about the silly mistakes i made when i was younger. 
i grew up the last couple of years, and i would never ever want to be 18 again.
i love the advantages of being mature, i've grown through my experiences and yes, also through my mistakes. i learned to forgive, to love myself and go for the things i want. and the most important, i know who i am and what i want. at least most of the time^^

and what i really wanted were this prada sunnies! (haha, jaja, nice bridge, i know^^)
my mum got them for me for my birthday and they arrived some weeks ago. we ordered them online cause it was quite impossible to get them in store. even the prada store was out of stock, and after some research we found them with a good discount online.

since i'm looking for a new wallet for quite a while now i was really happy to find this jobis wallet on sale at tkmaxx, which my father got for me, just like the bag that was a sale find at mango.

the other presents were a lovely sisley sweater i got from my brother and a DKNY bra from my sister.  
oh and my favorite chocolate which just came out in germany, lindt intense with strawberry. i first tried it in paris and was on the hunt ever since! my lovely sister found it at karstadt. if you see it give it a try!

how do you feel about getting older? is it just me who gets excited about it? 

Easy Styling

and finally a new outfitpost. i'm still absolutely into effortless style, give me a ripped jeans and a plain shirt and i'm happy! i just combine it with some accessories and messy hair to make it extra cool, like these silver mirrored sunglasses and snakeskin slipons. 
i'm still head over heel into slipons (well, to be correct head over no heel...ok ok, i made that bad joke already before, but i couldn't resist^^), i have to stop myself from buying more and more. 


trench, shirt, jeans, slipons - h&m
bag - zara
sunglasses, belt - vintage

Hello Spring

i'm so glad that spring is here and temperature is rising. to see flowers and trees blooming boosts my mood every time, and now is the time! and i think nothing represents the first weeks of spring better than tulips, so i had to get some at the market on saturday, it highlights every room you put it in!

light trenchcoats, wide leatherpants and slip ons are all big trends this spring, so i combined them in one outfit. and oh, that zara necklace, it was love at first sight! i think pearls are going to have a big revivals, but we will see!
and no, i don't see a problem wearing black in spring. you don't need to wear colors to have a colorful live^^

so far, so good! enjoy the sun and blooming trees my loves, cause i definitely will!^^


shirt, pants, bag, necklace - zara
trench, slip ons - h&m
watch - daniel wellington
sunglasses - asos

Wish I Was Wearing

i love simple looks! it's so pretty to make each piece stand out without competing.
i think there's a special beauty in simplicity and  minimalism. you take everything thats not necessary and in the end you are left with the essentials. just the things you love, not an overload of things you like. i'm not just talking about fashion alone, i mean life in general!

this is a classic black and white look with a horn box bag as highlight. i love each piece here and i think every single one would be worth a purchase, what makes it my current wishlist (at least a part of it^^). in fact, i just ordered some Dior double earring look a likeS and can't wait to wear them!


pants - JOSEPH
shirt, shoes and box bag - ZARA
sunglasses - CELINE
double pearls earrings and highlighter - DIOR
bracelet - JENNIFER ZEUNER
lipstick - CHANEL

Oh Rainy Day

we had so nice weather the last few weeks, a lot of sun, not too much rain and quite warm. 
so i made the plan to take some outfit pictures when i visited my family and took lots of clothes with me. but then, just the minute we startet to shoot the first outfit it started to rain, and never stopped. 
but at least i have one picture to show you, more than i had before.^^
i want to try to always see the positive, and it turns out to be harder than i thought! 

latley i really love my chanel lookalike bag i bought in december, i try to wear it as much as i can. 
do you have such pieces you want to wear everyday, but they are too unfunctional or uncomfortable (like the shoes i wear on the picture^^)?

Trend Alert: Birkenstocks

birkenstocks, it's a love or hate thing. some are head over (no) heel into this super mega trend, some would rather walk barefoot. but what's for sure, this is one of the biggest trends this summer. 

every hip brand made look a likes and even the ss14 runways were full of them. 

and when british vogue styles a whole editorial with them on topmodel miranda kerr, this definitely is a big thing.

this trend is just right down my alley! i love my bircks and had spend almost complete last summer in them. they are comfortable and look super trendy when styled with some chic and minimalistic outfits. 

you will definitely see me in my bircks this summer, what about you? is it a love or hate thing?

(images via pinterest.com)

The Green Scarf

this new silkscarf trend popping up everywhere (again first seen on elin kling) is a nice sophisticated way to upgrade a rather boring outfit. give it an even more glamorous touch with some cat eye shades. and as this green silkscarf was waiting for years now to see daylight after i bought it in amsterdam in 2008 it finally had its debut. 

so far i like this look, though it feels a bit stuffy. but, whats so bad about that? 
maybe we all need a bit more of that spirit in these days^^

Bye Bye Winter Coats

as winter is officially over now, i start to enjoy the thought of spring coming, actually it's just around the corner. 
but seeing this ladies with their gorgeous coats something deep inside of me screams 'snnooow'! we had no snow over here and the temperatures barely even dropped under 0°C this winter. 
but i guess there is enough  time to wear all these beautiful coats next winter!
so let's all say goodbye to the woolen ones and pass over to over beloved trenchcoats and leatherjackets and embrace the sunny weather!

(images via pinterest)

Layered Necklaces

what can be more charming than a tiny gold necklace around a womans neck? gold is warm and the neck is a very sensual part of the womans body i think. and these delicate, thin necklaces that are on trend right now attract attention though they are so tiny.

i love to layer them, three are just perfect for me, and this combination is my favorite at the moment. though, i have different ones as well and when it comes to the necklace alone i like them more.

and for this trend you don't have to get the expensive ones, there are tons of nice affordable alternatives out there. cause, you know, it's not  all (real) gold that glitters.

Stripes and Leather

a few weeks ago i was on a blogger meeting at the fair trade 'the gallery' in düsseldorf, hosted by style ranking.
this was my outfit for the day, and the 'happy' face was caused by my shoe that broke just 5 minutes before we took the picture. the strap around the ankle just teared off and i had no other pair of shoes with me. thank god my 'blogger' friend daniel was there as well, who happens to live near my place and helped me to get home safe. thank you :-*

this outfit is almost head to toe zara, what happens quite often lately. major sale discounts' to blame^^

The Mango Lookbook

i just fell in love...no, not with daria, that happened years ago^^ 
and not with mango, but with the lookbook! i love the shots, i always do. but then i run to mango with tons of things on my mind and actually end up with nothing...mostly i don't like how the clothing fits and they look rather cheap in real life. but this lookbook is just over the top! 
these are my favorites, and i think i at least have to give one of the white jackets a chance and take a closer look when they hit the store.
see the full lookbook here

(images via mango)

Comfy Dressing

a quick outfit post from yesterdays outfit. i know, this coat makes me look huge, but it's so comfy and i like it. and i guess thats all that matters, right?
this actually is one of those outfits i wear when i don't feel too comfortable. it's easy, legere and i feel good wearing it. would be a perfect sunday outfit as well. you know, those times you don't feel like dressing all up.