I’m packing my (virtual) bags.

What’s this?

WordPress has been the home for my blog for over a year now but I’ve decided to move blogging platforms for a variety of reasons: new software to mess around with, opportunities to expand, different features, etc etc blah blah.

The Stuff You Need To Know.

My new blog address is:

http://rachelmichaella.blogspot.com

I’m not conceited in putting my name in the address, I swear. It’s just ‘Watch This Place’ was already taken.

This site will stay online for old times sake, should you become…er…sentimental.

Same blog. Same me. Even the same badly self-made graphics.

Remember?

http://rachelmichaella.blogspot.com
http://rachelmichaella.blogspot.com
http://rachelmichaella.blogspot.com
http://rachelmichaella.blogspot.com
http://rachelmichaella.blogspot.com

Cool. Tell your friends, your colleagues, your mum, your hamster.
Then run up your street naked proclaiming your love for my blogging brilliance.
Jokes. (Seriously, don’t do that.)

Loveeee,

Rachel xoxoxoxo

Top Five Tracks Right Now…

I’m not an authority on music. Hell, considering my first ever concert was S Club 7 (when I was, ironically, seven) I don’t think I should be allowed to be an authority in anything. Especially since my music taste makes my mother go running to the  hills, hands over her ears and wondering how long it’ll take her eardrums to grow back (then again, that phenomenon  may just be a side-effect of the whole ‘having a teenager/rock music devotee/fashion blogger as a daughter’ thing).

Regardless, here are five songs I’m loving right now. Love them too. Or throw darts at the picture of me on the ‘About’ page. I’m not too fussed either way…

All Time Low
I Feel Like Dancin’

Alright, alright. It’s a little cheesy. And it’s a far outcry from those punk pop ‘Jasey Rae’ or ‘Six Feet Under The Stars’ beginnings which I loved so much. And maybe it’s a little too mainstream to be labelled ‘musical genius’. But, screw that…the oh-so-appropriately named song just makes me wanna DANCE.

Deftones
Rocket Skates

Masochistic/disturbing lyrics meets heavy rock and awesome screams. It’s a song to make your grandparents cry. Which reminds me…mine are visiting in a few days. Casually blast this on repeat perhaps? Standard.

(DISCLAIMER: I don’t actually blast my relatives into madness with loud music. Even if my love for black and orange hair makes me look like I’d be the type…)

Hole
Skinny Little Bitch

Props to Courtney. She’s 46 and still rocks. And still wears crazy dresses and glitter on her face. It’s almost inspirational. Forget growing old, I’m gonna dress like a fairy and play rock ’n’ roll when going to collect my pension… (but don’t hold me to that one.)

The Blackout
Higher and Higher

Like, you know, I don’t want to burst anybody’s musically idealistic bubbles or anything, but I don’t entirely understand why when locked in a moving articulated lorry, you would feel the need to start a band jam. Would the more pressing issue not be: ‘Crap, how the hell do I get out of this?’ No? Okay, I agree. Spontaneous band jamming for the win. Anyways, these guys had a new album out last week, and from the parts I’ve heard it’s a beast. Check it out.

Young Guns
Stitches

I saw these guys when they supported All Time Low last month and they were pretty insane. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a support band take the stage like they own the venue. Insane energy definitely present. Their music is pure powerful rock, and it…er…rocks. (Awful pun = completed).

See other Music posts HERE.

Keep moshing.

Rachel xxx

When all else fails, DIY.

Summer sun + re-emergence of the summer wardrobe = the need for endless pairs of shorts. But it was only when I went out to buy shorts for this summer that I realised the utter lack of them out there – at least in the exact style I want. They can’t be too baggy or too tight, they can’t have turns ups at the bottom, they can’t be too long, they can’t be too ‘clean-cut’ (weird as it sounds, looking a little like a hamsters had a nibble at the hems would be great, thanks), they can’t be the ‘wrong’ colour or shade…

…. And let’s not forget that once you’ve (and if you ever) find THAT perfect pair of denim shorts, then there are the others to invest in: the studded, the patterned, the floral, the brightly coloured…

Short-junkies might agree with me that the high street seems to come up short.

I often find cheap pairs of jeans in Primark and other cheap stores that don’t work as trousers (pink polka-dot skinnies are a little hard to rock), but would work great as a pair of shorts. So, the solution? Get scissor happy.

Customized Shorts

Using a good pair of shorts you already own (that fit well), trace around the outline of them against the jeans, try them on to check the markings, snip, and done. Totally awesome pair of shorts complete. Distress and customize to your heart’s content. Along with boots and worn with endless styles of t-shirt, you’re set for summer.

Summer shorts – what will you be wearing?

Rachel xxx

Blogging and being on the the deathbed. Fun times.

Okay, I lie. I’m not actually dying…

But I am ill. And anyone that keeps a blog out there will more than understand that content is key – you stop posting, you stop getting readers.

So…after I left the country (and my blog) for a week and then developed this lovely, er, disease, I’ve been spending my time eating ice-cream and taking paracetemol, lusting over THIS Valentino bag (did I mention I LOVE leopard print?) and crying (whilst eating the previously mentioned ice-cream with a shovel, of course) as I watch my blog views plummet down and far, far away into fashion blogging heaven.

So, do an ill girl a favour and tell all your friends how INSANELY COOL this blog is. Which it is. Even if I’m not at my journalistic/creative prime right now.

Which brings me to, entirely tenuously, the summer, the sun and the fact that YES, I can now finally use sunscreen. Which means…I should probably be dressing like this:

When in reality, I’m dressing like this:

Because 1) I haven’t been a ‘girly-girl’ since I was about thirteen and 2) how’s a girl supposed to go to summer shopping in a condition that involves frequent sleeping and frequent sneezing?

So, until I can take the oh-so-energy-consuming trip to the shops, here are some online picks of summer dresses that caught my eye:

£48, Topshop

£58, Urban Outfitters

£20, ASOS

£42, Urban Outfitters

£39.99, River Island

 

Summer fashion? What are your opinions? What will you be wearing?

Rachel xxx

Because you can never have too many dresses…

Ahead of release on April 14th, Topshop have released previews of their upcoming ‘Dress Up’ collection. The looks, photographed by Yvan Rodic (of Face Hunter blogging fame) can now be viewed on Facebook and on the Topshop website.

It’s the glitz and girly glam of immature dress-up meets the flair and versitality of grown up glamour – which makes a change, thankfully, just at a time when Topshop seemed to be slipping a little too into the ‘mainstream’ for my liking. I’ve always admired the brand for it’s unique style, but I can’t help but feeling recently that it’s left me…well…a little uninspired. (Where was the obvious statement, the inherant trademarks that just screamed URGH, AWESOME at you? Where was the idea that Topshop was the runway on a ‘budget’?) But this new collection beautifully collides glamour and style. Be excited.

(Photos: Topshop)

All I need now is a super-glamourous event…

Check out the collection – what do you guys think??

Rachel xxx

Shoes, please.

One day, goes the over-laboured tale, I’ll be super-successful and incredibly awesome and actually have people just give me free shoes just for the hell of it - which would rather solve the ‘I-want-these-heels-but-don’t-have-the-money’ saga that I’m currently going through.

But don’t think I’m complaining. I’ve been sent free nail varnish before now. I have enough free books, pens and post-it notes from the past few years to fill a crate or two (do they think all writers are in desperate need of stationary equipment? Lovely as this is, I can afford a pen…). But, as of yet…no shoes.

Until then, let’s just dream…

Rachel xxx

Hey Summer…slight issue…I’m a Floral-Phobic.

Among spiders, the fear of getting hit by an oncoming lorry and possibly the fear of never, ever extending my writing platform far beyond my blog (and those few magazines or books here and there that have taken and printed my oh-so-rambling words), I’m not so fanatic about colour.

Don’t get me wrong – I mean, I own a pair of fuchsia hotpants for goodness sake – but when push comes to shove, it’ll most definitely take the shove (or maybe, in the case of an orange, floral onesie or something of that garish nature, a gunpoint) to make me don something outside the monotone comfort zone.

For me, colour is selective. I’d rather just pick one colour, if any, to act as a statement, rather than drape myself in reams of rainbow-inspired fabrics. So, what’s a girl to do when this season the likes of Stella McCartney, Erdem, Prada and beyond offer dresses that look a little like the meadow-fairy vomited up its petal-happy insides all over them? And on a ‘scape money out of your purse – I’m a student and I can’t get a part-time job ANYWHERE despite being BRILLIANT’ budget, Topshop just ain’t gonna go back to Autumn’s array of black, maroons and camels at the click of a finger, I’m afraid.

But it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to wear a little bit of floral here and there. Just not a huge amount. And most definitely, in small doses.

What to wear when colour isn’t your thing

-          Just don’t wear them all at once…

  

 

Ditch the usual black; inject some colour into your boots. These floral Dr. Martens would look great with denim shorts and a tee (and yes, those shorts and a tee can be black, if you so wish – the bright colour of the shoes balances out the other dark shades.) I like this. A lot.

 

 

 

 

Keep the shorts floral, and the rest? Not so much. Floral is not a trend to be overloaded, especially when wearing something quite stand-outish, such as these shorts (from Topshop). To keep the ‘less is more’ theology, wear something like this with relatively plain shoes, tops and accessories. After all, you don’t want to take away the attention from that statement item.

 

 

There’s no summer without the sunnies. A personal favourite of mine – the floral sunglasses. There’s no better way for understated summer colour than with your sunglasses, especially since you might spend the height of your sunny days with them glued and surgically attached to your face. Though, the Dolce & Gabbana pair in the picture, pretty as they are, cost around £160. Back to the ‘I have no money point’, just go to ASOS for £9.

Still not feeling it? Don’t forget jewellery or accessories when going for a trend, and here it’s one of the easiest things of all to get right. Set off and otherwise plain look with a ring, a necklace or a pair of earrings and rejoice – you’ve mastered a little bit of floral without having to don a fruit-salad leopard.

-

How are you guys planning to wear floral this spring/summer? Or maybe you’re planning to steer well-clear?
Comments much appreciated.

Rachel xxx

P.S: Since November, I’ve been doing some work as a ‘Style Councillor’ for The Shopping Forecast. Feel like checking out some of the items I’ve picked? Maybe even placing a few votes? THANKS.

http://www.theshoppingforecast.com/councillor/Rachel-Michaella,-United-Kingdom.aspx

The Walking, Talking Advertisement.

“Forget flyers. Wear your ads.”

So it was during my recent time in Spain that I stumbled across these incredibly awesome items of clothing - a whole range of fashion blogging t-shirts! After trying on pretty much the entire range (from a shop called ‘Pimkie’ - I’ve been into their stores in both Spain and Germany), I decided to not buy the black one (which, coming from my insane love for the shade, was a huge phenomenon) and settled on the white one, boldly proclaiming “Everybody Talks About My Blog!” [See bottom picture].

Much as I doubt this is true, (though why we’re on the topic, why not do me a favour and go up to the person nearest to you and start a conversation about how awesome my blog and myself are?), as a fashion blogger I find this nerdishly cool. And what a conversation starter (- “You have a blog?” – “Well, now that you mention it…”).

P.S: And I love the Topshop lipstick I’m wearing. Très gothique.

Any fashion bloggers out there, how do you go about getting the word out about your work?

Rachel xxx

Wardrobe Watch: Fashion Pearls of Wisdom

Your favourite fashion-savvy people share their wardrobes and their style wisdom. 

–

Pearl Westwood is a 29-year-old fashion blogger from Manchester, UK. Three words? Vintage. Vivienne. And an-eye-for-unbeatable-quality.

"A typical summer look." - Vintage dress and cherry shoes

Is there anything in particular that influences the way you dress?

History is something which inspires me; I am fascinated by the history of fashion and style. My favourite designer, Vivienne Westwood, uses a lot of historical references in her work which gives her an edge that other designers do not have. She not only uses historical pieces for inspiration but also reworks historical cuts into modern masterpieces. I would say my friends also influence my style, as I shop and buy different things depending on which group of friends I am with.  I love going out with my ‘Westwood’ friends, we are all slightly obsessed with the Dame and love going out dressed head to toe in her designs. It is great fun seeing how differently we wear things too as we all have very different styles.

How would you describe your style?

And for winter? - Black trousers and her favourite leather jacket.

My style changes a lot between summer and winter. In winter I like to wear dark colours, black and grey with deep jewel tone accents, I love heavy fabrics and layer faux fur, leather, tweed, knits and boucle. I also adopt a sharper style with lots of tailoring and trousers. Whereas in the summer I like nothing better than a great full skirted dress, you can find really beautiful vintage ones. One thing that I am never without, no matter what season, are some sky high heels. I collect jackets and am lucky enough to have some incredible ones, but my favourites are my leather jacket by Ann Demeulemeester, my grey Chanel boucle and a red vintage chiffon jacket with intricate gold and black beading.

How often do you go shopping – and where?

I am always shopping, it is an addiction hobby! I love scouring vintage stores (Cow is my favourite and eBay) and my favourite designer boutiques (Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, Selfridges). I tend to stay away from high street stores as I can’t stand to waste money on bad quality, but if I do need something I will go to Zara. I much prefer vintage bargains or saving up for a quality designer piece. Of course I love to shop for myself but I have an online vintage store www.shopstreetstyle.com so I am always on the lookout for beautiful pieces to fill it. Nothing makes me happier to see someone wearing one of the pieces I have sourced.

"Perfect for running around in everyday....they're such good quality and they last for years" - Vivienne Westwood Heels

I’ve got no idea!! Probably one of my scraggy old t-shirts or a pair of jeans. Oh no wait actually it is my original Chanel 2.55 handbag, which is around 60 years old now. I feel so lucky to own something Coco Chanel herself designed; she was such a strong, influential woman. I still love Chanel, Karl Largerfeld is amazing, but Coco was something else. I wrote an entire post on that bag so I won’t go off on a tangent here about it, but yeah I think it should be in a museum not swinging off my arm!

And the newest?

A Vivienne Westwood black pencil skirt, with a quirky series of panels on the back that hug your tush, it is classic but certainly not average! I have been after the perfect black skirt like that for ages so was really pleased to find it on sale for £60, you would pay that for Topshop.

"My last big splurge...so beautifully made and a real statement too!" - Jacket by Vivienne Westwood

Designer all the way!! I would say my wardrobe is 50% designer 40% vintage and 10% high street. I really hate the high street, I know that sounds snobby but I cannot stand wasting money, which is what I always feel after a high street buy. Knits always bobble, dresses always fray, trousers lose their shape etc. I have a few basics from Zara, which I think is probably the best value for money, and I always by my tights from Primark (my dogs are forever laddering them) but that is about it. If you shop smart you can buy designer on the same budget, scouring sales and outlet stores such as TK Maxx. I also champion vintage, you can buy a gorgeous vintage 80s dress for £20, which will be either a lot cheaper than the high street (Topshop, French Connection etc) or the same price (Primark, New Look) but it will be 100 times better quality and no one will ever have the same dress!

If you could give one piece of fashion advice, what would it be?

"My favourite high heels!"

Have fun! Fashion is just like dressing up when you were a kid, enjoy it and don’t worry too much about getting it right! That and hunt out the best quality you can find for your budget – you will never regret investing in something that will last you a life time.

What is your earliest fashion memory?

The first pair of shoes I fell in love with were a grey pair of Secret Key shoes from Clarks, when I was about 5. They had a clear section in the heel with a picture in it and a crystal on the front. My mum says I refused to take them off even for bed, I would struggle to pull on my PJ’s over them, she had to sneak in when I was asleep to take them off.

What made you want to start blogging, and why do you love it?

I just love fashion, wearing it but also writing about it. It is great to be able to share this passion with like minded people and of course meet so many new friends along the way.

Pearl Iridescent Sequin Vintage Jacket - "I fell in love with it the moment I saw it and wore it home....a great vintage sequin or beaded jacket makes any outfit special."

How do you try to keep your blog unique to you and your style?

My blog is unique because it is about me, so it could never be anything else! I know many bloggers do outfit posts and things but each one is unique as everyone has such different tastes. Another key part of my blog are my fashion history pieces such as a post on the Chanel 2.55 handbag. I also write posts on how to spot designer fakes which so many people have emailed me to say I have helped them, there is no better feeling than knowing you have helped others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And her wardrobe itself?

“A stash of black trousers, some colourful vintage shirts, some Vivienne Westwood on the left and my big fantasy (faux) fur chubby on the right.”

Check out Pearl’s blog at: http://fashionpearlsofwisdom.blogspot.com/ 

Rachel xxx

Do you want to be featured on ‘Wardrobe Watch’? Just drop me a quick e-mail to watchthisplace@hotmail.co.uk telling me a little bit about who you are and why you’d like to be featured. Simple, right?

Music Monday: Vices & Virtues

Coming back with a new album after half of your band decides to quit is never going to be an easy thing, especially when you’re Panic! at the Disco and you’ve just lost your lead songwriter. But, far from the dreamy, Beatle-esque sound of their second album, Panic! return to their roots with their third album – Vices & Virtues – (released in the UK today), sounding much more like their 2005 debut album ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’, with plenty of electronic sounds and studio-sythesized effects to suit even the most stubborn ‘the-first-album-was-the-best’ devotee.

For fans of alternative-rock meets dance-pop experimentation. Or anyone wanting to spontaneously dance. Or maybe, just maybe, you agree that lead singer, Brendon, knows how to rock a pair of goggles.

Favourite tracks:

- Trade Mistakes
- Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)
- The Calender
- The Ballad of Mona Lisa
- Ready to Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind)