Alexander McQueen "Armadillo" python shoes

(Photos courtesy of British Vogue)

Fashion knows no heights - literally. The models at Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2010 ready-to-wear walked the runway in 12-inch (yes, that's one foot!) python heels. How they did it is surely a miracle defying the laws of physics, but they made it look effortless.

(Photos courtesy of Style.com)

McQueen is a designer whom people either regard as genius or crazy. I am leaning towards genius on this one, because as outrageous as these heels look by themselves, McQueen pulls if off by co-ordinating it with alien-like hair, "Tilda Swinton as the Ice Queen" makeup, and a structured, out-of-this-world design for his clothes. Not particularly wearable, but it is a work of art that manages to show the human form as otherworldly creatures of beauty and strength. I say, it's a success that will further cement his icon status.

What do you think? Genius or horrendous?

Online Worldwide Shopping

I don't live in the US or Europe, so I know how hard it is to buy pieces from international designers. Even if your local shop had it in stock, the price is most likely outrageously marked up. Often, I would have to pay nearly double for clothes that I can get delivered to me through shopping online. If you have something in mind, I strongly urge you to see if it is available online first before buying it instore. You will save heaps!

Here are a few sites that ship worldwide:

Saks www.saksfifthavenue.com
Nordstrom http://shop.nordstrom.com/

• US department stores
• Allow online international orders, which means you checkout online and pay using CC
• They charge more for delivery than Neiman Marcus. International transactions and deliveries are done through a third party company. This means delivery is quite expensive, so only buy from here if the item you are looking for is not available elsewhere or the discount is bigger.
  

Neiman Marcus neimanmarcus.com
Bergdorf Goodman www.bergdorfgoodman.com

• Both are US departments stores under the same owner. 
• At the moment, they cannot process international orders online. You have to call them to place an order using CC.
• Delivery is much cheaper than Saks, based on weight.
  
• Tip: NM and BG should have the same prices on goods since they are essentially the same store. The reason why I put up both links is because they can have different stocks listed online, so if you are just browsing it's good to look at both sites.

Shopbop  shopbop.com

• Online shopping site. Discounts may not be as good as the department stores, but they have things that aren't available at the stores,
  
• FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE or $10 for orders under $100. This is the best thing about this site.
  
• Online orders. No need to call.

Yoox yoox.com
The Outnet theoutnet.com
Bluefly bluefly.com

• Again, discounts often not as good as the department stores, but a lot of past season items there. Good if you're looking for something specific from awhile ago.

Farfetch farfetch.com

• This site has a unique concept: it sells items from 40 European & US boutiques. That's why it has a great selection of designers and pieces.
  

General tips for online shopping:

• If you have access to the clothes in a local store, it's best to try it on for size and fit before you order online. (I found this Marc by Marc Jacobs magenta coat in my local department store, tried it on, loved it, then went online and bought it on sale for only 20% of the price!)
• Be careful and remember that you are responsible for paying any custom duties when the item arrives. You should find out how customs is calculated in your country before you make any big purchases. For example, in my country, anything under $1000 total is customs exempt, so I make sure not to go over $1000.
• All the sites I have listed above allow returns if you don't like the item. If you choose to shop elsewhere, check their returns policy. Returns for change of mind are really useful for online shopping as you have the peace of mind that if the item isn't what you imagined in real life, you can just return it. Usually, you pay for return shipping though (unless item was defective in some way).
  
• I don't like to buy over EBay as some of them don't offer returns for change of mind, and there are a lot of fakes on there. These days fakes are so well made it's difficult to tell from just pictures alone. Even then, some sellers just use pictures of authentic goods they find online and pass it off as their own. It's a huge hassle to deal with disputes regarding buying fakes.
• Do NOT use Net-a-Porter. Sure it's authentic and ships worldwide, but the prices on there are ridiculous. You may as well buy instore.
• There are various brands that do online shopping and ship worldwide. Victoria's Secret comes to mind. I'm sure there are others.
  

That's all for now. If you have any more suggestions, I'd love to know and add it onto this list.

Happy Shopping!

Start of something new

I'm a university student interested in fashion, food, and other things that make me happy. I'm excited to begin this blog as a way for me to share my experiences and my discoveries. I hope you find something here that makes you happy.