By Malene Birger

Blouse from By Malene Birger at Nelly.com.

I have always had a weakness for shirts and blouses, and a huge favourite of mine in that regard has for a long time been By Malene Birger (yes, I know I have mentioned her before). Feminine soft fabrics, lucious details, a mix of cute and rough. I love the edgy, yet romantic look created by this Danish designer. In my opinion, By Malene Birger has never looked better than it does this fall. Sober and elegant, in all the right colour shades.

In the UK you can find By Malene Birger at Selfridges, and the brand has resently opened a new flagship store near Marylebone. By Marlene Birger can also be purchased at Nelly.com, to what I might add, is pretty good prices (Scandinavia, Germany and the Netherlands). Follow the banner below, and click your way through the fall collection. Enjoy!

Phase Eight

Few things (except for the actual night) makes me feel more like a child on Christmas Eve than those occasions when I discover either a new brand I like, a new store I like, or when I suddenly discover that a store near me are selling one of my favourite brands. And last Friday, I experienced them all in one, just like a Kinder egg, three suprises in one package. I have previously complained about the scarcity of decent shops in Portsomuth, my residence for the time being. Of course, we have Gunwharf Quays, which is an outlet center, where you can find stores like Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, Guess, Ted Baker, Karen Millen and Levi's. However, an outlet center means that the things you can find is mostly last years lines, or items they are not able to get rid off in the more fashionable flagship stores in London. It sometimes make me feel like I am having a fashion deja vu. And of course, we have the usual high street stores like Topshop, New Look, Oasis and H&M. But you know the feeling, have you seen one of them, it sometimes make you feel like you have seen them all..

What I have been missing is something a little bit more exclusive, if only just to get me inspired or cheer me up on the windy, rainy days which there are far too many of here in the UK.

Knight & Lee is located in the shopping area of Southsea, and only a couple of minutes walk from my apartment. Previously I have been a bit reluctant to check it out, since I have thought the whole store oozed of "grown-uppy" or "old-lady-like". But on this earlier mentioned Friday, I could suddenly see that the mannequins in the window were wearing Ted Baker, a/w 2010, and I ran up the stairs to the clothing area as fast as my little legs could take me. And what a nice surprise.A big area of Ted Baker, and I even discovered this gorgeous new brand - Phase Eight - who does various items in the most lovely fabrics and the softest colours. I am happy, allthough my wallet are not..

Rose details are back this autumn, and I fell for this little rosey piece.

Silk and jersey scard.

100 % silk blouse in a lovely rose colour.

Nothing beats a big bow.

Flared knitted skirt, it reminded me a little bit of the one from Tiger of Sweden which I currently lust for.

Knitted everyday dress.

Camel dress with flower details.

Camel tunic jumper. This is an absolute must-have.

Did you see anything you liked?

Topshop a/w 2010

I have been browsing through the stores on the high street to find out where to get the a/w 2010 look for a little bit less and which stores who does this seasons trends the best. Topshop is definitely a runner up for the title, as they have both the colour scale and the shapes in place. Topshop is opting for green, burgundy, brown and camel this fall, together with the standard autumn favourites black and grey, adding jewellery in gold and bronze with coral, pink or orange details.Here is a little something for inspiration...

The ultimate military cape, 95 £.

Sheepskin aviator jacket, 325 £.

Oversized boyfriend coat in wool, 95 £.

Knitted lace jumper, 35 £.

Knitted batwing shrug, 35 £.

Lace trim scarf, 16 £.

Tapered trouser, 35 £.

Leather shoulder bag in burgundy, 38 £.

Black leather satchel, 55 £.

Golden bracelet, 12,50 £.

Cascade earrings, 8 £.

Heart and rose ring, 5 £.

Earrings, 8,50 £.

Pointy kittens, 55 £.

Flats, 50 £.

Oh,yes...The Danes can sew

Alongside Day Birger et Mikkelsen, I have loved the Danish brand By Malene Birger for years. The way her dresses and styles fits the female body, and the way she year after year comes up with something new and exciting, keeps me just longing for more every season...

Here is some pieces of candy from her Early Summer 2010 collection:

The most gorgeus flower patterned dress I have ever seen.

I swore never to wear flower patterned trousers again after the age of 7. However, right now, I feel pretty tempted...

This jumpsuit goes straight on my wishlist. Perhaps in pink (as displayed in the June edition of Elle UK).

The perfect outfit for a relaxed day on the beach or a city break.

The gorgeus shoes the models are wearing -Balisa, By Malene Birger. I have been looking and searching for them for over two months now. They will be mine..Eventually.

Go to the By Malene Birger website for retailers, and more tempting pieces of candy. I think By Malene Birger is my favourite fashion line this summer, closely followed by Sandro.

Do you have a favourite designer or brand this spring/ summer?

Day Birger et Mikkelsen...

Outfits from Day Birger et Mikkelsen

Even though Scandinavia is not historically mostly known for its fashion industry, it does have some great designer brands. The Scandinavian "mode" is often known to be a bit dark, playing classical conservative forms and asymmetric stylishness against eachother in a constant fight. Add a dash of romance, a rough, yet elegant edge, and you have the Danish brand Day Birger et Mikkelsen. I have been a big fan of the brand, which was founded by the Danish designers Keld Mikkelsen and Malene Birger in 1997, for several years, and I plan to be devoted for many more. Malene Birger left Day some years ago, and became a great competition to her former workplace, with her own very successful brand, By Malene Birger. The idea behind the Day brand was to create contemporary everyday glamour, which every woman would feel radiant wearing. Day is loved for their fantastic shirts, made in everything from the lightest silk to the most wonderfully heavy cotton which will last forever. Day is also often spotted on Scandinavian celebrities, and especially their romantic short dresses are often seen worn by the fashionistas of the north. The 2010 spring/summer collection from Day is a joy for every fashion loving girl, and I highly recommend to visit their website..If nothing else, use the elegant pictures as an inspiration, and get a sneak peek into the exciting Danish fashion scene. In the UK you can get Day at House of Fraser (last time I checked), in Norway you will encounter Day several places (check the retailer list at the Day website). However, I will recommend a little trip to my former employer, His & Hers boutique in Gjøvik, they usually have very good selection of the most beautiful shirts in the Day range. I can almost promise you that you will not be able to walk out of there empty handed.