C A L L I E S P I C K S | Release Review

This week brought the next installment of Callie's Picks to the Plaza and it was very aptly themed 'Fashion Week Wonders' which I think is perfect for the time^ And I think it's just what we were needing in the Plaza =D

Two floors filled with fashionable, on-trend, and wanted pieces for us to choose from this time! I think there's a great range in the floors in both styles and number of items from each clothing category, I really think this release caters fairly wide =D I'm very fortunate to have quite a few of the pieces that I would want already from this collection, so I didn't find myself wanting to purchase a huge amount of items this time. I decided to compose this one a little differently this time to see if it was something I liked or not - let me know what you think in the comments!

Accessories The first thing I notice is the huge amount of Tribute pieces in the accessories this time around, that's awesome and gives you a chance to get some of the popular pieces^ So in shoes there are a whopping 10 pairs available, that must be some sort of record! And they come in a range of heel heights, styles and colours too. I kind of immediately go to the boots and booties in this release, with the Black Pleather Tall Boots really standing out in the collection - I bought the Gucci pair a few years back in the Bazaar but I'm glad they're here because I think they deserve a lot more love than they have had, so I look forward to seeing what people do with them =) Then there's also the Silver Cutout Victorian Boots which stand out to me, the shape is quite quirky but in a stylish way that could look great in stylings, so I'm glad to be able to get these! In the heels category my eyes immediately go to the Dior White Couture Heels, again another piece I have, but they are awesome, I think people have been definitely wanting them for a while! The Tribute theme continues well into the bags, with the Silver Baguette (Fendi), Valentino Bow Purse (Valentino), Chanel Box Handbag (Chanel) and the Interlock Fendi Tote (Fendi). These are all great pieces, perfect for Fashion Week stylings I think! There's a couple of extra things in the accessories too, like the White Bunny Shades, Chanel Headphones, Gucci Pendant Necklace and the Hide My Face Hat.

Dresses There are a good amount of dresses in this release, again with an emphasis on the Tribute pieces with 4 of the 5 choices from Tribute stores! The non-Tribute piece, the Faux Feathers Corset Dress looks pretty cool and I don't think I've ever seen anyone style it before. It has a great fit and I think the colours are fab and will work great with a number of other pieces! And then the Tribute items, with both the Hidden Corset Bodice Dress and Clover Applique Gown from Dior and then also the Mini Strapped Flower Dress (this was super recent I think!) and the Starburst Slip Dress (for all those Sonia Rykiel lovers^). There is a reasonable choice of styles and colours between these pieces, and the olden-day SR fan in me really wants me to repurchase the Starburst Slip Dress even though I'm unlikely to wear it!

Tophalves So this covers both the tops and shirts and also the outerwear pieces in the release. There are some amazing inclusions in the tops with this release, and although I'm someone who has them already, it's a great opportunity for them to be bought again, and here I'm all about the White Cape Top, Neoprene Bodysuit and Clean Cut Shirt - what a fab bunch of great items for you^ I for one wear the Neoprene Bodysuit at least once a week so it's one piece that's worth the money! With outerwear there is a good variety of pieces, the Boardwalk Jacket is an older piece that will no doubt be popular with both its style and colours, while there are also newer pieces like the Dark Metallic Coat and Striped Cashmere Shawl. Both are pieces I've owned and since sold as I wasn't a fan of styling them, but maybe some of you guys will get good use of them!

Bottomhalves Not so many pieces in this category, but there are definitely winners in the midi skirt choices available! The Lilac Pleated Skirt has been popular and very wanted for quite a while for a lot of people, so this will no doubt make people happy because it's got great potential for so many looks! Then there's also the Fashion Jog Skirt - I'm very on the fence about this, I quite like the style but not so much how it sits low on the hips of the doll, but then again I've seen some good styles with it ... just not sure it's right for me ... convince me please!

Prices These range from 5 to 60SD's, which is huge, but it's literally only one Tribute bag at that price (definitely not ideal!) and most things are pretty reasonable and on track with previous releases. Nothing is SS or Royalty only and there are a couple of SC pieces on offer - so that's always good^

Features First up, the Boardwalk Jacket, which I've seen on so many dolls, in two different styles. This one is from LediGaga12 who wears it as a focal point to the look. I love the grey trousers and the addition of tassels as they really reinvent the jacket and make it look like a different piece. Classic white accessories stand out really nicely against the colours in the jacket =D

Also wearing the Boardwalk Jacket is ThePerpetua, who also styles the White Bunny Shades and the Detailed Pink Socks. I love the different positioning of the jacket, it shows off the long sleeves and the pretty collar of the piece below, and I think it looks great with the miniskirt too^ The socks really tie together with it sure to the slight pink hue which goes well with the same tone in the jacket =D

And then lastly Isabella8103 styling the Lilac Pleated Skirt. The colours stand out beautifully in this cosy yet stylish look. I love the long sleeved grey sweater with the skirt, they're a super match and they grey compliments the pastel tones nicely. It's been super styled up with a jewelled bag, some big shades and awesome matching heels =)

I N S P I R E D B Y A L E X A N D E R M C Q U E E N | Tribute Review

Our next tribute release has arrived - Inspired By Alexander McQueen! This is our first specific store for Alexander McQueen but there have been many inspired pieces in the plaza previously. I quite like the homepage ad, especially the coppery style background and the makeup looks, they really are spot on =D

We got a pretty big drop this time with three floors filled with pieces, which I think is pretty generous! To me there's not really much of a running theme, but somehow I think with this one it works out better as it means you are more likely to find a few pieces in your individual styles than not being able to get anything at all.

So there's not too much on the accessories front really. There's one bag, and it's quite massive! The McQueen Inspired Faux Fur Big Clutch is more than just big, it's one huge piece. For me it's just that bit too big, I'd rather my clutch be a tad on the smaller side - maybe a size option for this one would be great, but at this one I'm just not interested even though it has a great colour and style. Then there's just shoes - no jewellery or scarves or headpieces at all, which I think is maybe where this collection is lacking a little, but that might just be me. There are a pretty good range of shoes in this release with both heels and flats and a non-basic option for the guys. I do quite like the printing on the Pins Platforms (and the Male version), but I just don't like the overall style of the shoe, for me it's not so wearable, but I wish I could have the print! I'm hoping to see some inspiration in some looks and maybe I will reconsider my decision =) Then there's four pairs of heels to be had. Firstly the black and pink Furry Pink High Heels which definitely have a great edgy feel. They remind me a little of some of the styles available in Melbourne Minimalism and I think they would look good with a whole host of different styles and items. The last shoes are three very similar pairs - they all have the same cut really with the same black base and heel size but with slightly different prints, so the McQueen Inspired High Heels, Butterfly High Heels and Kurbit Inspired Platforms (which are just a little chunkier than the others). To be honest I really didn't notice a difference until I zoomed in and looked at each pair individually, and I'm glad I did! I initially loved the butterflies, but now I'm pretty sold on those platforms with the pretty purple toned flowers =D

So now the clothing. I have to say when I first saw everything I was quite under-whelmed, nothing seemed particularly wearable or versatile for my style and other items in my closet - but trying everything on really helped me out! Also, when I first saw the spoilers, I thought a lot more pieces were menswear items, just from the coats and their general shape and style - I was quite pleased there were going to be numerous male items available but in the end it didn't quite work out like that. I'll start with the outerwear anyway, and the first item I wanted was the male Butterfly Long Coat. It has a great neutral tan colour and a nice oversized shape. The butterflies are small and a nice decorative element without being too in your face - it ticks a lot of boxes for me! Something else which ticked a lot of boxes was the minimal Long Coat Satin Belt. It's my style to a 'T'^ The colour is great (it's black, where could it go wrong?!) and the shape is a pretty good one which I see working with a lot of different pieces from jeans to smart trousers but also skirts and dresses. The sash design also makes it pretty unique from what we've got in the Plaza otherwise. Also in the black category of outerwear are the Chained To My Coat and Maxi Leather Wing Coat, I thought these might be alright pieces initially, but the styles really don't suit my doll, and actually I haven't seen anyone wearing either. The styles are quite similar but with individual designs, I think the collar in the latter is what is a little off-putting for me, it just doesn't quite look right. There's also a shorter more casual option too, the Rock My Leather Jacket, I like the butterfly printing, but I can't get my head around the shape, it's not something I can see myself styling well, but maybe if someone does it justice I will change my mind! And there's some pale pieces too - the Pastelle Faux Fur Coat and the McQueen Inspired Oversized Coat. I love the pink colouring, it's fab, but I do see the pieces without too much versatility, I think they've probably got a good few outfits in them, but there might be a limit. The second has such a cool and unique shape, but for someone like myself who isn't very creative with pieces, something like this could be tricky to love in lots of looks.
Dresses really are a prominent item of this collection with a huge range of styles and colours to choose from - for me the issue is that just about everything has a huge amount of sheer. This automatically makes the cogs turn and makes me wonder if I'll find anything that I really want. I'll start with the shorter option, where there are four pieces, two dark and two light, so it's good to see a mix and there are different levels of sheerness in the pieces. In the pinks are the Nude Butterfly Sheer Dress, which really just is top half sheer and has a dip, which is an easy work-around really and has super pretty skirt layering, then also the Nude Laced Butterfly Dress which is a little more covered up top and has long sleeves, but has a patchy sort of sheer skirting - it could work out well with the right outerwear though, maybe a little challenge for someone! Then the darker pieces which are the Black Laced Butterfly Dress, a black version of the Nude one but with very minimal sheer material so it gets a big tick mark and has really pretty florals on it too, and also the Sheer Turtleneck Dress which has such a great shape but just quite a lot of sheer - it will definitely work out well for some people, just not myself! There are then five maxi styles, and all of them are a whole lot of sheer! The patterns are very pretty, especially the Birds And The Sun Dress and the Fantasy Dress Inspired By McQueen - they're just not pieces I can envisage worn in an everyday or easy manner, that's totally just my opinion, feel free to love them and wear them all the time and with trainers if it so suits you^ I do have a slight soft spot for the McQueen Tribute Bird Dance Dress, I love the shape and it suits my doll really well. It's not too bad on the sheer front as there's a lot of lace styled detailing ... maybe I should just bite the bullet and purchase it, let me know your thoughts! I also very much like the Butterflies And Frills dress, the shape and design as well as butterfly details are great, but it's just very sheer ... all these issues! If they were half the price I would have no bother taking the risk, but being 35SD each makes it a little tricky! There are some non-dress sheer pieces, and I quite like them both and they're definitely a lot more wearable for everyday looks. These are the Black McQueen Tulle Skirt and Sheer Star Pants which both have a lovely shimmer and glitter to them - if these pieces were the most adventurous that a whole collection had, then I'd be pretty happy!

Prices for this release range from 19 to 42SD's, which certainly doesn't make this collection a cheap one. I found just a few pieces really caused the total price of the shopping cart to soar quickly. In a way this is good because it will stop random purchases on my part, but it's not entirely user friendly if you're not wanting to have to purchase a lot of SD's.
Now my looks! I really looked for pieces which could fit into my own style well, because I really don't do well with items outside of my zone^ I really think I made what I bought work well for me! Firstly the Sheer Star Pants, and I really felt inclined to stick with the sheer theme in my shirt, I like it. A coverup was a little essential, but I think this fur fits nicely, and I stayed simple with black shoes and a bag - next time maybe some earrings I think! Secondly the Pastelle Faux Fur Coat which I was very kindly gifted when it was released for SC's. I was a little unsure what direction I wanted to go with this but these burgundy trousers were calling to me, so I stuck with them and a matching bag - I really love the tone with the pale pink colour. I think this look is still missing something though, so I'd love to hear your thoughts! Finally the Long Coat Satin Belt, as it's quite a minimal piece I decided to go all out with colours and patterns and these PPQ Geo Print Trousers seemed like a good answer with their small touches of blue but still fitting in with the black. I do quite like my accessorising with this one, that clutch is a good fit for the trousers and the sunglasses give it a little chic touch^

Lastly some features. It took a while for this tribute to hit it off with members I feel, I didn't start seeing a lot more looks until the end of the week really, but that doesn't matter at all - I'd like to think people were thinking about their choices carefully rather than buying things on a whim^ So first up is lacky_girl.., who has gone with the Time Is Ticking Suit Dress. The other clothing included is thoroughly on theme with the pink jacket to match the butterfly and a black base in the sheer skirting, what a great style for the piece^ Accessorising is also pretty cool with the trainers and socks!

Next we have natusia_182 going for chic and simple with the Long Coat Satin Belt. It looks great with these culottes and I love the shades of black between the two. The rest is pretty neutral but very complimentary, going with a knit and belt and a fitting matching bag then again with the heels, I love the straps and they really fill up the bare ankle left by the culotte length. Hair and beauty is spot on and perfect for this outfit =D

Something a tone away from the dark in the above two looks comes from Eyes.. who has managed to work with the McQueen Inspired Faux Fur Big Clutch very well! It suits the lilac and grey tones in the jacket very well, and I think it stands out with a variety of colours used in the look, I especially like it with these trousers! Accessorising is again very good, love these heels and the sunglasses make the outfit look oh so swanky^

And even brighter with LediGaga12's styling wearing the McQueen Inspired Oversized Coat. It's very much an outfit on its own with all the detail and great design element, but I really like how it's been put together here with the lace cami, they're a good fit together. Shoes are pretty and fashionable yet don't take attention from the coat. Also love the chocker necklace, it's a great style addition =)

And last but not least, something a little more casual with this look from Nmaar which includes the Butterfly Long Coat. I think the print really stands out with the tan knitwear and beige trousers, a pretty classic look to go for with a piece like this. I love the curled hairstyle, it looks awesome with this look, and a neutral beauty look takes it a long way!

Beauty Snaps

LediGaga12