Sparkle ON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROZ ALCAZAR

Christmas makes me very happy, and today even more so. I am going home for the holidays and I just had the greatest night in the city to give my goodbyes until the new year.

Every occasion over the festive period has been so good to wear shiny outfits (hence my OOTD here). But to be honest, I think it is a great excuse to put all my metallics at once and not give a damn. But as I was saying: my last day in London could not have been better: last-minute Christmas shopping (see me faves here) followed by a great evening overlooking the Christmas lights while having a delicious drink with even more delicious company. Man, should I be thankful! Which reminds me how much I like the american tradition of thanksgiving.

I think we should all do the same kind of therapy over here. After all, most of us will look back at what we've done this 2016 and realize we are thankful for so many things! I am particularly thankful for...

• The new and ever-lasting friendships 
• All my travels and cultural discoveries: Peru, New York, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal...
• A great new job that allows me to travel and enjoy the #goodlife in London
• Having friends that still come and visit me every year, that is really true love
• Some sort of good health (not really counting all my alcoholic nights out) and a fabulous family 
• Pushing boundaries, always exploring further
• Having a new place to live in East London, after a very f****** stressful time aaand for having great new roomies to share new experiences with

Now, what are you thankful for?

Merry Christmas Careless Readers, 

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE?

CiCi London Metallic Pleated Skirt (also available at TopShop Oxford Circus)
Maria La Rosa Metallic Socks
Mango Ribbed Turtleneck
ZARA Gold Sandals (sold out, similar here)
Marc Jacobs Heart Clutch (circa 2010)
Vintage Leather Jacket

Vibrant Christmas

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JJ SMITH

Oh Christmas, I am so glad to see you again...

We've got back to that magic time of the year, and as much as I am enjoying it, I am also getting *once again* very tired. And yes, I know, I am all about #FirstWorldProblems...

In words of my latest newsletter from Laduree: 'Magic is the Christmas word on everyone’s lips, but food is also on everyone’s mind!' That, and alcohol, of course. But we are not here to discuss how many glasses you are gonna end up indulging in the various celebrations the festivities await, but rather where to dress up and have lovely breakfast/tea to commemorate the holiday season. And I definitely found the right place for you. 

Few blocks off Victoria station is Ebury St, a path upon which that magic occurs, and that I would have never thought of crossing if it weren't because of IG. I am so glad my addiction got me to it!

This West London walkaway is perfect for an early morning/ afternoon stroll. Lots of little cafes and yummy restaurants, and by the end of it? Peggy Porschen Cakes. Oh, you fancy. 

You say pink, I say love. I say sweet, you say done. 

At this très chic bakery located in Belgravia you'll find creative cupcakes, fancy cakes and other sweet treats, plus tea and champagne. BOOM! The menu is vast and not that expensive considering where you are at, though you can really splurge if you want to...they've got a 400GBP gingerbread house that would be every little girl's dream. 

In any case, it's been a bit grey and cold in London lately, so once the weather was on my side, I decided to put a bit of colour into my day outfit. Red for Christmas and gingham cause I bloody love gingham. Tights? What the hell is that? Not on my vocabulary thank you. It even feels it's summer by the looks of this...

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE

Prada Flower Baroque Sunnies (circa 2013, sold out)
Believe-e Gingham Blouse
Mango Red Leather Skirt
Diane Von Furstenberg Nude Pumps (similar here)
Vintage Red Bag
Maria Pascual Jewellery
 

Furrylicious

Sometimes, all you need is a splash of colour, especially in a city like London.

The more time you spend in the city, the more you get soaked in it, loving every single bit of it. So much fun, however, is counterbalanced by the weather. You can go days without seeing the sun, and for that reason I think everybody could do with some colour to brighten up their day. Whether it is in the form of architecture, clothing or food...jazz things up, baby!

You know how much I love characterizing my outfits, so for this occasion I felt like impersonating Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. It is either that or Audrey Hepburn and her red lipstick. Who else would it be more fabulous and powerful than them? 

TCB x

Psss photography is by the megababe Roz Alcazar

“Colors are the smiles of nature”

— James Henry Leigh Hunt (1784-1859)

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most”

— John Ruskin (1819-1900)

WHAT I WORE:

Paper Dress Vintage 70s Vintage Fur
Giant Vintage Cobain Sunglasses
Bershka leather Skirt (old, similar here, here and here)
ASOS Fishnet Tights
 

Stars and Studs

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROSALIND ALCAZAR

Winter is finally upon us, but don't let it ruin your day! It doesn't matter whether it's sunny or cold outside, you should always enjoy what surrounds you. And that's exactly what I did on a cold morning around North London: explore Camden!

If there is something that characterises Camden, is their punk/goth/rocknrolla style that to me cries out loud: LET'S BE REBELS! And what is better than a leather jacket to portray that? 

I've been looking for the perfect leather jacket for months now and it wasn't until I visited Camden that I found one. Should have thought about it earlier, really! This place is known because of its leather goods... In fact, in my first visit London (about 15 years ago, with my parents), trendy mum and I went on a shopping spree and bought what is still today my favourite leather jacket. You can see it on my insta :)

There are plenty of high-end options for a leather jacket, but for this instance I wanted something more special. I wanted something a bit more grunge and with a story. After walking up and down the street, we found a leather wholesaler on the back of one of those souvenir shops that we all love so much. Just walking into this place I knew I was in for the win. I love the smell of pure leather and the guys there knew exactly what they were talking about. They even gave me tips on how to wear it! I couldn't really say no this time, so lucky winner one on the pictures came back with me home.

Shopping along Camden High St is a lot of fun (specially if you are after leather goods, piercings or phone cases), only if you've got the patience to take it all in. Everybody wants to sell you something, so it can be tiresome. But hey, it's part of the entertainment, right? Every salesman there is so friendly, after all. And if you stay with them for a while, you'll go home with great tales to tell.

Stay tuned for more,

TCB x

WHAT I WORE

Leather Jacket (bespoke, Camden shop)
Topshop Joni Jeans
Marques Almeida Buckle Denim Top (sold out, but very similar here)
Gucci Dyonisus Medium Size Bag
ZARA Patent Leather Ankle Boots (similar here)

Landan Fashan Eeeek

Photography by Olajide JJ Smith

Morning careless readers! Back to you with yet another fashion week story :) 

I've gotta admit, this travelling situation and non-stop working has been great but it is totally catching up with me! I was so tired over the weekend that I decided to go for a simple outfit (at least, to my eyes) for the Saturday shows at LFW. In my opinion, nothing beats a good pair of black jeans/ trousers (specially if they are Citizens of Humanity) combined with a good pair chelsea boots. I mean, how cute are those pearls? Totally GUCCI GUCCI GUCCI, but at a much cheap & cheerful price, ha. 

To clash a bit with the normcore style of this outfit, I played with colors and mixed & matched my blouse and top and add my recently acquired Dionysus bag to it (how pretty is it? I am IN LOVE). And YES, long sleeves are back in London people, summer is sadly over. 

As for the shows I've seen over the last couple of days, stay tuned because you'll see the reviews (and the pretty pictures) very shortly!

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE:

ZARA Blouse (AW16/17)
Mango Suede Jacket (sold out)
Citizens of Humanity Jeans
Uterque Chelsea Boots
Gucci Dionysus Bag
Maria Pascual Jewellery

Monkey Business - NYFW Special

Day 2 of NYFW could not have started better. Why? Because we started it at 29 Rooms, an amazing playhouse for adults that puts you in the center of art, cinema, tech and fashion.  

This mesmerizing space hosted by Refinery29 was everything a girl could wish for: 29 rooms full of experiences and lots of fun. It is difficult to explain what you feel once you are in this warehouse of amusement but it was definitely something should try out. I mean, who would deny a free pass Disneyland if it was right by your corner (or few stops away on the L train to Brooklyn)?

Right after our visit to 29Rooms and Bushwick Collective (seriously, you can’t miss the streetstyle if you are in the area), we headed ourselves to the Custo Barcelona catwalk at Pier59 Studios in Chelsea. 

I must admit Custo’s show was better than expected. In fact, I was quite amazed by it! I feel he is going back to his roots by doing what he does best: to mix, and to mix everything. While listening to a great playlist, male and female models parade in front of us to what was an explosion of colours, textures, fabrics, patterns…everything and nothing you could have thought of was in front of you. And you know how much I love that. 

After the show, we decided to go for a stroll around West Village. Such a lovely area to finish your #sundayfunday in the city. We had a relaxing cup of coffee at one of its many french cafes (Tartine I am looking at you, beautiful lady) and enjoyed a quite stroll around the streets. 

Stay tuned for more, 

TCB xx

What's Cooking on NYFW?

If there is one thing I would highlight about NYFW is how well organised it is. First time attending fashion week overseas and, despite not having a tone of shows to attend, I felt like a star.

NYFW is not only about fashion. Is about the people, the showbiz, the after-parties, the who-knows-who, the yellow taxis and all the extravaganza that comes with being in the city that never sleeps.

I’ve never seen so many good looking people walking the streets. It was kind of intimidating! But a lot of fun too. I am very competitive, so I was not gonna be less. 3 outfits a day? Sure, let’s.

All the catwalk shows here are set up to stand out, and everybody is very welcoming. You also get to sit and casually chat with big names, which I guess is not as frequent back home. Quite an experience, I reiterate!

Rebecca Minkoff

First show of the day was Rebecca Minkoff and I was blown away. She totally outdone herself this season. She closed Greene St entirely for the show, and while we were literally roasting on our pretty dresses, she showcased her new AW17 collection, which was fab. 

She clearly knows what she is doing when she invites big names like Shea from Peace Love Shea, Caroline Vreeland or Gala Gonzalez to walk her runway, too. Her leitmotiv jackets were the stars of the shows, though I must admit I really liked the entire collection, which for once was very read-to-wear. 

Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait was very pretty, but also very pretty the same in terms of collection. I love how xx uses those fabrics to create such beautiful outfits, though I feel is a bit of the same every season. 

Nevertheless, it was fab, don’t get me wrong. I totally want that pink dress. 

TCB x

Belle Époque

photography by rosalind alcazar

If you wanna feel like a princess, you definitely can. Specially if you are at Queen's Mary Garden in Regent's Park. I've realized I have a thing for parks, lately. I guess that's London over summer, right? 

Long evenings taking in the grandeur of these beautiful spots, while sipping a drink and enjoying a the good company of your friends. 

Regent's Park is one of those parks surprisingly go unnoticed to me, not because the place isn't big enough (blimey), but because it is a bit out of my way. However, each time I've been here it has been a delight.

Queen's Mary was a dreamy discovery. As if it came out of nowhere, this beautiful rose garden is full of roses of all color and shape. It's London's largest collection of roses, with approximately 12,000 planted here. I know, crazy. 

If you like fairy tales, this is your kinda place. Take a guest visiting the city, a friend, a date, ... And you'll be the star for finding this out.

Have a look, sit down, and if it is night time, enjoy the sunset. It's another great day out in the city.

Stay tuned, 

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE:

Taylor Morris ZERO Sunglasses
OASIS Collab with V&A Mesh Dress
Ouigal Mandy Sandals
Launer London Judi Bag

I eXceL in #MyCalvins

PHOTOGRAPY BY OLAJIDE JJ SMITH

Man, do I love the 90s or what! I'm hooked to the idea of bringing old-school trends back. And some brands are doing great at it. I mean, just look at this outfit!? 

These days I'm also feeling like a dangerous woman (yes, very Ariana Grande of me) so I'm embracing more daring outfits. Always in style though, PLEASE. 

Speaking of style. How cool is the street art on this shoot? You may be wondering where that wall is! It is part of XL Recordings, a record label located in a mew in West London. Since they started in the 90s, they have worked with big names such as Adele, Beck, Radiohead, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., FKA twigs and The XX, reason why you see this wall at their entrance. They must have done very well, hey!

Have a lovely weekend careless readers, 

TCB xx

P.S: JJ and I had a bit of a running story where I am posing like Kim Kardashian showing off her ass. Can you guess one which one is it? :P

WHAT I WORE:

Round Rayban Shades
Topshop CropTop
Calvin Klein for UO Midi Skirt
Stan Smith Adidas Sneakers

Candy Land

Candy Land, an unknown place for many and a delicacy for some.

Located on what I call the outskirts of London (that is anything beyond Zone 2 on the tube) is a beautiful workspace for artists and designers called SugarHouse Studios. It seemed to have an up an running café, a pizza service and a yard but, to date, is rather leftover and empty of Londoners.

The area is quite rough to my taste, despite having Stratford and the Olympic Park quite near. Nevertheless, what would seem an unreasonable trip for many was a perfect adventure for The Careless Blogger. The Spanish Mafia dressed up for the day and went exploring the area.

Why CandyLand? You may wonder. Unfortunately, there are no sweeties involved but spots called like it: PUDDING Mill Lane is the stop you'll need to get off to go to the studios or alternatively you could stop by MARShgate Lane on the bus. Not to mention the studio is called SUGARHouse? Put that on a pipe and smoke it.

As we weren't aware of what we would encounter we brought some sweeties ourselves. We enjoyed a very cold morning of girlie catch up and took some pics for you to see :)

#FUNFACT: the studio front facade was made from colourful tiles handmade on site! The colours are random, for each batch different amounts of pigment were added, decided by whoever was making tiles at the time. Similarly there weren't any rules or patterns followed for putting them up, just whatever looked good to whoever was doing it at the time. How awesome is that?

Below you can see the results!

P.S.: Yes, I support #freethenipple.

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE:

SheIn 90s Top
Topshop Mom Jeans
Gewel Boutique Sunglasses
Miista Eva Galactic Heels

Queen of Hearts

PHOTOGRAPHY BY jide JJ SMITH

I feel Londoners live by the weather conditions sometimes. I've had so many people telling me that's the first thing they check to plan their days (and outfits) in the city, it's not even a joke anymore! 

I, for starters, am one of these people, ha! You need to be prepared for at least two weather changes in a day in London, if not more. You can go from grey and cold to rainy to then beautiful sunshine in a matter of 30 minutes. Ridiculous? Most certainly. But let's not forget we live in an island, after all. 

After years of learning and consideration, my rule is to embrace whatever comes. Wear what you feel like and the rest you'll take as it comes. Not gonna lie to you guys: that rule of thumb may get you a bit cold sometimes. But hey, you look fabulous don't you? 

To battle any sort of weather in style there are 4 things that should always be in your wardrobe: 

1. A cashmere jumper (Boden has some amazing ones at the moment, and in so many colours!), which will make you feel soft an cozy even if you are outdoors
2. A pair of jeans, which will defeat any meteorological situation while being comfy
3. A pair of heels (or plenty if you must), which even though they aren't always your best friend (especially if you are wearing a beautiful new pair and it starts pouring rain), they will make you and your figure look fabulous. I'm tiny as well, so you'll see me on them 90% of the time. 
4. A leather jacket, which is probably a staple amongst any London gurl. There's a reason why they call it "Perfecto" jacket, right? 

TCB x

Crisp

photography by jide jj smith

BLIMEY it's cold in London these days! Never mind the pissing rain that gets me everytime cause I've learnt not to carry an umbrella (too big for my mini bags), but this cold...this cold gets to my bones.

OH WELL! What are we gonna do, stay home? Cause that's certainly not my style, my friends. If I were you I'd brave the weather and have a lovely day in South Kensington, the pretty neighborhood near my ends :)

If you are out and about in SW London, SouthKen is a must. And I will tell you why:

• There is a majestic feeling about this area; it just makes you feel good by just walking around it. Take in the landscape: white houses, beautiful greenery, royal parks and grand architectural buildings will make your time here worthwhile. 
• There is a huge variety of culture: the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the V&A are within meters of each other. I'd say the first two are more enjoyable if you are going with your boyfriend or if you are really into geeky/nerdy/historical stuff (which I am totally into), whereas the V&A usually is more girly. Nevertheless, I suggest you check them all out regardless of your gender as the structure of these buildings is mesmerizing. 
• There's so many sweet choices for a snack I literally struggle every time I go there: Tombo Café is perfect for matcha-lovers (you'll find literally ANYTHING you wished for); Hummingbird Bakery is great for delicious american-style cupcakes (we've been through this, right) and Maitre Choux is my favorite for Parisian eclairs in the city. 
• You can get lost through Kensington Gardens (20 minute walk from South Kensington Station), visit the latest crazy-as-f**** exhibit at The Serpentine Galleries, or get into some more British culture by visiting Kensington Palace or sipping tea at its Orangery. You'll be set back to Jane Eyre times. 
• According to the area you are in, there's lots of pubs and cocktail bars with a pristine setting, although I'd suggest you head towards Sloane Square or High Street Ken for it, as the options are better. The Windsor Castle is quite an isolated pub in Kensington but if old-school is your thing, you'll love it here. Otherwise, The Botanist in Chelsea is always a good bet.

All in all, you've got a whole day out in the city just planned right there, so wrap up and get yourself going! I probably wasn't wearing enough layers but hey, how cute is this look? As we say in Spain: "To be/look beautiful you must suffer".

TCB x

WHAT I WORE:
Ci Ci London Blouse
Boden Pink Coat
H&M Denim Flares (SOLD OUT, similar here)
ZARA Pumps (old)
Fendi sunglasses
House of Mackage Cross-body Leather Bag

SUPER MAGS

Photography by Charlie Sawyer

What a day yesterday was. London Fashion Week just started and my feet is already feeling it! I am having so much fun, though. Lots of catwalks and presentations (too many of the latter, in my opinion) that you can check on my Day 1 reviews and also lots of free sweets, popcorn and booze to indulge into. OBVS!

Walking down Lexington St towards the main stage (that is Brewer St Car Park) certainly makes you feel like a star followed being followed by paparazzis. To top up the day, I ended up party-hopping in Soho followed by a late dinner at Sexy Fish making new gal-pal friends. What else?

Let the fun times continue. I'll keep you posted!

TCB x

WHAT I WORE:
Total Look by ASOS
ZARA Suede Ankle Boots
Launer London Traviata Bag