never without inspiration

Recently, I've been looking to the past for inspiration in making fashion decisions. There's such a wealth of fashion history out there and there's so much to play around with...

I'm a huge fan of Art Deco designs and I was browsing on the Pasttimes website (yes, many people think it's just for grannies but hey, I have an old soul) and there are some absolutely gorgeous pieces that are completely inspired by this period, with their geometric shapes and strong motifs at pretty reasonable prices.




I have been lusting after these 'emerald' earrings which also have a matching necklace and ring. I absolutely adore statement jewellery; it never fails to brighten up a dull outfit or add a quirky touch to a classic look.

When looking through history for fashion inspiration, there's no way you can ignore the fashion of the sixties. And top on my wish list is this beautiful tapestry bag which has a retro, mod feel to it - reminscent of the swinging sixties. Apparently, during the sixties, young people actually used to cut up a Union Jack flag and sew it into a bag like the one below... makes me wish I was that resourceful...



I was feeling a little uninspired lately but researching old fashion trends has proved to be the thing I just needed - time to mix up my wardobe a little methinks.

E-shopping mania...

Over these last few years, e-shopping has become hugely popular... it seems now we no longer feel the need to go literally shopping, when we can get that same andrenaline rush virtually. Who hasn't put off work or studying to sneak a peek on the Asos website, only to go on a huge shopping spree without even getting up off the sofa?!

So, what does this actually mean for the future of shopping? Are actual shops losing a huge percentage of their trade to online sites, where less staff are employed and there are lower costs all round e.g. no electricity, shop fittings, maintenance. And what does this mean for the ever-increasing shopping savvy customer?

I, for one, think that whilst internet shopping will continue to grow in bounds and leaps, the role of the shop is still going to be a huge asset to our economy. I love the escapism of shopping, when the shops don't have that horribly hectic atmosphere but you can quite calmly view the different collections at your leisure. For me, I love to feel the textures and different fabrics of clothes I like - part of the fun is the trying on process, especially when you try on clothes you know you'll never be able to afford - it's all part of the 'dress up'. Even if you're feeling particularly down, a good shop is always hugely beneficial to your spirits, especially when punctuated with lovely coffee and cake breaks where you can sit and ponder all the items you're lusting after. I try and plan at least one of these truly self-indulgent days at least once every two months (obviously depending on the funds!) but it's something I always look forward to and I don't think that high from clicking 'Add to basket' will ever be able to overtake that, however nice it is to wake up in the morning with a nice fat parcel from net-a-porter!!

While we're on the subject of e-shopping, these are a few of either my coveted pieces that I got while surfing the old interweb...


These are Lipsy highwaisted shorts which I got from the sale at Asos for fifteen quid. They were an unusual find, seeing as I'm averse to Lipsy usually - just think that most of their items are tacky and sold at ridiculously extortionate prices but these shorts are cute and I wear them with tights and high ankle boots.


My beautiful Helene Berman coat which I got again, on sale, from Asos which is now becoming my second favourite website (after google). It's faux fur collar gives it a vintage ladylike feel and it looks gorgeous with a hat, wooly tights and t-bar shoes. However, the faux fur collar has been molting slightly - that's one of the problems about buying online. It can sometimes make you incredibly lazy when deciding on what to buy and you can never really get a true feel for the quality of the item. Either way, I'm obviously addicted!

Best contemporary british fashion!

I compiled this teeny collage with the aim of encapsulating why I love British fashion. Everything's always a bit quirky and offbeat (annoying words I know) but it's so refreshing in comparison with the stereotypical 'perfect' look. In my opinion, perfection is overrated. I prefer looking slightly scruffy than utterly groomed - maybe it's just me but I end up feeling like a bit of a fraud...

I especially love Jameela Jamil's sexy-not-smutty look - the trilby hat and the rocky boots make the look a lot less 'little girl' and more 'strong woman'.

Kate Moss has always been a style icon and I can seriously not imagine her EVER looking uncool. The cheekbones and legs probably help to make everything she wears cool. I remember going through a phase of wanting to wear hotpants, waistcoat and a trilby hat, after seeing Moss in that very ensemble; however, I have since realised what looks good on a supermodel doesn't necessarily look good on the average person a la me. Damn those models...

I think Sophie Ellis Bextor is really underrated in the fashion world. I've seen her wearing beautiful pieces a lot of the time and she's really not afraid to take risks which I love. I also LOVE her porcelain complexion, which she often complements with bright eyeshadow and lipstick - a refreshing change from the numerous oompa loompas in the media at the moment.

Talking of porcelain beauties, Florence Welch epitomises the quirky, slightly eccentric rock chick with a beautifully unique look. I love the way she layers her clothes in the collage and I'm a sucker for leopard skin coats!! I'm a bit sad but I actually can't wait for winter just to get the coats and opaque tights out...

I'm not into it-girls at all (don't even get me started on how utterly USELESS they are) but I thought I'd add in Daisy Lowe seeing as she's quite a big fashion inspiration at the moment with her sexy mixed with rock and roll look. In my opinion, I prefer Alexa whose limby body lends itself well to pretty much any type of clothing and she always takes risks. I especially love her long socks in the picture; the sixties look never goes out of fashion...

Wardrobe favourites

Seeing as I'm going through a horrible spell of being broke (when aren't I?), I thought I'd start looking at the clothes and accessories I own that I love and hopefully, this will reignite a greater appreciation of them.

I don't really like the culture of disposable fashion although I'll be the first to admit that I do sometimes buy clothes from places like Primark. In an attempt to make myself feel slightly better, I regularly clear out clothes that I just haven't worn in the last few months or that I decided to buy impulsively - which believe me, is a lot! Since my internship at Cancer Research UK, where I had to analyse methods to generate stock acquisition, I have become far more aware of being a responsible and ethical shopper so I am trying my very best to buy clothes that 1) I will definitely wear and don't just look good on the mannequin and 2) that are worth their price i.e. nowadays, I'd rather save my pennies to buy something that I know is going to be an investment instead of the latest fad.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Here's an insight into a few coveted pieces from my wardrobe round about now...

I love this cream lace blouse from New Look. I think it was something like £20. There are loads of lace garments on the high street at the moment but I think the combination of lace with the exaggerated, highly dramatic shoulders makes this piece stand out and actually appear a lot more expensive than it is. It's great with a jersey skirt or jeans for the daytime or teamed with a sophisticated pencil skirt, it makes a great evening look. (Please ignore my awful camera skills; I have a lot to learn. Also that weird big dark thing on my right arm is my tattoo, not just a weird birthmark...)


If I had to describe the look I'm into right now, it would probably be something like 'rebellious youthful sophistication'. That doesn't help much I know. For a visual representation, this picture ought to give you some sort of idea.

Kind of sophisticated elegance mixed with naughty schoolgirl...
The velvet blazer is oldschool Jaeger and is a coveted possession of mine - it automatically makes an outfut look smarter and edgier. The pleated skirt is from Karen Millen - an excellent perk of being a former KM shopgirl and I'm wearing the same New Look blouse as mentioned earlier.

Right now, I'm reaaally loving stiletto wedges although they are pretty tricky to wear. I'm deluding myself into thinking I just haven't had enough practice so far... I got these ones from Dune; they were a tad expensive at £100 but the suede is so lovely plus I had been eyeing them for a while... plus they're an investment buy!! (an excuse I use a LOT)


Finally, a lovely versatile dress. It's made from a sort of wool fabric which I love because it's highly flattering and really soft to touch. It's from French Connection and was originally £65 but it's half price in the sale and is a birthday gift to me from my sister. I LOVE the exaggerated shoulders (again, the shoulders are a major theme - mainly because I have the shoulders of a rower despite the fact I hate pretty much all sports) and the gold zips give the dress a funky edgy feel. This is a great work dress - you can get away with wearing it during the day and the night, it's great value for money!! My only tiny quibble is that due to the fact it is very slim fitting on the bottom half because of its body con style, any tiny bulge is pretty visible which is a bit of a bummer...but maybe that's an incentive to stay away from the junk food??

Another picture:

Something that I ALWAYS end up wearing is my oversized slightly crazy grannyish cardigan from Topshop. I bagged it in the sale for £9 - I think it's original price was something like £35 - and it is one of my favourite items. I honestly think there's nothing better than a dress, an oversized cardigan and heels (a la Jameela Jamil).


And last but not least, my vintage leather bag - I had been lusting for a leather bag for ages before I found this one. I bought it from a lovely leather stall in Paddington Station for around a tenner. I've tied my favourite neck scarf (£1 in a sale from Warehouse) around it in the picture which I use so very much. The picture does not do both items justice, purely because I am shite with cameras, but vintage leather bags = gorgeous.


Hope you enjoyed!!x

the sun is out!

It seems that when the sun shines, everyone embraces it fully, with the knowledge that it probably won't last for too long. In my uni library, I've seen girls in lovely tribal jumpsuits (not easy to pull off, but pretty brave), far too clingy boob tubes and cute summer dresses. Unfortunately, I'm not one for getting much flesh out - I'm far too self-conscious, although I'm trying to be more experimental! - so I haven't yet joined the sunshine crowd. Anywhow, I'm mid-revising at the moment so I haven't been able to spend too much time thinking about fashion (apart from as a means of major procrastination) but I'm seriously loving the summer vibes - it gives me an excuse to shop for a whole new wardrobe!

Monochrome pieces for summer!

I have a slight obsession with black and whenever I'm stuck for something to wear, black ALWAYS works. It's quintissentially chic and yes people may say it's boring but I've found that just by adding a few statement accessories, your outfit can be transformed from city chic into something far more playful. Too many times, I've attempted to dress in 'crazy' colours but I've found I feel far more comfortable when my outfit contains a smidgen of black...


which is why, the new monochromatic trend for summer is absolutely perfect. It's wearable and summery at the same time. I really really want the outfit I've compiled together below (with all garments from Karen Millen). I usually think KM is a bit too WAG-trying-to-be-classy for me, but I really like the playful yellow accessories and the combination of the chic and the slightly tacky but fun accessories and printed skirt. Maybe I'll save my pennies, or just wait for the sale - one of the benefits of having worked there previously is that I have a few contacts whoo!

Alternative music = alternative fashion?

I've been really getting into 90's grunge at the moment. I've always been more partial to rock music but never really consciously expressed my music taste through my fashion choices, apart from a phase I went through where I wouldn't take off my 'Muse' T-shirt because I thought I was so hardcore. I suppose I wear an awful lot of black which people used to associate with being a 'goth'. I've definitely always been interested in the darker side of things. But rock music's not all about doom and gloom.

A fashion icon like Courtney Love, for example, went through her whole babydoll dresses, messed-up hair and big boots look for a while which really caught on because it was different to the stereotypical rock chick look of studs and leather. Someone like Shirley Manson is a huge fan of stripes (aren't most rock chicks?) and her ankle boots.

Even presenters or 'it-girls' have adopted similar styles to try and show their inclination for the alternative music scene. Take Alexa Chung... fashion sweetheart. Most of her looks are a fabulous mix of quirky naughty schoolgirl items and oversized grungy knits. The fact she's dating the singer of Arctic Monkeys only adds to the cool factor and has cemented her and her fashion sense as inherently 'cool'. Just take a look at Kate Moss and the millions of girls who view her as a style icon. I would probably describe her look as definitely rock-inspired with elements of boho thrown in the mix. It definitely works and stores like Topshop have become absolute giants on the High Street by capitalising on the 'cool' factor, adopting this rock and roll edge to their fashion. Let's just say, I can't walk around London without seeing this inspired look, from the studs to the leather trousers.

This, however, does not work when people who do not have any knowledge of the alternative scene think that by dressing a certain way and wearing a 'Bob Marley' T-shirt, they can automatically become stylish. It's not very difficult to point out the people who are doing it completely for the image and to me, there's nothing more cringeworthy than that.

I want to be a flapper!

I was so excited to go to Jasper Garvida’s catwalk show at LFW on Saturday. As his former PR, I was ecstatic to see the new lookbooks with my press releases –all the hard work seemed to pay off!! I have, however, realised how fake the fashion industry can be and the ease with which certain narcissistic people can forget your efforts after a few weeks have gone by but, anyway – now’s not the time for a personal rant at the injustice of humanity!….. I’ll leave that for my actual diary.

Although I’ve obviously seen his collection, presenting it to potential retailers and whatnot, I was still amazed by the beauty and class of it all. The muted colours and the elegant 1920s style were hypnotising – combining all this with one of my favourite songs ever, ‘Dummy’ by Portishead and I was pretty much in fashion heaven!!



The dramatic makeup of the models enhanced the Art Deco feel even further and I was practically drooling over their funky Charlie Chaplinesque hats (sponsored by Newurban Hats via moi !!) which were pinned onto the side of their head. Long curls, strikingly pale skin and heavily contoured cheekbones gave the show a very Florence and the Machine feel. I thought Florence would suit the Garvida look very well and look especially gorgeous in the long dramatic green and black satin gown. It cuts a very sharp silhouette, mixing heavy tailoring with femininity which is a bit how Florence seems to come across in her performances. To see his former collections and learn a bit about Jasper, who is a lovely lovely individual, check out his website at www.jaspergarvida.com which has his past collections as well.

Sorry Jasper's beautiful collection seems to be somewhat obstructed by the people in the front row, but I hope you can make out the art deco theme and the beautiful sillhouettes of his garments. You can click on the images to see them in more detail.



Gorgeous and thoroughly inspirational. I am definitely investing in some art deco inspired pieces in the not-too-distant future :)

The past offers a plethora of fashion inspiration

I have been researching fashion through the ages for my internship and have been discovering the joys of rediscovering old trends, especially 80’s fashion. Even though we laugh, many of the trends are sources of HUGE influence on today’s catwalk. The resurgence in all things from the 80’s has been hugely popular, from the exaggerated shoulder pads to the chunky knits, evoking ‘geek chic’. This geek chic look is sometimes matched with thick black-rimmed spectacles just to enhance the aesthetic effect. I, for one, think that this ends up looking rather contrived – like you’ve just raided a wardrobe from the 80’s for a tacky fancy dress party. To achieve the look effectively, you need to make sure you have the right amount of vintage and contemporary items to give it a quirky – not dated – feel.

My research has also reinvigorated my love for all things 60’s. I am currently obsessed with shift dresses – patterned or plain – and let’s face it, the mini is NEVER going out of style. I love the clean forms and shapes of Mod fashion a la the adorable Twiggy but I also adore the groupie-chic look as encapsulated by Marianne Faithfull. Long, shaggy hair with a blunt fringe, heavy kohled eyes and a shaggy faux fur coat = instant rock and roll glamour.


To be honest, though, I do admire rockers that experiment with their fashion like Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Agh, how I’d love to be in a rock band.

Gothic

I want these vampy Chanel lipsticks desperately. They have a sort of gothic feel about them and would look fabulous with some clean cat-flicked liquid eyeliner so that they remain the main focus of the face. I'm thinking a lace black dress, a net fascinator and a slick of Obscure Chanel Allure (the middle deep blue colour). That's definitely something I'll be saving up for.

Accessorize have some really beautiful fascinators at the moment that won't burn a hole in your pocket. I'd probably go for something like this quirky mini top hat fascinator, which is an affordable £26. I think it has a playful cabaret feel and would add such a dramatic element to your outfit.

inspiration

I'm hoping this blog can be a place for me to document everything that inspires me, mainly relating to art, fashion and anything that interests me really. I figure if I have a place where I can keep going back to things that really excite me, I'll be able to be inspired far more often than I am. I must remember to keep my camera in my pocket and take photos of everything I find beautiful or just plain interesting.

Today I explored the area of Chiswick High Road for the first time ever. It's a pretty affluent area of London with lots of cute little boutiques littered in between your standard WHSmiths and Cafe Nero etc. For my first day, my mentor asked me to go and research the charity shops and remark on a list of points like pricing, donations, presentation of the shop.

In the first store, I met Paula who's the manager of the Cancer Research UK Retro and Vintage shop. She's this wonderfully eccentric red-headed Dutch woman who has a real flair for everything a bit quirky. I found myself becoming so enthralled and frantically flicking through all the vintage gems crowded onto the rails. Garments ranged from glamorous fur coats which I have dreamed of for far too long; however, there weren't any in my size. I did, however, take the opportunity to buy a beautiful suede coat with a subtle leopard print design that is reminiscent of the late 60s/ early 70s. It conjures up the rock and roll glamour of the time and I can really imagine someone like Marianne Faithfull wearing it with a minidress back in her prime.

I also managed to find a proper vintage 80's chunky jumper at a fraction of the price of the Topshop copies that everyone seems to be coveting nowadays. There are some really unique dresses that would be great for parties and as Paula says, we shouldn't just reserve beautiful clothes for 'special occasions' but instead 'treat everyday as a party.' I think I'll definitely be taking that idea on board ;p

I was so impressed with the selection in the shop and I'll definitely be going again - it's like a little cave of treasures and if I had a limitless budget, I would have quite easily walked out the shop with everything!