gina tricot opening in frankfurt

Am Freitag eröffnet Gina Tricot eine Filiale in Frankfurt(HessenCenter) . Ich kanns kaum abwarten und bin schon total auf
 die Sachen gespannt! Die ganzen Ponchos und Pullover im OnlineShop haben es mir besonders angetan. 
Werde ich jemanden von euch dort antreffen ? =)

And the last bit of questions are...

Thank you to everyone who suggested questions for the Period Drama Week Tag. And I've increased the questions to 20. Of course, if you don't answer a couple, it's okay. Here are the questions I've selected!

11. Which period drama which you haven't seen yet do you most want to watch? (Suggested by Miss Laurie from Old-Fashioned Charm)

12. Which period drama has the prettiest soundtrack or background music? (Suggested by Miss Laurie from Old-Fashioned Charm)

13. Which period drama has your favourite screenplay/script? Why? (e.g if it is similar to the original text, if there is one, or if it has been improved in some ways) (Suggested by Abby from Newly Impassioned Soul)

14. Do you like having multiple versions of some period dramas? Do some period dramas need a newer version? Or are the older versions better? (Suggested by Abby from Newly Impassioned Soul)

15. "What is the longest period drama you've seen?" (Suggested by Charity U from Austenitis)

16. Who are your favourite actors/actresses from period drama? (Suggested by Maria Grazia from A friendly meeting place to read and discuss anything Austen...)

17. Do you prefer watching a regular-length movie or a more in-depth mini-series? Why?(Suggested by Melody from Regency Delight)

18. What period drama has one of your favorite actors/actresses in it?' (Suggested by Miss Raquel from God's Daughter)

19. Which heroine from which movie was your least favorite? Why? (Suggested by Jen Corkill)

20. Which three period dramas are your least favorite? (Okay, I added in that one, but it was inspired from Jen Corkill's suggestion)

There they are. Thank you everyone for your suggestions! Get working on those questions! Period Drama Week is right around the corner!

 God Bless,

One Day Left to Suggest a Question

There's just one more day left to suggest a question for the Period Drama Week Tag. If you have a suggestion for a question to add to the tag, leave a comment. I will give you credit if I use your question! Thanks!


 God Bless,
 

Review: Pride and Prejudice (1980)

Couple of things before you read this review: 1. I am a bit biased for this review since I not only have seen the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, but I absolutely love it and it's one of my favorite things to watch. 2. I'm not much of a fan of the older BBC period dramas (though there are some that I absolutely love *cough* Barchester Chronicles *cough*). So as you read my review, you may or may not agree with me. But this is my opinion of this version of Pride and Prejudice.

Box Art

Synopsis - Taken from Pride and Prejudice (1995) Review
Mrs. Bennet is trying to marry off her five daughters. When the rich Mr. Bingley moves into the neighborhood, Mrs. Bennet is determined that he marry one of her daughters. Mr. Bingley takes an interest in Jane, the eldest daughter, while his friend, Mr. Darcy, offends Elizabeth, Jane's sister.


Characters
I only recognized two members of the cast. Elizabeth Garvie (Elizabeth Bennet) I have seen in the second season of The House of Eliott as Lady Elizabeth Montford (Does she tend of have characters with the name Elizabeth a lot?). I also saw that Judy Parfitt (Lady Catherine de Bourgh) was in here: I have seen in Little Dorrit as Mrs. Clennam.

Elizabeth (Elizabeth Garvie) with Jane (Sabrina Franklyn)

Most of the characters I was severely disappointed in. (Forgive me, but I'm going to have to make some comparisons here). Sabrina Franklyn's Jane Bennet was pretty, but I thought that she just wasn't Jane; I pictured Jane as being much more quiet/gentler in her manners and way of speaking. Elizabeth Garvie's Elizabeth just isn't Elizabeth, but more on Elizabeth Garvie's Elizabeth later. Mary Bennet was portrayed as being much too silly: they made her more like Kitty and Lydia, especially at the beginning (honestly, did Mary really care that Mr. Bingley was renting Netherfield Park like everyone else?). Kitty seemed like she was either coughing or crying the entire time (plus when Mr. Bingley returned, suddenly Mrs. Bennet wanted him to marry Kitty?!), but Lydia does exhibit her usually annoying character (though I think Julia Sawalha was more entertaining to watch in the 1995 miniseries). Mr. Bennet seems to be much more malicious than he is supposed to be: he always sounded annoyed at everyone and the lines that were supposed to be said in a light way were said quite angrily. Mrs. Bennet was annoying, which she should be, but she lacked the over dramatic personality that Alison Steadman was a much better in portraying in the 1995 miniseries. I will say that I did like Irene Richard's Charlotte Lucas, though everyone remarked on how she was plain, but I didn't think she was that plain, but even her character wasn't as accurate as it should have been. A lot was added when Elizabeth visited her and Mr. Collins at Hunsford. If you didn't like that in the 1995 miniseries that Mr. Darcy jumped in the lake for a swim, you probably won't like that Mr. Collins had an "aqua hat" and that he actually wore it to pick stuff out of a pond with Charlotte. And it seemed like if Lady Catherine said something about cleaning the house (or in this case, chairs), Charlotte would personally attend to it on her hands and knees. Would Charlotte have done something like that? I don't believe so. Lady Catherine herself could have had a home improvement show: when you first see her, she's giving all this housekeeping advice. It was much overdone.

Elizabeth Garvie is not a very good Elizabeth Bennet. She seemed to be more catty than she should have been. I've never thought of Elizabeth as catty, but rather as someone who was offended by Mr. Darcy. In this Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth seemed to be actually in love with Wickham for a while and everyone seemed to know about it and she seemed to express it pretty obviously, which isn't supposed to be. Also, the way that she delivered some of her lines at some serious moments was almost done comically. If she wasn't comical in the delivery of her lines, she was quite dull. Honestly, Elizabeth Garvie's Elizabeth can't even compare to Jennifer Ehle's Elizabeth in the 1995 miniseries. Jennifer Ehle had a way of speaking Elizabeth's lines that was very easy and natural to her -- and it came out very natural and sounded like the Elizabeth in the book. Elizabeth Garvie seemed to not only say her lines in a way that was quite dull, but she also made Elizabeth look more catty than she should have been.

Mr. Darcy (David Rintoul) proposing to
Elizabeth (Elizabeth Garvie)

Let me say this: David Rintoul is not Mr. Darcy. All his lines were said very, very dully and with absolutely no emotion. It seemed like the whole time, he was just spitting out his lines as quickly as possible. Even when Elizabeth ran to Pemberly to tell him about Lydia's elopement (which is definitely not the way it happened in the book), he failed to be at all affected by Elizabeth crying in front of him. It seemed like he was merely speaking the lines and not acting them. He barely moved as he was talking, resembling a block of wood. Spoiler I'm also not one for romantic scenes much, but could Mr. Darcy's second proposal possibly be any duller? There seemed like there was absolutely no emotion in the entire scene (I know the emotion is not supposed to be excessive, but it ought to have been subtle. It was just entirely lacking here). Again, it's another example of both Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul just saying the lines and not acting as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. End of Spoiler I think I am much more far assured that Colin Firth is the definitive Mr. Darcy.


Scenery
You can't really expect very breathtaking scenery from a BBC miniseries made in the 70s or 80s. The outdoor scenes were okay, but nothing special. The miniseries does come off like a play (as do many period dramas of the 70s and 80s). Comparing to other period dramas from the 80s, I would say the quality is about the same.

Wickham telling Elizabeth how Mr. Darcy
wronged him.

Costumes
The costuming was okay. Everything looked for the most part period accurate. I notice that many of the women wore chemisettes under their dresses, which would be accurate to the time period. A lot of lace in the necklines for evening wear was used, though, which is something that I've never noticed before. I don't have any reason to say that it's inaccurate, but I haven't seen it before and I've seen quite a bit of movies that take place in the Regency Era.


Music
Not the best music. I wouldn't say that the background music is representative of the music of the time. And the Mr. Collins theme was horrid! It sounded like a song out of some really bad comedy. A little bit of a side note: I noticed that Mary Bennet would always sing the song "Early One Morning". I instantly recognized the song since I am a fan of the show Bonanza, and that was a song most notably sung by the character Adam Cartwright. (By the way, Adam sung it much better)


Overall: 1.5/5
There are a lot of people who really love this version of Pride and Prejudice: I'm not one of them. There were just so many elements of the story changed and many of the characters were not the way that they should have been. This miniseries was much more duller than it should have been. I would definitely say that if you only want to see one version of Pride and Prejudice, skip this version and watch the 1995 one: it's much more accurate to the book and a lot more fun to watch.

Pride and Prejudice is available on DVD and VHS and is also on Netflix Instant Streaming. It runs for 265 minutes and is made up of five episodes.

Have a Suggestion for the Period Drama Week Tag?

Have a question you would like to suggest for the Period Drama Week Tag? Feel free to suggest it in the comments! I've been thinking of expanding the number of questions to 20, but only if I get enough suggestions. Make your suggestion before August 30th!


 God Bless,
 

smokey eyes tutorial preview

Hab gestern ein smokey eyes-tutorial gedreht, da ihr so oft nachgefragt habt =) bin gerade am schneiden!
Hier ein kleiner Vorgeschmack in Bildern :


yesterday I've made a tutorial of my smokey eye look! The video is not fisnished yet, but here are some pictures :

In over my head

Blouse Aaiko, Jeans H&M, Hat H&M, Shoes Vans

Period Drama Week Tag Questions

In case you haven't been over to the Period Drama Week Page yet, I have a question tag with fifteen questions. I've put together 10 questions, but I need your help to get the last five. If you have a suggestion for a question to add to the tag, leave a comment with your question. Make sure you suggest the question before August 30th. I'll pick the five best questions (and I'll give you credit!).

1. How did you get into period dramas?

2. What is it that you like about period dramas?

3. Do you usually read a book and then watch the adaptation or do you watch the adaptation and then read the book?

4. What are your top three period dramas and why?

5. From those three period dramas that you picked, who are your favorite characters in each one?

6. Which author do you like the adaptations of their works best?

7. Which period drama characters are the funniest to you (Keep it under three)?

8. Which period drama characters are the most annoying (Keep it under three)?

9. Which period drama characters are in your top three?

10. When you watch period dramas, what is it that you pay the closest attention to (ie. costuming, scenery, etc.)?

11. *POSITION AVAILABLE*

12. *POSITION AVAILABLE*

13. *POSITION AVAILABLE*

14. *POSITION AVAILABLE*

15. *POSITION AVAILABLE*

You can start working on the questions, but make sure you don't post them before Period Drama Week. Post your answers on your blog between September 4 through the 10th.

I look forward to your suggestions!


 God Bless,
 

smokey eyes

Wie ihr schon im letzten Post sehen konntet, stehe ich im Moment total auf smokey eyes ! Natürlich
nicht tagsüber sondern abends zum Weggehen =) Dazu Lippen in nude, ein klein wenig Rouge und
voilà!  Ein weiterer Favorit von mir ist das Oberteil! Es funkelt so wunderschön, schade dass man es
auf den Bildern nicht erkennen kann ...

Wie findet ihr meine Version von smokey eyes  ?

As mentioned in my last post - I love smokey eyes ! Of course only when I'm going out at night...
Nude lips, a little bit of blush and voilà! Do you like my new sparkling top from H&M? I adore it!

alles H&M, Ring Primark / All H&M

Announcing Period Drama Week!

Since everyone loved Jane Austen Week so much, I've decided to host a Period Drama Week also! There will be games to play, things to participate in, and things to read! Make sure to visit the Period Drama Week Page!

Want to spread the word about Period Drama Week? Try one of these buttons in two sizes!

Large Size

Small Size

Need the HTML code? Follow these instructions!

• Copy the code in the text box onto your blog.


• Right click on the button that you like. For Internet Explorer, click on "Properties" and copy the address next to Address (URL). For Mozilla Firefox, click "View Image Info" and copy the location URL. For Google Chrome, click "Copy Image URL"


• In the code, replace IMAGE URL (keep the quotations) with the URL that you copied of the image.


• You should be all set!

<center><a href = "http://elegance-of-fashion.blogspot.com/2011/08/period-drama-week.html"><img src = "IMAGE URL" border = 0></a></center>






 God Bless,
 

Ultimate Book Bash Tag: Part 3

The last part to my tag from Austenitis's Ultimate Book Bash.


 Name three books that have good movies to go with them.

Pride and Prejudice (1995 miniseries) ~ It's simply the best! The costuming is wonderfully done, the scenery is breathtaking, and the script is very close to the book. Highly, highly recommended!


Sense and Sensibility ~ Both the 1995 movie and the 2008 miniseries are very good (though you may want to skip the first scene in the 2008 miniseries). The 1995 movie isn't as close to the book, but it gets the tone of the book right. The 2008 miniseries is a bit darker than the book is, but it stays pretty accurate to the story. Both have great actors and actresses


Little Dorrit ~ The 2008 miniseries is very good and interesting (though be careful in episode 2, there are some inappropriate scenes there; and if you don't like blood, I would avoid the last scene in episode 13 and the first minute or so of episode 14). The costuming is good (though I thought the Dorrits' poor clothes looked better than their rich clothes), and the scenery is a bit dark since it's a serious story. I don't recommend the 1988 version of Little Dorrit, though... Not that there was anything inappropriate in it, but they managed to take an interesting story and make it completely boring.

Any books coming out soon that you're looking forward to?
I really haven't read any books that were new (I always go for classics), so no.

Name two authors you'd like to talk to.
Definitely Jane Austen - she seemed like such an interesting person you could talk to about life.

Science fiction or a fairy tale?
I do like Science Fiction movies, so I'll go with Science Fiction.

A classic book you haven't read is...?
Definitely need to read a lot more of them, but one that I might want to read (that I haven't started yet) is Barchester Towers (it's one of the books that make up The Barchester Chronicles miniseries: highly recommended).

Shakespeare or George Bernard Shaw (who wrote Pygmalion)?
Shakespeare! Of his plays, I've read Romeo and Juliet (though I hated it), Macbeth (which was okay), Hamlet (okay, though it has some mature themes), The Tempest (which was okay), and King Lear (which was good). I would also like to either watch or read The Taming of the Shrew or As You Like It (I'm interested in the 2006 version of As You Like It since Romola Garai (Emma Woodhouse from Emma (2009)) is in it and I also like traditional Japanese fashion)

Name a movie (or two) where it's actually better than the book.
I can't really think of any right now. I find that the book has more information and details that the movies tend to leave out.

Where is your favorite place to read?

Somewhere very quiet.

30. What are your favorite quotes from books?How soon he had walked himself into the proper resolution, however, how soon an opportunity of exercising it occurred, in what manner he expressed himself, and how he was received, need not be particularly told. This only need be said;—that when they all sat down to table at four o'clock, about three hours after his arrival, he had secured his lady, engaged her mother's consent, and was not only in the rapturous profession of the lover, but, in the reality of reason and truth, one of the happiest of men.
 From Sense and Sensibility. I love this quote since in most other books at that point, most authors would have filled it up with endless mushy language, but Jane Austen took another route and got straight to the point. I love it!


You judge very properly," said Mr. Bennet, "and it is happy for you that you possess the talent of flattering with delicacy. May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the moment, or are the result of previous study?"
 From Pride and Prejudice. Oh snap! Mr. Collins got told!


31. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Well, most of the books I read are classics and have mostly been made into movies. Though I've only started to read it and haven't seen any of the movies, I would like to see a "good" version of Mansfield Park (one that most can agree on as being accurate and wonderfully adapted). I would also like to see a better version of Northanger Abbey; I've heard the 1980's version wasn't too good, and though I kind of liked the 2007 version, there were still things that needed to be in there or there were things that shouldn't have been there.

32. What book character do you identify the most with? 

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice (yes, predictable!). But our personalities are very similar and her character is the character that I've related to the most out of everything that I've read.

That's the end of my tag! Head over to Austenitis to take part in the Ultimate Book Bash!


God Bless,
 

Vintage?

Yes, it takes a lot of guts to pull off vintage. :) But the good thing about it is, vintage is often more modest than most clothes in stores today, and it is also so unique. You are not going to walk down the street and see every other girl wearing the same exact shirt as you have on. Not happening! Great, you say.... so vintage is one-of-a-kind! BUT, finding something that fits right and looks great can be difficult, because in vintage and consignment stores, they don't stock items! I understand your dilemma: often I'll go to a vintage store and find a beautiful dress that is too big! It irks me to no end. :P So, I've turned to vintage inspired stores as great options when I can't find that elusive perfect dress. Despite my recent acceptance of vintage knock-offs, I will always be ridiculously loyal to *authentic* vintage clothes. Think of the stories that are coming with your dress... who knows who could have worn it before? Yes, its unlikely that Grace Kelly might have, but I still can dream. ;) Today, I offer you a dose of modern inspiration and then practical application so that you can incorporate vintage into your own style. ♥

So, lets start with the hair: curly blonde hair, in a cross between finger waves and "usual" curls is so drop dead vintage. I can see the Veronica Lake inspiration in this hairstyle. Vintage hairstyles are always classy, classy, classy. 

Thankfully, pencil skirts (like the one this model is wearing) are still around, although they actually originated in the 1950s, and have remained a classic through the years. High-waisted pencil skirts are very vintage-esque, and you definitely see Victoria Beckham rocking those. :)

 I love a good modern take on a very vintage look. This gorgeous suit is obviously inspired by vintage, but it has its own twist, with gorgeous draping around the skirt and shoulder. I think the three-quarter length sleeves make the gloves much more modern.

I have no idea what your stance on the fur issue is: some like faux, others like real, and still others prefer vintage fur. Whatever your values are, fur is a perfect way to add a vintage touch to your look. I know, a huge fur coat can look hideously reminiscent of the 80s... a decade some of us would rather forget. :P But a beautiful fur wrap or a small fur jacket like the one above or a coat with a fur collar is a beautiful way to wear it. (btw, don't you LOVE pinterest?)

 

So, you don't want to be labeled a granny stuck in another century, just because you wear a vintage suit to the supermarket? (all right, ladies, if you wear a suit for the sole purpose of going to walmart, they're right: it *is* overkill. Dressing properly for the occasion is very important!) Getting back to the issue, if you think some of your outfit is too antique, then add a pair of unapologetically modern shoes:

Now, that would dispel the notion of Miss Granny... ;)

And obviously, there are definitely some vintage-y modern suits which won't call for such drastic shoe measures. ;) Although, I absolutely love her shoes...

Can I stop for a moment and say how much I love this photo? All right, back to the issue. Hats are truly as vintage as you can get. From a dramatic black fascinator to a gorgeous sunhat, they add instant charm and beauty to any outfit. There was a time in the past where a woman wouldn't go out without a hat and gloves.... no more! We really need to revive this trend :)

 Black lace is just beautifully vintage, and so many designers are creating gorgeous modern takes on it. It is truly timeless. Adding a strand of pearls to an outfit is so beautiful, but if you pile them on, it adds a bit of a modern touch. Mixing pearls and other pieces of jewelry will achieve the same modern quality.

so, classy. ♥ Is anything more vintage-y than red lipstick? I don't think so!

Next to hats, I have no idea what speaks more vintage elegance than a headscarf. Everybody from Vivien Leigh to Marilyn Monroe wore them, especially in convertibles. (you know the routine, enter the car with flawless hair, exit with anything but... however, a headscarf helps you retain your hairstyle)

I kind of love this dress....! A shorter hemline (as in right above or below the knee) really helps to modernize a vintage frock. I adore her audrey hepburn-esque ballet flats.

So, you might be wondering if anyone wears vintage full time. Yes, although there are only a few, there are some people who are %100 vintage lovers. One such person is Dita Von Teese: she mixes some modern with mostly vintage, and really, I think she is one of the few people that can pull it off. :)

I love how much leopard she wears, and her lovely shoes. Notice her beautifully red nails.

This is what she wears normally! I love it :) Her shoes are so vintage.

Like I said, vintage tends to be more modest in hemlines and necklines. 

Oh, her coat. just lovely.

This is definitely one of my favorite looks for her. She looks so glamorous.

She has such interesting shaped shades...

Yes, she knows the power of red lipstick too. ;)

A beautiful, full circle skirt.

Yes! Headscarf and ballet flats.... she really is so stylish, in a utterly unusual way.

Wrap dresses are so beautiful on her, and very vintage-esque.

Sorry, I just love this one. She is reading the back of a soap box in a supermarket, and looks like she is going to a cocktail party!

Love the black lacework on the upper part of the dress.

She is so cute! I love her style ♥

Isn't her style lovely? And yes, we are now finally getting to the practical aspect of things. Enjoy!

1. First, you need some lovely vintage style blogs to follow, for some more inspiration. (really, can you ever have too much? ;)

~the girl never gets older: can I say gorgeous?! She is beautiful, and her style is very romantic and vintage inspired. I love it; she looks like a doll!

~Vixen Vintage: Again, talk about lovely! She wears vintage full time, and is so good at it. 

~Elegant Musings: Casey doesn't just share her lovely vintage-y outfits, but talks about other aspects of stylish life -- you know, elegant musings? ;)

~Swing Fashionista: Glamorous. Yes, this is a must follow for vintage inspiration.
2. Good vintage stores:
~Posh Girl Vintage: A beautiful vintage store with absolutely lovely clothes!
~Xtabay Vintage Clothing Boutique: A dreamy boutique packed with stunning dresses.
~Midnight Sparkle Vintage Clothing: Definitely one to keep your eye on. ;)
~HollyVogue Vintage Boutique: Fabulous fur selection.
2. There are some absolutely simple and easy ways for you to "try out" vintage without jumping all the way in:

Work the red lipstick

Get some curlers on so.... your end result looks like this:

Then....

Instead of leaving your shirt untucked and wearing a belt on your hips,

Tuck in your shirt and belt it on your waist; total vintage vibe.

Wear a pair of cut-off gloves, or if you are ready for it, go for full out drama and wear "real" gloves.

Red nail polish. so. very. chic. 

Snag yourself some gorgeous retro shades.

Vintage bags can be so lovely... remember Grace Kelly with her Hermes "Kelly" bag?

Next, hit some vintage shops and invest in some glamorous jewelry:

Vintage brooches....

Vintage pearls....

Vintage cocktail rings, and any other beautiful piece of jewelry you can find :) If you don't have pierced ears, vintage stores usually have tons (and I mean a lot) of clip on earrings. I suppose no one had pierced ears then? I've hardly ever been able to find normal earrings. :P

Cat-eye eyeliner is absolutely stunning, and very retro-esque.

And if you are feeling very dramatic, you can even add a fake beauty mark.... Yes. *If* 

(By the way, don't you love this photo of Marilyn Monroe? She looks hilarious!)

Start wearing hats! Beware though... you might get stared at O.o

Add a headscarf :)

3. Now, some things you MUST look for when scouring through a vintage store:

Circle skirts... usually, if you want as much volume as this one has, you will need a petticoat.

Flouncy or fitted, vintage dresses are always worth having.

Anything beaded: dresses, belts, bags....

If you find a pair of gloves that fit perfectly, I suggest you keep them.

I have a very difficult time finding vintage hats that look good on me, so if you find one, I suggest you get it :)

Believe it or not, its hard finding good quality fur for a reasonable price, with a good fit. If you find one, I wouldn't pass it up!

4. Lastly, some great vintage inspired stores:

~Stop Staring!: Gorgeous, gorgeous store.... I love almost everything and would die to have a dress from here :) Just a few of my favorites:

I just adore the silhouette, and the color is darling.

I ADORE this dress. She looks rather thin though..... scary.

Her. dress. Her shoes! Love.....

~Bettie Page Clothing

So pretty....

Very sailor-ish, non?

~Modcloth

Fluffy chiffon dress? Yes please :)

Polka dots are the essence of retro.

L.o.v.e

~Ruche

I know what your thinking... MORE polka dots?! But, they are so pretty :)

~Get Go Retro

Gorgeous black dresses; vintage stores do them so well!

Ooh, polka dots. so cute!

~Chicwish

So lovely... more 70s than everything else today :)

I love the see through sleeves... so chic.

Concluding this lengthy, long overdue post, I would like to pause for a moment and thank each follower for the tremendous support over the past few months. Over 100? It seems just like yesterday that I was staring at my first follower :) Thank you all so much...... I love you all muchly ♥ God bless!!

Images via Dustjacket attic, Adore Vintage,  http://bohemenoir.blogspot.com/, Pinterest.com, and tumblr.com