It's Official!

Did anyone see M Magazine (a Sunday suppliment in The Age newspaper) yesterday? Lo and behold what is on the radar in the fashion section: shoe boots of course! The Wine coloured Nine West shoe was even there. Trend confirmed people! You heard it here first of course.

Style Siren

WooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo...................

That's the sound of the Style Siren girls! And fashionably conscious guys. It's officially the return of the shoe-boot. Myer and David Jones have been telling us since January that it's back this Autumn-Winter, and for once I agree with them. Not only is this a trend most ladies, leggy or not, can pull off, but there are some great affordable options out there for us less financially endowed. Last season's bootie gave us no ankles, but this year our ankles shall be free to give us back our sexy winter pins.

A range of amazing ideas for shoe boots were in the Myer Designer Catalogue. But if $400 isn't really your minimum price for a shoe you'll probably only wear for 6 months of the year (and probably not past 2009 in fashion's fickle way), here are some more wallet-friendly options:

1. Mollini Outkast in Black and Dark Purple $158

Mollini always knows the latest trend for the season, and is usually the first window display in which you'll see them. Probably the most common shoe boot you will see people wearing. Half brogue, half patent peep-toe pump, these Mollini options are probably the safest investment you can make in the shoe boot. Go black to go with anything, or purple for something just a little different. I love that you can hardly tell these are brogue inspired until you really look at them. A great intro style to this trend.

2. Top End Kraft Boot $129.95

An obviously more beefed up version of the Mollinis, these will get you a little more noticed for your on-trend style. They would really pop against black opaques or match with a dark chocolate brown tight. Surprisingly the most affordable, yet I only recommend these if you are in love with the trend and know you will wear them a lot this year, because these will start looking really outdated after the trend has passed. But then again, if you're quirky enough to pull them off in the first place, you could probably pretend you've been wearing them for years and just keep on wearing them!

3. Nine West Naso in Wine $159

A nice chunkier option, the suede is also a change from all the leather. The colour of these will also fit very well with this season's muted Winter tones. Probably won't travel as well in notorious Melbourne puddles, so keep this option indoors.

4. Sachi Lolly $179.95

Kind of a shoe-boot but kind of not. This last style abandons the laces for zips, but for a price. I've always had Sachi shoes last really well, so any initial worries about that shaky looking stiletto heel can be put to rest. Not as loyal to the trend as the other boots, these shoes will last well past the shoe-boot trend. The low slit down the front also gives your leg a bit more length.

Pair any of these with opaques and you've got an instant confidence boost. Black tights will continue seamlessly into the black shoe-boot and you'll never want to wear flats again! For the more leg-proud amongst you, try a grey opaque tight with a contrasting boot for an easy update from last winter's black legging/black tights fetish.

Have fun with this trend, it's going to be really funky this winter. If you can afford to, splash out on a couple of different styles to last you through the colder months. I know I'm definitely getting those black Mollinis...

Love It/Hate It

Cashmere Mafia Edition

We all know that no one could ever truely replace the SATC girls. Oh and if you don't know what that stands for, get out now. Besides being a perfect six season personality test (I'm a Carrie by the way, though I wish the shoe closet came with the results), it finally got a public dialogue started about all the sexual freaks and faux pas out there, male and female. So while we're falling off our Blahniks waiting for the pink sparkly titled, one-and-half-hours-is-actually-only-two-more-episodes, big flower bonanza that will be the Sex and the City movie, Cashmere Mafia is a nice substitute. I was doubtful of its quality after the first episode, but the characters have developed nicely and thankfully become less 'look at me, I'm a sassy fast talking New York free-male with cash to burn on these ka-RAY-zee designer outfits, just like those other four New York free-males. Remember them? And how much you loved them? Remember?? Well, love us now, cause we're just like them!! Pleeeeease love us!'. A good idea, if you ask me.

BUT...

• Miranda Otto needs to pull the stick out of her arse that she's using to give her that Upper East Side snob drawl. Her fabulous revenge plans are attractive, but an accent that sounds like an immitation of Kate Lanbrook's Proclamations of a Wanker is NOT!



• Pat, Pat, Pat. We KNOW anything you put together is fabulous. So how is it that Lucy Liu looks more like she's stuck in the 90's in this, but SJP was in the 90's and still managed to look like this? Twice! I mean, that first one was Carrie's just-broke-up-with-Big outfit! In the furry fashion stakes, SJP get-drunk-in-no-style coat: 1 (and a 1/2). Lu Liu seizure-causing hot orange mess: 0.



• Sarcasm does not neccessarily the witty make. Tone it down a bit and the girls might actually sound slightly more funny than obnoxious. Not every one of the four have to sound like Miranda. There were three others you know...

Neverless, with all its faults I still think that the Cash will end up in the love pile. Let's just hope Lu Liu's character's fur fetish doesn't get too brutal. If it did, I'd have to agree with the dog.

Melbourne Moment

We Melbournians love to share, particularly on public transport and particularly to complain about public transport. Today was just like any other 32 degree Melbourne sweatfest, thus rendering our public transport system useless. Four trams slid past, each as full of sardines (though well-dressed sardines) as the last. Finally, I braved an only semi-full carriage and was followed by another twenty or so desperate commuters. After about 3 minutes of the moving sauna that was the Yarra Trams non air-con policy of older model trams, a girl turned to me and said "This is only going to get worse". As we were soon stuck in a queue of those 4 other trams waiting to unload at Melbourne Central, she was spot on.

Thanks for sharing, Blond Girl!

xox Peaches

First Blog of the Blog

Ahh, I love the smell of a fresh blog in the morning!

Hey. My name is Peaches. Obviously it's not my real name, but it works for online purposes. I got it 8 years ago from a magazine article about Hilary Duff (hey I was 12!) and how to copy her make-up. It described her peaches and cream complexion, and I was so obsessed with becoming the Duffster that I immediately made my email peachesandcream. Hence, Peaches for short. Obviously this was before my knowledge of Ms. Geldof, but I happy to share the appellation.

Enough about the name!

Melbourne and the world in general (but especially Melbourne) can be a confusing and confronting place. I'm here to provide you with a rough guide to its intricacies, secrets, fashions and trends, plus its dangers foibles and ability to really kick you in the butt when you're not watching. Melbourne is full of the most amazing characters and the biggest assholes you will ever meet. Oh, and just so you know, people wear black. Lots of black. If you don't own much black, go buy some now.

I've never been a big user of diaries, so I figure this place could also function as a great venting device. I'm sure my family will appreciate the relief from my rants (don't even mention A Current Affair unless you want an essay). I'll tell you what I love, what I hate, what has been and what will be. Look forward to sections such as

• Style Siren - Lets you be alert (and sometimes alarmed) to the next big thing. This will be a warning to you to run out and invest, least you be left behind in our fickle wake.
• Melbourne Moments - Overheard anecdotes, classic Melbournian behaviour, strange sightings around town that need an explanation (provided by me or you!) it's all here. I can't be everywhere in Melbourne at once, so you will have to help me out on this one.
• Idols of Tomorrow - This is where I'll feature an individual(s) who truly inspire, whether through fashion, music, ideas or just their general take on life. I don't want to restrict this to celebrities either (God knows they get enough attention from the media). It could be a fellow Melbournian, blogger, myspace whore or just a random in the street.
• Must Visit - There are so many hidden alleyways and little treasures to be found in Melbourne. At least that's what every writer in the last 5 years has said about our town. Well I actually intend to find them all! I've got a few choice places up my sleeves, but I think I still have some 'splorin to do.
• Love It/Hate It - OK this is the vent section I've been talking about. Mind you, it'll change every week, so get prepared for some contradictions and some hypocrisies.

As always, blogs just do not work without user interaction. So leave your comments, send me some stuff or write your own section. If it's good enough, I'll post it. Or you could make your own blog...wait no! Forget I said that. Peaches B and Cream is the only blog you need!!!

xox Peaches