Four things I'm in love with in Bologna

You probably know that I live in Italy, more precisely in Bologna, and so far I only made you see a tiny bit of the town thanks to photos. I began thinking that I wanted to share with you how it feels to live there and suddenly videos popped out of my mind. So enjoy this first video !

PS: The song I chose for this video is by Lucio Dalla who died on March of this year and who was from Bologna. He sang this song to tell his love for Bologna as "Piazza Grande" is in reality Piazza Maggiore. His name may not tell you nothing but if you know a little bit about italian songs you must have heard "Caruso" who was written and sang by him.

Shug'A'Very

The LBD

"The little black dress is an essential element in a woman's wardrobe" 

Christian Dior

  This quote by Christian Dior says it all ! Coco Chanel created the LBD in 1926 and to me, is a life savior classic. Simple, knee-length and hopefully well-cut, it is perfect when a woman wants to looks chic without exageration.

  I have my own LBD in my wardrobe and I chose to present it to you in a magical place:  Il Comune di Bologna (Bologna's city hall). Bologna is most beautiful with the 4pm sunlight transforms it in Red Bologna. 

 

Seeing such wonders, I had to do something !

   No heels with my LBD but a simple pair of black flats in order to simplify the outfit and make it look less formal. A 50's pose and a wink in order to show you my inner pin-up. 

   I still chose to add color with my big earrings and my headscarf. The dress highlights the waist with the belt. I love that detail, very feminine.

And then I decided to pose like Herculus because being chic without exageration is nice. But a  little bit of madness is more fun ! 

Headscarf - H&M

Earrings - Bijou Brigitte

Dress - Vintage Ebay

Flats - Scout (Bologna) 

Her majesty Rania of Jordan, the face of a new Middle East

 Let's go to the Orient. Let your cliché behind you and discover the new face of the muslim woman: Rania of Jordan, symbol of the oriental modern woman

Her majesty the Queen Rania of Jordan

   The picture above represents the occidental cliché we have about an oriental woman. The cliché is even more meaningful when it is about a very special woman, the queen of Jordan. Because of her status we expect to see a woman with modesty and restraint, but above all what we expect is a woman wearing the hijab.

The royal couple of Jordan during their wedding

   Yet, the queen Rania of Jordan shines and charms with her beauty, but without the hijab. As a first lady she also represents her country. Like the other first ladies, she is the glamour face of the couple she is forming with her husband, the king Abdallah. But her role is more difficult to represent as she embodies the oriental woman to western countries. Like I said before clichés about women are numerous in the western mind, some are acknowleged, others are not.

Rania is the embodiement of modernism and rejection of the extremism that a lot of people blames Orient for. Her public appearances are the occasion for the international press to admire her beauty and her grace. Besides being a queen politically speaking, she has become for the rest of the world, a beauty queen.

   While designers were struggling to dress her, she chose Elie Saab to make the organza dress that she wore during her coronation. The cut is simple and straight whereas the embroderies and the collar are giving the necessary somptuosity for such an event. 

Ten years later, during the festivities to celebrate this same coronation, Rania doesn't hesitate to wear the same dress but this time with a silvered belt that gives a second life to the dress. Indeed, the queen is attached to symbols and follows her heart, not only with her clothes but also with politics. Rania of Jordan is indeed involved in numerous humanitarian actions in favor of children. She also fights for equality in education and for women rights of which she is the spokeperson. 

Her wedding dress by Elie Saab worn 10 years later

   If we are speaking about symbols, the style of Rania of Jordan is an essential one. Heels, pencil skirts and belts to highlight her thin waist are the basic fashion items of the queen. She changes colors and fabrics but they are two elements that are definitely standing out: the length of her skirts, just above the knee, and necklines are pretty rare in her wardrobe. Here lays the cliché of the chaste muslim woman. But Rania follows the religious precepts by adapting them to her own way of thinking, by modernizing the traditional side of the muslim women wardrobe. 

   However modernity doesn't mean a denial of origins. Her majesty the queen of Jordan is a Middle East woman and absolutely assumes her palestinian origins, her education in Koweit and her life as a woman and mother in Jordan. During official ceremonies, she doesn't hesitate to wear clothes very oriental, like during her visit in Sweden. The golden belt reminds of belly dancers and the indented sleeves gives a very oriental style to her dress.

The queen Rania during her official visit in Sweden

   Event hough in Jordan the public opinion is divided about the queen, the traditionalists blaming her for her progressism and the others supporting her for her modern vision, the international opinion is unanimous: her majesty the queen Rania delights hearts and eyes. This enables her to deliver her message, that is to say that muslim women should be free to choose to wear or not to wear the hijab, that all people are equals whatever the origins. Her message is here to end the cliché that are existing between East and West. 

A queen with an occidental style and progressist

   Again, the gown is speaking, even when the queen is silent, and its voice touches all the world.

Blondyn_Bubble 
(translated from french by Shug'A'Very)

John Travolta meets Tilda Swinton

 Color is very important in my wardrobe but only by hints. I recently bought a pair of Topshop loafers because I needed some more color.  

   I am not really a fashionista. I usually don't buy clothes or accessories because they are trendy but because they correspond to my aesthetic. That is the reason why I bought this pair of loafers.
   I don't think I have style in particular but something reccurent in my choice of outfits is androgyny. This pair of loafers matches my aesthetic because they could also be worn by men. (that is if the color don't freak them out !).

   I really like my afro hair and I love to play with it. Caution ! This isn't a pompadour ! I tried to do my hair like Tilda Swinton in order to get an androgynyous look but my mane refused to obey, even when I threatened it with my flat iron. That is why I ended up with a kind of Grease hairstyle.

 

   I'm actually far from Tilda AND John Travolta but I actually had fun putting this outfit together and styling it. The important is that I felt inspired and creative. So "Be inspired !" 

Loafers - Topshop

Leggings - Calzedonia 

Shirt - Vintage 

Bracelet - Bocage 

Earrings -  Montagnola Market (Bologne) 

Lipstick - Yves Rocher "42"

Vintage Jacket

One highlight of my wardrobe is this absolutely great vintage tartan jacket. It can easily turn a simple outfit into a sophisticated one.

   Last fall, one item that was definitely on my wishlist was a man tartan jacket. I went looking for one and I found it in a thrift shop in Bordeaux, France for a reasonnable price. The cut is really clean and straight. It has thin shoulder pads which changes my silhouette.  

   This jacket can really turn a simple outfit into a sophisticated one. Due to its print, I mostly wear it with single color tops so that the entire look doesn't seem too much. One good example is this sleeveless dark grey dress with a long zipper on each side. The proportions of the dress itself are great and fit the jacket: it's just a little longer so that you can see its hem.

Dress: Mon Showroom

Tartan Jacket - Thrift shop Freep Show (vintage)

Dress - Mon Showroom

Boots - Kiabi

Watch - Casio Vintage

Bracelets and ring - H&M

DAZE - Fondations EP

If you've followed the Project Bassline section, you probably know how much I love the one that I consider as the FUNK MASTERS: Justice, Breakbot, Shook and The Twelves. Well, there may be an addition to this list with another French DJ: DAZE.

  DAZE's new EP, Foundations, is out now and it is funky  ! 

   So I chose New York 1984 to present this EP. From the first notes, you can get the funky feel of the EP but really the voice that comes to complete the song is amazing. And then there is this quiet but great bass line in the background. It’s just lacking a funky keyboard solo. It would have made this song really perfect.

Mood of the song: This song makes me think of the holidays, this time of the day when the sun is starting to go down and it’s time to leave the beach to go get ready for the night.

If you’re a woman, you’re wearing a white shirt which hem you tied in a knot and high waisted black shorts; black platform shoes and golden bracelets; Ray Ban Club Masters sunglasses.

If you’re a guy, you’re wearing an open denim shirt on a colorful printed shirt, denim shorts and leather sandals; Ray Ban Club Masters sunglasses.

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