Lunch Date: Ninety Nine Newcastle

Let's Do Lunch:

Ninety Nine, Newcastle

I think the only time I've written a blog post that wasn't exactly fashion related, was when I started my sleeve tattoo just after the New Year hit. I can't say that I've ever felt the urge to write about other topics really, but after my little lunch date with the best friend yesterday, it's simply a must do.

I had heard about a little cafe-type eatery called Ninety Nine just off Monument (Grey Street to be exact) in Newcastle earlier in the week and after some Googling and reading reviews, thought it would be a nice idea if my friend and I had lunch there before she went off on holiday on Monday. This, as it happens, turns out to be the best idea I've ever had (well, nearly) and is looking to be a place that we'll want to visit at least once a week from now on.

The place is relatively small as they promoted themselves as 'Gourmet Fast Food'. You walk in and are immediately greeted by the nicest chef I've ever met. I'm not just saying this. He was all smiles and knew everything that there was to know about the product he was offering. He explained all of the meal deals without us having to ask and had me certain on the fact that I was getting the (handmade) beef burger with sweet potato fries and (homemade) lemonade - the lemonade is an extra 50p, but believe me, in this heat we've been getting, it was worth every penny. Sophie decided on the tortellini and couldn't help herself when she saw the sweet potato fries on my order and got those alongside hers as well. Well, it would have been rude not to really.

My burger came with sweet jalapeño pepper relish (absolutely amazing by the way), salad, mayo and cheddar cheese, but you could add bacon and other things if you wanted to as well. The sweet potato fries were hand cut and cooked with some chilli which enhanced the flavour and really went well with the relish in the burger. Oh and the burger bun - fresh from a local bakery that day. Perfection.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to taste Sophie's pasta dish, but judging from her facial expressions -  and the rate in which she devoured the whole thing - I'd be willing to put a bet on it tasting pretty damn good.

In terms of pricing, you won't pay any more than £6 for something, but to be honest, I'd be willing to pay whatever they asked for. Like I said earlier, I've never felt the urge to write about anything other than fashion at Vita di Moda, but I just had to make an exception for Ninety Nine. The only thing that could make them better? If they delivered..

Follow them on Facebook or Twitter and take a look at their photo's and comments from other customers - you'll see why I love it so much.

Photo Credit: First two images were from Ninety Nine's Twitter account & the last image was taken by myself.

Summer Swimwear: Minimale Animale

MINIMALE ANIMALE.

As much as this pains me to write, unfortunately this year, I haven't had the pleasure of going shopping for that perfect bikini or one piece. This is first Summer since the year I was born (literally, no exaggeration in that statement) that I haven't had a holiday abroad somewhere. Last year I went on three trips for crying out loud, so to be in the UK for a British Summer is slightly depressing. I will admit that this amazing heat wave we've been having has eased my pain - but only a little.

Having said that, my lovely mamma went on a two week holiday to Aruba with her now fiancé (he proposed whilst they were away) and loved it that much, has now said that she is thinking of booking up again for next year and we can all go and stay in a villa. As if this wasn't already exciting enough, my little niece or nephew (& godchild) will be with us in October of this year, so will also be accompanying us in Aruba next year. Happy days! 

Anyway! What has all of this back story got to do with the post? Well, it got me thinking of swimwear for the beach - Aruba has thee best beaches I have ever seen, so it's only fitting that you have a banging one or two piece to stroll around in. I know it's early days, but I couldn't help myself. This little piece of research then lead me to finding the relatively new brand Minimale Animale. 

I had typed in 'swimwear 2013' and no more than 3 seconds later, found this link taking me to the MBFW 2014 Swimwear designer bio page for the brand. For starters, they're from California, so it was almost a given that I would love them. Secondly, I just loved how edgy and different the cuts and shapes were for the swimwear and immediately wanted to see more from them. You'll probably be aware of the brand if you've watched some music videos from the likes of Iggy Azalea; you know the palm tree body suit she wore in the video for Work? Yeah, that one.

The four pieces you see in the frame above, were taken from the Minimale Animale Shop page on their website, as I wanted to show you exactly which pieces I would be sporting - you know, if I had $250 going spare to spend on a bikini. The best thing about the collections (and main reason I love them) is that they're sporty and slightly tomboy-ish. They're sexy, but not in a Victoria's Secret kind of way. They're definitely suited to women who are comfortable enough in their own skin, are confident and 100% know how enjoy themselves.

Like what's on offer for Summer this year? Then you had best check out the collection for next Summer..

Photo Credit: Found via Minimale Animale webite & edited on Polyvore. Top image found here.

For Love & Lemons - Fall 2013 Campaign

For Love & Lemons:

This is the second Fall 2013 campaign shoot that I've seen lately and felt the absolute need to blog about ASAP. The other was DKNY; it was cool and very NYC (my favourite Fashion capital), but with For Love & Lemons, let's just say that it's the dark, vampiric and slightly 'Adams Family' feel that I get when I look at the images. What can I say? I'll forever be attracted to anything that is remotely scary, dark or verging on Hallowe'en-y. #soznotsoz

**(From the brands website)

The L.A based brand has given us a series of skirts, tops, floral printed focal points and thigh-high slit dresses to parade around in this Fall. The lack of fabric around the legs however, is, I suppose, a great feature if you live on the West coast of America and don't really get the same weather as the arctic circle. I guess we could just add a little hosiery and heeled boots to accommodate the looks to our own weather here in the UK though. Not too difficult. Velvet, lace and other deliciously demonic fabrics have been the go to choice in the collection as well.

What I really love about the collection - in the campaign images anyway - is the styling and lots of high neck ties featuring in some of the looks. It's a little costume-ish and dramatic, but that's a great thing. The Fall/Winter months are dull enough as it is, we should at least be able to entertain ourselves through our oufits choices, no? If I had to choose a look to be my absolute favourite, I think it would have to be the slightly off-set white, floral printed dress with Victorian style choker necklace. 

What do you think of the Fall 2013 campaign? Could you see yourself wearing any of the looks?

Photo Credit: Nylon Mag

One Teaspoon: The Perfect Denims

One Teaspoon:

Baggy Denim

It could be an understatement when I say that I've been looking for (and failing to find) the perfect pair of denims lately. I've tried Topshop, ASOS, H&M, Primark, Zara, you name a store on the high street and I'll tell you that I've already tried it. I just can't find a pair that A) suits my shape, B) fits in with my budget & C) looks good.  Now, I can't say that the feature I'm about to show you ticks off point B exactly, but I can tick off points A & C without a shadow of a doubt. That's a start at least.

One Teaspoon are an Australian brand who have a penchant for pushing boundaries and creating collections which are inherently edgy and wearable. It is the perfect marriage for anyone whose style includes a fair amount of "fantastically rebellious, sex-infused, old school, rock n' roll & glamorous" pieces. One Teaspoon can take you from casual to red carpet and back again, so there really is something for every occasion. 

On this particular instance though, I've been focusing on their range of denim jeans and shorts. They currently have a range of 'baggies' which are low waist, baggy boyfriend jeans with a rolled up, tapered  ankle. They are literally perfection, as far as I'm concerned. Frayed, distressed, bleached, they're just everything you would want in a boyfriend jean and more. 

Starting with the jeans in the top image we have: White 'Awesome' Baggies & 'Surrender Super' Baggies. Price ranging from $140 - $150 AUD (around £80 - £90?). I just love how casual, yet versatile they are; You could pair them with a plain tee for an easy going day look, or match with heels and a low cut silk cami for drinks with the girls. 

Onto the next one - shorts: Desperado Bandits & White Croc Bandits. Both priced at $89 AUD (£54-ish?). Slouchy, comfortable and stylish. These are a perfect option for looking casual and cool in this current heat wave that we're getting at the minute. 

Fancy snagging a pair for yourself? Head on over to their website and shop till your heart's content!

One Teaspoon SHOP.

Photo Credit: Images found via the One Teaspoon website & edited on Polyvore.

Day to Night: It's A New York State of Mind

Tibi NY State of Mind:

Day - Night

Just as I'm about to lose all hope in finding a topic to blog about, and make my 6th post this week (In 3 days! I'm on a roll), I come across the new pre-fall 2013 NY State of Mind range by tibi and immediately feel inspired. As soon as I saw the Empire State trousers, I could envision both a day and night styling option and felt compelled to blog about it ASAP. So that's what I've done!

Unfortunately I don't live in the concrete jungle just yet (give it 5 years max and I'll be there), however if I did, I can imagine my footwear consisting of Nike Air Max or Free Run's with all the commuting that I would no doubt be doing. So that's what I chose to pair the trousers with - luckily you can customise your Nike's until your heart's content, so there was always going to be a colour to match the trousers perfectly. As for the tee that I chose, well, 'city girl' may be a little cliche but I went for it anyway and added a BCBG by Max Aria harness to add a little edge and layering. The gold chain was pretty standard seeing as you'll very rarely see me without mines on.

On to night time. I'm in the process of sourcing the best transparent clutch bags at the minute for a future post, so I thought I would include this ASOS number in the meantime. A plain white, drape front tee from H&M, strappy Zara heels, gold chain and splash of red lippy help to tie it all together. It really is easy as pie to take these trousers from day to night and if I'm honest, I'm pretty pleased with how the outfits look. If I could afford to spend £175 ($265) on a pair of trousers right now, believe me, I would be doing so as soon as I finish typing this...

Would you be brave enough to sport these printed trousers?

Photo Credit: all images were clipped and edited together using Polyvore.

Review: Ilcentimetro Bracelet

Review:

Ilcentimetro

When the opportunity arose to review one of the ilcentimetro bracelets recently, I jumped at the chance. I've known of the brand for little while now, but just never got round to owning one of their stylish 'measuring tape' bracelets for myself - until now.

What I love about the bracelets is that they are made of genuine Italian leather and clasped easily with a magnet. They're comfortable on, lightweight (apart from the metal clasp) and are quite a quirky way of adding a little humour and style to your outfits. 

There's also the slightly humorous side to the design, in the sense that the fashion industry is known for its fashionistas being more than concerned with their weight and constantly measuring themselves to obtain that ideal look. I know that I do it myself and have done for the past God knows how many years, so it's a design that I particularly like and can relate to. You can get them in a variety of colours, with designs either having a gold or silver clasp to them and are completely unisex. They even have a watch version which is rather nifty if i'm honest.

 In terms of sizing, you can choose from XS - L which starts at 16cm and goes up in 2's to reach 22cm. The bracelet I received was a M and will only fit without slipping if I place it a little higher up on my forearm, but even then I think it looks alright. 

Pricing. That's what everyone wants to know. Well, I'm pleased to say that the bracelets are actually fairly priced given the fact that they are made from Italian leather; £32 - £55. After showing the bracelet to my uncle today, I was informed that the design is a huge trend over in Italia at the minute (my family were over in Sorrento visiting for a couple of weeks recently), with market stalls and independent shops copying the bracelet and selling them for a reduced price. You won't get a fake with the metal clasp on it though and to be honest, £32 is hardly going to break the bank balance, now is it?

If you want to get on the trend early (I can see celebs of all sorts wearing these within the next few months), then you can purchase the bracelets from the Ilcentimetro website by clicking here.

Photo Credit: Images are my own and taken by myself.