Excentrique's Spring 2011 Collection

The Flasco blog has been posting images of Excentrique's upcoming Spring 2011 collection over the past week and I am seriously smitten! Once again, they're presenting a blend of classic tailoring, corset details and military styling; the simplicity of the lines reminds of Atelier Boz, although the stripes give a bit more interest than Boz's usual solid colors.

Love the stripes-on-stripes mix in this coordinate, plus the underbust corset - so yummy!

From their start as a corsetier, Excentrique has always been very detail-focused. This fantastic ascot pin is replicated in matching cufflink buttons on the shirt.

See more here, here and here. I suspect pre-orders have already begun for the collection, since the coat already appears to be marked as "sold-out" - hopefully there will be a few pieces left in the shop to paw over by the time I arrive!

Keeping resolutions!

One of the problems I'm having with blogging about clothes right now is that I'm trying very hard not to go looking at new stuff that's coming out right now, lest I break my resolution to stop shopping until my Japan trip in May. Logically, I can keep reminding myself that it's the best idea, especially since I'll save enough on shipping and customs fees to get even more goodies, but temptation is everywhere!

Raegan over at Her Curious Elegance dealt with her temptation by drafting up a wish list, but for me, thinking about what I want makes it even harder to hold back. Instead, I'm trying to revisit what I already own, making sure I take the time to love and appreciate the beautiful things that already fill my closet, instead of pining for what I don't yet have.

That said, Meta has gone and re-released their pin-tuck tiered pinnafore dress again:

Le sigh! I know it might seem plain, but this really is among my wish list dresses. All those details are just what I love about lolita fashion: ruffles and pintucks and buttons and bows, oh my! I'm only spared an impulse purchase by my last shreds of willpower, and my uncertainty about that crepe fabric - they normally make this dress in cotton or gaberdine, and I'm not sure the sheen on this release works with the style.

Book purse tutorial

Looking for a funky alternate to Innocent World's sold-out book purse - and for significantly less money? Check out this awesome book purse tutorial!

I have some cute hardcover books left over from my wedding centerpieces which would be just great for this (they were purchased for their cool antique covers, not for their questionable prose!). Clutches aren't really my thing, but maybe I'll luck out on finding some neat purse handles this weekend so I can give this a try.

Welcome 2011!

I hope everyone had a happy holidays! Like most people, I have a few resolutions for the coming year. They're not too exciting, I suppose, but it's always good to have goals to focus on!

1. Stop shopping!
That sounds pretty drastic, especially for a fashion blogger, but it's not quite as terrible as it sounds. My husband and I are going to Japan in May for our belated honeymoon, and I want to have as much spending money as possible for the trip. If I just keep reminding myself how much I'll save on shipping costs by waiting to buy clothing in Japan, I might be able to pull this one off.

2. Redesign my blog
My domain has been dormant for a while now; I'd like to bring my different blogging efforts under a single banner, including the better stuff from this blog. My goal is to accomplish this by February.

3. Lay off the junk food
I've started to notice that many of my favorite dresses don't fit comfortably any more: they zip up just fine, but they're just a tiny bit tight. I've also noticed that I've gotten in the habit of drinking soda and eating junk food a lot more often than I used to. Hopefully cutting back on the later will fix the former!

So what are your resolutions (if any!) for the new year?