Back & Sorry

Oh lalala how can you forgive me for my lack of blogging and being soooo quite lately.. Here the thing, the last 2 months have been simply crazy : well I was loaded with work, I traveled, worked, traveled again, moved, etc etc.. believe me wasn't easy... and to make it even worst the photos I'm posting today have been taken months ago (my hair grew longer since).
I promise I'll make it up to you by showing you all my latest buys, my new inspiration, my latest hobbie: home decorating (well I suck at it but i have no choice..)..

And last but not least let me wish you a wonderful New Year, as fabulous as the previous one, fills with beauty, fashion, love, new shoes, health, peace, happiness and fabulous things!

Lov u all
Bye

Front of the Mirror

Well it's been One year already, can you believe it... it feels like a month

First year spent all together, talking everyday, sharing feelings, mood of the day, inspirations, this blog has become such a big part of my life, I feel someday so lucky to have the opportunity to share all of that, to see days after days number of visits growing, emails from readers sharing the same passion and sometimes even comments from the courageous ones ;-)

you guys are the best!

When i started this blog, i would have never thought of getting such amazing response, everyday I get to be encouraged a little more by your enthusiasm, i feel blessed

Thank you all so so much for reading my blog, for sharing my passion... I would never say it enough

I would like to thank few people in particular; my better half for his unconditional support and patience, my sister for being such an inspiration, my brother for being the first one to know about my blogging project and believing in me no-matter-what, my brother-in-law for his amazing contribution to the blog and critical sense of style, my friend yasmina for being such an amazing friend to me... love u all

Happy Birthday LDC, looking forward to a wonderful and stylish year 2!!!

xoxo

Lily

Sorry

Sorry for my absence and long (very long) silence but I took some precious time off with the family (very much needed); I did not feel like blogging at all… I wont say more

Being away for a long period of time could be very disturbing sometimes… because at some point you feel detached from everything.

What did I miss guys??
I missed the 3D screening of Burberry Prorsum show (where I was invited arghhh), what else???
Tell me everything!!

xx

Brother & Sister

My brother and I - Essaouira, Morocco
January 2010

Length

I received a very interesting email couple of weeks ago from a reader – she wanted to share with me a fashion related issue she is facing as a western expat woman living in UAE.

Well she loves fashion, regularly reads fashion blogs and openly told me that she loves LDC* but as a Dubai based blog she was expecting it to see/treat fashion from a different angle ‘less French’ more ‘UAE’…

Well ever since I moved to Dubai, I’m definitely more cautious on the way a dress, no mini on daytime, always a jacket/cardigan/scarf etc etc… yes perhaps my style is very ‘frenchie’ but this is who I am and I can’t change that!!
The only time I will really think about my conservative way of dressing is during Ramadan when I’m really carefully checking the length of the sleeves, skirt etc...

But this being said, I also don’t really work in a conservative environment; I’m not really ‘exposed’, no dress code – nothing - and sometimes naively I think I even forget that I live in a conservative country – So thank you Karin for reminding me!!

Anyways, K. involuntarily put me front of a challenge:

“(…)I discovered your blog today and was pleasantly surprised to find one that was written from the point of view of an expat in DXB.
I love the way you combine your clothes and always look so fabulous. Thank you for taking the time and effort to catalogue it for us.
(…) However I wish you would write about or show the particular challenges expat women living and working in the UAE face daily.
For example, why not feature some of the fantastically stylish girls in long skirts and wonderfully color coordinated outfits that seem to be comfortable, stylish and modest enough for the Islamic country we live in….
I wonder if it would be so easy for you to combine outfits so effortlessly if the length of the skirt had to be ankle length and the shirts had to be down to the wrist and up to the collarbone. (…) “ **

Hmmm…

That’s true in a way, however in another hand, blogs are for me the reflect of a very personal opinion/style, it’s a way to express myself, this is why I started this blog at the beginning… if I’m lucky some people will recognize themselves/feel concern about what I’m saying but definitely not everybody… I believe that there are people out there with more expertise than me on this particular subject, treating Dubai fashion in a more conservative way.

Karin I can't change my style and I only want to share things from my own experience - Still I wanted to try something here with a series of photos where I tried to fashionably ‘cover-up’ – hope you’ll like it!!

xx

* Lily Dress Code

* *I selected certain part only of the message, it was quite long… obviously I kept the part where she was saying that she loves LDC… What?? It’s my blog I do whatever I want!!!!!!!

Follow Me

Dear readers,

For the blogs beginners’ hehe – if you wish to receive a notification every time I publish an update (new post, photos etc…) – You just have to become a ‘followers’!
It’s very quick and easy – you will find on the right column an option with Bloglovin or Google (if you have a gmail account)… To subscribe click on the icon and just follow the steps!

Thanks again for reading!

X

Do it like a bOy

sorry for the pictures quality but they were taken with my phone...
i was just too excited to show you the new hairdo!

it looks perfect with my retro Clubmaster sunglasses...

Dilemma

I love Ramadan!

People staying late at night, collective lack of sleep sensation, the warmth of every home, friendly iftar – the wonderful feeling that everything is on hold, minutes feel like hour – Dubai sleeping beauty – the only month of the year when people have actually time, time to see their family, time to see their friends – how relaxing…

BUT because there is always a but in a story otherwise it wouldn’t be worth to tell right? –Ramadan is also for me synonym of fashion dilemma – what to wear? What not to wear???????? Every year is the same story

No need to tell you that I already say bye to my shorts for a month, 30 days, 720 hours...

But what about the skinnies, leggings, dresses, skirts, t-shirts well all the stuff I have been wearing for the past 28 months???? Agrrrrrrhhhh

This is when you say: ‘C’mon Lily don’t be such a drama queen you’ll still have the long-sleeve T-shirt option and straight Gap jeans, simple quoi… And c’mon it’s only one month!!!’

Simple? you said simple? simple meeeee??? are you kiddin me

I know I know more spirituality less superficiality blablabla

But I feel so NOT fashion those days that I’m losing myself!!! HELP

Black, white, grey (boring) what about the fabulous colors? Am I allowed to wear colors???? HEELP

How do you cover up when it’s 72 degrees outside!!!! HEEEEEEEELP

So far my solution had been my Sandro (life saver) jog pants and all sarouel pants I could found in my closet with a simple white shirt all sleeves rolled up (stolen to my man) loose Tees loose cardigans a la cool of course!

Seriously how long can I go on like that?!?!?

Don’t tell me that I’m not spiritual enough alright a whole month of NO-silhouette, ghost-face-no-made-up style, I don’t even know how my ankles look like anymore!! Give me a break what more can I do???

If you my fashionistas pals have found the miracle solution it’s time to share PLEEEASE SAVE MEEEEE

--------

CONFIDENTIAL

I'm complaining but deep inside of me you wanna know the truth:

Well, taking the risk to disappoint you, I love fashion I DO but for one month every year, my life has a higher meaning... And Wow man it feels good to do simple! (shuuut don't tell anyone dont ruin my reputation)

Summer Break

Sorry guys for the very long absence ....

i was far far away and completely forgot to wish you happy holiday if it is not too late.

Talk to you soon

Diet

Today is a big SOS message I’m sending across…

Don’t get all confused with the title – I’m not talking about food here I gave up this idea of food dieting a long time ago…

No in fact I decided to start a shopping diet couple of weeks ago and I have to say that it’s not going well at all…

1. Objective cupboard slim fast program = FAILED

First of all, I blame it on my girl friend (luv u sorry) second on promotional sms I receive everyday and third on Dubai weather: first coz there is always one of them to ask innocently if I can come with her for a quick after work trip to mall of the emirates ‘pleeeeease I don’t know if I should get the blue or the red dress you have to help me’ (cruel how can i say no) worst the 85% off alert at Boutique 1 re-forwarded by a friend along with a note ‘meet me there in one hour!’ (are u kidding me) finally the weather coz man what else can I do beside shopping under AirCon on a Saturday afternoon with 41 degrees outside??

Oh oh I almost forgot the bloody summer special discount all over the place chasing me and my wallet like vultures i swear i should take pictures of all the shops windows 'Sale or further discount' 'come to the devil' sign as i like to call them
soon to drag you inside they will stick glittering narrows on the floor pointing to the door direction!! insane
Well they now that as soon as you're inside you're trap who can resist to 85% off for god sake?????

Result: this month a new Sandro pants + 1 Topshop short+dress + 2 new swimsuit + 3 Zara T-shirts + 1 jumpsuit + new pair of Ray Ban Clubmaster sunglasses + Chloe clutch + new Bobbi Brown bronzer + 1 Martin Margiela ring etc etc etc…

(are u sure this month was only 31 days???)

Total = ……,.... dhs = 24 kilos
Account balance: minus….. dhs and 50 fils grrrrrrrrr

Next month for sure I’ll be more careful, well at least I’ll try to implement a safety perimeter around each mall or change my mobile number

Anyway girls if you hear me please don’t invite me for shopping trip anymore it hurts!!!
Let’s go for goss coffee instead and huh huh not in Dubai mall i beg you…

MeA CulpA

I luv Marie's bag!! and jewellery (her own creation!)

I owe a huge apology to some people, no actually to one person in particular, sometimes it feels good to admit when you’re wrong… voila Sorry!!

Wow! The whole new me is impressive: going to the gym, apologizing, decreasing her daily sugar consumption, spending less… I start to like the improve 09 version!

If you remember last time I said bad stuff about H&M decision maker, well understand I was frustrated… I kind of feel bad right now coz I randomly met of one then last week and he simply saved my (fashion) life!

Last Thursday, one of the absolutely ‘no-matter-what’ wanted pieces I spotted from MW’s collection was immediately sold out (Damn I arrived at 10.12am!!!); I was completely devastated, wet eyes I was desperately asking the staff if they did not forget one piece in the storage room by mistake… pfff pathetic!
Until I heard this voice towards me: “you seem like a real fan and a loyal customer, let me see what I can do for you… MIRACLE!

I can’t give you more details, Shuuuttt it’s a secret but I’ll just tell you that day someone made a young fashionista girl very very happy!!!

Thanks a million and believe me I don’t hate you anymore!

My friends proudly leaving H&M store last Thursday with their MW collectors buys.

By the way, finally i was right, i wasn't ready to put 1,200dhs on an H&M leather jacket... maybe next time... I will try to show you very soon my finds in next 'Today's outfit' session

WHo AM i?

My name is Linda and I’m a fashion addict… This is how my therapy would have looked like if hadn’t decided to finally create my very own blog. I am not a writer, a photographer nor am I a professional stylist. I am just a girl with a (obsession) passion for style, fashion and music.

Writing an ‘about me’ is never easy (even if I usually don’t really mind talking about myself) but it helps putting things in the right context so you would understand much better the meaning of this fashion diary.

I moved to Dubai in 2006, directly from Paris, the world’s capital of fashion, style and elegance… the place where everyday is a chance for a new crazy ‘rencontre’, new characters. Walking down the street is like being Alice in Wonderland! You never know if you are going to follow the white rabbit or end up face to face with the Queen of Heart… Quite exciting, isn’t it?

Although, I have no doubt about the fact that Dubai might be the one place with the most designer labels by square meter, something was missing…

I wondered to myself why this everyday excitement about fashion and style should be over now; I really believed that my city move was the end of exciting and eccentricity fashion life. Everything seemed to be so conformist and standardized… It appeared that there was neither unique style nor unconventional look: Everyone wears a (branded, labeled and expensive) uniform.

I have to admit that my vintage clothes were hiding deep in the dark corners of my wardrobe… how frustrating! And just like that, one day, I realized that Dubai, cosmopolitan and vibrant city, was certainly hiding some secret: genuine fashion freaks… I decided to get out there and look for them. At the end of day, the people make the city, not the monuments…

Now, you can Trust me I am no longer afraid to pull out and put on my vintage favorite doll dress!

For me, fashion is not only a passion but a state of mind.

I invite you to my world, my universe, my dreams… I hope you will enjoy.

I can’t wait to read your comments!!!!

Mademoiselle Lily