Guest Post from Fashion's A Stranger

{Dear readers, I am delighted to feature the very first guest-post on Mademoiselle Sonushka, from Amy, an amazing blogger that I like very much! I hope you'll enjoy it!! Love, S}

Hello lovelies! I’m Amy from Fashion’s A Stranger and I have the great honour of guest blogging for the lovely Sophie-Marie today. I am from near Manchester in the UK, an English graduate, and a life enthusiast. I recently returned from a year teaching in South Korea, spent a month in San Francisco, and now I’m taking a break and cooking up plans for the future.

I’ve found it a tough challenge, trying to feed my obsession with fashion with only a suitcase as my muse. And with my Mum (or Mom) always telling me that I can’t be storing all my stuff at her house forever, I am at a loss for what to do with all of my beautiful clothes. They are all wonderful and I don’t want to hurt any of their feelings. Fashion and travelling don’t go together like peas and carrots, and it makes me so sad.

It isn’t just the practical issues of accommodating clothes that cause trouble in this chalk-and-cheese like relationship. I walked through boutique after boutique in Korea only to be told I can’t try on, nor return, the garments. After purchasing a few, they were always too small, so I just had to stop browsing. The rules of general etiquette were different too, and it took a few occasions of receiving disapproving looks that I established things like it was a no-no to show off my shoulders. Let’s face it; change can be difficult.

And then there’s the lexicon. It’s interesting how much the language of fashion can differ from place to place. I mean, if I wanted a t-shirt when I lived in South Korea, I asked for a t-shirt. The word is the same. When I wanted to buy a vest in America, however, they took me to the waistcoats. What’s that about? When I said my feet were a size 4 in a store on my recent trip to San Francisco, the shop assistant looked at me as if I had hobbit feet. It took us approximately three minutes to discover that in the States I am a 6.5. You say tank, I say vest. You say pumps, I say heels. You say sweater, I say jumper. Let’s just call the whole thing off, ‘k? (this is a hypothetic you!)

There is a universal love of fashion. A dress that is rockin’ in Manchester is equally as beautiful in Marrakech, Moscow or Minneapolis. But can my backpack hold ALL those dresses? And can I cope with the stress of shopping in a foreign climate? I love travelling. But I also really, really love fashion. Can the two go together? Do you have any travelling/fashion anecdotes? Any advice? Thanks again to Sophie for welcoming me here at Mademoiselle Sonushka. I hope you are all having a swell day!

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Ten things {Love List}

1 - This winter's trends prove that good fashion is back! Retro inspirations, and my favourite fabrics, leather, fur and cashmere are back! That's just amazing! It's like all the Fashion Weeks were made to please meee!!! (hahahaha)

2 - Talking about fashion Mastermind, (or should I say Mistress), Happy Birthday to Anna Wintour, the most powerful woman in the world of fashion, the most stylish and elegant, and one of my true inspirations! I hope to see her for many more decades at the head of Vogue!

3 - The Holidays are coming soon! I just love to see Christmas decorations everywhere even if it is rather early, it puts me in such a festive mood!

4 - OPI nail polish in "An Affair in Red Square" (the name is totally delightful for a Russophile like me!). I usually tend to shy away from shimmery nail polishes except for Christmas, but I've been wearing this one since the day after Halloween. It appears I'm really in the mood for holidays!

5 - Manon (opera by Massenet) with Anna Netrebko and Rollando Villazon (they're a legendary operatic couple, they have the most incredible chemistry!). I watched the 2007 Berlin production yesterday night, and I must say, I just LOVED how they staged the story in 1950s Paris, with Anna Netrebko''s looks being a sort of tribute to different famous Hollywood actress at almost every act (including Audrey Hepburn Elisabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe). Here's an except of the fourth act... Yes, it is pole dancing in an opera. Only Anna can pull this off!






6 - Cozying up in bed with some herbal tea while it's cold outside and re-reading the whole Harry Potter series... Who could resist that?! (and how do you resist typing up yet another inspirational quote on Facebook?!)

7 - Being finally able to type faster on my Blackberry! (and without badly chipping my nail polish!).

(Sadly, I haven't learned how to take a picture without my fingers looking monstrously difform... LOL!)

8 - My favourite fall series: Desperate Housewives season 8, Downton Abbey, and Pan-Am!!! They're all amazing and fascinating. DH is my favourite, with this breath-taking plot and those priceless Gabrielle Solis moments (especially one involving some frogs and Bree driving... won't spoil it!).

9 - This blogging project/enterprise/thing. I'm starting to love it! I'm glad I stuck for it this long, and I've managed to build quite some interesting relationships with some bloggers! There will be a guest-post from an amazing blogger coming soon! But shhhh, it's still a surpriiise!

10 - Knitting and crochet! I've always known how to knit, and I've recently learned crochet, so this winter I decided to keep my hands busy and make some new accessories (I'm too much of a novice to start clothing... yet). I went to the craft store and got all sorts of colourful yarns, and I'm hoping that by Christmas I'd have made a few chunky scarves to all of my closest friends! Not to mention, it's so relaxing!

{The Hate Dislike list:

Only one thing this time: "Creative" nail polish

I am quite shocked that colours and styles fit for third-graders are all over magazines and fashion blogs! The most recent issue of Marie-Claire featuring chipped polish shocked me. I mean, what is happening to the world?! I know I've got conservative nail polish tastes (I tend to stick most of the time to all shades of red, light pink and French manicures), but this is too much and it's rather sad that people with an otherwise good taste encourage this. Marbled colours, I think, are fit for girls twelve and under, not grown-up women with careers and such. Crackle nail polish is really the apotheosis of vulgarity. There is really a difference between bold, like one nice strong colour or one nail painted in glitter (The writer of Cupcakes and Cashmere did that with her ring finger, and I'm soo stealing the idea!) and too much. Too much becomes cheap.

Frankly, ladies, keep it simple, nice and chic.}

Disclaimer: I know this is a controversial subject, since obviously so many people are in awe with these trends, and you have the right not to agree with me. However, this is my personal style blog and I am entitled to my opinions, as much as I have the right to dislike and criticize certain trends. So let's just keep it civilized in the comments. Thanks. 

Photo credits: Photo 1, Polyvore. Photos 6, 7, 10, my own. The rest: found on Google Images, property of their respective owners.

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