Where Have I Been?

Good afternoon everybody!

It's been almost a whole month since posting on my blog, and I'll admit I have missed it quite a bit. My apologies for me disappearing without warning, but I do prefer to keep my personal life private and separate from my online life as much as I can. 
My absence can be explained by a few things which have happened in my life. First off, I went on a holiday. It wasn't anything swish, just a trip to Melbourne. But between studying full-time and working every day that I'm not at University, it was a nice break. I was able to enjoy the smaller things, and admire things that I've never seen before. Melbourne is a much bigger city than my own, it was like visiting a whole new world! Designer stores, and a busting city life - it was exhilarating, although walking for the whole day sure does take its toll on your toes. 
I work five days a week, which I know many people do, but being only eighteen, I sometimes struggle. I often find that I don't really get time for myself. I wake up at 5:30am everyday, and get home at 3:30pm, only to begin the next day in the exact same manner. I stand on my feet all day at work; because of this I decided to take a short breath and do something spontaneous. By taking a break, I felt that I was able to 'recharge' and draw inspiration from a city with a lot more access to fashion than my own. 

So, while I am excited to post, please know that sometimes it can be quite irregular due to study and/or work. But know that I do take pride in what I post and I am passionate and determined to deliver high-quality posts which inspire and bring joy to those who read them.
Recently, this blog was featured on Brittany's 'Stardoll Social Recap' on YouTube - I was so excited when I saw! 
Thank you to every single one of you who visits and reads my posts, I am so appreciative. It is lovely to have people see my work. 

Off-White Tribute

Before I begin, I want to state that the header is from TheStardollLookbook. As I couldn't write about this sooner, the advertising on Stardoll has now disappeared. So all credit to Sparklewand12 for the image above. 

The final tribute for this season was well received and liked by many. The Off-White tribute garnered attention from all dolls, especially the fashion lovers, as it is the first time that the brand has had it's own feature store. Personally, I was very happy. To me Off-White demands attention, it is urbanised and street-chic but in an unconventional way. 

Two floors were featured in this release, with nine looks in total. The colour scheme draws in the eye - pinks, oranges, blacks and whites, all compliment each-other nicely. Off-White for this tribute season is based off of the S/S 2018 collection.

On the first floor a few of the items really caught my eye - the pink items of course. But for the sake of this review being somewhat easy to read and follow, as always I'll address the looks in order of L to R. The black one-shoulder dress with tulle detailing is interesting. It looks super edgy on the runway, but as I've recently begun to state, some items, to me, don't look as good in graphics as they do in real life. Regardless, this dress is simple to some extent and would look so good with some patterned shoes or big earrings. The next look is a little bit more versatile as it offers more items. I can't say that I'd wear this black top and crop shorts together, but individually they are cool items. The top reminds me of something, an old Tingeling or Basics piece, and I'm talking circa 2012, I swear it's identical. The shorts are giving me newspaperboy-chic, love them. The only critique for the shorts is that for me they sit a bit funny on my doll. The highlight of the look for me is the pink bum bag. I have worn this bag so many times with everything. Bum-bags/Fanny-packs are making a comeback (undecided as to how I feel about this), so it seemed only necessarily to include one in a tribute release. I love the bright pink colour and orange banded detail, it really provides a summery pop to the look. A flamboyant tulle top is not something that I personally would ever wear, but it's cool that Stardoll branched out a bit. I have seen some dolls wearing it, but I'm a bit on the fence. The saving grace for the whole look is the pink pants, again which I swear sit funny on my doll, but I adore them so much. One of my favourite pieces in the whole collection is the floral dress. I have loved using it for layering, either having a top underneath or by using it as a skirt. The print isn't too in-your-face, rather fun and colourful, and still versatile to some extent. Some hanging sunglasses are used as an accessory, and these are awesome. You know how tiny sunglasses are magically coming back into fashion, these are it! The final look on the first floor is wild, it's totally Tudor-monarch crossed with 2000's hip hop star  inspired. Probably some of the best received items, the neck detail and off-the-shoulder white top are super edgy and fashion-forward. I'm a bit undecided on these pants though, cool concept, I just don't think that they suit my style.

The second floor offers some more urban and street-cool looks. The first look uses the same pants and bag from the first floor, yet introduces a cropped white blouse. We all know by now that I adore a white blouse, I did an entire article on them. This blouse is perfect, I have worn this piece a lot too. Perfect for layering, and adding an edgy professional-looking piece to any look. The second look reminds me of a Japanese kimono, maybe it's the belt style and the wrapped look of the jacket - either way, I think it's beautiful. The pants used in this look are great when paired with a plain top. I've seen dolls wear the pants with the blouse from the first look, and it looks great. A leather blazer doesn't sound all that appealing, but the one in the third look is pretty edgy and biker-chic. It might need a bit of experimentation in order to know what works with this jacket and what doesn't, but I love trial-and-error. The final look is a bit kooky. A large structured dress with a super-cropped top. I can't say I'll be wearing the dress, but paired with the cropped top, it does look pretty cool. The top has become very popular, I think due to nothing like it being available anywhere on Stardoll. It's great for adding a more casual element to an otherwise formal look. 

Okay so with all of the clothing and accessories addressed, lets discuss the elephant in the room - THE SHOES. wHaT are these!? Such a disappointment, I had such high hopes until I noticed the awkward plastic wrap present around the whole shoe. Look at all of the shoes from the runway show that were on offer to use as inspiration (below), and Stardoll chose these....mmkay. But that's all I'll say! If you can rock these shoes and make them work, you go boo!

Runway Realness

Overall, the Off-White tribute was a major success in my opinion. The items have been well-received and styled in so many beautiful ways! I was so happy tribute season was concluded with a 'bang'. Were you happy with this release?

Tributes Gallery

So, I'm a little bit behind on posts - please forgive - I'm currently away on holiday, yippee! Anywho, one of the recent tribute releases was, what I now assume is a continuing collection, Tributes Gallery. Personally, I actually really like the Tributes Gallery releases. They provide an overview of 'hot' accessories in the designer world in a small one-floor manner. While last season we had two Tributes - bags & shoes - this time it appears to have been condensed into one, which I actually appreciate more as it makes more space for a branded store. As someone who likes the releases dedicated to one designer, this is a short, concise way to feature a load of other brands without making Tribute season last all year (I wish).

So, one floor packed with items. Designer pieces featured include Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Miu Miu, Givenchy, Off-White, Manolo Blanik etc. I thought that this was a nice collection of brands and their more iconic pieces. 

First, let me address the Gucci present. Six pieces are dedicated to Gucci, which I'm not complaining about: a green cross body, pink embellished bag, embroidered cowboy boots, crystal glasses, a suitcase, and a sky-blue backpack. I adore the green cross body! I managed to find the inspiration (pictured below), just in a black colour. I love the emerald green as it really resonates with the current Gucci aesthetic being sold to consumers. Green and red is present in so many of their items; t-shirts, sneakers, bag handles - so it's clear that this piece does stay true to the brand. As for the 'Guccify' pink bag, well we all know that has been a huge success. I have seen so many dolls sporting looks featuring this piece. I also found the real inspiration (pictured below), it looks absolutely stunning. I am always on Net-A-Porter looking at the latest fashion looks and Gucci is always slaying the game. The crystal sunglasses (pictured below) and blue backpack are a bit of a miss for me, it comes down to just not suiting my style. I find backpacks hard to work with online, they don't translate to being as casual and cool as they do in the real world. I do love the design and colours used though. I hope to see somebody pull these pieces off! Lastly for Gucci, the cowboy-esque boots...okay Stardoll. Cool initiative, you know there's high demand for boots right now in our community, but I'm not entirely sure that when users scream "I want boots", that this is what they envision. Still though, I like the concept, as stated in the Fendi review, some items just don't translate well from runway to online graphics.

Okay, Gucci over, now onto the other items! The tartan boots, which I casually found on Net-A-Porter one day appear to be inspired by Off-White. I chose not to add a comparison image as I'm not 100% sure of this! Regardless, these are some hot boots! Absolutely amazing print, and I love the small details, such as the ruching up the sides to give them a more 'slouched' and 'oversized' appearance. I love them whole-heartedly! I also love the Dolce & Gabbana bag - with a black and white checked foreground and flowers overlaying, this bag is truly representative of the brand. The handle is something a bit more different, a hard shaped curve, not a flexible handle, I like it. I don't have many other thoughts on the bag, except for - I wish more dolls were sporting it! Another bag which hit the mark is the red Miu Miu bag. This piece is just so perfectly simple, it would go with just about any look! Red is a beautiful, underrated colour, it screams confidence and provides a dominating colour to an anotherwise bland look. Following on from 'pop-of-colour', the Manolo Blanik shoes. Can I just say I have waited so long for these to be featured!? I know we had the Manolo x Vetements orange thigh-highs in Young Hollywood last year, but they were so limited. By having some Manolo's in the Tributes gallery means that they are so much more accessible for more consumers!

I really appreciated that this year Stardoll included a lesser-known brand, Maison Michel. For which, the Maison Michel navy hat with pearl string was featured. It is identical to the real life item (pictured below). I haven't seen an overwhelming desire from other dolls to style this item, but I sure am keen! The navy colour is nice, and the pearl details are refreshing and provide a sense of 'luxury'.

Okay, I will conclude with the three pieces which I was necessarily overwhelmed by. First the Gianvito Rossi boots. What are these? They confuse me a bit, and I haven't seen a single doll wearing them. I feel like they are a bit different, but I am still willing to give them a go before condemning them to the pits of my bazaar. Next, the Givenchy pink backpack (pictured below), who is going to wear this? I think it is more of room decoration than something Stardoll actually expects you to work with. Personally, I think the colour is nice, but it could've been replaced with something a bit more versatile. Finally, controversial opinion, the Gucci suitcase. Looks great as a suit accessory, but as stated above, I think something more useful and wearable should've been featured instead. But then again, I have seen people using it, so maybe it's just me haha.

So, my thoughts on the items are varying. However, the overall consensus is that this release was more of a success than a disaster! Again, sorry for the very late review, I am trying to catch up and schedule some posts for days when I can't write anything. What did you think of the release?

THE REAL DEAL

Sunglass Collection

It's no secret that I love a nice pair of sunglasses. In my younger Stardoll years I never really appreciated what a pair of sunglasses could do to an outfit. Now, I have amassed a collection, a small one, of pieces which I treasure and love to incorporate into my everyday wear. My all time favourites are: Young Hollywood (row 1, no.3), Gucci Tribute (row 1, no. 4), Stardoll Rewards (row 2, no. 5), and Antidote (row 3, no. 5). For me, my favourite sunglasses are unique and offer something different which makes an outfit pop. The newest pairs are: Dior (row 2, no.1), Fendi (row 3, no. 2) and HotBuys (row 3, no.3). I'm especially loving the Fendi glasses up-close, they are such a unique shape, one which I haven't really seen before online. I think I will be wearing these more often!
Much like handbags, denim jackets, and white blouses, I think that I will forever be on the hunt for new pieces to add to my growing hoard of sunglasses. 

Fendi Tribute

What week of tributes is it? I've lost count, time is flying by haha. This week we awoke, well I awoke, to the release of Fendi, which last time I adored. But this time, I don't feel as strongly for the pieces, and I don't think that many other users are connecting with the collection the way that they did last time. Designs based on the Fendi Spring/Summer 2018 runway show. Described on the Fendi site as being "diaphonous materials in tropical hues meets symmetrical stripes, checkerboard patterns, and surprising silhouettes. Sequins shimmer like the sea, while botanical accents from florals to palms add that island feel". The real-life collection is beautiful, even though for me it doesn't translate as being a Spring/Summer collection, but that is besides the point. It is obvious that this collection was the inspiration behind the recent Stardoll release. Whilst last time I was overwhelmed with the super clothes on offer, this time I'm a bit underwhelmed. A few pieces were nice, the black dress (look 1) is something that I can see me styling my doll in. The brown leather dress (look 2) and green skirt (look 3) are also quite nice pieces. I'm not going to say this collection was disappointing, but it didn't make the weeks wait feel worth it. The real-life collection is eye-catching, high-fashion, and classic Fendi - but I don't feel that these images are being upheld when designed for a computer doll game. Some of the pieces to me just look a bit frumpy, mostly because the fluidity of the item isn't being copied so accurately in a digital way. 

 Fendi Spring/Summer 2018 Collection: Fendi.com

So, three floors were released, totalling twelve looks overall, which actually is a solid amount. Typically we get ten looks or just two floors. The first floor appears to follow an earthier colour scheme of browns and blacks. The first look is pretty nice, the skirt is much more form-fitting than in the runway show, which I think will match the majority of dolls taste. For me, the accesories are the saving grace in this collection; stunning bags, shoes, eyeliner detail, and tights - they truly are desirable. An example of the pieces not translating well from runway to computer graphics are the two jackets. For me, these pieces just don't have the same appeal as shown in the runway images above, they make my doll look a bit too bulky, and I just wouldn't know how to style them. Floor two incorporates blue hues into the earthy mix. The winners for me on this floor are again, the accessories, and both the third and fourth mannequin styles - I can see these items being more popular due to their versatility, rather than the first and second mannequin styles. Similarly, the third floor for me is a bit hit-or-miss. I love the third and fourth looks, again not too sure about the first and second; personal preference obviously plays a huge role.

I'm a bit...confused about the green hair piece to be honest??? That's all I'll say about that.

Summarising, a hit-or-miss collection of clothing, which some will either adore or abhor. I'm a bit on the fence, conflicting feelings. I love some of the items, but I'm just plain saddened by others. I just hope someone out there in our online community is overjoyed by the entire collection!

To be fair, the collection is consistent and does appeal to lots of dolls I'm sure, perhaps just not me. I think with Dior last week being such a triumph I had higher hopes. Here in Australia, it is hot, being summer I really wanted a collection which was visually summery and fun. Consider the Fendi Resort 2018 collection (pictured below), made up of vibrant yellows and pinks, paired with tartans and houndstooth prints - I was hopeful for that. Yellows, pinks, and prints are easily adaptable for all seasons and can be styled in many ways to suit such ideals. But for me, browns, dark greens, and navy colours aren't as easy to match all seasons. Maybe Stardoll can do Fendi 2.0 next week? haha. I mean, the resort collection first appeared on Fendi's instagram in November, which is plenty of time to have used it for the current tribute releases. I don't know, maybe I am becoming too particular the more I analyse these tribute collections, but I feel that the Fendi release this time does not match the vibe of the last. Hopefully other dolls like it. To reiterate, as I always do, liking or disliking these releases is completely personal preference. I am going to try to style the items to match my personality, wish me luck! How did you like the collection?

Fendi Resort 2018: Instagram.com/fendi

Top Picks: ItGirl

Fuzzy ItGirl Shirt

Patch Denim Midi-Skirt

Layered TShirt Dress

Mesh Knitted Neck Top / Double Breasted Play Suit

Amongst all of the limited tribute collections being released, some stores provide the goods all year round - ItGirls is one of them. In between all of the tribute madness, I thought it would be a decent idea to share with you some of my top items available at ItGirls!

First, the Fuzzy ItGirl Shirt. Simple and cool is how I would describe this piece. I love the graphic print in the shape of a heart - totally cute. The red is in trend currently, and provides a pop of colour to any look. The way I have styled it above is with the newly-released Dior tinted glasses, LE jeans, and DKNY booties (which remind me so much of Puma x Fenty items). By styling the tee with some plain jeans, I was able to use boldly coloured accessories to enhance the overall look. I wish that I could have this look in real life. For me, it is the perfect mix between casual yet stylish.

I also have loved the Patch Denim Midi-Skirt ever since it came out. Inspired by Kendall Jenner, it is perfectly plain and therefore allows you to style it in so many different ways. I love the patchwork detail, and the ripped hem - both of these elements aid in the skirt being trendy rather than boring. I styled it with a basic black turtle neck and heels. A very basic outfit, yet still very wearable and chic in my opinion. 

The Layered TShirt Dress at first had me unimpressed, but it certainly has grown on me. I think my liking for it peaked when Tributes Gallery released some stunning pink suede boots, which I knew would go perfectly with this piece, and they do. It is an interesting concept, that's for sure: a mesh dress overlay with a graphic tee, interesting, but yet still unique and individual. Being a lover of pink, I cannot pass up this combo, especially when wearing one of my favourite wigs - the blonde bob. 

Finally, some newer items, I think from the most recent release - the Mesh Knit Neck Top and the Double Breasted Playsuit. The mesh top for me is an instant winner, it is so versatile and great for layering, something which I am fond of doing. I absolutely love the look of it when worn underneath the blazer playsuit, it is so 'badass' in a fashionable way. I love these two with fellow monochromatic items, hence the LE clear boots and white sunglasses - totally elevates the look!

Overall, ItGirls is a classic, and I am nearly certain that it has been around since I began on Stardoll many years ago. You can always find something to suit your style, that's for sure. What's your favourite ItGirls items?

Dior Tribute Release

The third release for the f/w 2017 tribute season! I was so pleased with this release, there are so many iconic and amazing pieces available. It is clear that this has been the most popular tribute thus far, I hope Stardoll maintains this high-standard. So far, I am so excited by the tributes.

There is consistency with the colours and materials used overall, which really helps to make this collection stand out. It looks very well thought-through and well considered - big tick from me. 

So, there are two floors on offer, totaling ten looks; which isn't a lot in comparison to previous tributes, but being such a high standard, I am happy with it. Personally, I prefer the first floor by a long shot, for me, it offers a lot more pieces that I am drawn too. 

The denim items are the standout winners, which is clear from the amount of dolls sporting the items. A denim jacket which rests on the shoulders is chic and desirable, so thank you Stardoll for noticing the demand! Denim on denim anyone? Bell-bottomed jeans are controversial, but some can rock them (*cough* Victoria Beckham). The wide legged fit looks great on my doll and provides an amazing silhouette. Present on both floors are two pairs of shoes, both identical in style, just one is an ankle boot and the other is a longer fit - stunning mesh detailing and lace-up features - I am a fan. 

The second floor is, well, a bit more distant from my personal style, the pieces are just a little more distant from my style preference. The bumble-bee looking bodysuit is a miss from me, it totally gives me Stardoll style circa 2011 *shudders*. A bit vivid for me, and I don't really see the connection to the other items. The tulle skirts are beautiful, especially with the bronze glittered bodysuit underneath - whilst I wouldn't wear the combo personally, I do love it, it is perfectly feminine and gorgeous. The leather-look boiler suit....either a hit or miss for people....I think I'm going to have to wear a certain type of wig when wearing this, and I will need to be feeling extra adventurous. As for the t-shirt dress, girl, accessorise. 

So so excited for the tributes to come. Dior has set the bar so high for me! How do you feel about this collection?

A look back on 2017: My Doll Evolution