Dressful

Meet Miss Eva Ana, my fellow blogger and the most exciting style icon I know right now. Ljubljana, my hometown, witnesses severe abuse of the term "style icon" on a daily basis. It gets attributed to every young lady toting "it" items and/or very basic outfits that one or another self-proclaimed "fashion critic" (i.e. sycophant) has deemed "fashion", or to people who work in fashion - regardless of what they're wearing. If you want to be a style icon (TRUTH: it's usually not something you achieve by trying too hard, you simply are a style icon), it helps immensely if your style is not generic. I also appreciate the ability to see past "it" items and trends and most of all, being different.

I think a true style icon always challenges people around her. Not only concerning fashion (though, of course, your visceral reaction to a style icon might just be to delve into the depths of your closet and adorn yourself with those exquisite and eccentric pieces you've been neglecting recently), but also in manners and knowledge. Eva Ana, she's just all that.

P.S. I am sorry for sparse updates. Literature and university have consumed my life - the first part isn't so bad (I've always been ridiculously enamored with literature, and for me reading late at night in bed still has that beautiful escapist notion) unless you have blogging duties to attend to. I will be updating normally again next week, I can't wait to be back.

Every time I see these photos I think the bags must be filled with Chanel clothes. The double C is above regular trash, right? I don't know the source nor the real story behind this, but if I came along, I'd be immensely curious.

Who says leggings are not pants?

– Versace, 1991 –

I got the idea to put together this list during London Fashion Week. Although I thought a lot of the shoes presented there would look better in fall and winter, I realized the list wasn't going to suffer one bit after seeing the Milan and Paris shows. FYI, this selection of the crème de la crème is arranged randomly because I don't have the heart (and nerves) to pick favorites among favorites. Enjoy!

1. Alexander McQueen: These are the kind of shoes you put on display in your living room so that you (and your guests) can drool over them every chance you get. Bonus points if you wear them outside of said living room!

2. Hermès: These sandals are a recapitulation of the entire Hermès Spring/Summer 2011 collection. No-nonsense, incredibly sophisticated, versatile and most of all wearable.

3. Max Mara: Hands down the most gorgeous shade of violet. The shoe design isn't complicated, but it stands out for the white heel that sometimes looks invisible.

4. Dior: The Dior Spring/Summer 2011 shoes come in a variety of crazy colorways. Some of them are very eccentric (many colors in one place), but this one is just perfect. What a fun sandal!

5. Donna Karan: This shoe mentally transports you to a beach bar playing lounge music where you sip cocktails all day in the breeze and time seems to have stopped. Thank you, Donna Karan, for this splendid association!

6. Martin Margiela: I'm a huge fan of shoes that don't look like shoes, so obviously I had to include these in the list. The only downside to them is that they immediately fill up with water when it rains. Indoor use only, please!

7. Emporio Armani: Goodness, this pink is delicious. It also complements the heel color (it's so rare that I don't know what to call it, any ideas?) in the most elegant way.

8. Ralph Lauren: Classy in a very Ralph Lauren/American way, but they wouldn't look out of place anywhere else in the world. The heel won't kill you either, which is always a plus!

9. Etro: I think that trends dragging from season to season should be avoided, but I love the use of rounded studs on this wedge. They make it special without any additional hassle.

10. Gucci: Quintessential sexy Gucci sandals. They exist solely to dazzle everyone within the 5 mile radius and probably make you feel you can do anything. Mission completed!

Photos from vogue.com

A couple of months ago I found out about Jane Doe vintage shop browsing Serbian fashion forums and immediately made a mental note to check it out the next time I'm in Belgrade. A real vintage shop (stocking only items from before the 90s) in one of my favorite cities sounded incredibly promising; I believe every city with an identity has its share of highly specific clothes - you'll come across a piece and it'll hit you how very much it's reminiscent of a particular time and place (the insane "Lepa Brena at the culmination of her 80s kitsch" black and gold blazer with extremely puffy shoulders, glittery dots and bows that I bought at Jane Doe, perfectly conscious of the fact that I'm probably never going to wear it, is the very embodiment of this concept). I went to other Belgrade vintage and second-hand stores prior to my venture to Jane Doe, but the latter was the only one that really lived up to my wishes and expectations in terms of both selection of items and atmosphere.

Many stores, regardless of what they sell, aim for that "make yourself comfortable" and "feel like at home" character, but very few of them actually succeed because it's rather difficult to maintain cozy mood if your employees aren't genuinely interested in making it work it too. What I liked best about Jane Doe was that it made me feel like I could stay there all day just browsing racks and trying on clothes. Its owner, Bojana, is super nice and puts a lot of energy into interacting with vintage/fashion enthusiasts visiting the shop. Bojana is in her 20s and runs Jane Doe completely by herself. She was the first one to take the plunge into opening a vintage shop in Belgrade, a gesture that has definitely paid off as she's established a steady base of regular customers.

Jane Doe (located on Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 161a) sells clothes, shoes, bags, hats and jewelry; the entire place (including the little front yard) is lavishly decorated with trinkets such as old magazines, illustrations and toys. The philosophy behind the name of the shop is that without an owner, every piece loses its identity and gets the label "Jane Doe". When you buy the piece, you give it a new identity and remove the label. Although I think the "Jane Doe" label suggests quite a bit of identity due to the shop being an all-around inspiring abode, I was happy to remove it from two blazers. Needless to say, Jane Doe is now one of my favorite places in Belgrade.

P.S. It's official: Dressful's first giveaway will be announced next Monday, September 20!