My perfect summer sandals

Since the end of last week when the BlOGGER login issues forced me to use Firefox which proved somewhat painful, I've been totally lazing off the blog over the last few days and I feel guilty for it. Truth is I'm a lazy person by nature (guilty as charged) and it's no good for me to take a break from something that is not my job (as in smth I'm being paid for) since it does no good for my motivation. But again - it's all BLOGGER's fault!

Anyways, now that I'm officially back into action, I will try to make extra effort bringing in some cool content and I'll start by showing off my new shoes! I've been looking for new sandals for some time now, and when I stumbled upon this pair at OYSHO last week at ATHENS MALL - it was love at first sight.

Here are several reasons why the shoes are perfect: they are wedges (exactly what I wanted), they are also clogs (which I also wanted), they are very medium height - which means I don't need to calculate exactly how much time I plan to spend on foot before putting them on, end - they were only 40 Euros, which means I can still get a new pair of flat sandals that I also really want without feeling like I'm spending too much.

To be honest I'm lusting over some block-color wedges too - I'm totally loving this trend, and who knows, I might just give in to it. But the classic brown leather goes with pretty much everything and until I can afford a giant wardrobe that some lucky ladies have - I'm gonna stick with practical approach to fashion.

STYLE OBSESSION: Shopper bags

I've always been a fan of BIG bags. And not so much because of style, but because of the freedom it grants me to carry all things I may need and still leaves extra space to squeeze in a water bottle, a cardigan if I get too hot or a magazine. Now lately I've been running around with a rather modestly-sized (by my standards) cross-body bag and it surely has it benefits, but recently I found myself falling deeply in love with the SHOPPER bags. Fact is I've never had a bag exactly like a shopper, also most of them are also supplied with an extra strap for cross-body wearing and of course, the allure of space inside is so hard to resist. The color-blocking shoppers by the Greek brand Fullah Sugah and the classy brown one from ASOS are among my top choices.

FULLAH SUGAH

FULLAH SUGAH

ASOS

ASOS

ASOS

FULLAH SUGAH

TOPSHOP

Honesty in online shopping

I fell in love with those FREE PEOPLE wedges the moment I saw them. I'm currently looking for a pair of wedges anyway, and those were some of the coolest sandals are saw so far, plus the price, Euro 62.35 fit in my price range just fine. And I might have already gone ahead and ordered them had I not spotted the "Reviews & Fitting" section, containing 2 comments. The first review was mild, though not especially favorable; the second was quite negative, criticizing a number of QUALITY aspects, and both ended with the authors claiming they'd be returning the shoes.

Naturally that cooled down my excitement, especially considering that I'm generally cautious about buying SHOES online - it's so unpredictable when it comes to feet! But at the same time I couldn't help thinking how thankful I was to Free People for not only allowing comments on their product pages, but also NOT deleting the negative ones! ONLINE shopping is a tricky world, full of possible mishaps, and it's nice when someone gives you a warning.

Of course there is every possibility that the 2 commentators were not truly honest, just feisty or annoyed with the store for whatever reason. But if they were right, they possibly saved me time and disappointment since I'm not a big fan of returning goods do the store, especially by mail and especially in Greece were the post office is only open 5 days a week till 2 p.m. I wish more ONLINE SHOPS where like Free People, but not likely - who wants bad publicity?

STYLE OBSESSION: Allegiance to the flag

In general, wearing a country's flag should be seen as an indication of the person's patriotism, however it's been long since American and British flags have become a symbol of the free-spirited, rebellious styles that were born in those countries and then spread across the globe. Flag prints seem especially hot this season - even Balmain included a number of American flag-printed tops into its wild spring collection. So I believe a printed-top such as the one from Zara or ASOS, shorts from Topshop and a pair of American flag Converse could fit in my casual summer wardrobe just fine!

ZARA

TOPSHOP

ASOS

CONVERSE

DR. MARTENS

BALMAIN

BLANCO

TOPSHOP

SASS&BIDE

STYLE OBSESSION: Head scarves

I have never felt comfortable wearing things on my head - at least not since I became seriously self-conscious about my look. I felt that no hats looked good on me, plus they always messed up my hair. Same went for all sorts of scarves and since I have been wearing a fringe since 14, hair bands seemed to not sit right either. But I'm stubborn, ready to experiment and since I kind of adore this latest head scarf trend I'm willing to give it a chance. I'm not exactly a vintage fan, but I love the retro appeal of the scarf worn as a band - I'd combine it with a cropped tee, a lingerie-style top or my denim shirt.

Katy Perry

Rihanna

Amy Winehouse

Cher Lloyd

ASOS

ETSY

Jennifer Lawrence for ASOS

It seems like already way too many posts for one day, but when I see something that inspires me - I just cannot pass by! In this case I'm talking about ASOS June lookbook starringJENNIFER LAWRENCE. I really admired her acting in "Winter's Bone" and she was at the top of my best-dressed list at the Oscars! So while we await her newest film projects, which includes a part in "X-Men: First Class," we can enjoy her latest photo shoot for ASOS by Benny Horne. Here she appears as a your regular but absolutely adorable all-American girl-next-door wearing Converse, shorts, tees and incredible starry jeans...

Color & stripes explosion from Mango

Just yesterday I posted the looks from MANGO summer collection modelled by Scarlett Johansson, but I just couldn't resist those latest pics from another Mango summer lookbook called "COLOR & STRIPES" starring model Eniko Mihalik. I never get tired of stripes, and I they seem especially hot this summer varying from classic white-n-navy-blue to the most striking color combinations. Moreover, as Mango shoes us - stripes work great for smart color blocking!

Scarlett Johansson brings summer to Mango

As we can plainly see, SCARJO is still with MANGO, now bringing us yet another set of gorgeous looks showcasing the key pieces from the brand's SUMMER collection. This time Scarlett spots an unbearably sexy look with radically androgynous hairstyle, "modest" pastels, crochet and minis, looking like a breath of fresh air on a hot summer day. So, if despite many designers' "advice" you don't feel like the blazing colors, bright stripes and voluminous fruity prints this summer, keep it airy and simple - just make sure it compliments your figure and focus on gorgeous hair and make-up!

LATEST CRAVINGS: Jewellery by Rachel Roy and Uno de 50

Just recently I discovered the gorgeous jewellery lines of these two brands: one, American - RACHEL ROY and another, Spanish - UNO DE 50. When it comes to jewellery I prefer bold, bulky, original, statement pieces, and all the items pictured below fully satisfy those demands, moreover - they're all quite affordable. Rachel Roy's rings and earrings are wild and animalistic, while Uno de 50 offers ultra-modern, cool, almost rock'n'roll aesthetic.

RACHEL ROY

UNO DE 50