Coups de foudre in Brussels and Bologna

I had this really thoughtful and well considered plan for my winter wardrobe: I was going to buy a tartan/check blouse, a duffle coat, jeans and warm boots. I even made a polyvore set out of it, just to remind myself that this was the plan and I should stick to it:

I don't know how I did it, but the past two days I spent almost my entire november clothing budget on totally different objects. The first one was a bracelet, bought at Mapp. friday night. They were part of the Modo Parcours. We only did the rue Léon Lepage/Léon Lepagestraat, and some stores in the Rue de Flandre/Vlaamse Steenweg. There was a lot to be seen - and drunk, mostly champagne. Martin Margiela served theirs in plastic cups. Not that I mind a bit of tackiness, but still a weird choice, considering the cheaper stores did make an effort to, you know, rent glasses. Maybe it was a postmodern statement and I totally missed the point. I have the impression Léon Lepage is quickly becoming the new Dansaert, by the way. The latter is being invaded by more known brands and the former is buzzing with hip and young designers. I'll do some reviews on them later on, but this post is going to be long enough as it is.

I liked the clothing selection in Mapp., but the accessories were what really caught my eye. The selection of necklaces especially was great. Expensive, of course, but absolutely beautiful. Then my eye fell on this bracelet: simple, romantic, in sale. Just the way I love my jewelry.

It's by Médecine Douce Paris. Quite expensive, but it was a typical coup de foudre. Half my wardrobe consists of coups de foudre, now that I think of it. Trying to combine things is always a disaster. I have zero vision when it comes to buying clothing, but it doesn't stop me from sitting in front of my closet, happily eyeing all of my darlings. Kind of how I imagine Anna Dello Russo spending her days when she's not causing a ruckus at fashion weeks.

I spent the rest of my money on shoes yesterday. I'm currently in Bologna, visiting my boyfriend, who got a grant to study and do research here for a year. He told me upon his arrival that it was a great city for shopping, and I have to say, he has an eye for these things. The coolest thing about Bologna is that there's not really sidewalks, but porticos. Wikipedia tells me the city is famous for it:

In total, there are over 45 kilometres of arcades, some 38 in the city center. The longest portico in the world, about 3.5 km (2 mi), extends from the edge of the city to Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca.

(We're planning on walking to the sanctuary tuesday, even though I was practical enough not to bring any proper walking shoes.) The effect is lovely. This is what shopping in Bologna looks like:

Charming, isn't it? Just out of sight are two old ladies who took offense in my boyfriend's bag being in their way and bumping into him in the rudest way possible. Feisty.

Shopping seems to be a big part of life here. It's food - clothing - bars - book shops everywhere you look. Aimed to please ladies of leisure from all over the world! The shops are really cool, too, not the thirteen in a dozen you'll usually find in cities this size. In a short walk around the city we managed to pass by a myriad of independent perfumeries (one of which was called Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, you have to appreciate the morbid sense of humour), a Muji, lots of jewelry stores, a Borsalino outlet, unaffordable luxury, ... The best thing about Bologna are the shoe shops, though. A wide selection, okay prices and great quality. When I saw this pair of United Nude in Daniele Ancarani in the Via San Vitale, I couldn't resist:

The picture doesn't quite capture them, but they're lovely and really comfortable. I walked 3km in them earlier and I don't feel a thing! The price was slightly lower than the online price, too. I did feel a bit stupid buying them, because I couldn't really chat with the shop assistant - who was excessively nice otherwise. She even managed to look classy while wearing grey sweatypants, which is a pretty impressive achievement in my book.

Some other pictures:

The Borsalino outlet. I wanted to try on a hat consisting of peacock feathers, but decided not to when I saw the price. I don't want to mess up an 800 euros hat. Also, I was under severe pressure by my boyfriend, who gets stressed by walking into a store and not buying anything. Pansy. :)

Fabulous ice cream just around the corner! I love how they make little flowers out of ice cream instead of scooping. A little gay, but pretty.

That's it for now. If anyone's got tips for Bologna, be it food or shopping, I'll be glad to hear them!

Shoe shopping in Brussels: La Boutique de Mademoiselle François

I told you before that it took me a long time to get into shoes. Part of this is due to Brussels not being the best shoe shopping city. Not that there aren't any cool shoe shops around, it just takes a while to locate them. La Boutique de Mademoiselle François is an excellent example. It's a real gem, but it's a little out of the way. It's on the Verversstraat/Rue des Teinturiers, and Manneke Pis is only a stone's throw away. Still, I rarely see any tourists passing by. Maybe there's something in the guide books to keep them away. The street just around the corner is famous for its gay bars, and my savvy friend Stefan told me earlier today it's nicknamed 'Rue Vaseline'. Enlightening, right?

So maybe vast masses of people aren't keen on passing buy, but I bet the gays approve of Mademoiselle François' little empire. For my part, I was enthralled the first time I saw it. I had never seen such a romantic window display. Just five or six shoes, refined and precious, kept in a bell jar. (Whenever I see the words 'bell jar', I think of Sylvia Plath. I wonder if she would have kept from frying her brain in an oven, had she spent a little more time thinking about frivolities. Never underestimate the power of superficiality.)

It took me at least three more years to enter the store, because I figured the prices would be astronomical. When I started working for a decent wage last august, nothing kept me back, however. My first observation was that the store was just as pretty on the inside as the outside warranted. It's basically the fancy boudoir of a vintage maniac. If I ever were to open a candy store (a persistent childhood dream), this is what it would look like. Maybe not as much plastic legs sticking out of walls, but those are details. I wish I had some pictures of my own to share, but until I decide to invest in a camera, you can see some pictures here and here (old location, same atmosphere and props).

The shoes are pretty, good quality and they're actually priced pretty okay. They have a classic feel, and are mostly vintage inspired. I saw a few pieces today that looked like candy: very colourful, very cute. Not my immediate choice, but they made me smile. There's also a small selection of clothes. A few skirts, tops, and quite some dresses (15 or 20). Again very vintage-y, pretty fabrics and models. They look high quality, maybe even hand-made, I don't know. (Prices run pretty high: 250-350 euros.) But Betty Draper would approve, that's for sure.

I bought two pairs of shoes back in august: the most gorgeous black velvet heels and a pair of ballerinas with pointy toes that were so pretty they made me forget I don't really care for pointy toes. They were still on sale, and I think I paid a little less than 200 euros for both pairs. The lady at the counter (not the feisty owner Mlle François herself, unfortunately) even gave me 10 euros off on top of the discount, because I bought two pairs. I haven't worn the ballerinas all that much, and they still hurt my feet. But the heels. are just. so. comfortable. Wearing them feels like coming home. New shoes ALWAYS hurt, to the point where I think my feet will just go on strike and fall off. These heels don't. They hug my feet. I'm a little in love. So I feel honour-bound to share this with the world wide web. Your feet deserve it, really!

Shoe shopping in Brussels: Mellow Yellow

This is probably a bit of a confession, but I generally don't like shopping for shoes. I'm very particular about them (same thing goes for purses). My tastes developed and broadened over the years, but shoe-shopping used to be an absolute disaster. First of all I didn't like most of the shoes I encountered. Secondly, the ones I did like were usually too expensive. And thirdly, I have humongous feet. The result was that most of the time I was already highly satisfied when a shoe fit, and didn't bother with looks or style.


I used to wear gray cheap look-a-likes of these. Avril Lavigne had nothing on me.

The last few years my budget became more manageable and I picked up on the aesthetics of shoes. My feet are still enormous and I suffer with every new pair, but hey, women used to endure way worse back in the good old days. When my feet hurt, I take my shoes off. You can't really take off your corset when you're about to faint. So yay for modern times! Anyway, I still struggle finding shoes that are good quality, original and affordable. I can't buy shoes at Zara or H&M, because they simply don't fit me. The shoes at Sacha fit (they sometimes come in a size 42, which is a huge relief for my 41,5s), but if spotting people wearing the exact same shoes as you were a drinking game, you'd be well on your way to a terrible hangover by mid-afternoon while wearing Sacha shoes.

Unfortunately, I didn't find a lot of other options. That's why a Mellow Yellow store turning up in Brussels was a nice change of scenery. I haven't bought any of their shoes yet, but for now I just like knowing it's there. It's in the Dansaertstraat (I hang out in this street a lot, does it show?), the prices are reasonable, the shoes are pretty. The shop is rarely crowded, and best of all, one of my lovely high school friends works there! If you spot a gorgeous curly girl behind the counter, chances are it's her. So go explore and say hi for me!